#but complaining to people who enjoy your creations that they don't enjoy them enough

[fluffylandshark]

Edit: I am playing devils advocate here solely because I see nobody else defending this harmless, if a bit annoying behavior

Question: why are you upset about people liking your stuff. Because they don't actively share it with others? Am I obligated to tell everyone I know "hey look at this cool art I found" the moment I like your art. Would you rather I don't even tell you that I like it at all? I understand telling people that likes don't work the same here as they do on twitter but telling people that only liking something without reblogging it to is upsetting feels kinda weird, not gonna lie. You're getting upset over people COMPLEMENTING you because they didn't reblog you. That's like yelling at someone who complements your fanfic on AO3 because they didn't share a link to it with their friends.

Your example is 55 likes and 2 reblogs. You see that only two out of 55 people who liked this post reblogged it. I see that 55 people liked what they saw and 2 of them even said "everyone should see this". None of these people were obligated to do any of that. You're not entitled to either likes or reblogs(edit: they aren't entitled to your art either). I would like for people to just give me a million dollars, but they aren't obligated to give me any, so I'm happy when my dad gives me 50 dollars as a birthday present. If someone showed me they like what I made, even if it was just pressing a button, I would be happy. Is it important to you that many people ENJOY your art or is it more important that many people SEE your art.

You know who else cares more about how many people consume their product than how beloved it is: Corporations like Disney. This attitude is part of the reason why some of the best shows in recent years were neglected or even cancelled by their networks. Why so much media is bland and samey trying to follow the same old formula of success rather than doing something interesting and fun. If you measure the worth of your art solely by how many people have seen it, you start to lose sight of arts primary purposes: self expression and carying a message/feeling into the heart of the people who see it.

people moving to tumblr from twitter please fucking reblog art likes literally dont do anything except make the artist upset bc they have 2 reblogs and 55 likes

[mithrilhearts]

My takeaway from the past 24+ hours...

There are so many of us that rely on ao3, whether you're a reader or writer. It brings us joy, it gives us an escape from the real world, and it lets us come together as a community to share stories and scenarios about our favorite fandoms and characters. The amount of posts I have seen on multiple platforms lamenting over the DDoS attacks is overwhelming - but with most of them comes a delightful cheer to the volunteers working to resolve this issue.

I've seen so many statements of praise for those volunteers, which is exactly what they deserve, and more. Can you imagine working for over 24 hours straight, on a volunteer basis, against something like this? They're the real MVPs, and I think our appreciation for them gets lost until moments like this rise.

With that said, here is my first real takeaway...

Don't bitch when ao3 does a donation drive. They work hard to keep the archive up and running, and with that costs money. Every server, every new addition or feature you want to see added to help make the site better, it costs money. The legal team that is defending fanfic authors??? MONEY. SO! DON'T! COMPLAIN!

I'm not saying you have to go out and donate your paycheck to ao3 - but I will say that, especially with this situation, if you can donate even a little bit to show your support, it means more than you probably realize, and even if you can't donate (which is totally okay), be kind to those who work on the archive. Send them kind words of encouragement, rather than flaming the archive because it's under attack - because yeah, I've seen people bitching AT ao3 for not working fast enough, or for it still being down. STOP IT.

My second takeaway...

Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Ao3 themselves have advised that the group claiming to take credit for this attack is to be treated with skepticism. And not only that, let's NOT automatically make assumptions about who is responsible just because of an organization's name. It's just a NAME, it doesn't identify a person's origin, background, etc. But I'm not here to dive into that much further. Point: I better not see any Sudanese hatred on my dash, or I will bite you.

My third takeaway...

Treat your fanfic writers with respect. We all now see first hand how much we depend on these stories. As I said above, for some it's an escape, a creative release, and a way to communicate with other people through similar interests. It's a beautiful creation, neither above nor below any other kind of literature.

Consider commenting, reblogging, kudos, anything you can to let the authors know you enjoyed and appreciate their works. Everyone is free to communicate in the way that suits them best, but every little bit is appreciated - as a fanfic writer myself, I can tell you that even a little heart emoji has made my day. It's like receiving a second kudos, and tells me that someone appreciated my efforts enough to give me a double thumbs up.

Any form of communication with the authors is appreciated. It lets them know that people are genuinely interested. We live in a world where INSTANT GRATIFICATION is taking over, but creations such as this take time. Talk with the authors, ask them about their wips, tell them they're doing a great job. Do NOT pester about "when are you updating next?" or the dreaded AI option - again, I will BITE PEOPLE if I see you doing this. Just...have some respect, show your appreciation, it's more than JUST FANFIC.

At the end of the day I guess this post is about being kind. Not pointing fingers or slandering people due to a name. It's about appreciating the things we do have, and not taking them for granted. Whether it's the brave cyber warriors currently fighting these DDoS attacks on the frontline, or the authors writing for not only their enjoyment, but for others too. Let's all respect one another, and show our support when and where we can.

HUGE THANK YOU TO THE VOLUNTEERS AT AO3, YOU ARE THE REAL MVPS!!!

[gavillain]

Agatha All Along season finale discussion because AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Spoilers on the road ahead!

So a LOT happened in this two parter, so I'm just gonna hit the major points in order...

So despite my thinking that two of the Salem Seven survived because of the number of sword fall sounds last episode, they are apparently all dead. Which, y'know what, I don't mind. They weren't really meant to be actual characters, mostly just Nazgul-esque opponents to add some extra stakes, and having Lilia successful destroy them all with her sacrifice is the most earned ending for them.

When we get to the final trial, it's more or less the three remaining witches stuck in a room having to resolve their purposes on the Road. For Jen, we had her unbinding herself and the reveal that Agatha was the one who bound her. Admittedly, I kinda feel like that reveal was underdone, and it mostly just seemed like a quick asspull to resolve Jen's storyline at the eleventh hour. However, I really felt for Jen and the catharsis of unbinding herself, so I can't complain too terribly much.

Secondly, we resolve Billy's ambitions to restore Tommy, and this one, I was generally more favorable about than Jen's. Billy basically helped put Tommy into the body of another boy who died prematurely, one who was being drowned in an apparently very toxic environment. In the comics, Tommy was in and out of juvie all his life, and the Young Avengers find him in a supermax prison because of his powers. So, I'm assuming Thomas Shepherd, the boy whose body Billy hijacks, is in juvie or some correctional facility, and that's where we're gonna pick up with him in Vision Quest. Also, Agatha's line about "sometimes boys just die" was a fucking ARROW TO THE HEART, especially with the backstory in the following episode.

Then for Agatha, she completes the road's test by growing a sapling that she finds in her locket holding Nicholas's hair and emerges from the road back in Westview, where Rio is waiting for her. And DAMN was the final battle against Rio one of the coolest in Marvel. With Billy going FULL Wiccan mode and Agatha siphoning off his power but not enough to kill him. It was your standard Marvel final battle, but I really enjoyed the spectacle of it and how insurmountable of a foe Rio felt like. Agatha almost betraying Billy so that she can live but then changing her mind and sacrificing her life for his was such a powerful moment of full circle for her. After everything she's done to other witches and to Billy's own mother, for her to finally embrace death (and LITERALLY embrace the kiss of Death) was super powerful and showed how the road genuinely did change her. Personally, I usually hate redemption arcs, but this one, I actually really liked and supported because it wasn't about Agatha giving up her sense of self to be someone else, it was about making a choice out of love in the moment. I thought it was a beautiful way to resolve the story, and I was wondering what the heck else they were going to do with the last episode.

