#but it can be any ship actually i just like harry centric stuff

[saintsenara]

10, 16, 21? :)

Not on the list, but I’m curious if there’s any ship or character that you liked at one time, but no longer like, or at least now avoid, due to their fandom characterization?

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

the answer to the final question is that i'll try most things, and that while i dislike a lot of popular fanon characterisation - especially of sirus - it doesn't put me off reading e.g. wolfstar if it's recommended to me by someone whose opinion i trust.

but. it's fair to say that i avoid most things which feature hermione prominently. she's by far my least favourite main character in canon, but i can at least value that she's an extremely morally complicated person. but fanon hermione, who has never done anything wrong in her life, sends me running in the opposite direction.

10. what is the worst part of fanon?

weasley bashing, especially in relation to ron.

so often ron is turned into either a sentient potato who can do nothing but eat or a violent boor who can’t wait to say mudblood and beat hermione up for wanting to be something than a housewife (or sometimes, if the author’s feeling indecisive, both).

but ron is a legend. he’s emotionally mature, kind, funny, loyal, rational, an excellent strategist, and a fully-realised human being who fucks up and then tries to make amends. his love for harry and hermione is astonishing, neither of them would be alive without him, and he deserves more respect.

the same is true of his family - especially molly, who gets a really bad showing in so much fan-fiction [my unpopular opinion? she’s right to tell sirius off! good for her for being the only adult in the series who doesn’t automatically accept the idea that children eventually having to fight is a good or inevitable thing!]. the weasleys are iconic and harry would be nowhere without them, and fics which jettison them as soon as possible so harry can become friends with someone richer need to tighten up.

16. what is a trope, characterisation, headcanon etc. that you can’t understand why people like?

preternaturally suave fanon snape.

in the grand scheme of things, i blame the films for this [my other unpopular opinion? alan rickman had no idea how to play snape! sue me!], but it’s something which has really found its way into snape-centric romance stuff in fan-fic. i’m sure some people must really like the idea of snape being brooding and hot and an attentive, chivalrous partner who sends flowers daily just because - to each their own - but i prefer my snape feral and grimy.

[i also really don’t like the fact that suave snape is usually presented with a caveat that he’s actually hot and harry was just being a dick - i’m sure harry’s description of snape isn’t particularly kind, but also unattractive, weird men are just as deserving of love as gorgeous ones. let snape be ugly and fuck.]

21. what part of canon do you think is overhyped?

i literally don't give a shit about hedwig dying. oops.

[blueberry-ash]

I’m actually on break-of-sorts! There’s extra free time in my days, and I can do what I want with it! (Even better—after a couple days spent zombie-ing in front of a video game and tv shows—my brain even kinda wants to do things. How refreshing flsdafjsa;)

So! A fic author interview, which the lovely @lynne-monstr tagged me in half an age ago. :D

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

327, apparently. God knows how many have been let loose to swim in the sweetly-orphaned seas.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

863,428.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

How Impolite, How Imprudent (The Walking Dead, Beth/Daryl) - 1,108 kudos.

Stripped (Death Note, Near/Mello) - 720 kudos.

let’s embrace the point of no return (Guardian, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan) - 669 kudos.

Hoping's Free (The Walking Dead, Beth/Daryl/Rick) - 639 kudos.

The Married Ones (BBC Sherlock, Sherlock/Watson) - 625 kudos.

Mostly this is just… happening to write for popular ships sometimes, I think, rather than any reflection on the actual stories themselves.

Although, The Walking Dead ones were very much just posted at exactly the right point in time—AKA right when the folks who were gonna be reading Beth-centric stories were turning up to find it…and when there really weren’t many. I remember finding it really fun to write for that ship, in no small amount because it felt exactly like writing for my usual rarer pair stuff… but with bonus readers. XD

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always plan to. They make me so happy! Unfortunately, my brain makes replying to comments a whole lot more complicated than it actually is… meaning I put it aside for when I’ll have the energy/capacity… and then my executive dysfunction sneaks in and eats my good intentions for breakfast. ;;

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don’t really write angsty endings very often. I guess… against the world? Probably? That’s pretty miserable through-and-through, and is definitely lacking my usually compulsive need to find a happy note to end on.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

…everything? XD

Honestly, my first thought was to crib off Lynne’s answer and say a story that goes real sad before it gets happy. But… that just makes me want to say my Reunion Dinner GaoQiao break-up fic (In the space of your leaving), except… I haven’t actually posted the final chapters for that yet. Meaning it’s happy ending is currently hypothetical, and it’s therefore disqualified from this category. 😂

In which case, I guess… maybe Hoping's Free, actually. I wouldn’t have thought of it, except that I was doing the sort-by-kudos thing, which made me look at it again. But it’s probably a better answer for this than my usual fluff, if only because it was written in this almost grimly hopeful tone that was very intentionally at odds with the canon I was writing from (TWD). (And was probably influenced by the fact I was sitting there writing a “pregnant at the end of the world” story whilst hugely pregnant myself, ha.)

7. Do you write crossovers?

As in, non-fusion crossovers? Where you have characters from both things interacting? Not really, to be honest. I used to, a fair bit, although I’m not sure I ever actually posted any of them. I just recently stumbled across some unfinished drafts for some Harry Potter x Bleach stuff, which was honestly fascinating to look at because I would not think of something like that now.

I do still write a bunch of fusion-style crossovers, though. Like, I’m plotting constantly plotting those bastard things. (Seriously, constantly: my poor SO cannot engage with a show or a video game with me without knowing that I’m probably sitting there thinking about where Qiao Yifan would fit into it jadlf;jasdfl.) Unfortunately, it’s just… a lot harder for me to actually finish those stories. Or sometimes, even to start them. They’re definitely one of those cases where I need to get much better at just… dropping my worldbuilding glee into a tumblr post or something, sigh.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Once. So very long ago that I don’t even remember what it was about, just that I had the sweetest group of friends who made it immediately less devastating for my rejection-sensitive ass (thereby saving me from quitting fandom not long after I had discovered it). <3

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

So much smut! Mostly the kind with a whole lotta feelings.

It’s not that I don’t write other things—I write so many other things—but smut comes with this bonus setting for me, where it’s just a hundred times simpler than anything else (especially when compared to anything that tries to grow Real Plot—see Question 7, so help me). And that just makes it wayyy easier to actually, y’know, write. And finish. And edit. And post.

(Not that sex can’t be complicated, or complex, because of course it can! But it’s still easier than so many other forms of human interaction, y’know? Or… maybe it’s just that sex is the perfect chill-switch for my brain, and that’s carried over into how I use it for writing, too? Who knows!)

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. At least, not to my knowledge.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yesss, and it’s always exciting! Translators are the best. ♥!!

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I’ve planned to! Life got in the way, alas.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

What’s an all-time favourite anything, precious?

Whatever’s bouncing around in my head in the moment, generally. Although, that said, I do keep returning over and over and over to GaoQiao in a way that definitely should give it some kind of special status, so… there’s that. XD

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Hey, that’s quitter talk, Question 14. Anyway, everyone knows I’m trapped in a fandom until I’ve had all my WIPs wrung out of me. (That’s how it works, right? Right?)

More seriously, though, I… am not really sure. There are definitely some WIPs I am constantly thinking I should just give up on and post as partly fleshed-out outlines—because I love them, but I’m not sure I have the spoons to genuinely finish them.

Like, uh, haha, y’know—the insane FangWang fairytale-esque thing, the structure of which was very purposefully built off Propp’s functions (the, uh, narrative elements of a folk tale, per Propp’s Morphology of a Folk Tale stuff), because… I’m a raging nerd who re-falls down the folk tale rabbit hole at least once a year…? I do really love that fic, so very much, because there’s so much going on in it (actual witches! changelings and neurodiversity! Lin Jie baggage! FangWang being insufferable and wonderful and full of feelings! fae folk being terrible! fae folk being So Fucking Right! trials being passed! trials being failed! homely cooking, and magical needlework, and grumpy softhearted healers chopping firewood, oh my!) But also… there’s so fucking much going on in it, dear god.

It’s probably my best candidate for being flung up as a dot-point fic, but… I remain swimming in a sea of self-delusion, haha.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think… I really like getting in the guts of things, when it comes to writing about characters as people-in-bodies. (Which… is a sentence I keep re-writing, but it’s not getting any less unhinged any time soon, so it can just stay there as-is.)

I really like that sense of grounding, anyway: of being grounded in skin and bones and body-connected feelings, which is… mildly hilarious considering—therapist noises intensify.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Executive dysfunction.

Uh. Yeah, so, I’m super bad at internalising that grammar exists for Reasons, and that those Reasons are that other people don’t necessarily think or read with the apparently weird rhythm that I do. And that means… y’know… that my own shit needs to confirm to at least a baseline of some kind or else it’ll become kinda unreadable. (I am getting better at it, I think. I am. It’s an endless project. Commas are my own personal hell.)

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I do kinda get why people might do this, because baby-me was pretty enamoured with it.

Now that I’m no longer Baby, however—at least, not when it comes to this—it’s not really something I would do. I’m also more likely to politely exit back out of stories that do choose to do it, although that’s mostly because it tends to be one of those markers that says Things about whether or not I’m going to jive with a story. (As a boring-ass adult with too little functional time on her hands.)

(On the other hand, I am deeply into terms of address/honorifics being kept and used. They can provide such a rich dose of information about intimacy, familiarity, and all the rest of it. That said, I tick-tock back and forth like a busted clock on whether I think they should be translated or not.)

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Animorphs, probably, although I didn’t know what a fandom was at that point. My first posted fic was for Stargate Atlantis.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

I’m going to find a way to write that sedoretu Gao Yingjie/Fang Shiqian/Wang Jiexi/Qiao Yifan story if it fucking kills me.

(Also this random Gao Yingjie/Qiao Yifan & Su Mucheng/Wang Jiexi partner-swapping thing that’s been living rent-free in my head for literal years, but which has never actually been written down as anything more than a one line note. C’mon, story, get out of my head and onto some damn paper!)

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written

We play favourites in this house! Also… I’m just really bad at making those kinds of choices.

But—you know what? Fuck it, in the days this draft has been sitting here, I gotta say, I’ve kept thinking—probably the older the ginger (the spicier it gets). It’s peak rare pair, but I had such a blast writing it, and it’s one of those odd things I actually enjoy re-reading, too. <3

[crackinthecup]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @elevenelvenswords - thank you so much, friend <3 (and apologies for taking forever to get round to this!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

49 in total.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

456,188 words.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mainly Silmarillion. I have dabbled in Star Wars and Dark Souls too, plus a D.Gray-man fic I wrote for a friend purely based on what she told me about the characters as I've never read the manga or watched the anime.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

My top one is Yield to the Moment, which is completely fair enough as it's a beast of a fic and by far the longest multi-chapter I've ever written. The next two are Strange New World and A bond once called fealty, part of my Swords series looking at Melkor and Mairon post-Dagor Dagorath. Then we've got The Metal Cage which is pure PWP (chastity play/CBT) and I am very glad people are having fun with it. And fifth is A quiet sort of introspection, a Melkor-centric character study also set in the Swords 'verse.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yep! I think it's only fair to reply to people if they've taken the time to share their thoughts about something I've written. Plus it can turn into a really fun thinking space to play around with ideas about characters!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Ohhh I have to think about this one. I don't know if I tend to write particularly angsty endings? Maybe High and Higher? Which is a Fallen Banners ficlet set in Gondolin after Maeglin's return from Angband where he feels like he doesn't quite fit into his life anymore.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Yield to the Moment, probably! The wedding felt like a happy culmination of all the work they'd been putting into themselves and each other.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

It's happened a few times, yeah. But generally people seem to take a "ship and let ship" stance to fandom.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Quite a lot of smut haha. Honestly I'd describe my particular brand of smut as a thinly veiled excuse for a psychological study of the characters.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Haven't written any crossovers yet.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, thankfully.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

A couple, yeah, back in 2015-ish when I first started writing for the Silm fandom. Sadly I took down all those old fics at a time when my mental health wasn't amazing (wish I hadn't), and I'm not sure if the translations still exist anywhere.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

YTTM started out as a co-written project.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Will have to go with Angbang here. They just seem to speak to a deep deep part of my psyche.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I've got a very rough WIP about Mairon bonding with Tar-Míriel in Númenor that I don't feel super engaged with anymore.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterisation, I hope! I've always been drawn to writing as a way to explore what makes characters tick, why they do the things they do. I also really enjoy coming up with fun ways to describe things.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything can always be improved, I suppose! At the moment I think I'm mindful that I find it difficult sometimes to end fics in ways that feel punchy or memorable.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Totally on board with it when used thoughtfully as a plot device or a way to add depth to characters.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oh goodness, I think it was Harry Potter back when I was 13 or 14. Those fics will not be seeing the light of day haha.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Hmm I don't actually like reading my own stuff very much. It's a bit of a struggle to switch off the perfectionism. That said, YTTM has a special place in my heart. It took a lot of time, a lot of thought, and sometimes a lot of effort, and while I'm not 100% happy with it, I am glad that I got it over the finish line and that I had a chance to tell a story I really wanted to tell.

