#fandoms I draw for don't want me to make content for them anymore despite a growing follower base. Occasionally I try going back and

[flower-zombie-rob]

Vent in tags

[siringadev]

Weinero issues

Not that I'm complaining or lamenting, but it's kind of sad that outside of ao3 fanfics and few fanartists on pixiv, Weiss/Nero has little content and little fans, their pairing isn't even included in the Final Fantasy ships, they don't have fan pages anywhere, just two Nero fan pages on tumblr that barely get updated, and dead fan pages of Nero or Weiss separately from 2013-2016 on twitter, and the new ones are troll pages of Weinero haters (they attacked me and a few Asian artists who draw Weinero). That's it. That's all.

Support is weak, or nonexistent.

You can see all the ship combinations, even the absurd or disturbing ones, but Weiss/Nero won't be on any lists.

It's weird, considering their love is written about in two official FF7 guides (Ultimania), and the canon love line is in the game itself.

What is wrong with them or with people? Is no one moved by their love and their interesting and deep story?

Why do the most absurd ships exist (for example of characters who have never met each other or are enemies without chemistry, or have nothing in common, but I don't mean that it's impossible, everyone ships whatever they want, these are fictional characters, now we're talking about something else, about why one exists despite the lack of reason and logic, and the other does not, despite a good basis and connection), while others, logical, beautiful and emotional ones, barely exist?

You might say that Dirge of Cerberus isn't popular on its own… then why is there a ship like Vincent/Yuffie or Vincent/Shelke (both girls are minor) that originates from Dirge?

People seriously discuss who Vincent would romantically love, Yuffie or Shelke.

And this ship post with Vincent/Shelke.

I just typed their names and this came out, this is what people looking the most.

You'd think it's because Vincent is popular, okay, let's type Vincent and Nero. Here. No "love story" or "romance"!

The Weiss and Nero stuff is just as sad. No discussion or anything other than brief mentions, copypasta from official sources, or "ugh, ship them? You can't love someone without suxualizing/romanticizing them anymore", "I like them as a brothers, no homo/no yaoi" etc.

Of course, things can be much more complicated than it seems, and I don't really understand the reasons, and maybe I draw the wrong conclusions.

I just want to say that some things in the ff7 fandom make me uncomfortable and even hurt, it makes me sad, but there is no guarantee that it will be better in other fandoms (to be honest, in others it is even worse, I look at Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Naruto, Marvel... )

[lea-andres]

This almost wound up in an unwitting person's asks, but I decided last second this probably stands better as its own post.

This isn't set off by anyone in particular, not even the person I almost yeeted this rant at unprompted. So I'm not mad at any one individual person, just at the fandom as a whole tbh.

It's no secret I love me a good villain redemption arc. A villain having some sort of moment that makes them want to switch sides and stop being so horrible, and all of the emotional hardships that follow as they struggle both to obtain the forgiveness and trust of the heroes they used to fight so bitterly with but also to find it in themselves to forgive themselves? And those moments of tension where something goes wrong and they slip up and some people point at them and go "See? They haven't changed, they can never change." And the anger, hurt, and feelings of betrayal that follow?

Ooh, that's the good shit. I'm a sucker for it. I've obviously got my thoughts on how it'd go for the Hooligans if we really REALLY wanted to focus on the emotional hardships of a full blown redemption arc (TL;DR: Bark has the easiest time with the transition from bad to good, Bean has "Harley's Holiday" style troubles where he's just a little too weird for the average person to stomach despite his best efforts to be good and nice, and Fang has the hardest time and hits the level I like to call "barely housetrained" where he's still a nasty piece of shit and barely anyone trusts him but at least he's not actively evil anymore? Yay?), but we're not getting into that again today.

No what we're getting into today is how SOME OF YOU like to just skip all the meat and potatoes and jump STRAIGHT TO THE END AND ONLY GO "LOOK AT HOW SOFT AND UWU THIS VILLAIN IS NOW!"

"How did we get here?" I ask eagerly, craving that sweet, sweet content.

