#also tried to get a wide range of fandoms going!

[welcometololaland]

Weekend WIP Game

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more). (There are also questions for artists/GIF creators below).

For Writers

1. WIP List:

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

For Artists (I'm not sure if this will work for GIF makers, but I'd love if it did!)

1. WIP List:

2. Which WIP is your most complex?

3. Do any of your WIPs involve you using a technique/style that you haven't used before? What inspired you to try it?

4. Which WIP do you expect will take you the longest?

5. Which WIP are you finding the most enjoyable to create?

6. Do you have a favourite character to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

7. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of creator's block?

9. Do any of your WIPs contain characters outside the main ship? How are you finding creating those?

10. What emotions are you hoping to convey through your WIPs?

11. Are there any features/details you are finding challenging in your WIPs?

12. Which WIP has the most complex shading/colouring?

13. Which WIP has the most complex background?

14. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for?

15. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

16. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other art doesn't?

17. Are any of your WIPs commissions?

18. Do you have a character that is more difficult to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

19. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

A HUGE OPEN TAG SINCE THIS IS LITERALLY THE FIRST TIME THIS GAME IS POSTED PLUS: @daisymae-12 @clottedcreamfudge @indomitable-love @iboatedhere @everwitch-magiks @inexplicablymine @celeritas2997 @kiwiana-writes @cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @beautifulhigh @dumbpeachjuice @athousandrooms @villiageidiot @the-amber-fox @stereopticons @apothecarose @hippolotamus @jesuisici33 @statueinthestone @ramonaflow @lilythesilly @nontoxic-writes @fuckingyrs @orchidscript @rmd-writes @nelsonnicholas @fitzherbertssmolder @thisbuildinghasfeelings @strandnreyes @lemonlyman-dotcom @carlos-in-glasses @three-drink-amy @birdclowns @wandering-night19 @heartstringsduet @inflarescent @tintagel-or-cockleshells @alrightbuckaroo @carlos-tk @freneticfloetry @lightningboltreader @reyesstrand @goodways

[reallyromealone]

Title: Tokyo host club

Chapter: 7

Fandom: Tokyo revengers x ohshc

Genre: fluff

Warnings: omegaverse, snarky reader, filler chapter, male reader

Notes: just a filler chapter so I can push towards the plot chapter, I need some passage of time ykyk

Summary: reader living his life while host club nonsense happens in the background

🌜🌛🌜🌛🌜🌛🌜🌛🌜🌛🌜🌛🌜🌛🌜🌛🌜🌛

(Name) Watched his grandpa stand infront of the entrance when mitsukuni came by, dressed nicely but not overly so and held luxury sweets and cakes for them all to enjoy. Grandpa Sano didn't care about wealth or things like that, sure it was a nice bonus for his grandson but he wanted to know that the Omega would be cared for and loved unconditionally.

Mitsukuni bowed deeply to the patriarch of the family "it's an honor to meet you, Mr. Sano" his words formal but kind and (name) almost giggled at the display, so strange from the others typically bubbly attitude. "Stand up kid, none of that" his words kind but straight forward as he walked into the house, mitsukuni glancing at (name) who made no attempts to act not thrilled to have the Alpha close and wandered towards him.

The three sat in the sitting area, the sliding door into the backyard open and the late spring/early summer breeze feeling nice as wind chimes rang "so what ya say your last name was?" The old man poured the three tea, smacking (name)s hand gently when he tried to do it with a soft 'i got it kid' and instead handed the Omega a cake Slice with a pointed stare "Mikey ain't here to steal your snacks"

"My last name is Haninozuka, mitsukuni Haninozuka" the blond said with a sweet smile and the elderly alpha paused "is your dad by chance Yorihisa?" His words curious and the young alpha nodded with a bit of confusion "I beat his ass in a tournament!" The alpha cackled "I remember seeing you when you were just a little guy, no older than a few months around his last times doing tournaments... What a small world"

"You and my dad competed together? That's so cool!" The young alpha seemed fascinated "and now his sons mates to my grandkid... So you gonna take over your family business?"

"Yes sir, after university and if with your blessings after our wedding"

-

(Name) Didn't mind accompanying haruhi to get coffee for the host club, his own club cancelling club activities for the day to go home so (name) was gonna help haruhi out before he left and carried a bag of coffee while she carried the other.

And really it was going fine until haruhi and him slipped over tossed aside food and a lesbian caught them.

'oh she's just down bad, isn't she' (name) thought while they were dragged off to the host club, the alpha woman talking about love and stuff "and to think, two Omega women forced to be here!"

"Actually--" both haruhi and (name) tried to explain that she was incorrect for the both of them and second (name) was trying to remember the fact he couldn't throw down with girls, alpha or not.

The girl kept talking about something about protecting them and (name) kind of dissociated when two girls came out and began fawning over them, the Omega having enough and dislodging himself and haruhi from the two "please don't touch me, thank you" (name) grumbled and the girls looked confused "also I'm an Omega yes but I'm not a girl, I know omegas can be pretty androgynous sometimes but rest assure, that is the social construct I chose" and with that he tried to wander off but a hand grabbed his wrist and Mitsukuni looked at him from inside the host club, the doors wide open and saw a look in the omegas eyes.

"A male Omega? I don't think I have ever met such a creature and to think you're trapped here with these swine!" The blond girl said with pity and (name) glared at her "I don't understand why alphas keep thinking that I'm some damsel in distress, I'm perfectly capable of handling myself" (name) hissed and looked at his mate "I'm going home, I'll text you later"

"See ya later, sweety!"

-

(Name) Was sitting at S.S motors while his brothers worked on their bikes, texting away to his mate about apparently haruhi getting taken to lobelia and and the Alpha sent him a picture of himself and the others in dresses and wigs in a weird attempt to get haruhi to stay... And it may or may not have become his wallpaper.

"(Name), pass me the wrench" Izana commanded his brother who did so wordlessly and Kakucho raised an eyebrow at the Omega "you still seeing that alpha?" He asked the other who nodded "yup" his words sweet and simple "Rindō cried like a bitch when he found out (name) was taken, not like he had a chance" Izana mumbled and (name) ruffled his older brothers hair "I don't date gangsters, sorry" (name) shrugged and Izana smiled "good boy" and grunted when (name) kicked him.

"Oh did you hear that? That's half of the gangsters in Tokyos hearts breaking" Shinichiro teased from across the space and (name) snickered "that boy you're with, he seems nice" the eldest said and wakasa hummed "he already asked for Gramps blessing and mine" Shinichiro said casually and (name) looked up "and what did you say?"

"I said yes and then told him If he ever hurt you I would break his spine" "with what muscles?" Benkei howled out when walking into the garage "oh shaddap!" The near thirty year old grumbled and (name) seemed happy with the Alpha "you said yes?" "Don't get all mushy but yeah, I did"

(Name) Couldn't control his pharamones, pure and raw happiness flooding from him and the eldest sighed and opened his arm "come here brat" and (name) ran towards him, wrapping his arms around his big brother and there was no teasing this time towards the Omega who was feeling many emotions at the moment. They knew his feels were amplified towards Mitsukuni due to the bond but they also know the Alpha had made active attempts to prove himself.

And they respected that.

And he was a good guy, a respectable alpha and frankly Shinichiro and Izana were just happy he didn't date someone they knew.

(Name) Could frankly do better.

And Shinichiro didn't like how that kisaki fucker oggled (name).

Along with that haitani fuck Izana was friends with.

That Haninozuka kid would have (name) back by 10.

Those fuckers would turn (name) into a hooligan.

Shinichiro hugged his brother for a little longer, he remembered when (name) was just a little pup, holding his hand and so shy but god so smart.

He wish he could have sheltered him from now shit their dad was.

But now (name) had opportunities that he wasn't given and was almost an adult...

"Shin are you crying?"

"Shut up..."

-

(Name) Knew his brothers had toman spies follow him, he just wished it wasn't so blatant sometimes.

"Sanzu I'm older than you" (name) looked at the other who rolled his eyes "this is my directive" he grumbled and (name) sighed "well, I have a tutoring session so you're coming with me"

"You still do those?"

"It's easy side cash, I just need you to not make snarky ass remarks to my clients"

"I make no promises"

"I'll give you ten percent of this session to shut up"

"Fine."

-

And that's how he ended up in the black magic club presidents house with nekozawa himself, helping him with English "English is an annoying language, I get it" (name) said simply and helped him with sentence structuring, the Alpha looking frustrated at the papers "also this is the wrong one it's "t-h-e-i-r not t-h-e-r-e"

Sanzu sat silently and watched on and checked his split ends in boredom while (name) taught the goth guy English, Snazu didn't partially care but kept his side of the bargain.

"This is incredibly confusing!" Nekozawa cried a bit and the Omega pat his back "youre almost done" he promised and the Alpha groaned before continuing, the Omega watching him work and helping when needed.

"(Name)! We're here to save you!" Tamaki cried out and the host club barreled in but Mitsukuni didn't even look phased, just happy to see his mate as he knew damn well what the Omega was doing, (name) letting him know when he's hanging out with an alpha that the other wasn't familiar with or wasn't close family (ex: toman). Sanzu got serious, ready for a fight before (name) spoke up "If you're not here for tutoring, please leave you're distracting and being loud" (name) said bluntly and Tamaki looked stunned "huh?"

'oh it's useless crap' sanzu thought and returned to not caring too much, his kings brother was fine.

But he didn't miss the suspicion in the short blonds eyes.

Thankfully (name) made sanzu dress casually.

"I am helping him with his work, unless you guys are willing to give me money to tutor you in classes, I don't you guys taking away from his time!"