[thedogsled]

Marvel Trumps Hate! About me, and some auction blurb!

Hi Tumblr! 

So as I mentioned before, I’m involved in the Marvel Trumps Hate fan auction this year and it’s looking to be a fantastic year for raising money for charity. If you’d like to get involved, there’s loads of really awesome auctions, and still things you can bid on that are under $20 in the golden needle auctions, which you can check out here.

I’m here to talk to you about my auctions, though, since I’ve learned a little more about the auction since signing up and I wanted to expand on my offers a little bit. Before I do that, though I want to thank the folks who have bid on my auctions so far and everyone in the Discord who have made me feel super welcome I really didn’t expect anyone to be interested in my stuff since I’m a bit of a fandom phantom and only briefly reappear to post the occasional thing. You’ve been amazing, and it’s a warm glowy feeling to know I’ll be able to do something to help out some great charities working on these projects for my winners.

So let’s get started on this, shall we?

P.S. this is a super huge post so I'm putting it all under the Read More link. PLEASE click on it and check out each of my auctions linked inside, and if you aren't interested but you know people who might be then please reblog as I don't know many people in fandom myself and it would help an awful lot!

Hi, I’m Dogsled :) I have been in one fandom or another for 25 years now, though my longest stints were in Harry Potter and Supernatural. I was very “general audience” with Marvel for the longest time, and only really started opening up to the possibility of making content for it over the last year and a half. Firmly a Stucky fan in spirit, I got hooked on Winterbaron this year and wrote Freedom Paid for in Acts of Submission back in February.

In terms of the MCU it’s easier to tell you things I haven’t watched than things I have, and basically it’s just Netflix shows that aren’t the first two seasons of Daredevil or the first season of Jessica Jones (though I am planning on working on resolving this gap). I’ve read several big Steve and Bucky story runs (Brubaker’s Winter Soldier run, Civil War I and II and Secret Empire) but haven’t dived in beyond that yet. I’m eager and willing to read any comic or watch any movie necessary to understand a story prompt. You want an AU of a specific romcom? I can do that. Need me to read Planet Hulk? Sure, no problem. Just something to keep in mind :3

So what am I doing in terms of content right now? I worked on a piece for the Coloring for a Marvelous Cause book (which I can share with you guys on the 15th!) and I’m now working on a comic and a NSFW art piece for the Winteriron Zine which will be coming to preorders soon, and I can’t wait for you guys to see the great work everyone is doing for that project because it all looking amazing. Re. writing, I have cards for Stucky Bingo, Steve Rogers Bingo, Bucky Barnes Bingo and the Winterfalcon Bingo, which have been keeping me motivated, and maybe one day I’ll get back to my long distance pining WIP which is Bucky centric with a touch of mutual unrequited Stucky love because I Like Suffering.

But none of this wall of text is actually helpful so far, right, so let’s jump into specifics:

Hi, I am a dirty multishipper. I like rarepairs. I will write threesomes and moresomes. I will write m/m, m/f or f/f without hesitation. I like the challenge of making things happen inside canon, but I also like time travel and multiverse shenanigans and have been known to eat up an AU or two.

You’re wondering if I will write or draw your ship or your character or your kink and the answer is… Very probably? I mean seriously, I don’t need much encouragement here. I’d give it a try. Obviously there are things I think I may be better at over others, but I mean if you want to outbid everyone else to throw something completely unexpected at me I’m going to take it as a challenge, not a threat. Like. If you want HYDRA!Daredevil/Cap!Bucky/Jen Walters fic I might scratch my head for a few hours over the idea  but I would find a way, that’s all I’m saying.

So here’s the deal, let’s go over each auction, then I’ll throw some ideas at you, too.

Auction 1: Fic auction - currently $300 (!!!)

So we’ve unlocked the full scope of this auction already, and that means a minimum of 20k words from me, but seeing as that was already unlocked a while back, I’ve decided to add a couple of extra things to this auction for the winner.

The winner of this auction will receive:

Minimum 20k words of fic AND An illustrated banner for that fic Themed dividers A full color illustration of something in the story

Here’s an example of all three from a Dean/Cas Reverse Bang project I worked on 4 years ago!

If bids hit $500 (I don’t imagine it’s going that high but I never imagined it was going to go to $300 either) I’d also like to include a 5-10k ‘extra’ fic for the winner. Can be a snapshot from the same story/verse, a different story or pairing entirely, or you can gift the extra fic to a friend.

Listed yes: canon divergent 'what if' and canon based, dark, angsty, fluffy, intimate, kinkfilled, consensual BDSM, action, rarepairs, threesomes and moresomes, established relationships, first times, dub/non con, aftercare, pining, dark versions of characters, multiversal/time travel shenanigans, (insert bad guy) wins scenarios, villain/hero

Listed no:

kidfic*, animal transformation*, fluff AUs*, vanilla domesticity*, hardcore kinks (i.e. gore, scat, ageplay etc.), own voices for which the voice is not my own*, underage, incest, amputation, vore, scat, somnophilia.

That said! I am flexible on some of my ‘no’ answers and my ‘yes’ answers are by no means comprehensive. These are just the things I like to write most, and in the case of the starred 'no's are just things that don't usually show up in my fics.

Listed pairings:

Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers - Any Universe Bucky Barnes/Helmut Zemo - MCU Bucky Barnes/Brock Rumlow - MCU Bucky Barnes/John Walker - MCU Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson - MCU Steve Rogers/Brock Rumlow - MCU Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov - MCU Bucky Barnes/Matt Murdock - MCU Bucky Barnes/Marc Spector - MCU Steve Rogers/Helmut Zemo - Any Universe

So. FUNNY STORY. Because this is my first auction I kinda thought if people wanted different pairings they’d send me a message and we could chat about it, but I forgot that we all are mostly very shy, so I want to clarify: these are just the ships that I have the most enthusiasm about writing! These are the pairings I motivate myself to write, but that’s really not the point of this at all. I want to write a fic FOR YOU. So tell me, what are your pairings?

You want Bucky/Peggy? Bucky/Frank? Bucky/Wade? Bucky/Yelena? Bucky/a recast Thunderbolts movie of your choice where it’s just everyone trying to get in his pants and him being very picky? Clint/Yelena? Hell, polyam Clint and his wife in a Winterwidow sandwich? I’ll do it. Steve/Tony? With Bucky too? Steve/Matt? Bucky/Matt/Foggy? Stephen/Steve/Steven? Peggy/Nat? Carol/Sam? Loki/Steve? Loki/Mobius? Loki/Kang? Loki/Gamora? Brock/that one guy who was in only one scene in Winter Soldier and was never seen again? Uh Thor/Steve? Thor/Peter/Gamora? Bucky/Kate? Zemo/Fury? I could go on and on with all the combinations and never run out, but I am trying to make a point here. LET ME WRITE YOUR RAREPAIRS.

Okay,  so I said I was going to make some suggestions, and I’ve already done a few already in all of that…craziness. So here are a few things I’ve thought about writing but never had the time to:

I’d love to write a Bucky/Zemo fic set in WW2 where Zemo is a POW being held in the same facility Bucky’s taken to after his fall. He helps keep him sane through the torture and watches him slip away to the brainwashing, then escapes, rescues him and nurses him back to health, helping him to remember his name

I’d love to write just about anyone adopting Bucky and taking care of him after Endgame. If that’s Stephen Strange with them both helping each other over their mutual heartbrokenness, Matt Murdock being his lawyer working with him to secure fair terms for his parole, Marc and Steven helping him learn to accept the Winter Soldier part of himself, or Clint and his wife adopting him as a mutual third partner in their marriage and buying him chickens and a cat and a goat. I just want to write people healing Bucky and Bucky healing them.

Steve/Zemo.  I want to write more of this pairing, simple as that, but I especially would love to write something set in some variety of their Secret Empire relationship where they were childhood friends. Could be an AU, could be some sort of pining where Secret Empire Zemo comes to meddle in the MCU after the end of that arc takes his friend away I haven’t thought too hard about it.

A Stucky AU where Steve becomes the Sorceror Supreme instead of a super soldier and rescues Bucky with magic.

Loki/Steve set as an alternate to canon where Loki is jealous of Thor’s relationship with Steve and abducts him (on a space adventure? Why not?) or a Loki/Bucky set in present day canon after the Disney serieses where Loki and Bucky are teaming up as good guys and discover they have a lot in common (while assassinating alternate universe versions of Kang like some mad Man On The Wall crossover?

(CW abuse) A Steve/Brock and Bucky/Brock fic which is Steve being in this borderline abusive relationship with Brock, whom he’s desperate to please, not really understanding that what he’s been asked to put up with is unacceptable, while Brock as the Winter Soldier’s handler is abusive to Bucky and tells him all about it, maybe shows him the pictures he gets Steve to send etc. Stucky happy ending and canon just deserts.

Again all of these are just ideas, and just grab bagged out of nowhere, basically. If any of that inspires you and you want to encourage me to write it, that’s awesome, but I would be JUST as excited to write your fic for you.

If that excites you too, then go here and put down a bid.

Auction 2: art auction (currently $130)

This auction is for a full page illustration of up to three characters (already unlocked)

Here’s the blurb:

I'm offering a full comic style cover for a character of your choice from the fandoms mentioned, though I'm up for discussion if you have some other character or fandom in mind. That means a color illustration made to look just like a comic book cover depicting a favorite scene, event or relationship from the content (or a scene you completely make up!). It can be realistic or a little bit exaggerated and surreal, but no matter what we'll plan and draft out the idea together until you're happy with it first.

And here are the fandoms: Bucky Barnes-centric - Any Universe Steve Rogers-centric - Any Universe Captain America fandom any gen - Any Universe The Falcon and the Winter Soldier fandom any gen - MCU Avengers fandom any gen - MCU X-Men fandom any gen - MCU Loki fandom any gen - MCU Moon Knight fandom any gen - MCU Daredevil fandom any gen - MCU She-Hulk fandom any gen - MCU

But here’s the thing! That’s by no means an exhaustive list, because again, those are just the things I love the most in this giant enormous fandom and I’ll draw just about anything you like. You have Werewolf by Night characters you want drawn together? Go for it. I’ll do shippy entanglements too (though please note of the two this is my explicitly Gen, Teen, Mature auction. If you want explicit art check out my other art auction. You want Clint/Bucky/Nat? Sure, I can do that. Jake/Steven/Marc? I can do that too. Sam and Bucky and Zemo? I can do that. 

I’ll draw whoever you like, just throw it at me, and if this art auction zips up super high from here (say $300?) I’m happy to draw, say, up to six people, like a proper Avengers cover or movie poster. Whatever you want.

If that sounds cool to you, you can jump into the bidding war for this item here.

Auction 3: art auction ($50!)

Auction three is also offering a full page illustration (or a single page comic) but I offered to make it explicit and I guess appeared to limit it to specific characters and ships, which was a mistake I think.

You see I listed it like this:

Bucky Barnes/Helmut Zemo - MCU Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers - Any Universe Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson - Any Universe, MCU Bucky Barnes/Brock Rumlow - MCU Steve Rogers/Brock Rumlow - MCU Loki/Steve Rogers - MCU Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov - Any Universe Bucky Barnes/John Walker - MCU Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Steve Rogers/Helmut Zemo - Any Universe

When what I really mean is: I’ll draw anything, as mentioned before, but I’ll also draw it porny or in comic book form.

At this point this auction would be a great bargain if you wanted to add some extra art to a fic auction you were buying, but I just want to be clear that it doesn’t have to be explicit, and I’m happy to offer all the same fandoms as my other art auction, and unlock all the same character options if that means drawing in more bids. I will happily draw a nice gen comic of She-Hulk and and her lawyer friends drinking together or Alpine visiting the other Avengers for petting if that’s what you want. But also if you really want just filthy Stuckony for an entire page I’ll happily draw that too, and what’s more if this auction somehow goes up over $200 I’m offering to include a 2k-5k ficlet backing up the art in some way, shape or form. Maybe writing. Maybe poetry. I just don’t know, but y’all will have to bid on this auction to find out.

I accept podbids, am happy to have my auction given as a gift to a friend (completed or from the very beginning) and donations can go to any charity of your choice from the list of approved organizations. Plus if you really want it as a gift for Christmas, I’ve left a space open in my schedule to make that possible for you (though if you don’t mind waiting that’s also awesome too!).

In any case I want to wish you all a happy bidding, whether you’re bidding on my auctions or on someone else’s, and thank you so much for reading this wall of text!

[oxydiane]

look me in the eyes. look me in the eyes and tell me harry james potter would not use the line “i like shiny things but i’d marry you with paper rings” and then get hit on the head for being too sappy. why the fuck is he even a seeker for if he doesn’t use this line at least once

[acnelli]

hullo! do you have any good ron centric fic recommendations? they could be ship or gen i don't have a preference, I'm just in need of good ron centric stuff :3

Hello anon,

okay, since you're not picky with pairings, I'll recommend a little bit of everything. Oh, and there are also WIPs among them. If we don't read and support ongoing stories, how would we ever get new content?

