#at least i have a good fic idea

[benevolenterrancy]

hi!! I think your art is *so cool* o(≧∇≦o)

do you think you could draw more moshang? either post canon or that au you did last time?? (baby mobei has my heart and all I own)

(˵ •̀ ᴗ •́ ˵ ) oh! how about return to childhood—moshang flavor?

don't question this king, shang qinghua, he knows what he's about

[xxplastic-cubexx]

cant stop thinkin bout charles and erik readin together on the couch but instead of reading with him charles is listening to eriks thoughts while he reads. Live mind commentary ……..

[short666bread]

Ron is looking for them

[frozenfrogz]

The disappointment in getting motivation to write a fic then halfway through realize you’re better off just reading fics instead of writing them.

[uncharted-constellations]

Sasuke boutta drop the hottest diss-track of 2k23

[tomwambsgans]

the temptation to write a christmas romcom-esque tomgreg fic is calling me......

[akemiiya]

i think a lot of the soulless clover revival fics that make them start to kill in the very first reset does not give clover (or flowey) nearly enough credit

[solarmorrigan]

A few people expressed an interest in a continuation of this fic, and I'm almost certain this isn't what anyone had in mind, but considering I hadn't been planning on writing a part two at all, I guess this is what we get?? So here, have an Eddie Perspective

Happy Valentine's Day ❤️

-

The thing about being friends with Steve Harrington is that, even though he isn’t exactly popular anymore, he’s still popular.

He’s still handsome and he’s still hot and he’s still got rich parents and, in spite of Hargrove’s many attempts to knock him down to the bottom of the social ladder, there are definitely still people who want his attention.

In the time it takes Eddie to spot him from the end of the hallway and make it through the crowds to his locker, a girl has come between them.

Literally – Lindsey Chase is standing in front of Steve, leaning against his open locker door and twirling her hair around her finger, clearly shooting her shot. Eddie can respect it.

He doesn’t like it, but he can appreciate the guts it takes.

Of course, it’s made a little easier by the built-in excuse that is the upcoming hearts-and-candy greeting card nightmare of a holiday that is Valentine’s Day. This is the third time this week a girl has approached Steve with a little paper valentine and hearts in her eyes.

Notably, it is only Wednesday.

Eddie hangs back a bit, watching as Lindsey flirts and Steve smiles and is perfectly kind but doesn’t flirt back. Whatever question she asks him gets lost in the din of the hallway, but he answers by shaking his head and offering a rueful little smile, and her shoulders sag a little before she meanders off with a sigh. Eddie can see her friends on the sidelines now, offering her open arms of comfort and glaring daggers at Steve in solidarity.

Ignoring them, Eddie ambles up and drapes himself against Steve’s locker door, head tossed back and eyelashes fluttering wildly. “Oh, Steve,” he simpers, high and breathy, “aren’t you going to whisk me away for a whirlwind Valentine’s romance?”

“I’d love to, but I’m pretty sure I have a stats test tomorrow,” Steve drawls, sending a sidelong smirk at Eddie.

“Ugh. Romance is dead,” Eddie declares, though he’s smiling back; this is one of the things he really hadn’t expected when he’d extended an offer of friendship to Steve those few weeks ago – the easy banter between them, how Steve is actually funny, how Eddie really loves trying to make him smile. Eddie peels himself away from the door of Steve’s locker and leans into his space instead, draping an arm over his shoulders that Steve doesn’t bother to shrug off. “So, what did the lovely Ms. Chase have to offer you? Her best goat?”

[Read the rest on Ao3]

Tag List (tried to catch all the optimists who asked about a part 2, I'm sorry if I missed anyone!): @anne-bennett-cosplayer, @notmybabies, @westifer-dead, @crakcoon, @tolgakolik, @sirsnacksalot, @halvveislykkelig, @cheesedoctor, @y4r3luv, @she-collects-smut, @boxsam, @wxrmland, @wheel-of-hyperfixation, @maybe-milo

[total-drama-brainrot]

TD World Tour AU, where Noah doesn't tell Owen that Alejandro is an eel in London... In Area 51, Noah is accidentally splashed with an alien truth potion (which wears off after a few days) and he talks to Owen... Owen asks Noah what he truly thinks about Alejandro, and Truth-Potion Affected Noah says this: "I have mixed feelings for Alejandro. He's a brilliant, interesting guy and I like him, but I don't trust him. He's like a slippery eel dipped in grease, swimming in motor oil. Basically, Heather with social skills. Wait a minute, why am I telling you this?!"... What if Alejandro secretly heard Noah call him all those conflicting things + Alejandro also learns that Noah is affected with an alien truth potion? 👽

Alright, you got me. I'm an absolute sucker for truth potion plots, especially when the character(s) effected by them are usually either pathological liars or incredibly secretive- of which Noah absolutely falls into the second category, given he shares so little personal information.

