#bluedalahorse

[redleavesinthewind]

For the YR secondary ask game: 1, 2, 18, 19

1 was answered here

2. Favorite secondary romantic and/or sexual pairing

fredrika and stella. my fondness for henry and walter didn’t manifest until i actually read a fic about them out of curiosity, but stella and fredrika have always been in my mind. i don’t interact with fandom much tbh, but i did find out that stedrika got a lot of hate and i never entirely got why. this might also just be because stella specifically makes a lot of sense to me. she’s not a nice person but frankly, not many teenagers are. she and fredrika both are also very entrenched in the lives and beliefs of the upper class, but i’m not going to judge them for it when that’s all they’ve known so far. if you think about it, it was part of their upbringing, they’re in boarding school, surrounded by people with the same values and experiences, they’ve never properly been in the real world. obviously there’s no guarantee that they’ll ever be willing to learn/ become better people, but there’s also no guarantee that they won’t. they’re teenagers and i’m willing to give them some grace. but i digress. what i actually wanted to say. i like stella and fredrika. the whole being in love with your best friend is a very queer experience, one i can relate to, and i found myself rooting for them quite easily. also there’s not enough sapphic pairings around so i will be protective over them

18. Favorite fic centered on a secondary character or pairing

haha the one and only other people’s secrets by @sflow-er. first i know there’s wilmon in there but the focus is very much on henry and henry/walter. it’s what got me into the ship and i love henry’s characterisation in it so much

i’ve also got to talk about AnxiousAnaconda’s A Royal Intervention and their portrayal of erik. it was the first fic i found where erik isn’t the perfect older brother so many people see him as (i don’t fault them for portraying him that way i get it, i just can’t get behind it). so at the time i read this fic it was very refreshing and a little validating to get a characterisation of erik that’s a bit more realistic

19. Shout out a fanfic author for their writing of a secondary character (or characters) in a subplot

this one was also tricky for me to answer, because it’s been a while since i read yr fic (any fic really) and i don’t necessarily remember subplots. however i do need to mention yourself and @heliza24 for Heart and Homeland, specifically for getting me into felice/rosh! their dynamic is excellent and a lot of fun.

other one that comes to mind is The Darkest Little Paradise by @yourdemiurge which is a bit of an outlier i’d say. every character is technically ooc, but in a way that still makes a lot of sense? it’s like they’re all the worst version of themselves. i do quite like the way felice is written in this, and erik is incredibly unhinged and honestly great fun

[gulliblelemon]

for the writing asks: 7 and 28!

Hi!

7 your preferred writing fonts

Arial (I had to look that up!). But there’s a few I think I could tolerate. I don’t really notice it unless it’s WRONG.

28 your least favorite part of the writing process

Picking a title. I’m terrible at it, and it feels so important for grabbing people's attention and/or having them remember the story.

Thank for the ask!

Ask me about writing.

[crownedwille]

For the secondary character ask game: 4, 5, 14, 19

04. Favorite triad or polyship

I saw your answer and I also really like the idea of Simon/Wille/Felice. In like a mix of platonic and romantic and sexual that are not evenly distributed but it doesn't have to be equal, they can just exist with each other and all the dynamics can be important in their own way. I'd definitely like to think more of them and how it would work.

05. Favorite familial relationship

Sara and Simon is my favourite dynamic, I love the way they interact and the complexities of their sibling bond.

14. Any ships (crackships included) involving Simon or Wilhelm that break up Wilmon? We won’t tell!

Well...I just said them as a triad but I also actually like the idea of Wille/Felice. I don't see them in a romantic sense at all but I do think there is a physical/sexual attraction between them.

I literally just had a fic idea about a s2 canon divergence, what if Henry didn't interrupt Felice and Wille and they continued to make out and it becomes a regular thing and they become friends with benefits?

I know no one wants to read that and I will never write it so I only annoyed @the-words-we-sung by telling her the entire plot lmao but I think it could be a fun way to explore both of their sexualities

19. Shout out a fanfic author for their writing of a secondary character (or characters) in a subplot

@zee-has-commitment-issues includes the side characters in such fun, interesting ways that make them fully fleshed main characters which can't even be considered as a subplot really but I had to shout them out, especially their fic Reckless Abandon!