This became a longer post than I thought, so I put the recs under the readmore line (I really hate long posts showing up in my time line).

And dear anon and everyone else who'll read these stories, please please take a minute to leave a comment. No matter how old the stories are, no matter how many comments & kudos the fic already has, it always means something for the author and also for other readers. All this content might be free, but it's still good to get something back. Writing is hard work. And the more you support the writers who write your fav characters, the more content you'll get.

I'll start with the Gen Fics, then Romione, then Rarry, then Other Pairings.

*** *** ***

GEN (there might be pairings, but they're not the focus)

Harry Potter and the Lack of Lamb Sauce by @imagitory

Inspired by a post on Tumblr, this is a AU story set during Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, with one big, foul-mouthed difference. Instead of Horace Slughorn, the position of Potions professor will be taken on by...Gordon Ramsay.

While the summary doesn't indicate it, this story is actually very very Ron-centric.

*

Pendragon: The House of Pendragon by @chuchiotaku

An unsung hero haunted by the loss of his brother's love. An overshadowed youth abandoned by everyone he ever loved. Why the enigmatic Lady of the Lake chose these two as her new champions against the growing threat of the Dark Lord--or why she chose now, of all times, to do so--is beyond anyone's rhyme and reason.

But the Lady does what she wants. All Ron Weasley and Regulus Black can do is hold on for the ride.

Very promising! I'm looking forward to the next part.

*

Tugging Sleeves by @windschildfanfictionwriter

Ron struggles with what to do when he realizes that there can only be terrible reasons for why Harry isn’t responding to his letters. Little does he know that Ron’s distress is just as worrying for his family.

This is adorable, angsty and just beautiful. I also recommend everything else by that author, but all of their stuff is over on FFN. My favs are The Boogeyman (read the A/N at the beginning!) and Spitfire.

*

Pawn to C3 by Realmer06

Teaching Lily chess started as a way to keep her occupied and out of everyone’s hair. It grew into much more than that.

This is a really great story about Ron and Lily Luna. A sweet family story.

*

How to Succeed in Dark Wizardry (Without Really Trying) by technically_direct

Ron maybe accidentally-on-purpose becomes a dark wizard, and everything changes.

This is so so funny. I'm looking forward to the next chapter. I cracked up several times while reading this.

*

ROMIONE

Kiss Each Other Clean by @constitutionalweasleymonarchy

The war is over and all Hermione wants is to wash it all off of her.

A chaste Romione shower scene where the important bits stay covered up but everything else is stripped away.

Low key my fav take on their second kiss. And you know what else is amazing? This author is not just brilliant at writing angsty/fluffy goodness, she's also my fav weiter when it comes to comedy. So, also check out A Counterpoint to Working Lunches and Hardboiled.

*

Tarnished Gold by ephemeral_ashes

For so much of her life he had felt like home to her, a steady place to rest when the world seemed to be spiralling out of control. So it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise that she’d ended up here, tonight of all nights. Inspired by Nothing New (Taylor's Version)

An absolute gem if you ask me.

*

First Pick by writergirl8

For Rose Weasley, her father will always be her first pick.

I could talk about this fic all day long. It's mainly about Rose & Ron's relationship but it has the absolute sweetest Romione moments.

*

Meraki by @remedialpotions

(v.) To do something with soul, creativity or love; to put something of yourself into your work.

In which Ron finds his calling.

Beautifully written, lovely, and overall just so wholesome. I love this story.

*

When Fate Decides by @azaleablueme

Ron returns years later to the only woman he has ever loved- the one whose heart he ruthlessly broke before leaving. But who said the path to redemption was ever easy? Fate sometimes has crazy ways of bringing people together. A journey of a man to find his lost love through the twirling pathways riddled with lust, jealousy, heartbreak and often hopelessness.

Hello, it's me again, the broken record. Read. This. Story. Do yourself a favor and don't ditch this story because of the Dramione pairing at the start. It's fantastic and you're missing out big time if you don't give it a go.

*

Everything Has Changed by @accio-writes

When single dad Ron gets paired with new teacher Miss Granger sparks fly in more than one way. Can the pair work together to deliver a successful stall for the end of term summer fete? Or will other things get in the way?

I love everything by accio but single dad Ron just hits different, you know?

*

Fraternizing With The Enemy by @adenei

Join a sorority, they said. It’ll be fun! You’ll make so many lifelong friends and have more connections to the professional world than you could ever imagine. ...but what will happen when Hermione meets the mysterious man of her dreams who just so happens to be in the rival fraternity? The one they've been feuding with for fifty years? American College Muggle AU! Inspired by the Shakespearean classic, Romeo and Juliet.

A Muggle AU that I absolutely adore!

*

The For And Against List by PinkyBrown

Hermione tries to talk herself out of liking a particular idiot boy the way teenage girls have been doing since time immemorial: she makes a For & Against List. All the reasons we love Ron Weasley in handy list form!

Definitely a Romione classic along all her other stories. Great writer who'll make you laugh and cry (Faultlines is infamous for that).

*

A Day in the Life by KatieBell70

'All was well…' And it was, really. Only, some days…it wasn't. Ron Weasley's life has become so bogged down with details that sometimes he has trouble seeing the bigger picture. Post-Final Battle, Pre-Epilogue, Ron as a dad and husband.

One of my favorite one-shots. I have reread this story many times. Check out her other works as well.

*

7 Years, 6 Months, 4 Days by @trademarkblue

Hermione tries to cope with life after Ron's death, but what if all she thought she knew about what happened to him so many years ago was a lie.

So good!! Also a Romione classic. So much angst but also so much smut and all the feels. Check out her other works as well!

*

RARRY

With You by SailorX1

"Then he kissed him. Nothing fancy. Just… kissed him."

Sometimes, the things that seem the most complicated are actually quite simple. Harry and Ron were never known for choosing the simple route though.

I adore this story okay? It's about mutual pining, coming out, finding yourself, love, friendship, and all the important moments between Harry and Ron. It's a fucking MASTERPIECE! And if you're not keen on starting WIPs, read it anyway. Because you can read it as it is. No cliffhangers or anything.

*

Two Households, Both Alike In Dignity by mad_martha

That very first day on the Hogwarts Express, Harry shook Draco Malfoy's hand and became a Slytherin. Ron has hated him ever since. But Harry doesn't hate Ron ...

Read the whole series. Rarry starts with this story but it continues on. It's actually very Harry centric, but Harry's attention mainly goes to Ron here, so...it counts as Ron-centric imo. We also get some Ron POVs.

*

Please Don't Flirt With The Healers by BleepBloopBotz

Young hotshot Auror Harry has landed himself in St.Mungo's. Again. Luckily, he's not too bothered by it. The fact the bloke he's been eyeing for a while is the one looking after him definitely helps matters.

Do yourself a favor and read everything by that author. I love their stories and I read them as soon as I get the notification about a new Romione or Rarry story from them.

*

Four Gallons of Oblivious by @cassiaratheslytherpuff

Ron is head over heels in love with his best mate, but it’s going to take more than a horrendous orange sofa, painted pornography, and opening a shop together for him to let Harry know.

You'll absolutely love this story if you're into mutual pining, idiots in love, great witty dialogue, heart melting love confessions and crazy good smut.

*

Something They Can Barely See by @firethesound

Harry has no idea how to tell his best friend he wants more that friendship. He’s pretty sure this would be hell of a lot easier if he knew for sure how Ron felt about him.

Very beautiful story. Probably one of the first Rarry stories I read.

*

Prelude and Fugue by shes_gone

It took over an hour, from the time Harry arrived at work, for him to realise just how different today actually was.

I love this and all other stories of that author so much. One of the best writers out there imo. And the smut is 🔥.

*

Sun-Kissed by @static-abyss

Harry notices the freckles the first time they meet, the light dusting across Ron's face as he stands there in his maroon knitted jumper with the yellow R in the centre. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd swear he could trace the tendrils of a lightning bolt from Ron's nose down to his cheek. Something warm settles in Harry's chest at the knowledge that, perhaps, Ron carries a piece of Harry, no matter how unknowingly. It's proof of a connection between them, the first real tangible relationship Harry's ever had that is good and whole and wanted.

Or how Harry falls in love with every one of Ron's freckles long before he realises he's in love with his best friend.

I love all of this author's stories. I aspire to reach this level of talent one day. Check out the other fics as well. Absolute jewels.

*

i was on fire (for you) by @livingincolorsagain

“You’re leaving?”

A sigh, heavy and tired, then Ron turned to him, already fully clothed. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

Harry pushed himself up from where he was sitting on the floor, still only in his boxers, disturbing Pig, who was sleeping against him. Though Pig didn’t seem too bothered, simply stretching before going over to Ron.

Fluff fluff fluff and angst and fluff. Also check out all their other stories!!

*

a mother's love by @playitaagain

Molly stumbles upon her boys sharing a bed after a long day of training.

This is a whole series and it's one of the sweetest things I have ever read. Also check out their other stories. All amazing.

*

Treacle Treat by @orange-peony

Fred's funeral turns out to be quite lovely, Harry thinks, in spite of how heartbroken they all feel. Everyone says something nice or funny about Fred, trying to remember the good moments. Harry can’t get the words out, but Ron is by his side, the back of his hand pressed against Harry’s, his eyebrows scrunched up as he sobs quietly.

“Stay,” Ron whispers after dinner, when everyone gets ready for bed, pale faces looking empty and wiped out. “Don’t go back to Grimmauld Place. Stay here, Harry. Please…”

Harry nods, then follows Ron upstairs, to the room where they’ve spent countless summer evenings, chatting in bed with a laugh and a cheeky grin on their faces.

They lie in the dark in silence this time, and Harry feels so cold.

Oh, the angst. You'll get a truck load of angst with this but also so much Rarry-goodness. Great story written by a talented author.

*

A Dark Companion by @fivenamereveals

When Sirius escaped Azkaban, he had planned on hunting down the traitor, Peter Pettigrew, and then have Harry live with him-if Harry wanted to. He had not foreseen becoming Harry's confidant. And he especially hadn't foreseen some of the things he shared!

This is such a cute concept. I really like every new chapter. It's so lovely.

*

OTHER PAIRINGS

misconceptions by @ballerinaroy (Ron/Harry/Hermione)

What should have been a normal Thursday night at the pub turns into a conversation that Seamus doesn't know how to have.

This is the start of the together or not at all series. Loved reading the whole series. The dynamic between the three is amazing.

*

Finding Home by RogueWhimsy (Ron/Draco)

The war ends and Ronald Weasley disappears. He returns a different man. This is a story of change, willing and unwilling, and of falling in love despite knowing better.

I really really love this story. I can't wait for an update but I love what's already there. I want to marry this Ron right away.

*

Nothing Ever Lasts Forever by hull1984 (Ron/Draco)

Ron and Harry meet during their exchange year at an American University. Ron isn't having much fun until he meets Viktor at a party. Things pretty much go down hill from there.

It's a Ron/Draco story but the real star of this fic is the Rarry friendship and the first star comedy.

*

Inevitably Everything by CheekyTorah (Ron/Draco)

Ron didn’t need help finding a date.

This is a really sweet and well-written story.

*

Bishop to E-5 by harryoof (Ron/Draco)

Ron Weasley feels insignificant. Draco Malfoy is irritated that it's not because of him.

This is so interesting so far and I'm looking forward to read more.

*

While You Were Sleeping by keeperofthemoon (Ron/Draco)

No, no, it was because if Ron didn’t manage to speak then Draco would find out from the Daily Prophet that Ron had died in a back alley after being hit by a curse from a Death Eater. If Ron didn’t somehow tell Harry the truth now, Draco would never know how he truly felt. Because Draco had made Ron swear to not tell his loved ones they were dating—not yet, not until Draco was ready. And Ron had agreed. But now, as he lay dying on a sidewalk in some random Muggle town, Ron rather wished he would’ve broken that particular promise.

When Ron doesn't return home from a mission as expected, Draco has to swallow his pride and figure out what happened to him.

This is a angsty and fluffy story. Very very sweet.

*

Red by @kedavranox (Ron/Teddy)

Teddy is a rockstar; Ron is his muse. (Or a love story fueled by drugs, sex & rockn'roll—but mostly plain old awkward and embarrassing young love.)

A great story! I'm not sure if I ever read a story where the tension, longing and built-up had been so well done. Oh, and Teddy is 21 in this. So, no underage and no grooming or something.

*

Apples & Buttercups by @xgardensinspace (Ron/Neville)

Ron works at the city's art museum, and one day before going to work he finds a brunette sitting on his sofa; talking to his brother, Bill, about work in the family's business. What blooms between the two of them remains amongst the trees and apples of the orchard.

Not just a cute story but also some super adorable art work.

[malarki]

Harry Potter FanFiction I greatly enjoy (it’s just tomarry and sevitus)

Fair warning, I’m not good at describing stuff, and most of these are not complete (yet) but if you have similar tastes as I do then you’ll definitely like these stories.

