#Probably wrote John out of character anyways
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I would LOVE to read your analysis of louis as byronic hero as apposed to his reading as gothic heroine. lots of the latter and zero of the former in the fandom.
Sure! Mmm, okay, so –
What are we talking about when we talk about Gothic Heroes?
When we talk about gothic heroes, we’re really talking about three pretty different character archetypes. All three are vital to the genre, but some are more popular in certain subgenres i.e. your Prometheus Hero may be more common in gothic horror, whereas your Byronic Hero might be more likely to be found in gothic romance. That’s not to say they’re exclusive to those subgenres at all, and there is an argument that these archetypes themselves are gendered (in many ways, I think people confuse Anne being an author of the female gothic with Louis being a gothic heroine, but I’ll get into that later), but this is also not necessarily something that’s exclusive.
Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself, haha, so the three gothic hero archetypes are:
Milton’s Satan who is the classic gothic hero-villain. You can probably guess from the name, but he was originated in John Milton’s 1667 poem, Paradise Lost. He is God’s favourite angel, but God is forced to cast him out of heaven when he rebels against him. As an archetype, he’s a man pretty much defined by his pride, vanity and self-love, usually fucks his way through whatever book or poem he’s in, has a perverted, incestuous family, and a desire to corrupt other people. He’s also defined as being “too weak to choose what is moral and right, and instead chooses what is pleasurable only to him” and his greatest character flaw, in spite of all The Horrors, is that he’s usually easily misguided or led astray. (I would argue that Lestat fits into this archetype pretty neatly, but that’s a whole other post.)
Prometheus who was established as a gothic archetype by Mary Shelley with Frankenstein in 1818. Your Prometheus Hero is basically represented by the quest for knowledge and the overreach of that quest to bring on unintended consequences. He’s tied, of course, to the Prometheus of Greek myth, so you can get elements of that in this character design too in that he can be devious or a trickster, but the most important part of him is that he is split between his extreme intelligence and his sense of rebellion, and that his sense of rebellion and boundary pushing overtakes his intelligence and basically leads to All The Gothic Horrors.
And the Byronic Hero, who as the name implies, was both created by and inspired by the romantic poet, Lord Byron in his semi-autobiographical poem, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage which was published between 1812-1818. The archetype is kind of an idealized version of himself, and as historian and critic Lord Macaulay wrote, the character is “a man proud, moody, cynical, with defiance on his brow and misery in his heart, a scorner of his kind, implacable in revenge, yet capable of deep and strong affection.” Adding to that, he’s often called ‘the gloomy egoist’ as a protagonist type, hates society, is often self-destructive and lives either exiled or in a self-exile, and is a stalwart of gothic literature, but especially gothic romance. Interestingly too, in his most iconic depictions he’s often a) darkly featured and/or not white (Heathcliff being the most obvious example of this given Emily Bronte clearly writes him as either Black or South Asian), and b) is often used to explore queer identity, with Byron himself having been bisexual.
Okay, but what about the Gothic Heroine?
Gothic heroines are less delineated and have had more of an evolution over time, which makes sense, given women have consistently been the main audience of gothic literature and have frequently been the most influential writers of the genre too. The gothic genre sort of ‘officially’ started with Horace Walpole’s 1764 novel, The Castle of Otranto and Isabella is largely regarded as the first gothic heroine and the foundation of the archetype, and the book opens even with one of the key defining traits – an innocent, chaste woman without the protection of a family being pursued and persecuted by a man on the rampage.
The gothic heroine was, for years, defined by her lack of agency. She was innocent, chaste, beautiful, curious, plagued by tragedy and often, ultimately, tragic. Isabella survives in The Castle of Otranto, but she’s one of the lucky ones – Cathy dies in Wuthering Heights, Sybil dies in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Justine and Elizabeth both die in Frankenstein, Mina survives in Dracula, but Lucy doesn’t. There’s an argument frequently posited that the gothic genre was, and is, about dead women and the men who mourn them, and Interview with the Vampire certainly lends itself to that pretty neatly.
Of course, the genre has evolved, and in particular by the late 1800s, there was a notable shift in how the Gothic Heroine was depicted. The house became a place of imprisonment where they were further constrained and disempowered, she was infantilized and pathologized and diagnosed as hysterical, and as Avril Horner puts it in her excellent paper, Women, Power and Conflict: the Gothic heroine and ‘Chocolate-box Gothic’, gothic literature of this era “explores “the constraints enforced [by] a patriarchal society that is becoming increasingly nervous about the demands of the ‘New Woman’.”
This was an era where marriage was increasingly understood in feminist circles to be a civil death where women were further subjugated and became the property of their husbands. This was explored through gothic literature as the domestic space evolved into a symbol of patriarchal control in the Female Gothic.
Female Gothic vs Male Gothic
Because here’s the thing – the female gothic and the male gothic are generally understood to be two different subgenres of gothic literature.
While there are plenty of arguments as to what this entails, the basics is that the male gothic is written by men, and usually features graphic horror, rape and the masculine domination of women and often utilises the invasion of women’s spaces as a symbol of further penetrating their bodies, while the female gothic is written by women, and usually features graphic terror, as opposed to horror, while delving more specifically into gender politics. More than that though, its heroines are usually victimized, virginial and powerless while being pursued by villainous men.
The Female Gothic as a genre is also specifically interested in the passage from girlhood to female maturity, and does view the house as a place of entrapment, but she is usually suddenly “threatened with imprisonment in a castle or a great house under the control of a powerful male figure who gave her no chance to escape.”
That’s not Louis’ arc, that’s Claudia’s arc twice over, first with the house at Rue Royale, then with the Paris Coven, and Lestat and Armand aren’t the only powerful male figures who imprison her.
Claudia as the Gothic Heroine
Claudia in many ways is the absolute embodiment of the classic gothic heroine. Even the moment of their meeting is a product of Louis’ Byronic heroism – his act of implacable revenge against the Alderman Fenwick which prompts the rioting that almost kills her. She’s a victim of Louis’ monstrousness before they’ve even met, and while he saves her, he arguably does something worse in trapping her in the house with both himself and Lestat, holding her in an ever-virginal, ever-chaste eternal girlhood, playing into Lestat’s Milton-Satan by enhancing the perversion of family and ultimately infantilizing her out of his own desire for familial closeness.
Claudia has no family protection before Louis and Lestat – a staple of the gothic heroine – she is completely dependent on them in her actual girlhood, and again in adulthood, never developing the strength to be able to turn a companion, to say nothing about the sly lines here and there that further diminish and pathologise her (Lestat calling her histrionic, Louis making her out to be a burden, etc.). This is all further compounded again with the Coven, and when the tragedy of her life ultimately leads to the tragedy of her death.
Louis as the Byronic Hero
Not to start with a quote, but here’s one from The Literary Icon of the Byronic Hero and its Reincarnation in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights:
“Generally speaking, the Byronic hero exhibits several particular characteristics. He does not possess heroic virtues in the usual, traditional sense. He is a well-educated, intelligent and sophisticated young man, sometimes a nobleman by birth, who at the same time manifests signs of rebellion against all fundamental values and moral codes of the society. Despite his obvious charm and attractiveness, the Byronic hero often shows a great deal of disrespect for any figure of authority. He was considered "the supreme embodiment [...] standing not only against a dehumanized system of labor but also against traditionally repressive religious, social, and familial institutions" (Moglen, 1976: 28).
The Byronic hero is usually a social outcast, a wanderer, or is in exile of some kind, one imposed upon him by some external forces or self-imposed. He also shows an obvious tendency to be arrogant, cunning, cynical, and unrepentant for his faults. He often indulges himself in self destructive activities that bring him to the point of nihilism resulting in his rebellion against life itself. He is hypersensitive, melancholic, introspective, emotionally conflicted, but at the same time mysterious, charismatic, seductive and sexually attractive.”
Louis as he exists in the show to me is pretty much all of those things, and I think to argue that he’s a gothic heroine not only diminishes Claudia’s arc, but robs Louis of his agency within his own story. Louis chooses Lestat, over and over again, he’s not imprisoned by the monster in the domestic sphere, he is one of the monsters who’s controlling the household, including making decisions of when they bring a child into it and when Lestat gets to live in it – he wanted to be turned, he wanted to live with Lestat in Rue Royale, and while there are certainly arguments to be made about their power dynamic within the household in the NOLA era, importantly Louis actually gained social power through his marriage to Lestat, particularly through The Azaelia, he didn’t lose it in the way that’s vital to the story of the gothic heroine.
Daniel Hart even said it in a recent twitter thread about Long Face, but there is an element of Lestat and Louis’ relationship that is transactional, and to me, for that to exist, they both have to have a degree of control over their circumstances and choices in order to negotiate those transactions. Claudia is the one who can’t, she’s the one who’s treated effectively as property, and she’s the one who lacks control over her circumstances.