I'll gloss over why Noah declined to shit-talk Alejandro in London (though there's so many ways this change in behaviour could be justified) since the focal point of this hypothetical centred around their time in Nevada, so let's start from the beginning of the Area 51 challenge.

Area 51:

Before we start, it'll have to be established that no one was eliminated in London. Let's say that the majority vote went towards Duncan (team CIRRRRH voted him out immediately because they found his re-admission to the competition unfair, I guess. I imagine he'd also vote himself, if not as a plan to escape the competition he'd been actively skiving from, then just as an act of spite) but Chris instead claimed it was a rewards challenge- much like he does in Greece- because he doesn't want to let Duncan slip away again so soon.

I see no reason to alter the first part of the challenge- the sneaking into Area 51 portion- since team CIRRRRH's course of entry is fairly straightforward. Noah's presence doesn't make much of a difference to how it would play out; the majority of them throw their rocks and run, Owen gets lasered over the fence and Owen-napped, ect ect.

When both teams have managed to make their way into the Black Box Warehouse, Noah immediately suggests they should prioritise rescuing Owen. Tyler's quick to agree, since he's a firm believer in the "no man left behind" mentality (and he probably makes a not-so-subtle jab towards Noah for his chance of tune compared to London, where both he and Owen did leave Tyler behind) leaving Duncan and Alejandro to split from the group- Duncan in search of Gwen, and Alejandro just takes the opportunity to finally be free from his 'incompetent teammates' and prioritises finding an artifact.

Noah and Tyler come across the contraption Owen's trapped in, Tyler punches it in a futile effort to break it open, and the face hugger cube drops into Noah's hands. This is where the point of divergence comes into play; Tyler has his E.T. moment with one of the face huggers, but Noah- who's a tad bit more observant than Alejandro, and used to dodging surprise attacks from his various older siblings (and Izzy)- anticipates his own face hugger attack and promptly starts a game of cat-and-mouse with a taser alien hot on his heels.

The commotion of which attracts the rest of his team. Alejandro and Duncan arrive on the scene to see Tyler being electrocuted by an alien and Noah running in circles evading another.

Duncan attempts to rip the face hugger from Tyler's face, finding success at the cost of sending Tyler trampling into Owen's captive contraption (essentially taking Alejandro's canonical place in this scene) and inadvertently freeing Owen.

Meanwhile, Alejandro swipes up the nearest box he can find and snags the alien chasing Noah, who's still very loudly panicking as he flees, and succeeds! The alien is swiftly captured into the box, netting team CIRRRRH their artifact, and Noah promptly goes careening into the nearest tower of junk in his face hugger-fuelled hysteria. This causes another box to topple from the peak of the tower, landing directly on Noah's head and spilling its contents onto the bookworm- glass vials filled with a mysterious, luminescent cobalt blue liquid shatter into pieces drenching Noah in whatever they contained. (i.e. truth potion.)

Owen has his false-amnesia moment, characterised by his Joker makeover, and Alejandro enacts his revenge post-hypnotic suggestion after being addressed as "Al" one too many times.

Noah, understandably, swiftly objects to Owen's treatment and demands that Alejandro snap him out of it. Alejandro concedes, and Owen's brought back to himself. At least, for a moment, before the fatigue of having his mind messed with sends Owen into near-catatonia (the same as canon), meaning he has to be ferried through the Warehouse and back to the Jet by Alejandro and Duncan.

Things carry on canonically from there; Noah's just sort of there for the most part, though there'd be a minor hint to his newfound proclivity for honesty. Something along the lines of him giving an uncharacteristically honest answer to Owen as to who he's voting- Tyler, of course, since he was the one who ultimately threw the challenge for them... and also because Tyler still holds some resentment towards Noah for what happened in London, and Noah feels guilty about it every time he looks at the jock. Wait, why did he say that?

Sometime between this and the elimination scene, Noah wipes the truth-goop off of himself, but not before the effects have already started.

Tyler's voted out, yada yada yada.

The Jet:

Thus begins the start of "Picnic at Hanging Dork". Team CIRRRRH, consisting of just Alejandro, Duncan, Owen and Noah, are slumming it up in the Economy Cabin. Alejandro tries to rally his team by asking how to break apart Courtney and Heather's tentative co-operation. Owen suggests having Alejandro seduce Heather, since it worked for both Bridgette and Leshawna. Duncan makes his "Babe Olympics" comment. Noah pipes up that playing with someone's feelings is pretty scummy, even for someone competing for a million dollars.

