#So complicated and in depth that it makes writing fanfics hard due to all the research one has to do

[ceiling-karasu]

I like how well General Commander Jogjebi is written! He’s the enemy, but he’s also a sympathetic character at the same time, trying to do what is best for his soldiers. I love how protective he is of Geumsaegi once he feels he can trust and open up to him.

It really is a complicated series, isn’t it? That’s why a lot of us love it so much.

The cliffhangers can get very annoying, but thankfully the pattern is that the episode ends in the worst possible scenario, only for it to be turned around in the first few minutes of the next episode.

egg, what do you think of sah and what’s your favorite character?

my favorite character is the general commander / commander jogjebi. hes adorable, hes also hilarious when he gets angry and i love his protective/father figure type relationship he has with geumsaegi. i also am apparently the only one who ships him with chief of staff. i’d love to meet anyone who ships that too XD

as for my thoughts on the show, tbh? im not done watching it yet! i’m only on episode 16. i like it so far, even though i know my favorites are likely all going to die. i’m surprised on how complicated it is. and i always end up in shock because every episode ends on a cliffhanger!

btw, im not sure what egg means. if someone could explain it to me thatd be nice. ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

[samualjennings]

Parting Company

Chapter 1

The Stage is now set, and our time is near! While none can deny that the scene has been dour, This hallowed ground shall once again be full of cheer! We mustn’t tarry at this, our fateful hour. Though we be mere artists, and our stage somewhat small… Nonetheless we must give it our all!

Oh, what dreams had befallen broken hearts, Who almost didn’t dare, But could not forsake their rightful part: A duty they’re compelled to bear. It’s true, I knew not well the author of this command, But who needs a commander to make a stand?!

I fight for honor, to pay back my due, That without my debtors’ knowledge I did accrue. Let my bow be my sword! Let it ring in every ear: It matters not who’d discount it; Fair Lackadaisy’s still…..!

“Are you gonna keep yappin’ up there, or are we gonna get this show on the road? We only got a couple hours to practice, you know.”

Rocky was suddenly pulled from his reverie, his vision coming back into focus on Zib’s annoyed expression.

“Right! Of course.” The agile cat jumped down from where he was perched atop the wine cabinet, violin in hand. “So then, maestro, what melodies do we have planned to impress our illustrious guests tonight?”

Zib struck a match on his shoe, before bringing it up to the cigarette in his mouth. He took one deep puff of calming smoke before turning his attention to the young lad’s question. “Haven’t quite decided. Mitzi’s bringing in some executive types, and if I know anything about your average, everyday fat cat, it’s that they can’t stand anything that wouldn’t put a kitten to sleep.” Zib sported an annoyed expression, accentuating his speech by various arm gestures, the smoke from his cigarette forming erratic patterns on its way up to the cave ceiling.

“Of course,” Zib continued, “it isn’t exactly your average, everyday fat cat who comes to get wasted at a speakeasy in the first place, is it?”

Rocky listened intently to the band leader, wanting to help him resolve this minor conundrum. Realistically, though, there was only so much help he could offer. “Alas, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t had the privilege of meeting many average, everyday fat cats,” Rocky remarked with a hint of irony.

The older cat took another long drag of tobacco, and it was like the wheels turning in his head suddenly clicked into place. “That’s it. I’ve made my decision.” Zib extinguished his cigarette on a nearby ashtray. “These executives are coming to a speakeasy? Well, by God, they’re gonna get the speakeasy experience! We’re gonna swing this place so hard, their fragile hearts skip a beat!”

Rocky beamed with excitement, his smile extending to the ends of his face. “And what a beat there will be!” The exuberant violinist grabbed Zib’s hand and rushed him to the stage, where the rest of the band was waiting for them. “Make haste, maestro! At the ready, my dear cohorts! We have a show tonight, and everyone has a role to play!”

Not waiting for any official signal to start, the dramatic violinist began to play the complicated string part of a swing piece he had written himself. Zib was slightly stunned by the man’s sudden assertiveness, but it did not affect him for long. The band leader simply shrugged, picking up his sax and following Rocky’s lead. The rest of the band then filled in with their parts.

Tonight could be the night: the night when Lackadaisy claws its way up from the dumps it had been relegated to, and retakes its rightful place at the head of underground Saint Louis society! Alternatively, it could merely draw it down further into the depths. Rocky was determined to make sure of the former. He owed his soul to the band, to Mitzi, to this magical place, and he trusted tonight that magic would be made known for all to see!

And thus, I begin my new Lackadaisy fanfiction!

I won't spoil too much (and I don't have everything planned out), but I will say that this is gonna be a Hellerby fanfic!

I wont adhere to any particular update schedule, but I'll write when inspiration hits and post here as I finish chapters!

Hope you like it! <3

[108garys]

What do you think the Clarke Siblings from little Hope are like as Siblings/cousins?

I'm trying to write a fanfic crossover with someone I headcanon as their cousin but it's hard because I've never written them in depth before, lol.

Also love your little doodles of them.

The one with The Reverand the funeral was hilarious.