Meddling of a Mischief Maker - by Athy

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380535/chapters/12427268

I enjoy this fic because it shows a more human Voldemort with him still being an asshole as per usual. They do a good job of having Voldemort believably change into a not crazy murderous bastard haha. It also has Sirius interacting with Voldemort and for some reason I find those scenes hilarious in any fic I read.

“Harry's being a horcrux is a bit reworked here in this AU Story set during the summer after 5th year. A Mischief Maker intervenes in the Ministry during Voldemort and Dumbledore's duel, changing the course history. MorallyGrey!Dumbledore, Sirius, Restored Souls, HP/TR”

Draw Me After You (Let Us Run) - by ToAStranger @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22327684/chapters/53334382

This story is a delight, it’s tone is very good and they do a great job of writing in the characters ‘voices’ for their pov’s. I especially like the posh way Voldemort talks and acts. This story is also hilarious on top of just being a very good slowburn, AND it has Sirius, which as you might have guessed, I love dearly. They also don’t bash any of the characters, and instead make them well rounded but flawed individuals, which I really appreciate.

“Harry Potter,” comes the soft, sibilant hiss of a voice he has heard in his dreams, in his nightmares, in his waking hours for years.

Slowly, carefully, Harry twists over and pushes up onto his hands and knees. He stays there, short breath fogging in front of his face, and his pursuer lets him. Harry has no doubt of that; he’s being allowed this respite. This small moment to catch his bearings, heart pounding in his ears, blood singing.

“It seems I have finally caught you.”

Consuming Shadows - by Child_OTKW @childotkw

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7040089/chapters/16011331

I’ve read two of childOTKW’s fics and both of them are fantastically written and attention grabbing stories. This one was the first one I read, and it has a very interesting take on lily Potter (one which I really enjoy) and the plot can leave you on the edge of your seat at times. The characterization is great, and the process of Harry and Tom getting to know each other is done very well.

“His attention skipped passed the students and moved to the politicians’ pavilion. His gaze locked with crimson, and he nearly faltered under the sheer hunger in those eyes.

It unnerved him how fixated the man was on his dirtied, exhausted figure.

But what troubled him more was the slight smirk he could make out on the man’s lips. It was almost pleased.

On the night of the attack, Lily managed to escape with her infant son, but at the cost of her husband’s life. Distraught and distrusting of her friends, she fled to France with Harry, to raise him away from the corruption in Britain and the rising influence of the Dark Lord. She trains him to the best of her abilities, shaping him into a dangerous, intelligent and powerful wizard.

But when Britain re-establishes the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry is forced to return to his once-home, he finds himself questioning whether he really wants to kill the Dark Lord. Voldemort finds an unexpected challenge in the child, and as his intrigue and amusement grows, so too does the desire to possess the spark in those defiant green eyes.”

A story that is kind of similar but not really: The Train to Nowhere

You Belong To Me (I Belong To You) - by child_OTKW

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11270490/chapters/25203408

This is a story inspired by the manwha ‘At The End Of The Road’ by Haribo. A comic I read before reading this, which is very good I recommend it. They do not take the exact plot from the comic though, obviously changing significant details for it to work properly as a Tomarry Fic, but one main thing stays the same, which is that this is a body swap. Honestly I really enjoy childOTKW’s works, and this is no exception. The characterization is wonderful as always, and Harry is Fantastic. Plus I’ve always been a fan of time travel fics. (Fair warning this is another slow burn and Harry centric)

“What I find absolutely fascinating,” Riddle said, stalking closer, “is you.” He marched forward, backing Harry up until he was pinned to the cool wall of the common room. “Do you know why?”

“No. And I’ll be honest here, Riddle, I don’t particularly care.”

The taller boy grinned at him, small yet infinitely pleased. “That. Right there.” One hand rose and brushed some of Harry’s fringe from his face. “Nathan Ciro was a spineless little boy too afraid of his own shadow to dare even glance in my direction. But you…”

He leaned closer, “You look at me like you want to stab me.”

“After an accident, Auror Harry Potter wakes up in the body of fourteen year old Nathan Ciro, a tormented Slytherin who recently tried to end his own life. Seeking answers to his strange predicament, Harry returns to Hogwarts, and causes quite the stir through staff and students - especially when they come to realise he is not the same boy as before.

He tries to avoid suspicion, but as his quest for the truth draws more and more attention to him, Harry begins to think that he might not like what he will discover.”

Some Bonus AU tomarry

A Thousand Paths Among The Stars - by Haplessshippo @haplesshippo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12015060/chapters/27191238

This is a star trek au and it’s honestly my favorite tomarry au fic. Granted, I am a huge sci-fi fan. There’s also a bit of a twist at the end, or at least it surprised me, due to the way we usually expect tomarry plots to go.

“Harry Potter, newly appointed Captain of the Marauder and son of the famous Captain James Potter, was falling apart at the seams. His crew didn’t respect him, he was lost in the empty expanse of space, nightmares plagued his sleep, and his Commander deserved the Captain position more than he did. Good thing multiple attempts on his life and a vicious warlord after his head was all it took to turn it all around.

Alternatively, that space fic in which Harry Potter almost dies too many times, Tom Riddle slowly becomes the most smitten fool on the ship, and the rest of the crew are all just a bunch of assholes with popcorn watching the show. And exploding ships, don't forget the exploding ships.”

The Matchmaker - by TanninTele

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16507676/chapters/38664089

I am ALSO a huge true crime fan, and this story has a criminal that kinda reminds me of one that might appear in Hannibal (but with less murder). I enjoy the characterization, though tom is pretty tame in this compared to more cannon fics, considering he’s not the criminal and instead an investigator. Harry is also different from how people usually portray him, but I still like it.

“'The Matchmaker' is a serial abductor whose modus operandi consists of pairing two same-sex individuals together in a coffin, six feet underground - buried alive. He isn't a killer. He's a kidnapper with morals, and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Riddle finds himself obsessed with solving the case.

Unfortunately for Tom, the Matchmaker is just as intent on knowing him.”

And on to the Sevitus Stories

Far Beyond A Promise Kept - by oliversnape

https://archiveofourown.org/works/547431/chapters/974693

A classic, Harry stays with snape and unintentionally proves all his assumptions wrong and makes snape care about him. Both the stories have this aspect, but this one has snape a bit nicer from the get go. Probably because it takes place during the third book, so they’ve only known each other two years. It’s quite wholesome though, and I rather enjoy the progression of their relationship.

“Snape never wanted anyone to know of his promise to Dumbledore, but has realised that he can protect Potter much better by taking a less passive role in the boy's training. Actually liking Harry Potter has never been part of his plan. mentor/guardian.”

Crime And Punishment - by melolcatsi

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102232/chapters/58018174

Snape and Harry have way more of a rocky start in this one, and Snape having to pick Harry up from the police station Really Doesn’t Help Snape’s opinion of him. This story very realistically shows the progression of their relationship, going from enemies to family, and near the ‘end’ (it’s not finished) it becomes very wholesome with Snape trying to help Harry with his mental and physical health after years of abuse/ neglect.

“Harry is accused of burglary. The Dursleys leave him to rot. Dumbledore sends Snape to remedy the situation. Harry finds himself in the care of an irate Snape. Not slash, gen-fic w/ focus on Sevitus relationship. Angst galore. Warnings: coarse and suggestive language, mentions of abuse/neglect. Un-betaed and un-Britpicked.”

[veliseraptor]

got tagged for two fic writer memes yesterday! the one from @ameliarating first:

How many works do you have on AO3?

509.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

3,432,24. dang! that’s a lot of words

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

I have written for...counting the MCU as one fandom, on AO3 I have written for 32 fandoms, including at least one work in:

MCU, The Sillmarillion, Caliban Leandros, both DC and Marvel Comics, the book Barebacked by Kit Whitfield, Doctrine of Labyrinths, Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars, Black Jewels, Dragon Age, Lucifer, Dexter, Temeraire, Gentleman Bastard Sequence, Supernatural, A Song of Ice and Fire, Greek Mythology, Lymond Chronicles, Merlin BBC, Code Geass, Good Omens,  Death Note, and White Collar.

this is not a comprehensive list of every fandom I’ve ever written for, because it is not including ones that live only on FFN or Livejournal.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Life In Reverse tops the list (11066), aka my 200k Loki-centric post-Thor AU fic that I wrote between 2012 and 2018 and with which I have a decidedly complex relationship at this point. I love it but also I no longer think it’s my best work but also I credit it with teaching me a fuck of a lot about writing and writing longer projects in general.

With Absolute Splendor is rapidly catching up, to my astonishment (6559), despite having been posted for less than half as long. Aka the wedding planning fic that’s really just me mucking about in my Jiang Cheng and my Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian feelings, at length.

some good mistakes (4618) was my first foray into the Untamed version of “characters who hate each other going on resentful roadtrips together, feat. Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng.” I have gone on to write others and will continue to write more.

Unraveling (3069) is a little bit of a surprise but also not - it was originally just sort of WWP stuff for my ‘what if people remembered that blunt force trauma is a really bad thing actually’ problem that pops up sometimes, re: Loki at the end of The Avengers, and then it kind of turned into a whole thing. I personally think it’s the weakest of the installments of the series it belongs to, but it is the first one and also the one that gets least into the broader family dysfunction and depression stuff that probably is less everyone’s thing (but is what came out this fic that mattered more to me, personally).

I am a little surprised to see Steve Rogers’ Halfway House for Notorious Supervillains (3068) here too! I was expecting one of the more...idk, mainstream concepts from the MCU to win out? But I also wasn’t expecting two Untamed fics to make it here, either. But I am stupid proud of this fic even if it is very extraordinarily unfinished. This is one of those unfinished fics that will nag at me unless and until I finish it, at least a little, because the concept - if I do say so myself - is so goddamn good and I think I was executing it pretty well, too.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Pretty much never. I was never very good at it and now I’d feel like I had to go back and reply to all of them and I just. I can’t do that. and when I do try to just start at the beginning I get overwhelmed very fast and start avoiding it.

Basically I decided that if it’s a decision between wrestling with myself to reply to comments versus actually doing more writing I’m going to end up landing on the latter as feeling both more doable and more productive.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

probably it’s The Worlds Forgotten, the Words Forbidden for sheer level of “so then what was the point” of it all. but like. I’ve definitely written a few extraordinarily miserable fics, and by “a few” I kind of mean “a lot.” Other nominees I’d put down might be nor autumn falter (for currently personally making me suffer most), once there was a way to get back home (for I think having the ouchiest summary), and Waiting for the Summer Rain (which remains one of my personal favorite Supernatural fics I wrote).

but like. there are 43 fics I have marked with Major Character Death warnings and every single one of those, pretty much, has a downer ending.

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I have written several though not in a long time! My craziest probably remains the Morgoth/Cthulhu short I wrote that actually got sporked because someone took it seriously (???) enough to do that. But the craziest that actually has any merit, (I’d argue) is probably the Maeglin/Viserys one.

not linking to either, if you want to go find them I don’t think it’ll be that hard.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yeah, a few times on a few different things. More if you count “people who seem to like the fic but love telling you how much they hate the female characters you’re writing about in it” as ‘hate’ which I would but isn’t, you know, quite as straightforward. If I had a nickel for every time someone bitched about Jane in Life in Reverse, though...lots of nickels.

Do you write smut? if so what kind?

Sure do! But what does ‘what kind’ mean, I don’t know how to answer that question. I feel tempted to just put in my “Mike’s Hard Kinks” image edit in this space.

I guess usually I tend to write smut that at least involves a little bit of a kink? I don’t think I’d feel comfortable writing entirely kinkless smut. I think I’d feel weird about it, the same way I do when I write really nice fic, generally.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think I did back when but I don’t remember anything about it. I feel like it was one of those mass data scraping things where my fic happened to be among those caught up in it.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! several actually, mostly into Russian and Chinese. every time it happens I’m immensely flattered that someone wants to put in that kind of work on something I wrote.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I think I’d be very, very bad at it.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Depends on when you ask me! I could probably give you a top five but then I’d remember six that I forgot to mention five minutes later. I guess if I were to think about ships that feel like they hold very special particular places in my heart... Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen, Steve Rogers/Loki, and Min/Rand come to mind.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

oh god do you want the whole list cause honestly I could just like. screencap the entirety of my “in progress” folder with a crying emoji watermarked over it. and that’s not getting into the fics that are like...half formed babies in my consciousness but not anywhere on paper.

and also I just hate to admit that I might not finish something.

you know what? the Lucifer/Good Omens crossover I started would’ve been a lot of fun. I’m probably never going to finish it, but it would’ve been great if I had. I know other people did it too but my contribution could’ve been amazing.

I can say this very boldly with the near certainty that I’m not going to finish the fic so no one will be able to disagree.

(...also the Last Herald-Mage fix it. that was going to be a good fic too, and also will probably languish unfinished forever.)

What are your writing strengths?

I’m pretty sure dialogue is my strongest point. Dialogue and emotions, which is why I always end up just wanting to write about characters talking and having feelings at each other.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing action sequences throws me into conniptions every time I have to do it and I will take drastic actions sometimes to avoid doing it at all, which probably weakens the work as a whole.