While you could perhaps argue the constraints of the apartment in Dubai lend more to the gothic heroine archetype, I’d argue it as furthering the Byronic trope again by being representative both of Louis’ self-destruction and self-imposed exile. As Jacob has said a few times, Louis does seem to have known to a degree that Armand was involved in Claudia’s death on some level, and it’s that guilt and misery that has him allowing Armand his degree of control. The fact that Louis was able to leave Armand as easily and as definitively as he was I think demonstrates that distinction too – after all, to compare that ending to Claudia’s multiple attempts to leave the confines of the patriarchal house, both in Rue Royale and Paris, which were punished at every turn – first by her rape, then by Lestat dragging her back off the train, and then by the Coven orchestrating her murder.
Louis gets to leave because Louis can leave, he has both the social and narrative power to, and the fact that he does is, to me, completely at odds with the gothic heroine. Louis can, and does advocate for himself, Louis is proud, moody, cynical. Defiance is a key part of his character, just as his exile from NOLA society due to his race, and his chosen rejection of vampire society in Paris, is. He’s intelligent and sophisticated, travels the world, and has misery in his heart, guilt that eats him up, and self-destructive tendencies. That’s a Byronic Hero, baby!
#i also agree with jacob when he says he has a lot more power in his relationship with lestat than he'd admit to#i also think the house in rue royale is both constraining AND liberating for louis#as he's able to live with a sort of honesty he couldn't in his mother's house#lestat wields a lot of power in it of course but louis does too#i could keep talking about this but i think that's probably enough for this morning haha#louis de pointe du lac#amc interview with the vampire#iwtv asks#claudia de pointe du lac#welcome to my ama
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“Lana, How I Hate Those Guys” ୨୧
Pairing: Sarah Cameron x Fem!Reader
Fluff, Sarah being the bestest friend ever, slight JJ and Kie slander (srry i love them tho), slight twist at the end ;)
Wc: 1,181 (ish)
An: Woah chat, character unlocked 😈 Why does literally nobody write anything for her?? Platonic or not 😰
Randomly wrote this?? Also way longer than I’d thought it’d be?? Hope you enjoy tho!
Feedback always appreciated bbs! <33
“Oh my god Sarah, like what the fuck does he mean that we were just ‘friends with benefits?’ It sure didn’t feel like it when he’d be practically wrapped around my body during every bonfire.” You exclaim with a huff.
You knew it wouldn’t be just smooth sailing when you met JJ.
You had heard of his reputation of course. A new girl wrapped around his arm every week, touron or not.
But for some reason, you had hoped that you two could somehow be something more. You’d be lying if you said that you hadn’t fallen for the blonde rather quickly. Obviously, every other girl in Kildare couldn’t refrain from falling for JJ’s charm and sweet tone.
You unfortunately, suffered like the rest, that were just tossed aside when he got bored. When you met JJ at the boneyard of the cut, he had called your whole “arrangement” or what not, off.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, did you know that his name isn’t even JJ? it’s short for fucking John Jay.” Sarah says with a snicker.
“No fucking way, are you serious?”
“Dead.”
She continues, “Like oh my god, John has to be the most generic name ever, plus it radiates dickhead energy.”
“…Your boyfriend also has the name John..?”
“Okay yeah, but we’re talking about JJ right now. Anyways, don’t let it get to your head babe, he’s just a stupid douchebag asshole- sorry can you relax your hand f’me?” Sarah says while she paints your nails.
It’s moments like these where you’re grateful for a bestfriend like her, despite all of the running around she’s doing with the pouges to get the gold, you both know that she’d drop everything in a heartbeat for you.
The two of you have been friends since childhood, originally meeting in the 2nd grade.
You both easily bonded due to coming from similar backgrounds; you were a kook as well.
You look up at her eyes and softly gasp, “Oh shit! Sorry. Anyways, I bet he’s got another girl in his bed right now. Y’know what? He’s probably busy trying to get into Kiara’s pants.”
“No pogue on pogue macking,” you scoff in a mocking tone.
“It’s actually such bullshit, I see the way that he looks at her, and of course I see how her eyes somehow always drift to him. I don’t know if she thinks I’m fucking stupid or if she’s dumb herself, but I figured that it’d pass. After all, didn’t she kiss Pope and John B?”
“Mhm, I think she just strives for attention, y’know? She’s always getting all pissy when I come around, maybe it’s ’cause I’m dating Bee and she’s not.” Sarah murmurs.
“You’re all done, by the way.”
You fall back onto the pillows on her bed.
“Boys are just so dumb Sar.” You groan.
“Definitely. Also watch your nails, hon.”
Sarah also lays back onto her pillows, leaning on one arm.
There’s a few beats of silence between you two, just relishing in the moment while SZA’s ‘The Weekend’ plays softly through Sarah’s speaker.
“That’s it. No more moping and being gloomy. It’s a nice night out! We should do something!” Sarah exclaims.
You look at her with a quirked brow, “First of all, I don’t mope, second, what could we possibly do at this hour?”
“That’s the thing! We can just plan it along the way! That makes thing 10 times more fun.” The blonde says with a grin.
You think for a few seconds, and come to your conclusion, “Actually, yeah! That sounds good. Let’s go.”
Sarah squeals and jumps up from the bed, pulling you with her.
You and Sarah quickly pull on your hoodies, since that night chill will surely get to you both, and the two of you slide your flip flops onto your freshly painted toes.
Sarah grabs her speaker and keys, and put them into her tote bag, the one she had painted the day you two had made your ‘bikini crates’.
The two of you giggle while somewhat rushing down the stairs, without a care in the world.
“Sarah? Where are you two going?” You hear Rose call out.
Sarah looks at you with a glint of mischief in her eyes. She grabs your hand and with that, you both left.
You and Sarah had been running around outside for around an hour, your flip flops slapping against the pavement as you skipped around yelling the lyrics to ‘Melt’ by Kehlani.
You two had somehow managed to make it to figure 8 beach. There was something about it that always lured you and Sarah to it.
Sarah doesn’t hesitate to kick off her flip flops and set down her tote bag.
“C’mon babe! Get in with me!” Sarah shouts as she giggles and makes grabby-hands out towards you.
“But we don’t have any bathing suits!” You shout back, equally as loud.
“Who cares?! It’s just us!”
Sarah strips down and then looks at you expectantly.
You sigh, and begin to pull your hoodie over your head.
“Hell yeah sexy! Free those tittiesssss!” She drags out.
She grabs your hand after you finish, and starts running towards the water.
“Christ Sarah! Slow the hell down!” You shout while trailing behind her.
As you start to feel the water work its way up to the middle of your calves. Sarah looks back at you and yells, “Jump!”
You both dive make a splash, you find one another whilst you're underwater.
You come up with her, with your hands around her neck.
You brush her wet hair out of her face and look deeply into her eyes.
Her eyes remind you of the tree bark that you used to hug and climb when you both were younger, well, the bark that you would climb.
Sarah was never able to do these kind of activities, for her parents were stricter than yours. But this wouldn’t stop her from watching, and cheering you on.
That’s one of the things you loved about Sarah.
How despite your interests somewhat clashing, she still remained by your side.
You grew fond of how she opened herself up to the world and allowed herself to do more, very quickly.
You were never upset when she started hanging out with the pogues, in fact, you encouraged it. You wanted her to be happy, and you hoped that she’d allow you to stick around to see it, thankfully, she did.
Sarah’s whisper breaks you out of your thoughts, “Boys totally suck right? They’d never have this much fun with us.”
“Right.” You say, just as soft.
You continue to stare at her.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
“Shut up, loser.” You say with a slight grin, nothing but affection coming from your semi-chapped lips.
You’re glad that she drops everything for you in a heartbeat.
But you also wish that maybe, just maybe, she’d look at you differently..The way that you look at her.
But until then, you’ll still remain grateful for a bestfriend like her.
Fuck JJ. God, John B’s one lucky bastard.
