#and all the writers and artists and lovers of this beauty in this fandom will give you just that

[xoxoemynn]

fuck you, Max. I'm gonna love these characters better than you ever could.

[voices-in-dark-violets-head]

"Be Yourself", says the Furry Fandom.

And yet, as with many things in life, it's far easier said than done.

I've found that 'being myself' can take a lot of bravery, but I want to tell you why it's so, so important.

Storytime!

At Eurofurence this year, I ran the e621 Gameshow for the third year in a row. And for the third year in a row, we were over capacity. As in, security-comes-in-to-tell-people-to-leave levels of over capacity (Which, my dear sympathies once again with those who had to go!)

We had a crowd that was there for an hour and a half of weird furry porn. Who cheered for horsecock. Who delighted in Falco Lombardi macro art. A hundred people - a quarter of the room - gleefully admitted to being into vore.

The atmosphere was electric, and I hadn't even needed my e-stim kit. This was a crowd who rejoiced in the adult side of the fandom!

And then I asked them - how many people had a fetish they'd be nervous admitting to?

A third of the room raised their hands.

In a room that had been laughing moments earlier about the amount of Mufasa/Simba porn, or getting a 100% success rate on guessing popular cock shapes, 1/3 of them weren't confident in revealing those same parts of themselves.

I don't think this is rare.

I've had folks ask me if I get hate for the kind of art I draw (not really much at all, by the way). But worse, I get people telling me - they wish they could draw what they want, write the characters they love… but they fear what others might say.

I've had commissioners remain anonymous, for fear of people knowing what they're into. Known artists start up alt accounts, so that they can draw a kink without their friends knowing. Writers wringing their hands over possible reactions to their stories.

And I would love to tell you it's all just fear - but truth is, it isn't.

Because it ain't just the big patron sites that are swinging the axe on the 'too weird'. Our own sites - our communities - sharpen their restrictions. Whole kinks, loving and accepted, are now 'too far'.

We're fearing the gaze from the outside. We're hearing their derision. And that can scare us, cause us to hide not just ourselves, but those around us. "What if they think that I'm into that? What would they say? I need to prove I'm not!"

We all crave love and acceptance. And in a fandom formed in rejection from society, don't we just hold such ideals even more tightly? So much so that the very idea of this same community throwing us out - for being ourselves? Of course it's terrifying.

But it turns out, even us outcasts, outsiders… we can all hold prejudices. We all have the ability to draw lines, and give too little thought to what that means. We can so easily turn our own opinions, our fear of what others think of us, into rules that hurt and exclude.

And therein lies the issue. "Be yourself", says the fandom, without stopping to consider how treacherous, how thorned that path can be. To be yourself, sometimes, is to suffer the disgust of those who would tell you to do it in the first place.

But… I'm missing something.

Thing is, this fandom isn't based on any one thing. We're not just here because Zootopia was a kinda cool movie, or Twokinds is pretty sexy, or StarFox looks good when he's fifteen stories tall.

We follow no one IP, no webcomic, no TV show. We follow only one thing:

Ourselves.

WE make the fandom we live in. We're dozens of sexualities, a hundred meetups and conventions, a thousand discord servers and Telegram channels, a million pictures and stories and alt-accounts and roleplays…

We decide what we are.

Aren't we the haven of the weird? The questioning of sexualities? The taboo, even incomprehensible kinks? We joke about vore, knots, gratuitous foot fetishists, but isn't that what makes this place home? Isn't every artist drawing obvious kink art following a beautiful legacy?

We are the monsterfuckers. The maw-obsessed, the paw-sluts, the musk-lovers (er, not that one). With every fetish we draw, every kink we commission, every smut-filled story and problematic character and taboo-laden roleplay…

We're the fandom, making ourselves.

Through being myself, through art and stories and chats and servers, I've found new communities. New friends. New ways to think, new art to enjoy. I've found love, deeper than I ever thought possible.

I've found myself.

And I've been told that through my artwork, stories, friend groups, I've helped people do the same. They've found the words to describe what's been inside them this whole time.

They've found they're not alone.

It's one of the sweetest and most delightful things I've heard.

Yes, it takes bravery to be yourself. You risk being misperceived, either accidentally or wilfully. You risk hurt. You risk confusion. But it's nothing you haven't done before. And in its wake, you will find yourself.

Do not let other people dictate who you are.

Do not let other people dictate who you are.

So when I say to keep furry weird, this is what I mean. Find that part of yourself that yearns to be free, and make this fandom the place for it.

Be yourself. Be so amazingly yourself that your very existence is an act of rebellion.

And Keep. Furry. Weird.

[witch-and-her-witcher]

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going! Thank you to everyone who tagged me and have had me in their inspo sections, I adore each and every one of you!

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

518,691 (hoping to add another 3-4k to this before midnight hehe)

I CANNOT drop that number without thanking the fucking dream team who has read EVERY SINGLE PUBLISHED WORD of mine: @popjunkie42 and @climbthemountain2020. From cheerleading, to pumping the breaks when my run ons be running, I appreciate the ever-loving hell out of both of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Honorable mention betas who hold up that number: @cauldronblssd, @wilde-knight, @thesistersarcheron, and @rosanna-writer. I truly appreciate every one of you babes and your critical, brilliant eyes on my self indulgent streams of thought.

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

21! 13 of those were one shots.

If I can be real, I have two multi-chapter WIPs sitting in my docs, but it felt too irresponsible to post those once I started getting buried in grad school.

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

Heading into the new year, I have 2 in progress fics: Ruin Me for the Fourth Wing fandom and Who's Gonna Know You Like Me? for ACOTAR.

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

Any of my poly fics! I really have to thank @acourtofladydeath for her beautiful brain child @polyacotarweek for getting me into the poly mind set. Although I only wrote throuples for that week (and since aside from the background Nesta/Eris/Azriel/Cassian in Who's Gonna Know You Like Me?), I am interested in writing more complex poly pairings in 2025.

I also can't leave out @yanny-77, @copperfirebird and @hockeyspiral23 for supporting the violaiden obsession! I adore writing the three of them together so so much and it's so fun to have others to share the brain rot with!

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

I had never done a true canon rewrite before dripping in gold! It was so so fun taking an in text scene and making it queer as hell.

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

It's undeniable that A Court of Chaos and Darkness's reception took me by surprise. From the moment I couldn't shake the concept of the fic to the over one hundred kudos it received before I took it off of anon. But even more so, the absolute comfort blanket this fic was as I wrote it was shocking. Something in the healing occurring, in the recognition of the complexity of parenting and the messiness of the parent/child relationship really struck me.

The fic @revenge??? I love you filthy azris lovers. This was an outlet for some of my dating app blunders and shenanigans and you all really said "serve."

And then there's my first omegaverse fic and the first of it's kind in the Fourth Wing ao3 tag (when it was posted, I believe there's several more now!): so what now? The Fourth Wing fandom has been warm as hell and so inviting to me, but you have all really embraced me bringing weird into the tags and I just can't thank you enough as I gape at the stats.

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Either of my sapphic fics: dripping in gold (genderbent feysand) and lunch. (morlain ft the mommy kink tag!)

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

There are so, so many talented artists that inspire me! @thrumugnyr, @copypastus , @queercontrarian and @lucychanart have been my muses for all things Tamlin. @climbthemountain2020 and @wilde-knight are triple threats and their art brings me such joy! There's also @dustjacketdraws that always has primo Cassian and Nesta vibes!

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

There are SO many. First and foremost, my babe @popjunkie42. I love you, my muse. Something about reading your writing and just chatting with you inspires all of my ideas to flow. @asnowfern is another muse and writer I can always turn to for inspiration, we were just recalling her Turning Darkness Into Light elucien spooktober fic that tickles my imagination so much among her other works!

I'm inspired and impressed endlessly by @climbthemountain2020 ability to flawlessly produce well developed, gorgeously vivid stories.

@highlordofkrypton, @missfckingfortune and @beesays inspire me constantly with their raw talent and skill and for the first two, the hot and steamy smut they can turn out. @jules-writes-stories inspires me with her OC work and beautifully layered plots (Mithras, my toxic love.) @c-e-d-dreamer inspires me with her fun AU worlds, but also with her fearlessness to tackle toxic relationships - @secret-third-thing is in this same boat as well as @iftheshoef1tz, @foundress0fnothing, and of course the OGs @thesistersarcheron, @whisperingmidnights, @separatist-apologist and @the-lonelybarricade.

There are so many more of you. I love this community and the inspiration that flows all around your creative, galaxy brained minds.

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

SO many, but those I haven't mentioned yet who are so so talented (but not limited to this list): @dusk-muse, @chairofchaos, @shadowsandlint, @xxvalkyriesxx, @fourteentrout, and @littedidyouknow.

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

None this year, but the idea is fun!

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

Could You Love Me While I Hate Myself is my proudest accomplishment this year by far. I always told myself I couldn't: write OCs, write a longfic, or write a fic that would ever break the UNBELIEVABLE stats this fic has done. I proved myself wrong on every front.

Thank you so much to @asnowfern, @popjunkie42 and @wilde-knight for seeing me through this capstone fic and for believing in me and helping me see myself in a totally different light.

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

Be as silly and self-indulgent as possible.

If you have a killer idea/dialogue line/etc - WRITE IT DOWN. YOU WILL NOT REMEMBER IT LATER.

14. What is your advice?

Surround yourself with people who make you feel like you can accomplish anything and you will never fail because there they will be, gassing you up flop or not.

I love you, harem. Writing is so fun BECAUSE of you. <3

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

Continuing to eat, serve and let the haters drown in it.

