#Steve gets involved in a fandom space

[steviewashere]

I want to write something sort of meta, hear me out on it. Sorry, if this hits too close to home. The idea came to me and I needed to get it out of my system. And...would you look at that, another half-written fic.

Steve ends up getting really into Star Wars after Dustin shows him to it. Like, so much that he gets himself involved with conventions, cosplay, collecting anything and everything he can. He's involved in a fandom space. Learns the world of fan fiction. And let's say that maybe, during his time figuring out where he wants to go with life, he picks up writing fanfic as a hobby.

It encourages him to get an English degree. Encourages him to lean more into that hobby, but then expanding upon it to write original short stories and small novels that go published. But he holds strong to Star Wars and fandom and finding his spot cemented in it. He's been a fan for...nearly forty years at this point (set in 2024, ugh I know).

And maybe he dabbles in online spaces here and there. He ignores the insufferable adults in the Star Wars fandom (the "um, actually..." guys, btw). Indulges the effort of typing out his handwritten fan fiction, ones he used to bring and pass around at conventions, ones he'd let Eddie read with a shy look in his eyes. And he posts them online, has a Tumblr account, maybe does a few short things on Twitter, definitely is on AO3 (albeit newer, having never attempted online fan work before).

But then...then he gets his first little bit of hate. Vicious, gross comments on his work. Sometimes in private messages. Even publicly, once, on Twitter. It irks him. He holds strong, he does. But then it gets worse and worse and somehow, worse. Younger people claiming he's too old, others claiming that he can't write for certain characters because they're out of his age range, that he can't ship certain people, he can't say that a character would do this or that, that Star Wars is media for a younger audience (despite being somebody who saw it "back in the day"). But that he...That he's not supposed to be there.

And that last little comment sticks with him for a long time. It makes his effort and his attention and his love for writing fanworks falter. He stops. Thinks about the characters he loves, of Leia and Han or even Luke and Han or Lando and Han (listen he loves writing Han). But then he wonders if it's even worth it, to indulge this interest anymore. Yeah, maybe he's older than the source material. Sure, maybe he was introduced to it a little later than most, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love it. Yet, his attention towards Star Wars completely falls away.

He stops watching it. His DVDs going dusty and unused. Starts putting away all his action figures, because what if he posts a photo one day and somebody sees them and claims that that's not for him and—

Then, he goes completely offline from fandom. Even if he still gets the emails from users who actually enjoy his stuff, ignoring them completely. Focuses on using the internet for work. For his novels, for the little stories he actually gets paid to write. But his work just isn't the same. The passion, despite being an original story and original source material, is completely dwindled.

His hobby has been stripped from him. His interest has been knocked straight out of his hands. And he just...moves on.

Even if it hurts to go down into the basement of he and Eddie's home, eyes catching on the see-through bins of original action figures, Lego sets, comic books. Even if it makes something strangle in his chest when he opens up the browser on his phone and it immediately opens to a new ship he'd been getting into: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker—because he finally picked up The Mandalorian, because he was finally talked into watching it when he had the free time.

And then it all bursts over when Eddie finally approaches him about it, when they're enjoying a night-in, sitting around lazily on their sofa.

"There's a convention coming into town," he comments, "supposedly, Hayden Christensen is going to be there. We should go, try and meet him."

Steve just grunts in response.

"Oh-kay...or we could just stay home and watch the movie?" Eddie suggests. "Been a while since I've seen Darth on screen, telling Luke about"—

"I don't want to," Steve cuts in quietly, "isn't really my thing anymore."

Silence then follows. For a beat. Then two. A third.

"Not your thing?" Eddie asks him incredulously. "Not too long ago you were raving all about that new show that's coming out! That you saw they were doing lightsaber whips and you were excited to see how they worked! What do you mean it's 'not your thing'?"

Steve shrugs. "Grew out of it or whatever. Got more important things to focus on now." He sniffs, trying to keep himself held together, grumpy and firm in his decision.

Eddie's stare drills into the side of his face. Scalding, just like that lava was in Revenge of The Sith. "Baby," he speaks softly, "did something happen? You haven't even...you don't read your beautiful little stories to me anymore. In fact, now that I think about it, I haven't even seen your lightsabers around here. What's goin' on?"

He fiddles with the hem of his shirt. A ratty plain white t-shirt that he wears now when he's lounging around the house. It used to be one with the Millennium Falcon on it, but that's tucked down far in his dresser. Not for him anymore.

"Steve," Eddie presses, "did something happen?"

His stare stays down at his lap, still fiddling with his shirt. Fingers flexing unfamiliarly in the strings, unlike the loose ones on his Star Wars shirts. "I just"—Steve heaves a deep sigh—"it's time I grow up. It's...not for me anymore. Too old for it now, I guess."

"You guess or you know? Because nobody's too old for anything. Unless, y'know, you're like eighty-nine and in terrible health and trying to hike Everest, then..."

Despite everything, Steve finds himself chuckling. A giddy little sound here and gone in a breath. He shrugs again, albeit smaller this time. Crumbling within himself. Quietly, honestly, he admits, "People were being mean to me about it online. About my writing. That I'm doing it wrong, that I—that I'm too old for it. That I don't belong because of my age." He finally brings himself to look at Eddie, blearily because his eyes are aching and wet. "I got to thinking and I...maybe I've just been too caught up in my own bliss to realize that those people are right. They're right and I shouldn't be into kids stuff anymore."

Eddie makes a soft, sad cooing noise in the back of his throat. "Oh, baby," he breathes. "Baby, those people don't know a single damn thing about your love. But...but I do. I know that you've seen every single Star Wars movie more times than I've probably eaten in my entire life. And what about all those Halloween costumes over the years? I didn't dress up like Leia for nothing, Mr. Solo."

Steve scoffs wetly. Goes to protest, but—

"And...and that handshake! The one with Dustin? You guys have had that for nearly forty fucking years! So, why bother indulging any of these...these hardasses on the internet? Did they sit next to you on the sofa as you fucking curled yourself like a shrimp and wrote every little intricate detail of a kiss between Luke and Han? Have they read your work while you blushed all shy, while you tucked your hair behind your ear and asked for the most earnest of feedback, to make sure you spelt things correctly or put a comma in the right place? These people, did they get to see you blossom and grow like a fucking bushel of roses over your hobby?

"Because I know I did. And even though you were nervous about your words on the paper, you still came to me. You still wrote and wrote and wrote until I had to bully you into breaks, just so you wouldn't ruin your poor wrists. If they had even an ounce of the passion that you do, they could write their own stories. They can make their own endings and make the characters the way they imagine them.

"They choose, instead, to—what—make fun of you because you have a space to express yourself? Because you found passion and turned it into something so beautiful, even I—a dungeon master, someone supposed to be amazing at storytelling—can't put into words? You found a way to do that, Steve. And you do that with kindness. You do it for free, mind you. If their only passion sits within sending you vitriol over people who aren't even remotely close to real, then they're the ones who don't belong.