[sadhappylady]

Hi! 💜🌻 I’m giving you numbers 1, 9, 17, and 20.

Dear Blue, thanks for the ask 🌼🍂🍁

1 Favorite secondary character

That must be Sara. She is so wonderful. I love that she is often conflicted and that she doesn't do what others expect. She isn't entirely good or bad, she is selfish and unthoughtful, but also so very kind and smart.

7 Character you didn’t initially like/love but have now warmed up to

Henry, maybe. He is so lost and does so many stupid things, but he is also really funny. He also tries real hard to be a good friend.

17 Secondary character or pairing that needs more fanart

Felice, definitely! And Sara!

20 Dream fanfic about a secondary character and pairing that you’d love to read but don’t want to write yourself

Oh, I'd love more Sara centered fics. For instance about where she goes and what she does after season 3. I wouldn't mind if Felice, Simon and Wille were all part of her life, but she was the main character. I'd love for her to find even more agency in her life, and love, maybe. But it would have to be on her own premises this time, no sneaking around. I'd love if it contained some bickering between her and Simon, where she tells Simon off for relying too heavily on Wille, or something. She is so good at being an older sibling 😇 I have no idea about the plot, though, otherwise I could be persuaded to write it myself.

[sflow-er]

for the writing asks: 4, 16, 23

Thank you kindly for the ask, friend! <3

Coincidentally, @redleavesinthewind also asked 4 and 23, so I hope its okay I split those between you!

4. was answered here.

16. Favourite place to write

Sadly enough, I don't have much of a choice, because I don't currently own a laptop or even a tablet. I only have my desktop and phone, of which I infinitely prefer my desktop haha. I don't actually like spending time in my home office when I'm not working, but it's my only alternative at the moment.

23. Pick three keywords that describe your writing

This is a really tough one because my first instinct is to self-deprecate and start with something like wordy, but I'm going to try to pick positive words.

Backgrounded. I realise the English word isn't as commonly used to mean 'furnished with background (information) and/or considered in context' as the Finnish word taustoitettu, but I can't think of another one-word equivalent so please humour me! I like to think it shows that I put a lot of time and effort towards studying both the canon and the relevant real-world concepts and details. It's labour-intensive, but I think it helps to ground both me and the reader in the world of the fic and the character's perspective in said fic (informed by my understanding of their world, which may differ from fanon takes the reader has encountered before, for example).

Evocative (in terms of prose). I guess most writers aim to evoke feelings, images, and other experiences in the reader, but specifically in my own writing, this shows in word choices and passages that lean into the character's emotions, memories, sensory observations etc. Sometimes it can even show in the general style of prose or structure of the story, which can be used to give the reader a certain feel of the POV character or to reflect their development. I wouldn't say those play a significant part in the narrator's characterisation in all my fics but they have done in some. (Other people's secrets is the most notable example of the style thing and Bright ideas of the structure thing.)

Organic (in terms of dialogue/internal monologue). This can be a tough balancing act when I'm writing characters half my age "speaking Swedish" in English, neither of which is my native language. So I would not necessarily say my dialogue is realistic; the characters are often too mature and they don't speak like real teens, and while I try not to put in too many things that couldn't conceivably be there if this was a Swedish source text that I was very freely translating into English, I always prioritise fluency in English.

However, I do try to make the dialogue organic in the sense that it flows easily and uses words and concepts that feel innate to my version of those characters. I let them be unclear and awkward at times, and I try to steer away from words and phrases that they definitely wouldn't use. (One good example is Walter's internal monologue in The real deal, where Henry's hair is always ginger or a blondish red and never 'strawberry blonde' which definitely isn't in my Walter's vocabulary.)

Thank you again for the questions!

I'm still open for more if anyone wants to send them - list here.

[fan-of-young-royals]

Here’s your YR ask: sometime in the future, Felice is opening her first food truck, and the different items on the menu are inspired by her different friendships. What would be on the menu?