Thank you, I have fun making those and I just can't unsee it after I put 2+2 about Carson's dialogue

Undercut because it gets long

Onto the question at hand, I imagine the Clarke family is very extensive(I mean I fully believe characters are related to their same face model characters) but as cousins I think it'd first depend on if they live close and who's closest in age, if the other character is imagined to have grown up in little hope and is within a similar age bracket then I could see them having an honorary siblings type status but if they only see them once in a blue moon it may be worth factoring in the Clarke children being adopted. What I mean is without necessarily stating it you could have that distance feel even greater due to character perceptions if you want them to start rocky

Attempting to speak more individualy, Dennis is in a band, plays football and is resident grouch, quick to voice his frustration and obviously boast about his record collection, I've heard him described along the lines of being an odd mix between rebel and conservative, he's very suspicious of new/different things but he's got that whole counter culture garage band thing going on(So picture him as the type of youth that would have been seen as "influenced by devil music" in the satanic panic whilst also very much doing the panicking himself), as a sibling he's shown showing off his music to Anthony and complaining if he defends Megan or Tanya(about Vince), if there's a chance he'd have beef with this other character he's not going to keep his opinions to himself and if he has a more positive relationship I imagine he'd be more casual and layed back but still he's gonna voice his opinion wether it's asked for it not

In contrast Tanya is much more closed off, she has a wall between her home life and her personal life, her family doesn't know about her beliefs and she longs to be away from it all, she dislikes getting involved believing that she'd just make things worse(but that may apply more to her parents), she's still very snarky in her interactions with her brothers and beneath it all she's soft(much like Taylor), I'd say she's very unlikely to reveal her beliefs to extended family and she may see dealing with them as a chore but again I think she'd keep it to herself, unless they just really vibe(tanya's sport is tennis), I'd say that all the in-game clues scattered around the whole town doing alternative stuff would indicate that she gets up to shenanigans and it ties in with her desire for personal freedom and that sense that her home life and personal life are two different things so again I could see her being closer to a hypothetical cousin if for example they'd run off and get up to trouble as kids. I think deep down she'd care for her cousin when it counts tho

For Megan it's a little more complicated, a lot of it depends on if you keep her being mentored by reverend Carson, at the time of the prologue that'd been ongoing for about two years and it's trickier to get a handle on how different she'd be if that was excluded(most likely she'd be a much more normal kid) but in general she'd be that one little cousin that's always getting into trouble as she acts out and gets into stuff that she shouldn't, Megan's issue is that she feels ignored, I feel like she'd probably become a cousin's shadow, especially if they're nice to her. Music is the one subject she's not failing so you could latch onto that if it's relevant

With Anthony he's very snarky/sarcastic but ultimately puts others ahead of himself, he seems to get along with others easily, that being said he also uses James's wording calling their household a mad house, he obviously loves history, he skateboards and plays baseball(crazy I know). Anthony's feelings of being on the outside are less relevant due to that being a post fire development, I'd say if Tanya is quiet rebellion then Anthony is quiet compassion, he expresses a lot of concern for Megan but doesn't approach her instead asking someone else to do it, it's not that he doesn't care so much as its a communication issue, he worries about her and she's unaware so her feelings of being ignored aren't helped. I think he'd get along with a cousin at least on a surface level unless they're a mega jerk, tho he could be a bit awkward depending as usual

I'll admit that I've never gotten an ask like this and I'm unsure how well I answered your question(haven't slept and personally forget my cousins exist from time to time so that may effect my answer)

I'd definitely open this question to others in the little hope fandom as I'm sure you'll get much more useful takes in the reblogs(damn I hope this wasn't too rammbly 😅)

[phd-in-horrible]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; MUN & MUSE - MEME.

FILL OUT & REPOST ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

STOLEN FROM TAGGED BY: @the-judge-of-bones 

TAGGING: You! Do theft! Do Crime!

MY MUSE IS:  canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO (but there really isn’t a fandom anymore so *shrugs*)

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK (personally no because he’s my son but yes)

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK (but he can take a car to the face...)

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK (less that he’s underrated, but more people need to keep loving this movie!!!)

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO 

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG (god my son deserved better)

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO / IDK ( depends on the verse. Pre movie, no, but post movie yes)

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BADHORRIBLE/ NEUTRAL. (He has a Ph.D. in Horrible! Even though his landlady knows him as Billy, the lovely young science major downstairs who helps weed her garden.)

HOW STRICTLY DO YOU FOLLOW CANON?  — I hope pretty well. The movie is amazing and honestly there isn’t much I’d change about Billy! The most I do is fill in the gaps between official content, and steal headcanons from amazing fanfics I find of AO3, haha. I might be playing Billy a little too soft, but l isten.. he’s my baby boy....

SELL YOUR MUSE! AKA TRY TO LIST EVERYTHING, WHICH MAKES YOUR MUSE INTERESTING IN YOUR OPINION TO MAKE THEM SPICY FOR YOUR MUTUALS.  —  Everyone’s a hero in their own way. Billy’s personal way of saving the world is tearing down the establishment and ruling over the anarchy. At least, he hopes that’s how it’ll go down after he gets into the Evil League of Evil. So do you like misguided anarchists who assume that they’re evil and randomly break out into song? Do you like socially adorkable geniuses who honestly just need a hug? Or conversely, do you love evil scientists that regret everything and desperately need sleep or a cup of coffee? If so, Billy buddy is the muse for you!

NOW THE OPPOSITE, LIST EVERYTHING WHY YOUR MUSE COULD NOT BE SO INTERESTING (EVEN IF YOU MAY NOT AGREE, WHAT DOES THE FANDOM PERHAPS THINK?).  —  Well, Billy can be hard to talk to sometimes, due to his weaker social skills. Plus, he is technically a villain, so he does crime. Billy can get very jealous very quickly when it comes to the people he likes (read:Penny,) and pretty gung ho about his political stances. Also, maybe people don’t like musicals.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RP YOUR MUSE?  —  After reading so many wonderful fanfictions of my son, and watching the movie 14 times in one week, how could I not? There are five stories that I especially contribute to  my current hyperfixation, all of which I HIGHLY suggest you read! They’re here, here, here, here, and here! If you like them as much as I do, please give the authors some love!