"Ok! Bye (nickname)!" Mitsukuni respected his mates grind, not even wanting to be there honestly as he knew (name) was helping nekozawa. He knew he could give (name) money and stuff but he didn't want (name) to feel like he needed mitsukuni for money or feel dependant.

"Now, can I please return to what I was doing?"

(Name) Eventually shuffled the host club put and kissed his mate goodbye before returning to nekozawa "don't worry that will not be charged to this session, apologies for their behaviour"

"That's quite alright, young Sano" nekozawa said softly before they returned to their studies.

"Goodness..."

[prettyoddfever]

the "Ryho" mindset is still happening

I didn’t like how part of the fandom treated Ryan during the pre-split years. This might end up being a lengthy explanation but bear with me because it’s relevant to the modern fandom.

So it was a well-known fact in 2006 that Ryan was straightedge/sober (Spencer was too, but he got less attention from the media). Being straightedge kind of became part of Ryan’s image (here’s a random example) and a lot of fans really connected with that. Then Ryan got drunk for the first time at the end of 2006, and we started seeing pictures of him partying with friends in early 2007 before the band even went to the cabin. 

By summer 2007 Ryan was like a completely different person. I get that the drugs & alcohol probably helped him become more outgoing, but I also think he was just becoming way more confident & comfortable as he grew up. And SO many fans seriously hated the change. Fans still randomly criticized the other 3 guys, but that stuff seemed more like the regular small complaints that happen just for the sake of complaining when people are bored (ex: Jon’s beard existing or vanishing). The stuff about Ryan was very different in tone and there were some consistent themes throughout the last half of 2007: Ryan was too in love with Keltie, he dressed like a hippie now, and he partied a lot. Basically, he was changing. He was no longer the same person that he was during the Fever era.

It honestly seemed like many fans were angry at this new version of Ryan for taking the old version away from them, as though they had some sort of ownership. There was tons of drama over the fact that we were seeing lots of pictures of Ryan partying with various friends (some of whom posted detailed stories about their nights or how drunk everyone was). Some fans said Ryan was a hypocrite or a liar and tried to make him out to be an alcoholic, as though he’d personally betrayed them by destroying who he was "supposed" to be.

However, I think most of the complaints were actually rooted in something bigger: Ryan looked happy.

I felt like a lot of the younger fans had latched onto the idea of a shy, wounded guitarist who needed to be saved or *understood* or whatever… you know the cliche I mean??  That was the vibe that the media sometimes tried to give him during the Fever era, so even they knew it would sell! But now Ryan was partying a lot with a wide range of friends, was dating Keltie, had completely abandoned his Fever-era aesthetic, and seemed to be closest with Jon in 2007 instead of Brendon. He was “destroying” the static image of Ryan that fangirls had taped onto their bedroom walls.

I remember a decent amount of fans actually admitting that they wished Ryan would go back to being depressed. Like they literally wanted him to be unhappy & unsure of himself because they liked him better that way. Others accepted that Ryan was changing and were happy for him, but still thought his bitter lyrics were better. And then even if other people wouldn’t admit that they were clinging onto an old version of Ryan, their main criticism still seemed to revolve around the fact that Ryan was living his life, having fun, and being different than he was the previous year.

I saved one fan’s post because it summed up some of the complaints this year:

The nickname “Ryho” really took off in late 2007.

Obviously a ton of fans loved Ryan (and the kids who were bashing him still claimed to love him too). The petty criticism just became annoying to me. People slammed his new clothes, his new hairstyles, the way he carried himself or talked, his weight/body, his “creepy” fingers, and the “girly” things he told Kerrang he liked (pumpkin spice candles, vanilla milkshakes, his puppy, and Titanic). Even the kids who used to love Ryan’s mild arrogance were now holding it against him. A lot of the fans who were criticizing Ryan in the last half of 2007 jumped right back to being his “fans” once the Pretty. Odd. era got going and things were interesting again, but I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising that so many fans were able to easily switch to bashing Ryan once again in spring 2009 when he was changing yet again. It’s like they were so focused on what Ryan wasn’t doing that spring (ex: recording the third Panic album) that they couldn’t see or accept what he was doing: building a whole new life for himself in a completely different music scene with the new crew of friends he’d been hanging out with for a while (Alex Greenwald’s scene).

One of the things that stuck out to me in late spring & summer 2009 was how many fans felt rejected by Ryan (and Jon). Those fans had basically idolized prior versions of Ryan and were hurt to slowly watch him destroy all of that as they realized he didn’t want to be part of the machine of the music scene that the fandom still loved. That hurt translated to them lashing out in anger.

So you know how I mentioned that in 2006 part of the fandom liked the idea of a shy, wounded guitarist who wrote bitter lyrics and needed to be *understood * and saved? And they resented Ryan for destroying that concept in 2007 and taking away the Ryan that they loved? They wanted to view him as a static character and couldn’t accept that he’s a constantly-evolving human. This is still happening today. Some fans are still upset that the version of Ryan that they want was taken away (ex: Ryan left the Fever era behind, left Panic behind). Except now instead of resenting Ryan for the choices that he made, some modern fans have rewritten the past to blame external forces like Brendon instead. I've been trying so hard to wrap my mind around this for a while, so here's my take on it... keep in mind that this is just my own observation/guess. Ryan isn't very visible now, so people are free to project a lot onto him. I think that by blaming Brendon (who is the visible one left), people can still happily view Ryan as a helpless victim who needs saving, and never feel rejected or betrayed by his choices... then it's like Ryan didn’t actually want to leave them, and could still be the person that they need him to be. Idk I'm still trying to comprehend what happened to the recent fandom tbh.

I'm absolutely not saying that all of Ryan's current fans are like this!! It's just that some little bits I've seen are concerning because they essentially take away Ryan’s agency & erase him. Even on a smaller scale, I've still noticed how some modern fans focus heavily on stories that dramatize Ryan's pain & portray him as a passive victim, regardless of whether those stories conflict with reality. Like why exactly is that angle a priority? Some examples:

Camisado is for dancing

the "funeral picture" isn't real

Lollapalooza was a fun show

June and July are different months

Ryan participated in the stage gay

some of the Ryden stuff could probably qualify too

Keep in mind that I'm saying this as a fan of Ryan. I am genuinely happy to see that he has so many newer fans! But sometimes I'm a little concerned that patterns might be repeating and maybe some people are more focused on their own creation of a character/image than an actual musician who has had many many phases.

[laughtalelogs]

❄impossibilities - zoro x reader❄

❄ day 2 - little lie, trapped together in a snowstorm, “I thought you knew where you were going?!” ❄ fandom/character(s) - one piece - zoro x reader ❄ warnings - no beta reader, gn!reader, enemies to ???, forced proximity, implied sexual themes ❄ word count: 1.6k+ ❄ description - what happens when an unstoppable force, you, is crammed a tin can with an unmovable object, zoro? you both hate eachother's guts— that's what.

--

sorry this one is so late! today caught up with me bad. hope you enjoy, this one is actually complete this time too!

tomorrow is everyone's favorite lesbian, nami! I should have that one up timely, since it'll only be a small blurb.

check out the rest of the days here

The bitter cold was all consuming. The wind raged over the icy hills. Its whistling rang against the metal that shielded you from its burn. Snow pelted the foggy windshield in a thick layer of white, frost seeping into the cramped, humid caravan. You looked over at the man in front of you— well, what you could see, at least. 

Hunched over, his thick thighs squished against both walls. He made a poor attempt to find comfort as he spread his legs wide but preserved what distance he could from you.

Yet, your knees still knocked together. The polyester squeaked as you both tried to avoid contact. A green glow lit the dark silhouette of his brow bone and jaw. His scowl was clear, even in the dark. 

You rubbed your clammy, cold hands on your snowsuit. You weren't sure what made you more uncomfortable. It was a toss-up between the swordsman, your freezing feet, and the sweat rolling down your back, soaking your thin cotton shirt that insulated you like a sauna.  You didn’t know how long you could take this, and it seemed he was at his limit too.

“You do realize this is your fault?” His voice sliced through the stale, warm air, snapping his head up at you, voice leaking with annoyance. 

“I don’t control the weather, Zoro,” you bristle, avoiding his unwavering gaze.

You look behind at the console, the screen blinking an incessant warning on the panel: Warning, low temperatures detected. Return Brachio Mini to Franky immediately. 

"But you control this." He gestures at the broken panel.  “We could’ve been back by now.”

“I’m sorry I like to be thorough; you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” You snapped back, but a small ounce of guilt bangs in your chest. As if you didn’t already know that, you thought. It didn’t stop you from holding on to your sliver of pride.

“When has Nami ever been wrong?” He tried to adjust for the hundredth time with no luck.

You sighed. How did he know how to get under your skin and fester there? “It was just sunny outside! You even took a swim earlier,"

“Now I’ve got a stalker?” His lips curl in cruel amusement, making your eye twitch with anger.  “That still doesn’t answer the question.”

“Fine, Nami was right. that's what you want to hear?” you hiss between tight lips. "And she’s going to kill us if we don’t freeze to death. Or maybe the lack of oxygen will come first.”

He tilted his head. “So Nami is right, and I’m not?”

“Glad to see you have your priorities straight.” You can’t help how naturally your eyes roll into your skull. He always brushed off the danger, like an annoying fly. It was a mere inconvenience to the brute. While he sat there, calm and unwavered, you were trying to quell your racing pulse, worry eating away at your patience.  

“I’m not dying here, and neither are you. I told you I could open the hatch." His voice was soft but determined. You feel your chest burn. 

“And lose the heat? Are you stupid?” you grumbled.

“You’re the one worried about the air.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, and I’m also worried about freezing to death too. Say, do you have anything between your ears, or is it just a stand for your sword?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” He claps, each echoing off the tinny walls. You sit in silence, trying to calm down. 