#lee’s writing! ₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎#sarah cameron x reader#sarah cameron#sarah cameron obx#madelyn cline#madelyn cline x reader#obx x you#obx x reader#obx#outer banks#jj maybank x reader#jj maybank x kook!reader#rafe cameron x you#rafe cameron x reader#john b routledge#john b x reader#jj maybank#Spotify
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metal from heaven fans i have character design sketches for most of the cast I would love if anyone has Thoughts Ideas or Suggestions (gay sketches as a reward if you read to the bottom)
i did..... not quite every on page character, but pretty much everyone who's there more than once and at least vaguely described (or like. I'd do gwyar if it wouldn't be a spoiler)
all the character descriptions I have recorded are here by the way !!
some of the characters are described a lot but most are like.....their face/hair but nothing about their clothes, or the other way around, so for a lot of them I just winged it - part of the reason I wanted to do so many characters roughly was so get a sense of the overall styles and vibes? august said they were thinking about john galliano for fashion so I took a lot of inspo from that and also a heavy dose of western vibes.....fashion is not my strong point though. truly just stuck it all in a blender and slapped it on.
and also for most of these it's sort of first-or-second-pass designs - basically just getting an initial feel rather than really solidly Designed. so likely to change. I could definitely push a lot of them further!!!
fingerbluffs/choir etc!
sisphe is described with having sunlight trapped in her hair and then also a dark curtain of hair and it's PROBABLY dark but I did imagine her blonde initially because of that. going with blonde hair as a kid that got darker to compromise...
her disguise outfit isn't really described other than gloves but I kinda matched it to marney disguise (below)
harlow took me so long to figure out getting her face like I imagined and also like how I described....I'm not sure still. i love her sm
amon is accidentally giving victor arcane. the character archetype + colour palette I guess. I specifically made it blue/black with pink highlights because of the tullian gender colours though..
tbh I still haven't figured out how their bandit hoods work. I think they pull over from the back of the head but I can't figure out how to draw that in a way that works so they're bandanas for now
not pictured but what are we imagining the lurchers like. just fun punky sff motorbikes?
aristrocrats !!
i am pretty happy with my marney and goss (though goss could be shorter...)
wanna do more vikare outfits
yann i. chauncey supposed to be quite boring and nondescript but also. sure does like Like A Random Dude in this lineup huh
basically all of the bottom row are only lightly described so I just went with the initial vague mental image I had tbh!
could I put more effort into giving them more cultural distinctions / make the areas they're from more visually distinct? yes probably. it's hard to get a sense of some of that when some of the places are within ignavia and some are like.. separate continents - and there's no map to sort it out in my head. (you may notice i wrote where they're from in blue by the names though)
description: 'detailed traditional tullian/drustish/etc embroidery' me: here's some vague scribbles
could deffo get some more body diversity in here
anyway genuinely very interested if anyone is like 'I imagined x to be completely different in y way' or fancasts or anything else! i am so open to and interested in making changes if other people have thoughts (and like if you're not an artist so can't draw it yourself) (or even if you are an artist but don't have the time and want to make me draw it instead. i know the feeling)
----
thanks for reading here's sketches:
I promise I will post these properly on my art blog sometime. also if anyone has ideas for little sketches like these, of any particular interactions or whatever....
#metal from heaven#art inside! but rough and i want peoples thoughts if you have thoughts!#my art#august clarke
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IT'S ALL BULLSHIT, IT'S ALL A LIE...
...AND I'M JUST A PAWN IN YOUR STUPID GAMES.
Hi, I'm Amanda. Or you can call me Mandy, I don't care. I'm 29. I guess I'm a woman, but I don't care about that either. She/her or they/them is fine, maybe even he/him if you want. Definition of the 'mean lesbian' stereotype.
I work for Jigsaw, so watch what you say around me. He helped me and maybe He can help you, too. DMs and asks from anyone is fine.
I should probably mention I have BPD. Petulant, impulsive and self destructive. So if I'm rude, it's probably me being a cunt, not you.
that intro better be in character or ill cry </3
anyway ooc introduction!!
i'm gia, i use they/them pronouns. im agender (and so is amanda, she just doesnt know it yet!). i also have bpd too, so yes, will be accurate to my experiences. im a minor so nothing too nsfw or gross.
literally anyone can interact! whether ur a rp blog or not, i will literally roleplay with anyone, even oc blogs (y'all are so cool). send me asks or dm me, whatever works. any ships too, i dont mind, though ofc mandys only romantically interested in women and nonbinary folks, but platonic ships with anyone works! :3C
i'm making this because im obsessed with saw rn its my special interest and i kin amanda so hard <3 first ever roleplay blog ive ran, so excuse any mistakes. gonna try keep amanda in character as much as possible, but may add a few headcanons in here and there. if she's ooc, please excuse that too. 🙏
of course, it's amanda so there's gonna be triggers for self harm, suicidal tendencies, mental health, and then general triggers for the saw franchise. will tag things such as self harm with 'tw self harm' or 'tw cutting' so block those if you don’t wanna see it.
also gonna reblog stuff i think amanda would like, so stuff like punk, goth, music stuff—but also blood, weapons, horror. not full gore but implications of it. will trigger tag them, so block those if you don't wanna see it.
gonna use ❪ ❫ for when out of character. e.g ❪hii!! :3❫
'꩜—mandy rants' : making in character posts
'꩜—gia rants' : ooc posts
'꩜—mandy answers' : tag to keep track of answering asks
'꩜—mandy rps' : for roleplay threads
'꩜—mandy writes' : short stories i imagine amanda wrote as a hobby/vent
my main blog: @messyscarletdreams
'♫—mandy's playlist' : songs i associate with amanda/think she'd like
each blog i interact with will have their own tag of their user for easier tracking
each character i interact with has a tag with amanda e.g '❪ john & amanda. ❫'
my saw oc blog: @poor-impulsecontrol
#saw rp#rp blog#sawtism#shawnee smith#saw roleplay#sawposting#amanda young#꩜—mandy rants#꩜—gia rants#꩜—mandy answers#꩜—mandy rps#꩜—mandy writes#♫—mandy's playlist
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Another @shamelessdvdcommentary requested by the wonderful @suzy-queued with questions made by the amazing @callivich! This one is for Slick back My Hair (You know the Devil's in There)! These are a lot of fun, so hit me up if you want to see this for a different fic 😘
Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc)
Wrote it in 2015! It’s a long one-shot, and I think my second ever shameless big bang.
What was the initial inspiration for your story?
Okay. Took me a minute. I knew this was inspired by a one-shot I wrote for GW2015 that has since been taken down, but I also knew the one-shot was inspired by something and it took forever to go back and figure it out. Anyway, the initial one-shot was inspired by the Day 7 theme of “Imagine Your OTP – go to the website http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/ and choose a prompt!”. I don’t recall what the exact prompt was (I think digging a grave together), BUT apparently I still have the one-shot posted here on tumblr if you wanna read it! So, yeah, the Big Bang fic was inspired by this one-shot which was inspired by GW2015. Phew. That was a novel on its own
If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character?
Mickey. Because I am me.
What was your favourite scene to write?
I’m not sure, but reading back, I really like the scenes with side characters as assasins. Sheila, Jimmy, and Angela. Fun stuff.
How did you come up with the title?
Ugh. This was back when iTunes was a thing lmao. I basically went through all my music, picking out songs I thought might fit the fic’s plot, then went through the lyrics.
Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice?
Two! I had fake IDs with the names John Foley and Axel McClane which is a reference to John McClane and Axel Foley – Die Hard and Beverly Hills Cop respectively. And I also had this line “Two inches to the right and it would’ve hit your fucking heart, Ian.” "Two inches to the left and it would have missed me completely” which was reference to The Mighty Ducks. Only one reader picked up on these lol.
Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this?
The Terry fight scene. And, honestly, I just pushed through it.
Favourite line in the story?
Okay, the “My hero” continuation, but also, back in 2015, I wrote, word for word, “Knew you’d come.” I mean, it’s Ian saying it, but obvi why it’s a fave lmao
What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterisation, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc)
I wouldn’t call them twists, but the little surprises that turn up along the way – Sheila being a badass, the texter being Mandy.
Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line?
At the end, where Mickey goes to save Ian. Ian’s “goodbye” is legit. Dude was sure they (at least he) was going to die.
Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add?
It’s very quick. I’d probably add more depth to it. (also the title shh)
Would you ever write a sequel to this story?
I’ve considered it, but one half of the dynamic duo gets taken in this one. What other plot could there be?
Are there any ‘easter eggs’ in your story - e.g. references to other stories you’ve written, a trope you often use etc?
I think I did the big Oh moment in this, along with a few others. I think that’s about it.
If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity?
This is definitely not my most popular, lol, but I appreciate the love it’s received!
Were you nervous or excited to post this story?
Oh, always excited
Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote?
I did! Again, this was back in 2015 when my pal Ella @hubrisandwax was still around. We had similar time zones, so we’d Skype and write at night (poetry, bitch), and have our own little sprints. She was my cheerleader and beta!
Anything else you’d like the readers to know about the story?
I know this is an Ian and Mickey romance, but I actually preferred the scenes after Ian was taken. Getting into Mickey’s head when he’ll do literally anything to get Ian back? Including torture and murder his own brother? That shit was fun.
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Nobody asked me any of these but, honestly, I wanted to know the answers to some of them myself, so... I'm answering what I want anyway! 🤷♀️😉
ao3 wrapped [writers edition]
How many words have you written this year?
I'm counting this as how many words in something that I posted, which is 14,819. A lot more than I expected, honestly, but most of it came from me doing several chapters of "15 Minutes" early in the year. 😉
How many works did you publish this year?
9 chapters in all, but only 4 individual works.
What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?