Also, I don’t plan ahead and this means I write myself into corners kind of a lot. If I wasn’t writing long, dense fic it wouldn’t be a problem but here we are.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I tend to avoid it unless it’s in the context of, as in CQL/MDZS fic, leaving certain terminology untranslated. I’m pretty sure I almost never write full exchanges of dialogue in a different language than I’m using for the narration within a fic, and generally speaking my reaction to other people doing it is at least mildly negative.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter was technically the first fandom I wrote for, but it was a crack fic I wrote to make my friends laugh more than anything; I tend to count Wheel of Time as my first actual fandom for which I wrote my first actual fic.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

some days the answer is “all of them” and some day the answer is “I don’t like anything I’ve written in my entire life” and I never like giving this a definitive answer. yesterday I reread efforts in a common cause (the bound copy!! thanks @spockandawe) and you know what, that was a good fic and I’m proud of it, so I’m going with that one, for this meme, today.

tagging: @mostfacinorous, @jaggedcliffs, @silvysartfulness, @mikkeneko, @kasasagi-eye, @curiosity-killed, how many people am I supposed to tag for this one anyway

[vivithefolle]

I'm a bit confused. You said in one post that you thoroughly dislike Hermione and that you had no respect for her at all. Yet ... you like Romione? idk, it seems contradictory tbh. I like when Romione shippers acknowledge her flaws and messed up moments but when someone that dislike and even hate her character that much ships Romione and I see them posting about them and calling them "cute" just seems weird

I’ll share with you my whole thought process so you can understand where I’m coming from:

Itty-bitty Vivi who read Harry Potter for the first time (at 13/14, so not so itty-bitty I guess, oops): Woaaah Hermione and Ron yaay!!! They're awesome I love them! They're my OTP always and forever!! Best thing to happen in Harry Potter!! JKR is a genius!

Slightly less itty-bitty Vivi discovering the Harry Potter fandom online (thankfully years after the ship wars, else I probably wouldn't have survived): Why is there so much hate towards Ron? And why are people so opposed to Romione?? It was meant to be since the first book! Or, okay, the second book is when I realized it was gonna happen, but still! Oh well, here is a fic where Hermione berates Ron for everything and he is the only one actually working for their relationship. Cool, more Romione!

Even less itty-bitty Vivi starting her own Tumblr and going around, adding her grain of salt to debates and talking about stuff: Yeah! Ron is great! He's done bad things of course but Hermione has done her fair share of bad things too! Actually, now that I'm rereading the books, I'm reminded of this person I used to call a friend, who was quite smart and cultured but would often be very harsh to me because they claimed it was “for your own good" and “because I'm more mature than you"… I still wanted to be around them, because they were just so smart and passionate, but we often rowed and eventually they really just went too far and tried to make ME out to be the bad guy and most people believed them because they had a reputation as someone cool and logical while I was known for being emotional… wait, what the fuck, that's… that's exactly what happens in the fandom with Ron and Hermione! What the fuck, was I Ron? Admired their intelligence, praised and supported them, fell in love even but was met with scorn and open disdain?!… no, no, come on. Hermione wasn't that bad.

Vivi rereading Half-Blood Prince (and no, this wasn't about the canaries, but about what Hermione was doing after): Oh my god she was that bad.

Vivi as she ponders alternately: Wait, what about JK Rowling? What does she think about all that? What was her intention, what did she want to accomplish with the characters? I know books belong to their readers but if I want as objective an analysis as possible I must try to understand her thought process while she wrote.

Vivi learning about a staple of British literature called “literary alchemy”: The quarreling couple!! Sulfur and Mercury, the Red King and the White Queen, who must marry for the story to end happily!! And their union is represented by… a rose!! Oh my god, that is brilliant, that is so cool! Romione was ALWAYS going to happen, I knew it! Ha!

Vivi discovering the “[Ron] needed to make himself worthy of Hermione” quote: Wha… but… what? Worthy? As if Hermione was some sort of precious trophy or whatever? What the hell? Wait, Ron had to make himself worthy of her but Hermione didn't have to make herself worthy of him? Is it because Ron is the boy or some shit like that??

Vivi going through JK Rowling's interviews and finding sexism and double-standards galore: Yep, it's because he's the boy. And that bit about Hermione being based off herself when she was younger… ouch. And to top it off the scriptwriter pretty much worshipped Hermione…

Vivi rereading the books again: Is it just me, or does Ron hardly ever get any praise or acknowledgement from the adult characters? Meanwhile Harry and Hermione get stuff like “as good as Charlie Weasley" or “brightest witch of her age"! And, damn, I used to side with Hermione because I love cats, but she was completely awful in POA! She apologized but then the plot made her out to be right even then?? And I always thought her Yule Ball entrance was kinda over-the-top, but damn if that's not compensating for something! Also what the hell, I get that Harry is suffering and all but will someone PLEASE pay attention to the fact that Ron is being bullied BY A FOURTH OF THE STUDENT BODY AND NOBODY SEEMS EVEN REMOTELY CONCERNED????? Also what the hell is wrong with the sixth book, I never liked it much but it's like it's trying to make every character look bad, wtf?? And, and, holy shit I never noticed but Ron was asking legit questions during the Horcrux Hunt debate but Harry kept deflecting or mocking him but it's still Ron who had to apologize in the end??? And I've read a whole post about how Hermione punching Ron is the appropriate reaction for a very small child and not a supposedly “mature" character, and that Harry had to SHIELD RON FROM HER, oh my god?? It's… oh my god, what the fuck is wrong with JK Rowling?

Vivi, in denial: Well, Harry Potter is decidedly not a romance. It's about love, but romantic love is quite far down the priority list when it comes to it. JKR has herself confessed that she wasn't too good at writing romance, and I don't blame her because writing romance is hard. But I did enjoy Romione! When I was little I saw it coming from a mile away, granted I was already savvy in literature but that must have been because she was doing something right! And then the sixth book happened… the sixth book which… which was released after the Harry Potter movies were being filmed, wasn't it?

Vivi looking up the timelines: Oh my god. Oh my god it's even worse, the movies were being discussed before Goblet of Fire came out. Come to think of it, I always found that the Trio felt… different, after Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry and Ron especially felt like they had gotten dumber? And Hermione was suddenly explaining everything when exposition used to be split between her and Ron…

Vivi, in mourning: So that's what happened. Ron ended up being shortchanged to make Hermione look better, because Rowling was fonder of Hermione than she was of Ron, and the scriptwriter too come to think of it. Curse you, Steve Kloves!!!

Vivi, who is nothing if not what Pokémon fans call a nostalgiafag: But… but… yeah, it sucks that Ron was shortchanged, and actually yeah it's a freaking travesty and I WILL freaking spread the world about this, mark my words, but, but I still… I can't help it, when Hermione “looked up at Ron and her frostiness seemed to melt" I melt too. When Ron compliments Hermione or tries to take care of her as much as he can I… it still does something to me, I still find myself rooting for them even if I know there's the awful sixth book and the stupid post-Locket beatdown. Their kiss, for God's sake, I've just realized that Ron may have swept Hermione off her feet physically, but it's Hermione who jumped him, you could say Hermione metaphorically swept Ron off his feet!! God damn it, that's good, that's so good!

Vivi, at war with herself: No, I can't let myself be blinded by nostalgia!! The facts are that Hermione shows borderline abusive - even actually abusive - behaviour, this can't be denied! I don't want to root for an abusive relationship! I don't want to root for a relationship that relies on my favourite character being dumbed down to work!!!

Vivi, about to uncover the secrets of the universe: … wait a second. I don't have to.

Vivi, having an epiphany: Reading Solstice Muse's Romione fanfics gives me such happiness because she just gets the characters! She doesn't portray Hermione as perfect and never fucking up, and she always treats what happens to Ron with respect… Well, especially since she can't play them off as a joke since she often makes Ron the POV character. But, yeah! I can still like Romione… if it's well-written. Which, well, isn't the case in the original books… at least, isn't the case anymore after Rowling's bias got the best of her. Even though they do have their great moments.

Vivi, finding purpose in her life: I am going to spread awareness. I am going to tell the world. Fuck, just rereading the books, I've noticed how blatant the favouritism is and how unbalanced it can be. No wonder the fandom seems to collectively scoff at Ron - the books themselves do whenever it's convenient for them! The fandom plays favourites, because the author herself played favourites, and the worst part is that she didn't even realize it! Imagine you spend your life getting into traumatic situations out of love for your friends who always receive compassion and validation for their feelings about said traumas, but YOUR trauma is hardly touched upon and in the rare case it is, it's only to be mocked or used against you… Fuck! You're a piece of work, JKR! And the fandom just swallows it whole like a bunch of lobotomized snakes! Screw it! Screw it, I'm going to say it like it is, and I'm going to say it LOUDLY! People are going to hear about what Ron goes through and we'll see if Harry and Hermione look like the only ones worthy of therapy then!!

Present day Vivi, as she scrolls through the (heavily filtered) Romione tag on AO3: Ugh, another Drarry… and another… and another… oh, a Hinny-centric fic for a change, cool but I'm looking for more Romione than that, sorry. Gah, why is it that Romione appears as a secondary ship everywhere but they can't get their own stories? I've just seen a Snupin come up for God's sake! Oh, finally, a full Romione!! *clicks* … … … awww that was so sweet. Kudos! Okay back to the search… oh, another one!! *clicks* … … … it's Ron-bashing. It's Ron-bashing and it's not tagged Ron-bashing and that's why it showed up in my search AND I'M GOING TO FREAKING RIOT-

[deadpooly]

Can you rec some 1d blogs? I want more moots like us (preferred the ones that don't ship them...)

of course!! ill just rec a few i follow with a short description so its not overwhelming and its a good start!

@killmyminds is like so funny and entertaining i love her and she is def one of my favourite people on this site!! she posts mainly louis but content is well spread out and ranges to ot5 as well!

@youssunshine not really a 1d blog per se but her edits are absolutely stunning and her harry content is top tier so of course im going to recommend her!!

@mullingar mainly a niall/harry stan over ot5 and imo #1 narry supporter methinks v funny, content is top tier and has a wide range of content that extends beyond just the 1d boys 100% recommend however if you want just exclusive 1d content they have a sideblog just for that @niallnation !!

@armsofstranger okay i love emily so much and she has got to be my no. 1 tumblr bestie rn! we were both in the marvel fandom and made our transition to 1d at the same time together lmfao, when shes active the content she reblogs is top tier and over all i just love her!

@thebravetour has edits like you wouldnt believe !! theyre just a louie and def a good blog to follow if youre just getting into the 1d side of tumblr! ive been following them for a long time and would recommend them!

these are a few blogs that are 1d related that i would recommend... i know you were looking for blogs that arent big in the shipping game and these are them! (a lot of my mutuals and blogs i do actually follow are larries and stuff and i love their blogs so it took me a little bit to find some that are neutral on the whole situation lol) also i apologize bc there arent a lot of zayn/liam/ot5 centric blogs i follow or could find that arent big with shipping but if i find any good ones ill be sure to update this!

[daisylincs]

WIP Folder Game

Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you and interests you and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it!  ← part of my trick or treat now :D

Thank you so much for the tag, @eowima​​! You know, I think we should officially update you to the role of clairvoyant or something, lmao, because you won’t believe how well this fits into my ~master plan.~ (I’ll explain in a second, lol.) 

But before I start, um... letmeapologiseinadvancefortheshitshowthatisabouttofollow. My WIPs folder is, er, simply put, a mess. Chaos. A nightmare. 

I have an explanation!! I’ve always loved fanfiction and fandoms, and I’ve spent many happy years reading other people’s things - but I’ve never actually been inspired to create something myself. I don’t know, I always had tremendous respect for the creators who were already out there, but I never felt the inclination to join them, you know? 

Then I started watching AoS this lockdown, and... well, let’s just say that everything changed. For the first time ever, I woke up in the middle of the night and I had a fic idea, one that was demanding to be written down if I ever wanted to sleep a wink again.

And the more I got into the fandom, the more the fic ideas kept coming, until there was a point where I couldn’t read or watch anything without thinking, “ooh, AoS AU!!” So... into the WIPs folder it went. And as you can well imagine, there’s a lot there now. Like, a lot. 

Fitzsimmons was the ship that gave me my first fic idea, so of course there’s stuff for them. Then Huntingbird is the ship that actually pulled me completely and wholeheartedly into the fic verse. And then, of course, Staticquake, the ship that actually got me past my but I’m not good enough fears and, er, got me completely obsessed. I am still not over that.

And last but definitely not least - and, actually, you’re to thank for this, Océane, because it’s your fic that got me hooked on these two awkwardorable idiots - my brain decided that, you know what, if I’m going to write now anyway, I want to do Spideychelle.