And then we got the reveal that I saw a few people guessing that Billy created the Witches' Road and that Agatha had never been on it, and I think that was a really well deserved reveal that hit for me exactly as it was intended. I loved that Billy created it because he has "the same tell" as Wanda with WandaVision. He made this grand fantasy adventureland, and that's SO cool! He, too, apparently is capable of spontaneous creation like Wanda, and I'm curious how they're going to tie this in with the MCU lore about the Scarlet Witch. In the comics, Billy is the Demiurge, and I'm interested in finding out if Marvel is going to bring in that concept or if they're going to do something new with the prophecy of Scarlet Witch. Maybe a secret hidden verse to the prophecy? We saw Billy's statue in Mount Wundagore in Multiverse of Madness, so maybe old Chthon knew a lil' somethin' else. I also liked the reveal that the Witches Road was a con that Agatha used to lure unsuspecting witches into giving her their powers. That was clever, as was the way that it tied in with her backstory.

SPEAKING OF, that backstory with Nicholas Scratch was the most heartbreaking thing, and I loved every minute of it. Her bond with Nicholas and the way that she showed genuine humanity to him was a side to Agatha we only saw the periphery of in her relationship with Billy, so seeing it fully realized was SO powerful and so well done. Rio giving her a good seven(ish?) extra years with Nicholas also speaks volumes because in Rio's mind, she was doing Agatha a HUGE favor that violated the cosmic order and to some extent, she DID because it showed Agatha a purpose beyond just power. However, it also probably hurt her worse than just taking Nicholas upon birth. She gave Agatha years to love and get attached to her son, and that, I'm sure, made the wound of losing him that much deeper (and Kathryn Hahn's acting with those screams of anguish upon finding Nicky dead were SOUL CRUSHING - she KILLED it). So, yeah, interesting that it was such a double edged sword. I also thought the twist that Nicholas and Agatha wrote the Ballade together as their little song and it eventually spread because of him singing it to other witches was REALLY clever and REALLY powerful.

And, finally, Agatha is back as a ghost, and she's sticking around Billy as his spirit guide/mentor, which I really like. I'm sure some people are going to take umbrage at Marvel cheating death again, but this is a show that racked up bodies of major characters left and right, and Agatha being dead and a spirit I'm sure is going to have big changes for her and her power and characterization going forward. Plus from Evanora Harkness, it's an established part of the lore. So, for me, it works, and I like it. I also like the touch of her looking more like her comics counterpart with gray hair in ghost form, and I'm honestly REALLY excited to see Billy and Agatha as a dynamic duo continue on in future Marvel properties.

Overall, I LOVED Agatha All Along. It was an incredible journey, and it was the most I've enjoyed a Marvel property in awhile. I feel optimistic about the future of this particular corner of the MCU, and I'm so glad I got to go with everyone down the Witches Road :)

[heartfullofleeches]

Quick concept for kid-core not so imaginary friend Yan because I'm crying in the club rn-

X X

Life is hard when you're stepping out into the world. Sometimes you're expect you to let go of things who built you into the person you are as if in just one day, week, or year you're a different person who didn't spend their entire life with them. Certain people complain on and on about how adults shouldn't go to amusement parks if they don't have kids, when those places are meant for people of all ages to enjoy regardless of your life choices. Sometimes you can do both. Sometimes you need both. Sometimes you just need to make a doctor's appointment while wearing that one goofy accessory you didn't have the means to obtain back then - and you aren't alone.

"I found a channel playing reruns of your favorite show!.... Huh? So what if it was your favorite when you were younger - it still made you happy, right?

"Hey, Hey. Remember that one snack you loved they stopped making? Guess who found a recipe they're 110% positive will be exactly like you remembered?"

"What? Goin' out by yourself today? Sure I can't come? Nobody will see me.... Awe~ Least lemme give you a big kiss before you leave. Promise you won't forget about me and run off? I'll findya if you do.... Just kiddin' haha"

With them, you live in both words. They remind you of important dates and slab a sticker on your cheek in the same breath for a job well done. They smell like something you forgot long ago, and while you may never piece where it's from - you remember it fondly. They encourage you to try out that hairstyle you always thought you'd rock as a kid, and make wigs for you to rest before the big leap if you're afraid. They give you the push you need sometimes, and are ready to catch you if you fall with a warm blanket in their arms. Any negativities around you are swiftly cut out of the picture and buried. Regardless of what or who they are.

All they ever ask of you - is that you remember they're only a figment of your imagination. The food and smiles you share, their embrace - all your mind and body's s creation. It hurts everytime they remind you. It hurts them too, but that pain is a necessary evil.

After all, an imaginary friend can't possibly be responsible for the report on the news.... Isn't that your old boss?

"That's enough tv for one night, don't cha think? Why don't we go find a pretty color to paint your room and make matching bracelets?"

[littlehypnone]

Sorry to say so but even I got nlocked by moonie just for giving them advice. They clearly take anything as hate even if it is meant well.

I can only say as a trauma survivor you need to be made of steel if you start working or talking about trauma on social media in any form. If you are still emotionally sucked into the same feelings you will only gonna hurt yourself in the process.

Trauma is a process and a vulnerable time but don't expose your innerself to the outside world if you are not ready to deal with people who have never been hurt. There is so much stigma around trauma and dealing with PTSD some unsocialized fucks just live to press your buttons.

I really mean this genuine. They don't deserve hate but people won't stop. That's what internet culture has become.

okay first of all I don't want this blog to become a shelter for all the anons moony has blocked plus Im nobody's lawyer so, and this is to everyone, that's enough. also look at what I'm saying here through a filter because I'm tired and angry at something irl and in pain and I don't have energy to be polite anymore today

second of all, I don't know how your asks to moony were wonder but she is too nice for her own good and blocking people is her way of protecting herself and good for her. unsolicited "advice" is a lot of times no better than straight up hate. you seem to be under impression that moony is a dumb child who does not know how the world works. she's an adult, a very smart one let me add, and this is not the kind of "advice" she needs. if any

it can be hard, sharing stuff on the internet, and yes you should be aware of the effects it can have on ones mental health but it seems like the perfect solution for you would be to just stop. for many people, myself and moony included, writing and sharing it with a world is fun but also a coping mechanism of a kind. yes the world is messed up and internet sucks but we won't just stop doing everything to avoid that. and even though we realize all the hate has unfortunately became nearly a norm nowadays we can and will complain about it because it still sucks

no, moony does not deserve hate and unfortunately we are aware that it is not very likely to stop. but it's not moony that is to blame because she simply tries to enjoy herself and share her creations with the world. no, the only people to blame here are the haters. you, dear anon, have to understand that moony (or the general we) is only trying to have fun on here and is getting undeserved hate for that. she deals with that hate but it's still overwhelming and discouraging as hell and it should not be happening. that is all and while from this ask of your alone I can see that your intentions are, more or less, good, it's not that that counts

that is all from me and that's enough on the topic

[rockybloo]

A LONG while ago I had made a post considering making a Patreon or something of that sort for my stuff and how I was pondering things about it.

And I had gotten an inbox response (that I didn't post for very obvious reasons y'all will read later on under the cut) requesting I only post NSFW artwork on it as said person said they didn't care about 18+ artwork and went on to explain how everyone's money is tight right now and that they really didn't want to miss out on story and OC stuff.

And I feel like enough time has passed that I can form a proper response. Because I do understand money being tight but...there's just levels to this that made me feel some very offput by this response to me simply thinking about making a Patreon.