"If I've learned anything, fandom is a space to share and bounce off each other's words. It's community and it's belonging and it's sharing what you love because you just love it. Fandom isn't bullying. Bullying is just bullying, Steve.

"And everything you've ever done in your life, in regards to fandom and outside of it, is so much better than hate. You may be a nerd or...or a little bit overzealous or whatever, but at least you aren't hateful. I think being hateful, that's worse—don't you think?"

Steve can only stare in response, fast tears down his cheeks, hands shaking in his shirt. Mind reeling. Because, yes, Eddie's right. And he maybe should've talked about it initially, but the hurt festered and festered and tangled and grew until he was nothing but an unhealed scab. And Eddie, he's the antiseptic to his uncovered cuts—the ones deep on his heart, where all his love is—even for things considered mundane, like movies, like TV shows.

"Steve," Eddie carefully murmurs, wrapping Steve's hands with his own, "you don't have to do something right to love it. You don't have to be a certain way to be happy. If Star Wars made you happy, then why give it up?"

He sniffles and chokes back on a sob. Because, again—damnit—Eddie's right. "I miss it," he admits quietly, "all I've done is miss it."

Eddie gives him a small smile. Something achingly soft that reaches deep within Steve. "Then open your arms and welcome it back, baby," he whispers, "even if you can't be online anymore, do it for yourself."

"I...I want to try it again, I'm just...scared. What if people hate it all over again? What if they're just nasty to me and shut me down and push me to the side and"—

"But what if they love it? What if your readers have missed you just as much?"

"You think?" he meekly asks.

Eddie's eyes widen and his eyebrows shoot up his forehead. "I know, actually. Your emails keep coming in on the computer's desktop because I keep forgetting to log you out. And, baby, you would not believe how many people have been eager for updates, for your return." His thumbs work into the backs of Steve's hands, warm and sure. "And, if it helps, maybe I can moderate your comments before you look at 'em? I'll read them to myself and if they're mean, I'll delete them."

Steve blows out a breathy little chuckle. "You'll just get mad at them," he gently teases. "But that doesn't sound too bad. Maybe I should try again. Not yet, though. I'm not ready."

"That's okay," Eddie assures, "take things slow. Maybe we start with watching the movies again? Getting your lightsabers back on display?"

"Can we go to the convention, too?"

"We can do whatever you want, Stevie."

For the first time in a long while, Steve finds himself smiling. "I love you," he whispers.

"I know."

[uniiiquehecrt]

I'm thinking in terms of actual real life experiences I've had when I say this, but I'd imagine part of what makes being a Thor enjoyer so frustrating in 2024/MCU's phase 4+ era is that... you're effectively not allowed to enjoy your favorite superhero.

I once had a conversation with a close friend of mine during a casual outing, and without going into very many details, this particular person is an enjoyer of Ragnarok, and enjoys Tailka's work overall. Now, I should say right off the bat: there is nothing wrong with these opinions. Everyone is entitled to like what they like and enjoy the work of creators just the same as other people are allowed to dislike them. For this particular post, I'm not here to get into fandom wars or "reasons why taika waititi is a terrible director" beef. I have other posts in line for that. But what I will say is that I already knew this about my friend, so it never surprised me when the topic of Thor came up that it would be a point of disagreement.

The issue I've found that continues to circle in the general space of "being a Thor fan" came when I expressed that I don't like Ragnarok, I do think Thor was funnier (and just better overall) before Ragnarok and therefore Taika's involvement, and quite frankly Taika had very little business taking on the mantle of director of a superhero franchise he has never liked or understood in his life just because he had mouths to feed. (There are other opportunities to fulfill that. And filmmakers know going into this industry that it's all gig-based and - if they're smart anyways - work around that.) I hadn't even gotten a chance to go through all of the reasons WHY I feel that way, of which I have had before compiled an organized list of about 16 talking points off the top of my head, so as far as that particular discussion goes... it didn't go anywhere. We were busy at the time.

But namely what I want to talk about is this:

The response I was given, in summary, was something along the lines of "well I think Thor was boring, and he wasn't my cup of tea, so I'm glad he changed."

But, you see, there's just ONE small issue with that: Thor isn't meant for everyone.

In fact, no character is meant for everyone. So why is it that Thor needs to change to be "for everyone" and be the MCU normies' "cup of tea" when no other character has to? Why does he need to lose his core identity (both as a character, as a franchise, you name it, it's been done) just because people like my friend don't understand him as well as Tony Stark or Spider-Man? And why should Thor fans have tow watch their favorite superhero get stripped down and turned into something completely divorced from the character, world and cast we were first involved with from the beginning?

Nobody at any point has been able to answer me that besides "well just because I didn't like Thor personally."

Iron Man won't appeal to everyone. Neither does Captain America, neither does Spider-Man, beloved as even Spidey is. They have their own quirks, their own villains, their own storylines... Every superhero has a core to them that their stories revolve around. He's from DC, but Superman, for instance, has the core of: love, justice and the American Way. Therefore, his stories revolve around challenging that core, and making Superman prove it. Steve Rogers/Captain America has a similar core. Justice, freedom and the American Way, is what I'd mostly boil his core down to. Thor's is "love" all around. I've written about that '(here)' in my post about his 2011 themes. Maybe it's different for other fans, but for me personally? I adore that about Thor. It's one of the many reasons I'm drawn to him over any other marvel Super besides Spider-Man. (not you tom holland ... yes you andrew garfield...)

So when I go to Thor for entertainment, I'm going to him above the other superheros because I want a story that revolves around HIS core and how Thor goes about reckoning with his challenges. I also go to MCU Thor specifically for his quiet, kind, regal nature. I come to him for his gravitas, his passion, his relationships with his cast of companions.

I go to him for high-sci-fi action/adventure, or for the "what if we took norse mythology and made it an alien superhero" route they took him in for the MCU. I go to Thor because he IS different from the rest of the Avengers... and that's the point.

So when someone says to me: "Well Thor wasn't for me so I'm glad he changed", or "Well I really liked Ragnarok because Thor kind of become more in line with the other Avengers"... they're fundamentally missing the point of why Thor has a fanbase at all.