"Sentence Starters Short Fic Collection" (Soap and Ghost, Call of Duty, Kaidan x Shepard, Mass Effect and Kai and Vannak, Halo the series) Yeah, they're all suuuuuper short but I'm always proud of myself whenever I write anything at all for fandoms/characters I've never attempted before. 😎👍
What work of yours has the most hits?
Definitely "15 Minutes" (John x female Reader, Halo the series). I'll never have anything else that will get this sort of response and I'm going to miss it when it's over. But I AM finishing it. Someway. Some how.
What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?
"15 Minutes," yet again. It was meant to be a one-shot and then people liked it and asked for more.
Favorite title you used
"It's All Coming Along" (Master Chief, Halo/Halo the series) Never post things you wrote while in the middle of a bad insomnia bout, kids. You'll think something is funny and everybody else will probably not. I've debated removing this one but finally thought, eh, so it's dumb, that doesn't mean that one day, somebody might get a laugh from my puns. If not, then welp, I'm woman enough to have a total dud in my collection.🤷♀️😂
If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?
Didn't use song lyrics this year but I have in the past. I honestly just use whatever artist or song fits the story or theme. I have a really eclectic bunch of artists that I like, so you never know what'll pop up.
Pairing you wrote the most for this year?
John x female Reader, since "15 Minutes" had so many chapters and "It's All Coming Along" is technically a John x Reader as well. "Recreation" is Kai x male Reader and the Sentence Starters I've already mentioned above. 😉
Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?
It's actually the female OC/Frank West from my Dead Rising AU titled "Turn Back." They're the only ones I can consistently sit down and just bang out blocks of hundreds of words. I dunno why. 🤷♀️
What work was the quickest to write?
"It's All Coming Along" took literally two hours from "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if...?" to me hitting post. Don't do that, kids. Have a nap first if you haven't slept in, like 40 hours. Don't commit fiction, lol. 😆😴
What work took you the longest to write?
"15 Minutes" which was started 2 years ago along with "Recreation" probably deserves that "honor" for more than one reason, lol.
How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?
In addition to finishing "15 Minutes" and "Recreation," I have 6 others: "Untitled Fluffy Vannak fic" (Halo the series), "Choices" (Noble Team choose your own Spartan adventure, Halo: Reach), "The Price" (Caitlin Frost/Hunter Zolomon, The Flash), "Guardian Angel" (Time Wraith!Caitlin Snow/Eobard Thawne, The Flash), "Split" (Caitlin Snow/Eobard Thawne, The Flash) and "Try" (TomCav!Eobard Thawne/Caitlin Snow/Mattobard!Eobard Thawne, The Flash).
What’s your longest work of the year?
"15 Minutes" chapters 7 - 11 totaled 12,064 words on their own.
What’s your shortest work of the year?
"It's All Coming Along" at 106 words
What WIP are you taking into next year with you?
I'm dragging all 8 of them with me, lol.
What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?
I'm terrible at tagging so most of my tags are just pairings or the occasional warning I feel might be needed.
Your favorite character to write this year?
I'll always love writing for Master Chief John-117, my beloved. I also really love writing Cortana.
The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?
All of them. Writer's block suuuuuucks. 😭
What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?
Honestly, once I finish my WIPs I feel like I'm done. I'll probably keep writing things like my Dead Rising AU and my handful of Mass Effect: Andromeda fics but they're all totally just for me, not to be posted. If something pops to mind, I'll write it but, for the most part, I don't think fandom in general needs me anymore, lol.
Which work of yours have you reread the most?
"15 Minutes" because I'm trying to make sure I keep things consistent and wrap up any loose ends.
How many kudos in total did you get this year?
I can't really tell because there's no way to sort out the kudos that "15 Minutes" and "Recreation" already had on them. Excluding them, though, 21.
Which work has the most comments?
"15 Minutes."
Did you do any collaborative works this year?
No, I could barely work with myself this year, lol. I'm lousy at collabs, unfortunately.
Did you write any gifts this year?
No.
Did you receive any gifts this year?
No.
What’s your most common category?
I guess I technically write (hopefully) humorous romance?
What do you listen to while writing?
My inner editor screaming NO1CURRS and that I'm wasting my time even trying to finish my WIPs. I try to drown her out with various playlists. Here's one.
Favorite work you wrote this year?
Again, it's probably the "Turn Back" Dead Rising AU or "The Best Mistake" (Gil x OC, Mass Effect: Andromeda AU). Of my posted stuff, though, "15 Minutes."
Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?
"Look, it's not my fault that that penguin documentary was kinda lame and—"
"IT WAS NOT!" Vannak bellowed back and took a swing at her that would've definitely put a marine in the infirmary for a month, if not in the ground, permanently. For Kai, it would've at the very least mussed her hair. "Those penguins are adorable and—"
"Lame. Laaaaaame," she singsonged, ducking a flurry of punches, then doing a very impressive parkour run up the wall into a backflip that sent her soaring over the enraged Spartan's head.
"THEY'RE NOT LAME, YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
"Sentence Starters Short Fic Collection" Chapter 3, Kai and Vannak, Halo the series. For some reason, I absolutely LOVE the idea they're arguing over whether penguins are adorable or not, lol!
Biggest surprise while writing this year?
That I haven't totally given up. It's been verrrrrry close, friends. But every time I've thought, "Eh, why keep trying?" a comment will pop up, thanking me for writing something that gave them a laugh or the like and that'll give me the strength to keep in the fight. If there's even one person left who wants to read how these end or who'll check out the ones I haven't started posting yet, then I want to finish them.
Here's the original post if you'd like to reblog it for yourself or hey, if you'd like to just go ahead and answer it, no asks require, lol!
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Three-Legged Puppy Fics
List five of your least-popular fics, as well as when/why you wrote them.
Home to the Weary: Merlin, Gwen/Morgana, 2010.
I wrote this at the request of a friend who wanted, I think, something Gwen-centric. Because I was not a fan of the show I decided to focus on an AU in which Gwen backflipped out of that whole situation and founded her own sort of kingdom, only meeting the terrible trio years later. It was really fun and was the first time I'd ever tried writing a fic that hinted at a larger world going on around the characters, if that makes sense. This one's a little pretentious but you can definitely see my "style" as it were.
Treads on the Ground: Babylon (not the sci-fi show, the short-lived british cop show), Liz Garvey/Finn Kirkwood, 2022.
This was written during my Bertie Carvel phase where I'd watched "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" and was desperate for something, anything, that didn't have him wearing terrible prosthetics or playing a psycho. He still sort of plays a psycho in this show, but he looks super hot and angry all the time which is really all I needed. (Also bonus hilarity: Liz's boyfriend in this show is played by none other than James Lance, playing "louche asshole" to the absolute hilt.) Anyway I wrote this because I really wanted a fake dating AU for these two AND a "Finn is secretly in line to the throne" fic and this was the perfect way to combine these two. I'm still legitimately really proud of thsi fic.
The Bright Relief: 1776 musical, John Adams & Thomas Jefferson (and a little bit of / in there, if I'm honest), 2010.
I wrote this because my friends waldorph and screamlet and I were having the Summer of 1776 Feelings and we all wrote various (wonderful) crimes and misdemeanors in that fandom, mostly revolving all the ways in people who love John Adams make fun of him. That was a truly terrible summer but made a whole lot better by those two, and by William Daniels being the most John Adams to ever John Adams. (I actually rewatched the miniseries a few months ago and Paul Giamatti does a great job but that thing is SO DREARY. Although I will say Stephen Dillane first caught my eye in the role of TJeff, aka once again playing a guy who's down real bad for someone smarter than him (in this case both Abigail AND John). The scene where he first meets Abigail is just nonstop flirting, with John making faces in the background. It's great.)
Happy Tails To You (Until We Meet Again): SGA, Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, 2009.
Oh lordy — probably the worst fic I've ever written, but I can't quite bring myself to delete it. I've been on the periphery of fandom for most of my adult life (what up X-Files yahoo groups and Prodigy Star Trek RP rooms), but SGA was what made me start thinking of writing fic after a long period of only reading it. (Yes, there is college-era gus fic out there. No, I'm not posting it on AO3.) I never quite got a handle on Sheppard or McKay but I did enjoy writing this and the other SGA fic I wrote, but yeah this deserves its obscurity.
Honey Now I'm Not One To Complain: Dalgliesh, Adam Dalgliesh/Kate Miskin, 2022.
Another one of my "Bertie Carvel is extremely attractive when he's sad and/or a cop" flash-fandoms, although I wrote a pretty good primer on the first season that I think gives a good case for the show as a whole. I wanted to write that largely because the show is so resolutely grim and I prefer stories that are... not grim, so I gave myself the challenge of putting these guys into one of the classic tropes. I did toy with the fake dating/marriage trope but honestly I think this was funnier, and I would always rather commit to the bit.