"I only agreed to come because I knew you'd get lost." You repeat, fiddling with the transponder snail. Still, no signal. 

And that was something Zoro couldn’t argue with. He slanted his eyes down at you as you turned back toward him, crossing your arms over your chest. Silence enveloped you once more, thick with tension and aggravation. 

You could see it so clearly 3 hours ago. Zoro went off by himself on the island. He either got into trouble or got lost, causing it. With limited options, you knew tagging along was the better one. He never tried to see it from your angle, no matter how hard you would persist. You used to feel envious of this, how his troubles would roll off his shoulders like a duck sheds water. Now, you realize he lacks the brain to see the issue. 

With a voice laced in anger, he broke the silence once more. “Anyone else would’ve gotten us back to this ship now,”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” you shoot back. “And I’m not anyone else.”

“You got that right,” he muttered, shifting as your knees knocked together again. You ignore the swift blow to your ego, pestering further. 

“So you rather Sanji?” 

“Please, don’t say that name right now; my head hurts enough with just you here.” 

"Answer my question, swords." You point your finger at his chest. The heat of his body radiates into your finger. He swats your hand away, rubbing the spot like it burned. 

“Both of you are annoying. One of you is lucky they're—" He paused, catching himself, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. You tilt your head, leaning closer in curiosity. 

"Never mind, this shit is stupid.” He trailed off, voice low as he avoided your gaze. His face twists between disgust and something else you can’t quite label; his eyes flicker away.

“No, finish your thought. Lucky? Lucky for what? And who?”

“I’m not doing this with you right now.. You're impossible.” He groaned, rubbing his temples. “Let me try to fix it; we’re losing daylight.”

You stared at him. “And do what exactly? I don’t think you can slash yourself out of this one.”

He looked up at the ceiling, hands reflexively thumbing the swords jutting at his hip. “That’s not a bad idea, actually.” 

You scoffed. “You can’t be serious.” 

“As a heart attack. Move.” He grabbed your shoulder, standing up, hunched over with a hand gripping Wado. You dug your heels in and leaned back. 

“No.” You glare at him, ignoring how his frame folded over yours. You sink further into the chair to avoid his gaze. His legs slot into yours awkwardly. “I won't let you ruin our only way back.” 

“And I’m not going to listen to your constant whining anymore. Move.” He grips tighter on your shoulder, eyes boring into you, unreadable. “Now.” 

“I won’t, asshole!” you seethe, but you’re losing your bite as he dips his head down, slamming a hand down behind you in frustration.

“ I have had it up to here, with you. You can’t control everything.” He whispered tersely, eyes searching yours for the answer.

"I don’t,” you whispered back. 

“Then why have you insisted on doing everything? There’s no I in team.”

You try to deflect, picking at your sleeve. “I’m surprised you can spell."

He rumbled your name, and you looked at him, eyes serious. The green highlights his small, pouting mouth. It reflects pretty shimmers off his earrings, which sway with his movements.  His grip on your shoulder loosened as he loomed down, his face impossibly close to yours. You feel his breath feather against your cheeks, warming your windburned skin. 

“Trust me, dammit..” His voice was low, not commanding, but pleading- a small tinge of frustration laced within his voice that left you wondering ‘trust you with what?’ 

The weight of heady legs pressed closer into yours. You freeze.

 ...Was he?

 You watch his eyes soften as his eyes dart across your face. For a brief moment, he eyes your chapped lips, his own twitching into something too tender, too vulnerable to be meant for you. You were rendered silent, trying to steel your legs from squeezing his toned leg between them.  this must be some cruel dream you were conjuring for yourself. But no, you both were here, breathing in each other's air, staring into each other's eyes for what felt like eternity. You feel your body buzz with the palpable energy left suspended in the air. 

Before your brain can catch up with your thoughts, you exhale sharply, lips forming a soft ‘o’. You were unable to back further away, feeling yourself pulled in by his gravity. He couldn’t be... Could he? 

But then- 

Sharp metal and glass clash violently after Zoro swiftly unsheathes Wado, stabbing the panel behind you. You scream and jolt forward, tumbling into Zoro’s chest as he falls back, sparks whizzing in the air. The interior groans and spurts, before suddenly, the engines whirs with purpose. The lights of the cabin flicker on, and the power levels itself out again.

“What the hell was that?!” You jump out of Zoro’s arms, pushing away the arm he had wrapped around your waist. You can see the way his cheeks are dusted red, but he leaned back, sheathing the sword. 

“I fixed it. See what happens when we can trust each other,” He smiled.

You look at him incredulously. He was stupid, but not braindead.“That wasn’t trust! that was- you- you tricked-”

“What did you think was going to happen? I’m not that easy.” He smirked and you feel embarrassment eat away at whatever nerves you have left.  He did know what affect that had on you, and seemed to relish it. 

“I’ll kill you with my barehands,”

“Why don’t you just get us home instead?” He juts his chin to the panel.

You try to calm your shot nerves for a moment to think, reaching at whatever remnants of the panel to carry yourselves back home. You needed to be far away from him, as soon as possible. Your hands twitch as you try to retrace the land, snow melting slowly off the windshield. 

You worry on your bottom lip.  Great. 

“I... I think we’re lost.” You force the words out of your mouth, defeat weighing you down.

“I thought you knew where you were going?!” He yelled behind you in exsperation.

"Uh.. yeah, my bad."

Maybe you were a little impossible.

and legends say they are still in the snow, battling their sexual tension, frozen in time lol.

hope you enjoyed this! If you can't tell I like when zoro is mad at you lol. Sorry if the end is a bit rushed :')

ngl I highkey wouldn't mind making a pt.2 to this with MAYBE some smut- but forewarning, i’m rusty asf. if you would want one, let me know! this was definitely supposed to be longer, but I thought it'd be cute leaving it off here.

If you enjoy that, check out my other stuff (x)

[smahell]

is there a villain in obey me?

yes. according to this simple search, diavolo is the antagonist we should fear. and date. and collect cards of. for some reason.

this was sent in a discord server I was in as a very very obvious joke (hopefully) and this result is surely ai generated, or google's done a whoopsie-doodle and taken something off of reddit.

yes, diavolo can assert himself as an antagonistic force, but all of his actions are always within logical reason. though it may be against the wishes of the brothers and MC, he always does what is right for the devildom, whether that may be putting lucifer on house arrest, or locking belphegor away from his brothers.

diavolo is literally just trying his best, and he's been doing that since his father basically dumped the responsibility of a whole realm on his shoulders and abandoned him to sleep at the bottom of the devildom. his past is genuinely so sad.

so, who's the villain in obey me????

you could certainly say it's belphie.. but you can also date him. belphie changes through our the story, and as of right now, he holds nothing against humans and anyone in general. though it was a short span of time, he has gained the (somewhat undeserving) forgiveness of everyone around him after trying to kill MC.

like yes, michael, but it's very obvious with him disguising himself as raphael, going against god's will, and even his manipulation of the brothers that he wants the brothers back, and still sees them as family. even if that may not be reciprocated.

you could say father. but in a sense, lilith broke the rules, and so did the brothers. they all needed to be punished accordingly. and the brothers still refer to him as "father" and not by any other name. they don't hate him as of now.

they feel sympathy. an attachment. a connection.

in the og where michael was mentioned once or twice, the fandom was quick to assign him as The Bad Guy™, but getting to know him through nb, he really is just like all the other characters in terms of role. and throughout nb michael is doted on fondly by the brothers. it's that sort of difficult familial love estranged families can relate to.

are these good decisions? no

but he's not a villain.

if you lost the loving family and friends you knew, and you had the power to get them back through such unconventional means... michael is just using the powers he was given.

"so then.. maddie's the bad guy." okay grandpa, let's get you back to your wheelchair..

she's barely even mentioned for starters, and from what I've heard, she's not even been mentioned in nb. all she's done is made mammon cry at some point, and tried to marry diavolo. she might be a shitty person, yes, but she's never even involved enough to make out lives, or even all the brothers's lives a living nightmare. she's a very minor nuisance, at most.

all the characters do something antagonistic. every single one of them. if there was a villain it would discredit the fact that the game isn't about heroes and villains and morality, but about people. and that's what makes obey me so good. and if there was (a villain), the story would've ended by now, long before the franchise's fifth anniversary. ****

every character is morally grey, and the fact that it leaves it up to the player to annotate what is good and bad makes the whole experience more immersive and personal than ever. however, it speaks volumes concerning a lack of media comprehension that anyone would try to assign a villain to obey me.

obey me is about dating silly demon boys, and watching people live, whether that be in peace and harmony, or in tense, on-the-brink-of-destruction moments. the story has no need of a true antagonist, when we have well developed and wide range of characters gets that impact the story no matter what. enjoy the game, hate or love the characters.. whether they're antagonists or not, just have fun.

****(because the devs weren't very good at writing the first game.. so I doubt they could've had the support to have written a second one)

[edit: this was brainstormed between @prettylittlelambs and i on discord :3 thank you for sort of inspiring me and going me come up with more ideas]

[lancermylove]

Owl Beast Curse (HC)

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland, the Owl House

Pairing: Leona, Malleus, Riddle, Vil, Kalim, Azul with gn!Reader

Warning: None

Requested by: Anon

Prompt: Can you do twst dorm leaders(except Idia) with a gn s/o who has the owl beast curse? How they react the side effects(easily detachable limbs) and their sister is the one who cause it

A/N: Thank you for including the link to the wiki! Hope you like it.