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  Paryton! @The-winged-doe has 11 fics posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and 8 of them are in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @The-winged-doe:

The Gemini Paradigm

Lycantunnel

The Dog Next Door

Empty Space

Chasing Ghosts

"Paryton writes extremely compelling, rich, character-driven stories in a wide variety of settings and genres. There's always an element of horror or weirdness in her stories, in a way that feels so faithful to the original tone of the source material, and she doesn't shy from bittersweet or uncertain endings. Every one of her Steddie stories has such a unique premise and we get so many fun POV's outside of Eddie and Steve. It feels like surfacing from deep water to finish one of her stories - it's so easy to get immersed." -- anonymous

Below the cut, Paryton answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

Short answer: Because I love making Steve suffer and letting Eddie be his reward for being my chew toy 😂 (and vice versa tbh). In all seriousness though, I think it’s a lot of little things. It’s their role as rival babysitters, the way their archetypes as Freak and King imply a potential history and dynamic we never really get to see, and I love the juxtaposition of Steve as the stereotypical ‘normal one’ who’s been involved in monster shenanigans for actual years while Eddie is the ‘weird one’ who’s a fish out of water.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Anything with supernatural elements is going to get me to read it. The werewolf aus, the ghost aus, the spectacular demo-Steve aus. Also a sucker for a time travel au, this fandom has some great ones.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I love writing monster boys, particularly any variety of monster/creature Steve.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I have to pick one!?! Oh boy. Well, my most recent fav is In A Mirrored Room, Talking to Myself by entanglednow (https://archiveofourown.org/works/59155105). I swear that fic rewrote my brain, got me obsessed with haunted/monster houses for the entirety of October.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I have yet to write a fantasy au, and I have a few D&D style fantasy aus hanging out on the wip concept pile waiting for my attention. But my relationship with writing/reading fantasy is tenuous, so I’m nervous but excited to work my way around to tackling those.

What is your writing process like?

It varies! I have a template word doc that I put together way back whenever that’s pre-structured for setting up my outline, chapters etc., so that helps conquer the terror of facing a blank page, but beyond that who knows. At my most organised, I’ll usually start with a free write to jot down the broad strokes of my ideas, block in a chapter by chapter outline, and will try to start out writing it linearly. That rarely lasts though. I’m very prone to writing chapters/scenes out of order and jumping between fics in the process. Except for The Gemini Paradigm. I don’t know what happened with that fic. It had no outline, no freewrite, was written almost entirely linearly one POV at a time (I wrote all the Outside Perspective scenes, then the Steddie scenes, then the Ronance scenes), and then I proceeded to puzzle all of the scenes out of order until it achieved its ultimate non-linear glory. 🤷

Do you have any writing quirks?

Besides writing scenes wildly out of order (except for Gemini, but it’s an outlier and should not be counted), I’ve also been known to combat writer’s block by writing out scenes on my phone, in bed, when I should be sleeping. The worst culprit turned out to be a full 3,000 words for a fic that I still haven’t finished. It’ll see the light of day at some point.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I much prefer waiting to post until a work is already done. With that said, when it comes to my longer fics sometimes I make an exception to help get the creative juices flowing after being stuck alone in my own head for too long. That’s the case with both Empty Space and The Dog Next Door.

Which fic are you most proud of?

I am proud of all of my children… but Empty Space is my baby. It’s the fic that got me back into writing again. I wrote fic as a kid, but I really struggled with the awful guilt/shame feeling that I ran into whenever I fell behind on a project and found myself staring at an unfinished work and losing all drive to finish it. That’s a big reason why I much prefer waiting to post a work until it’s finished (or far enough in that my momentum feels solid). Empty Space was the project that finally made me commit. I was going to write it, I was going to finish it, and I did!

How did you get the idea for Chasing Ghosts?

Some friends made me watch Cowboy Bebop for the first time. It was meh, but the grungy space western aesthetic is absolutely my jam. And because my brain was already enthusiastically in Steddie mode, the broad concept for Chasing Ghosts came together. Plus, there aren’t nearly enough space/sci-fi steddie fics out there.

When writing Chasing Ghosts, what was something you didn’t expect?

Well, it wasn’t supposed to be a multi-chapter fic for one. But I think what was one of the most satisfying surprises in writing it was with the three monster hunts and the way the demogorgon ended up being foreshadowed. I didn’t know I was writing in a demogorgon hunt until the thing showed up and I realised I’d been hinting at it since chapter 1. Gotta love it when things just come together.

What inspired The Dog Next Door?

The AU for The Dog Next Door is an idea I’ve been sitting on since before Steddie, 2019 I think?, and is based on Tablestory’s Nocturne ttrpg live play, which is over on youtube. I’ve wanted to use this magic system and build on these ideas for a while, and it just came together that they fit nicely with Steddie as my apparent designated blorbos.  More broadly, fandom loves to talk about characters being golden retrievers or whatever. So, challenge accepted I guess. Doggy Steve is here 🐶

What was your favorite part to write from Lycantunnel?

The scene where Eddie first encounters the wolves in the tunnels. Where he’s cornered in the dark with only his cheap lighter to see by while Steve and the kids as fucked-up wolves step out of the dark. That was one of the scenes that first inspired the fic, and it was exactly as satisfying to write as I’d hoped it would be.

How do/did you feel writing The Gemini Paradigm?

Absolutely gobsmacked that it came together at all if I’m being honest. When you go in and write a story you don’t expect the last step to be deconstructing the story and then frankensteining it back together. And yet… It was a lot of fun though, and I’m proud of how it turned out. Jumping between outsider POVs is a tactic I really like for approaching unsettling horror, and it was really cool to explore characters I probably otherwise wouldn’t have thought to write. And seeing its final form after most of the writing was done in a very different structure was neat. Made for an interesting creative exercise.

What was the most difficult part of writing Empty Space?

That fic was so goddamn long. Its outline called for it to be even longer, actually; it was split into three acts instead of two. Partway through writing, once I’d already started posting, I realised my outline and what I was writing were diverging and I was gonna need to rewrite my outline or else my pacing was about to crumble. Nightmare. There’s actually about 20,000 words of the scrapped act 3 (which conceptually ended up being condensed into Chapter 23) that exist on a usb somewhere. Rip in pieces.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

Oh, so many. The Stobin locker room scene from The Gemini Paradigm is definitely one of my favourites. Eddie’s cemetery monologue from Empty Space comes to mind. As of writing this I haven’t posted it yet, but it’ll probably be out by the time you read this, so the house party from The Dog Next Door has some of my favourite horror imagery that i’ve written.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Well, as I’m writing this I have two fics currently being posted: The Dog Next Door and The Mermaid That Ate My Best Friend’s Boyfriend. I also have a sequel to Lycantunnel in the works that I’m hoping to have ready to post sometime in the spring (assuming the writing braincell cooperates).

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Big thanks to my nominator! ❤️🥰 And also to the steddieunderdogfics team for putting this together💖

Thank you to our author, @the-winged-doe, and our nominator! See more of Paryton's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[bugsbenefit]

Even leaving aside the rest of that ask about Karen, how are the show runners "glazing Cara" according to st twitter now lmao. I swear no one on there understands the concept of just liking the people you work with...