Alejandro takes Noah's reluctance towards his methodology poorly; he hadn't spoken up before, when Alejandro had utilized the same strategy against other girls- and even Owen noticed that, so surely Noah did too- so why was he to outwardly against him using the same tricks? Duncan agrees, and offers ''his'' idea of having Alejandro flirt with Courtney to throw both her and Heather off their games (since Heather has an obvious crush on Alejandro), and things follow canon.

Then, the scene between Alejandro and Courtney happens. Noah scoffs at the display from the side lines, prompting Owen to ask him why he's so against Alejandro's plan.

"I mean, you never said anything before, when he flirted with Bridgette and Leshawna." Owen comments, light-hearted in nature but with an underlying questioning tone.

Noah's eyes flicker with a cobalt glow, easily mistaken for a trick of the light, and he speaks without even thinking.

"Yeah, because I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Bridgette was happenstance, and Leshawna's whole deal could've been a coincidence, or some massive misunderstanding. But this?" Noah extends an accusing hand out towards a smug looking Alejandro, then pans it over to a flattered Courtney, "He's outright toying with Courtney's feelings after she was cheated on in front of an international audience. It's scummy."

Owen nods in understanding, momentary contemplation evident in the pouted curve of his lips, and he chimes in.

"Does that mean you don't like Al?"

"I never said that."

"Well, how do you feel about him, then?"

Again, a flash of blue light against the hickory backdrop of Noah's eyes, and he responds thoughtlessly.

"I guess I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, he's slippery, like an eel dipped in grease, swimming in motor oil. He's like if you took all of the worst aspects of Heather, wrapped them up in a pretty package, and gave them social skills..." He holds his hands out before him in a scale-like manner, with the left tipped downwards and tie right raised by his chin. Then, the two hands swap positions.

"And on the other hand, he's brilliant. I've never met anyone as talented as Alejandro; he's smart, he's athletic, he's funny. It's almost unfair just how perfect everything about him is- even his face is perfect. It's ridiculous! Infuriating, even. It's so hard to dislike him, even when I know he's bad news, but that doesn't mean I trust him."

Owen stands slack jawed beside his best friend, both impressed and stunned at the raw honesty of Noah's tirade. Noah, now a little more aware of himself, realises that he's said more than he intended to- more than he thinks he's ever spoken in one go throughout the entirety of Total Drama. He's not usually one for speeches, after all, let alone honest ones.

He's always been the type to play his cards close to his chest, so why...?

"I, uh, didn't mean to go off like that."

And he also didn't mean to admit it, either. What was going on?

The look Owen gives him is, in a word, vivid. The blonde has a shit-eating grin stretching across his face, a sort of elated smugness practically glowing from his features.

"Sounds like someone has a cruuuush!~"

What? No? No! Not at all, where would Owen even get that idea?!

Noah splutters to correct Owen's assumption (to disastrous results, because he does sort-of has a crush on Alejandro, so the truth potion doesn't allow him to outright deny it), and in his preoccupied state he misses how a calculating pair of sage green eyes never seems to stray from him.

Alejandro has a lot to think about in regards to a certain cynic, it seems.

[motleyfam]

As far as SOB, I (and I'm sure the rest of the fans of the series would heartily agree,) have complete faith in you to pull off a chaptered fic. Don't be worried, we're all here to support you if you need it.

I am very much looking forward to the holiday-themed installment you are working on now, as I especially love holiday-themed fics.

Thanks for continuing the series, it is one of the very best!

You’re so sweet, thank you 🥺

[right-there-ride-on]

Gyjo in the fandom

cw: light discussion of ableism

Gyjo… what am I thinking about gyjo…

I like them. I like them a lot, actually. They have paralleled narrative arcs, they complement each other nicely, the romantic subtext is incredibly obvious to the point that even the most homophobic fan you know will admit they understand why people ship it… so why do I also have a problem with it?

There’s a lot of good fanart. Hell, I’ve reblogged plenty. Maybe it’s just something that’s more pronounced in fic.

I’m trying to word this correctly. My issue with gyjo has nothing to do with the text itself. I think my problem is just how people portray it in the fandom.

Maybe it’s because it’s so popular, or maybe it’s the sheer prominence of applying ‘Character A’ and ‘Character B’ dynamics without considerable regard for the characters involved, but I feel gyjo is very prone to flanderization. I believe the intersection with how ableist people are toward Johnny (intentionally or not, subtly or not) and the old tropes these two get shoved into makes it so I have trouble enjoying fics in the fandom.