WHAT KEEPS YOUR INSPIRATION GOING?  —  I’m honestly not sure. Probably my hyperfixation, but also my burning desire to do my son the justice he deserves. So perhaps it’s out of spite so more people watch the movie, haha.

SOME MORE PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE MUN.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO?

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF? ( There isn’t too much that I need to headcanon for him sice I’m pretty close to the source material, but I do have ideas about his background and the issues that he struggles with.)

Do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO (God help me, yes,)

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO / SORT OF?

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO ( hey, it is what it is. )

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO / SORTA.  (Eh, but that’s more on a personal issues thing. I’m pretty sure I have rejection sensitivity dysphoria, but I try my best to not let it get to me. In our day to day interactions, don’t worry about it! It’s my own issue and none of y’alls responsibility.)

DO YOU ACCEPT CRITICISM WELL ABOUT YOUR PORTRAYAL?  — Well, I haven’t heard any yet since this blog is so young, but I’d assume so! 

DO YOU LIKE QUESTIONS, WHICH HELP YOU EXPLORE YOUR CHARACTER?  — GOD PLEASE DO!!!! My son needs more love and I want to explore him in depth!

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES TO A HEADCANON OF YOURS, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?  — Eh, occasionally. But really, that sort of stuff doesn’t really matter to me. If anything, it’s fascinating to see their interpretation of the source material!

IF SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH YOUR PORTRAYAL, HOW WOULD YOU TAKE IT?  — Well, I’d take in in stride. Besides, those people usually just don’t follow back, which is fair!

IF SOMEONE REALLY HATES YOUR CHARACTER, HOW DO YOU TAKE IT?  —  Well, I’d be a little annoyed. Some people have “hot takes” on Billy’s character that I strongly disagree with, but it’s their opinion on the matter, and I can’t change much.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH PEOPLE POINTING OUT YOUR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS?  —Go ham, haha. Grammar typos don’t bug me as much since I generally have so few, but if it’s bugging you for a thread, let me know!

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE EASY GOING AS A MUN?   —  Some would say too much, haha.

[p-and-p-admin]

Interview given to The Severus Snape and Hermione Granger Shipping Fan Group.  (sharing here Admin approved)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/199718373383293/ Hello CRMediaGal and welcome to Behind the Quill, thank-you for letting us get to know you a little better.

Many of our members will know your Unquestionable Love series. 

We’re grateful you can spend some time with us today. 

Okay, so let's jump into it!

What’s the story behind your pen name?

CR is an abbreviation for “cracked rendition” and that comes from the excerpt from a poem I’ve loved since I was young. Years ago, to help put myself through art college, I did web design on the side and called my little company Cracked Rendition Designs. When I created my pen name, I combined all of these elements together to make CRMediaGal (for some illogical reason I thought it was a solid name at the time lol) and, to this day, I still think about changing my pen name altogether.  I figure it’s too late for that now, though. 

Which Harry Potter character do you identify with the most?

Luna Lovegood. I wish I’d had her self-assurance and confidence in who she is at that age but, that aside, I identify with how she’s a bit of a loner, an oddball, and tends to be left out (or does until she finds her Hogwarts friends). I’ve really struggled with being an outsider most of my life, so it’s comforting to see that representation in literature but through a young woman who possesses the self-confidence people like myself often lack. 

Do you have a favourite genre to read? 

I tend to love period dramas, so a lot of the classic novels are my favourites (i.e. Austen, Henry James, etceteras).  

Do you have a favourite “classic” novel?

The Portrait of a Lady is one of my favourite novels.  I reread it every couple of years.  

At what age did you start writing? 

I’ve been writing since I was very little, so probably seven, eight, nine-ish? I used to be much more of an artist/sketcher than a writer, so I’d make up stories and write and sketch and staple them together all day long lol. 

How did you get into writing fanfiction?

After watching Deathly Hallows: Part 2 at the cinema in 2011.  Severus Snape’s death hit me hard all over again (I hadn’t read the last book in a few years), and I decided that I desperately needed to change that for myself lol.  Unquestionable Love is the first fanfic (SSHG) I ever wrote and it’s become an ongoing series, so I’m grateful to have gotten the “spark” to write fanfic from somewhere around that time.  I decided in 2011 to try my hand at “fleshing out” my little Snape family that had been mucking about in my head for much longer than that.

What's the best theme you've ever come across in a fic? Is it a theme represented in your own works?

I’m a total sucker for the brooding, self-loathing male who thinks himself unworthy of love and redemption and the sunshine, kick-arse lady, aka Centre of His World, who loves him back to life. #GimmeMorePleaseandThankYou

What fandoms are you involved in other than Harry Potter?

I’ve written fics for Star Wars (ReyBen/Reylo is another one of my favourite ships outside of SSHG), The Hobbit (Thranduil/Tauriel), and Les Miserables (Enjonine). 

If you could make one change to canon, what would it be? Do you have a favourite piece of fanon?

Severus Snape’s death (he’s NOT dead! #nope #denial4ever). 

My favourite piece of fanon is probably Severus being Draco’s godfather. Regardless of where it originated from, I’m all for it. 

Do you listen to music when you write or do you prefer quiet? 

I used to need complete solitude and quiet to write, but nowadays I can write with some instrumental music playing in the background.  It depends on where my headspace is at. 

What are your favourite fanfictions of all time? 

I don’t read much fanfic anymore, as it’s hard enough for me to find time for my own writing…but off the top of my head, I’d probably have to go with a “classic” - The Tattered Man (SSHG) by Aurette.  It’s gutting and heart-wrenching and doesn’t have a happy ending, but it’s a hauntingly beautiful piece that stays with you. 

Are you a plotter or a pantser? How does that affect your writing process?

