#and also rambles apparently

[amethystina]

As with most things, I think there are a lot of factors that play into it. The most obvious is, of course, that the source material is interesting enough to keep people engaged. It's got a depth and level of nuance that makes it very fun to explore for fans and content creators. Having a good foundation to stand on is always important and certainly helps with the amount of fanworks that can be produced.

But that in itself can't sustain a fandom or make it thrive.

Now, I'm one of those people who creates mostly for myself, for whichever fandom I want. I putter around in my corner, writing my things, drawing my art, and posting it if I feel like it. The size and activity level of the fandom has never really impacted my choices.

But, that said, I'm not immune to the rush one gets from people engaging with the things I create. It would be both ignorant and rude of me to pretend otherwise, especially considering the amount I'm given.

Engagement and community matters.

And the fact that people are excited to see what I create makes me want to create more. Would I still have created without the engagement? Yes, definitely. But the engagement helps. It motivates me to do it faster, to put more effort into it, and to share it with even more people.

I have no doubt that had I not gotten the response I did on Who Holds the Devil — to keep writing it with so much detail, to really delve deep into the characters, to explore what many now call a season 2 of the drama — that fic would have been so much shorter. I write for myself, yes, but that also means that had it just been for my own satisfaction, I could have settled for something less complex.

The insane level of detail and exploration of the characters isn't really for me.

It's for you.

My readers were the ones who motivated me to make it this big and sprawling. To actually write down what it looks like inside my head and not just do the broad strokes as I most often do when the main goal is to get the idea out of my system.

And the fact that I can tell that people are still waiting for updates, still eager for more, and still enjoying what I do makes me want to keep sharing. Especially since I'm a bit of a fandom hermit, who's really bad at seeking out other people in fandom unless they're literally in my DMs or comment sections. So this is how I try to contribute. I make things and I share them. And, sometimes, people talk to me about them and, sometimes, they talk to each other about them. Either way, I'm contributing to the discussion. To the content being created and the conversations taking place.

And, in the end, I think that's the key.

It's the sharing. The creating. The comments, the rants, the metas, the DMs — the community.

It's us.

A good source material certainly helps since that makes it easier to create but, in the long run, the only thing that can keep a fandom alive is the fandom itself. And the people in it are what makes the fandom.

So when you ask me why?

Well, it's simple:

I'm here because you are.

And I'm very happy to be sharing all this love, creativity, and enthusiasm with you all. You're amazing 💜

Everytime I meet my friends, they will be surprised that the TDJ fandom has lasted so long. And to think it is able to do so with just one season, 16 episodes, and nothing more after that.

They will ask me why? And I thought that I will pass the question on to the rest of you.

Why?

We are still here even though the drama finished airing after 2021. And I still see fics being written on AO3 as well.

[forgettable-au]

FORGETTABLE-AU (Page 44-47)

*...

[BEGINNING] [PREVIOUS] [CONTINUE]

[not-equippedforthis]

love how when you're getting into/observing a fandom you barely know you can judge which episodes are The Most because every other fanfic is about them. what happens in Our Man Bashir guys. whats Doctor Bashir I Presume guys. whats Internment Camp 371. guys.

[mblue-art]

BAD SANSUARY // [14] tears for owl-bones's event !

"...Killer, it just looks like I have running mascara."

"it's such a look though."

messy kisses and post-nuzzles

[bluerosefox]

Masks and Moonlit Night

-Crashes through DPxDC window and sticks a new AU sticky note down on everyones foreheads-

ANGER MANAGEMENT MASQUERADE BALL AU!

Jazz is forced by her parents to go to all Masquerade ball at Vlad's, whose using Jazz as both a way to keep Danny in line (as well as Jazz, basically Danny can't fight back or he'll hurt Jazz and Jazz can't fight back because he'll also hurt Danny who he has locked up at the moment) and to 'impress' the elites (As much as Vlad wants to use Danny for the party he knows the boy would do something to embarrass him in front of them, he at least knows Jazz will keep her manners in check) with how intelligent his goddaughter is.

During the ball, Jazz (in a stunning dress and mask, think like manhwa worthy outfit tbh if you want) meets Jason (who lost the Bats/Birds most recent 'Not it' game and was made to go with Tim to Vlad's party) and both hit it off when they meet in the garden, under moonlight, both wanting some fresh air.

Jazz wants to enjoy her time with Jason but worries about Danny and thus tries to leave and figure a way to help him without tipping Vlad off she was trying to save her brother. However she notices she's being watched by some ghosts Vlad employed and no doubt would report her should she even try. So she kinda uses Jason as way to keep them being unaware of her planning... or at least that was the case until she noticed another Team Phantom member sneaking into Vlad's place and knows its only a matter of time before her brother is freed.

Within the hour she gets a text from Danny who tells her, he's out and gonna fight Vlad for locking him up, that Dani is with him too so it'll be double beat down and that he'll come get her soon.

She is pulled away from the text when Jason asks what books she likes to read and now with the weight of her brother needing to be safe, or as safe as he could be, is lifted off her shoulder she answers.

Its magical, its wonderful, and for a moment Jazz is able to actually enjoy this party, ignoring the pained hits Vlad was no doubt receiving from what she can hear with her liminal enchanced hearing, because talking to Jason, or J as he introduced himself as, was very fun and wonderful and wow he was very handsome even with his mask and-

Jazz is startled out of her wondering thoughts when she could hear someone in the party scream, no doubt Danny, Dani, and Vlad's fight probably bleed into the main hall and she could see people starting to run out.