[sofasoap]

Sofasoap's Call of Duty Fic Rec

Always wanted to make a list of my very subjective CoD fic rec list, and also I promised my good buddy @groguspicklejar ( famous author of Beloved series) a list of fic recs, let me list some of my beautiful mutual's and some amazing writers and artists so they can go binge read.

Edit : I'll keep adding artist/writers on as I go. When my brain cells is functioning.

@saltofmercury -Let's start off with the mother of my Mini MacTavish. The one who made me fell in love and hit the nail in the coffin for CoD fandom.

If you are into König, her " Break-in" series is a must read. check out her Soap fics too :) Masterlist

@floral-force - My bestie! delicious Simon/Ghost fics.

American Hospitality is my favourite. Or honeypot is guarantee making you crave for more :)

Check out their Mando fics too :)

@a-small-writer-in-a-big-world - You want slow burn? check out lovely Bear's "The Roommate Series". Wonderful progression of relationship between Simon and his room mate. Your Friendly Neighbor Soap and Shy reader, OH SO CUTE.

@deadbranch - Spy and Cold war style fics? You are in the right place. The killing moon and Dying sun series. Gut wrenching.

or check out the light hearted None Taken ( personal favourite!), threesome fics? Goth style Reader? Check out their MASTERLIST for full list of goodies.

@brewed-pangolin The president of "Soap Squad" club.

Fireside Whiskey - personal favourite. Soft and thoughtful Soap is just heaven. Kati's page is full of wonderful Soap deliciousness. check it out if you want some Soap fun.

@writeforfandoms  - Jen jen jen jen jen. Multifandom talent. AU Prodigy. But let's focus on the CoD here, Puppy Love - Price and puppy? can't go wrong with that. Born for Greatness and Howlin' For You Shifter!AU is my latest obsession here.

@random-thot-generator - Kris, The princess of Thotland and Thotlandia. Their latest work: A Patient Man - had me all hot and bothered. Sweet sweet Rudy. OH how can you be so sexy.

@jynxmirage, Jynx!!!! the one I blame for falling into Top Gun fandom. but that's not the point :P

Communication is Key - my current obsession :) Soft caring Price, oh give me this Captain price any day...

@as-is-above-so-below  - Oh Gezez, Simon X OC ( Freya ) fic The Captain is utterly brilliant. Angst, suspension, Thirst, smut... you name it, you get it.

@roosterr - my Fellow Nikolai fanatic, check out her "guardian angel"

series, action action action and of course, love story :)

@siilvan - another one of my fellow Nikolai fanatic, Aqua Regia

series , Nikolai the flirt, sexy flirt , complete with smut * smirk *

@homicidal-slvt - How can I forget the spark to my Lastochka series?

and one of my biggest supporter.

Check out their creative CoD Headcanons and full list of CoD works that will guarantee satisfaction.

@nrdmssgs - to round off my Nikolai fanatic club , and also brilliant artist, A heart full of pity series is one of my latest obsession featuring good old Nikolai.

@captainpriceslover - my crack fic inspo buddy ( miss you a lot!!!). the one gifted me ideas of Soap dispensers lol.

aiaigasa (相合傘) - featuring our TF141 sweet boy, Gaz, had my heart melting.

@starstruckmiraclekitty  - You want H/C and scenarios? * falling out of the bag * here is the place to go. :)

@random0lover - you want soft fluffy Soap? Hot Chocolate & Hoodies, you want angsty type of story? Open Wounds and War Paint

you get all with Kat!!!

@lethalchiralium , how can I forget Keri! ( I knew I forgot someone.. argh )

The Happiness series, don’t let the title fool ya (well it does bring you happiness reading such talented writing) this story is like washing machine, throws your emotions all over the place, let you grip onto your chair, wanting more.

@mistydeyes so many awesome stories to choose from! My current favourite is "choose your flowers, carefully" Good old Gaz x reader story, and one of my favourite trope - childhood to lovers 🥺 please go check it out!

Now , Some brilliant artists:

@shkretart - This utterly utterly talented person, Price and Nikolai and Simon, will have your nose bleeding within 0.1 seconds.

@ave661 - out of this world 3Drenders always have my eyes popping out of the socket.

@nrdmssgs - mentioned once, should mention again, beautiful art :)

@wombywoo - TF141 boys in their dress uniform? YES PLEASE.

@namedlunagoddess - another 3Drender goddess. OH CHECK OUT HER Sowa Team fic if you are into Gromsko, its HOT SMUTTY DELICIOUS FIC.

@hffhifjou - You want rugby boys? You get rugby boys :) and football. and all sort of deliciousness :)

I am sorry If I miss out anyone. after 13+ hours at work I am exhausted.

[slayfics]

Who are your top four moots?

Oh swerve, I know you didn’t just ask me to choose between my beautiful moots.

I love them all. So I’ll just give some shout outs instead.

Ignoring that four person rule, I don’t see it 🙂‍↔️.

@unofficialmuilover of course, my beautiful friend that indulges in delusions with me.

@kurumi-igarashi my amazing artist friend that is always there for me.

@mintsbubbletea my fellow bad bitch that brings out the demons in me. In the best way.

@ramuunene my beautiful, amazing, silly, artist daughter.

@valartsstuff my amazing artist friend that’s been supporting me from the beginning.

@ayunakatsukiwolfhashira my amazing child that has supported me through all my fandoms.

@larz-barz my amazing child that I can always count on to hype me up when I need it.

@peachsukii my amazing fellow fic writer and Katsuki fucker that sends me cute little pics.

@starieq the definition of a hype girl and biggest fan. You’re the absolute best.

@queenpiranhadon my amazing moot that has such creative ideas that truly blow me away. Plus indulges with me in our OCs hehe.

@azzo0 can’t even believe we’re moots because her fics are so amazing.

@isabeauwolf my fellow Overhaul lover, so happy to have run across you here.

@bythevay my fellow Shinso lover, and we have some surprises soon for you all.

[beauty-beast-week]

TL;DR: let’s be friends y’all

This event was organized by @firawren for largely selfish reasons. For one thing, I wanted to have more BatB fic, art, and other goodies to eat up, and now I do!

But secondly, I wanted to foster more community amongst this fandom. I think this event has shown that there are actually a lot more people who are into Disney’s Beauty and the Beast than you might have thought (than I thought at least!), yet we’re not at all united as a fandom community. There are a few little pockets of friends, but I don’t know most of you. Most people only know a handful of others, if any. And I think that’s sad.

Would you join me in making an effort to be more connected to one another? To show ongoing interest in each other’s works, to lift each other up and motivate each other to keep creating, to just chat and laugh and share joy over our shared obsession with this beautiful story?

I know of three Discord communities for BatB fans that we can try using!

Beauty and the Beast Lovers is the most inclusive server, in my experience. However, there are several minors there, which some adults aren’t comfortable with, just as a heads up.

The Enchanted Rose is a smaller, closer-knit group, but also allows all folks to join, including minors.

The most creation-focused server is Frozen Hearts Worth Melting. It’s 18+ and specifically for BatB (and Frozen) fanfic writers and artists, with a very supportive, inclusive, fanwork-positive vibe. DM moderator @loonysama on Discord or Tumblr if you want to join us there.

Beyond Discord, let’s continue to connect and support each other here on Tumblr! I for one am always happy to chat about BatB and/or my work on my main account @firawren.

And if anyone has any other suggestions of how we can be more united and supportive in this fandom, add your thoughts to this post!

Thanks friends!

[marigolddove]

Love Begins With Murder, Believe it or Not.

Part 3

Request by: @yandere-dark-cupid

I stayed up until 3 am writing this, passed out and then woke up at 6 am to finish it lol. It's okay though I'm not tired, I'm just happy to be writing. I hope you all enjoy this part there will definitely be another part which will probably be the final for a while. I'll probably try and leave this story with a not-so-official ending because I might make one-shots based around this in the future.

Also I'm getting a new job soon so that might cut into my writing a bit but I'm going to keep writing no matter what I'm so grateful for Welcome Home and all it's characters and all my fellow fanfic writers and artists out there making more and more content for this fandom. You guys are all awesome and Welcome Home is officially my comfort Fandom, without it I might've never wrote anything ever again. So thank you to @partycoffin, and all of the AU creators, you're all truly wonderful people.

Warnings: Cussing, mentions of torture and violence, anger issues.

@elegantkidfansoul, @sunkyss, @all-things-fandomstuck, @sailorsimp13, @cricketsjunk

💀♥️💀

Wally couldn't believe he didn't have one single vase in his apartment, not one! He had been so certain he'd had flowers before, surely he'd had…he was a lover of beauty and nature, so it was extremely frustrating when he couldn't find his—imaginary—vase.

He could've let it go there, just put the bouquet in a tall glass or leave them out to dry and get a vase tomorrow, but to be honest he was procrastinating when he suddenly decided he needed a vase before his nap; he knew of a flower shop fifteen minutes away on a strip he was well familiar with—he often got lunch or dinner from a nextdoor diner, well he did before he hit this depression.

That's what all this is about, after all. Depression.

He lost the desire, the drive, to style his hair, paint, draw, talk to his friends and employees, he doesn't even make eye-contact like he used to; and now to top it all off, he realizes, there's absolutely no life in his apartment. Even his old paintings feel soulless, hollow, because they don't fill him with the emotions he once held as he crafted them.

When the depression set in, he couldn't be sure, it had been a gradual change; but it was one he hadn't noticed until now, he hadn't wanted to think about it.

He feels his face flush in embarrassment as he thinks of his neglect of himself and his home as he drives to the shop, the sky turning orange and blue behind the many buildings surrounding him.

As he kept his eyes trained on the still bustling road ahead, he could only hope he would make it in time so this uncoordinated trip wouldn't be a complete waste.