Tagging uhhh let's see, @laiqualaurelote, @themardia, @sadcypress, @auntieclimactic, and @eyebrowofdoom, if they (or anyone else) wants to do this.
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What is :dhosurro? I saw it in a fic and your post was the only thing that came up with a Google search lol. Also, I'm trying to get into Superman, so do you have any good starting places, or is it better to just bounce around? Anyways, I think you're really cool, and I love your blog. have a splendid day!!!
Anonymous asked: my bad that was YOUR fic please ignore me while I die of shame
OH NO DON'T DIE OF SHAME! it is indeed a word I made up, but the plant itself is canonical - you can read the story in the second story in Superman 236. I suppose I could have just called the flowers surrus, but I liked the idea of there being different species of this flower and this being the most aesthetically pleasing, so I appended the prefix for beautiful, which is :dhoia, to create :dhosurro (pronounced n-doh-surr-oh).
(^ that lady's jumpsuit is sick as hell. Also when I came across this story I immediately went, oh, opioids metaphor. Then like a year later I was like.... weed metaphor??? And then now I'm back to thinking it's an opioid/general addiction metaphor considering denny o'neil (who wrote the story) was pro legalization of weed but apparently struggled with alcohol addiction. Art by Dick Giordano.)
As for starting places! It really depends on how you like to read comics, if you want proper story arcs and context to things or if you're okay with a random dude showing up on the page for whom you have like 6 words of context in an editor's box. I distinctly remember the first four Superman comics I read in high school, on the advice of Some Random List Online: Birthright, All-Star, Superman For All Seasons, and Matt Wagner's Trinity oneshot. When I started getting back into Superman, I initially started with jumping around, and then pretty quickly found out that I loved the older precrisis interpretation of the character the most.
Birthright is top goddamn tier. Best origin story in my opinion. There's a moment about halfway through with a gun that made me understand not just Superman but, like, all superheroes. Mark Waid gets Superman in a way that very few writers do. I liked the art, but it isn't for everyone. If you liked Birthright, I highly recommend the current World's Finest 2022 run, with Mark Waid and Dan Mora. If you thought it was a little out there, the most 'standard' origin story is Geoff John's/Gary Frank's Superman: Secret Origins, and while I personally am a Huge Hater of John Byrne's Man of Steel it was the canonical origin story for a huge chunk of time that many comic fans love (post-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint), has admittedly good art, and is probably worth reading just for the context it gives to the era.
On a similar 'origin story' note I think that all Superman fans should read the first few issues of Action Comics, 1-10 or so. They're amazingly snappy - you can tell Siegel and Schuster assembled the story of Action 1 out of proposed newspaper strips, with the result that said action comes fast and furious. I also adore Action 12, wonderful wish fulfillment where Superman goes after irresponsible driving.
Superman: For All Seasons is a good story, I'm just not a huge Tim Sale fan. If you liked it, especially the art, Superman: Kryptonite is also a great story if kind of tricky to track down. It's in Superman: Confidential.
All Star Superman is a fantastic story and I don't regret reading it as one of my first four comics at all, but I think it works better the more you love Superman - every time I come back to it I get more out of it, and it's out of continuity so you can fit it in whenever. Morrison's stated goal was to write the version of Superman you see on a cereal box, and they get to break down the psychology behind the icon. It's a great book to show you the flawed, fascinating 'man' behind the super. If you liked ASS' (lol) general 'anything can happen' vibe, check out Morrison's N52 Action Comics run for another take on an origin story told out of linear time that has a lower powered, T-shirt clad Superman start with facing down corrupt bankers and end by facing down a cosmic bully. If you were eh on the writing style but liked the examination of how Clark balances being Superman and Clark Kent, the storyline 'Who Took the Super Out of Superman?' is an interesting Bronze Age look at the balance.
The Matt Wagner Trinity is just a really good look at the Trinity and a fun three-issue short story, Superman in particular comes across as really great in it. If you like the idea of short, character driven, self-contained stories, Superman has some excellent Elseworlds/one shot stories. Some of my favorites are Superman: Speeding Bullets (what if Thomas and Martha Wayne had no biological children but baby Kal-El fell in their backyard?), Up In the Sky by Tom King (6 issues: a little girl gets kidnapped by aliens, superman tracks her down), Superman Smashes the Klan, and Faster than a Speeding Bullet in Superman Adventures (2013) by Matt Kindt.
If you liked the focus on interpersonal dynamics in the Trinity oneshot, one of my favorite Superman titles is DC Comics Presents, which is about 100 issues of the Pre-Crisis Superman (my favorite incarnation of the character), where every issue is a team-up. I'd recommend almost all of them, but my particular favorites are #85 with Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, the 3-part arc beginning with #27 with J'onn, Kara, and the Spectre which is Clark's first encounter with Mongul, #41 with the Joker, and #50, where Superman teams up with...Clark Kent? And of course, if you also like Batman, pretty much any run of World's Finest is worth picking up, my ultimate favorite WF issue is the original run's #289, the infamous Kryll Way of Dying. If you like lois, my favorite story with that relationship is the 2-parter Is There a Doctor in the House/Under Enemy Fire from Superman Adventures #11-12 (1996), nominally set in the DCAU continuity but very readable as a standalone. This entire run is pretty great. And if you like the Justice League, the 2000s series is justly famous, also starting with a long Morrison run, and later on including the famous Tower of Babel storyline by Mark Waid.
As for non comics, I have a rec list of STAS episodes here and a rec list of radio show episodes here! If I had to pick just one, for the radio show I'd suggest listening to Clan of the Fiery Cross for its historical value or The Headless Indian for character dynamics. For STAS I would watch the origin if you're not tired of origin stories by now, or the best standalone episode IMO is The Late Mr. Kent. btw in the superbat server we might be starting a DCAU superbat themed curated watchthrough soonish if you might be into that pspsps
The Elliot S! Maggin novels Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday deserve a separate bullet point because they are so fucking good. Miracle Monday is one of my two favorite Superman stories. Maggin's interpretation of Superman isn't to everyone's taste but it sure is to mine.
For other Superman media, with the understanding they all have their own flaws, I'd recommend the first Christopher Reeve movie, Justice League: Action shorts, the DCAMU's Death and Return of Superman movies, SOME episodes of DCAU's Justice League (hereafter and for the man who has everything), the 50's George Reeves show's Panic in the Sky and The Dog Who Knew Superman as well as the Reeve movie The Mole Men, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman's pilot and further episodes if you like the clois romcom vibe, and Henry Cavill in Man of Steel, again with the understanding that all of these are more or less controversial in their own ways.
A note of caution about a few pieces of Superman media in particular: you'll see American Alien recced around. The author has been accused of being a serial rapist and has admitted to being a serial abuser at the point in his life he wrote it. I believe in the general principle of separating the artist from the art, but since this particular story is very self-expressive to the point of almost coming across as self-insert pseudo wish fulfillment, this inextricably stains the story to me. Your mileage may vary, and the author has made a public apology (which I find rather insincere, but again YMMV).
On a similar note the movie Superman Returns was directed by Bryan Singer and stars Kevin Spacey, both of whom have been credibly accused of child molestation. Even before I knew this I had some qualifications about it, but other fans like it. The plot will make much more sense if you watch the first two Reeve movies, as it's supposed to be a sequel to Superman II.
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Good morning, might I interest anyone in some hyperfixated rambling re:
1) Me being wrong about Wilbur Cross and John Macnamara's canon ages.
2) The newly explained Mega Bastards SaF lore (I know it's just Actor Curt Mega's headcanon but it's canon to me now)
3) The implications for my hcs about Wilbur being the Spankoffski bros uncle and John being related to Curt?
Keeping it under a readmore so I don't annoy everyone about this, because I have a lot of thoughts.
*
So it turns out I misunderstood John and Wilbur's canon ages in Black Friday.
According to the wiki they're around 42 and around 44 respectively in 2019. I'd imagined them as being 10 years older than this and therefore in their early 30s back in 1998, but in fact they should have been only 21 and 23 in that Saf/Hatchetverse crossover fic I wrote a while ago, and they were only 28 and 30 when the portal incident happened.
The question of whether Wiley can physically age post-2005 makes this interesting, though. Was Wilbur 44 in 2005, making Wiley eternally 44? That would mean that pre-portal Wilbur was a whole 15 or 16 years older than John, which works well I guess for the canon mentor-mentee context but not so well for my own MacNaCross headcanons. I think such a big age difference would change their dynamic a lot, plus I prefer the idea of Wilbur having been promoted at a fairly young age for a PIEP colonel.
For those reasons I'm gonna go with Wilbur being 30 in 2005 and Wiley being technically 44 in Black Friday, whether or not he ages in a normal human way. The most tragic implication of this is of course that I can't call Wilbur/Wiley a boomer anymore, since being born in 1975 makes them definitely Gen X :(
But it would also make the age difference between Wil and Annie (a Hatchetfield OC of mine who is Wil's sister and Pete and Ted's mom) much larger. Ted was born in 1984, so Annie would have to be at least 10 years older than Wilbur.