So that’s the (long) story of me and my chaotic WIPs folder, and now with no further ado, I’m going to jump right in and give you a list of titles. *coughs* I am, however, going to put a cut here, because... well, you’ll see why. *cringes*

Key: 

💜 - Staticquake

💖 - Huntingbird

💚 - Fitzsimmons

🍋 - Dekesy

💗 - Pipsy

🤍 - Dousy

💕 - Skimmons

🧡 - Quakerider

💞 - Simmorse

🤎 - Mackelena

💙 - Platonic/Family Centric

❤️ - Spideychelle 

💘 - Clintasha

* - a series

(Ones with two or more hearts mean that all these ships feature prominently.) 

The List:

💜.  A Hero’s Reward

💜.  and i risk it all for this life we share

💜.  Angsty Post-Hive Recovery Fic

💜. barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song

💜. Best Friends But She’s In A Bad Relationship AU

💜. Bittersweet What-If Fic

💜. Blow Us All Away*

💜. Childhood Friends Fic

💜. darling just dive right in

💜. darling just kiss me slow

💜. don’t ask me where i’ve been, or what i’m gonna do (just know that i’m here with you) 

💜. every day in between

💜. Fairytale (Sleeping Beauty) AU

💜. Fake Dating Partyfic

💜. Flower Shop AU

💜. good old shake ‘n bake

💜. Grieving Fic

💜. High School AU Idea

💜. Hive Toilet Fic

💜. Hospital Fluff & Flirting AU

💜. Hotel Room AU

💜. i live for you (soulmates AU)

💜. i never knew you were the someone waiting for me

💜.  i’ll find my way through night and day

💜. just let your heart be free (you’ve got a friend in me)

💜. lights will guide you home

💜. Mission/Partners Fic

💜. Modern Royalty Fic

💜. Musical (West Side Story) AU

💜. Not That Girl Anymore

💜. PDA

💜. Pitch Perfect AU

💜. Post-Hive Pregnancy Fic

💜. put that body on me

💜. Rain Fic

💜. Red Thread

💜. Regency AU: Marriage of Convenience

💜. Regency AU: Arranged Marriage

💜. remember that with every piece of you

💜. Rom-Com AU

💜. Royalty Shenanigans Fic

💜. S3 AU - Daisy, Inhuman Leader

💜. S3 AU - Lincoln With SHIELD All Along

💜. Shake ‘n Bake: A YouTube Romance

💜. Skaters AU

💜. Sky’s the Limit*

💜. Snowed In Fic

💜. so baby i’m alright, with just a kiss goodnight

💜. some dreams do come true

💜. Soul Realm

💜. Soulmark AU

💜. Stardust AU

💜. Stranded-Somewhere-Cold Ficlet

💜. The Daughter of Thunder and Lightning

💜. the earth shook and the sky flashed

💜. took my heart upon a one-way trip

💜. TV Show AU

💜. Ward-Confrontation AU

💜. Watching Hamilton AU

💜. What-Ifs*

💜. you’d be the one i was meant to find

💜💙. Lincoln & The Team Bonding Fic

💜💙. MayLincoln Friendship Fic

💜💙. The Secret Warriors

💚. Academy Era Rom-Com

💚. Ah Crap My Ex Just Walked In AU

💚. Alya Fluff and First Words Fic

💚. Angsty Hair ficlet 

💚. Cute Family Zoo Prompt

💚. lunch break

💚. Second Child Fluff and First Words Fic

💚. Soulmate AU

💚. The Perfect Fairytale*

💚. The Team Ships It

💚💜. Fluffy Best Friends Idea

💚💜. ooh, la la la*

💚💙.  AoS Frozen AU

💚💙. FitzsimmonsSparks Fic 

💚💙. Us Against The World

💚💜💙. AoS Harry Potter AU

💖. Al Birthday Fic 

💖. always the same pattern, love

💖. blonde

💖. meet me half-way

💖. rollercoaster

💖. Soulmate AU

💖. The Blue Door (Notting Hill AU)

💖. the ride

💖. when did it all fall to pieces (can’t we build it back)

💚💖. Best Friends’ Wedding AU

💚💖. The Holiday AU 

💚💜💖💙. No Hive AU

💚💜💖💙. Post-3x10 Who Owes Who Fic

🍋. Angst/Introspection Fic

🍋. Beach Fic

🍋. Coffee Shop AU

🍋. Concert Canon Divergence Fic

🍋. Drunk Kiss Fic

🍋. Mission Kiss Canon Divergence Fic

🍋. Singers AU

💚🍋. Fluff and Teasing Fic

💚🍋. (Not A) Double Date

💗. ’cause you’re out of this world

💗. Coffee Shop/Baristas AU

💗. High School AU/Sleepover Fic

💗. Walls Come Down Fic

🤍. Affectionate Arguments/Take Care Of Yourself Fic

🤍. Danny Boy & Quake*

🤍. getting to know you, getting to know all about you

🤍. T Birthday Fic

🤍💚. Teasing/Introspection Fic    

💞. Birdie Birthday Fic

💞. Bodyguard AU

💞. Roommates/Best Friends AU

💞. you’re just my cup of tea

🧡. Abby Birthday Fic

🧡. it’s a better place since you came along

🧡. Reluctantly Perfect

🧡. Scarlet Birthday Fic

🧡💚. well that works    

💕. Coming Out Fic

💕. S1 Crush Fic

💕. you’ll be my lady

🤎. Childhood Best Friends AU

🤎. Church Camp AU

🤎. Giorgia Birthday Fic

🤎. Soulmates AU

🤎. then through the shadows, your light appears

💚💜💖🤎. Shippy Team Mistletoe Fic

💚💜💖🤎. Shippy Team Snowfic

💚💜💖🤎💙. Soft Family Fic from Chloe Interview

❤️. Ah Crap My Ex Just Walked In AU

❤️. Arranged Marriage AU

❤️. cute clueless moron

❤️. Cute, Dorky Friendship Idea

❤️. Fake Dating Friends to Lovers

❤️. Media Nonsense Fic

❤️. Michelle Jones, Agent of SHIELD

❤️. Michelle Jones, Inhuman

❤️. Océane Birthday Fic

❤️. oh, when you kiss me

❤️. Secret Santa Fic

❤️. Secret Santa Thank-You Ficlet

❤️. Spideychelle Week Day 5 - Roommates AU

❤️. Spideychelle Week Day 6 - Enemies to Lovers

❤️. Spideychelle Week Day 7 - Only One Bed

❤️. Teach Me To Fight, Parker

❤️💚. heads on a science apart

💘. Bobbi Birthday Fic

💘. 5 Times The Avengers Played Matchmaker, and 1 Time It Worked (Sort Of)

💘. Jade Arrow

💘. Natalia

💘. Roommates AU

💙. all the stars in the skye

💙. blue-eyed

💙. FitzDaisy Recovery Fic

💙. Happy Family Holiday Fic

💙. JemmaDaisy Friendship Fic

💙. see the line where the skye meets the sea

💙. Soft-Fluffy Philindaisy Tickle Fic

💙.untitled angst war fic

💜🤍💗🍋🧡💕💙. day’s eye      

(and that’s not even it. I haven’t even made documents for all the birthday fics. *crawls into a hole to die*)

So yeah, I’m completely insane and I’m probably going to be here for the next ten years trying to write all this lot and also I tag @ohwriteiforgot​​, @aleksandrachaev​​, @everythingirl44​​, @que-mint-tea, @anxiouslynumbme, @springmagpies​, @besidemethewholedamntime​, @infinitestarsintheskye​, @libbyweasley​, @a-biochemist-not-a-bird​, @nazezdha321​, @sadtunes​ and @here-for-huntingbird​, if any of you guys want to do this!

[bluephoenixdruidicprincess]

Shadowhunters 3x15, To the Night Children -- Review

You guys are in for a treat this week. I'm actually doing this review way earlier than I normally do. But make no mistake, this absolutely doesn't mean that I enjoyed this episode and I was just so excited to talk about it. Quite the contrary, I didn't enjoy this episode. Just like the previous episodes, I found this episode boring and completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things as most Heidi centric episodes tend to be. Again, it leaves me with the questions, "what was the point?" and "when is the plot going to finally start?" So let's discuss Shadowhunters 3x15, To the Night Children.

I would like to preface this review with saying that I am NOT a huge supporter of this show. I do enjoy certain elements of it but I'm not what would be classified as a devoted fan. For me, Shadowhunters is not a good show and I do get very critical of the show in my reviews. Honestly, for me, I watch the show because 1) I'm too curious not to and 2) I find that this show can be so bad its funny and that's how I reap enjoyment out of it. I am not at all invested in this show or its characters anymore. I'm just watching to see what happens. If you're a die hard fan and you lash out at everyone who has a different opinion than you, you might want to skip these...I'm just saying. My reviews may not be for you. If you do decide to be a total troll, well then pay attention to the below disclaimer.

This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this episode. If you're the kind of Shadowhunters fan where you only want to hear positive things about the show, this is not the place for you. If you decide to stick around and get offended by what is said, then that's on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will 100% ignore you. I find that's the best way to deal with bullies. I work 14 hour days. Do you really think I want to waste my incredibly valuable free time dealing with derogatory comments? Hell no. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I'm not telling YOU how to think and feel. I'm telling you what I, quirky and socially awkward me, think and feel. So please, lets discuss with dignity and respect. If I'm critical about this show, it's only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating a show and being critical of it. I do not hate Shadowhunters, I am being critical and analyzing the flaws as I would with any other show. There are positives but there are also negatives. It's great if you want to promote positivity with this show (and I encourage you to do so) but that doesn't mean I'm not going to point out the things that are legitimately wrong with it. Also, keep in mind that despite the fact that I do like the books, me being critical of this show has nothing to do with my fondness for the books. I don't really care if the show deviates from the source material as long as the changes are good, it makes sense, and it doesn't create plot holes within the confines of the world the show has created. My problems with this show are problems I would have with any show or book for that matter. I think it's perfectly reasonable to take issue with a show that has plot holes, shoddy world building, and inconsistent characters. There will be spoilers for the books and movie. 

How is it possible that we're half a season in and we've only had filler episodes? Seriously, the endgame plot for this show better be something fantastic to make up for the pointlessness that has been these past few episodes. You could skip this episode and you wouldn't miss anything. 

What Is The Point of the Heidi Plot

Seriously, what even is the point of this plot? Particularly with how it was closed out in this episode. This plot did nothing for Maia's character arc, it did nothing for Simon's character arc, it was a complete waste of time. It was a horrible usage of what happened to Simon's family. None of our characters had any sort of emotional attachment to Heidi and I highly doubt any of the audience has any sort of emotional connection to her. No one cares about her so why on earth was there so much time the show doesn't have devoted to her? And I can now say that without a doubt that the Maureen plot done in the books was a 100x better than what happened here in the show. It was actually kind of epic. And this isn't me being mad that the show changed stuff from the books, this is me looking at the plot objectively and remarking that the books did it better. How does Heidi die in the show? Maia kills her for killing her pack, nothing more to it than that. How does Maureen die in the books? Via collusion between Lily the Vampire and Maia that results in an alliance between the vampires and the werewolves and effectively ending conflicts between the two parties that stems centuries; Lily becomes head of the vampire clan and Maia becomes alpha of the werewolf pack and together along with Magnus and Alec's guidance, they work through downworld drama one conflict at a time. What's the difference between the show outcome and the book outcome? Well, the book outcome has a lasting impact on the world, it actually does something for Maia's character arc, it gives her agency. What does the show outcome do? It gives Maia vengeance, I guess. I'm not sure what else. And to be perfectly honest, it's never felt like show!Maia was all that connected to the pack to begin with. It always kind of felt like she hung around them because she was obligated to and not because she genuinely thought of them as family. The only wolves she really socialized with were Luke, Jordan, and Bat. 

And I think it's a little unfair of Simon to be looking down on Maia for killing Heidi considering it's not like he hasn't done the exact same thing for Clary before. Maia had every right to take vengeance for her pack especially when we just proved in an earlier scene that Alec had made a deal with Heidi. In Maia's eyes, it looked like she wasn't going to get justice for the pack. And can I just say how utterly pointless it was that so much work was put in to bring that girl out of her coma to "out" Heidi when Maia literally killed Heidi in the very next scene. They wasted so much time on that when they could've been doing something with the actual plot.

Malec Stuff, I Guess

What was Malec up to in this episode? Well, they were dealing with the implications of Magnus losing his apartment. Alec is letting Magnus stay at the Institute but the other shadowhunters aren't super fond of that idea. And in the biggest surprise I think we've gotten in the entire series, there's an actual cafeteria where shadowhunters actually congregate and eat with each other. I had no idea. I was honestly contemplating the possibility that they might not even eat, period. Seriously, why don't they use this cafeteria setting more often? It would be so much more interesting instead of scenes constantly being done in the war room. But as Magnus walks into the cafeteria with Alec, everyone just kind of stares at him like he's the new kid at school or something. Magnus contemplates that maybe they should go out to eat and Alec tells him not on "pancake day" and I'm very confused by this. Does NYC not have anywhere that serves pancakes? The NYC Institute must be serving some bomb-ass pancakes, let me tell you. These better be pancakes so awesome they would make the angels weep. Highly doubtful considering what I saw on the plates looked barely edible. And apart from the questionable pancakes, I did notice something else in this cafeteria scene. Alec goes to sit next to Clary and Magnus sits next to Alec. And just the body language Alec and Clary had sitting next to each other was just so much more positive and open than the body language of Magnus and Alec sitting next to each other. And Clary's body language was certainly more open towards Alec than it was to Jace. Honestly, it felt like Alec and Clary were the ones romantically involved with each other. While I don't ship Clalec by any means, I can't help but notice their chemistry and its certainly more pallatable than the chemistry Kat has with Dom or the chemistry Matt has with Harry. I'd be very interested in visiting the alternate universe in which Matt was the one who played Jace. 