—————————

With traffic being convinently merciful to him this early in the evening time, he is soon racing to the shops entrance door, bouquet delicately cradled by his left arm; completely missing the 'open' sign flipping to 'closed' as his unoccupied hand grasps the door handle and turns.

As he pushes into the building he is shocked to find an employee standing right at the entrance, hand quickly retracting from the door as they lock eyes with him, seemingly just as shocked by his sudden entrance.

The bell above the door chimes.

For Mr. Darling, renowned local kingpin, ruthless 'family' man, time seemed to slow for a moment, just a moment. It was almost as if the chiming of the bell had put him into a trance, or maybe it was just you.

There you stand, (h/c) hair fluttering from the sudden rush of wind that came from him opening the door, staring right at him; your work uniform fitting you quite nicely, especially with your own accessories that added a unique personal touch, not to mention the smell—which was most definitely the shop, but there is no doubt in his mind that you smell any different—sweet and floral.

You're the first to speak, voice a bit nervous at his stare, "O-Oh! Hello, we–ah, I, was just about to close up shop." You move the hand that had been reaching for the door handle to fiddle with a ring on your opposite pinky finger, a sign of anxiety.

Realizing how he must look, a bit wild from the wind whipping his already disheveled hair around with tired eyes, his ears and cheeks grew a little hot, but he clears his throat into his hand as he tries to recover from his sudden and silly attraction.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to just barge in here, but…" he shrugs the arm cradling the bouquet, "I'm looking for a vase, this shop was the only place I could think to find one and it wasn't a far drive…I thought I had a vase, but I was wrong." He explains ratherly lamely, his usual suave and calm demeanor shattered by his growing embarrassment at his current mental and physical state. This was a mistake, he should've just waited for the morning or let the flowers dry out, he should be sleeping right now.

Like an angel you smile at him, so bright and warm it almost feels like the sun is beaming at him, "That's alright! I don't mind a bit, sir, follow me I have some you can choose from in the back." You move to allow him full access and then make your way to what looks to be a storage closet at the back of the shop.

He follows without a word, eyes glued to your figure as you seem to glide to the back, your feet making little to no noise as you move.

The door to the storage closet is open with chalk board sign leaning against the wall next to the door frame, 'small vase $10, medium $15, large $25 ALL HAND MADE!!'.

"You make your own vases?" Wally asks, impressed even before seeing the quality of your work.

You flush as you glance at the sign and then gesture to the closet, signaling him to take a look at your stock, "Yeah, it's a new thing I started doing…I've always been into crafts and stuff like that and working with clay seemed really fun and challenging, so…." He notices your words grow softer, seemingly embarrassed.

Well he can certainly tell you're a beginner, many of the pieces seem a bit lop sided or misshapen, but some are charming due to their faults. Something art had taught him early on is to love imperfections just as much as perfections.

"They're charming." He says, and it's the truth, hearing the honesty in his tone makes you turn a bit more red as you smile gratefully at him.

"Which would you recommend for this bouquet?" He asks, he already has an idea of which vase he'd pick but he wants to hear your opinion.

You eyeball the bouquet, a knowing look sparkling in your (e/c) eyes, and look to the assortment of pottery, "hmm".

Your eyes land on a particularly unique piece on the bottom shelf, it's wide and a bit overly round at the bottom and it narrows a bit more dramatically than you intended at the top, it was also colorful, painted with vertical rainbow stripes that had come out very pastel when you had originally wanted a very bold rainbow color. Overall it had been a bit of a flop, but at the same time it has become one of your favorite pieces and it was a tragedy it had never been used. Whether it looked good with this particular bouquet didn't really matter, to be honest it didn't compliment the bouquet at all, but it deserves a home.

Following your gaze, Wally examines the piece you're staring at so intensely.

"Is that the one?" It certainly wasn't the one he was going to pick, but the way you stared at it with such sentiment made his heart leap. Oh how he missed the days when he would look at his own art with such a nostalgic and sentimental gaze.

"I don't know…it's a little ugly, to be honest…it doesn't really go with the flowers."

"I can always get more flowers." He responds smoothly, catching even himself off guard.

The two of you lock eyes again and he wishes he had examined himself before coming here, so he could know how you see him. He's certain he looks like a mess, and not a hot one.

You seem taken back by his response, but recover quickly to smile, "Yeah, I guess you can. This is a flower shop after all." You glance down at his bouquet again, "you wouldn't happen to know someone named Julie, would you?"

He knew you would recognize the tag and the flower combination, so your question didn't phase him, "Yes, actually. I'm sorry I couldn't come in for the flowers myself, at the time I was…busy."

"Ah, no need to apologize, worrying about a funeral is tough even when you weren't close to the person who died. I'm sorry for being a bit nosey."

"I don't think you're being nosey at all," he ignores the bit about the funeral, not wanting to really lie, but still omitting the truth, "these flowers you picked are really very lovely, I almost want to keep them for myself." He absolutely intends on keeping them for himself.

Your smile turns a bit bashful, "Oh, well thank you. It's nice to know I got it right." Turning back to the shelves of pottery, you crouch to the one you had been staring at, "So is this the one you'd like? Or did you have your eye on another?"

"I'll take that one and these two as well." He gestures his free hand to two other pieces, one being a bit plain and lumpy, the other a bit more colorful; the base color being yellow with red and blue swirls.

"Three?" You ask, a bit surprised.

He grins at you, and unknown to him your heart flutters, "This way I have an excuse to come back, I'm going to need flowers for them, right?" It's been a while since he's tried flirting, but by the way your entire face seems to light up and flush he's certain it's been effective.

"R-Right," you grab two of the vases as he grabs one, "that's three medium sized pots so it'll be $45 dollars." The two of you make your way to the check out counter and place the three pots delicately, "I'll go ahead and wrap these for you." As he grabs the money out of his wallet, you rummage through the work table and pull out a bundle of plain wrapping paper. Carefully, you wrap each individual piece in a thick protective layer of paper, then delicately place the three into an oversized grocery bag, adding more wads of paper between each piece.

Wally lays the money down onto the counter, slipping an extra $5 bill as a tip, as you place the finishing touches on the bag of fragiles. When you're pleased with your work, you hand him the bag with a wide grin, collecting the cash; before you can finish counting Wally tips his head to you.

"You have a good night, doll, stay safe." Without another word he exits the shop, you call after him about his change but he doesn't respond. Upon examining the extra $5 bill closer you notice a series of numbers written on it, when had he done that?

It doesn't take a genius to know that he's written a cell phone number on the bill, despite his somewhat messy appearance your stomach feels as though it's infested with butterflies at the idea that he might have been interested in you. He certainly had flirted with you a little bit, but that didn't have to mean anything, but leaving his number? That means something.

He did say he would need to come back for more flowers, you smile at the thought, carefully folding the bill and tucking it into your pants pocket. You begin to close shop again, this time with no interruptions.

—————————

Julie should've told him he looked this awful, he thought to himself as he examined his reflection in the rear view mirror. No, no, no this won't do! Horror pierced it's way into his heart as he also realized that this is how he had looked during your entire interaction. He had flirted like this…left his number looking like this.

A part of him wanted to storm back into the shop and explain that this isn't him, just something he's been dealing with, tell you that he's not some pathetic, greasy nobody like he knew you must've thought he was.

He's Wally fucking Darling, he kills whoever he wants, whenever he wants, sells what he deems profitable no matter how morally gray and takes whatever he pleases. The people that surround him know to not only fear him but to adore him.

In his sudden shock and growing fury he almost, nearly, throws the bag of pottery to the floor of his passenger side; but he doesn't, of course, he's much too collected to just fly off the handle and break things—he most certainly is not, just two weeks before he broke that not-so imaginary vase he knew he had, it had been in a fit of frustration towards Howdy for failing a trade agreement; Wally didn't remember it now, but that day he had taken his only vase and chucked it at Howdy's much higher head. He had missed entirely, and now he's forgotten the whole ordeal.

Thankfully there's even less traffic, somehow, on the way back, which keeps his temper low but bubbling gently to the surface. A rolling boil was sure to start.

When he arrived back to his apartment, he placed the pots onto his sofa along with the bouquet, so delicate compared to the war of emotions he held inside.

Remember: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6���

He enters his massive, stunning bathroom and makes a b-line for the mirrors, he needs a better look at the damage his neglect has done.

If looks could kill one look would make the mirrors shatter, this isn't who he is. He feels like an imposter in his own body when he looks at himself, hair greasy and wild—no longer slicked back due to the wind, he doesn't even like slicking back his hair, it isn't his style! Then there's the grotesque bags under his eyes, when had they become so dark and puffy? How hadn't he noticed sooner? The rage was building now.

7, 8, 9—

Why was his skin so dull an–and sallow?!

Suddenly the sound of his marble counter top cracking triggers a roar of emotion to overwhelm him, he doesn't even register he's injured himself by slamming a fist down onto the marble. The emotions are so raw, so heavy, he doesn't even realize he's out of the bathroom now; doesn't hear the carnage he's creating or his own howls and shouts of incoherent anger and frustration.

When and how did he become so pathetic? How long had the others just sat idly by watching him grow weaker and uglier. His anger blinds him to the memories of when they had tried, all of them had; even Howdy, who wasn't the biggest fan of Wally to begin with, had tried.

The shrill ringing of his telephone snaps him back to reality, in his now bloodied and bruising hands he grips a broken frame that holds–held one of his own designs. His breathing is heavy and his head is swimming, wasn't he just in the bathroom a moment ago?

He drops the frame and stumbles to the phone, wincing at the loudness of it, he doesn't even take a moment to collect himself before answering.

"What do you wa–"

"Hello!" Your soft, sweet voice timidly interrupts his rude greeting.

Suddenly his stomach dips and his heart flips, he really hopes you hadn't heard him.