Having a 10 year age difference between the Cross Siblings would be kinda cool (it parallels the Spankoffski bros age difference!!) but it does mean rethinking all my headcanons about their sibling dynamic. Plus it would make Wilbur less than 10 years older than Ted and an actual uncle since the age of 9.
- Implications for my headcanons about where the Uncle Wiley character/voice came from? Perhaps.
- Would Ted have known Wilbur better when he was growing up? Seems more likely, especially if Annie helped her younger sibling out when he left home.
- What about Ted and Wilbur knowing each other around the time of the Jenny incident and the portal? Or when Pete was born in 2002? Or Homeless Ted's reasons for queuing up in Black Friday?
MUCH to consider and perhaps draw or write about some time.
*
Anyway. On a different note:
Combining Actor Curt Mega's headcanon about Agent Curt Mega having several illegitimate children with John and Wilbur's canon ages, it's completely possible (if you like SaF/Hatchetverse crossovers) for John Macnamara to be Curt's grandson.
If John is around 42 in TGWDLM and Black Friday, then he was born around 1976. So his mother or father could easily have been born in the early fifties as one of the illegitimate children resulting from Curt's spy activities. And it's likely John wouldn't know this, if the truth was kept a secret from him - which it probably would be, if his grandmother's line of work/status was the kind where you end up being seduced for espionage reasons by the world's greatest spy.
Again: Much to think about.
#hatchetverse#hatchetfield#starkid#spies are forever#wilbur cross#john macnamara#ted spankoffsi#time bastard#black friday starkid#agent curt mega#macnacross
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I decided to reread all of my John Green books at the beginning of the month, because (to say this in the style of John Green) 1. I haven't read them in at least five years even though I used to reread them all the time when I was a teenager, 2. it's been a while since I read fiction and I wanted to read something non-demanding and 3. now is the perfect time because I'm on vacation. So I started with An Abundance of Katherines because it was my favorite towards the end of my John Green phase, and I still really like it. Then I started Looking for Alaska, which was my favorite book for a really long time and which I've probably read the most out of all of them, and I realized that while I completely understand why I loved it so much when I was fourteen, it doesn't hold up as well in my early twenties. That doesn't mean it's bad or anything, it just means I'm not the target audience anymore. I also realized that I thought every character was interesting but I found Pudge to be incredibly annoying a lot of the time (and I get that's kind of the point because he's a teen), and I realized how much I loved Alaska as a character and how much I thought she deserved better and how much I would love the book if it was from her POV. So anyway I started writing a fic that's basically the story but from her POV, I don't know if I'm gonna finish it but I wrote what is essentially the books first chapter and I really like it (I still can't decide if the title is clever or horrible but I suck a titles anyway and just want other people to name my things for me)
#writeblr#fanfic#writing#writers on tumblr#writers#writer#writing community#creative writing#writerblr#writer things#writerscommunity#write#writing on tumblr#longform writing#looking for alaska#alaska young#pudge#alaskaspov#looking for alaska fic#john green#john green fanfic
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Okay HELLO! I just red the entire Liaison series in a few hours and good lord I am actually just on the verge of tears. I screenshotted multiple paragraphs of your writing it was so beautiful. Truly I have never read something that has affected me like that. Your main character was so likable, powerful, emotional, and deep. Most writers, even professionals, struggle to portray that level of humanity. I was in tears when Gaz died I COMPLETELY skipped over the major character death tag so I wasn’t even expecting it. I have never read a truly poly (that’s the closest word I could think of to describe mc and the boys’ relationship) story before and it awoke something in me. The way that the word “love” was mentioned only a handful of times but this entire story lived off of that concept and what it truly meant was so touching. Archie’s character really resonated with me because I feel like we’ve all been that little boy who just needed “someone in their corner” as you said. I am just so emotional after reading this masterpiece I am just reeling. The scene of all the remaining 141 men giving her the option to kill them? SO symbolic. I also particularly loved the relationship she had with Roach. He has a special place in my heart and watching the mc’s relationship with him flourish was truly special. Him being selectively mute to only occasionally talking to her spoke volumes of the character development you had created. As someone who struggles with being sometimes nonverbal, I really enjoyed reading about Roach. I have so much more to say lol I’m just forgetting. OH and also how you made the mc absolutely shameless about her sex life and who she was? Incredible. Reading about a genuinely powerful and intelligent woman with men (AND WOMEN) wrapped around her finger was lovely. Anyways sorry for the rant I just really wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your work. Congrats on your masters degree! I know it’s very belated but that is very special. College is not for the weak lol.
Okay I will be answering everything in order so I don't miss anything.
As a person I am sorry that I almost made you cry, but as a writer?? My words, the one I fight with nearly daily, made you feel that mUCH? That is wild to me.
Screenshots??? I am beyond words. Like..what? I can't think of anything I wrote worth that. Except maybe killing Gaz, I was pretty pleased with how those words worked out.
Characterization is so HARD, I have found that the small things really make or break it. Liaison likes to bake and responds to threats with sass, those things for me make her feel real.
Okay, on the Gaz note. I am so so so so sorry you missed that tag. That probably hurt even worse than it did for someone who caught the tag. But, you know, no one was expecting it. That was a little bit of the point. 😅
OOH the polyam (I am told by my friends that it should be noted like that because being Poly is typically in reference to being from the Polynesian islands.) I have a couple friends who are poly and they were so kind to always answer my random ass, off the wall, it's three am why are you awake questions.
I, in life and in writing, struggle with the monolithic word of love. Other languages have different words for the different kinds of love and I felt, especially with this story, that the word didn't have enough heft for what I needed to say. The couple times I can remember writing it was so purposeful, to make you think about the fact the first time you see it is from John and Liaison is instantly wary of it.
I love Archie! I had to assure my in-person friends so often that he would be okay, though I feel like I kinda forgot him at the end... I should go fix that...
I can't remember what I call that chapter but it was one of the first I wrote for the fic. Gaz was originally in it when I wrote it. I had to find a way for them to show, because words hold so little value to these versions of the characters, that they were truly sorry. More than sorry, they were willing to lay their lives in her hands because they tried to take hers without listening. They labeled her a traitor, to steal a line from Full Metal Alchemist, it was a 'law of equivelent exchange.' It was the only way I could feel satisfied with her forgiving them, anything less would have felt disengenous to me.
Gary "Roach" Sanderson is an underrated character and I will slay on this hill. So, so many fics I read leave him out but he is my FAVORITE. (Do I have a thing for quiet people? That is literally not the point) One thing I feel really helps characters feel real is the variety of relationships. They are best friends. She dragged him from a blown up BUILDING and he cried for her when he thought she had betrayed them. Beyond Gaz dying that scene hurt me the most emotionally. Yes, romantic love is great and all but have you ever lost a best friend???
Ah, Liaison being just so honest? About her sex life was refreshing to read and write about. A lot of those converstaions happened off page but I love being able to show growth through time jumps. I didn't actually start out with the idea of her being poly, it just kinda developed? The end goal originally was for her to end up with Simon.
Okay on that note my friend likes to point out I started writing Liaison to fix how I left Tears From Dreams and Memories (In case you don't check the tags, everyone dies or wishes they were dead, this is hard core dead dove: do not eat levels) and likes to joke that I made it worse not better. 😅 She's still mad I killed Gaz and lied to her face repeatedly about Kate being the betrayer.
I will accept your congrats in advance because I am still mid master's degree. If I didn't need it for licensure I wouldn't be doing it!
Also rant away? I love hearing that people like my words. I write for me but it is so much fun to know that other people like it too. And if you ranted I must be raving so enjoy? I guess?
I don't know how to end this...
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I genuinely dont know how you can make me go insane with literally all your fics.... like how are all of them so good?????? I literally want to bash my head open and scream into the sky so god can hear how much a love your stories
Anyways, I know you already have like a million wips and on-going fics but the Jd and "hallucination" Clay one is amazing and I need more to survive the winter (also anamnestic Jd and half-life, but again, million wips so I wont actually ask u to write more about them bcs actively upgrading all of this should be genuinely inhumane). The point is..... uhm, love your work youre a genius and I want to affectionately eat your work like a wild dog keep writing 😺👍
Not me almost busting into tears and falling flat on my face. Pffftttt that can’t be me. It has been months and several people and I just cannot for the life of me wrap my head around the fact that people really, actually, like my writing.