But there's a little bit of drama when Magnus is talking with this other shadowhunter dude, and the shadowhunter dude reveals he's glad that Magnus and Alec worked things out. You know, that fight they swept underneath the rug in 3A? You might think this is finally the moment in which that conflict will actually be dealt with. You would be mistaken. There was enough time to highlight some Clave bigotry but apparently not character development it would seem, that's Shadowhunters for you, though. The whole debacle is laughed off as jealousy and ends with Magnus saying he doesn't mind if Alec airs their relationship's dirty laundry with his co-workers. And I'm just like, "What?!" Who could possibly be okay with something like that?! I tell you, this show is trying really hard to avoid that whole immortality conflict. But my question to the writers is if you didn't want to deal with it, why on earth did you bring it up in 3A to begin with? It was pointless then and you're treating it as if it's pointless now. Can we please have these two deal with a conflict like the actual adults they're supposed to be?

And this all culminates into Alec and Magnus deciding to move in together as throughout this episode Alec had been realizing he can't be an effective leader if he doesn't follow the same rules as those who are under him. Since it's against the rules for a downworlder to stay at the Institute, Alec and Magnus decide to find an apartment and move in together. And this whole leader business kind of showcases why I don't necessarily like that Alec is the head of the Institute this early into his character arc. This whole being a stickler for following the rules and then not following the rules and then following the rules again. It's far easier for your heroes to bend the rules if they're not in this position and at the end of the story, Alec's character arc is to become a leader so he can now make the changes he wants. But with Alec in this kind of situation, it's just kind of a "bleh" character arc that really doesn't go anywhere and it's full of plot contrivances and whatnot. Alec hasn't made any changes to the system at all and it's become quite evident that the Clave doesn't trust him and it really leaves you questioning why the Clave continues to leave him in charge.

But anyway, the episode ends with Magnus having a seizure and Alec calling out for help. What is up with this season's awkward endings? Sheesh. And I guess now we're going to have another filler next week to deal with this BS as well. 

The Plot This Episode Should've Focused On

We have Clary trying to deal with her own guilt about letting Jonathon go in the previous episode and it just keeps on highlighting how I dislike how this story is being handled. Jonathon basically arrives to taunt Clary about the fact that she can't do anything to him and once again, can we get this plot going already? It's taking forever. Even though I still hate how this show is executing this plot. Clary basically has no sense of agency, there's no kind of personal reflection in it. It's like the show is doing the bare minimum to get by with it. Probably because they have so little time to actually do anything with it so they're trying to keep it as minimal and simple as possible. But this is one of those things where I don't want it to be simple. I still think Jace would be a better option in terms of being the subject of Jonathon's obsession. The show wasn't willing to do the Clace incest angle so why are they so ready to dive into this incest plot? Obviously, I know why. It's because Jonathon's evil. Shadowhunters has never been known for its subtlety. 

Miscellaneous Stuff

There's an altercation between Clary and Aline in which they're sparring and Aline is making it very obvious that she wants to hurt Clary if it'll hurt Jonathon, maybe even kill her. It eventually gets out of hand when Clary loses control and starts beating the crap out of Aline basically. Jace pulls Clary away and asks Aline not to turn Clary in and I'm just rolling my eyes at this point. What does this show have against holding Clary accountable for anything...or admitting that she’s selfish, for that matter? I am kind of happy that we got a character here in the form of Aline who doesn't automatically worship the ground Clary walks on, though. It's about time. Clary is so worshipped on this show that I'm beginning to think she has a bigger ego than book!Jace. Just serves to further prove that Clary has way more in common with Valentine than she does with Jocelyn. And wouldn’t that be an awesome character arc for her? Where she has to come to terms that she has a bit more of her father in her than she cares to admit?

Clary has a conversation with Luke at the precinct and Luke tells her he's planning on holding himself accountable as he feels guilt for leaving the pack and potentially leaving the pack wide open for this kind of attack. Clary tells him he shouldn't and while this certainly wasn't Luke's fault, I can respect what Luke is doing here. It's too bad Clary doesn't understand the concept of holding oneself accountable when you feel you've done wrong. But she convinces Luke to stop with his current way of thinking because she still needs her father and I'm just like, "Since when?" When has it ever been shown that she's needed Luke in any sort of fatherly capacity. She certainly didn't need Jocelyn. I mean she decided to use the wish to bring back a guy she's only known a couple of months as opposed to her mother, her entire motivation for all of Season One. But whatever, I guess. 

Izzy decides to prosecute Raphael due to the role he played with Heidi. And once again, I don't understand the whole point of all of this. It's a thing that happened I guess so I suppose I should take note of it. And once again, we're stuck on this whole Rizzy thing and I can't stand it. 

As I mentioned earlier, this episode was hammering pretty hard on our heroes needing to quit bending the rules and follow them full-scale and it's just something that leaves me very confused on. Because it's not like they don't know the Clave has been doing some shady shit. So it's like they're turning a blind eye when they're making these kinds of decisions. And I'm particularly confused about why Simon is so big on this whole followoing the rules thing. When has that been a prevalent aspect of his character arc? 

This episode continues to make me ask the questions, "What was the point?" and "When is the plot going to start?" I'm sick of these filler episodes. This episode gets a C for me. It's an episode that's just kind of there. As always, let's hope for better next week.

[gorrathorra]

I was tagged by @ms-mormont - thank you so much! (posting on this blog rather than @harrporra as it’s more relevant, fandom-wise!)

I think everybody who I know writes has already been tagged, so I’m not going to tag anyone... BUT if you want to join in and haven’t been tagged yet, please consider this me tagging you. (And then tag me back so I can see. :) )

1) How many works in progress do you currently have in progress? 

Ten - more than I thought! Most of these likely won’t get finished, but I’ve not written them off entirely yet so:

ASOIAF / GOT:

Theon Greyjoy / Robb Stark:

modern AU friends-with-benefits fic, set after Ned’s death;

modern AU friends-with-benefits but Sansa has set Robb up on a blind date oh no fic;

possible sequel to my fic Returning (this one is not going well);

2 x AUs set during world war one, featuring on-home-leave Robb and shell-shocked-and-invalided-out Theon... I’ve only got a couple of paragraphs for each, and probably will only continue one, if either...;

modern AU pwp bj fic that I’m really embarrassed about ha

Other:

Theon/Jon modern fakedating AU

canon divergence with alwaysagirl!Theon who was married to Renly Baratheon slightly before the beginning of A Game of Thrones (featuring Renly/Loras and likely Theon/Robb). It’ll be a long time before this one sees the light of day, if at all... I really like the idea but need to get a better grasp on canon relationships and events and stuff;

canon-verse fic with baby Robb and baby Jon and lowkey Ned/Cat - but again, I need a better grasp on canon and also know nothing about babies, so.

Harry Potter:

I used to be big into Remus/Sirius and found the first few paragraphs of a fic I had entirely forgotten about when looking through my googledocs... I quite like where I appear to have been going with it, so may continue;

I’m sure I have at least one Peter-centric fic kicking about somewhere

2) Do you/would you write fanfiction?

lol yes :)

3) Do you prefer paper books or ebooks?

Paper, for published books. But I read far more fanfic than published work, so most of my reading is online, especially AO3.

4) When did you start writing?

When I was fairly young - 7 or so?

5) Do you have someone you trust that you share your work with?

Not really - nobody in my real life is into the same fandoms / ships, and I’ve never really had any strong online friendships... I feel like it could go two ways: either having someone to discuss ideas with would inspire me and make me write more and actually finish things, or adding a social element to writing may mean that I get overwhelmed by it more easily and am more likely to retreat from it? I don’t know.

6) Where is your favorite place to write?

At home, but I don’t really have anywhere good to write at the moment. I don’t have a desk and the table feels too public. Usually I just write in bed or on the sofa, but I would prefer a proper chair and keyboard in a warm place.

7) Favorite childhood book?

The first four/five Narnia books, but particularly The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

8) Writing for fun or writing for publication?

Fun. It is kind of a dream of mine to be published one day, but to be honest I’ve not had a good original idea for... a long time. I’m just going to try to get better at writing and plotting and finishing things, and just see how things pan out really.

9) Pen and paper or computer?

Computer. I’m slow enough as it is, without having to type up!

10) Have you ever taken any writing classes?

Yes - I initially went to uni to study English Literature with Creative Writing (3/4 literature, 1/4 creative writing). But I... just didn’t get on very well with it? Showing my writing to people I didn’t really know but who might know my friends, etc, made me anxious, and I found the assignments either too specific or not specific enough... Mostly, I didn’t feel that I was getting any more from it than from the various writing clubs I’d been in throughout school and college, so there was kind of an element of ‘what am I paying for here?’

I ended up studying English Literature and History (half-and-half), and was much happier.

11) What inspires you to write?

Hmm, this is a hard one. Emotion, I guess. I tend to not really feel much, personally, except when emphasising with other people. Reading fiction (particularly fanfiction, which often delves deeper into interpersonal relationships) is a way for me to experience emotions and keep from becoming a cold, hard person (the other main way is crying at the news, which is rather less fun, and also more dangerous as I’m usually driving when it happens). Writing allows me to explore particular feelings on my own terms. :)

[charjo]

Fictional favorites tag game! I was tagged by @aplpaca (forever ago, sorry about that) thank you <3

(pass on to twenty mutuals.)

1. What is your MBTI? INFJ, last time I checked.

2. What is your Hogwarts House? Hufflepuff!

3. Are you a book person or a TV person? They both have their advantages/disadvantages. I can focus better on TV shows rn but i kinda feel like TV shows aren’t living up to their hype nowadays.

4. What is your favorite book series? Cosmere. Cosmere Cosmere Cosmere. Within the Cosmere, Mistborn, probably. actually a lot of the answers for these are gonna be really Cosmere-centric bc that’s my Thing rn

5. What is your favorite TV series/anime? Leverage! I don’t really watch anime.

6. Which fantasy universe would you most like to live in? Cosmere.

7. Favorite character ever: my kneejerk reaction is Vin. because I love Vin. but I love a lot of characters 

8. Character you would like to personally slap in the face: I would suplex Chaos (Leverage) at any given point in time. also Draco Malfoy

9. Character you would like to personally murder: Zane (Mistborn). I would die very quickly but I’d like to at least try... and Amaram. I’d say Sadeas but Adolin did that for me already. lol

10. Character you would gladly intern under: so many. Vin, Sazed, Rey, Eliot Spencer, Kaladin, Rosa Diaz...

11. Character you would totally have tea with: don’t drink tea but I’d like to have a nice chat with Sazed. or Zenyatta. 

12. Character that you feel really needs a hug: all of them except the ones i don’t like

13. Character you love that you would probably hate irl: Ezekiel Jones, from the Librarians. he’s hilarious but I feel like I’d want to punch him if I ever met him without context

14. Character you would realistically be friends with irl: maybe Shallan? I become friends with many witty/sarcastic people, often by accident

15. First character you had a crush on (if any): don’t really get crushes on fictional people, just kind of fixations for a bit

16. Favorite ships: Shakadolin, ReyFinnPoe, Vinlend, Lenily... probably a bunch more but those are the ones that immediately come to mind

17. Series (TV/book) that you feel ended terribly: couldn’t even finish Allegiant, wasn’t super happy with the ending of Harry Potter. 

18. Series (TV/book) that had so much potential but was actually an epic disaster: haven’t watched Iron Fist for obvious reasons but boyyy howdy. Doctor Strange had some great visual effects in the trailer but :/

19. Worst book/movie/TV show you’ve ever read/seen: I did Not like the Giver. read it in elementary school. didn’t like Flowers for Algernon much. Waterland is just kind of strange. other than that I’ve probably repressed the memories of the not great things I have read/watched

20. Favorite book from your childhood: I memorized The Very Hungry Caterpillar at two years old so I could pretend I was reading it to myself. somewhere from 8-10 years old I really loved Grimm’s Fairy Tales. 

21. 3 Favorite Tropes: 'give up all your weapons’ *three minutes of emptying out weapons from every conceivable and inconceivable place where one could hide a weapon*; angry smaller person + p chill taller person; the quiet/nonthreatening person suddenly busts out an awesome sequence, destroying the expectations of the people around them (esp if i don’t see it coming)

22. 3 Most Hated Tropes: i frickin hate love triangles they’re so overdone and overused... I’m so tired of them. polyamory ftw. really don’t like the ‘catty girls that hate each other at first sight’ thing either. also the ‘character dies/character comes back to life’ is just overdone at this point. deaths really don’t mean as much when you know they could be/will be resurrected

23. Scariest thing you’ve ever watched/read: I don’t read/watch a lot of horror/scary stuff, but I tried reading Jurassic Park when I was around eight. got super shaken up about the dinosaurs eating the baby in the first few pages. haven’t picked it up since. love dinosaurs tho.