I’m not saying it’s bad to enjoy certain tropes. I’m not saying headcanons are bad either. What I am saying is that writing is hard, but if you’re going to write fanfiction please have consideration for the characters you’re writing. The arcs of these two are complex and multilayered, which is why I think they have such staying power, but I also think they also provide a good opportunity for us as writers and artists to examine our biases when it comes to the portrayal of certain groups, personality types, mental illnesses, queerness, disability, etc. and maybe come out better people for it.

[total-drama-shark]

Fanart of the first two chapters of “A Guide To Surviving The Apocalypse” by @noahtally-famous

Plz plz plz go read it it’s very very good and I’m really interested in seeing where it goes <3

[f-imaginings]

in terms of inspiration and such does it feel easier or more difficult to write as you inch closer and closer to weirdmageddon? or has it made no notable difference? you’ve been working on this story for so long so i imagine it must feel kinda strange to be getting so close to what might be the end of it!

-----------------

Another wonderful question!! You are so good at these!

I think my inspiration to write is more closely correlated to the comments and feedback I get for the story, so the more people who tell me they enjoy it, the more it inspires me to write, and I've had a wonderful abundance of attention since BOB so I am being spoiled every day by nice words. I think my drive to finish the fic is pretty sustainable at this point, and I'm already getting ideas for a sequel haha. Finishing the fic was my new years resolution (even though judging by past chapters, it's been taking roughly a month to churn each one out since they're so long and intricate) so it looks like sometime in the new year I'll likely finish the story, maybe around April or June depending on how I balance writing with my workload and social obligations. I'm determined to finish it though (so I can start a cathartic sequel hahah)

I think in terms of us being towards the end of the story though, I have noticed it's made a difference on how I plan out the chapters. In the past I had all the time in the world to build the story and relationships and take things in new imaginative directions, but with the end of the story on the horizon we're left with a limited amount of time to tie up all the loose plot threads. I am being a lot more deliberate with how I plan the chapters. I write notes about plot direction and what details to include for every chapter, and I find that with every chapter approaching the end I've been writing three lots of plot notes corresponding to each 'episode'. So there's the general overview of events from the show and what I want to include from Ford and Bill's perspective, and then there's the refined version where I drill down into what factors I want to explore for each POV (for example the notes for the next chapter include Kryptos' storyline, Ford's storyline and Bill's storyline) which really breaks down what plot beats happen in each POV, and then there's the order of the different plot points, so I can weave between the different POVs in a way that flows thematically and brings out the best contrast between the characters journey.

I try to pull together similar themes in each chapter too, so for example the last chapter had overarching themes (lmao I made myself laugh by saying the themes of chapter 61 were 'dogs' and 'what if my family secretly hates me' hahah) and then I try to place story beats from different POVs together in a way that the themes compliment or contrast each other - so for example in the next chapter the themes of finding purpose after being stripped of it will apply to characters we encounter during Kryptos' POV and during Ford's POV. I've got this planned out meticulously all the way to the end, but before I start each new chapter thats when my second and third plot plans come into place. There's just something about reading the work through again once it's been posted on ao3 that makes me realise what threads I want to pull into the next chapter and that means my second and third plots happen once the last chapter is posted. I also rewatch the show's episodes about a million times lmao and add to my notes about what little details I want to highlight and bring back from the old chapters, since this fic is technically canon divergent, not fully canon adjacent.

I get inspired all the time for this story though, from all kinds of places too. Lots of times from my work (since I work in a mental health org) or from therapy or my own reading. I attended a DSFV training session through work a few weeks ago and what I learned there gave me inspiration for how I want to tackle a possible redemption arc in a sequel, especially around cycles of violence and how it can relate to perpetrators. I'll talk about healthy relationships in my own therapy sessions, and I'll get inspired to work in stuff about relearning independence after codependency. I'll read a baller fanfic (usually from other fandoms since I've been saving myself to read all the billford fics after my fic is finished, because of that one time someone accused the fic of plagarism - but since most ppl have wised up to the fact that those claims were just one person being a big meany I've read one or two fics and there is some gold out there in the fandom!!! Like Theseus' Guide To Ruining a Perfectly Good Boat by @stump-not-found theres a few chapters out but I am loving the characterisation and how punchy the prose and stakes are!) and reading fic is a great inspiration, same with published works too, I'm currently reading Youthjuice by E K Sathue which does very interesting things with description.

Anywho sorry for the essay in response haha! You always ask such great questions jada! I just finished doing my second plot through for chapter 62 today too, what timing!