very good point. tbh 'glazing' really lost it's meaning. that's just the thing you say now about characters showing up in the show or marketing that you don't care about that much

but looking at how fandom treats certain characters it is kind of apparent how Karen isn't really seen as big of a deal as the show actually makes her in general. (at last in hyper invested fandom spaces. more regular viewers see her as much more of a main character) which i think causes a bit of dissonance when the show keeps promoting her. because if you think she's as unimportant of a side character as say, Dustin's mom, then you probably would think her constantly showing up on posters and bts footage is undeserved glazing

the thing is that Karen is actually kind of important. she's absolutely not a background character

you have the primary mains like Joyce, Hopper, the kids. more secondary mains that don't really have the hard hitting plot points of the show happen to them but are fleshed out and who the writers still take care writing like Steve, Robin etc. and then Karen falls in somewhere between a secondary and tertiary protagonist

she actually gets things to do each season. she has character arcs. from actually meeting and being suspicious of Brenner in s1, to her worry about Nancy in s3, the Billy situation, even s4 ends with her and Holly at the window looking out at the spores

actual side characters in the show, like Ted, the Sinclairs, Claudia Henderson, don't have any arcs to their characters. they're background decorum when their children (the actual protagonists) are home or need to talk to someone

but Karen falls much closer to actual protagonist status. which also explains why she's consistently featured in the marketing alongside the other mains

which is how the Byers and Wheelers turned into the two big families the show kind of revolves around to begin with. we know the most about them because almost all family members are protagonists in their own right. you have the kids Mike and Will, Nancy and Jonathan. and then the moms. the only difference being that Karen is kept in the dark about the UD plot and Joyce got thrown directly into it in s1 because it was her son that went missing

and the thing that people seem to get stuck on about Karen is that she's the only protag that doesn't explicitly know about the UD

which, honestly, makes her kind of interesting. especially with where they'll take that in s5, because she'll have to be confronted with what's been going on eventually. and what has been tormenting both her children for years. hell, she had such a close encounter with Billy in s3, she would have been in Heather's place that season hadn't Billy still had some semblance of control at that point. and she isn't even aware

Karen has been involved in the UD plot for seasons, there just wasn't any payoff to it yet because she doesn't know

Karen Wheeler, tight rope walker when it comes to getting as close as humanly possible to the supernatural plot without having to actually confront it

but it really boils down to, Karen is, and always has been an important character and the marketing has always reflected that

side note but what i've also seen cause a lot of the 'they're just needlessly glazing xyz' complaints is that sometimes it's just people being pissy their favourite characters aren't getting a singular spotlight on them. i've mainly seen it from solo El or Will stans (still exist in the year of the lord 2024) who don't care about the rest of the cast or plot outside of one character. so when Karen who, 'doesn't even know about the UD' gets so much s5 marketing that's hype that could have gone to someone more important in their minds. again, glazing entering the pantheon of words that lost all meaning on social media

[astheskycries]

Well friends… It’s time

It’s been… A long time since I’ve tried hopping back into things. Even a month ago I was so optimistic about writing and posting, and our little event days, and to be honest a lot of what was being posted were written several years ago that I’d been working on trying to expand on (with some exceptions, of course). Now that I’m back to needing ideas there are some things I want to do and change not just for myself, but for my oen creativity and for being able to write the stories I’ve been too self-conscious to tell because of my own insecurity.

There will still be a one shot or mini series to complete Johnny and Kitten’s story- to be determined by when I get the general plot drafted and expanded- and I fully intend to outline Steve and Maggie’s story post-Accepted as promised.

Since that’s my OCs handled, I want to kind of touch on something that’s been bugging me personally with my writing … I am no longer planning to write original characters for stories outside of Burn and the promised Protected updates. I’d already started and became invested in some series when I first got into Marvel from other fandoms, and now that I’m older I really want to be as inclusive as possible. I know as a very pale white woman I won’t have the same personal understanding as others, but I want my writing to be enjoyable for everyone and allow others to be able to imagine themselves in the stories.

I’m also limiting (to a point) RPF. I know some people have RPF to where it’s essentially a face claim for a character and therefore not really the actor, and that I’m absolutely fine with, but anything involving dating them as themselves makes me feel… icky. Like I invaded someone’s personal space. Of course the AUs are fine, but I’ll be writing for characters only. I think this will make things a bit easier and more private for everyone.

I hope you all understand and are as excited as I am to get some new content and explore some new ideas ❤️

[eskawrites]

I have seen a bit of discussion on the stobin codependency/the way fans talk abt their relationship and I wanted to know your opinion. I think you are one of the authors that always manages to write it best bc you show how dangerous it can be, the negative consequences of it and you don't reduce robin's character to steve's extension or their dynamic as the only thing ever.

You don't have to answer but I am curious abt your pov bc I really love the way you write the characters.

aw thank you anon! this is very kind and i will try to come up with a smart and thoughtful answer for you, although truth be told most of my thoughts on stobin are just me rambling in a word doc to myself until i have enough notes for a story lol

i guess the biggest thing for me is that, in fandom spaces (and i suppose in online spaces/younger communities in general maybe) codependency has come to mean a couple different things? there's codependent as in 'codependent besties, bonded pair, do not separate, they're platonic soulmates and their lives have been helplessly intertwined since time began' kind of thing, which is of course fun to see and read and write for characters. but there's also, like, the psychological concept of codependency, which often involves controlling behavior or enabling self-destruction like addiction and stuff (i should put a disclaimer here that i'm not by any means a psychological professional and all of this post is, of course, simply my perspective)

we all like viewing stobin as codependent besties because that's what they are in the show, and honestly who doesn't love a little trauma bonding? but the thing is, the line between codependent besties and actual, unhealthy codependent behavior can be really thin. i think it's interesting to write and read what happens when that line blurs and the dynamic shifts into something unhealthy (like in my celebrity fake dating au, where 'you're the only one who understands me' turns into 'i can't face life without you' turns into a very limited support system and simultaneous destructive spirals). however, i do think that online discussions and perspectives of steve and robin can sort of mimic that blurring of the line in some way, which then leads to fans viewing stobin's dynamic as the only thing ever, like you said. and honestly, if platonic stobin is the most important thing to you and it's all you ever want to write and talk about, then hey, you do you. have fun with it

as for not reducing robin to steve's extension, yeah. i think it's very often a combination of the above and the tendency for male characters get more attention both in canon and in fandom. i also click out of posts/fics/etc that do that. but then, i tend not to read anything that isn't centered on robin, nancy, or ronance in the first place lol. and to be completely fair, you could probably argue that i tend to reduce steve to robin's extension in my writing, because i am simply more interested in robin (and female characters in general), so that's what I end up prioritizing in my fic

[stackthedeck]

I fully recognize that being sad about losing my blorbos is not like a Real Problem, but I've decided that given the whole Sabra situation I can't in good conscience ever support Marvel again, and every day I remember another character that I'm never gonna get to see again and I get so sad. How are you dealing with it?