———————————————

Ah, siblings. He hates them. Leona is not surprised that your sister cursed you, as he knows family does more harm than good. He is pissed off at your sister, to say the least, and doesn't care what excuse your sister has to curse you. Her actions are unforgivable.

Leona feels a twinge of sympathy for you, especially since you didn't deserve what your sibling did. But he doesn't show you pity, nor does he feel sorry for you because, in his eyes, you are strong. To be able to handle a curse, and that too, one inflicted by a family member, must be pain, both physically and mentally. Leona respects you more than he did before.

Leona is not a fan of you detaching your limbs to play pranks on him or who off, especially not your head. Whenever you do, he blankly stares at you.

Once he learns that the curse is triggered due to stress, he tries to help you maintain your stress, even if he doesn't show it outright.

Are you stressed because you have an overload of homework? Leona will sit next to you and practically tell you all the answers so you can finish the assignments before your stress levels get out of hand. Are your friends stressing you out? He will stand behind you and glare down at them until they shink and run away.

Once you tell Leona about the elixir, he will make sure you take it daily. The last thing he wants is for Crowley to learn about your curse. He doesn't trust the head mage, who is anything but benevolent.

Malleus never told you this, but he had detected the curse on you since he first met you. However, the prince figured he would learn about your curse eventually, so he didn't try to pry any information from you.

However, when he learns the details about your curse, Malleus feels a wide range of emotions, from concern to anger. How could your own blood curse you? He wonders if this kind of occurrence is common among humans.

When he sees your owl beast form, he remains unfazed and finds it fascinating. He is not afraid in the slightest, as Malleus knows if you try to attack him, he has the strength to hold you back.

The prince is very concerned about your ability to detach your limbs. Does it cause you pain physically? He is a bit relieved to know you are not in pain from it, but Malleus still doesn't want you to pull your limbs off, not even as a prank. The only exception is Halloween.

The prince wants to track down your sister to learn why she did this and hold her accountable for causing you pain, but first, he wants to focus on finding a way to help you. All the mages in Briar Valley are attempting to find a way to get rid of your curse and, if you sympathize with the owl beast, a way to save it as well.

Kalim will be taken aback if you tell him about your curse. However, if you don't tell him and accidentally transform into your beast form, Kalim will be shocked. Though, if anyone tries to attack you while you are in that form, he will protect you.

When he learns that your sister is responsible for cursing you, Kalim has difficulty wrapping his mind around it. Just the thought of your own family going against you is devastating to him. He has many siblings, and they all get along well, so he can't fathom there are families in which siblings can be enemies to this point.

Kalim is willing to do anything and everything to help you. You are his s/o, so he is responsible for helping and supporting you through thick and thin.

He also goes out of his way to ensure you are not stressed. If Kalim sees you stressing out, he immediately distracts you with his cuteness, hugs, kisses, or taking you on a magic carpet ride. He also enlists Jamil to help with your stress management.

When Kalim sees your limbs detach, he experiences a wave of emotions. First, shock. Second, discomfort for you, thinking you are in pain. Third, sadness. If you even remotely joke that the detachment causes you pain, it will draw tears to his eyes, as if he was filling the pain himself.

Family members can be...a pain. He understands this, but to think they would go as far as to curse you. Riddle is angered by the thought, but his concern for your well-being overshadows his anger.

He is startled and a bit fearful when he sees you in your owl beast form. Even then, he stands his ground, knowing that he has to help you through this. However, when he sees/learns about your easily detachable limbs, Riddle is creeped out. If you try to detach your limbs in front of him, he will get angry. In fact, he wants to add a rule to the book of rules saying you are not allowed to take detach your limbs.

Like Kalim, Riddle enlists the help of his dorm members when he learns stress is your main trigger. When he is not around, Cater, Ace, Trey, and Deuce are responsible for helping you calm down.

Riddle is relieved that Ace and Deuce are in the same class as you so that they can keep an eye on you to prevent any incidents from happening on campus. Riddle worries that someone on campus might try to use you as a test subject if they learn about your unique curse.

If possible, he even learns how to make the elixirs you drink so that you never run out of them.

On many occasions, Vil feels like you are hiding something from him. Then, he sees you drinking an elixir daily and knows for sure you have a secret. Part of him wants you to tell him when you are comfortable, but the other part knows he needs to know, especially if it could pose a danger to him and the other students.

When he sits down and talks with you, you detach your limb to show him the side effects. Vil immediately grosses you and gets upset with you. NEVER do that again in front of him. Even if it doesn't physically pain you, it hurts him to see your limbs not attached to your torso.

Vil asks another question: Why didn't you tell him about the curse earlier when the two of you started dating? Were you afraid that he would judge or leave you? He assures you he will not leave or judge you for being cursed; if anything, he wants to help you find a way to lift the curse.

The moment Vil learns your sister was the one who cursed you, he sympathizes with you but is angered beyond belief. His need to seek justice kicks in, and Vil's first instinct is to track down your sister and confront her. At some point in the future, with your permission or against your will, he will find your sister and confront her.

Azul already knows you are cursed even before he sees you transform into the owl beast. Once he saw you drinking the elixir, he took a few drops from one bottle to test it. Though he couldn't find what the elixir was for, he found similar ingredients to a recipe in their world that is used to keep curses at bay.

Though he doesn't show it outright, Azul is deeply concerned about you. He doesn't confront you about your curse and waits for you to tell him or for the curse to take effect.

He is not surprised when he learns your sister is responsible for your state. He has firsthand experience in seeing the dark side of people around him. Azul focuses more on finding a cure to your curse rather than the past - for the time being.

He won't admit it out loud, but Azul finds your curse fascinating and wants to learn more about it. Even when he finds a way to separate the owl beast from you, Azul plans to keep the beast alive. Something tells him that you don't want the beast to be harmed, but more than anything, he wants to learn about the creature as there are no creatures like the owl beast in their world.

At first, Azul HATES it when you detach your limbs in front of him. Eventually, he gets used to it, especially with you and Floyd pranking everything with your detached body parts. Even if he walks into his office and finds your head on his desk, Azul will sigh, shake his head, and focus on his work.

———————————————

➣  Please visit my website for the full masterlist!

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

''#and in-ho in particular represents the overarching idea of 'human nature/people do not change‚ no matter how ''good'' you are'''

I don't think this can be said with certainty before watching season 3, particularly as we know we're getting more in-ho backstory/a look at his character in season 3.

I could see an ending where in-ho doesn't change his belief...but I'm also not sure that's got the full meat of what they're doing with his character. and, even if he doesn't change for it, I think the part of him that does have conflict over it...that subconscious piece that does have hope that he's wrong...is very important, and compelling, and interesting, to who he is -- and what's been broken in him and what he's fallen from, how he's found himself in this darkness and whether it's encompassing or whether there still is something that could enjoy the goodness of humanity in him. and there is a beacon of light in gi-hun, that in-ho is obviously trying to quash, but I really don't think 100% of him wants it to be quashed.

I also don't know that a message of 'once this person loses any hope in humanity there's absolutely no way for him to come back from that and he wouldn't even want to' is particularly...great? as a message or commentary.

i dunno, maybe he will just be a 'I'm evil and darkness and this has been my master plan and I've never once hesitated'...but that's not really what I've taken from it so far (despite, yes, all his manipulation and calculatedness), nor something I'd find very fulfilling as a story.

Definitely agreed that there is depth to him! He's absolutely a complex character, and I think (but may not have gotten across clearly in my couple of posts about it) that the emotions he experiences while playing the games with Gi-hun are somewhat genuine. I think the showrunners actively want us to see those emotions and view them that way! I just think he's leveraging those things for the ultimate purpose of tearing Gi-hun's worldview apart (for a wide range of possible reasons). It seemed like the main read of his character in fandom spaces has been more focused on magnifying whatever inner conflict there may be (to the point of being surprised that he didn't have a change of heart at the end), so I wanted to emphasize that he is actually doing this stuff on purpose. I'm looking forward to how they develop him in Season 3!

I also don't think the show will necessarily conclude that "people don't change, no matter how good you are" (meaning human nature, not necessarily In-ho in particular), but that is the "thesis" of In-ho's character at this point. What I mean is that, narratively, his function is to argue against Gi-hun's belief in people and their ability to overcome their horrible circumstances, and to do the right thing instead of the selfish one. In-ho joins the games with the express purpose of proving that no matter how clearly Gi-hun makes his case, no matter what he tries to do, people are going to play the games anyway, because human nature won't change: "survival of the self ahead of others" is the fundamental drive of all people. And these people need the money to survive, so they will play at the cost of others' lives.

Gi-hun's character is challenged by the events of season 2 because that claim seems to be being proven right; even when many people want to leave the games, and even when the cost is clear, there is still a larger faction who want to stay. But what he doesn't know is that In-ho is orchestrating events so that that is certain to occur! Without In-ho as the final player, the games might have stopped; someone else might have voted X. And that's just the most obvious of the changes made because of his role. So in the end, it's not actually a fair fight of ideas--the system/establishment that tries to set people against their fellow man has so much more power that they can "make their case" more convincingly. That's why In-ho wins in the end: what he represents has (at least for now) come out on top, because the people he represents are already there.

Since he is a human, I think it's likely that he feels a degree of inner conflict about this. But everything we've seen from him indicates that he really does believe his perspective to be the only reasonable way of seeing things. And that's deeply tied with his own choices: if he was wrong, if there was another way, then how can he ever hope to atone for the wrong he's done? The more people do in the name of their ideas, the more desperately they become entrenched in them.

In short, I think In-ho is very complex and compelling--just maybe not as conflicted as people like to read him. He's not as sympathetic if he really believes in what he's doing, but I think the plain reading would indicate that he almost entirely does. But it's more interesting, in a way, to have a villain who doesn't want to be proven wrong! And more satisfying if, in the end, he can be--and perhaps can even change, himself.