The first thing I want to state is that, if I did make some subscriber content, I definitely wouldn't hide lore heavy stuff behing paywalls. It would have been bonus extra content people could def live without or at the very least something they could see weeks or months earlier than people not subscribed to it (which is something many artists I follow do).

The second thing, is that I understand many do not like NSFW work. I totally get it. HOWEVER, I love drawing intimate things, so much so that I already have alt accounts where I post my more adult content for other adults to see for free because I treat it the same as my sfw art. It's just stuff I wanna draw for fun. And it wouldn't be fair suddenly cutting off those people over on my alt and telling them to pay to see my OC's tiddies from now on.

I also very much am not a fan of having people tell me to my face that they don't care about NSFW content in relation to my OCs and stories. Please keep that to yourself or at least in your friend group Discord servers. Telling me to my face is just a major vibe killer.👎🏾

Third, and by far the most important thing I want to say, is that "YES" money is very tight for everyone right now. Believe me, I know.

However, it's super important that people understand creators are also part of the group when y'all say "money is tight". Like I said, society is hella unstable and everyone is struggling. Artists, especially the ones brave enough to be doing freelancing for a living, are also tight on money.

It's why so many have subscription services for their work. Nearly every creator with a story or characters I follow have a subscription of some sort that people can pick as an option to support them.

When I was considering making a Patreon, I definitely was not expecting everyone following me to hop on board. In the past, I have had people ask if I had one. So me potentially making one would have been meant for those people who were interested in it. It would have been a more "out of the way" option of showing support.

That being said, many artists are share their work for free. Many do so because they love sharing their creations with others. While I don't believe the person who sent in the inbox ask had meant to come off as entitled, I do think people have to check themselves when it comes to their responses to artists in general wanting to make a little money off their own creations.

I have seen so many times where an artist starts to do something to earn money, whether it be merch, adopts, or commissions, and people will complain because there's a price tag for something they got used to getting for free.

Just like someone who enjoys looking at art has the freedom to decide if they want to give said artist money or not, an artist definitely has the right to decide "I want to make some money from my art".

"Art is a luxury" is very much a two way street. You don't have to pay, but an artist doesn't have to make all their work free.

[hogwarts-legacy-confessions]

Anybody who thinks it's easy to be seen in any fandom should receive a reality check. I'm going to give those people a bit of tough love. Yes, it is discouraging to try so hard without getting much interaction in return. Yes, it is mostly based on luck and timing whether you get your foot in. No, a gigantic yield of likes and comments isn't going to pour at you with one or even a handful of works just because you think you deserve it. And no, you're not going to be making friends overnight if ever. Most fandom experiences are actually quite lonely. People who do make fandom friends often sacrifice a ton of their free time and in-real-life relationships to hang out with them. It's hard work, it's rotten work and it can eat at you mentally since getting friends and also sticking with them, no matter what your or they do, is hard. Making people read or look at your things is even harder because you feel like you are imposing on them (most of the time you are by the way). This is why you are not creating for others. You are creating for yourself! Out of self-indulgence! Because you are obsessed over these little fictional characters playing out scenarios in your head! I am so sick of hearing people complain about lack of kudos, likes, reposts and comments, and I can't believe a fandom this small suffers from it as well. Why do you care so much for a made up internet currency that will just make you miserable? Create something out of love for the creation. Why give a flying fvck about what others think about your work because chances are, they aren't real critics with real knowledge and feedback that you need. I've noticed that the "icons" of fandoms often don't even interact much in other's creations' comment sections. So why don't you concentrate on perfecting your craft instead, like they do? You can mope about it all day or you could go outside, work on your poetry, do a study of an impressionist painting or read a classic. Consume art, watch movies, go to the theater, experience. Make a roadmap for your goals, take notes, watch tutorials. That's what's gonna give you skills, inspiration and ultimately, visibility for your work, both fan- and/or original. Just do something useful, you! Right. Now.

👀

Sorry, I'm gonna have to tackle this little pep talk head on.

It's horseshit to say "write for yourself" and act like it's shameful for people to express their frustration with the perception of having their work ignored. Yes, one should ultimately create fanworks that are true to themselves as much as possible, and do so because they enjoy it first and foremost, but I have a feeling that anon here doesn't know what it's like to pour your heart and soul into something and get crickets. When you know people are seeing it, that feels like a judgment of your work - a negative one. I say that as a quasi-popular creator in the fandom.

I'm not saying people are obligated to like or engage with works they don't find appealing, I'm simply arguing why it's valid to feel sad about that situation.

If fandom creations are all "for ourselves" then why bother posting on Tumblr or ao3 in the first place? It's because there's a community here that we want to engage with. Every single one of us.

This posturing about "I write for myself so I don't need or want any validation for my work" might put you in a special category of emotionally different people but it's not true for the majority.

In fact, most of the idea of asking for prompts on Tumblr is to entertain an audience of people supportive of your work, so I hope you've never answered a creative ask, anon. That would make you a hypocrite.

Everyone should absolutely be writing what pleases them first and foremost, but that doesn't detract from the sense of community and pride you get when someone else openly enjoys your work.

I also feel like there's a definite subtext in this confession that reads "you're not popular because you're not good enough. You need to work harder and you'll succeed." Studies have shown that popularity is not necessarily based on merit, and it's almost random what gets popular based on who latches onto something and shares it.

In short, anon, please get off your high horse. There are plenty of amazing writers and artists in this fandom who get little to no traction. Maybe if you stopped getting comments, kudos, and likes on your work for a day we'd see how you feel about this issue then.

This is certainly not a dynamic unique to HL, although in a fandom with only a few hundred active members at most (at least on Tumblr), it feels more personal when your work is ignored. Since our tags are small, it's harder to just accept that you're being overlooked and not take it personally.

You can find countless posts decrying the overall decrease in engagement in the past few years on Tumblr and begging people to leave kudos and comments! Maybe people should try to keep in perspective that they're not alone, maybe we all should complain less, but the idea that we should be better than wanting others to enjoy our work (and show that) does not sit well with me, especially while we're constantly watching others in the fandom sniff each other's farts.

[dross-the-fish]

Just pointing out that as a creator you do have some obligation to your audience. I notice a pattern with you where your responses are affectively "go find another artist" I find that dismissive of people who are upset about how you depict their beloved characters.

Your characters who aren't OCs belong to the fandom and the fandom has a right to correct you. Our comfort characters are not your toys. Artists of your caliber who also write aren't as common as you seem to think so it's not as easy as you think to "find another artist"

We came here for you. The least you can do is appreciate that. If everyone just left to "find another artist" your blog would be nothing. Have some fucking respect.

Ok, I've had a few asks like this and I've been mostly ignoring them but I think we need to have a conversation about "respect" since you're so concerned about it.

Most of the "criticism" I've gotten has been to the effect of "I believe Erik and Christine are in love," "I don't personally prefer your version of Hyde due to my subjective tastes" and "Adam is a helpless victim and Victor is evil," I've even had people complain that my design for Erik doesn't have enough hair. I don't think it's disrespectful of me to call these out as being shallow or based purely on preference rather than literary merit.

You're allowed to have these opinions and I'm allowed to disagree with you. And I do, I vehemently disagree with all of these. I have weighed and considered them and decided not to indulge them.

I'm not trying to be ungrateful but at this point my versions of these characters are my own creations and I have decided how much or how little I want them to deviate from canon. I'm sorry you don't feel like you can find another artist who's style you like but my work is what it is and I'm not changing it. People are either here because they enjoy what I make or they'll leave and if it happens one day that not a single person on tumblr enjoys what I make then I'll just delete this blog and I will go elsewhere to seek a new audience or maybe just stop sharing online all together.