"IDK, LOL" comes the response, followed by more soft fluff.

It makes me want to chew my hands off.

Even if you don't really want to focus on that part, even if you're not confident you could tell that story as well as someone else could, you should at least HAVE AN IDEA! You can begin with the end in mind, that's fine, but we need something connecting point A to point B! Even if it's just an awkward rambley SparkNotes summary! I'm crazy enough that It's better than nothing!

I'll spare you guys the same ship rant AGAIN, but some of the ships floating around here have the same problem. Yeah yeah, soft domestic bliss, you can set up Sonic characters on a dartboard, get two at random, and draw them sweetly canoodling. BUT HOW DID WE GET HERE???

Some of you skip over the real good part to get to the point you think is the good part and it drives me fucking bonkers. It's about the journey, not the destination, or something. IDK.

Alright, I'm done for now probably, back to our regularly scheduled bullshit. 😎✌️

[clever-fox-studios]

Saw @garbagechocolate post one and realized I had enough art to actually do one of my own! (also artist ramble/struggle journey/discussion/new years thingy below the cut if you care to read that sort of stuff)

It was a good year, and not just that but a productive one for me for art. For the longest time, I rarely finished pieces because I simply lacked the enjoyment or satisfaction of getting it done.

I spent a lot of time between 2018 and 2022 stuck in the "no one likes my art, why bother" spiral and when I saw others drawing always, all the time, and loving it I realized I lacked a certain passion for my own work. I was very jealous of so many artists, not because of skill, as I knew I had the technical ability to draw very well...

But because I didn't know how to draw for myself, and stayed in what I knew. I stagnated myself due to depression I didn't recognize was actually depression. I wondered and marveled at how anyone could draw their own content so obsessively--that others cared and loved to see their stuff--because I lacked that feeling myself; I actively hated my own content--my own OCs--at times. I couldn't draw to be "trendy", but also couldn't draw what I wanted; my soul was dark, and struggling financially wasn't helping. I told myself I lacked time, lacked money, lacked this and that to make excuses rather than just be gentle with myself.

Once in a while I got a flurry of energy, but it always snuffed out just as quickly as it came, and so the next dry spell came.

Then, I got a job. A good job. A well-paying, consistent job that I felt safe in, got back on my feet, and lost two of my excuses. Suddenly, I had a schedule, and I had my bills paid; I had a job that I couldn't easily lose to the next monkey in line if I underperformed.

I felt just a little bit safer.

Yet I still didn't have that passion. Instead of stress on it, though, since I wasn't dragging at the unfeeling internet to buy my art to pay my bills anymore, I felt less pressure to try and grind (I was bad at it anyway) and so I was finally, finally able to relax. Recover.

Heal.

And then, Security Breach came out.

I've always been a FNAF fan--OG first game train, let's gooooooo--yet I didn't do anything in the fandom; but Security Breach was... different. Generally I avoid actively engaging with fandoms because I simply don't have the time or patience, but now, I did.

I wanted to enjoy it--enjoy the weird spin off content it created, at least a bit. I started an AU of my own. However, I still wasn't quite... 'there'. The true passion was only flickering embers in a dirty, worn out hearth.

So, early 2023, I indulged myself. I told myself "cringe is dead and I deserve to be happy". I collected Tiktoks, made OCs again, and just let myself have fun. I cleaned out the fireplace like Sophie in the Moving Castle.

I joined a fan server of a SB spin off series I enjoyed at the time. Some of you might know which one by the art, recognizing the pieces or my name.

I immersed myself in a fandom for a short time. I let myself be weird, happy, indulgent...

And suddenly, I was free.

I spoke to fellow artists inside and outside the server, helped younger artists with their fundamentals, drew fanart not for money but for love of the content, made fanfics and stories, revisited my AU I'd been chipping away at off and on... I remembered how I loved drawing to draw, to spread joy and support, not for money. I remembered how to create, not just make. Gained confidence in my choices and ability to write and layer characters.