(Also, I'm not sure if you sent another ask as well, but I tried to touch on both of them here in any case!)

[fae3ntanglement]

--- This is an 18+ blog ---

DO NOT interact if you are minor!

Do NOT follow, like, reblog, or even look at this blog if you are considered under the age to view nsfw content in your country. 

If you do not have an age/age range in your description or a pinned post you WILL be blocked. 

Additionally, DO NOT interact if you are a fascist, terf, sexist, pedophile, racist, anti-lgbtq+, etc. I do not allow any bigotry here!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Hello! ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You can call me Fae!

I am a pansexual polyamorous lady in her thirties, I go by She/Her pronouns. 

In the bdsm/kink sphere I am a switch, although I will lean more towards the submissive side of things. (This is not an invitation)

I am owned by my Sir, whom I practice erotic hypnosis with, among other things, I am only a good girl for them. However, being polyamorous I am ok with friendly flirting and the occasional play with other play partners. 

*.✧♡ Some housekeeping ♡ ✧.*

I am not taking up any new kind of dynamic or partner right now, so please do not proposition me otherwise, aka do not ask me to be your domme or sub in anyway.

Asks are always welcome! Don’t be shy. Whether they’re anon or not! Honestly feel free to ask questions, or send me fun flirty things, or fun little fantasies!

I only allowed DM’s from mutuals. Do not send me an ask, asking me to DM you, I will not, and you will get blocked.

Please do not: repost my pictures as your own, promote your blog on my posts, add captions insinuating you know me, or use honorifics at me. If you do any of these things you will be blocked. Reblogs are 100% welcome though!

I do not sell my pictures, I only post for fun. If you proposition otherwise you will get blocked. Additionally to this, I do not post fully explicit pictures here, via tumblrs TOS, but I do post on reddit under the username CrystalFay

And finally to paraphrase this post : do not take the things I reblog personally, this blog is not for you, it is for me. I reblog things I find lovely, aesthetically pleasing, relatable, or just plain neat and decided I wanted to share them.

⇘   More about my blog and me below the cut ⇙

This is my nsfw side blog 

This is the second version of this blog, the first version was shadow banned. 

My main blog is Mythical*********, you’ll know it if we’re mutuals, if I like your blog, or if you view my blog on the desktop. I also have a fandom/nonsense blog which is a hotwheels car, you’ll know it when you see it. 

Additionally, I have an A03, which has both sfw and nsfw writings on it. I also post some of my nsfw writings on here in My Writings tag. 

Also, if you want to hangout with me outside of tumblr, I also run a discord channel (that tries its best to be active).

My time on Tumblr

I have been on tumblr for a long time (since probably around 2011), I had different blogs back at the start. Before the Great Purge of 2018, I used to run several different p0rn blogs on here, one of which (the popular female chastity blog “selftraininglittlegirl”) gained significant popularity. However, that would all come crashing down during the purge and I stepped away for a few years. I recently started dipping my toes back in these last few years and I recently decided this year to start fresh with new blogs, so Hi again!

My time in Kink

I have been into kink for well over a decade, diving deep into a wide variety of kinks over that time.

I have also been in and out of the bdsm community (going to events, munches, club nights, etc) for the last decade or so.

The kinks that I am into and that will appear on this blog:

Bondage, sadism, masochism, CNC (in many forms), dollification, dumbification, erotic hypnosis, somno, objectification, degradation, humiliation, chastity, breath play, praise kink, teasing, etc...

I am into other things as well that may not be listed, some of which will not appear on this blog.

I’ll probably be updating this post as my blog builds more, but for now…

*✧ Enjoy this little corner of depravity! ✧*

[augustmourn]

Fic Writer Questions

Tagged by @saiditallbefore, thank you!!

(Of note, I have written... very little in 2024, so that relates to some of my answers.)

how many works do you have on AO3?

169

what's your total ao3 word count?

579,513

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1 - Unexpected (Bojack Horseman, Bojack/Mr. Peanutbutter fake dating to romance) has over 1.4k kudos. It's the second most kudosed fic in the fandom, and used to be the top before being surpassed by a massive crossover fic. I'm actually really proud of it--it's pretty different from what I usually write, and I think it's both pretty funny and feels true to the canon.

2 - you know what they say about assumptions (Star Wars, Anakin/Obi-Wan/Padme modern AU) has just over 900 kudos. It's the first fic of mine that someone podficced. I haven't reread it in a while, and I was in high school when I wrote it so I'm sure I can find a lot of flaws, but it got a good response.

3 - Into the Dark (IT Movies, Richie/Eddie, time loop) has just over 750 kudos. I wrote a lot of Reddie fics in the approximate 9-13k range and at this point they all sort of blend together, but this was one of the earlier ones I wrote and it's fix-it for the canon, so I assume that's why it's popular.

4 - The Kids Are Alright (IT Movies, Richie/Eddie, teenage getting together fic) has just over 700 kudos. Another longish Reddie fic from this era, and I have fond feelings about this one too!

5 - Lights Will Guide You Home (Star Wars unfinished epic fix-it fic) has just shy of 650 kudos and is almost out of the top five, thank god. This was an ambitious attempt that was the first fic I posted on this account, and I did not finish it and have not touched since high school. Sometimes I contemplate going back, but I have not updated it in... seven years, wow. I've grown and changed a lot as a writer since that time and have freed myself from Star Wars, so I'm not up to date on the lore.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I used to, and I also used to go back and respond in batches, but I've fallen off of that in a few years. Partly because I used to just do it as soon as I saw the email and then when I started doing exchanges I wanted to wait until author reveals, and then the backlog became overwhelming. As well as often feeling like I had very little to say and feeling kind of embarrassed about it, lol. I do try my best to go back and respond after author reveals of an exchange, at least to the recipient, but it doesn't always end up happening. I do read and appreciate every single comment, though.

what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Probably quiet birds in circled flight -- IT Movies, AU where Richie commits suicide instead of Stan. It's been a while since I've written just a straight up Grief Fic and I enjoy that writing headspace.

what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

That feels hard to define, haha. I write a lot of noncon and darkfic, and even the ones that aren't noncon or entirely dark have some darkness to them, but I think in IT fandom I did write a few longer, earn-your-happy ending fics. The two listed in my top five above fall into that category--and I guess the Bojack fic as well. full heart and other organs is a fairly sweet, essentially pre-relationship AFTG AU.

do you write crossovers?

I have not written one. I tried to write one for a fic event once and didn't finish it... and I found buried in my google docs two Magnus Archives/The Good Place crossover fics that I didn't finish. But none published, haha.

have you ever received hate on a fic?

I got a barrage of hate comments on a werewolf sex fic because it was a full form shifted werewolf and people thought that was the same as the character fucking an animal, but other than that, no lol.

do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yeah...

I've written a very wide variety from fluff to kink to noncon. I enjoy writing it and I think it's probably the kind of writing I'm best at, just based on sheer amount written.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think someone posted some of my Reddie fic on Wattpad but tbh I don't think I even looked at it until it had already been taken down.

have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! One of my AFTG fics has been translated into Russian.

have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I'm interested in the idea, but writing is a very solitary activity for me, and I don't think I've ever had a specific idea that aligned enough with someone else (and both with an interest in writing it) to try it.

what's your all-time favorite ship?

Lol, I don't think I can confidently say! I tend to leave fandoms and then not really get pulled back in. The fandom I'm most confident in calling a forever fandom is AFTG, where Neil/Andrew is like, the better ship, but Neil/Riko lives in my hindbrain as a noncon ship of all time.

what's a wip that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Well, that Star Wars fic from 2017 >__> most of the others have not seen the light of day. Actually I finished a very long Danganronpa fic about a year ago and I recently realized I don't think I will be able to edit it or reread it maybe for a very long time, and probably not publish it even if I do, which does make me sad. Too tied up in my ex.

what are your writing strengths?

Porn. Lmao. But I think I'm also good at comedy, though maybe not consistently.

what are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not good at writing long or writing subplots. I struggle with research and being intimidated by the idea of research, so that feels very limiting in terms of what fandoms I can try to write.

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I don't think I've ever done it. I can see narrative utility in certain cases, but most of the time "they said in French" or whatever will do just fine. A nickname from another language that is not the primary language the characters are speaking is not something I've written personally--I would probably only do that if it was established by canon.

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

The Hunger Games, when I was 12, on FFN. The first fandom I posted on AO3 was Star Wars.

what's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I am between hyperfixations at the moment and the only thing I've started and have some hope for is... a bit embarrassing, so I probably won't talk about it until I publish it if I do so haha

what's your favourite fic you've written?

I like a lot of my fics, and I've had a lot of fun going back and rereading ones that I haven't read in long enough that I actually don't remember everything that's happening, but I think the fic I am proudest of is the fic I wrote for a TLT big bang last year, Crashing. It's the longest piece of fiction I have ever completed and it felt like a massive accomplishment.

Tagging @ladyculebras, @hearthouses, @queermccoy, @gregwambsganss, @witchoil, and anyone else who wants to!!!

[swordsandarms]

This is a reply in regards to this post, which highlights the high likelihood that, whether people are fine with the author's choices or not, RxL is written by him with romantic nuance as far as the text goes. @sahtinekryze

And I think this fandom really needs to have a honest analysis of the idea of "selfishness" in narrative choices such as this, which is that when it comes to how the whole "duty vs love" scenarios Martin writes, he does not actually writes it with some wide spectrum ranging from selfish to sacrificial. There are usually no other choices than the two.