I do appreciate everyone who is here and I think my regular followers and my mutuals are all lovely people that I enjoy seeing every day but people like you, anon, you make me feel like a vending machine that's getting kicked because I didn't stock the right candy. I know I'm also not the only artist on this platform who has been made to feel this way by people like you. I've known artists and writers who actively quit producing anything online because attitudes like yours made them lose their ability to enjoy sharing their creativity. So maybe you should consider having some fucking respect before you and everyone with your mindset drives creators off the platform.

[courfee]

people’s takes on fic stuff fucking baffles me. i see people going on and on about word counts and complaining when updates “take too long” or refusing to read wips entirely bc they’re too impatient and i just… i cannot understand this shit.

i know that the majority of these people have had to write something for a class in school at some point. it took you weeks to write a five paragraph essay for a grade. most of the time, that’s less than 1k words.

there’s nanowrimo, where the usual goal is to write 50k words in one month. which is understood by participants as an incredibly challenging goal. it’s hard. most people who start don’t complete it in time. it takes a lot of dedicated time. it’s exhausting. and there are so many fics out there that are significantly longer than this - and you can read them for fucking free!!!

it breaks my brain how people don’t seem to understand how much effort and time it actually takes to write something.

it’s even wilder to me that people will just skip over fics entirely based off of how many hits or kudos they have. why even bother searching by ship or tags or what have you if you’re just going to discount 90%+ of your search based off of how many people read it before you. the more common place that becomes, the less amazing fics will end up getting read in the first place. it takes hits to make hits.

all of this is just so wild to me i cannot wrap my brain around it. and i hate going into fic writing for this fandom knowing damn well that i’m in a fandom where people who might genuinely enjoy something i spent hours of my time on will never even consider glancing at it because i’m not “popular” enough. i don’t publish fics for clout and approval, but there’s a reason why i share them in the first place. i’ve written plenty of fics just for myself, or for a few friends to read. but if i take the time to publish and post something, it’s because i want to share it! i put it out there hoping that other people might enjoy it like i do. because sharing that feels good. and it sucks to think that there are people who might have shared in that enjoyment with me, who will never see it because we’ve started putting this weird standard on shit.

i don’t know about other writers, but that’s exactly what i’m talking about when i say that fandom dynamics as of late are sucking the joy out of creating. i write because it brings me joy. i publish/post/share because seeing something i wrote bring someone else joy, brings me even more joy. and watching this whole shitstorm of people being shit to fic writers or completely discounting most fics for one reason or other, just cuts that down so much for me.

idk i have a lot of thoughts and feeling about this but at the end of the day it frustrating and, at times, a bit heartbreaking.

honestly you said it all. all of this.

one thing i wanna add is in regards to nanowrimo: 50k words in a month (1667 words a day btw) is incredibly hard and a lot of people don't manage it, but a common factor i've witnessed between those that have done it is that they went into it having fully planned out their stories. because writing isn't only putting down words on paper, you have to figure out what to write, if you want a great plot you usually have to plan for that, and even once you've written it all you still have to go over everything and edit it. there is even more time and effort that goes into writing that people don't see and just take for granted. it's absolutely a labor of love, and the labor part is strongly emphasised here, and still we offer it for free only for people to be bitchy about it

i just hope you keep the joy of it all, because the entire point of fandom should be that it's done for fun and with the purpose of bringing you fun...

sending you all the love there, at least we are enough people in this fandom who write and draw and cosplay and make edits and all the other things there are for creation that we can support each other through it all

[mahou-furbies]

Do you think having magical eggs is too similar to Shugo Chara? I'm planning a magical girl webcomic and I really like the idea of taking care of an egg, keeping it warm and making it hatch to obtain powers. I also want to use the theme of being kind with animals and such, so, I think the egg is a good addition to it. But I'm worry people will compare it to Shugo Chara.

Comparing stories is inevitable, like people who have never seen a magical girl show will call any magical girl anime a Sailor Moon copy, or those who complain about edgy stories will label anything remotely dark as a Madoka ripoff, or on fanwikis in the trivia sections you can find "this was possibly inspired by ___" speculation over the flimsiest connections. If it isn't clear from the tone I'm not a huge fan of this, but regrettably I have to file it under "people having different fandom opinions on the internet over ultimately insignificant issues" and move on.

However I think there can be more than one upbeat magical girl story, or dark magical girl story, or a magical girl story with eggs for that matter; just because there is some common element doesn't mean the stories can't go into completely different directions. Other than the egg your premise sounds very different, with the focus on animals, while Shugo Chara (IIRC) is about growing up and identity, with the eggs being more like props or metaphor. Or Kira Kira Precure and Tokyo Mew Mew both have an animals+sweets theme, but TMM focuses on the animals/conservation and Ichigo's romance with the cafe being more of a backdrop, while KKPC focuses on the sweets/cafe side and is themed around... I can't remember, finding, enjoying and spreading what is exciting to you? Just because Shugo Chara has eggs in it doesn't mean that no other magical girl story ever is allowed to use them.

Also especially for fan creations, I don't think it even matters if you take your story to a different direction. I think it's totally fair to be like for example "Sailor Moon is my favourite anime and I find its premise interesting, so I made my own version with magical girls based on the planets and the moon one being a reincarnation of a princess". You probably should be honest about the inspiration (and not pretend it's all your very own original idea) but if anyone has a problem with it just block them.

However, (no longer related to your question but) I think one should be more careful when it comes to other fan creations; I think any big commercially published works are fair game when it comes to taking inspiration, copying, making your own versions, and so on, but seeing someone else's OCs and making your own be very similar feels unpleasant to me. Like if someone's flower-based magical girl team inspires you, feel free to make a flower-based team yourself but maybe don't use the exact same flowers for everyone, and try to come up with different clothing motifs and story ideas. Though of course with fanworks too there are concepts that are general enough that you really can't claim ownership over them ("I made an element based magical girl team and now nobody else can do that or they're copying me!" "Only my season-based magical girl team gets to have a white-pink-green-orange colour palette!" "My pink heroine has a miniskirt and twintails, don't steal my idea!")

[domoroks]

I'm sorry to bother you but I have to say I find Dib's treatment in the show/comics flat out uncomfortable a lot of the time. It feels like his whole role is to get treated like shit and fail at everything and it's not funny to me.

Also the opening of the comics pissed me off, it's basically mocking Dib for being fat and gross, I genuinely don't get why people praise it. There's also issue 5. It made me hate Gaz, it seems she never gets called out for her selfish and cruel behavior.

all in all the treatment for dib is ridiculous in my humble opinion. Of course- if you find it funny i’m not going to pull you apart for it, but his treatment does make me sad, mostly because there’s no bigger picture taken out of it for the show, movie or comics. Any younger children that might’ve been able to see the show, movie, or the comics might actually be bummed tf out because of there being no takeaway lesson- which also makes me sad LMAOO.

I see where you’re coming from!! it makes me upset too. The way all the characters are treated makes me so upset like on an emotional level- but that’s unfortunately how their universe works :((. not defending it or anything you know. Nick canceling the show really ruined any progress we would’ve / could’ve seen in the characters- and when they revived the movie and the comics came out you didn’t get to see much character development either- which- for me- a person who love’s character development- FINDS VERYY SAD. The creator states a couple of times though that the characters can’t really change- which upsets tf outa me. (that’s why my hcs are so heavy for Invader Zim actually.) ((it’s like parenting a thing you enjoy it’s genuinely insane.))