"Uh-uhm, it seems like I've caught you at a bad time, ha ha. I'm sorry about that, sir." You had heard his sour attitude, fuck.

"No, no," he corrects hastily, not wanting you to hang up, "I'm sorry, I just…I just injured myself getting to the phone." The lie feels bitter, like bile rising in his throat, fuck why did he lie?

"Oh," is your meek response, then a pause, "Well…I'm sorry for calling you so soon…and it's a bit late too, ah, this is so silly I'm really sorry."

He's about to reassure you he doesn't mind in the slightest, and it's the truth, but you continue quickly.

"It's just that I didn't ever give you my name, a-and I never got yours. Also I wanted to give you my number as well, that way I don't have to do all the calling myself, you see." Your stuttering is cute, but your sickeningly sweet reason for calling him has him swooning most of all.

"I see, well," he straightens himself, confidence filling him once more, "My name is Wally, Wally Darling, and you are..?"

"Y/N, Y/N L/N."

"That's a lovely name for such an enchanting flower like yourself, Y/N." He purrs, his turmoil and self-esteem issues quickly forgotten by this new cocktail of emotions, suddenly he's like a giddy teenage boy; twirling the phone cord between his fingers, a toothy smirk growing on his face and he imagines you blushing like you did in the shop.

"Your name is really cute too," you reply, you sound embarrassed but you're definitely smiling.

"Thank you," he grabs the note pad and pen he keeps by his landline, "Now then, what's your number?"

"O-Oh, right!" You quickly tell him your number and he repeats it back to you, once he's gotten it correct he smiles, gently placing his pen back down onto the table.

Sighing, "I must say, I'm glad you called." He admits.

"Oh?"

He hums, "Yes, when I got to my car I realized how I must have appeared to you. I typically take better care of myself, but, well, recently I've 'let myself go'." His tone remains light, almost dreamy as he speaks to you, even though on the inside he can feel the suffocating emotions from before bubbling up again.

"I just thought you were having an off day, you're actually very handsome." The way you say it, like its a fact he should already know, makes his face warm. Those emotions dying quickly before they can rise again, for a complete stranger you seem to have a powerful hold over him, you're able to make him feel nervous and excited.

It's pleasant.

"Well," you start, "It's getting late, I'm sure we both have things to do before nighttime."

He glances at the mess he made during his episode, as much as he wanted to disagree he knew he needed to clean up. He wouldn't live in this embarrassment any longer.

"Yes, thank you again for calling me, Y/N. I hope you have a good night."

"You too."

"Stay safe." He hears the receiver cut off on your end, he sighs into the now quiet and lonely air. He's grateful for your ability to distract him, he would've caused more damage to not only his home but to himself had you not called.

Wally looks around at the carnage he caused, grateful he didn't damage his newly aquired pottery and flowers. It's time to fix this.

—————————

When Barnaby returns to the building he's immediately greeted by Frank, with a disgruntled Eddie in tow. He had taken a bit longer than he would've liked with the rat, but the boss told him to really work on the guy, and he wanted to be sure the body couldn't be found and linked back to them. He's very thorough.

So he's a bit tired when he's approached by Frank, their face intense.

"Something's wrong with Wally."

Immediately dread fills Barnaby, worried something happened while he was gone, "What happened?"

"We heard him screaming and loud noises, like things being broken, upstairs."

"And neither of you thought to check on him?!" He barks, immediately heading for the elevator.

"It wasn't like the sound of struggling, I know what a struggle sounds like. He's probably just having a fit, like usual now-a-days, and I don't want myself or Frank to be caught in the cross fire." Eddie replies, his tone indifferent.

Frank sighs, following close behind Barnaby, "I wanted to go up and see him, but after what happened with Howdy–"

"I know." Barnaby cuts him off. A vase hadn't been the only thing Wally had thrown at Howdy the last time he became like this, and the vase hadn't landed anyway; but a paper weight had, and so did his punches. Despite not liking him, Howdy had stood there and taken it, claiming the boss "needed that more than anyone knew".

Barnaby wishes it had been him, not Howdy. He didn't want Wally to hurt him, but he's his best friend and he wants to be the one that's there for him at his absolute lowest, as well as his highest. It feels like recently he's missing all of the moments that are crucial for helping his first friend.

"Thank you for letting me know, I'll go see him alone now. You two get back to…whatever you were doing, have a good night." Frank looks like they're about to respond but the elevator doors close, effectively cutting them off.

Barnaby sighs into the silence of the elevator, readying himself for what's to come when he reaches Wally's penthouse.

He's surprised when he arrives and the room is filled with gentle music coming from the Gramophone—the record player—across the spacious living area; someone's singing in the bathroom, he soon realizes it's Wally singing and he's even more stunned. Wally hasn't sung a song in all the time he's known him, claiming he couldn't carry a tune.

To Barnaby, he sounds like a professional, smooth and suave. It almost feels like he's intruding, but the mess of the room makes him stay. Wally seems to have started cleaning up his mess, which is a nice change of pace. Typically Julie would come in and clean for him after hearing he'd had an episode, saying he deserves a clean safe space, even if he's the one trashing the place.

Barnaby moves to relax on the sofa, careful to avoid the bag Wally had left. He sits and waits a while, enjoying the soft melody and the surprisingly relaxing aura that the chaotic room held. He finds himself humming along with Wally, not knowing the words of his song.

When he hears his friend's singing end and the water shut off his posture straightens and becomes a little tense; worried how his little buddy might react at his sudden intrusion.

To his surprise, Wally exits the bathroom in a plush bathrobe, hair expertly wrapped in a towel atop his head as he continues humming a tune; and when he catches sight of Barnaby he's shocked but smiles.

"Ah, you're back. I did wonder if you would come and see me again today, I'm glad you're back safe." He moves closer to the sofa, bare feet padding against the hard wood floors, "Sorry for the mess, I got a bit carried away again today. I'm also sorry if I've been short with you today."

"There's no need to apologize, Boss. I'm just glad you're looking better."

"I do look better don't I? It's amazing what a shower and a quick skin care routine can do to a man." He says as he rummages through the grocery bag on the couch, pulling out three bulky items wrapped in paper.

He sits next to Barnaby and unwraps them, the record now fading into a new melody. Wally places three…interesting vases on the low table in front of them. His smile seems brighter as he looks at them.

"You starting a collection?" Barnaby jokes.

Wally hums, "I'm considering it."

"I told Julie to buy flowers for the…rat's lady friend, I intended on sending her a message with them, only to find out she herself is a rat. So I decided I'd keep the flowers for myself, they're quite pretty." He explained, his voice soft.

"But what's with the pottery?"

Wally laughs, "Well pretty flowers need equally pretty vases, my friend." Barnaby wasn't sure he would call them pretty, but he wasn't an artist so what would he know?

"Why'd ya get three though?"

"You're awfully inquisitive today, aren't you?" For a moment Barnaby worries he's stepped too far, but Wally's tone sounds mostly teasing and light hearted, "I bought three because I couldn't just pick one that I liked; besides, my home could use more art."

"Yeah, sure. It's just nice to see you smiling and, uh, getting out there." He admits awkwardly, his smaller friend looking up at him with a wide grin, it seems genuine compared to his usual facade.

"It has been nice, today hasn't been perfect, but it's been nice." Wally rises from the sofa, grabbing the plain, lumpy vase and the bouquet as he moves to the kitchen.

Carefully, he fills the vase with the recommended amount of water and retrieves a bit of lemon juice he's had sitting in his fridge for a month now—it's been longer than a month, he just doesn't know that—he adds a few drops to the tap water before arranging the flowers inside the vase.

He carries the vase filled with flowers back to Barnaby and places them at the center of the low table, adjusting it's position on the table until he deems it perfect.

Wally sighs as he relaxes back onto the couch next to his much larger friend, "Now all I need is more flowers to fill the other two, perhaps I'll make paintings of them as well, they're inspiring me already." He didn't say what else might be inspiring him, but in his mind an image of you formed. Maybe he would sketch you as well.

Barnaby raised a brow at him, even though he wouldn't see it, and smiled, "Hey, I'm glad you're wanting to paint again little buddy, after what happened earlier I thought you might be giving up for good."

Mentioning their time together earlier that day seemed to sour Wally's mood a bit, "Yeah, well, torture and death aren't always the best motivation I've realized."

At his sudden tone change, Barnaby scrambles to get him back to his pleasant mood, "So where'd ya get the pottery? Any place I might know?"

This seems to work as a twinkle appears in his eyes once again and he turns to fully face Barnaby, a soft and genuine smile gracing his features.

"You might, Eddie talks about it all the time it would seem, everyone knew about it but me, ha ha." He continued, "Well, actually, I knew of the flower shop but I had never gone in before, until today. You might know it, it's (S/N), over on 9th Street."

Barnaby contemplates the location a moment, he can't say that he does recall a flower shop there, "It's not ringing any bells, but whats so special about it, you seem very…happy and I'm not so sure it's about a flower shop."

Wally's eyes widen and pink dusts across his cheeks, something Barnaby isn't sure he's ever seen happen to his friend before, "Well, I suppose it's about more than a shop, yes," then he stubbornly adds, "Although the flowers do make me happy."

Barnaby motions for him to continue, Wally sighs and while it sounds like frustration he still has a grin on his face.

That's when Barnaby learns about you, although he's certain he might have heard of you before through Eddie Dear, but he knows Eddie never talked about you so dreamily.

This is also when Barnaby learns that his best friend might have experienced love at first sight.

[bemyvalentinechallenge]

The Be My Valentine Challenge 2024

An event from @timecanalwayshealyou

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The Be My Valentine Challenge is a challenge for writers, artists, and just any kind of creator, from the first of February to the 14th!