Okay fun answer that is like so deeply unserious but like i do think it is practical if you're like me and fandom has been your main hobby and identity for years. and then i'm putting the more political and upsetting answer under the cut because frankly they should be separate posts but I only got the one ask

I've been dealing with it but like forcing another hyper fixation lmao which you know doesn't work for everyone but like hey join me in booster gold and blue beetle brain rot!! It's super easy to not talk about marvel if all i want to talk about is other characters from dc and indie comics. I'm not buying marvel comics anymore because I've gotta save my money to buy the current blue beetle run. I can't post marvel fics right now, I'm working on boostle fics and I'm hoping that if I scream loud enough about them I'll have convinced enough people to read their comics and they'll have 1000 fics on ao3 by the end of the year

To some extent I still think about the characters in marvel that I hold dear, I'm still doing fandom for them through discord and continuing fics and i still reblog art on here. I do this because the cultural capital of those actions are negligible that the marvel brand and disney company really gaining nothing for it and i truly believe that all art needs to be discussed and thought about especially when the creator is problematic and like deeply involved in politics. I'm still thinking and talking about marvel because the space i gave it in my heart and brain never goes away and like quitting cold turkey this thing that's been in my life since i was 8 isn't super attainable. but I'm not doing these fandom behaviors on tiktok because it's a larger platform with no nuance, a younger demographic, and it's designed to sell you things. If I talk about marvel on that platform, aside from making people aware of the boycotts it is giving disney cultural capital and frankly it'll probably convince people to buy from the disney company. Still think deeply about these works because when we stop looking, we give ourselves permission to miss the actual messaging. when we say art has no value, we can't see it's values it portrays and we let too much shit slide.

I've found that the way i've distanced myself most from all my positive fandom feelings for marvel is through becoming more aware of the politics around comics. Getting really deep into the history of comics and the film making process of the mcu movies scratched a fandom itch in my brain, but most importantly I became so deeply and terribly aware of how the modern superhero genre has so deeply lost the plot. I gave a tedx speech about this on my campus and written a few papers about it but like Jack Kirby and Joe Simon made the character of Captain America to plead with their government to stop the oppression and genocide of their people in europe, they received death threats from nazis because they did that, despite the way people view the character as propaganda for the us military, steve rogers was first and foremost two men using fiction to beg for change and for their government to get involved to save lives. And now marvel studios is using the company they started to platform a character that represents the legitimacy of a settler state, marvel studios who is funded in part by the pentagon, who with every new movie results in increased enlistment in the military, is platforming a character that declares the right of israel to exist as it does now with the same tactics and symbols kirby and simon used to create a character that was made to stop genocide. It just makes me sick. It is a complete and total pervasion of who kirby and simon were and what they stood for. I respect their work too much to continue buying from marvel studios in any form and i can't stomach any of the new storylines the comics are telling because this isn't what comics are supposed to be

I think about this spider-man costume that was found in the rumble of a home in Gaza (link to original post) and i think about how these stories connect us, how there was a little boy who need to feel strong and powerful who wanted to be a hero and he was killed for the crime of being born Palestinian but he's no different than any other child i've loved in my life. and this multibillion dollar company funded his death, sanctioned the idea of it through the art they create, and my tax dollars fund every step of it. When I look at Spider-Man, a character who i grew up with, I can feel only grief and rage.

[eyes-of-mischief]

weekly fic recs | 58

fandoms: genshin, mcu, mdzs, svsss

genshin

emergency food by littolteapot

An exercise in mortality and all that it involves...including hunger. [Traveler Lumine]

Resonance by LunaChai

To resonate is to join as one, to see, to understand, breathes the hollow echo of stone and mountain in her ear, the last sigh of an eternal dragon. Do you realize what you are trifling with, little god?

or; Lumine, Zhongli, and a connection beyond.

Alles Gute by Princeliest

(explicit)

Venti gives Xiao his birthday present. It doesn't turn out much different from usual in the end, but they both certainly enjoy it anyways. Why mess with what works?

Or: It's Xiao's birthday, and he doesn't even get to come.

mcu

A Partial Dictionary Of The 21st Century By Captain Steve Rogers, US Army by copperbadge

(explicit)

Steve is adapting well to the new millennium, and he has the dictionary to prove it.

A Fire to be Kindled by drifloon 

It makes perfect sense, of course. The serum gave Steve the perfect body, so why wouldn’t it also give him the perfect mind? In the quietness of his own mind, Tony can admit he’s a little stung Steve didn’t tell him, but he’s not really surprised.

(Or: the one where Steve is smarter than Tony, and neither of them deal well.)

Collateral by InsaneTrollLogic

(mature)

After the snap, it rains people.

mdzs

watching my heart go round by typefortydeductions

(explicit)

Lan Zhan falls apart. As it turns out, that's not the end.

if for each bit of gladness by millepertuis

The dream is reluctant to let go of him, a strange double vision of the closed door lingering. His knees hurt, from kneeling in the snow. Wei Wuxian has not knelt in the snow in years and years. His teeth are chattering, even though he was hot enough to kick off the cover in the night, even though his husband is still there around him to keep him warm. He was waiting for something.

in the blossom season (in the pouring rain) by varnes 

(mature)

“A-Yuan,” he says, carefully, “did—did you make the flowers grow like this?”

A-Yuan shakes his head in exasperation. “Baba, I said. Doctor Flowers did it.”

“Doctor Flowers,” Lan Zhan repeats, pointing at the tiny plum tree, just to confirm that his son is suggesting a magical tree named Doctor Flowers sprouted overnight and made their tame family project turn into a verdant jungle.   A-Yuan nods. “Doctor Flowers,” he confirms. “He’s funny! I like him.”

-

A mysterious garden blooms on Lan Zhan's rooftop. His internet forum pen pal gives great gardening advice but never seems to sleep. The man who works at the florist, who keeps reviving the plants that Lan Zhan can't seem to keep alive, has a beautiful smile.

These things are related.

svsss

this point of pale light by Tossawary

(mature)

A Science Fiction / Space Opera AU.

Peak Master Shen Qingqiu holds his past and his present separate, and his secrets close to his chest, but his worlds collide when his past comes back to haunt him. He finds himself unwillingly brought back to a moon he thought that he'd left behind forever a long time ago, in a part of the galaxy far, far away from anyone who might come for him.

We Are Not Wise by Boomchick, Suzoomie

When Shen Qingqiu drew Shen Yuan’s soul sword, it felt like being burned from the inside out. The fire wasn’t cruel, but it was still fire—hot and destructive, searing the softest pieces of him.

When Binghe’s fingers touch the hilt, he is ready for pain.

-

Transmigrated into a version of Proud Immortal Demon Way where cultivators manifest their own souls into spiritual weapons, Shen Yuan finds himself sort of kind of…accidentally blackmailing Shen Qingqiu into taking him on as a disciple before Luo Binghe joins the sect.

That should give Shen Yuan plenty of opportunities to make sure nothing goes wrong for his favorite protagonist, right? RIGHT!?

A story of twists, turns, hope, despair, and soul swords. Written for the Bingqiu Reverse Minibang 2023, illustrated and conceptualized by the incredible Suzu!

Cold Hands, Warm Heart by Zizzani

“If the body can’t warm up, then things get uh, b-bad?”

Mobei-jun cuts him a look that’s made for slaughter. “What does that mean?”

“A-ah, it’s called hypothermia, my king.”

“And you die once it happens.”

Again, not a question. “You can.” When Mobei-jun makes an absolutely terrifying face, Shang Qinghua hastens to add, “But not instantly! Y-you can actually recover from it, if the hypothermia doesn’t progress too far.”

“How far?” Mobei-jun growls.

“There are f-f-f-five stages,” Shang Qinghua shivers out, lips numb. “The fifth stage is death.”