I’m somewhere in the middle. I tend to plot out certain points I want to hit from chapter to chapter (if it’s a multi-chapter fic and heavy on plot, for instance), but writing is an organic process and I enjoy allowing my muse to surprise me as well.

What is your writing genre of choice? 

A good mixture of Angst and Fluff (and nearly always with a HEA!) 

Which of your stories are you most proud of? Why? 

I’m proud of all my stories for different reasons, mainly technical milestones I was able to achieve with the writing or the emotional attachments I had to them at the time that I wrote them.

If I had to choose one (or two because I gotta cheat here haha!), I’d go with either Unto Their Own (SSHG) because the subject matter was so dark and took me to places mentally that were very tough for me to navigate (the fact that I finished that fic is an achievement for me because it could have very well been abandoned at various points in the story); or Unquestionable Love (SSHG), both the original and the series as a whole, because that story has my heart entirely invested in it.  That precious family means everything to me and the story, from beginning to present, is my headcanon for the SSHG pairing.  I really can’t see them any other way, though I’ve written other stories where their lives turn out quite differently. 

Did it unfold as you imagined it or did you find the unexpected cropped up as you wrote? What did you learn from writing it?

Sticking with Unquestionable Love here, the original story came together mostly as expected, though there were a couple darker turns the fic was supposed to take that I didn’t have the heart--or the stamina, I suppose--to end up developing.  

One of my dear OCs/one of the daughters was supposed to die at one point in the story and I realised that doing so would have ultimately changed Severus’s fate, as well as the entire course of the storyline.  (There is just no way that UL!Severus would survive the death of one of his children, so I guess I’m no JK Rowling or any other esteemed writer who can just ruthlessly kill off their characters haha!) I’ve learned through writing this series that I can tackle subject matters that are very emotionally tough for me and that’s a good feeling.  

I’ve also learned that I have something to say, even if it’s not much heard or well-liked, and that that still makes my storytelling worthy of being out there in the fandomverse; or, at least, I try to remind myself that it’s okay to exist.

How personal is the story to you, and do you think that made it harder or easier to write?

It’s intensely personal in some respects and those aspects are difficult for me to discuss.  I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready to talk about them in depth, but I will say a couple scenes in the latter half of Unquestionable Love were incredibly trying to write due to personal experience. I pushed through those moments, though, and I think that, because of that therapeutic exercise, I’m able to tackle other tough subjects in my stories more easily. 

What books or authors have influenced you? How do you think that shows in your writing?

I admire various writers, mainly for the love of the language that’s reflected in their writing styles.  Anne Rice immediately comes to mind.  If I had an ounce of her talent, I’d write with so much confidence lol. I don’t think writers like her necessarily affect my writing style, but they’re certainly people I aspire to write more like.  

Do people in your everyday life know you write fanfiction? 

Only more recently.  I haven’t really allowed any of them to read my work, as so much of it is deeply personal, but just being upfront with my closest friends and family has been a nice development.   

How true for you is the notion of “writing for yourself”? 

I think this is something, as a fic writer, that’s essential.  However, I’m also of the mindset that fandom is about community, and fanfic writers want to engage with their audiences.  We want to feel less alone in these wacky and often times complicated scenarios we put our characters through, and we want people to respond to them...hopefully, with a positive reaction. 

That’s what it’s all about--interaction--and it can be rather heartbreaking, as a writer, when you don’t receive engagement because maybe your headcanons or takes on characters aren’t popular or are considered outside of the ‘norm’. 

For me, I find it too crippling anymore to continue sharing my stories with the fandoms I love when they’re met with silence or hate.  There’s nothing more soul crushing than just being dismissed or disliked or not accepted...and that’s why I’ve chosen to post my stories privately (for now, at least).

How important is it for you to interact with your audience? How do you engage with them? Just at the point of publishing? Through social media?

It’s pretty essential to me to be able to engage with readers.  I absolutely love it and I wish it happened more often haha.  I used to run polls and interact with readers on my fanfiction.net and AO3 accounts (both now inactive) and through my still active Tumblr account (http://crmediagal.tumblr.com/ ).  I now have my own website - www.crmediagal.com - where I can fully control the flames and negativity. 

It may be temporary but, so far, it’s working out pretty well.  It’s made my readership a lot smaller but, at least, I know the people who are there genuinely want to read more of my work and won’t leave me hate comments.  That’s so comforting and encouraging.  

What would you most like your readers to take away with them when they've finished your stories?

A powerful message of some kind...remembrance...perhaps, suggest one or two of them to other readers and shippers out there.  

That’s the only way our stories survive, really. 

What is the best advice you’ve received about writing?

That you need to protect your “voice”, no matter how unpopular it may be, and that there is no one else who writes like you and that you should take pride in that.  

I try to remind myself of these important pointers when I’m feeling particularly down about my storytelling abilities. 

What do you do when you hit writer’s block?

Watch my favourite films or television shows to help re-spark my creativity.  I come back to the writing when it ‘speaks’ to me.  I no longer press myself to push out writing because, more often than not, the result is going to get tossed and reworked anyhow.  

Has anything in real life trickled down into your writing?

Yes, certain experiences and people I’ve encountered in my life have definitely wound up in some of my stories.  

Many of my OCs in different stories are examples of that. 

Do you have any stories in the works? Can you give us a teaser? 

I’m working on a new SSHG story that’s based off of a fun prompt from a dear, long-time reader.  

It will start posting at my website - www.crmediagal.com - in the coming weeks/months, so if anyone would like access to it, you can contact me there.  

Here’s a short excerpt:

Cradling his head in his hand, Severus stomped to his front door and opened it a crack, jostling the handle loud enough that it caught three people’s attention, the woman firstly before the others.  