Learned to love them with their flaws instead of hate them for just existing because they weren't "good enough".

I started to enjoy my own things again, and how to embrace being self-indulgent. To draw what I wanted because I want it, not because it was needed or expected. To take risks, be experimental again--to lean into my strengths of what my art is rather than force it to what I think it should be.

I also came to terms with the fact that, despite what my mind was trying to tell me, I was not a bad person at heart. I was cringy and cared a lot, sure, but drawing for myself wasn't selfish, wanting to be self-indulgent wasn't toxic--that I, fundamentally, was an imperfect person but that didn't mean I was bad or evil. Wanting validation for my effort wasn't wrong, but how I went about it before was detrimental to me.

"Pride is not the opposite of shame, but it's source."

I took uncle Iroh's words to heart for the first time and worked to curbed my own ego, which had been the source of my artistic ennui (thanks Inside Out 2, for giving me that word) the entire time. By stepping toward the the edge where my pride had been holding me back, I realized I was not on the top of some great cliff where everyone could look up at me, but rather on a plateau no more impressive than a welcome mat on a porch. I had to accept I had quit climbing and settled in order to find the reason to climb again; once I stopped feeling like it was a race or competition to vie for attention from others, I could pace myself, avoid the exhaustion that had landed me on that plateau to begin with, and accept that I will reach the top when I'm ready, not when I think I should.

Now, at the end of 2023, I am basking in the satisfaction of having enjoyed myself, my art, in a way that healed me. Stopped me from despising my "talent".

I got to enjoy a few hours of going micro-viral on tiktok for Christmas, because I made something I actually wanted to make--something I cared about enough to share. It was unexpected, unplanned, but getting to see those numbers shoot up for something so small was like a stamp from the universe that proved what my best friend has been telling me all these years that my ego refused to latch onto.

"People can tell when you care about what you make, and when it's soulless trend fuel."

So, in conclusion, thank you.

Thank you, @quilandscroll for putting up with me and my dumbass artist ego all these years.

Thank you, Security Breach, for being the spark that reignited my rebirth as an artist, and to all the funny little blorbos I've met and talked to because of that fandom.

And thank you Sun and Moon, the silly, lanky bois that took that spark and turned it into a beacon with which I could navigate my own darkness with; for creating a safe space where I could be 13 again and just embrace my weirdness without fear of punishment.

2024 will hopefully be a big year as well. My goals are to learn to animate on Clip Studio and be comfortable with the system, to get the assets and refs prepped, and to release the first part of Legacy.

I want to share this project.

I want to bring inspiration and joy to the fandom that saved me from myself.

Oh, and if any of this sounded familiar or relatable to you...

I see you, and I love you.

See you all in 2024.

[elnierah]

Announcement of Writing Hiatus, Yet Too a New Adventure

TLDR: Pausing my writing/fanfics for an indefinite amount of time to pursue drawing. Not abandoning my projects, but need a change of pace.

Hello, my lovely readers! Long time no see...?

This post has been brewing for quite a while, but I've been my usual stubborn self and refused to publicly acknowledge my struggles until now. I gave myself a deadline to make a decision, and that deadline is now here, hence this announcement post. However, to explain a little... Since October of last year ( 2023 ), I've been battling against and contending with an intense bout of writer's block - pretty much right after the 2nd remastered chapter of YCTL released. I also wasn't enjoying myself in the fandom, nor was I content with some of the decisions Atlus was making at the time. With those combined, I genuinely debated leaving/deleting all of my work, as all it brought me was misery. I won't go into too much detail as I don't like airing negativity, but I ultimately decided a break from it all was required, from SMS and such. After a much-needed break and unforeseen support, my volatile emotions ebbed and I managed to see the light again, yet when I tried to return to writing, I felt my heart wasn't as enthusiastic about it as it once was. I even attempted to begin production on Yusuke's B'day fic earlier, thinking that maybe it was the chapter of YCTL holding me down, but that didn't really help either. I was and still am apathetic towards my writing. I don't feel excitement, enjoyment or anything joyus towards it anymore. All I currently feel is frustration and annoyance whenever I try. It's easier to chalk this up to writer's block, because, well, that's ultimately what it is, but it's quite a severe case, unfortunately.