Gaz is mostly mean due to the fact her dad is never around- and Dib seems to be just too much for her. Also- the way her ‘mother’ (if they even ever had one) is never brought up. Though the way Gaz acts has always been pointed out ESPECIALLY by parents who viewed the show when it aired- they complained about her hate for her brother. Another instance of issues not getting to be solved with the time and creation of the show / comics- yet again sad. I’d also argue that the fandom played a big part in Jhonen’s dislike for his own creation. If you’ve known Invader Zim for long enough- the fandom is HORRIFYING. not to drag *it* in again but Zadr / humanxirken shippers tanked the fandom because it’s either a super toxic ship or literally p3d0ph1ll1a. (had to censor the word sorry.)

The fandom also has incest. which is disgusting beyond belief. I’ve only been a fan of the show for about 4 years now- but despite me posting my art for it, i don’t talk about it much with strangers because of it. All of the stuff that’s happened in the fandom drive Jhonen to literally end the comics with a groundhog day. I HATE GROUNDHOG DAYS. YOUR DISLIKE IS VERY JUSTIFIED!!

A bit of a tangent here but I have my whole AU with a more found family. Zim realizes his tallest dont care about him, Dib gets respected more, Gaz becomes a bit less harsh and Membrane fixes his fucking parenting issues. I understand Zim’s an old man but bro just joins the Membrane family and becomes a brother to Dib because he can. That’s just my coping mechanism for the show/movie/comics LMAO. like I said though your opinion is justified!! I don’t get to talk about it ever but the way every character’s treated and handled is honestly kinda sucky and maybe I just have high empathy and don’t like seeing others upset but i genuinely want the best for these little imaginary guys. I want them to be ok.

[jinxthejubilee]

I just recalled a answered ask you did where you said Joe would most likely be the perfect match for MS if either of them would have someone, and purely based off a world where PS and Dal aren't the only ones to fall in love (and Hock and Veil lets be real-) in the line of work, how would their relationship bloom? I kind of see them meeting before in the past since in myth canon Hades is Ursula's uncle?? It's kind of like how I see MS and Farja meeting before since Hades and Jafar are friends

That's a really good question, actually. I personally don't see them knowing each other beforehand, though that is a decent idea. And I don't see them ACTUALLY getting together in canon, but if we were to run with the idea, I feel like it would look something like this:

Their Personalities 🐙 ➕️ 🔥

Starting off with the basics, these two hardly interact at first. They're both pretty distant and aloof.

But they do have certain things in common:

They're both hard workers but pretty apathetic to the world around them.

They both can't stand their bosses (although in different ways).

They're both sarcastic and see the world through a negative lens.

Finally, they both have the potential to grow and find their humanity.

Now, what exactly do I mean by "humanity"?

Well, my interpretation of Ms. Hades has her as a creation of Hades himself. Someone who doesn't fully understand humans and life in general, having been surrounded by death for thousands of years.

Joe, on the other hand, has lost his passion and zest for life after he signed away his freedom to Ursula. He sees no point in chasing after dreams that died a long time ago.

However, that could change.

Bonding 💞

It's not your typical cutesy romance like Dalma and Pretty Scar. It starts off slow and is mostly seen in the background. Think Rigby and Eileen from Regular Show.

MH would most likely find Joe slaving away at his paperwork. She probably wouldn't help him the first few times. If you've ever seen her on the stage show, she's more inclined to just let people do what they want.

But that doesn't last long. It's affecting his health, and in the long term, it would become a much larger problem for the others to deal with, so she decides to help him.

Joe is fairly reluctant to have her help him, seeing as he's not too comfortable around women, but he respects her enough to allow her to assist.

This just develops into a thing they do almost every night, regardless if there's actual work to be done.

Eventually, he becomes more comfortable around her and will likely explain his grievances with Ursula. Likewise, MH will complain about Hades and the unfairness she and Joe experience.

Over time, they open up about their pasts, share stories, what their respective worlds are like, share some wine or early morning coffee, it becomes less of a colleague relationship and more a friendship.

They enjoy each other's presence. And that's a gift in and of itself. They've actually found someone that they can be at peace around.

MH often wants to experience different things and allows Joe to get out of his comfort zone at a reasonable level.

Joe, meanwhile, will go out of his way to help her in any way he can. Whether that be paperwork, replacing her old and possibly burned fans, or protecting her from outside threats.

That last one goes both ways, especially since Joe, at first, was a nervous wreck when confronted by a threat. He would hide behind MH and Malfie mostly. But as he got more confident in himself, he now uses his tentacles to shield whoever is near him. It's subtle, and he would deny it if anyone asked, but it's a sign that he cares. And he does it a lot around MH.

Overall 💗😌💗

They never say it out loud. But that doesn't mean that they don't acknowledge it.

Again, it's a very slow burn. They're mature people. They're not the wild, crazy, and lovey dovey types. But they realize that love can actually be achieved by people like them.

It's a love woven in respect, peace, admiration, and care. They are each other's hearths. Someone to go home to after a long day.

Which makes it all the more heartbreaking that they have to leave each other to go back to their respective worlds. Or, so you would think.

They would miss each other, yes, but that wouldn't be the end of things. After they play out their movie's plots, the adventures continue still.

They join with their fellow recruiters in helping one another out if something goes wrong in their world.

They might go back to Disneyland/the normal realm to visit.

Heck, if this is playing by Kingdom Hearts or Descendants rules, then their worlds could be interconnected in some way. It wouldn't be impossible to seek each other out.

In the meantime, however, they would send notes and gifts to each other regularly. Nothing extravagant, but very sweet and special.

I might make an actual page out of this one day, but this will suffice for now. Hope this answers your question!

[papytonpropaganda]

A bit late for for the writing ask thing! 💖👻😈🤔💭🍰

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

I guess I'd have to say how effortless it feels when I'm really in the zone. I don't wanna say it's easy, because most of the time it's not, but when I'm actually able to sit down and focus, I can crank out a whole Walls chapter in a couple hours (yes I have done this before). I think it's due to how much I love the characters and the story I've created for them, and being excited to share that story with people, especially those who resonate with the characters.

👻 What is one WIP you think you may never pick back up?

I have this really old wip from like. even before Walls was conceived I think. it was basically going to be Undertale but from Chara's perspective. I haven't completely rejected the idea of going back to it, but I'm just not sure if I have any ideas unique enough to really set it apart from other similar fics, or interesting enough that people are willing to basically sit down and re-experience Undertale in written form.

😈 Is there anything you enjoy doing that you think your readers hate?

again I can't really think of anything, but I'm curious to see what others have to say (again pls be nice if u have anything to say)

🤔 What is the hardest part of writing fic?

I feel like I could go with multiple different answers here, but the one I'll pick for now is basically trying to follow my artistic vision while also not pissing anyone else off. what I mean by that is like... I'm constantly trying to get other people's approval for my creative decisions, and I feel like that hinders the stories I write and my personal growth as a writer. while I'm not one of those people who constantly complains about "puritanism" in fandom, I do think there's a bit of a thing where people hear that a work includes a difficult topic, and they immediately distrust the creator without verifying for themselves whether that topic is handled appropriately. I have personally experienced people automatically assuming I'm doing something "fetishy" when I mention the topics that Walls deals with, for example. and I just feel like this is such a sad and unproductive way to interact with anyone's creation. it doesn't foster a sense of community or respect, or encourage anyone to personally engage with a work and figure out for themselves whether it did what it was intended to. now of course I'm not saying you should never be skeptical, I just think it's important that you verify for yourself what a work does with a topic rather than just relying on hearsay.

sorry for the soapbox rant lol. I'm basically just trying to say that it's difficult for me to stick to my honest vision when I'm also trying not to cross any lines. and that doesn't even have to apply to like, dark topics, it can also apply to just characterization in general (I frequently feel like my visions of Papyrus and Mettaton aren't humorous enough, for example, and that I'm turning people away by having all the angst in Walls.)