The idea is to create thirteen smaller, lead-up pieces based on the prompts; for example, ficlets/drabbles/one-shots, couplets, small artworks, individual gifs, et. cetera - and finish the challenge with a larger work; a fic, a full poem, a gifset, a big artwork, whatever sparks for you!

They can be a series or separate, and you're free to change mediums or fandoms for different days. If you'd rather create fourteen small works, or all large ones, or a combination of both, that's completely up to you! Prompts can be used after the event, combined, just do whatever! Only "properly" used prompts will be reblogged to this page, however.

The catch; it's all romance prompts, in the spirit of Valentine's Day and because everyone on this site is single and lonely.

Each day has a quote from an iconic or relevant romance film (The Notebook, Red, White and Royal Blue, The Fault In Our Stars, Pride And Prejudice, etc.), an iconic love song, and a romantic cliché, act, or item.

This account will be reblogging a few works (art, drabbles, ficposts, etc.) from the event tag (bemyvalentine2024) each day. Full tagging rules, the transcribed prompt list, and other event details are under the cut. If you're unsure about anything, send in an ask! Happy Creating!

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There will be an ao3 collection open from the first of February to the fourteenth for submission. Artworks, gifsets, etc. posted to tumblr should be tagged appropriately to be seen as part of the event.

The official spotify playlist for the event can be found here.

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Anyone who completes this event is considered a Valentine, and anyone who participates is a Lover. At the end of the event, a form will be put out, so if you wish to be tagged in a masterpost, keep an eye out! I won't be fact-checking, it's an honour system, so please be honest.

There will be completion and participation badges, too! They're in the works as we speak!

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Tagging System:

event tag - #bemyvalentine2024

prompt tag - #bemyvalentineno1, #bemyvalentineno2, etc.

(Or #bemyvalentinealt1, #bemyvalentinealt2, if you use alt promtps)

the theme or specific prompt/s you chose - #love poems, #quote, etc.

fandom or oc - #stranger things, #original content, etc.

any trigger warnings/nsfw tags if needed

and then your own tags!

Only works tagged correctly will be reblogged to this page, so please take note!

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Transcribed Prompt List:

Day 1: "But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for." Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion | Love Poems

Day 2: "I want all of you, forever. You and me. Every day." A Thousand Years, Christina Perri | Growing Old Together

Day 3: "I fell in love with a world through her eyes." Ocean Eyes, Billie Eilish | Love at First Sight

Day 4: "I'd rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you." Marry Me, Train | Wedding Vows

Day 5: "My love will keep me from being a lonely spirit." When I Look At You, Miley Cyrus | Long Distance

Day 6: "People do belong to each other, because that's the only chance that anyone's got for true happiness." Home, Edward Sharpe | First Love

Day 7: "It's so nice when you can sit with someone and not have to talk." Sweater Weather, The Neighbourhood | Snowed In

Day 8: "I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." Say You Won't Let Go, James Arthur | Love Letter

Day 9: "You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful." Lay Me Down, Sam Smith | Widowed

Day 10: "Hold on, are you writing a song?" I Want To Write You A Song, One Direction | Love Songs

Day 11: "To me, you are perfect." Perfect, Ed Sheeran | Kissing in the Rain

Day 12: "History, huh? Bet we could make some." Love Story, Taylor Swift | Historical Romance

Day 13: "I wish I knew how to quit you." All of Me, John Legend | Making Up

Day 14: "You don't step in love, you fall in. Head over heels." I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston | Valentine's Day

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[ghuleh-recs]

♡ Fandom Faves Tag ♡

Tag 1-3 (or as many as you want) of your favorite creators (writers, artists, outstanding members of the community etc) and link your favorite creation if you can.

Thank you for the tags @midnight-moth and @coffeeghoulie! I'm gonna challenge myself to not wax poetic and keep these extra short and sweet. That way it's not as intimidating for others to participate (hope that makes sense). Oh and I'm not putting a "keep reading."

Witness my faves (ง •̀_•́)ง

@midnight-moth (who started this tag game ♡) drew THE Phantom art of all time and I recently went absolutely feral for:

Buried in Treasure - Dew x Phantom - E, 3.6k

When his eyes roll forward again, he notices more than just the same riff playing over and over. He notices Phantom’s grip on his hand simultaneously go still and tight. He notices the rosy flush on his cheeks, and the tent in his pants that he tries to conceal with the hand holding the phone. It takes more than a few seconds for all of the dots to connect and when the thought is fully formed, Dew grabs the phone and launches it to the end of the bed.

@ramblingoak hey why is there an angel in the satanic band fandom? I created this whole blog so I could shout about:

The Cardinal's Bride - Cardinal Copia x F!Reader - E, 91k (wip)

A Romantic Adventure in the Old West: After being forced into a marriage with Mr. Saltarian by your father you are sent west to his estate in Nevada. Along the way you end up meeting one of the cowboys you have always fantasized about…

@conjuring-ghouls finds the perfect moments and turns them into the loveliest gifs. On top of that she is endlessly kind and supportive. Look at these!!!

@coffeeghoulie is writing the Aeon x Swiss hurt/comfort fic of y'all's dreams and I got to do my first "official" art collab for it yay!!

Eternal Heatstroke - Aeon x Swiss - M, 17k (wip)

For once in their life, Aeon feels lucky. Whoever's opened this portal, whoever's summoning ghouls Up Top, specifically wants a quintessence ghoul. They may not be the biggest or strongest quintessence ghoul, far from it, but they'll do anything this summoner wants if it means they get to live. Or: being Topside is a drastic change from the life Aeon's used to.

@writingjourney truly the kindest soul and an absurdly talented writer. I screenshot Ibi's tags on my posts all the time because they cheer me up so much 🥹🥹

Friday Nights (series) - Papas x GN!Reader - E, 40k

“But to die as lovers may - to die together, so that they may live together.” ― Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla Each of these stories features a vampire papa and a gender neutral reader.

@anamelessfool writes some of the best world building and characterizations that I have ever read in fanfiction AND she's a fantastic artist.

Violence & Gentleness - Primo x OC - E, 50k (wip)

You made me forget myself...I thought I was someone else, someone good... LATE OCTOBER 1979 Primo has his work cut out for him as the bodyguard of the beautiful and fearsome Mater Emerita Jocasta. As mystery after mystery unfolds, it becomes harder to remain a honest man in this den of thieves called the Ministry.

@foxybouquet makes wonderful art and her colloquial Italian posts are an incredible resource for the fandom.

@angellayercake has angel in her username for a reason tbh. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I learned important things about myself and my love language whilst reading the brilliant:

Banchetto - Terzo x F!Reader - E, 22k (wip)

Papa Emeritus III is struggling to adapt to his life after the Ghost project but perhaps some good homemade Italian food will do the trick.

(I'm cutting myself off here because I could do this all day. I will probably be making another list in the near future because I love and admire so many of you. 😅)

No pressure at all but I would really love to see this tag game keep going! If you're reading this please consider adding some of your personal favorites to the list! This fandom could use some positivity right about now ♡

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  MuseumGiftShopEraser! They have 9 works on AO3 in the Stranger Things Fandom, and 6 of those are in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @museumgiftshoperaser:

Paint the Devil on the Wall

Conversations About Love

Now I'm A Stranger

An Exercise In Denial

Baby, You Were Meant To Follow Me

Her fics are BEAUTIFUL. When I first read Paint the Devil on the Wall I was so obsessed I immediately recced the fic to everyone I knew who would be vaguely interested in a steddie fic. -- anonymous

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

Why do you write Steddie?

I stumbled into it immediately after season 4 came out. I’ve felt very attached to Steve as a character from the beginning of the show and I think I was subconsciously waiting for someone to pair him up with. I think they’re both such great characters to explore themes of dealing with expectation (either by conforming, or fighting against it) and that’s something I always love to write about.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Absolute sucker for fake dating. Can’t get enough of it.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Enemies to lovers! Though now that I’m looking through my AO3 I haven’t actually written that much of it. It doesn’t have to be very intense enemies, though. I just like it when characters don’t immediately get along.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

My brain has been forever rewired by took you for a working boy by pukner. It’s such a gentle, nuanced queer story. It feels vulnerable to me in a way that really only fanfiction can be. Can I sneak in another one?? Because everyone should also absolutely read the shame is on the other side by scoops_ahoy. It taps into this very specific kind of queer compartmentalizing, that I’ve never seen written this well. It broke my heart and patched it right back up.

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

I’ve been stupidly busy with my masters lately so there’s probably not a lot of writing on my horizon. I do have a wip called Doll that I’m slowly chipping away at. It’s a little darker than stuff I’ve written before. I know ‘dark’ isn’t really a trope, but I’m excited to see if I can push these characters a little further. 

What is your writing process like?

Absolute chaos. I write non-chronologically, without an outline, all in the same document. I keep writing snippets and scenes until the whole thing slowly comes together. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

Italicizing words for emphasis. I love it so much, you can rip it from my cold dead hands. It accidentally makes its way into my academic writing for my degree sometimes which is a little embarrassing, but I just love the flair of it. 

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

I don’t really do schedules, it doesn’t work for me at all. I try to make sure I have a decent amount of the story written before I start posting to give me a bit of a head start, but forcing myself to finish something by a certain date is a surefire way to kill my motivation.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Probably Paint the Devil on the Wall. It was the first time I’d written the entire story before I started posting so it went through way more rounds of editing than normal. I think you can really tell. It’s also the longest story I’ve ever written (in general, even outside of fanfic). The whole project gave me a lot of confidence as a writer.

How did you get the idea for Paint the Devil on the Wall?