Could one define the alleged choice of breaking a noble marriage contract that would have negative political influence at the least, had it been the best case scenario (which one would logically assume the two might have hoped for instead of very lots of people dying including themselves) as 'selfish', which in its very definition is doing something for one's self, though it may not be advantageous for others? Yes.

But as I said, Martin doesn't write a middle ground. There's that, or Lyanna marries an unwanted man and is hence forced to have a non-consensual relationship with him, and forced to carry children out of a noncon relationship, so that her male relatives can reap benefits of political power, as well as her groom through her womb. And as shows inspired by these books love to show us very graphic such cases (like Daenerys in GOT, or the storyline given to show!Sansa, or the changes for show!Alicent in HOTD), I am sure fans should have learnt better about the accusations usually thrown at Lyanna in fandom spaces in regards to being another woman marrying against her will in a society where a woman cannot say no, marital rape isn't recognised, and a husband is "just taking his rights": that "this is just being whiny". (There are many other examples in the books; the author is also not holding back on what unwanted or unsuitable marriages mean to women.)

Against the fanon idea that she is some wild, demanding, conceited girl, she doesn't rage, she doesn't bite. She has a tentative, soft spoken conversation with her brother about it and her reluctance in the matter, and is (nicely) dismissed.

Had she not (allegedly, while all is unconfirmed) fallen for the Crown Prince and he for her, there is no one else powerful enough to extract her from her situation (her male relatives having made up their own minds in the matter), nor anyone else to go from where she cannot be recovered by a powerful and connected family and fiance. No one else she could marry/sleep with that wouldn't be shut down and covered (as seen with Tyrion or Lysa) to preserve the higher price for which her womb can be bartered. Just no other viable choice that wasn't the other end of the scale: a woman being sacrificed by men, for men's uses.

As I said at the start, this is simply how Martin writes these conflicts of "mind and heart". He corners the characters. There is no light at the end of the tunnel that isn't also sort of "selfish" and "dumb" looking on the surface.

This can be applied to more such situations in the text-

Catelyn undoes the already precarious state of her son's campaign by releasing their most valuable captive. She has not even a guarantee that her 'selfish' act for love will work. But there are no options she's given. No one else cares to make it a priority to get her daughters back. The only other choice is to let it be and let 2 girls be sacrificed in marriages of ill intent to use their wombs and discard them, unsure if she will find anything left of them but Lannister named babies when this is over. It is "selfish". It is "dumb". Yet she's cornered.

Jon makes the decision to go fight Ramsay Bolton because he's run out of options and he's cornered. Arya is allegedly in the hands of the family that have viciously killed a number of Starks and taken Winterfell. She is 11 and allegedly married. He is made sick at the thought of what is being done to her. He's tried the "lesser" tactics of getting her rescued without being seen as trespassing the status quo of the NW publicly, by sending others for her. But it was always going to come to this. Ramsay guesses (or finds out) that his escaped bride would make it to the Wall. Keeping "peace" and "doing his duty" instead of "being selfish and dumb" is handing over "Arya" himself if she even makes it to appease the Lord of Winterfell, sacrificing a girl to an unwanted marriage meant to use her for her womb and discard her.

There are no actual choices when there is no actual scale in between "selfish and dumb" and the sacrifice of a girl (or, you know, 2,3, as many as Westeros would swallow as it did for millennia for this or that Lord or King to amass and keep power), whether they are Lannisters trying to get Winterfell, or Starks extinguishing the line of the Warg King.

[missr3n3]

Augusnippets Day 10

execution/fake execution/begging for mercy

fandom: cabin tales prequel to day 8 TW: torture, electrocution, forced to watch, unethical human experimentation, major character death word count: 496 @augusnippets

Rachel's hands had an iron grip around her mouth. The dry, frigid basement air stung at her wide eyes. Her knees buckled, a chill coursing through her entire body.

None of her discomforts compared to what she just witnessed.

“Wha… What the hell?” she squeaked, stepping back from the sight displayed through thick, tinted glass.

Roderick. Kevin. Sam. Jeremy. All writhing in agony from a shock Rachel feared would kill them – perhaps should've killed them. Though she couldn't see Sam or Jeremy well from the window's position, she assumed they had similar, blistering burns around their wrists, upper arms, ankles and neck.

“Hm, thought they would've figured out the premise sooner,” Mr. Barnett sighed.

“Y-you didn't tell them!?” Rachel gasped.

“The idea was to control for more variables than prior attempts at this.” Mr. Barnett quirked an eyebrow. “If they were told this is a prisoner's dilemma, they could've strategized beforehand, sullying the results. If you want to really test humans’ trust in each other, such things must be taken into account.”

“But this – then this is kidnapping! It's illegal!”

“You say that like some of the most valuable research into human behavior isn't also ethically or legally dubious. Does the name MK Ultra ring a bell?”

Rachel feared her throat would completely close up. Her mind raced, desperately trying to cut through the boys' resumed bickering to find a way out. For herself, and for them.

“But… But what the hell are you going to do with the results, then?” Rachel tried with a nervous, tense smile. “I-if what happens here goes public, you'll be arrested! S-so, we should just get them out of here and try-”

“Oh, Rachel,” Mr. Barnett cooed, resting an elbow against the glass with a small, chilling smile. “This isn't about fame, prestige, academic accolades. This…” Mr. Barnett beamed as he started the timer again. Rachel thought her heart would stop from the sheer shock of Kevin's frantic, terrified screams. “This is about knowledge. The truth!”

“Wha..? Who cares about that!” Rachel snapped, voice rasping from encroaching tears. “You can't do this to people!”

“Too late now.” Mr. Barnett shrugged. “I can't do anything now that the timer's started. It's up to them.”

Them…

Rachel snapped her attention to the window, beating against the unwavering glass with all her might.

“GUYS!” she screamed. “DON'T VOTE! DON’T PRESS ANYTHING! PLEASE!” Any further words were silenced as she watched Kevin and Roderick press the dials. “Oh fuck…” she whimpered. “Oh fuck, there's gotta be something, there's gotta-”

“Well! It's about time they figured it out.” Mr. Barnett clasped his hands in pride.

“No, NO! STOP!” Rachel desperately grasped Mr. Barnett's shoulders. Just as she did so, her ears rang from the booming screech of arcing electricity. “YOU'RE KILLING THEM!”

“Incorrect,” Mr. Barnett calmly chided, pointing behind Rachel. “They're killing him.”

At Mr. Barnett's words, the foulest stench Rachel had ever encountered stung at her nose.

Burning meat mixed with ozone.

[dropthedemiurge]

Got prompted by @pinkkop but also partially this might end up as the controversial Thai BL post because the range of characters I'd defend with the passion is very wide for me:D

8 BL BOYS I WILL THROW HANDS FOR

Uea (Bed Friend)

This show isn't jokingly called 'A Tale of 1000 Traumas' for no reason, I mean – there is only so much one young adult can go through, and Uea has been through... well, almost everything. Tagging hurt/comfort fics on AO3 will result into red triggers all around. What fascinates me in this character is his resilience, too. He managed to go through everything with the sheer will power and knowing his own worth, what he deserves and what he does not. I am so glad the show made an active choice to send him to therapy and give him a considerate and loving boyfriend! He really needs both.

Sky (Love in the Air)

Again, no surprise that everyone would want to protect Sky. The acting was also chef's kiss in this show, I know I shouldn't be but I absolutely enjoyed seeing Sky getting triggered and sent to the red-lit room in his mind because this was pure cinematography, but irl I would just hug Sky with consent and never let him go. And kick Gun until he never rises up again too. I think Rain should've been given full freedom to avenge for his best friend. But this is also why I'm writing all these skyrain fics – because they are safe space for each other and I want to keep seeing it.

Rain (Love in the Air)

Ehem, like I said– the show has not declared it loudly but he's one of the most ADHD characters in Thai BLs if I ever saw one. He does not deserve to be mocked for his struggles and airheadness. I wish we saw more of him playing into his strengths beside taming a dom, instead of being infantilized by the show sometimes. Don't ask me to dive into full analysis though, I only could watch the PayuRain half of the show once so I'm going off vibes I remember, but I absolutely adore Rain and love reading fics that focus on his ADHD headcanon and how others understand and help him. And also those platonic BDSM tendencies he has with his best friend Sky.

Kawi (Be My Favorite)

For this guy, I would not fight the show or narration because they treated both characters and viewers with care, gentleness, wise teaching and love (Max is a harsh brat but that's his personality). I would actually fight the fandom: from people who hate-watched this show and refused to acknowledge it was amazingly done further than 'i might've liked it but ew screw this actor and novel the show was inspired by amiright don't judge me for liking it jk lol' to some individuals who missed the beautifully developed and portrayed close bond (aspec on at that, I'll stay firm) that spread across >10 years and different timelines and reduced Kawi to immature whiny weirdo who's scared to fuck Pisaeng ten times a day instead of one, idk. This show is a gem with many life-lessons and Kawi has one of the strongest and fascinating character development in Thai BLs that I've seen. Hands are being thrown.

Boston (Only Friends)

The creators of the show said the series didn't have any intentional message, but considering how many long discussions and poured out frustrations we had with some people, Only Friends definitely did Boston wrong. So what if he's a proud slut, should the show punish him for it while praising 'righteous' characters high on their horses? I don't think so. My guy was constantly filmed illegally and threatened by his hookups and friends, he's very hesitant about falling in love but he tried his best with clearly spoken offers, poly views and limits. I also see Boston kinda neurodivergent and/or demiromantic based on many lines he said about himself and his own view of people and relationships in the series. Nick might not be fully compatible with him, and I would throw hands for both of them, but if those two would communicate better, there would be no need for the OOC "twist" at the end. Their story could be beautiful, sad and realistic, instead Boston being kicked down in the street dirt by everyone after opening up about his heart and fears made me angry.