Around New Years, a friend of mine gave me their old drawing touchpad/tablet as they had upgraded, and I've been enjoying experimenting with it and tapping into my childhood hobby/interest since. While doing so definitely has those natural creative frustrations, I've been able to aspire beyond them, and that is ultimately what made me realise what creation should feel like again, and all of the above. It was akin to a wake up moment, one where I realised my relationship with writing as a whole had degraded and just trying to 'willpower' through it was impossible. I do not wish to abandon my projects or writing as a whole, but the reality of the matter is I cannot create anything of worth in my current state - trying to force myself will only lead to hatred, and I really don't want to lose my love for writing more than I already have.

These last 3 months have made it clear I need a change, and so I debated how to proceed forward and ultimately decided it would be wise for me to put my projects on an indefinite hiatus, yet instead of simply mulling over that fact, I should shift my creative energy towards other methods and explore different creative outlets whilst my burnout heals. I, unfortunately, cannot give a timeframe for when I may return to writing, as these issues have a mind of their own, but I'm hopeful this will be a step in the right direction. In the meantime, I plan to pursue drawing again as I've found it rather fun, despite the lulls, but this will primarily be a 'behind the scenes' venture, as I am still very much a fledgling artist and do not harbour any confidence regarding posting my artworks. I'm hopeful pouring my creative energy into something else can facilitate my growth, instead of remaining stagnant as I have the last few months.

As for my accounts, I plan to resume my activities on SMS. I've gone dark the last 2.5 months as I really needed it and wished to spend time with loved ones without these mental pressures, but now that I can see a path forward, I want to enjoy my place within the fandom again. I'll primarily be doing as I always have, posting miscellaneous stuff and supporting other creative individuals - just without the chapter updates and whatnot. Who knows, I may even post some of my artwork that I find decent enough.

To showcase my dedication to this new adventure, I drew a small fanart and wish to share it with you all! I did want to draw something a little more substantial, but the weather here is brutal and there's some other, unrelated, changes occuring in my life at the moment, so I'm rather busy. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this little piece - a piece indicating my wish to forge ahead, no matter its form! ᕙ(✧ヮ✧)ᕗ

This post has been going on long enough, so I'm going to conclude it with a few more words. But ultimately, I am still very passionate and love P5/shukita/kitashu, the form of which I express it is just going to shift for some time! Thank you all so much for your understanding, I honestly wouldn't be here without you all as your support has been paramount throughout the years! I hope this leads to a fruitful future for us all!

❤️❤️❤️💙💙💙

PS: Yes, I had to draw both variations of the ship as I love them both equally~! ヽ(♥ ³♥)ﾉ

[ben-the-hyena]

For the Hate Thing, 3 and 10?

3. Any fandoms that don’t appeal to you?

Whenever I look at HH, HB or Encanto content I become very angry even if obviously I don't bully people for what they like so I just move on, but I HATE these franchises so much seeing them getting love and seeing characters I find loathable be turned into cutie blorbos makes my blood boil. Also whenever I look from a distance at the TOH because it never interested me (andthemorepeoplepraiseittoberepresentativeasitssolequalitythelessIwanttowatchit) and SU and ML because I used to love them but they played with my feelings and went a way I really hated so I am bitter but torn with good memories. Also as much as I LOVE TDC and ATLA and do love fandom content from it I sadly am a bit cold towards their fandoms in general. TDC because is unfortunately became very toxic with the biggest number of bad personal meetings in a fandom I ever had with popular self victimizing whiners who preached to their cult followers how me and others were evil for disagreeing, and ATLA because I hate how most of its fans are super snobbish about their franchise they consider to be the best ever and are in denial about how ATLA is mostly good solely for its script writers whereas its 2 creators can't weite for shit and when they do like the comics and LoK it sucks ass but they still praise it because it has a pretty package and feel superior by comparing it with other franchise that have nothing to do with it except the title which is already an old pre-existing word