“What’s the bloody idea?” he snarled, shouting above them.  

Each individual—two wizards and one witch—went mute and turned to stare from the neighbouring sidewalk.  

“I’ll have you know that this is a quiet street!  And I was sleeping!”  When the guests next door to him, who were just towing the property line and about to get themselves knocked out, offered no response, he prodded, grinding his teeth together, 

“Are you daft, you fools?  Do you not comprehend?  HEY!”

The two gentlemen, who appeared to be fresh out of Hogwarts—or maybe they hadn’t gotten that far in their magical studies, judging by the stupidity on their expressions—startled and nodded in unison.  

“Yes, sir!”

“Oh, my...” the witch, in turn, murmured, seemingly more to herself than anyone else.

Severus identified her vacant, open-mouthed expression at once: she recognised him.  As of yet, he had little recollection as to who she might be and didn’t give a damn.  He kicked his door open the rest of the way with his boot, jostling the three near trespassers backward a few more paces, and stalked down his steps and onto his sidewalk. 

That was when he finally understood the reason behind all of the commotion: one of the branches to the old oak tree that shielded his stoop, and had been there since the earliest days he could recall of his childhood, had crashed onto the pavement, cracking the sidewalk in half. 

A part of his iron fence, too, had crumbled under the weight of the broken branch, and there was an assortment of boxes, some severely banged up, scattered across his property. 

“What the...?  That’s my tree you idiots hit!  And my bleedin’ fence...!”

“I - I’m sorry, sir,” stammered the witch with wildly curly hair and worrisome brown eyes, hastily stepping forward to intervene.  

“I’ve been trying to figure out how this happened—”Severus turned his glare on her.  

“And who are you?”  The seemingly thirty-something woman blushed to her roots, which he couldn’t account for, until she spoke in a faint, insecure whisper, 

“Um, Hermione, sir...  Hermione Weasley.  Oh, gosh, I mean, I - I was Hermione Weasley until...”  She cleared her throat and attempted to reintroduce herself, flushing in such a manner that it flaunted dainty-looking freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose.  Had she always had those?  Severus couldn’t remember.  

“Oh, bother!  It’s Hermione Granger, Professor.  Surely, you...you remember me?”Severus went as rigid as a column.  

“Oh, for fuck’s sake...” he blurted aloud before he could stop himself. Hermione blinked, taken aback.  

“I’m sorry?”Severus’s shock morphed into a tight-fitting sneer.  

“I thought I was done with the lot of you.”

Any words of encouragement to other writers?

Try not to get too discouraged by lack of reviews or not making the recommendations lists.  Keep persevering and know that someone out there, even if it’s just one reader, will love what you have to share with the world.  

Thanks for spending some time with us today CRMediaGal, we’ve enjoyed getting to know you.

[boglog]

Wholesome Questionare Tag Meme

Tagged by @80sglamcowboy Rules are: -Post the rules -Answer the questions given to you by the tagger -Write eleven questions of your own -Tag eleven people

This is long as Hell, friends and I apologise.

One inquisitive bitch has asked me:

1. Name one person (real or fictional) that you think you could 100% take on in a fight

Foaming mouth guy from Avatar. He’s got no stamina, barely any health, no skill. He’s unfocused and weak and my noodley nerd-ass could take him. (Though I am a little concerned he has rabies.)

2. What’s your favourite snack rn

Grilled cheese w veggies, mustard, and grilled tofu w a side of ketchup made by my roommate. It’s honestly the purest thing.

3. Which apocalypse do you think you’d do the best in? (i.e. Nuclear winter/ robot uprising/ Too many vampires, etc)

O man. I love apocalypse movies and I love survival horror (that one episode of the X Files where they’re trapped in a cabin, anybody?). I also genuinely love camping and I’m a bit of a medical hobbyist. I also watched an unreasonable amount of prepper videos on YouTube. That said, as mentioned above, I am a couch potato weekling. Furthermore, I don’t do well in conflict so if the world hierarchy collapses into a power vacuum where you have to Orange is the New Black-style intimidate ppl for supplies, I would melt and die quickly.

My best bet, it would seem, is an Arrival-esque alien apocalypse where the ones who have enough patience and sci fi knowledge to communicate w aliens are at the top of the food chain. And worst case scenario it’s better for my ego to die at the hands of an alien than a human.

Sci go apocalypses are just cleaner y'know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


4. Best and worst fandom you’ve been in? Or have you somehow managed to avoid fandom completely?

Worst has to be Steven Universe. I regret not just moving on after I got bored. Ah well.

(I also think celebrity/real ppl fandoms are a dead end.)

My other fandoms all have various pros and cons and it’s hard to pick a favourite.

Adventure Time has great fanart, great meta and ppl have yet to descend into Homestuck-ian chaos. That said, they’re quiet af. People also fixate way too much on the fake fanfic AU Fionna and Cake. I have yet to read a really good Bonny/Marcy fic and that is a tragedy (a few have come close tho). Bottom line for AT tho is that it’s my go to wholesome cartoonist fandom. I like that it has depth but that it’s generally very simple and fun and that the fans are mostly shut in animation adults.

AtLA/LoK fandom’s biggest pro is that it’s huge and you literally never ran out of quality content. I’ve even made a few friends via this decade old franchise. It’s also enjoyably rich and complex. One of my favourite (now inactive) blogs was one that connected world building and little background Easter eggs to real Chinese history and culture. That wAs so cool!! I defs think as a Chinese person it allowed me to connect to non-western culture in a socially acceptable way.