Akk (The Eclipse)

These descriptions just keep getting longer and longer? Oops... I don't think I need to explain the desire to protect Akk – this guy has not stopped crying since a mischievous and passionate newbie managed to break through his 100m thick wall of composure, pokerface and sheer will to survive. And also through all the manipulation Akk faced from the people he looked up to. Akk and everything that he went through managed to rip my heart out, and I'm not kidding. If you're repressed, oppressed and/or struggling with money, desire to make your parents proud and can't help but feel 'disapproved' feelings for someone – meet Akk, he's very relatable. I'd protect him and you too.

Thua (The Eclipse)

*clears throat* I did say this post would get controversial. I can and I will consider 90% of the people who hate Thua as lacking media literacy :D But without getting into useless fandom discussions, Thua is a poor teenager that needs love and support to be able to find himself and his own voice. He's stressed out by a harsh step-father, constantly facing homophobia and mocking in school, has suicidal intentions and the only good friend who opposed homophobic students and teachers, who showed him safe space and helped reach out to his mother, encouraged him to speak out loudly... went behind everyone's back, started dating the main "bully" of the school who threatened every queer for months and decided to support him while silencing students' and Thua's voices. At least that's what Thua experienced from his POV. Would you throw hands? Thua did, and while I may not agree with how he handled the situation, I can't hate him. He finally stood up for himself and his own, tried to change the system, and I'd fight Suppalo school for him too.

Black (Not Me)

There's someone who doesn't need my protection at all! A second before turning into bloody merciless activist-fighter who doesn't shy away from murdering capitalists and cops, I would still want Black not to think he's better off alone. While antagonistic sexually-tense exchange of comas with his ex-best friend can count as one of the most delicious type of romance that happened in subtext not text, he still deserved to seek solace in his ex-girlfriend and (ex? they were so close, why Gram does not care about him at all when he returns? we'll never know) other activist friend's company. Also, fighting with his life to change something in how the country works and hearing 'nah, your twin is better, he knows how to fight with social media so we achieved more with him than with you' from his mentor and Black deciding that he should again ditch everyone he cares about...noo:( I need spin-off about him where he gets everything he really deserves.

[justenjoythegossip]

MEAN GIRLS, CONTROLLED OPPOSITION, “USEFUL FOOLS” & THE STREISAND EFFECT

There has been some controversy regarding my post about the Middle Voice and some misunderstandings that I feel I should clear. I never intended to cause any harm to anyone, that is why I never use mods’ name (not when I talk about Team Real or Team PR or the Middle Voice either) as my goal is never to attack an individual or a group of people. I just try to share my observations, to look past the picture that is being sold, question narratives, try to show the dynamics at hand and the responses that could result from it.  

Mean girls recognizing themselves…

Certain mods felt attacked by this article when I never had them in mind in the first place when I actually wrote it (which, I guess, is quite telling). But also, some rightfully recognized themselves, managed to gather around with their friends for a senseless blocking spree to boot me off the island. They have twisted my words, tried to discredit and ridicule them, which is a classic manipulation technique by the way. 

It has been fascinating to see that all that I wrote (and I wrote plenty) has been reduced to the very silly notion of… plants. And yet, the picture is so much more complex than that. And I have been very careful anytime I have written about Team Real/PR Blogs or the Middle voice to define those groups very specifically and with as much accuracy as I could. And as you probably noticed, I always use the expression “plants/trolls”. Why? Because, those groups encompass a wide range of different profiles. Plants are actually the small minority of the bunch while trolls represent the largest majority. But since trolls consist of so much more than trolling, I guess it is rather important to define who they are and what they do. 

Controlled opposition: a powerful strategy & a psychological weapon… 

* “Controlled opposition is any person or organization which appears to be on one side, but is secretly working against the interests of that movement… With controlled opposition, one organization can play both sides. Controlled opposition can also act as spies, feeding information back to opposition organizations, feeding disinformation to those they pretend to ally with, and deliberately instigating infighting to ensure activist work does not get done”. https://www.hegemonmedia.com/p/what-is-controlled-opposition

PR strategies tend to mirror the games we find in Politics, so we can often use the same concepts to explain what is going on. Lenin once famously said that: “The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves”. Middle Voice mods, Team PR mods and even Team Real mods work according to those very same basic principles. Some might find it strange that I include Team Real blogs to the controlled opposition. And yet it makes a lot of sense because some key players from that faction of the fandom used to debunk the stunts Chris, Abba and their teams were “trying” to pull, and they also used to criticize Chris very vehemently, even calling him disgusting names such as groomer or pedophile. And yet, some of those mods made a very “(non)sensical” U-turn and started to ship the very controversial couple. Obviously it only appeared to be nonsensical, but the reality is very different. Those mods were meant to pave the way for the fandom to embrace them as a Hollywood power couple after initially rejecting them vigorously. If such extreme voices could come to “accept” them, then the casual fan might just do the same. A classic manipulation technique in PR games that include so many of it. 

Such tactics include plants (as discussed previously), who work directly for their teams and are meant to drive/sell certain narratives to the fandom. But what is particularly interesting is that you don’t need a whole bunch of them. You might only need one or a couple in each groups. That’s the beauty of it. The rest of those groups will consist of “useful fools”… 

By the way, important sidenote, some people (or groups of people) likely use different accounts to add more weight and credibility to what they are selling. Certain Team (Real/PR/Middle Voice) mods share such similar tones, voices and rhetoric that it seems quite suspicious. It might be coincidental of course. But again probably not. 

The “useful idiots” are very useful tools…

Plants are the original agitators and lead the way while trolls follow in their path. If we use the same concepts as earlier, they are the equivalent of the “useful idiots” in a controlled opposition. 

“A useful idiot or useful fool is a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause without fully comprehending the cause's goals, and who is cynically being used by the cause's leaders.”

So obviously you don’t need to be a paid plant to play the exact same role in those PR strategies. All you need is to be susceptible and respond to a certain narrative, not question it and then amplify it yourself. So anyone can be an unwilling “useful” idiot” without even being aware of it, that is what it so pernicious about it. 

And when it comes to trolls, they will respond to very specific narratives that involve any kinds of controversy or that will trigger heated discussion because they tend to crave the attention and the drama. 

The “Streisand effect” or how not to draw attention to an issue…

*”The Streisand effect is an unintended consequence of attempts to hide, remove, or censor information, where the effort instead backfires by increasing public awareness of the information. The effect is named for American singer and actress Barbra Streisand, whose attempt in 2003 to suppress a photographer's publication of a photograph drew far greater attention to the obscure photograph”.

From a PR perspective, it’s very often smart not to respond to a rumor (true or false) or to a controversy so that you don’t draw more attention to it. Especially since it can be quite dangerous, if your response to a PR crisis is deemed inadequate, it can have even more lasting damage. Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher’s recent apology is a good example of that. They didn’t grasp the severity of their situation and their frivolous response got them cancelled. Pure and simple.

It's true for Chris’ shitshow with this very problematic woman as well. No acknowledgement, no problem! But it’s also true for all these mods who made such a ridiculous (and stupid?) fuzz about being called out plants/trolls when they were never even mentioned by names. Good job on planting this seed inside the minds of their followers. Although I am sure some of them are very much aware of their tactics at this point. 

[bonesandthebees]

I should say that I’m not really a fae stuff reader, but I could not resist, so I am glad you went through the important rules, even though I think I knew most of them already. Also, Alicent needs to know these things in order to be cautious.

Rhaenyra is clearly very bored (and maybe a little bit in love, too soon?), so she draws Alicent towards her tree the second she sets foot in the garden (or is that just the tree itself? I think it would have happened earlier then).

Also, since she is part of the summer court (and the spring days are getting hotter), does that mean it’s about to be summer? Does that make her stronger or give her more control over the humans/human world?

Anyway, I love how playful she is. There’s still the fae trickery, but this human is interesting and willing to talk and has some wits, so it’s more fun (also, pretty gay). I do feel like she could trick her if she really tried because [although I haven’t been trying very hard to trick you,”] fae can’t like. So she isn’t trying that hard (and could change that if prompted).

She does want Alicent to keep coming back, and being married to the king in a different place would make her unable to visit.

You could also claim she’s just trying to win her trust to eventually get her name, that would be a fae thing to do.

Also, [“No, not my father. It almost was, but the King at that time decided my aunt’s claim was stronger. She’s been our Queen for the last few centuries.”] I’m sorry but this is my favourite bit. The fae aren’t sexist so the person closest to the king gets the throne even if she is a woman. (And poor Alicent can barely believe it).

I’d love to see more if this is you feel like writing it, but I’m already very content with what we got.

(2/2)

-🌲

lol yeah part of the reason I decided to go through the rules is because while fae aus are incredibly common in the dsmp fandom to the point where you can assume most people who read fic will be at least vaguely familiar with the setting and basic worldbuilding of a fae au, I don't think they're really a common thing in the hotd fandom? at least I haven't seen any in the ao3 tag so far. so I didn't know how familiar readers would be with the concept and decided to give a quick rundown just in case

I'll say in my head rhaenyra didn't specifically draw alicent towards her tree. it was more like she was just casting a wide net of influence trying to draw any human that came within range to her tree because, as she said, she was bored. alicent just happened to be there at the right time and place.

also, I don't think the fae don't have influence over the seasons in this world. because the way seasons work is already so strange in the world of westeros, I don't think the fae can really do much to change them. in contrast, the change of the seasons has an affect on the fae. as summer draws closer, rhaenyra will gain more power and strength when she's in the human world. but if she were to pop into westeros during a winter she would be a lot weaker.

rhaenyra is definitely having fun with alicent. and yeah, if she wanted to she could probably trick alicent into giving up her name or at least goad her into a deal, but rhaenyra's done that to humans plenty of times before. it's another thing she's bored of. this human is very pretty, looks to be around her age (at least the equivalent since fae age at a different rate than humans), and is fun to talk to. if she tricks alicent, things will be ruined because alicent won't want to talk to her anymore.

also, I don't want to say the fae were completely past sexism. in my head at least there was a very long and drawn out debate still as to whether rhaenys or viserys should inherit the summer court throne even though rhaenys had the very obvious claim. but the decision was instead made in rhaenys' favor, and that set a precedent that has really helped the fae since then move past a lot of sexist ideas and notions. so like, rhaenys had to fight for her throne, but since she secured it things in the fae realm are a lot better for women compared to westeros.

poor alicent though can barely believe it she's like wait what. a woman. huh. that's possible.