Jazz sits on the bench as Jason goes running in, no doubt curious as to what is happening and going to get his 'brother' Tim who he came to the party with out. Jazz takes off her mask and sits it down the bench and waits before Dani appears and says they should get going, Danny is keeping an angry Vlad busy and that she can take Jazz home.

By the time Jason comes back, with a researching on his phone Tim, all he finds of the charming woman he met at the dumb ball he got dragged to was her mask on the bench.

[lemonlimestar]

could it be ur face i see, on my computer screen?

[sygneth]

I have had a lot of thoughts on the original story after listening to the Sherlock&Co "Gloria Scott" and a new headcanon just dropped.

Chapter 1: part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6

Masterpost (Index)

AO3

thoughts, if you're curious:

As far as gay Victor Trevor absolutely got me, I don't think there was anything serious between him and Holmes. This all comes down to my reading of Holmes, who is (to me) too aroace-spec to get involved in a regular relationship (althouuuughh about Holmes, his sexual and romantic orientation and him discovering it I have had so many thoughts I could write a whole essay). He likes to have a default person though, someone who will take him as he is, and maybe even admire a little - now that's Watson, earlier it was Trevor.

And yea I think Victor got a crush straight away after their first meeting, maybe they even talked about this at some point. Maybe Holmes said that he won't be able to reciprocate this affection but if Victor is fine with keeping things as they are, then he is too. I like to think they stayed pen friends even after Trevor's leave.

I feel like I should emphasize this? My intention in the comic was to make Trevor visibly flustered because he didn't expect a young attractive boy (he's hopeless in my head), while Holmes simply didn't expect to see someone his age and so sincerely sorry.

[kittyscabin]

hoffman's nightmare

[donelywell]

February 29- March 2 2024

The first time Sonic went Super in Road Trip wasn't exactly as stunning to Tails as other au's and stories.

Tails is like maybe 5 here (I'm not actually that organized on the timeline for this au yet, I'm getting there though, things are getting in order.) and he wasn't forced to grow up and be a hero in this au. So he's a bit more childish than canon Tails because he doesn't feel as pressured to mature and grow up fast. Plus, he genuinely thinks Sonic is going to die and this is the last time he see's him, so tears are bound to come down.

Part 1

[foldingfittedsheets]

I’m covering another mattress store today. It’s set in a busy shopping center and the doors open constantly. When people walk too close by, the doors open.

We have a sandwich board sign to advertise our sale and I’m trying to strategically place it in a way that people have to go around it so they don’t activate the door.

Thus far, no luck. People still just walk by the door and open it.

[momentomori24]

Just finished Rot in Paradise. I was expecting a game about you and your friends being stranded on the beach and turning into water addicted zombies, not an allegory for toxic relationships where you can't help those who clearly don't want your help and how the good moments you had doesn't take away their mistreatment of you and how despite how much you love your friends you need to mourn and move on before they (literally) drown you with them.

[gingermintpepper]

Writing Apollo-as-a-young-deity is fun because sometimes it involves completely making shit up based on the loose outline of a story told through old poems, prayers and plays and other times it involves researching the totally legit and well documented ancient art of studying sheep livers to make sure your statesmen don't accidentally piss off Jupiter.

In completely unrelated news, if anyone has any recommendations for books about bird augury, that'd be wonderful.

[saltpepperbeard]

y’all. what if

what if we get a dream sequence where ed is longing for what could have happened, what should have happened. like, we see the same few beats of him on the dock, calling out for stede and looking increasingly concerned. but then the brush behind him rustles, and stede actually stumbles out into view.

and ed’s face breaks out into the most relieved, beautiful smile, and there’s this very dreamy sequence of them breathing each other’s names and running to each other. they of course hug each other tightly, maybe even kiss, before ed murmurs something like, “was worried for a second. thought i’d lost you.”

only for stede to go “oh, no. you’ll never ever lose me.”

...and then ed wakes up in the gutted darkness of the captain’s quarters. alone.

[ghostorbz]

I hope nobody has done this yet

[mayashesfly]

Suddenly thinking about an AU where Vox erased his memories about Alastor and how that might affect the show's timeline.

Though to be honest I just want to think about how Alastor is going to react and feel about waiting for Vox to eventually find out about his return...

Only to find out in the Overlord meeting that Vox completely forgot about him as he smiled at him and offered his hand with a practiced professional air.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Vox from Voxtek, the Leader of the Vees. Are you new around here?"

In this AU, Episode 2 changes drastically. There was never a "Stayed Gone" segment nor was Sir Pentious sent to the Hazbin Hotel to spy on them. Which means that a lot would've changed in this timeline since the First Redeemed would be mostly out of the picture.

And Vox not giving Alastor the time of day means that if Alastor launched his radio show again, he has to slowly win back his viewership instead of having free advertising in the shape of a tv-headed obsessed fool.

Honestly, with how Vox's obsession on Alastor gives him a reliable source of attention and entertainment, he would be rather upset that the TV Overlord wouldn't give him the time of day. Not only that but he completely forgot about him! New? What do you mean new? He has been an Overlord far longer than he had! He is The Radio Demon. And he dares to ask him if HE is new?

What the hell happened to Vox? Why doesn't he remember him? Is this the reason why Vox never gave him the attention he knew he would give him once he realized he returned? What was he supposed to do now?

His feelings are hurt. His ego was bruised.

Vox was never like this.

And he'll be damned if Vox stays that way.

[thatsmellofrain]

to the people saying jinx could never reciprocate ekko's love in the main timeline because of everything she's been going through... i need you to examine your unconscious biases against mentally ill characters