I knew I wanted to participate in the Bigbang and the deadline was coming up, but I still didn’t have an idea. I decided to work backwards and try to think of something that would be fun for the artist(s) to draw. I had a vision of Eddie wearing dungarees without a shirt, absolutely covered in paint and I knew I had to write something to make it happen. I set the story in 80s New York because neo expressionism is really the only kind of art I could see Eddie making. I think it suits him very well. I do actually have a background in art, though! I’m currently getting my MFA, but I’ve worked full time as an artist for several years before that. I had a lot of fun working my passion for art (and all those art history classes I had to take) into the fic.

When writing Paint the Devil on the Wall, what was something you didn’t expect?

All of Steve’s character, to be honest. The fic is written from Eddie’s POV and for a large part of it he has a very hard time figuring out what Steve’s deal is. Right alongside him, I also had an incredibly hard time figuring out his character. It wasn’t until I was working on the final chapter that he finally clicked for me. I realized very late, just like Eddie, that Steve liked him from the very beginning. Most of the enemies to lovers premise was all in Eddie’s head.

What inspired Now I'm a Stranger?

Oh boy, that was forever ago! I remember I started writing it while I was camping with friends because I liked having something to do after everyone went to bed at night. I think I had the idea for that very first scene where Steve doesn’t remember Eddie and it all sort of spiraled from there.

What was your favorite part to write from An Exercise in Denial?

That was the very first fic I wrote, right after season 4 came out! I’ve never written something that fast, I think the whole thing took me less than a week. My favorite part was probably Robin being completely exasperated with both of them. They’re such complete idiots in that fic.

How do/did you feel writing Baby, You Were Meant To Follow Me?

Ahhh… I never got around to finishing that one. I probably never will, to be honest. I wrote the first two parts quite quickly and then the idea I had for the plot spiraled out of control and I realized I didn’t actually feel like writing the rest of it. There were going to be a lot of misunderstandings and I learned that I find that an incredibly frustrating trope to write (when done for drama at least. For comedy, I’m a sucker for misunderstandings.) So I guess I felt a little in over my head.

What was the most difficult part of writing Conversations About Love?

The ending! That fic is so incredibly personal to me and I knew from the beginning that I wanted it to have a very sappy, happy ending. It was important to me to write an aromantic character getting everything they wanted, but I realized as I was writing it that I don’t actually fully know what that means. So it took a bit more soul searching than fics typically do, but it was very much worth it. 

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

I still think the short little prologue for Paint the Devil on the Wall is the best thing I’ve written. “You don’t draw on things that aren’t yours, baby” is probably the best summary I have for that story.

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

Not really!

Thank you to our author, @museumgiftshoperaser, and our anonymous nominator! See more of @museumgiftshoperaser works featured on our page throughout the day!

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

[valentine-cafe]

˖⁺. we're gonna get sky-high & create a new world .𖹭 ݁

﹙ meet the admins. ﹚ ─── get to know us 𖹭 ” 

  . . . eden rose !! 🍰 :

writer and aspiring artist, editor who pulls her hair out over aesthetics a bit too much. they call me the aesthetic demon and angst monster 🩷 

the pink enthusiast on this blog <3

indian ( a strange mix of north and south bc of families mixing )

I’m a native english speaker who can speak some hindi and tamil, brushing up on my telegu. I'm a bg language learner! learning variations of spanish, italian ( hopefully ) but primarily chinese and arabic ( CRIES )

pansexual aromantic and female

lovvvesss SWEETS, a bit of a cookiemonster 

former fencer and pianist, music composer and dramatic arts student ( STEM MAJOR AND HATED IT IIIII BELONG TO THE LITERATURE )

aspiring to be an english literature or creative writing professor 

I’m a pink fairy<3 ( or so howl says )

really don’t like moths, or the dark or the ocean -

adore flowers! roses especially

love cooking but never ever let me because there’s always a disaster 

snakes are my babies along with fishies 

copper’s defence attorney + talisen’s 781’s wifey<3 ( sighs, just in general a whore for all the talisens/jingyis )

reaperfucker, reapersexual, reaperromantic ( haoyu is my bbg )

you can find my private blog @edensrose

help me steal a plane so I can get to my SPOUSE

 

. . . howl the eldritch !! 🍓 :

hello, I am howl. the eldritch artist, poet and writer, that was cast down to earth with a mission to spread some creativity and a little bit of chaos, but ended up being sold to an eldritch zoo in the 1950s for my crimes of writing too much hardcore angst.

bit of a blue devil if I say so myself — hand me something that is blue and I will steal it.

danish Italian ( with lots of other family in the mixing pot — hence why I speak and learn some specific languages )

as for the languages, I speak a bit of spanish, danish ( first language ), understand swedish, I am fluent in english and I am currently learning italian to reconnect with roots and I am trying to learn chinese.

unlabeled nonbinary ( they/them ) aromantic — one might notice that from time to time my mascot’s appearance changes in the art I make, depending on how I feel during the days I create.

SPICY FOOD LOVER RAAHH, give me all the spicy foods. also, licorice lover if you don’t like the salty licorice, hand it over to me <3

aspiring to be an author, graphics designer and artist that can one day teach art or share my art with the world and inspire other creators and artists.

former theatre student, I did improv and composed songs for the pieces that were made.

I am an eldritch being that follows eden around in all of her lives.

thalassophobic, also have claustrophobia, don’t like narrow stair cases that tilt.

PARENT OF TWO BEAUTIFUL CATS NAMED LUNA AND LUDO. ( yes eden is their mama )

I really like willow trees and lilies. ( all lilies really ! )

love cooking, it is one of my love languages, along with making art of the people I love!

1 ᴀʟᴇꜱꜱɪᴏ Qᴜᴇʀɪᴅᴏ ᴅᴇꜰᴇɴᴅᴇʀ  + alessio and rishen 781's SPOUTH ( I want all of dee alessios and rishens )

you can find my personal account here @bluezenzennie

the proudest whoreluthoe <3.

if you see me running down the streets at 3AM with a bunch of plane tickets, no you don’t.

 

. . . and so it begins !! 🍒 :

just two sillies who created a world together and are joined at the hip<3

we’re both 19+ 

we met via tumblr, may the fourth ( please don’t starwars jokes, we will not get them ), when howl sent some art to cheer up eden from the exam stress she was undergoing. the same day we began interacting about hobbies and ocs and our mutual interests in the fandoms we were in prior. we started chatting on discord and have been inseparable ever since 

we created this whimsical world on accident, by simply allowing our ocs to interact via tupperbots and silly headcanons. it soon turned serious when we discovered we were both fully invested in the lore of our accidentally created world and one day decided to make a blog to share it.

ever since we concluded we should make a blog, we eventually began getting bigger ideas and aspirations in our heads and we thought: “what if we made this world into a bookseries?” it was a joke at first. . . and then we spiralled down.

the world you see on this blog is only some of the new world and story to be featured in the books we are currently working on.

we are very connected to our ocs as they are the reason that we have grown as close as we have, along other personal factors. that said, it was these ocs that brought a lot of this friendship into blossom.

we are SPOUSES married with candied rings 

we keep one another out of trouble ( especially howl with eden SIGHS ) and fly around like two chaotic birdies just wishing to create and make our dreams come true. one day we hope to meet one another ( since we live on opposite sides of the entire fucking ocean )

. . . but we’ll make a plan and have fun while doing so <3

[cowpokeomens]

Ayfuckingo, who’s stealing work👀👀👀 (Who thinks stealing someone’s hard ass work is fun? Wtf)

Yknow I thought abt deleting this ask and my post but I’m feeling feisty and fed up today, actually! This is not directly specifically at you anon 🫶 anyways read at your own risk lol

I’m not dropping names because I’m not a gossip blog, but I think the tendency of certain celebrated “authors” to dip into other people’s creative endeavors for their own work is gross and completely diminishes the whole point of fandoms. Like, this is supposed to be a community. Instead it’s turned into a competition that literally no one wants to be a part of where people say “oh yay, another _____ AU!” Instead of “wow, that’s awfully hyper specific and pretty flagrantly rips off of soemthing I’ve seen before?”

I think we, as members of fandom, have become soooooo wrapped up in the culture of needing to “consume content” that we disregard artistic integrity. We don’t care that the idea is stolen because we love the idea so much. I’m not talking about tropes (ie; enemies to lovers, grumpy!character x sunshine!character, fake dating) I’m talking about the actual creative thought that goes into making a fic. I understand loving someone’s creativity; I’m an artist, and I am constantly absorbing and thinking about art from other people. It’s inevitable that some ideas will trickle into your own work. But there comes a point where there is a clear difference between “inspired” and stolen.

I’m not trying to say this as some kind of writing authority - there are SO MANY talented and hardworking writers on this platform who make beautiful work leagues better than my stupid horny rambles. And like I said, I’m not naming names- the plagiarizers are fully aware of what they’re doing. But the way in which y’all treat fic is really disappointing sometimes. It’s not all about the next update, y’all. This is someone’s art. It’s not just a “good idea” in public domain for you to pluck and use in your own work as you please. It is someone’s art.

I just can’t help but feel like it circles back to a deeply ingrained need to devalue artists. If there was any respect for author’s and their work, this wouldn’t even need to be a conversation. Don’t fucking steal from people. Why do you value the work of an author so little that you feel it’s okay to take something they’ve worked incredibly hard on? Obviously you like it enough to try and pass it off as your own, so why steal at all? There’s a reblog button, you can add comments to let them know how much you love it. What are you gaining?

I’m coming from the position of an artist, not just a fic writer. This has nothing to do with my writing personally (as far as I’m aware, no one is trying to pass off my ideas as their own.) But as an artist, I cannot put into words how saddening and downright violating it is to have someone look at a thing you made, something you put your experiences and thoughts and emotions into, and think “it’s completely fine for me to take this idea and run with it.” That is insurmountably shitty.