💭 What is a headcanon you have about your own work?

Chara is an entity in Walls, but only Frisk and Flowey are aware of their presence (and Flowey only knows because Frisk told him). Chara has various opinions on all of the family members at the beginning of Walls, and throughout the story, their opinion on Mettaton changes the most--they go from thinking he's boring and annoying to "if anyone hurts Mettaton I will kill everyone in this room and then myself" once they figure out how abusive Devon is.

🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave).

I don't read fic much these days but there is one I constantly go back to and I would say it's definitely my favorite fic I've ever read. and surprisingly it is not Undertale. it is. uh. Harry Potter 🙈 but it's literally SO good, way better than anything JKR ever wrote and it's basically the only HP thing I engage with anymore. it has Harry actually responding realistically to having been abused by his aunt and uncle, and Snape is an actual well-rounded, likable and sympathetic character. I literally can't read the original books anymore because they just don't compare to how fantastically written the fanfic author made the main characters. the premise was a bit weird and I remember being cautious when I first read the fic, but the author REALLY made it work and well. obviously it became something very precious to me lol. but yeah.

[fushiglow]

I want to add that words like 'attention' and 'exposure' and 'interaction' muddy people's understanding, because they're rooted in the commodification of art. As the person above suggests, I think we need to move towards talking about these issues in terms of 'connection' and 'communication' and 'finding shared meaning' instead.

Almost all of the mainstream stories we're exposed to are produced under the 'culture industry', so most people are only acquainted with art in a commercialised form — art that was created with the intention of selling it from day dot — and they naturally come to believe that this is the main purpose of art.

This understanding is so normalised that, when regular people share their art with the world, we default to assuming that there's an ulterior motive (usually wealth or fame). However, the vast majority of artists will never make a penny from their work and most of those people aren't even seeking to. Even so, it's a commonly held belief that artists are 'greedy' for seeking engagement with our work; that the process of creation should be fulfilment enough for a 'real' artist. This draws a false dichotomy between an artist's quest for personal fulfilment and their search for connection with other human beings.

When you're used to parting with your hard-earned cash to enjoy art, it's perhaps reasonable that you expect it to impress you. When you purchase popcorn at the cinema, you want to feel it's worth the price you paid for it — and the same goes for your movie ticket. Buying and consuming is the norm in our culture, but that norm is built on the concept of a fair exchange.

It's unfair to apply that approach to work shared by an amateur artist for free, because the exchange isn't fair and never will be. Within a capitalist framework (which art doesn't belong in anyway), the burden of time, resources, emotional labour etc. falls almost entirely on the artist. Yet, our consumerist tendencies are so deeply engrained that we impose the expectation upon artists that they must 'earn' our enthusiasm (even the notion of 'paying attention' has been distorted by this idea, as though 'attention' is a currency) — which is how we end up with viral tweets insisting that AO3 should have a 'dislike' button because authors get 'too used' to receiving purely positive feedback.

When artists complain about receiving unsolicited criticism, we get, "Don't share your art with the world if you can't take it" — as though it's our duty to take feedback from strangers and use it to 'improve' according to the standards of people who are not trustworthy peers.

This is not what artists are seeking when we share our work with others. Moreover, it's so far removed from the reason we create art in the first place.

If it were about the personal fulfilment we get from the process of creating, we'd have no need to share our work with the world — and we often don't! A huge deal of art is created for the artist's own practice or progression (alongside more meaningful reasons) and never sees the light of day. So, when we do share our work with others, it's because we're seeking connection and understanding and, yes, praise sometimes. However, seeking praise isn't antithetical to those other forms of communication — because that's all this is about at the end of the day: communication.

When we share any form of art with others — whether it's music, writing, visual art — we're communicating something about ourselves to the world and hoping that it reaches someone who resonates with it. Creating art can appear (and feel) like an egocentric endeavour, and perhaps it is egocentric to pour all of yourself into something and ask people to give it their time and attention.

However, is it egocentric to compose a song for someone? Is it egocentric to write them a letter? Is it egocentric to craft a handmade gift? These are all just ways to communicate our innermost feelings and thoughts to others in the hopes of developing our connection with them. Everything is communication when you're a member of a social species — so is it egocentric to communicate with other human beings?

TL;DR: Showing some love to the artists whose labours you've enjoyed for free will never be too much to ask. In fact, it's the bare minimum of human connection, which is pretty much the only thing we've got. Go leave a comment on that fic you've been loving in secret.

someone I follow on the bird app just announced they're starting a very exclusive private fic server because they and a bunch of other people want to talk about how much they love the fics they're reading, and as an author can I just say that a really great place to talk about a fic you love is in the comments for that fic

I understand that people are trying to create safe spaces, but as the number of comments that I get on my fics dwindles with each passing year, knowing these spaces exist where my fics are being discussed, places that I am excluded from, makes me want to write fic LESS

I mean I guess who cares, right, because if I stop writing, there's 10,000 other people that will continue...but if you participate in a fic "book club" server and you say nice things there about a fic you loved, maybe copy and paste that into a comment on AO3?

the only thing fanfic writers are asking for in return for hours of hard work is attention. please don't rob us of the one thing that we hope for when we hit "post"

[santae-salt]

To the people complaining in Discord about the event being too time-consuming, grindy, or hard: please just shut up.

It took me 40 minutes to accumulate 1,000 ND and that was with taking breaks and watching TV at the same time, so I was half-assing it. Even if you can ONLY play an hour every few days, you'll still earn enough for at least one shimmer dust.

Staff also gave out a free shimmer dust, so everyone got one regardless.

Why should this game cater to casual players? The goal is to build engagement and have people actively participating in site events - they do this by creating activities and community challenges. There are plenty of items you can get for free, by doing virtually nothing. This just doesn't happen to be one of them (though again, you were given a free dust).

The level of entitlement from people is outrageous. If you can only spend 5 minutes a day on the site, why should you be rewarded the same as players who spend hours? Again, there are many things you can do for 5 min; the site isn't being gate-kept behind long and grindy mechs that mean you only enjoy it if you don't have a life. Staff is consistently generous and gives away freebies of new dusts and pet species so that EVERYONE can still enjoy them. But if you only spend 5 min a day and 3 quests to get ND, why would you expect to have the same experience and rewards as someone who puts more time and effort in???

It's fine if you don't have time to get invested in every event; nobody is forcing you, and any FOMO you may feel is of your own creation and your own responsibility to resolve. Things happen at all times, all around you, that you're not participating in. Just chill the fuck out. It's not on staff to manage your feelings.

It's ridiculously easy to earn SP in this game, so you can always buy whatever prizes you can't earn. And again, if you don't play the game enough to do quests or restock or whatever else to earn $$, then that's your choice. The means to make sp is there, readily obtainable and accessible. Do people just expect there to be a magic button they can press every day to get unlimited $ and items? Like, what is even the point if you're just handed everything?