24. Anything you’d like to recommend? Cosmere (!!!!!!)

25. Would you like any recommendations? HECK FRICKIN YES PLEASE! I can’t promise I’ll get around to reading them in this decade but I love getting recs. no smut please tho

i don’t have that many mutuals so a lot of y’all are getting tagged. @heyyoufriendthere, @call-me-tears, @lyliacs, @annecasap, @theothertardis, @lifelongpotterhead, @idontknownothin, @fenric25, @raggedyradiant, @kingkilling-and-stormlight, @gyornhrathen, @shadowsofselfdoubt, @aurigeae, @the-awkward-math-writer, @spooperheroes-are-my-life, @nerdinadisguse, @hrebekka, @atium, @tchallastoebeans, @endlessvegetables

ik i don’t interact much with y’all (even though you’re lovely people) so feel free to ignore this if you’d like!

[virtualbrownie]

Get to know me tag

This blog is not dead...I promise....but go check out my ace attorney-centric sideblog!! @court-ships​ #shamelessselfpromo

Anyways I was tagged by @xxprincessjewelsxx​ fifty fucking years ago (just kidding it was in march...which does feel like ages) to do this tag and well!! im catching up on all my shit so!!

Rules: Answer the 20 questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better. 

NICKNAME: my name is four letters long and everything except the first letter is a fucKING VOWEL soooooo????? but @hamzzikwon​ likes to call me ‘jojo.’ ugh

GENDER: female

STAR SIGN: scorpio

HEIGHT: i’m like. really fucking short. like REALLY fucking short. like five feet and maybe an inch. who even knows.

TIME RIGHT NOW: 11:45 AM, a few hours before my piano lesson and i still haven’t fixed my music essay :’)) and im doing this instead

LAST THING I GOOGLED: “trucy wright” because bITCH THIS GIRL IS FUCKING PRECIOUS LIKE wHaT a fUckiNG bbaBe uGh go!!! my magician!!

(what’s weird is that i’m so attached to new generation ace attorney characters even though i haven’t played the games with them yet?? like i have apollo justice and i played the first case but i haven’t gotten back to it yet and even so i just ??? really??? love??? klavier and apollo and trucy ??????? idek why)

FAVORITE BANDS: seventeen stan <33

FAVORITE SOLO ARTISTS: ailee, halsey (been playing hopeless fountain kingdom on repeat ever since it came out)

SONG STUCK IN YOUR HEAD: “talking to the moon” by bruno mars because last night i was crying in joyful agony over @kilometresrufflefuck​‘s old fanfiction by the same title (check it out on ao3!!! i really love and rec)

LAST MOVIE I WATCHED: harry potter and the deathly hallows pt. 1 (i think) with @hamzzikwon​ and @t-asuna2000​ on independence day

LAST TV SHOW I WATCHED: crIMINAL MINDS (i’m a sucker for this show and law and order kms)

WHEN DID YOU CREATE YOUR BLOG: (had to check my archive for this whoops) may 2015...and since then i’ve gone through like three different fandoms whoops

WHAT KIND OF STUFF DO YOU POST: shitposts i just reblog shit and occasionally answer asks but gO ON MY AA SIDEBLOG FOR ACTUAL WRITING!! (why the fuck do i keep promoting myself i need to stop) (*whispers* my aa sideblog is solely ace attorney...even though i do slip up and reblog some other shit)

WHEN DID YOUR BLOG REACH ITS PEAK: hmmm well since i’m not like an actual active user that posts and has a legit following idk...i don’t really think i’ve actually reached a peak lmao

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BLOGS: hAHA MORE SELF-PROMO (sorry i sound so fucking ostentatious please let me live) 

@court-ships​, my ace attorney sideblog! visit for just ace attorney related reblogging stuff and my occasional fic posting (since i can’t ever seem to remember how to make a masterlist on tumblr)

but i did write something on ao3 that i haven’t finished posting on tumblr so go check it out!! under the same username :)) 

DO YOU GET ASKS REGULARLY: uhh kinda?? well i wouldn’t consider them regular but i do get asks a lot for some reason....and they all build up so it looks like a crap ton whoops bUT as you can see i’m trying to clean through this blog rn and answer stuff and tags and yeah :))

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR URL: i had this ongoing joke with an old friend about brownies and since i decided to use it for my social media i just added virtual to it lol

FOLLOWING: 358 but there are probably porn blogs that i forgot to block lmfao

POSTS: 16,396 (damn)

HOGWARTS HOUSE: gryffindor

POKEMON TEAM: sorry idk

FAVORITE COLORS: yes black is a shade but i love it

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: well now it’s summer so 9-10 hours

LUCKY NUMBERS: 4, 8, 24

FAVORITE CHARACTERS: from which fandoms

ace attorney: apollo justice, trucy wright, klavier gavin (i just love this trio so fucking much) and also pearl fey. my favorite villain from ace is probably dahlia and i fucking HATE her as a character but from a writer and consumer’s perspective she’s fucking brilliant and great like hooly shit!!!! harry potter: hands down luna lovegood and also i love ron like i relate to him on a spiritual level yuri!!! on ice: makkachin probably otabek...but i love all the characters. what a precious lot.

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW: soft maroon tee and shorts

HOW MANY BLANKETS DO YOU SLEEP WITH: one, it’s pink and it has pigs on it and it’s great. i love it so much

DREAM JOB: this is such a conflicting question for me bc sometimes its really hard for me to discern dream in the way everyone else does. people always say dream job as in like what you want to do, mostly without financial concern but in a dream, to me, i am AT LEAST financially stable, which is like a first priority for me (this probably isn’t good but that’s what kind of mindset i have, courtesy of my parents) and like...enjoyment and happiness second kinda???

i do kinda want to be a lawyer but i guess my true dream job is being an author. but just saying it is really like unreal because i don’t have that much confidence in writing and my passions wax and wane really easily and im just a mess as you can probably see

DREAM TRIP: i’d love to visit everywhere tbh but top destinations are japan, germany, and the netherlands (though i do dream of living in the netherlands rather than just visiting)

and i’m done!! except for the tags.

tagging: @yuikishirohana​ @xxsycoticsadiexx​ @nohmasked​ @team-dynamike @jaqueen152 @fluffynarwhal7 @cupcakesoryu @senchoubutter @katachana @randomseventeen @sinnam0n-roll @ninja-shinigami @shadowdui @mrsericajackson @seemesmiling007 @the-fallen-otome-angel @nasica @socialist-samurai @p-rince-zer0 @living-out-a-nightmare

to the people i tagged: you don’t have to do it :)) i do hope to get in touch with all of you since most of you are long-time mutuals <33

[writsgrimmyblog]

I’ve been thinking a lot about Harry related discourse lately, including some suggestions that the way his statements get scrutinised is unbalanced in comparison to the way the other 1D boys are treated when it comes to song lyrics, statements they make in interviews and the general bar we set for them.

I get that it’s annoying that Harry appears to meet more political challenges in relation to the stuff he puts out there, but I’m going to put a positive flip side to that observation. I think Harry attracts particular scrutiny because he’s been more vocal and nuanced about issues which have a social justice lean, such as women’s rights and LGBT activism and that he’s even thinking about this stuff is a very good thing. I know that’s one of the reasons why, as a solo artist, he’s held particular appeal for me and I’ve been so excited to hear more from him as an individual. I think the reason he attracts more extensive critique is because he has consciously positioned himself as someone who gives thought to these issues, as someone who cares about, as he puts it himself, fundamental equality. He comes across in his marketing as someone who thinks about things like gender, women’s rights and LGBT identity and that’s a very, very inspiring thing to see in a 20-something popstar who could frankly choose to be a ‘rich kid of instagram’ and enjoy wealth and privilege without giving a fuck about anything or anyone.

If I’m right in my read of Harry, then surely there’s no harm in engaging with thoughtful critique about why this idea of ‘good girls’ allowed to meet mum and women wearing short skirts play into a narrative which isn’t particularly empowering? I come at this from the perspective of someone who LOVES the album and has had SOTT on repeat pretty much from the get go. This isn’t bashing, or character assassination. I actually think nuanced discussion about portrayal of women in pop culture (and entirely removing ship related motivations and emotions from the debate) very much get to the heart of the things Harry himself has gone on record to advocate for. The powerful voice of the young, female consumer. The resistance against buying into narratives we’re fed blindly, the empowering way we can interrogate and engage with things we see going on in the world around us.

I get the sense Harry WANTS to empower his fanbase and he wants to be a vocal supporter of women’s equality. However, Harry is a dude. A lot of micro-aggressions we experience are so insidious and systemic we don’t even notice them ourselves until we start piecing together all of those moments that begin to paint a pretty unhappy picture of binary constructions of gender and the deep, insidious inequality in supposedly ‘equal’ post-feminist societies. This gender imbalance is something he will never have experienced first-hand. That's why I’m behind elements of thoughtful analysis from articles like the Pitchfork piece and why I feel uncomfortable with critique of certain lyrics being read simply as buzz kill or, worse, condemnation of someone I actually have an enormous amount of time for.

Societal problems do not rest on the shoulders of Harry Styles and perhaps some will say it’s unfair to scrutinise what he’s doing in the manner I’m suggesting, but part of me can’t help but think he’d welcome it. There’s a difference between piling on and labelling someone a misogynist and using aggressive language to make a point and just making an observation about things not sitting quite right. I’m going to say the ‘good girl’ thing bugs me because it’s a puritanical kind of narrative which advocates for women being something respectable in the public sphere and a little bit freaky in the bedroom. To not question any of this at all particularly jars with me in a culture which is so ready dogpile female stars for bullshit co-opting of neoliberal feminist ideology, for being ‘too political’ (Queen B, Little Mix daring to comment on Syria) or the endless scrutiny and recrimination of stars like Miley Cyrus who had to grow up and find herself in the public eye or Katy Perry for her not sure quite where she’s coming from stance on LGBT related issues.

The thing is, I like the fact people question Harry’s lyric choices, because they should. It happens to female stars all the time. Interrogating every single word of the songs or the ship driven discussions of lyrics, although diversionary, are not what I’m talking about here. I do think that thoughtful critique can work alongside absolutely loving and supporting someone. I want it to be okay to acknowledge not everything a person I stan does is unequivocally cool. It doesn’t mean we have to start throwing slurs around and hating on someone.

One of the reasons I’m so here for Harry is because of the way he’s engaged with various issues which mean a great deal to me. Without bashing the other boys, he’s distinguished himself on social justice related issues through his own actions. The gender neutral pronouns. The unflinching support of the fangirl. The eagerness to challenge the idea that he somehow has to distance himself from a boyband past or the notion that there’s anything remotely shameful about that musical legacy. Precisely because Harry himself appears to be someone who wants to be an advocate, an ally, a person who positions himself as a supporter on these matters is the very reason why I think engaging with the content he produces in a critical way shouldn’t be such a problem. The fantastic stuff his sister does must be influential to his own approach, and Gemma does not hold back any punches with the issues she writes and blogs about with such eloquence.

My thoughts on this have been prompted predominantly by a handful of lyrics in a couple of songs on Harry’s album which jar with me. I think Harry’s focused a lot more on the way he deals with his frankly fairly crazy life than he has on the perspective of the women in his songs and for me, that comes across. I don’t think we have to beat him over the head with a big stick and call him a terrible person because of that, but I also don’t think we have to feel forced to celebrate the way women are written in all of the songs. Harry is going to grow and change musically and I hope he’ll pick up one of the more persistently negative points about his solo material, which tend to hone in on somewhat trite depictions of the sexually charged woman versus the ‘good girl.’

If you’re still reading (sorry, omg it got so long) I agonized over whether or not to post this. I have been thinking really carefully about how to frame my thoughts, because when it comes down to it, Harry is, I believe, a very good egg. A positive ally. Someone who has a voice which resonates and one I hope he uses more and more, because he’s incredibly influential and has real potential to go far in the music industry.

I think the fact we interrogate Harry more than the other 1D boys is perhaps has more to do with the fact he consciously wants to support exactly this kind of thinking. He has said so himself. That’s not hammering him and calling him names, it’s just a debate, a discussion, a way of processing feelings in a fandom space which is largely female centric but driven by the music, lyrics, interviews and narratives put out there by men. Although I’ve been lurking in the fandom for years, I’m relatively new to speaking out here and I have a small number of followers who I would hate to lose by not putting forward an unequivocally positive perspective. However, I also hate the feeling of not being able to say anything at all and I wanted to set out my stall.

I firmly believe that we can be critical without being damning, supportive without wilfully ignoring anything that might feel problematic. I also think the fact we hold Harry to a particularly high standard is not a bad thing. It’s a very, very good thing. It’s a testament to the fact he’s been pretty much saying the right things to date, and long may that continue.