[the-insouciant-scientist]

@fallenlondonficswap @half-life-citizen A secret swap fic for you! I've been chewing on the concept of memories and apocrypha for a while now, I hope you like it!! It feels real to me now, it felt real to me then

Unnamed OC & Librarian, Teen(?) rating, 540 words. Very slight warning for body horror, maybe, but I'm not sure.

Once more can't hurt, can it? 

The sun breaks through the early morning mist, light dappling across the grass. You squint, splay your fingers over your eyes, and peer through the gaps. 

For just a moment, the view takes your breath away. 

(How long has it been?)

The scene changes before it can fade into obscurity. The warmth clings, rolling over into the taste of barley and buttery leeks. Breakfast taken with friends and neighbors. An affectionate hand on your shoulder. 

You blink, and the heat of the forge wraps around you like a thick blanket. The sound of your hammer against iron reverberates down to your very bones as you shape it into what is needed. 

The leather of your apron creaks as you lean over to plunge it back into the flames. 

(How many times?)

More moments follow, little flashes of sight and sound and sensation. The scent of wet grass and peat. Sunlight, warm and kind on your face. The gentle rasp of wool. A steady, comforting murmur of conversation, and the sounds of livestock not far away.

You close your eyes, and breathe deeply. 

(If you don't let yourself think about it, it doesn't hurt.) 

Hazelnuts and blackberries, sweet on your tongue. Smoke drifting upwards in lazy curls until you can't tell it apart from the clouds. 

(If you tell yourself that often enough, it might even be true.)

A hard day's work come to fruition as you see your neighbor's face light up at the tool you've forged for him. The sowing will be easier this year, you're sure of it. 

The sun lingers on the horizon, like a friend who doesn't quite want to say farewell. 

(A stabbing pain. All you can do is cling tighter.) 

It slips over the edge, and all the stars come out to watch over you. They glimmer, then wink, and all of a sudden you remember what happens next. For the first time in this golden and perfect day, you are filled with dread. 

(It's getting harder to ignore. You want to go back. You want to go home.)

The whisper of thousands of wings fills the air, chitters and squeaks echoing in every direction. 

The tremors, like the whole world was cracking apart beneath you. 

(No, please. Please. Stop.) 

The fall. 

(Please.) 

The... 

This wasn't supposed to happen. Your neighbor's ewe was going to have lambs soon, and now she never will. You never picked up the spiced mead you were promised. You never said goodbye. None of it ever came to pass. 

A needle threads between your signatures where they're coming loose. You would flinch from the pain if you had a body to do so anymore. 

The librarian is meticulous in its work, keeping you from falling to pieces. Keeping your story from falling into obscurity.

The weight of everything you've lost hits you all at once. Your knees would have buckled if you'd been standing. 

You can't do this. You can't. It's too much for one person to bear. This grief will drown you if you give it any quarter. 

But the warmth of memory lingers. 

It isn't real. It's all you have. Both things can be true.

...Once more can't hurt, can it?

[thawthebeez]

thinking about it..... really thinking about it.........

[queen-scribbles]

Here's me finally catching up with my internets! If you're still keen, how about a peek inside: Tragen's to-do list, Odessa's five most recent sent text messages, and Tel's wallet!

Always keen to talk about my children! ^^ (oh look, I have art of all three from you <3)

Tragen's to-do list:

Meditation

workout/weapon practice

Alliance overview meeting

Lunch w/Jaesa and Vette

holocall w/Sana-Rae about Voss reconstruction

dejarik w/Lana*

try to get in touch w/Jekiah again

[rest of the day is for him and not scheduled; probably involves reading and cuddling with Jaesa before they go to bed]

Odessa's five most recent text messages:

~ I appreciate the vote of confidence, keep in touch sent to Rass [not 100% a flirty thing, mostly meant in relation to dealing with the Hidden Chain or so she says]

~ Heading the Manaan and need backup, meet me in the hanger 1400 sent to Jorgan[who has somehow wound up one of the people she trusts the most/considers among her closest friends. surely it has nothing to do with the shared experience of loss and disillusionment with their respective governments :)) ]

You said you would handle that + link to a previous conversation sent to Krovos

Absolutely not sent to Vette in response to a Rube Goldberg-esque diagram meant to aid in pranking... someone. Probably Theron.

[liking a message from Arcann about being on his way back from a mission]

Tel's wallet:

Little bit of money, not organized by denomination

ID card

Picture of Elara

Receipt for lunch from three weeks ago

Receipt from a GSI weapon shop from a couple days ago

Picture of his kids (Kaira and Trace)

Note from Silver about getting together

Picture of Elara and the kids

Picture of him + Elara

What's Inside... asks