Pet sites are not video games or apps. They're not sophisticated enough to program dynamic, novel content. Every pet site has grindy quests and events. The Neopets plot is just battling everyday or clicking on buttons to get a prize. It's repetitive and boring as fuck. Even Subeta's slightly more complex events like the masquerade become a grind after a day. Please let's manage our expectations, people. They can only do so much, and the site is still in its infancy. Yea, most of the activities are going to be "go here, click this, go there, click that". But we do it for the rewards, not because the actual activity is so thrilling.

Lastly, you are not entitled to all prizes! As long as it's physically do-able to obtain them all, it's fair. And with the timeline given, and especially the increase in ND payouts, it's very do-able to get all 5 of the bonus rewards. Again, if you don't have time, that's on you - sorry, but this is why handing out participation trophies in kindergarten was a mistake.

Oh, one more thing - the game needs to have some level of aspiration. Items that are expensive or hard to get, rare pet species, pet colours you have to earn...otherwise there's nothing to work for or look forward to. Most pet site players enjoy the goal setting aspect. We grind knowing we're one step closer to that elusive battle item or wearable or gallery item. If you remove the challenge element from the game, then you remove incentive. Nobody WANTS to do quests every day, but you do it so you can buy another adoption paper, and the satisfaction of then creating your new pet is SO MUCH HIGHER than if you were simply given the paper without any effort.

I understand things like adjusting frequency or volume after an event launches because staff realizes it was too low or whatever - it's a test after all. But i really hope they don't dumb this game down to the point there's nothing to strive for or earn just because a bunch of weirdos whined about it.

☁️

[ratatouillewastakendammit]

Trending Topics (Part 2)

A continuation of this post requested by @aelynaneedsalottathing Thank you for reading and I'm working on the other requests I've received!! I've been busy, but they should be out soon.

Pairing: Hawks x reader

Warnings: smut, language, praise, degradation, slight bondage and overstimulation, Hawks is still his own warning

Word Count: 2.9k

The soft click of your keyboard echoed through the space in a ever-changing rhythm, reverberating off the walls of Keigo's study.

Though, you supposed, it wasn't exactly his anymore.

Despite his actual ownership, the home office was essentially left untouched, except maybe on the unusual occasion that some paperwork couldn't be done at the one in his actual agency.

Even then, he seemed to favor doing it on the couch, preferably with you in his arms.

And although you weren't exactly sure why he had turned the room into a study in the first place, you definitely weren't complaining. It gave you ample space to accomplish any at-home work duties that would have previously been carried out in the tiny bedroom of your old apartment.

Maybe it was just a common thing among rich people. As someone who had worked for the higher-class type income that heroes enjoyed, you had come to realize that a large proportion of the things they bought weren't really needed.

Again, you definitely weren't exactly complaining.

You had moved in with the winged pro a few weeks ago and had been able to reap the benefits of his luxurious living style. Regardless, you had opted to keep the secretarial position at his agency and there was no way you were going to slack off just because your partner was the boss, even though he made that quite difficult.

Keigo had many beneficial traits, but patience was definitely not one of them.

Even in the midst of your heavy workload, he was extremely adamant about stealing your attention, doing the most to pry you away from whatever tasks you had to manage.

However, his job had called him away for the past week, meaning that you had more than enough time to get all your paperwork done, plus a little extra.

Still, even though it was a good distraction, the work did nothing to keep you from missing him.

As it turned out, maybe you weren't all that patient either.

Even if it had just been a few days, you had found yourself oddly worked up, craving his touch as if you had been deprived from it for extraordinary amounts of time.

Your physical frustration got even worse knowing that he would be flying back tonight. As with most final stretches, the minutes seemed to trickle in hours at an infuriating sluggish pace, doing nothing but increase your agitation.

Therefore, your latest literary creation had been born.

It wasn't much, merely an outlet for unmet satisfaction. You had thought about Keigo and what he had done or what you wanted him to do to you.

And even though it definitely didn't solve your problem entirely, it still helped, offering your horny mind a much needed opportunity to vent.

The mouse hovered over the 'post now' button, a mere inch of pressure away from the point of no return.

Taking a glance to your left, your eyes narrowed at the tiny feather nestled in front of your water glass.

Don't judge me.

Even on his less threatening missions, Keigo always seemed to leave at least one of his feathers behind, wanting to keep you safe even if it was from afar. He could hear through them, a peculiar trait of his quick that you had just recently found out about.

You furrowed your brows in thought, debating whether or releasing your words would actually be that big of a deal.

Having left the blog untouched for the last few months in response to your relationship, you figured that no one was really active on the page anymore.

Still, the simple act of publishing felt a bit fulfilling, the final step of accomplishing the small task you had put your mind to.

"Whatever." You muttered, mindlessly clicking the button before closing your laptop.

Pushing back your chair with a drowsy sigh, you stood up to grab the isolated feather before striding into the living room.

Much like his office, Keigo's penthouse flaunted an open concept. In comparison to the fancy furniture and expensive utilities, however, the most prominent feature was arguably the fully functioning skylight above your head.

While you weren't quite sure why he refused to use the door like a normal person, after missions one could understand that he might be tired, so you didn't pry.

Grabbing the remote, you readjusted the shirt you wore. The garment fell just above your knees, but in terms of comfort, there were just some things that couldn't be beat.

It was Keigo's, another item that you sneakily claimed as your own.

But just as you were ready to snuggle into the sofa, your phone rang. The object vibrated off the glass table, easily capturing your attention with its speeding thrum.

A grin spread across your face at the contact and you slid your thumb across the screen to accept. "Hi."

"Hey there, lovebird." The giddy expression grew bigger at the title, still just as present at it had been before you become official. "I didn't think you'd stay up so late. I'm almost back though."

"Thank goodness." Letting out a sigh of relief, you began to make your way into the kitchen. "I miss you. Want me to start some food or something for when you get back?"

"That sounds perfect, but before you go, can we talk real quick?"

You took note of the soft whispers translating through the line, illustrating the strength of the wind surrounding him.

Is he on speaker?

"That's why I called, actually. I just found something interesting and figured you might want to hear about it." He continued.

Mid stride, your body came to an abrupt halt.

You've got to be kidding.

"Something interesting?"

"Very."

You let out a unaffected hum, opting to play dumb. Still, the slight falter in your tone might've thrown your attempts out the window.

Regardless, there was still a sizable chance that what he was talking about might've been genuinely unconnected to your recent publication.

Just a really unfortunate coincidence.

For sure.

"I mean, my pretty little girlfriend writing online porn about me seems pretty damn interesting, don't ya think?"

Never mind.

Any excuse you might have been able to conjure fizzled away in your train of thought. It had been easily derailed by his accusation. Now, all that seemed to be left was a simmering pile of silent embarrassment that he immediately filled.

"Obviously, I'm not complaining. Very entertaining, especially the part about you choking on my-"

"I literally posted that less than five minutes ago. How did you even..." Your movements paused once more in realization. Unless Keigo was actively scrolling on social media for fanfiction about himself, which in hindsight, you actually wouldn't put past him, there was no other way he would have been able to see the post so fast. "Do you follow me on Tumblr?"

"Obviously! You're my favorite author, lovebird."

You let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't post on it, though."

"Really?" He inquired with mock confusion. "Unless my phone is wigging out to the point where Siri typed all these words, then I kinda think that's not completely honest."

"Okay, yes, but it's been months." Taking a breath, you raised a hand to your temple, slowly massaging the area in a feeble attempt to quell your buzzing mind and come up with a plausible defense. "I was just... bored."

But the statement was much too unsure, almost like the words themselves were searching for personal vindication. You were almost certain he could tell too, evident in the crackling silence that followed for a few moments.