I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far thank you spruce!!! I definitely hope to write more soon (although right now I'm trying to push through the next chapter of under the hanging rose, so after that I'll probably hop back over to this)

[thefanfictiontaria]

Upon your return

Fandom: Dreams Of An Insomniac

Genre: hurt/comfort

TW: monster abuse >:[

Characters: Winfrey, Clyde, Dr Lankmann

The moment Winfrey was captured, Clyde went to search for him. As they finally reunite, there's still small problems.

This is filled with headcanons and things inspired by @crystallizedday 's Ao3 fanfic called "Breaking Out" (it's very good, go read it y'all) (also hope you don't mind me pinging you CD-)

================

The monster was wrecking havoc.

Red lights flashed throughout the building, an alarm blaring alongside them. The asylum staff were panicking, the patients screaming and trashing in their rooms.

Clyde was running around the facility, searching. He was close, he knew it. He felt it.

People tried to stop him. Tried shooting. A roar rang out, shaking the walls, knocking people off their feet. He persisted.

He continuously burst through every set of doors, leaving glass shards on the floor. Nobody else could cross their path.

Finally, the last thing keeping him from their partner was a set of titanium doors. They banged and scratched against the metal in an attempt to break it, but...

"It's futile."

A figure stood right behind him. His head was adorned by a top hat and a menacing, unforgettable smile. He was in a lab coat with a name tag, "Dr Lankmann".

"You can't get inside unless you know the code." The man explained, pointing to the number pad. Clyde was getting angrier by the second. "I'm the only one who knows it. You can kill me, but then you won't get to your dear dear friend. Either that, or we can bargain."

"Fine," Clyde spat out. "What do you want?"

"Information. Simply information. I'll ask you three questions, you answer, and then I'll tell you the code." Dr Lankmann's smile widened.

"Well then, ask away."

"Firstly, how did you appear on earth?"

"I don't know. One day we just were here. I know that our god, Six created us."

"Six? Huh... Okay, secondly, to what extent can you modify your own bodies?"

"It depends. Our limbs can go about two meters longer, and the rest is fully dependent on the individual. What else?"

"What happens to the minds you eat?"

"They vanish after some time, but we can use the information from them." The answer seemed to satisfy the doctor. "Now, give me the code." Clyde demanded.

"It's-" he got cut off by a sharp pain going straight through his left lung. He slowly looked down to see a yellow and black striped tail piercing his chest. He coughed up blood. "But... The code..."

"Oh, I'll know it in a minute."

"Why..."

Clyde grinned wide.

"Revenge. You were so fun to play with, humans are so dense." With those words, he devoured the man's mind, quickly finding the code in his memories. He entered it into the pad and the door opened.

There Winfrey was. His limbs and body attached to the wall by multiple shackles. He looked so exhausted. Clyde hurriedly went to get off the cuffs, managing to pick the locks with his claws. There was something on Winfrey's neck that didn't bind him, Clyde shrugged it off for the moment. The second he was free, Winfrey fell to the floor heavily.

"Winfrey! Get up, please! We need to get out of here!" The orange monster exclaimed in a rush. His partner sluggishly got up and started slowly walking to the exit of the chamber. With time, he began running through the halls, Clyde in front of him, leading them both out. People screamed at them in terror. Winfrey swiped at some of them in anger with a roar, but then winced, Clyde looking worriedly. They devoured some of the people's minds and got even more determined to leave.

At last, they found themselves in a forest near the facility. That's when they stopped.

Winfrey sat on the forest bedding, tired from the events. Clyde sat right next. He hugged their partner, at which the bigger flinched a little.

"Oh dear... Winfrey... What have they done to you...?"

Winfrey just hummed in pain and anger. He then winced again, alarming Clyde. At that moment he noticed the device on Winfrey's neck, the one he disregarded before. It was a shock collar.

They managed to get it off, and at that moment Winfrey truly relaxed. He was really free.

He hugged Clyde. The orange monster smiled and returned the gesture.

He closed their eyes, and suddenly Lankmann's memories flashed in his mind. Memories filled with hurting others, hurting their partner. Their grip tightened around Winfrey. Slowly, tears formed in his eyes. A few sobs left Clyde as he gripped onto their partner. He cried. Tears of relief, but also pain. Tears of regret.

"Hey, Clyde... It's okay... I'm here now..." The bigger tried to comfort him.

"I-I know... And I'm happy but... It shouldn't have happened...." Clyde sobbed further.

"Humans are unpredictable. We couldn't have known they found our location. It's not your fault," Winfrey assured.

"B-but-!"

"Shhhh..." He wiped the smaller's cheek. "It is not your fault."

Clyde hiccuped and slowly nodded.

"I-I found us a n-new lair... We should go there..."

"Yeah, let's go."

They ventured further into the forest. After a longer while of travel, they arrived at an abandoned wooden house. It was pretty small, but just big enough to fit the two.

Upon entering, Winfrey concluded it used to be a woodsman's home. It was filled a bit with trash, but mostly a few horn trophies. He also noticed his violin and a few trinkets from their previous lair.

"Welcome to our new home!" Clyde said with a weak smile.

"Where's the nest?"

The orange monster's smile dropped further.

"Well... I just used the bed, since a nest is something you share with another..."

"Give me a minute then." Winfrey ran out and gathered a few branches. He returned and walked towards the bed. He set the branches on the floor, grabbed the mattress, and began arranging the nest. The moment he was finished, he sat in the middle with a welcoming smile.

Clyde immediately leaped into it, cuddling Winfrey close.

"Now this is home."

[fohatic]

i wonder if—aside from easier access to technology—this has anything to do with the fact that the media landscape has changed so much in recent history? franchises seem to have widened their nets, marketing to increasingly younger audiences while simultaneously capitalizing on the nostalgia of more mature audiences. there are so many throw-backs and remakes, etc; stuff like stranger things, which is ostensibly a young adult series that very much appeals to gen x and older millennials (by design). when i think of older fandom culture, i think of media like star trek that might've been too cerebral for younger audiences to gravitate toward (initially; until the jj abrams remakes started coming out, casting younger, "hotter" actors in splashy films that in turn attracted younger audiences) -- at least not to the degree that they'd be interested in seeking out an entire subculture devoted to delving deeper into its textual and subtextual themes and motifs, like adult fans were doing.

but now the lines between childrens'/YA media and entertainment for adult audiences have become increasingly blurred, with the success of big franchises like harry potter and the MCU. before all the jk rowling drama, those books and movies were considered *good,* even by adult standards, and they were undeniably appealing to a wide range of consumers. then iron man 1 came out and was a surprise hit with adult audiences, who appreciated the complexity of the characterization and the mature, nuanced storyline; meanwhile it also packed a big action punch and was well-paced, keeping it entertaining for younger audiences. subsequent MCU movies—especially avengers 1—were sillier and more cartoonish, but still compelling enough to keep the adults interested in the developing saga. i might be totally wrong about this, but i'm gonna go ahead and assume that prior to the MCU, the marvel fandom was predominately filled with more mature fans, and that the MCU flooded the fandom with youngins who were quick to establish themselves and take over fandom spaces as if it belonged to them.

that massive influx of young fans looking for like-minded communities to get hyped with over their new blorbos happened at the same time that kids were gaining easier access to the internet—when technology was booming—and then once those same kids starting aging out of their early fandoms—going to college; graduating college— this whole new age of fandom insecurity started developing amongst those who still hung around, as their fandom friends started leaving and younger fans started replacing them. likewise, those new fans who waltzed right into these fandom spaces without knowing the history (let alone the etiquette) entered into those spaces with preconceived (inaccurate) ideas about what they were, bringing their own prejudices (and their dreaded "purity culture") into the mix as they tried to re-frame fandom as something that centered around them while marginalizing and policing those who didn't conform to their new world order -- fandom 'olds' presented a way of being with its own (well-established) codes of conduct that threatened the pseudo-superiority of this bright-eyed, youthful new generation of fans, and they started throwing shade to compensate.

is this a totally bonkers, unfounded take? or am i onto something here?

wild thing about all those "why are people over 30 still in fandom" posts is that the idea of fandom (in the sense of writing fic etc) being a youth subculture or even a hobby that was particularly accepting of young people is insanely recent, like, last 20 years at most. prior to that not only was fandom overwhelmingly both driven and populated by people well into adulthood, but if you were a teen trying to write or discuss fic on livejournal or usenet you almost certainly avoided telling people your age, not only because that was general best practice for minors on the internet at the time but because you'd have felt very out of place if all those grownups had known you were a kid, and in fact there's a good chance they would have banned you from whatever community you were trying to participate in. the way that state of affairs managed to get memory-holed so completely we've transitioned to one where a lot of people think fanfiction is and has always been a hobby for teenagers that some unusually childish adults just never grow out of is genuinely bizarre