10. Any fandom you’re ashamed of being in?

HM/PM. OK SO I AM PLAYING WITH WORDS, IT IS NOT ABOUT HATE I JUST NEEDED TO VENT ONE THING ABOUT MYSELF. Ok so not ashamed per say, and not toward it, no no this fandom is very healthy for now, fun, funny, neither too popular nor too obscure, it has the uniqueness to have several lores/canons so you are allowed to make up your own picking elements from here and there, in short it's a haven for imagination to the point it was one of my first Tumblr fandoms and my very first followers was a HM related blog (thank you @asktheghosthost I never forgot you I just never fekt brave enough to start a conversation >.>). No, no I feel ashamed because of MYSELF in that fandom X'D As a post I reblogged yesterday rightfully pointed out, despite being about murders and suicide this fandom is very pure with hardly any swear, nsfw content and risky jokes. Yet EVERY SINCE I joined that fandom I have made steam headcanon posts, sex jokes and sus fanart with words that don't hold back (AND I CONSIDER DRAWING SHIPPY NSFW) as well as recently a very dark HC of the Phantom feeling incestuous lust for his own daughter. I act super differently from most of the fandom to the point I had been banned from the DA fanclub oncr for having posted a shitpost of Ezra pointing at a hole on my piece of paper saying "I made that hole with my dick" and got me back because I apologized and didn't know that would be forbidden XD No really I just have a risky sense of humor and am kind of a perv for almost every fandom I am in, and if ghosts even can still eat, drink, sleep and other stuff they absolutely don't need to do anymore just because they want to, why not fuck ? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND... As I had said, fans base themselves on different canons mixed in with their own ideas to make their fanons, so do I. But mine strays so far from several canon elements and other general ideas fans share that sometimes I feel like I am a fraud x') I HC stuff nobody HCs : Master Gracey is Emily's father, Constance is her aunt and never owned the Mansion, most of the characters died on the same night of 1877 after a curse from unknwon sources, I use names nobody uses... We are allowed to (like in all fandoms you can but here this one fandom IS made for that for how many lores it can hold) yet even if I have fun I sometimes feel ashamed when I see more "general lore friendly" fanons that essentially just changes a few thing from one canon and it makes me wonder if I truly love the Mansion for what it is then to their eyes then. Especially when I read remarks from the fanon wiki in the pages of my own comics that precise "once again Ben-the-hyena base herself on nothing". I know I may be reading too much into it, but it almost feels like other fans may think I "fanon it wrong" and I wonder if this is that side thoughr that had me contribute so little about this fandom these years

[morgansplace]

Different anon! And this may seem like I'm asking this just to do a 'whataboutism' which I don't intend to! It's just genuinely something that this discussion makes me think about because people seem to rarely bring this up. The gender neutral aspect of this channel is a major part of it, but the characters (especially listeners as Erik no longer uses terms like 'blushing' and iirc mentioned not using things like sunburn for this reason) are also supposed to be race neutral. That's a major part of the channel as well. This doesn't seem to come up as much in this fandom because I feel like it's mostly white so us always being portrayed as the default race for media without visuals, a lot of us don't think about it.

I cannot imagine what POC must feel like when they scroll through fandom posts and 75% of every listener drawn is white (even the one character with a canonical skin tone Gavin--who may or may not be perceived to be a POC based on what the rest of his appearance coalesced as--is often drawn/fandom cast as pale despite literally calling himself tan in his first appearance). In connection to this, there's also the fact that in this fandom in fanfiction, the vast majority of writers stick to using 'they/them' and keeping the gender neutral part, but often their descriptors do not stick to the characters being race neutral too and people get no heads up for most until they read the fic itself. And while people should be able to draw and write what they want, there's no tagging to keep POC from having to see the 100th white Lovely or tagging/notice to keep them from having to read about blue eyed, blonde haired Angel. And (even though I'm white) that seems to be an incredibly uncomfortable part of this fandom too. I can absolutely imagine pushback to this actually being asked of people (because fandom is mostly white), but to you, should people have to tag (in fanart and fanfic) their white listeners?