"Is this your way of telling me you're horny?"

Heat blossomed up your neck. "No!"

"Aww, are you embarrassed?" Keigo let out a laugh, the taunt laced through it sparking heat between your thighs. "I might be too if it took less than a week for me to get so worked up."

The tips of your fingernails bit into your palms. "I'm not worked up."

"Ya know, it's really hard to believe you when I'm reading about how hard you want to be fucked." You could mentally conjure the mocking grin that went along with his words. "Of course, I'd be happy to help you out if you asked nicely."

At this point, you wouldn't be surprised if steaming started to spout from your ears, whether from physical or mental frustration, you weren't sure.

Of course, with both factors competing in an internal boxing match, a question also came to the forefront of your brain.

What was worth more: your pride or the chances of getting off?

After a moment of debate, you were quite ashamed to admit that it was the second one.

You shut your eyes, almost like the act of not being able to see would somehow make the words about to come out of your mouth less disgraceful. "Will you help me, please?"

"Sorry, babe, can you repeat that? I think the signal might be bad."

But his voice was loud and clear through the receiving end, a fact that irritated a tick mark on your forehead. "You're an asshole."

"Ouch, a curse word? Those only come out, like, once every blue moon for you." He clicked his tongue. "You're lucky I'm so nice. I could've left you to to figure out that dilemma yourself."

Even through his sarcasm, there was an undeniable relief at the prospect of his touch that you couldn't ignore. "When will you be here then?"

"Soon. Why do you ask?"

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, you pondered the sincerity of his question. "Well, one would think that you'd have to be present to... ya know."

"What? Make you come?" He sighed in feigned disappointment. "You really have such little faith in me. Turn to your left."

Following his instructions, you trained your gaze to the side, coming face to face with the tiny feather hovering a few inches in front of your eyes.

It fluttered forward, tickling your nose before retreating back once more with a slight swish, almost like it was waving at you.

You made a grab for it, but the tiny object easily slipped through your fingers like oil, gliding through the air before sliding up the hem of your shorts.

At first, you weren't exactly sure why.

But then it drifted to your clit, beginning to rub at the bed of nerves at furious speed.

Pleasure sparked in your abdomen and your body fell forward in surprise. Your hands gripped the kitchen island for support, the phone following to hit the marble with an insignificant clamor.

"Speaker on, lovebird." Keigo remarked in nonchalance, almost like the request was something as common as asking for his daily cup of coffee.

Still, you complied, pushing the button with a shaking finger.

The feather tortured your clit with weightless touch, merely gracing the area and pulling a desperate whine from between your lips.

It's airless rhythm seemed to increase at the sound and it wasn't long before your climax was closely approaching. It threatened to spill over you with every stroke of your already sensitive bud.

And then the feather stopped, pulling away from your body to rest on the counter, seemingly lifeless.

Cruel release had been ripped from your fingers, slipping through on the back of the minuscule object.

"What... what happened?" You breathed, mind still reeling from the loss.

He let out another sigh, just as mockingly displeased. "Sorry, sweetheart. I'm flying over the city now. Gotta keep an eye out for any suspicious activity."

You deadpanned. "Excuse me?"

"Come on, I think you'd be happy I'm taking my job as seriously as you do." He cleared his throat, lightening it a few octaves so it matched your tone. "'I'm working, Keigo. Just give me five more minutes, blah blah blah.'"

"That's not..." Memories of your words flushed through your mind. They had been in joking exasperation at the time, but you doubted there was one act you regretted more right now. "Okay, yes, I have said that, but that's because I actually had work to do. You finished your mission."

"Incorrect. Until I get home, I'm still officially on the clock. Besides, do you really want me to sacrifice my safety for your pleasure? What if I run into a seagull or something."

"I'm flipping you off right now." You tugged down your shorts, leaning on the counter to lift a hand between your thighs.

"No, you're not." Even through his disappointed tone, you could practically see his wicked grin.

"I have full faith that you will not run into a seagull! Especially since, I don't know, they live by the ocean?" You ignored the accuracy of his statement, an embarrassed warmth spreading up your neck. "Would you just... All you have to do is control one teeny tiny feather."

Still writhing in the denial of your ever-so-close high, you had somehow failed to notice the skylight swiveling open, or more importantly, your boyfriend gliding through and silently making his way behind you.

The arms sliding around your waist had your body tense in surprise, unknowingly leaning back into the warmth of Keigo's breath seconds later. "Or I could just fuck you."

Strong hands spun your body around. One tugged at the fiddled with the top of his belt while the other found its place against your hip, guiding you to the bedroom.

"Hey there, lovebird."

"Hi, Kei."

Smiling at his own, breathlessly delivered nickname, he gently lifted your shirt off before doing the same to his own. Golden eyes flit over your exposed form as he gently pushed you into the silk sheets.

"I was so surprised when I first found out what a pervert you are. My goody-two-shoes secretary? No way." You took notice of the muted glow in his hand, the phone's surface reflecting your online profile. "But you're a kinky little freak, aren'tcha?"

Keigo turned the screen in your direction, flaunting the literary illustration of your dark fantasias. "I mean, these warnings are a fucking doozy."

Feathers snaked around your wrists, pulling the joints against the side of the headboard before doing the same to your ankles. More began to flit down your body, one gracing your clit in a circular motion while two more did the same to your nipples.

"Bondage, check." Almost like he was browsing a grocery list, he examined the notes you had included at the beginning of your post. "Overestimation, check."

The act had every nerve in your body on fire. It sent waves of pleasure that had you aching in desperation.

"Please." The sound was nothing less than pathetic and you weren't even consciously sure what you were asking for. Still, every physical crevice of you was sore, burning for a release that only he could provide.

Letting out a hum of fabricated consideration, his expression lit up a few seconds later. "Ah, there it is. Begging, check."

Your back arched into the mattress, but even through your best efforts, your limbs were still captive within his scarlet plumage.

He loomed over you, fully unclothed and moments away from meeting your plea.

"You know, most people would've been a bit more careful after last time, but you wanna know what I think?" With a tender touch, his finger tilted your chin upward, forcing your line of sight to meet his. "I think that you like being my little slut. This is just your way of asking for it."

Not wishing to admit the accuracy of his statement, you averted your gaze.

Regardless, his grip on your face remained firm, even as he used his other hand to align himself at your entrance and slowly push forward.

"And I think you want me to fuck you stupid, until that dirty mind of yours can't comprehend anything but my name."

He began to rock his hips into yours.

"Actually, I know I'm right, but you're gonna admit it anyway."

Your eyes glazed over in pleasure when his previously established rhythm began to quicken, his feathers following in acceleration. Their airy caress against your clit and over your breasts was euphoric.

It wasn't long before you were mindlessly muttering in agreement with whatever nasty claim he made.

How right he was, how even in your most outrageous fantasies there was nobody you would rather have break you.

And soon enough, he did.

You fell apart underneath him in the best way possible. Bliss flushed over you as you continued to melt in his arms, not even recognizing when he was able to meet his own release seconds later.

After pulling out, he slumped back into the bed next to you, almost just as breathless as he turned in your direction.

"So, did I do it?"

Tilting your head, you sent him a confused look. "Do what?"

Keigo grinned. "Your hashtag."

It took a few minutes to register, but you gave him a soft slap on the arm when it did. He cackled, muttering something about never forgetting before gently picking you up and carrying you to the bath.

His question was a dumb one, not only because it was sardonically comical in nature.

But because he always did.