Hi!! You sent me this ask a while ago and I am so sorry it took me this long to answer

The foods I chose are more restaurant foods then food truck foods because I couldn’t think of a theme that fit with the characters and also worked in a food truck😅

Madison- Sweet tea. Something about it feels right for Madison

Wille- Some sort of pancakes I think but, like, fancy pancakes with fruit and whipped cream. Once again I don’t have much reasoning other than it feels right

Sara- French toast! The reasoning behind this is that I struggle to make French toast but when it does work it is SO GOOD (their friendship has ups and downs but they finally have worked things out :)

Stella and Fredrika- I had a hard time with because I was struggling with something that represented their friendship but I’m thinking the yogurt with the granola and fruit and honey because it’s yummy but the yogurt is still bitter (they got along but Stella and Fredrika were never really understanding)

I hope you are having a great week!!

[frogprincesnowglobe]

7, 15, 22 for the ask game!

Hi Ms. Dalahorse. Hope your day is going well!

7: What color dominates your closet?

My closet might be less colorful than one would expect. I have a lot of black tshirts. So probably black. But I also love colorful things, like I have a lilac colored hoodie I got a couple months ago that I never take off. I also have a light blue sweater that is *so* soft.

15: Do you have any houseplants? Do any of them have names?

I used to have house plants but right now I am woefully houseplant free. I used to have this plant that I planted in high school. We put our hopes and dreams symbolically with a seed in a pot (I think it was a caladium, but i'm not sure) and grew it. Mine lasted for more than ten years before he mysteriously died. His name was Johan and he was a good friend.

22: Iced or hot drinks?

I am an iced drink kind of gal. Give me green iced tea, give me strawberry drinks, I want everything with ice involved. :D I do like hot chocolate in winter though.

[anonymousdandelion]

For the WIP guessing game: journey

I’m afraid you get a glossary entry 😂 I’ll give you the actual fic sentence that it’s attached to as well, though!

From the “Angels + Omens” WIP;

And so, not long after Pesach, the angel and demon who had once lived in a shtetl called Shtetl, and who now lived in a city called New York, had found themselves reciting Tefillat HaDerech* in a plane taking off for a place called London.

*Tefillat HaDerech — The Traveler's Prayer: a Jewish prayer for a safe journey, said when setting out on a long or potentially perilous trip.

[heliza24]

So I always tell people that a lot of season 2 of Young Royals didn’t surprise me at all, because @bluedalahorse predicted so much of it before it happened (especially the August and Sara stuff) but tonight I was organizing our shared Google drive and I found proof of her psychic abilities. She made a detailed prediction spreadsheet in DECEMBER 2021 organized by likeliness and I would like to share some of her greatest hits with you now. (Also her ranking of likeliness and how much she would enjoy each prediction coming true is very funny).

We did indeed start at the palace! And although Kristina only tries to pull him after he returns to Hillerska and spends a little time there, the spirit of this is Very Correct

And Wilhelm did indeed sweat it out!

Ok so the reason Sara and Simon are fighting is wrong but the theme is correct, and also not the Felice/Wilhelm fake dating!!! I remember thinking that this was so far fetched but it was in fact! Not!

God fucking dammit August! 😂😂😂

Here she is nailing the entire Sara/August arc

More Sara and August accuracy sandwiching something we didn’t get but I still kind of hope that we do. (She didn’t get that August was going to be bumped up so specifically in the line of succession but this feels pretty close)

And this one made me scream!!!

Ok, that’s all. Blue thinks her predictive ability for season 3 is going to be less accurate than for season 2 but I still have faith.

[gulliblelemon]

An ask for your inbox: did you have a favorite plush toy or comfort item as a child, and if so, what was it? Do you still have it now as an adult?

I actually didn’t! I’ve never been that sentimental or got especially attached to things (apart from TV shows apparently). I had tonnes and tonnes of soft toys and a kid, but none that were particularly special.

However I did have a soft clown that my grandma made for me before I was born, so that does hold sentimental value. He’s called Charlie and he’s about 1.2 metres tall and really soft and floppy. I still have him (but he’s in the loft somewhere in a bag - sorry, Grandma!)

[crownedwille]

I am about to head out but I love your tags about Kristina and Wille’s relationship on that post! They are complex and I’m hoping their communication opens up in s3. I’d love to hear some more specific stories about Kristina’s youth…

another late reply i'm sorry

thank you! yes, their relationship is so complex and i'm interested to see where they're going with kristina. i don't think she will ever be the "ideal" mum and perfectly understanding and soft (and that wouldn't be realistic) and their relationship will probably always have its ups and downs and that's ok but i just don't want her to be the pure antagonist in the show...idk she's also a victim in a sense, it's all so much more complex and complicated

[putnamcapital]

still over here messing with the rules

I know it’s not the done thing to write fanfic from the first person, but i’ve done it anyway! Because it’s part of a story about Wille trying to find some way to throw over the traces, but within the confines of structure - and i’m interested in form following content.