Y’all are too damn smart to not notice. I think too highly of y’all as readers and creators to chalk it up to misunderstanding. You probably already had a fic in mind as you were reading this! I think we, as a community, really need to work on our intentionality and integrity with regards to art making. Stealing ideas is not conducive to making art or maintaining any semblance of community in fandom. Anyways this was long, I apologize for nothing, byeeeeeeeeee

[imsiriuslyreading]

i love you and your blog Lana, but jegulus doesn’t make sense. they just don’t, sorry, pretending otherwise is ooc for everyone involved. James had only one true love in his life and it was Lily, replacing her with Sirius’s death eater brother, whom he hated, by the way, takes away huge part of his canon personality. this man died for his wife and his son, he wouldn’t move on from her or divorce Lily, he wouldn’t co-parent with her, he’s a full-time parent, in a marriage, with his wife.

and why there’s a need to replace the most important woman of the group with a man? give him Lily’s personality and use jily tropes? there’s no originality in this ship, it’s recycled drarry with jily’s story….

hiya!

thanks for saying hi, i hope youre havin' a nice day :)

lemme start by saying, i LOVE JILY. i adore them. hard enemies to lovers tends to not be my vibe so that's why i usually go with them over jegulus, but sometimes, the need arises, y'know?

that being said. If you know me at all or see me talking shit on tiktok as i do so (too) often, you'll know my main squeeze is a good old muggle au. and honestly, for me, my favourite thing about them is that these characters that fandom stole from an unworthy author who, frankly, didn't do any of them justice, can be anyone we want them to be.

i think there's something so clever in taking, let's say, sirius black, and turning him into a pro footballer or hockey player or barista or actor or presenter or an artist or a violin player or whatever, and making me really believe that shit, do you know what I mean? I'm so in awe of the writers in this fandom who take something so flat and bring so much life and colour and texture to it.

and often, i think what happens is that people write what they want to see in the world. and james potter is a comfort character for SO MANY of us. but maybe they want to see him in a relationship that looks more like their own, in terms of gender, sexuality, personality, whatever. and the beauty of writing is that they can do that. and the beauty of fandom (i think) is that there's really something for e v e r y o n e. often the people who get left out of most main stream stories are the ones who most need to see and feel representation somewhere, so this sort of feels a bit like a win for them, don't you think?

all that to say, i think there's room for all of it, all of them. 'if you like it i love it' is my motto.

also, have you read shelf awareness by ghostofbambi? its one of my favourite Jily fics ever, i adore james in that, he's just everything to me in this <3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14461776/chapters/33409590

thanks again for coming to say hi and being so nice about it!

lana xo

[psychtwist]

@Psychtwist's Fullproof Fandom-Blind Best-of-the-Best Life-Changing Perception-Altering M/M Fic Rec List

So, I read a lot. My journey with reading started with fanfiction, and I still occasionally dip my pruny toes into the AO3 waters here and there. Sometimes you need something angsty/smutty/slow burn-y to get you out of a reading rut, and oftentimes you search out fanfiction in a specific beloved fandom to scratch that itch.

...but sometimes you can't find anything that reaches the particularly itchy spot on your back. Maybe you've run the well dry. Maybe something just isn't clicking with your favorite fandom anymore, or the stories aren't resonating with you in that deep, soul-touching way you want them to. Maybe the writing is just not your style. Maybe you're picky, like me, and you want that novel-length romance-centric love story.

To solve that, here's a list of my absolute favorite book-length fics that can be read completely fandom blind, for your perusing pleasure! All but one are finished, with the unfinished fic still entirely worth the read.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - gremble | 136k words

Fandom: Dream Daddy

A beautiful gem of a story that revolves around two dads, with one being an OC. The characterizations are perfect, the writing is engaging and engrossing, the ending is wonderfully satisfying, the sense of humor in every chapter is just beyond... I could give it endless praise. The author provides a primer in the chapter 1 notes that will inform you of everything you need to know. In my opinion? A must-read.

Crimsonberries, Blackberries - court_court | 390k words, unfinished

Fandom: Octopath Traveler

Beyond brilliant. The characterizations are fleshed out so wonderfully, the relationships between characters progress so naturally, and despite its length, it is never a slog to read through. I wish I could properly communicate to you how much of a masterpiece this is. You really just have to read it yourself to understand. This fic spans the entirety of the game it's based on, from the start to the end, with an entire cast of characters that you'll learn about and cherish. If you enjoy jRPGs, you will adore this.

Star Burst - dracoangelica, GingerD | 161k words

Fandom: Stardew Valley

Gritty, explicit, very real, very raw, and sometimes even painful to read, but woo boy is it good. It'll play with your emotions in a variety of ways but you'll somehow always root for both of the main characters. Just mind the tags before reading, for those who may be sensitive to certain topics - namely, homophobia. There's a happy ending, though, don't worry ;)

Fuck pride (pride only hurts, it never helps) - ImogenGotDrunk | 44k words

Fandom: Detroit: Become Human

Words don't even begin to express how incredible this story is. It is enemies to lovers done PERFECTLY. The length is perfect. The character development is brilliant. The ANGST! God, it's so good. This is what got me into fanfiction in general, as it was the first fic I ever read. It's now one of my biggest inspirations as a writer. If you read anything on this list, read this.

The Long View Down - kriegersan | 55k words

Fandom: Disco Elysium

The case fic to end all case fics. If you’re into detective/mystery romance and you want to read about an incredibly thought-out murder investigation by two cops that fall for each other, this is your bread and butter. The game this is based on is quite artistic, so expect lots of artistic, almost dreamlike flair while reading this.

I Can Give You What You Need - ThereAndGone | 48k words

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The epitome of ‘porn with plot’. Lots of explicit content and smutty goodness, beautifully written, and the end will leave you satisfied and happy. One half of this pairing is Sidon, so stay away if that isn't for you... but gosh. You'll be missing out.

Pattern Breaker - mothbeast | 130k words

Fandom: Call of Duty

This will break you and put you back together. Up until the VERY end, this story is angst central. I haven't touched a Call of Duty game in my lifetime and this tore me to shreds. Read with tissues within reach.

Stay With Me - oneshinyapple | 30k words

Fandom: Marvel

This one is a series with two parts, and both parts are equally as juicy and delectable and just WOW. This is peak banter, peak friends to lovers, peak porn with feelings, peak love confessions. It is the best you’re ever going to fucking get in this category of writing. It’s BRILLIANT. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over this one.

Hopefully you find something here you like. Hopefully it gives you all the feels. And if you have any questions about more recs (trust me, i have PLENTY), my messages are always open. <3

[steddiesupportpodcast]

Meet the Podcast Team!

It's about time that we introduce ourselves, we're the team behind the Steddie Support Group Podcast 👋 Big thanks to @glitterfang for the amazing portraits 🎨🖌️

ALENA aka @peter-pantomime

Any Pronouns | Virgo | 30

I’m a veteran fan and amateur academic who loves analyzing individual characters and their interpersonal relationships, the plots, themes, symbols, and genre staples of pop culture media, and the dynamics between media fans and creators. I’m coming to Stranger Things from a long history of examining how fans participate in the process of making meaning through their interactions with media texts, and to Steddie from an even longer history of being emotionally devastated by blorbos and ships, the most notable being Destiel, Stucky, and Reddie. I love talking to people about all these ideas everywhere from Tik Tok comments to academic conferences, and so I’m super excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this podcast with so many wonderful people!

Guest & Host Appears on: Episode 4, 5, & 6

Twitter: @peterpantomime TikTok: peterpantomime Youtube: Peter-Pantomime

AMY aka @mojowitchcraft

She/Her | Scorpio | 33

I’ve been a fan of Stranger Things since day one, but fell headfirst into the Steddie hole last summer. There is no way out, I’m trapped, I’m stuck in here with them. Before Steddie I’d been an avid fanfic reader but I was always too shy to write anything. Over the past year my confidence in my writing has grown so much and I’ve met so many amazing and wonderful people in this community. Very excited to be part of the podcast team and lend my voice to our discussions! 

Producer, Host, Guest & Promo Team Appears on: Episodes 1, 4, 6, 7, & 13

Ao3: weird_witchcraft Twitter: @mojowitchcraft TikTok: mojowitchcraft

ASH aka @steddiehands86

They/He | Gemini | 37 

Joined the Steddie community around October and have been nonstop writing and cosplaying since. I have been writing on Ao3 since ‘09, but never so much as with this fandom. I’m so fortunate to be a part of this lovely group of people to talk about our brainrot in a safe, sane, consensual space… I’m also a Gemini, and like long walks in the woods. 

Guest, Mod Tech & Transcript Editor Appears on: Episode 1, 8, 11 & 12

Ao3: steddiehands86 Twitter: @steddiehands86 TikTok: steddiehands86 Instagram: steddiehands86

BECCA aka @glitterfang

She/Her | Taurus | 35 

I was a casual fan of Stranger Things up until Season 4. Now the brainrot’s got a hold of me and won’t let go. I’ve spent most of my time in this fandom as a small potatoes fan artist but have recently started writing fic as well! I love our little Steddie family and community and I’m just happy to be here. 

Host, Guest & Resident Artist Appears on: Episode 3 & 9 

Ao3: pizzabones Twitter: @glitterfangart TikTok: glitterfang Instagram: glitterfangs

BECKS aka @beccichu

They/She | Aquarius | 24

“Nope, you can’t start watching Stranger Things just because of him” were my thoughts last year after hundreds and hundreds of Stranger Things and Eddie Munson edits on tiktok. Well, after binge watching 4 whole seasons (the last one two times in a row) I fell head over heels for Steve and Eddie and into the Steddie hole pretty fast where I’ve been here ever since. I do write every now and then but my passion is cosplaying, talking about the blorbos nonstop and sharing my love for this community with others! 