I know it's fanfic and the characters aren't mine (I'm really sad I can write fanfic but cannot for the life of me work out a plot for my original characters) but it blows my mind! I'm so freaking glad you like it. It makes me so happy ya'll literally have no idea. Warms this lonely friendless soul LOL (no need to bash ur head and scream, God can hear you just fine haha)
I didn't want to have a million wips but I shouldn't be surprised. The list of original characters I have... the wips are pretty on par with me in terms of numbers haha
When my brain allows, I try to write some Clay and JD stuff cause that just ajdshjsbdejw I love (when it’s not them on opposite sides, that’s not my jam) and it’s just….. hmmm yeah.
Things We Lost has amnesiac JD AND Clay xD lol it’s just a one shot but I went through a bit of an amnesia JD phase for a second there.
Divided Frame of Mind has JD and hallucinations - or rather, JD thinking he does. That’s a reunion one shot fic.
And as much as I shriek about John and Spruce in Half Life… John and Clay are just oooooofffff yes. I’m a bit scared to finish a drawing of them but one of these days I’d like to. Or some kind of drawing. Idk.
As for Something to Remember, I had something written up - just a bit - for them meeting up with Bruce but someone suggested something about Bruce and Clay finding out together so I'll probably scrap it. But I also might throw the snippets out here into the internet void, depending on how I feel.
But I love, love, love answering questions so honestly, if you have a question about anything, feel free. If I feel like it's too big of a spoiler - I'll just put warnings and under a reading break. But like for real, I'm an open book.
Thank you so much though. I am so freaking happy that you like my writing. I was friends with an aspiring author for a really long time and I never really thought of myself as much of a writer. We wrote stuff, of course, and eventually I wrote fanfic (started off in Star Wars. It was a hard hitter haha) but I never really considered myself much you know, writer-y so it's truly crazy to me seeing people like my stuff.
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Bridgerton - A Brain Dump with Theories on Season 4
I skimmed An Offer from a Gentleman (Benedict's book) and am skimming/reading When He was Wicked (Francesca's book) over the weekend. And now I have theories and need to tell someone so I have more space in my brain.
I apologize for the disrespect of skimming, but I have the attention span and or patience of a goldfish. I am working on it. Promise 🤗
Anyway, below is why I think Benedict's book is next. Spoilers(?) below the cut. WARNING: Evidence is thin but hopes are high
In Benedict's book, Violet throws a masquerade ball right before she moves into a dower house which is where Benedict and Sophie meet. Violet moving out was mentioned early on in Season 3 Part 1. (I know they also discussed delaying it. Maybe we'll get more information in Part 2) But this might mean we'll get our masquerade soon 😁
Throughout the book, Whistledown chronicled what I've dubbed The Maid Wars in which everyone is stealing everyone else's lady's maids/housepeople (still calling it The Maid Wars. I should probably finish reading the book). This is also (somewhat) how Sophie comes to work for the Bridgertons. In Season 3 Episode 2, Lord Remington says Whistledown wrote about Lady Houghton stealing Lady Carter's housekeeper. The start of The Maid Wars? Laying the ground work for Sophie's appearance?
Season 3 Episode 3, Violet drops her glove and Lord Marcus Anderson - a potential love interest - picks it up. In the book, Sophie leaves Benedict with her glove as she flees from the ball. A clue? 🧐
My most convincing piece of evidence, though I was inebriated most of the weekend 🤭 Grass and "how it's so green"! 🤗 Season 3 Episode 3, Penelope tells Lord Debling that her favorite thing about nature is grass and that she loves it because it is green. In the book, Sophie tells Benedict her favorite color is green because she likes the way grass feels when she runs through it. Foreshadowing? Mad ramble? Who’s to say?
These points have me convinced that Benedict's story is next. However, in the book, he searches and pines for Sophie for two years. We could get a masquerade ball at the end of Part 2 and a Season 4 of angst. I'm not opposed but I really want to see Benedict get his season. His character in the show and book are so fun and funny. I’m so excited and impatient for his season. 😬
How I feel right now ��:
Other random theories if you're still here
Season 3 will end with all three Featherington sisters giving birth. Penelope will be the only one to have a boy and Colin will jokingly be called Lord Featherington by his family for the rest of his life.
We will meet Micheal Stirling briefly or as one of those "Meet my cousin" and then fade to black (Hate when that happens. The cruelest tease really. Though it would fit Michael.)
Cressida will marry Lord Debling and travel with him to get away from her family.
The Stirlings will be re-written as twins. In Francesca's book, they are cousins, but their fathers are twins. Why not put that in the show and capitalize on the acting talents of Victor Alli? (I haven't actually seen his other works. I just like how he plays John.)
The just-for-fun theory - Sophie will be re-written to be the illegitimate child of one of Queen Charlotte's sons. Why write the fantastic line "virgins to the left of me, whores to the right" if you're not going to have fun with it?
Thank you for coming to my brain dump. We'll see how it all plays out. 😊
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confession but i have an inkling arthur and abigail were exes, bbuuut please bear with me as i explain (and honestly feel free to fact-check anything i say here)
but first of all, let me be clear that i hate the whole “who’s jack’s father?” discourse. imo it’s pointless and frankly a boring topic, considering many characters have already affirmingly said john is jacks father. so i’m not here to make a case that arthur is jack’s father actually.
what i wanna draw attention to is the period where john left the gang for a year (which is after jack had already been born), because something roger clark said in this panel (the question starts at 41:43 and roger answers a bit later) caught my interest. basically he said there were cut dialogue that alluded to arthur and abigail’s romance, and by rhetorically asking “who knows what happened [during the 1 year john left]?” it’s hard for me not to think it’s his way of suggesting that’s when the relationship happened.
youtube
granted, roger also explicitly said those lines/content were cut, but he seemed to also say rockstar conveyed to the two actors that they (rockstar themselves) weren’t doing away with the “attraction undertone”. and that is very much felt, given how they never actually walk back on the things they let arthur write in his journal when it comes to abigail: conflicted thoughts of wanting to marry her, thinking how she’s “the finest woman” he’s known, saving john from prison “for abigail, of course”.
there’s just this really strangely intimate and possessive undercurrent in many things he’s written about her, in a way that would feel very creepy and ooc if she weren’t his at some point.
and it makes me think perhaps when rockstar decided to cut their content, they only did so out of a desire to avoid being overt and unbecoming (probably bc they figured it could be off-putting for fans and subtlety/ambiguity can be more palatable here?), but this shared past about arthur and abigail wasn’t meant to be erased. basically rockstar themselves actually never fully committed to ditching the idea, just decided to be coy about it, handling it in a way so that there’s room for deniability.
and from a story stand point, i think it does make sense? as a bereaved dad (and let’s face it, somewhat of a deadbeat one, too), arthur would definitely take pity on abigail and jack’s situation. if anything, i think arthur’s attempt (be it a conscious or unwitting one) to integrate with them was initially driven by guilt, then probably morphed into actual appreciation/attraction for abigail. for abigail’s side, well, she was abandoned by her true love who (iirc?) denied paternity to their son, that’s gotta enrage her to no end, but also hurt a whole lot. she would definitely appreciate arthur for stepping up and come to care deeply for him in return, but i don’t think she quite shares his level of appreciation.
though by stating this, i’m not in any way trying to frame her as an “ungrateful bitch” who didn’t properly return arthur’s favor— she doesn’t owe arthur love, and i don’t think arthur showed kindness to her with the expectation of winning her over anyway— it’s fair to say arthur did all this simply because he is, well, a good man. so once john eventually returned to the gang and abigail parted ways with arthur, she would be well within her rights to do so, and imo arthur would never in any way berate him or her about this, bc he would know what he had signed up for. that being said, i also don’t think arthur and abigail’s situation was all or nothing. they might never have progressed into true love, but it’s also not unrealistic to think they started being intimate at some point, if only to cope with their problems or try to move on from their pasts (this is assuming abigail gave up hope of john coming back.)
as a bottom line, i guess i wanna say i wrote all of this to sort out my cognitive dissonance. the idea of arthur/abigail is alienating to me and i used to try to pretend it didn’t exist, but the intent is so undeniably there that i kind of started getting frustrated whenever i see people tiptoe around it, coming up with multiple unsatisfactory explanations and never getting into the meat of it, to the point i think it’s just more sincere and liberating? to just confront it lmao. now i’ve come to regard it as an interesting aspect about arthur.
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Fandom ask: DC LOT?
whew im so late responding to this one, i was sooo late clocking off work tonight 😭 anyway
Favourite Female:
There were many incredible women on Legends but I think Zari 2.0 cinches it for me!