Also there’s a lot of buzz right now about whether Sara is pregnant and what might happen to her, so if you’re interested in an aged-up Sara, and what Wille hopes for Sara, I am happy to share Chapter 3 of Freedom, drafted.

Also a cameo from Gabriel from Obviously (@grapehyasynth and We Left Footprints (@in-amor-veritas) because he is just canon now okay.

[sflow-er]

17 and 18 for the ask game you just posted!

Thank you kindly for the ask! <3

17. Your favorite character to write this year? 18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

These are incredibly tough questions, because I have basically just been focusing on Walter and Henry this year (none of the other characters in my main WIP are central enough to be faves or thorns in my side). And to be honest, I feel like they are both answers to both questions.

My main WIP at the moment is from Walter's POV. I've made him so messed up with his compulsive social gaming and several issues that he's only half acknowledging that he is both extremely enjoyable and absolutely exhausting to write. So there have been a lot of times when he's been the answer to 17, but also a great many when he's been the answer to 18. Then again, I've also struggled with Henry in that particular story, because he's meant to be a bit hard to read, and boy is he ever, haha. So in a way, he could be 18 too.

However, it's hard to say how much of that is due to the characters themselves and how much is due to my being overly self-critical and frankly close to burnt out this year. When writing is fun, it's really fun, but when it's not, it's really not. That probably affects my perception of writing the characters whose story I want to finish the most, because it's just infinitely frustrating not being able to tell it as smoothly as I want.

That being said, I have written a couple of other things as well, and one of those was a joy to write. It was a mostly fluffy one-shot turned two-parter for ace week, from Henry's POV, and I didn't struggle with it at all. Even the angst was nice to write because it was A) ace stuff and B) deliberately quite light, as the story was meant to be validating rather than triggering to read. So yeah, that particular version of Henry is another strong contender for 17!

Also, you can ask again if the Secret 5+1 Project pans out because I'm having a blast with that right now, but I expect it to get a lot heavier and less fun as it goes on.

So, I hope that wasn't too much of a cop-out! Thank you so much again for asking!

[Ask list for reference]

[fan-of-young-royals]

For the WIP game: school

Hi Blue! Thanks for the ask!

Summer was coming to an end and what better way to celebrate before school started than a sleepover?

[bluedalahorse]

Good stuff in this post! And this is just reminder that state races are as important, if not occasionally more important, than Federal races. Also, if you’re in a Deep Blue state or district, you can always go canvass in a nearby swing state or district or raise money for candidates throughout the country and so on.

Even if you don’t have much to give, small dollar donations to state-level and local level candidates make a big difference! Those donations can be used to reach voters, and voters who vote blue down-ballot will likely vote blue up the ballot as well. The DNC tends to think that having the right celebrity candidates running for very top offices will bring people to the local races and have a “trickle down” effect. This is a thing that happened once with like… Obama. It’s not really the norm. The reality is that more enthusiasm at the local level translates to bigger Democratic gains across the board. More left-leaning candidates at the local level can also push the Democratic party further left. So get excited about your local candidates and support them in whatever way you can!

As an American who doesn’t have voting representation in Congress because *checks notes* I live in the capital and it was historically Black-majority and for the longest time Congress denied us Home Rule for racist reasons and that’s still a large part of why they deny us a representative and two senators nowadays, *takes breath* I am imploring Americans in other states to use their right to vote and get active in elections.

right now it’s almost halfway through 2023, and 2024 is an election year in the US. I have started to see a growing proliferation of posts suggesting that there is no difference between the republican and democratic parties–the exact same kind of posts I saw an awful lot of before the last major election here. I am unfollowing folks who post or reblog these sort of posts, as I consider these posts to be fascist propaganda framed as leftist discourse, designed to suppress anti-fascist votes and voters. 

[frogprincesnowglobe]

Wishbone is the best dog character to grace television in the last 30 years. Paws down. Soccer the Dog served *tail* in every performance! 🐕📚