The downsides tho are many: it can be overwhelmingly complicated (esp as someone who knows jack shit abt Chinese history), people take it too seriously, The Great Shipping Wars, it’s so big it’s a little lonely, the show itself has so many flaws upon greater inspection you wonder why you wasted your time on anything related to it, it’s an Asian themed story created by white dudes who make fun of their fans, the best parts of the show were written by other writers but those same white guys get k the credit. Also as w any fandom related to POC culture, racism happens. Anyways most of you know this already. IMO the best thing to have happened do the fandom is korrasami. Now it’s just abt Asian lesbians ruling the world.

(Though I also thoroughly enjoy the Family Rivalry part of the fandom. There are so mNy dysfunctional families to choose from!)

Rick and Morty is technically speaking my newest fandom. It’s got a lot of obvious cons (pickle Rick sexists, Szechuan sauce racists, asfhkkh incest) but one other con is just how pedantic and overly analytical people are abt the world building. I can’t breathe wo being corrected. RM has a misleadingly complicated high sci fi aesthetic that begets the kind of overanalysing my brand of overanalytical nerdiness can’t handle. Too many alternate universes. It’s just too complicated.

However one thing I like is that conversely I can overanalyse the writing and characters’ psychology/relationships (which I LOVE) and ppl take me very seriously. (At least they used to.) it’s kinda validating to have your 3k word essay on an old man’s bedroom and what that signifies for his depression get over 1k notes.

Rm also attracts the fun, super talented animation crowd so there’s boundless fanart and memes. I never knew I would like a gravity falls crossover retirement home AU btwn Rick and Stan so much but the art is objectively gorgeous?? So ??

I really dislike the lack of attention the female characters get from fandom bc they’re all really great? Female rep is limited but both canon and fic really do their 2-3 tokens justice. Also the jerry hatred is getting old (that male aggression… Like… Calm down, Jake) but it’s a refreshing departure drom when Megg from family guy was the butt of the joke.

Harry Potter, one of the pillars of nerd society, has both changed my life and irreconcilably annoyed me to death. (W no thanks to the racist creator herself!) One can’t underestimate how huge the hp fandom is which offers you as many reasons to love it as reasons not to. Harry Potter’s canon has complex world building that’s also charming enough not to take itself too seriously and much the same could b said of fanon. To a degree. Certain corners of the fanbase are fantastic shitposters and meme-ers and can draw you back in like a black hole. Casually enjoying Harry potter imo is where it’s at. The fanfic is probably one of the most impressively vast. Strangers at Drakesaugh, believe it or not, still updates and not only that, I still read it.

Not casually enjoying Harry potter is, um, yikes? HP and Hunger Games love to insert themselves appropriately in real life political traumas and honestly the dedication of the fandom can be overwhelming.

The HP fanart corner of deviantart circa 2010-12 and @flocc HP comics however are the best.

Meet the Robinsons, Ye Olde Fandom, still stands to this day. (Thanks in part to me ngl) As Iroh might say, they are a proud people. MTR is so bizarre and tiny it’s the only fandom I was able to read EVERY fic summary in existence (ones published on obscure sites excepted). The fandom has never ceased to surprise me for better or worse and mostly due to its age range. The original movie was intended for 8-12 yr olds and their (jaded) parents which means that now, ten years later, the fans are anywhere between 12 and 25. It has approximately 20 pieces of professional-grade fanart and fic and I am downright serious abt the quality and thoughtful complexity of this minority of fanart. Like I shit you not some of it’s almost too dark. However, tragically, one can’t talk abt obscure Disney fandoms wo also mentioning the incest ships (this is what happens when middleschoolers have to resort to cartoons to explore their sexuality in an anti sex ed world), the disorganised crossovers, and the blinding lack of imagination. Nonetheless, that a fandom of any kind could sprout from a 90 min cgi movie before the recession, based off an obscure but objectively fascinating children’s book, is still impressive. The fandoms smallness can in many wars work to everybody’s benefit: it’s a tightly knit community w little to no drama. And lots of memes (that I mostly make) to enjoy sincerely or ironically.

I’m also going to mention, very briefly, the Twin Peaks fandom, most of whom, even the die hards, are v casual when it comes to fan content (I need more fic damnit). Nonetheless it’s a decidedly cool art kid crowd for an art house show and I really enjoy befriending twin peaks watchers.

5. What’s one hot food that you prefer cold? (or, alternatively, one cold food you like hot)

Is it snobby to say I like food to be the temperature God intended?

Like I like cold pizza and salad-y pasta but I wouldn’t mind if everything were room temperature as long as the food itself was well made.

6. ya like jazz? What music do you enjoy listening to? Can you recommend any songs/ artists from that genre?

I think in some contexts I can like jazz. It’s very cosy and nostalgic, it can make you feel like a grand dame stepping out of your limo into your martini filled mansion as records pop around you and your fur carpeted living room. I also occasionally like jazz covers and alternate genres of jazz like electro swing etc.

Generally though I also think jazz is a little antiquated and a little all over the place. I lean more towards the ambiguous minimalism of mellow techno music like Jonna Lee, Grimes, Björk, early Lorde, Yasmine Hamdan, Austra, TRST, etc

I mean I don’t stick to just one genre (I imagine most ppl don’t). I like alternative (Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, Joanna Newsom) and some musicians who seem to completely exist outside of genre like iMonster and the Gorillaz. Not to mention straight up pop like broods, Ellie goulding, lady gaga and Lana del rey. (I mean technically Ldr isn’t pop but u get the ideer)

7. What binge worthy show do you like?

So many man. There are so many out there! Twin peaks, Transparent, Love, Grace and Frankie, Adventure Time, House of Cards, Bojack Horseman, Rick and Morty, Mad Men, Girls, Broad City, Black Mirror, Avatar TLA, 6Teen, Chowder, Over the Garden Wall, Flapjack, the first season of Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, etc

The list goes on. I’m a TV fiend.