-

Shang Qinghua and Mobei-jun have their spiritual powers sealed before getting dumped in a white-out snowstorm. Mobei-jun quickly learns that humans are far more susceptible to the cold than he thought.

[fandom-wordsmith]

General Fandom Terminology

Do you want to be more involved in fandom, but you don’t know all the crazy words fandoms use? Below is a collection of common fandom terms and their definitions. 

Fandom - The collective fans of a piece of media (including TV shows, movies, books, comics, video games, etc.).

Fanfiction/fanfic/fic - a fictional work created for free by fans of an existing media about the characters &/or world of that media.

AO3 (An Archive Of Our Own) - a website that acts as an archive for fanfiction, run by the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of fanworks and fan culture. As an archive, AO3 is not a social media platform, and it does not have an algorithm. Instead, it has a complex search engine that allows users to filter fics based on fandoms, characters, relationships, ratings, warnings, and other tags.

Zine - an amateur-created magazine. In fandom spaces, zines contain fan content like fanfiction or fanart that is made by and for fans of a particular fandom. 

Canon - a term adopted by fandom to mean the events and elements of the original media or text, exactly as they were published. 

Headcanon - an idea that a fan imagines to be true despite not being supported by evidence from the original media. 

Fanon - ideas introduced by the fandom that are not part of the original media but that are canon-compliant and widely treated as canon by members of the fandom community. An idea becomes fanon based on its longevity in the fandom. 

Blorbo (originally “Blorbo from my shows”) - your favorite character. The term comes from a tumblr post complaining about people constantly tagging their favorite characters on unrelated content. 

Poor little meow meow - a miserable, pathetic, problematic character, used as a term of endearment. 

Cinnamon Roll - a sweet, kindhearted character. The term comes from a 2014 article title from The Onion: “Beautiful Cinnamon Roll Too Good For This World, Too Pure.”

Shipping - a variation on the word “relationship,” this is the act of thinking that two characters would be good together in a romantic relationship and wanting them to get together.  

Ship - a desired relationship between two characters. 

Ship name - a portmanteau combination of the names of two characters in a ship. This could be first or last names, aliases, or occasionally a descriptive word/phrase. Examples of ship names are “Steddie” (Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson from “Stranger Things”), “Sleeping Warrior” (Aurora/Mulan in “Once Upon A Time”), and “Ineffable Husbands” (Aziraphale/Crowley from “Good Omens”).

Slash - a fanfiction in which characters of the same sex are in a romantic or sexual relationship. Slash often refers to two men, while femslash refers to two women. The term comes from the backslash symbol used to tag two characters as being in a romantic or sexual relationship, as in [Character 1]/[Character 2].

Anti - a person who is vocally against a particular ship and harasses people who create content for that ship. (Don’t do this.)

OTP (one true pairing) - your favorite ship. 

OT3 - your favorite polyamorous ship. If the polyamorous ship contains more than three characters, OT4, OT5, etc. are used. 

NOTP - pronounced “no-T-P,” this is a pairing or ship that you personally dislike. 

Plot armor - a character is said to have plot armor when they are too important to the story to die. 

DLDR (Don’t Like, Don’t Read) - a general piece of fandom advice that if you don’t like the content described in the tags, don’t read the fic, and especially don’t complain to the author that you don’t like the tagged material.

SALS (Ship And Let Ship) - A fandom rule that says not to harass people who like ships that you don’t like. 

YKINMKATO [Your Kink Is Not My Kink (And That’s Ok)] - A fandom rule that says not to dissuade or harass people who create kink content, or content more generally, that you don’t like. Sometimes referred to as “kinktomato” because of how the acronym looks. 

Beta reader - a proofreader or editor of a fanfic who is not the author of the fic.

If you want to learn more, fanlore.org is a great place to start! 

[emmalostinwonderland]

I can't believe this year is already just about over... 2023 has been huge for me in terms of fandom and in real life spaces. This was my first full year publicly out as queer, and it felt at times like the rest of the world was kinda celebrating with me. I made so many new fandom friends and got a lot more involved with the things I'm passionate about. I joined 5 fandom discord servers, beta'd more than a few fics, cheer-read a few others, and participated in 4 fanfiction events. I spent most of the year whining about how I can't get any writing done, but apparently I wrote and posted more fics this year than in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined! I wrote nearly 50,000 words this year. Thank you to everyone who supported me, encouraged me, laughed and cried with me, or spent time with me in any capacity. I cherish you all.

Anyway, now for the part people actually want lol- here are the 6 fics I published in 2023:

Embers Barely Showing (Proof of Life in the Shadows)

Pairing: Steve/Bucky Rated: M Word Count: <1k Summary: Steve freezes in the doorway. He makes himself breath slowly and deeply, and he takes a moment to get his heart rate back to normal before addressing the man holding a gun to his temple. “Buck, it’s me." // Steve comes home while Bucky is having a dissociative episode.

Judged By The Cover (collab w/ @louikazooie)

Pairing: Steve/Bucky Rated: E Word Count: 32k Summary: Bucky Barnes, award-winning romance novelist, is dismayed to learn that his publisher is sending him on a book tour with Steve Rogers, a fantasy author who recently topped the NY Times Bestseller list for his first and only romance novel and Bucky’s personal authorial adversary. As they’re sent off to spend several months touring 50 US cities together, they’ll attempt to overcome their differences and leave the past behind them… maybe they’ll even find love.

The Hazards of Falling in Love (Rescue Me)

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rated: T Word Count: 4k Summary: “So that’s your name?” Rogers hasn't looked away from him once. His eyes are a piercing blue, and Tony barely manages to keep from squirming under his gaze. “Yeah. Or Telecommunications Operator Stark, if we’re getting technical about it.” “Are we?” Tony tilts his head slightly. “Depends. Can I call you Steve?” The man grins. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Tony.” // Tony Stark doesn't date firemen. But he'll make an exception for Battalion Chief Steve Rogers.

Promises, Promises

Pairing: FirstPrince Rated: E Word Count: 1k Summary: “Works for me. Let me get undress-” Henry stops him with a hand over his. “Slow down, love. I’m going to make you listen to me for once.” “Oh my god,” Alex whispers, seemingly unintentionally. // Alex breaks his promise of a work-free trip. Henry gives him just what he deserves.

Should History Forget Us

Pairing: Steve/Bucky/Tony Rated: E Word Count: est 15k (WIP) Summary: War is over for the kingdom of Starkholde, and King Anthony's knights have returned home at long last. With peacetime comes many changes... as well as its own dangers. Through joy, through pain, through fear, through love- Steve, Bucky, and Tony must navigate the shifting tides together and make their mark on history.

StarDads Secret Santa 2023

Pairing: Din/Luke **This fic is part of a gift exchange and creator reveals are not until after the new year. I'll post the link to my fic once it's available, but for now, the whole collection is linked here.