Promo Team

Ao3: MsBecciChan Twitter: beccichuu TikTok: beccichu Instagram: beccichu

BIRDIE aka @audacityofbird

She/Her | Leo | 39

Bird isn’t even her real name, but she wasn’t sure if going by ‘The Motherf*cking Lizard King’ would be appropriate. Bird has been a fan of Stranger Things since the start. The ensemble cast, nostalgia and the way the show wove music into it in such a beautiful way hooked her immediately. The brain rot didn’t set in firmly enough to scour Ao3 until  2022 at the release of Season 4 but then the rest was history. A fandom lover and fanfic reader/ writer at heart, but her favorite role in fandom spaces is cheerleading, beta reading and being a part of the community. The love for these characters and the stories run deep but her gratitude for the friendships she’s formed here runs deeper. 

Guest, Mod Tech & Audio Editor Appears on: Episode 3 & 10

Ao3: audacity_of_bluejays Twitter: @audacityofbird

CADY aka @lostinadmiration

Any Prounouns | Capricorn | 33

Cady was a casual fan of Stranger Things until Eddie Munson flirted with Steve Harrington and then went and fucking died. She went online to cope with the grief, and stumbled onto Steddie art, which snowballed into discovering fanfiction, and landed her in a beautiful community of loving and supporting friends who love talking about those gay dudes! In the year of brain rot she completed two fics, has two neglected WIPs, and loves chugging out art. She also wants everyone to know she’s IYLO’s biggest fan and would love to discuss it with everyone and anyone!

Guest & Host Appears on: Episode 1, 9, 10, & 13

Ao3: lostnadmiration Twitter: @lostnadmiration TikTok: lostin_admiration  Tumblr: lostin_admiration

DAE aka @strawberryspence

She/Her | Libra | 23

Dae has been watching Stranger Things from the beginning, falling in love with the friendships and found family tropes in its core. She has always had a soft spot for Steve Harrington, this only intensified when Eddie Munson was thrown in the mix. Dae spends her time writing Steddie fics (mostly angst), editing and having mental breakdowns about gay fictional characters. 

Guest, Graphics Creator & Promo Team Appears on: Episode 4

Ao3: strawberryspence Twitter: @strawberrysomin TikTok: strawberryspence

JESS aka @mydarkdevotion

She/They | Pisces | 31

I’ve been watching Stranger Things since the beginning and fell in love so hard that I ended up getting Eleven’s 011 on my wrist in my cousin’s bedroom. I’ve been reading fanfiction way before stepping into Steddie and writing has grown more since then too. I guess you can say my friends see me as the person that would dive right into the danger (No tag reads/ No summaries) What can I say? I love surprises. Even if they end up in tears. Anyone who's seen my tiktok knows. But all in all just a real down-to-earth friendly person enjoying the thing I love.     

Guest | Appears on: Episode 5 & 11

Ao3: MyDarkDevotion Twitter: @mydarkdevotion TikTok: MyDarkDevotion

KAYLEE aka @sweetz059

She/They | Libra | 24

Kaylee has loved watching Stranger Things since she was 16, reading cutesy Byler fics and appreciating all the found family the fandom had to offer, and always having a soft spot for Steve Harrington. They didn’t really dive in until Season 3, however, when she finally was given a character that they could see themselves in. One Robin Buckley. Which just intensified her love for Steve even more. Then Season 4 happened, and Eddie Munson happened, and Kaylee finally saw the perfect match for Steve. Now they’re one fic down, and who knows how many more to go, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Guest, Host & Producer Appears on: Episode 3, 6, 8, 11, & 12

Ao3: sweetz059 Twitter: @sweetz059 TikTok: sweetz059 Instagram: sweetz059

KK aka @knormalizeknitting

Any Pronouns | Taurus | 39

KK is a genderless void who has been a nerd since time immemorial so naturally they’re obsessed with Stranger Things. They were a “normal” level of into the show, for a total geek that is, until Eddie Munson appeared and the Steddie ship set sail. Now KK spends all their time projecting Steddie onto every fictional pairing that has ever existed in media and finding new ways to torture Steve Harrington before letting him finally kiss Eddie. They’re extremely excited to be part of the podcast, make new friends on the server and talk Steddie / ST with so many lovely people when they’re not giving Steve even more trauma on ao3.

Guest, Host, Audio Editor & Mod Tech Appears on: Episode 2, 8, 12 & 13

Ao3: knormalizeknitting Twitter: @knormalknitting TikTok: knormalizeknittin Instagram: knormalizeknitting

KRIS aka @kwills91

They/Them | Gemini | 32 

I’ve written and read fanfic for many, many years, but it had been a while since I existed in a particular fandom. Then Season 4 of Stranger Things came out and I fell in love with Steddie. After mass consuming as many fics as I could get my eyeballs on, I decided that there weren’t nearly enough Steve breakdowns in them and began writing my own, and I’ve been unable to stop writing since. Hundreds of thousands of words of writing and millions of words of reading later and the brainrot is showing no signs of dying. And hopefully never will. Which is why I’m so excited to be part of this podcast.

Guest, Host & Mod Tech Appears on: Episode 2, 3, 8 & 10

Ao3: Kwills91 Twitter: @k_wills91 TikTok: kwills91

MANON @transmascsteveharrington

They/He | Aries | 26

“The binge watch format of Netflix shows hinders the growth and development of fandoms compared to linear released shows. Therefore it is unlikely that many viewers of Stranger Things will ever participate/form a fandom and read or write fanfiction-” is a sentence I once wrote in an essay in 2017 for my undergrad. Then the universe had a right laugh and several years, one gender crisis, and about 250k words of written steddie fics and countless words of read steddie fics later I am now here. I’m an avid writer and reader of stangst (Steve angst) and could talk about it for hours. That’s why I’m super excited to be part of this podcast. 

Guest, Host & Producer | Appears on: Episode 2, 6, 8, 10, & 13

Ao3: ChristinMKay Twitter: @t4teddiemunson TikTok: ger_manon

SAGE aka @miserablekingsteve

They/Them | Virgo | 24

I watched Stranger Things back in 2016. Only because my mum was watching it in the other room, and I heard Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’ start playing. Causing me to come running out of my room and question what she was watching. Prior to that fateful moment, I was probably holed up, writing Torchwood fanfiction or listening to the audio dramas while live posting on tumblr. Safe to say I’ve been in fandom spaces for quite some time. Yet never had written anything with as much velocity as I did when Steddie quite literally dove into my periphery. What? Eddie Munson was doing Ketamine and being ridiculous, hard not to relate to that one. I’m super stoked to have had any opportunity to be involved in fandom this much and I’m excited to see where it continues to take me!  

Guest & Promo Team Appears on: Episode 6, 8, 11 & 12 

Ao3: miserablekings TikTok: miserablekings

SARA aka @3blackhearts

She/Her | Leo | 36

I’ve been watching Stranger Things since the beginning. I loved how creative and nostalgia-driven the show is. The death (maybe, hopefully not, let me be delulu a little longer) of Eddie Munson is what drove me to read my first fanfiction ever. I hadn’t resonated with a character that much in a long time and having his ending be so unsatisfying on the show led me to want a world where that’s fixed or never happens (shout out to AUs). Since joining the fandom I’ve found my niche by making podfics, and now this podcast. In real life, I work for a local non-profit and am a visual artist.  President & Founder of the DILF Steve Harrington Fan Club.

Guest, Host, Producer, Mod Tech & Audio Editor Appears on Episodes: 3, 4, 5, 10, & 11

Ao3: 3blackhearts Twitter: @3_blackhearts TikTok: 3blackhearts

[thelordofgifs]

I’m pretty new to Silm! Do you have any recommendations for blogs to follow? You were one of the first and I really like your work <3

Ooooh thank you so much anon! Welcome to the fandom – I’m pretty new myself but I have many extremely cool and talented mutuals to recommend!!

@that-angry-noldo is your girl for Finarfin content!! Also she’s extremely funny and cute and an amazing writer and also an incredible artist (which I am only just discovering?? but her art is all SO GOOD) and she has the best takes and I love her so so much. Also she will ride the Aerin/Tilion train with me til dawn ❤️❤️

@welcomingdisaster has SO many brilliant takes!! Her writing is beautiful and her art is stunning and she has both very deep thought-provoking meta thoughts and also the funniest silm polls.

@swanmaids always delivers with the Elwing defence! Her writing is consistently incredible and she has so many pieces that have stuck with me for MONTHS. Also her OCs are amazing, you will never look at Curufin’s wife the same way again.

@actual-bill-potts is an amazing writer who also has SO many fantastic Arafinwean thoughts, I love all her meta so so much and her fics never. miss. Also she’s really really funny.

@cuarthol has incredible meta (more Arafinwean defence!) and is an amazing author and Appreciates Rarepairs.

@outofangband is absolutely the person to go to for worldbuilding and Elvish languages!! Also anything to do with Húrin and Morwen.

@vidumavi is another one of those fascinating people who is both a supremely talented artist and an wonderful writer!! (Seriously how do you do that??) And she’s a Maglor lover AND an Eldacar appreciator so. 10/10 taste there.

@polutrope is another Maglor enjoyer!! And also SO incredibly knowledgeable about all the details in HoME and an incredible writer and really really really nice.

@tanoraqui is SO cool and funny and an amazing writer and has all the best OCs and premier russingon takes too!!

@dreamingthroughthenoise Gets It about Maglor and has such beautiful writing (although it will bring you to tears be warned) and wonderful thoughts about Finrod and Lúthien too!!

Go forth and enjoy :)