8. What’s an old meme that you miss and wish would be brought back?

Always liked the Gothic [x town or whatever] meme. It was like a text post version of the cursed images meme. Currently I’m really enjoying the song from another room meme and I hope even after it gets old it’ll make a comeback.

9. Tell me your aesthetic



O man. That’s a can of worms! Okay. Deep breath.

I like futurism, of all kinds. I like strong lines and clear shapes. I like colour blocking and minimalism and glass and holographic LED neons. I like white Japanese urban tiled buildings. I like aliens and ruins and cubes and white and colour blocking and black. I like technology and aliens and Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake. Rooms that are empty but for one light and one window and one plant. Love that.

I like the midcentury cubism and Mod and 30’s futurism. Clear and strong industrial shapes and curves and post modernist abstractionism.

I also love nature, I love most every Björk and Iamamiwhoami music video. I love the mountains and the forests and the desert and the winter tundra and most of all I love the water. A vast expanse of sky and sea w so many colours and textures. I love the 2000s and funny blob shapes and y2k’s obsession w secondary colours and shiny round things. Love pink. I am a grown adult who will never tire of pink. (Though I don’t really like when people overdo pink.) I love cursed image family photos taken with flash in a suburb. I love the grime and the sanitary aesthetic of suburbs and hospitals and brutalist office spaces. The fluorescent lights of the institution but with purple carpeting!

I love 70s mod and I love colorful 80s brutalism I like it when houses are shaped weirdly and they have carpets and polished curved wooden countertops and spacious nothingness where everything looks clean and cosy and bizarrely ugly and it all looks like an art gallery w too many plants.

I also really love maximalism and wood and detail and fur and velvet and embroidery and silk and windows and wood carvings.

I love 70s kitsch like John waters movies and Shrimps designer fake fur CDG17 where they just piled on knickknack after knickknack onto white dresses w food long trains. Toys and novelty items and lamps shaped like a woman’s leg in a fishnet stocking. (See also: most Tim burton movies, wes Anderson, Carrie fishers house)

An overwhelming mishmash of wool patterns with clean cubic 70s architecture and so many plants and windows and wallpaper and candles and cobwebs. Also really like witchy mourning jewelry and essentially every house in Harry potter. Love the unfortunately racist boho/hippie aesthetic. Any house designed by bill kirsch is a masterpiece. Woven baskets on the ceiling piles of hats and art supplies everywhere. Stuff!! Everywhere! Hidden passageways reading nooks fireplaces the Pink Palace from Coraline!

Everything!!!

I’m a cartoonist who’s a nerd for design so I like when concepts are taken to the extreme in a humourously charming and clear-minded way. Whatever aesthetic someone chooses, they should go all out and really dedicate themselves to the highest form of that aesthetic. It has to be perfect without being sanitary of fake. It has to be alive yet beautiful, frozen in one perfect moment.

10. Favourite time of day and why?

Dusk. I think it’s a nostalgia thing. I loved the hours before bed time as well the hours before dinner when it was getting dark and the sun was reflecting freaky colours along the horizon while I ran around the grass. It’s cozy but it’s spacious and adventurous. So many things can happen at dusk!



11. You have the choice to live in any fictional universe - which one do you pick and why?

Harry Potter!!! You get the best of both worlds: magical, over-romanticised Victorian/medievalism, wish-fulfillment surrealism and wifi. It’s great. Likelihood of dying is so low, medicine is so advanced and even then ppls n°1 choice of lethal weapon (Avada Kedavra) is painless. Me and Luna could hang in her garden. I’d never have to pay for the subway again. I could live a nomadic life in a tent w infinite space. If you chose to live as a wizard amongst Muggles you’re basically god and you can cheat capitalism. Gravity is my bitch! And I’m not gna lie my dream house has always been a combination of The Burrow, the Lovegood house, and Shell Cottage.

My turn to pick your brain:

1 Favourite texture?

2 Favourite smell?

3 Favourite children’s book/children’s TV show? (I’m talking about the bizarre abstract ones for toddlers)

4 Best and worst prank you’ve ever pulled?

5 Weirdest beginning of a friendship?

6 When you’ve been in fandom for a while you start to notice you’ve a habit of staying in the same corners. What corner are you in? Are you part of the fluffy ship corner? The intense world building spec meta corner? The shitpost comic fanart corner? Etc

7 If you could invent a class that would be obligatory for all high schools across your country what would it be?

8 What’s the weirdest thing you’ve gotten at Halloween while trick or treating?

9 Weirdest family tradition of yours?

10 Describe your significant other (or your crush, or your dream partner or if you’re aromantic your fave person) through only TV references.

11 Favourite piece of dialogue in a movie?

I don’t know 11 ppl but nonetheless tagging: @that-guy-in-the-bowler-hat @skairheart @nochangenohope @eventheslightestrayofsunshine@autistic-jaredkleinman@phoenixkluke

…and YOU (if you were not mentioned above and so choose to accept this mission)

[illyrianwingspans]

The House of Beasts, Prologue

Hey guys! So I’ve been reading a lot of ACOTAR/ACOMAF fanfics on tumblr recently, most of them AUs of how the story would play out in a real life setting, and honestly, they are my favorite things to read because they are incredibly entertaining and just GAH amazing. Some of my favorites:

My Fair Warrior by the wonderful, amazingly talented @sarahviehmann

Across the Stars by the awesome, terrifically gifted @buggitybooks

The Snowball by the splendid, marvelously skilled @the-wheel-comes-full-circle

And so, all to say, that I really began thinking about what my AU would be, and now I have this story within me, and I cannot stop thinking about it, so it’s time to write. I’ve written a bunch before (NaNoWriMo twice and 5 fanfics on Wattpad) but never on Tumblr, because all the writers in the ACOTAR community are so intimidating and amazing and I never thought I could write as well as them. Welp, here’s my first shot guys, and I’ll try to update as often as I can. 