[milkwithginseng]

FAM s4 Ask meme

Okay so I found this ask meme from @tiltedsyllogism through @reginaldbright and I wanted to give this is a go, by way of introduction as I've not really gotten involved in the FAM fandom until now.

non-main cast character you're hoping will return: Will Tyler, give me more Will Tyler. He the sweetest little guy in this show.

ongoing plot line you're most excited/anxious about: I would've said Margo's anyway, because we know so little about the Soviet Union, it like we're being throw in at the deep end.

characters you’re hoping will finally interact: Will and Ellen. Don't how that would work in the show, maybe Will could have a photo of Ellen giving him the Medal of Freedom in his home. But I need some nice queer solidarity in this show.

these two characters better get to interact again, or I will punch a wall: I've said it already but Margo and Ellen, with Molly they were such a good trio in season 2.

character you're still mourning: It's always gonna be Molly Cobb 😭

fashion/design element from the late 90s/early 00s that you're hoping to see: I need the low-rise jeans, the crop tops, the Burberry caps. Fewer space disasters more fashion disasters.

song from the late 90s/early 00s you're most hoping to hear: We've already had our first Gorillaz needle drop so that's already made my day.

But I think there's also potential for a Margo/Sergei reunion set to The Scientist/Fix You by Coldplay that would emotionally break me further at some point.

Also depending how far we get into the noughties, Starlight by Muse would be perfect.

awesome new tech you anticipate: Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone 5 years early but it's a commercial flop because it's just a phone and iPod but without internet.

your best guess about something that's in the newsreel: I was also expecting a Princess Di lives moment but I guess that topic was a bit too sensitive for Apple, not for Netflix though it seems.

Something that probably won't be in the newsreel, but it would be amazing if it were: JK Rowling never got published and Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series becomes the biggest book phenomenon of the 2000s.

Given it's pre-s4 questions I imagine most of you have already done it, but if like me you hadn't then feel free :)

[mthofferings2023]

oper_1895

See oper_1895’s existing works here.

Preferred contact methods: Email: oper.1895@gmail.com Tumblr: oper1895 Dreamwidth: oper-1895

Preferred organizations: - Anything from the list of approved organizations

Will create works that contain: team as family, slice of life, hurt/comfort, polyamourous relationships, queer platonic/ace-spec relationships, sexual and/or non-sexual kink (from playful kink to heavy scenes), smut, bdsm, pwp

Will not create works that contain: non-consent (consensual non-consent and certain types of dub-con are fine), scat, age play, angst, breakups, reader insert fics

  -- Fic or Other Writing --

Auction ID: 1066

Will create works for the following relationships: Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers - MCU Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton - MCU Clint Barton/Phil Coulson - MCU Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov - MCU Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson - MCU James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov & Sam Wilson - MCU

Work Description: I’m offering classic 100 word drabbles. They can be combined into a longer fic, or completely separate (see Synthesis for an example of a fic made of drabbles: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41980641) Every $5 gets you a drabble and every $20 you have the option of getting a drabble by mail! You can choose if you want a fannish card/postcard or something related to the drabble (I’m not an artist, these will be purchased cards). You can choose to get your drabbles all at once, or scattered throughout 1 year as little treats. This may be handwritten or printed, depending on how much space I have (I want to make sure it’s legible and my handwriting is not necessarily pretty). I’ll pay for postage/postcards for up to 5 mailed items. If this goes over $100 we can discuss options and on the off chance it gets farther than that, I’m capping the official number of drabbles at 30. There’s a good chance you’ll get more, but I want to keep my promises manageable. You can be as involved as you’d like in the process, I will write most kinks and am better with kink than vanilla sex. Consider the pairing list a non-exclusive list of mix and match options. Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions.

Ratings: Gen, Teen, Mature, Explicit

Can pods bid on this auction? Yes - Podbids welcome!

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS WORK

-- Fic or Other Writing --

Auction ID: 2037

Will create works for the following relationships: Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers - MCU Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton - MCU Clint Barton/Phil Coulson - MCU Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson - MCU

Work Description: This auction is for at least 2K of fic. Depending on the prompt it might be longer, but I do tend towards shorter works. You can be as involved as you’d like in the process. I will write most kinks and am better with kink than vanilla sex. Consider the pairing list a non-exclusive list of mix and match options. Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions or if you want to confirm something specific before bidding.

Ratings: Gen, Teen, Mature, Explicit

Can pods bid on this auction? Yes - Podbids welcome!

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS WORK

-- Craft or Merchandise --

Auction ID: 3014

Will create works for the following relationships: Avengers fandom any gen and ship - Any Universe Captain America fandom any gen and ship - Any Universe

Work Description: This is an auction for custom table linens. The photos are examples of basic patterns and I know Avengers fandom best, but I'm open to other characters if you have the ideas. You can mix and match as much as you like or we can talk about other ideas. The values below are per item and you are welcome to pick what you want within the value of your winning bid. For example, if you win at $80 you can choose to have 4 placemats or 2 placemats and 8 napkins. Available colours are whatever I can find at the well-stocked local fabric stores. I’ll typically be working with cotton for ease of care, but if there’s something specific you have in mind that needs another fabric we can discuss. I can also make things with any Marvel themed fabric that is available to me (Examples attached, dependent on accessible inventory). Item costs: - $5 gets a single layer, single colour cotton napkin. - $20 gets a placemat with basic patterns (primarily rectangles). - If the auction goes over $100, a $50 table runner option is unlocked (approx 24 inches wide. Length and design are flexible but in general but the longer it is the less detailed it will be. Please contact me in advance if you have specific ideas/dimensions). - If the auction goes over $200, there’s the option for more complex patterns (eg, shapes that aren’t rectangles or large triangles), double sided napkins and fabric coasters ($5). I’m setting the cap at 8 place settings plus 1 table runner, but if you’re desperate for more we can chat about balancing complexity vs volume. These will be made in a non-smoking, pet-free home. Winner pays shipping from Canada. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Ratings: Gen, Teen

Can pods bid on this auction? Yes - Podbids welcome!

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS WORK

The auction runs from October 22 (12 AM ET) to October 28 (11:59:59 PM ET). Visit marveltrumpshate.com during Auction Week to view all of our auctions and to place your bids!

[cinematicnomad]

🥤🥐❄️ for the asks thing?

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love oh anon i wish i knew what fandom you were in! i'd give you a rec that way. but if not, let's give a rec for a favorite new random fic i read last week from the ???? stranger things fandom ??? that as soon as i finished it i reopened in a new tab so that i could re-read it at some point in the future. here you go:

vignettes of lost connections by hardlyhalcyon (halcyonfrost) (50/50 | 229k+ | Ex) steddie; pre-s4 canon divergent; alternating POV; enemies to friends to lovers; fix it

steve harrington and eddie munson had met long before dustin henderson dragged steve down to reefer rick's cabin. hawkins wasn't a huge town, and there was only the one high school, but the two were never friends. didn't even like each other. in all their darkest moments however, they somehow found company together. or the one where steve has depression, eddie becomes his safe space, and when eddie encounters battles he can't fight, steve reminds eddie of his own strength. a pre-/peri-/post-s4 fic with steddie before S4 events, continuing through and after.

🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh  "and they were roommates!" "oh my god, they were roommates."

❄️ ⇢ what’s your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best? oh ok so here's a thing: there's a popular 911 fandom headcanon that is often in fics involving the 118 having ongoing bets about buck and eddie getting together. and i HATE it. so like, dream fic would be where buck and eddie are on the precipice of getting together, somehow find out about that bet, and it mortifies eddie so much to feel so perceived by his friends and to know they're all talking about him and his life that it basically sends him skittering back into the closet and totally derails him and buck. and then the fic basically goes into all the angst that entails and it's a lengthy slow burn as they slowly work their way back to each other. who would write it best?? probably @woodchoc-magnum, i've definitely told her about this idea before haha

writers truth & dare ask game

[stranger-rants]

You are right about people sabotaging their own characters and ships. I honestly don't understand ship wars, to me is just a bunch of people bullying each other online over what they like/dislike and that is idiotic because we commonly use these spaces to have fun and find people who like the same things we do and maybe become friends with those people. I don't get why people love ruining other people's fun to the point they make others so angry to start fighting back or leave the fandom entirely. When it comes to Steve Harrington, my favorite character, I love almost all ships people have for him: Harringrove (my favorite ship), Stancy (yeah, I'm okay, dw about me), Stonathan (which now holds a dear place in my heart) , Stommy... And I'm capable of understanding the "illegal" ones such as Steve and Max (when they are both in their 20's and it is mostly AU) and Stobin (AU's) and many more. I have tried liking Steddie, I really have and I really want to meet the cool people you say are fed-up of the bullying extreme Steddie and Eddie fans cause... But god it is difficult to like something that has caused too much harm and it sucks these people cannot see what they are doing. Lmao, I feel like that girl from the Mean Girls movie who want to bake cookies and cakes and have peace all around haha

I understand ship wars to an extent. I just don’t love the dishonesty of it nowadays. When I was a teenager, ship wars were primarily a war over preferences that was usually hyped up by the creators of a series to increase interest and revenue. We knew this. While people took it seriously, there was always this underlying understanding that this is all just a part of fandom. This isn’t to say people didn’t take it too far or that there was no bullying involved. This isn’t a “those were the good old days” response. It was just more honest about its absurdity.

Now, you have people writing shipping meta as to why one ship is not only morally superior to another but trying to convince people that shipping is a form of activism. I am not talking about ships that are controversial because they inherently contain disturbing elements. It could be as simple as two relatively “normal” ships being pit against each other with one side arguing that a singular moment of conflict between characters in one ship deems the whole thing too toxic and unhealthy for audiences to support them.

*cough**cough*The Steddie vs. Harringrove ship war that boils down to differences in respectability*cough**cough*

Just be honest is all I ask. Like, you shouldn’t be out here inventing reasons why supporting one ship over another is a matter of social justice. It’s not. You preference something very strongly. You hate the competition. You whine about it. You find shallow reasons to hate the competition. You put up the get off my lawn signs. Then you think for some reason that you need a deeper reason to justify your hate so you Google queer theory and use all the Right Words to convince people shippers of x, y, or z are destroying the fabric of society.

(Not you personally, anon. This is the proverbial “you.”)

LMAO okay. Please be serious…

[always-ian]

get to know me - fandom edition

i was tagged by the lovely @look-i-love-u, thank you, vey, for tagging me! 🥰

your name: emma

your age: 25

your first fandom(s): one direction

your current fandom(s): mcu (captain america), shameless, f1, i also read some hp fic but am not involved with the fandom at all

how did you first get into fandom? i took a quotev quiz that gave you a mini fanfic as the result, then i just searched for more and more content, that's how i found tumblr

how long have you been engaging with fandom spaces? around 10 years

how often do you read fanfics? nearly every day

top 3 characters from your current fandom(s): ian gallagher, steve rogers, max verstappen (not a character haha)

have you ever written a fic for a fandom? if so, shout it out! yes, i wrote really cringy wattpad fics which have been deleted and more recently football and kpop rpf which i have also deleted bc i'm not 100% comfortable with rpf any more, so sadly nothing to link

have you ever drawn fanart for a fandom? i can't draw lol

share a personal headcanon that you feel very strongly about: bucky barnes is gay!!!

you’re trying to convince a friend to get into your current fandom(s) with you. what episode, clip, or scene are you showing them? i'd probably just talk their ear off until they have no other choice but to relent

and finally, what does fandom mean to you? my distraction from everyday life that keeps me sane

I'm tagging: @ian-galagher, @creepkinginc, @stocious, @flower-wielder, @helplesslesbianromatic, @sweetbee78, @tanktopgallavich, @depressedstressedlemonzest

[lucassinclaer-archive]

16, 22, 24, 25 for the ask game :)

hoooo boy tysm rae!! okayyy, let's see

16. you can’t understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc) can't understand is harsh, because i do understand, i just don't concur. in my very personal opinion, steve isn't a parent figure, but an older brother figure and the mom steve thing isn't something i see.

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores i was just thinking about this yesterday!! erica and d&d! idk if it's my very favorite, but it's very dear to me. like, we're introduced to d&d through the typical nerd lense, male and majority white (i also have lucas d&d feelings, but yeah) but then erica, who's into my little pony (another thing i find PRECIOUS, btw, she really is just a kid,) gets into d&d and she takes it so seriously and i'm sure it provides her with that escapism and i just adore it so much.

i don't think this was executed on well (the usual issue with the treatment of poc in the show), but the potential of it is really dear to me!! and god, the fact that it also serves as a connector for lucas and erica. my kids!

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse billy. i don't actually begrudge people talking about this, tbh. i think there's a valuable conversation to be had about making one of the villains of the show an abuse victim and if that was a wise choice & i don't think they utilized the storylines he was involved in enough/well (lucas and max both dealing with the fallout of s2, for example, would have been something i think could've been included very nicely while still keeping it plot-relevant.)

however, i feel like social media & fandom (esp. such a big one) is just not a great platform for this. those who like billy are so on the defensive & deal only in certainties and idt that gives anyone a good foundation for a conversation. on a topic like this (fiction/something that was meant to be a specific narrative/a thing that doesn't infringe on actual rights) you can try to persuade people, but you're not entitled to them being persuaded is my opinion and that's not something i've experienced on that side of the fandom, personally.

25. common fandom complaint that you’re sick of hearing mmmmh. this is not in any way meant to be a plead for people to stop, per se, bc - again - i think fandom is a polarizing experience and i don't wanna take away the venting from people and posts can't possible encompass someone's entire point of view, but i'm a little bit saddened by el & mike negativity on the side of the fandom i'm on - and i don't mean that i think their romantic relationship is something i want to carry on or that homophobia isn't a very real thing in this space. i just enjoy their dynamic as a teenage love/true connection bc they care about one another so much and they have such cute moments to me... so seeing such a wealth of picking apart their non-compatibility, which is part of what i like about the dynamic, is sometimes a lot.

choose violence ask game