Favourite Male:
John Constantine my beloved... im a sucker for a terrible bisexual man
3 Other Favourite Characters:
Leonard obviously... he'd have been my number 1 but I feel considering he was only really in season 1 he barely counts as being on the show in my opinion
Martin Stein!! I love that old man :( his death is still up there with the saddest tv deaths of all time for me
Aaaand I probably have to go with Mick for my number 3! His truly bizarre character development from violent pyromaniac to successful romance novelist with a clutch of alien babies born via ear might be one of my favourite twists of all time and it's genuinely so impossible to describe it to anyone who hasn't seen the show. Flash Mick and Legends Mick are absolutely not the same man but Legends Mick is so much fucking funnier
3 OTPs:
John and Zari Tarazi
Zarlie
Avalance (basic of me I'm afraid but what can I say I genuinely think they're really cute)
Notp:
Nate/Zari 💀 they make zero sense to me
Behrad/Astra (same, and also the writing for that ship is sooo dodgy cos one half of the writers' room was gunning for it and the other half didn't give a shit and you can really tell which writers were writing which episodes imo)
Funniest character:
Ava! Jes Macallan's comedic timing is unmatched and some of the funniest moments of the show hinge on her deadpan line delivery. Shoutout to "I wrote that review 😐", the episode where she writes Sara a card saying she's glad Oliver is dead and wishes Sara had never met him (I usually hate the "lesbian character despises her bisexual girlfriend's male exes" trope but I gave them a pass for that one cos it was genuinely very funny), and the time she just goes "goodbye!" and liea down in the middle of the road
That being said, the hardest I have ever laughed at a joke on Legends was the dad joke that Damien Darkh makes in the ep where John and Nora fake an engagement. It was during the peak of the pandemic. Me and my friend were locked in our tiny 2 bed student house rewatching all of Legends on my laptop because we didnt have a TV. we hadnt left the house in days because of all the restrictions, literally all we did for like a straight week or two was watch legends. and something about this dad joke ("Hi annoyed, i'm dad!") caught us so off-guard that it literally made us cry laughing, like that full-on painful, can't even breathe kind of laughter, for about 10 solid minutes. i can't even explain why it was that funny!! whenever i have seen that episode since, that joke has never got more than a giggle out of me. but at the time we were absolutely howling.
Prettiest character:
charlie is genuinely so beautiful (and having met maisie in person i can say that they are even more indescribably beautiful in person and have the most calming presence)
Most Annoying Character:
I don't want to jump on the Mona hate train cos poor Ramona got treated terribly by the fans but Mona was... not my fave. She got shafted by terrible writing. In my opinion her annoying characterization was 100% fixable with some good development but they just chose to write her out instead? Cowards.
Most badass character:
It has to be Sara, I feel!
Character I’d like as my BFF:
Honestly I'm not sure I'd personally get on with literally any of them 😭 I love them all but I'm not sure our personalities would gel. That being said I think I'd say Ray because he seems like an easygoing man and I think you'd have to actively try to not get along with him.
Female Character I’d Marry:
I'd say Charlie but she is too wild for me. She'd defo get bored and we'd end up having to divorce. I'd probably go for Ava... I'm not sure we'd be a good fit personality-wise but I appreciate her risk aversion and I need that kind of organized presence in my life. She'd probably also divorce me though, on account of the fact that i am not organized at all.
Male Character I’d Marry:
Again I feel Ray is the only safe choice here. John may be my fave but I would 100% end up dead if I married him because he has terrible luck with relationships. Also he tends to lash out and be horrible when he's experiencing difficult emotions and I am way too sensitive for that shit lmao. Also he smokes and that's a dealbreaker for me (I say, having previously dated a smoker. Must stick to my convictions next time.)
Character I hate/dislike/least like:
you know that meme that's like "I love all my children equally." *jumpcut* "I don't care for Michael" (or whatever the guy's name is)?
That's me with Behrad. They just shoehorned the guy in and I fear I need a few more personality traits other than "stoner" for me to be interested. They never gave Shayan anything to work with really and it's a shame cos Behrad could have been so interesting...
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august - fic recs (mature edition)
hi hello and welcome to my first rec list! as i said in previous posts, ill be doing a monthly rec list divided in two posts, a gen/teen and a mature/explicit version (if i have enough fics) and a masterpost where i link all my lists
fandom wise itll probably be all over the place, but i will add the length, important warnings, links and some comments on every fic so u may check them all out!
now without further ado
Fandom: DC
Some Magnetic Way I Move by Shenanigans
words: 11,224 (perfect for an evening)
rating and warnings: M, sexual content (not necessarily pleasant), recommend checking the tags seriously on this one
relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd
summary: roy is a kid who wonders near the ocean without any pirpose in life when he meets a creature that seems too good to be true, then life gets in the way, and roy gets in his own way even harder
notes: this fic has been obsessing me since i read it the first time, its dark and fucked up and completely too easy to get absorbed into, roy is a complicated, messed up man with a shitty life and a tendency to completely destroy himself and you cannot look away from him
this story moves along several years of roys life and his growth or lack thereof and its so easy to get lost in the pacing of this fic and just enjoy the ride, as hard as it gets
literally no need to know anything about dc, just read it and thank me later
Heroes of the Squared Circle by Mithen
words: 226,687 (yes, i wrote that right, it takes a good week)
rating and warnings: M, sexual content (theres one whole scene in a thousand pages), nothing past canon typical violence
relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
summary: clark is a wrestler, so he follows his heart and joins a promotion where he meets bruce, cue their adventures as they work their way through a retelling of the best dc moments: wrestling edition
notes: OKAY HEAR ME OUT i did not like wrestling before i started this fic, i took a minute to get into it, the moment i got into it i could not stop
this is one of the most fun, most detailed, most passioned fics ive ever read, a love letter to dc and wrestling so vivid and transparent that it genuinely made me excited for it too, all the characters are treated with love and care and the main relationship is so exciting, u can feel the love they hold for each ohter but never overshadows the wonderfully crafted story and the genuinely engaging plot
(cried at the end cause of how much i loved it. i dont cry)
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Below the Sun by CSHfic, VSfic
words: 24,853 (can be read in a long afternoon)
rating and warnings: M, no sexual content, i would consider it T but there is a good amount of injuries
relationships: Sokka/Zuko
summary: sokka and zukko get stranded on an island after a shipwreck and have to learn not to be at each others throats while waiting for rescue
notes: heartwarming and weirdly peaceful, though the inherent anxiousness of sokka being stranded and injured with an enemy nearby does get to you, easy to read and easy to love, honestly a good time through and through and a good reflection on friendship
if you havent watched atla (watch it) you can read this anyway, only minimum knowledge is required for this fic
Fandom: Modern Warfare
i like you alive by kaijusalad
words: 11,254 (another afternoon read)
rating and warnings: M, graphic violence and injuries, no sexual content
relationships: John "Soap" MacTavish/Simon "Ghost" Riley
summary: soap gets really injured in a mission and ghost has to get him out of there, somehow keep him awake, try not to die, and not panic and he is partially failing
notes: intense high-stakes fic, graphic and heart-wrenching and yet somehow very warm, incredibly easy to start praying for ghosts success cause hes... hes trying so hard! once you start reading you wont be able to stop until u reach the end, also anyone typing out accents has my unconditional love
no previous knowledge needed to read this fic, just brace yourselves (btw i dont know why but the tags in this fic are so funny to me)
Doing Time by MildLimerence
words: 53,566 (takes 2 or 3 days)
rating and warnings: M, graphic sexual content plus graphic violence, both to a preeeetty fucking explicit level so please check the tags
relationships: John "Soap" MacTavish/Simon "Ghost" Riley
summary: in a world where soulmates are scarce and sometimes even dangerous to other people or themselves, soap ends up getting himself arrested cause his mark makes him go a bit wild and, to his horror, activates when he finally arrives at prison
notes: listen, i hate soulamates (i love you on purpose) but theres something about the way this author writes them that gets me, the connection between soulmates is more of a telepathic, magnetic connection and the lack of it can make soulmates go completely feral, its not the beautiful thing everyone thinks it is
dont want to spoil much but dont be fooled by the summary, this baby has a whole plot prepared and though the dynamic between characters and dark elements are incredibly fun on their own, i ended up getting actually really hooked by the plot, reeeeally fun read
knowing who the characters are makes it an easier read but i dont think youll get lost if you dont
Fandom: Supernatural
like moses and batman and james dean by saltyfeathers
words: 31,587 (takes a couple days, def a couple breaks)
rating and warnings: M, graphic sexual content, not all of it fun, gets pretty dark so check the tags and the authors notes
relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
summary: dean used to turn tricks to make sure he had enough money to care for his brother, now that he has met cas, his issues with intimacy resurface with a vengeance
notes: not an easy fic to read, heavy topics are touched and you feel genuinely bad for dean but the characterization is so perfect that i tend to think of deans past here as canon, as messed up as it is
even though the topics are dark, the fic doesnt dwell on the worst stuff, there are no scenes written for shock value, its a tasteful take on dark topics, its just heartbreaking and powerful, it will make you root for the main characters, hard
if you dont know these characters you may be pretty lost but you definitely only need a basic idea of the show
#fic rec#dont know how to tag this so feel free to tell me#also feel free to send a message with how to make lists better! ill be doing them for as long as i can
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