Please, give me no hate, and send me requests, suggestions, ANYTHING that may help my writing or this story. I very much appreciate it!

Prologue: Bets

My breath sounded like an amplified scream against the stark of the infinitely silent night that surrounded me. The cold brick stone behind me dug into the skin between my shoulder blades. The chill of the night June weather bit into my bones. I was shaking. The only reason I could tell? The gun shook within my hands.

In and out, I told myself. I could do this.

Now, of course, what I was about to do was sacrilegious. Existentially horrible. But it was not like I had a choice. Not with my sisters’ boyfriends watching me from the House. I just needed to pull the trigger, get it over with, and leave before anybody sighted me.

It was still horrible. No matter the half-assed motive behind my actions, fear was still etched into the depths of my being.  

The grounds of Prythian University were solemn, empty. No one wandered around at this time of night, out of fear or just plain laziness, I had no clue. It may have been something to do with the perpetual exhaustion that plagued us all, due to the heavy load of courses we had, though no one could tell for certain. I most definitely wouldn’t wander out at night due to the rumours of what some of the men do to the women that walked around by their lonesome. I shivered at the thought.

Shoving off the wall I’d been leaning against, I drew closer and closer to the dimly lit trees. The Spring House was a great big hall painted white and gold, with two narrow gardens on either side filled with all the wild flowers you could ever imagine. Every time I walked by it, it always seemed to take my breath away with its beauty.

He couldn’t spot me from the trees. No way. Not with my black tank top and trousers; it was too dark out and with these shitty lamps, you could barely see anything at all. Yet still, with the Spring House and all its magnitude in front of me, I felt as though I was stripped bare for all to see.

Eleven o’clock, they’d said. That’s when the head of the house, Tamlin Atwell, always took his massive pet dog mascot for a walk. My stomach felt as though it was toppling over itself, and my heart was pumping in over drive. There they were, not forty feet away from me, walking obliviously, the man smiling down at his dog, scratching the hair between his ears. This isn’t right this isn’t right this isn’t right—

I kept both eyes opened as I slowly raised the BB gun with both hands gripped against the cool plastic. Thank God I had shooting practice as a kid, I told myself. Thank God that I could actually aim at the stupid dog and not the unknowing, hauntingly gorgeous man, walking beside it.

I couldn’t kill it, I thought. No matter what they were doing to me, expecting of me, killing a living being was not an option.

I took aim at its front left paw. It was a BB gun, I reminded myself. It couldn’t do much harm.

Taking one last breath, I levelled in on the paw. It was all I could see.

I squeezed the trigger.

+ + + The shot did not ring loudly. My eyes glued themselves shut, and I braced myself for the mutt’s yelp, but it never came. Tamlin’s head whipped up and looked around brusquely, alarm and anger flashing across his face.

My face fell blank. I didn’t hit it. I missed it.

I breathed a shuddering sigh of relief. I knew I could never harm the damned thing. Killing was never, and will never be my sport. My sigh turned into a sob once his eyes locked with mine.

“You,” he seethed lowly, yet it still rang loudly as his face twisted into a hateful scowl. Shouting quick orders to the dog, which ran back to the house and through the side doggy door, Tamlin turned on his heel and began sprinting in my direction.

I could not move. I could not breathe. I could not utter a single sound. My feet stayed planted where they were as he drew closer and closer, his wrath becoming clearer and clearer. It was almost like a horror movie when he was only a few feet away from me, a terrifying face in the dark.

He backed me into the wall, and I think a small part of me fainted from the utter haunting fear that overtook my body. Atwell bellowed, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Eh? You like shooting innocent animals?”

I shook my head hard, my chin quivering. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You don’t understand, I get it, but I swear to God I wouldn’t be here right now if I could help it.” “What the fuck do you mean?” he growled, his hands squeezing my arms so tightly I think he was cutting the circulation.

“It’s—” my breathing was too shallow, too erratic. He loosened his grip ever so slightly, a small mercy. “It’s a long story. Complicated mess.”

“Well, looks like you’ll have plenty of time to explain yourself.” He shoved away from me, turning back to the Spring House. “You’re moving to the Spring House.” He ordered.

“What?” I spluttered, stumbling after him. “Why?”

“House rules. Once a year, I can force anyone I’d like to move in and charge it on the House’s tab. Then we can terrorize you all we want behind these walls.” He tapped the brick with two fingers then turned away, his eyes a dark storm. 

I stayed rooted in place, blinded by fear. “No.” I said, my voice loud and clear in the night.

He slowly pivoted on his heel, and that blonde hair that captured his ruggedly handsome features fell around face. His eyes, piercingly green, looked so deeply into mine it felt as though he was peeling me away, layer by layer. Rough, calloused hands gripped my bare shoulders, his fingers digging into my skin. “Yes. I’m not going to say it again. Take it up with the Principal for all I care, but he'll say the same damned thing. You’ll come to the house tonight, then collect your things tomorrow. Am I clear?”

I nodded my head solemnly, and tears of rage fell when he damn near dragged me into that house, opening the door, and shoving me in. The gloomy main entrance was dimly lit, yet I could still make out the breathtakingly intricate decorations and markings etched across the walls, the countless paintings and delicate furniture. This wasn’t a frat house. It was beautiful. A manor, so to speak.

In the most monotone, sarcastic voice, he muttered, “Welcome to Spring House. Natura est principium dulces.”