I understand completely what you mean by this, anon, and here's my honest opinion about it.

I, as someone that has diverse listeners with different skin tones and race ethnicities, think that it really depends. Because when I ask people to tag their gendered listeners content, is because I know people can get triggered by their gender, or, in the case of non-binary listeners, by how they look.

I know for a fact that when I say "how they look" is about their body, and not their race or appearance in general. (If they're masc/fem-coded)

What you say actually really important, and i see this a lot in fanfiction that is supposed to be gender neutral. I've seen a lot of fanfics where a listeners is always portrayed with green eyes, and I'm sure it's because that's part of the author's oc.

In my opinion, any content that describes the listener's in some way (hair color, eye color, body type, gender, pronouns) is not considered gender neutral anymore, and that's what I call oc content. If someone makes "gender neutral" content with a listener's appearance, that should be tagged as an oc, because I'm not having the opportunity to read your story with my own interpretations, which I can do thanks to the neutrality of the fic.

While what you say is true, everyone has their own visions for each boy and their listeners. I dont know to which extent a listener oc's appearance should be tagged, because I mainly focus on their gender, since is what I've seen and heard is what can trigger someone.

With this, I may be coming off as ignorant, but i can't have a more extent opinion because I truly didn't thought about this until now. I'm not saying you're wrong, and much less saying I'm right.

[swampcreature]

Tag Game To Better Know You

Thank you for the tag @lady--lisa!!

Tagging @owl-mug @teagrammy @william-jennings-bryan and anyone else who wants to do it.

What book are you currently reading?

I haven’t done a lot of reading for enjoyment recently nor have I really thought about picking up a book soon. Maybe once finals are over I'll get something.

What’s your favourite movie you saw in theatres this year?

I didn't see a whole lot of movies in the theaters this year, and the ones I did I didn't really like, but I liked the Baz Luhrmann Elvis movie the most out of them.

What do you usually wear?

I dress really casually. Right now, it's usually sweats, or a sweater or a cardigan and t-shirt, and jeans. I like fun multicolored socks and shoes. High school me used to dress like Vriska when we got no-uniform days though and I'm glad I graduated out of that.

How tall are you?

On the tall end of average height.

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event?

Scorpio. I share a birthday with Bob Ross and the Great Depression.

Do you go by your name or a nick-name?

IRL I go by my full first name, but online I use a nickname.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

No. I think she'd like the path I chose though, even if she would be a little disappointed in the fact that I don't really do the thing she found passion in anymore. I'm still in university though, I have time to make it up to her.

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?

No, and honestly I kinda prefer being single.

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at?

I have a fairly decent memory and am good at remembering deadlines and stupid trivia. Even things I thought I forgot (usually I just end up making some association and going oh yeah that's just like blah blah blah.)

I cannot wrap a present for the life of me. I can never manage to get the paper to fold right or the tape to look neat. Slap it in a bag, put some nice tissue paper in there, and call it a day.

Dogs or cats?

I like them both but I prefer dogs cuz that's what I grew up with.

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favourite picture/favourite line/favourite etc. from something you created this year?

Ughhhh I haven't finished anything in a while but i'm kinda proud of this line. I'm malding though cuz I have to scrap it cuz the scene flows better from the other character's pov.

"However, Andrew has always been inclined towards sin, so despite everything, it is natural that he gravitates towards a being as sinful as Antonio. Perhaps they’re cut from the same sinful cloth, both demons seeking a soothing hand, an honest tongue, and a kind heart. If his damnation comprises of an eternity playing games, drinking, and spending time with Antonio in this manor, then Andrew doesn’t think he minds at all.

"How cruel it is, that God allows him to meet someone who understands him so fully and uniquely, and still deny him the privilege of making him his soulmate."

What’s something you would like to create content for?

Identity V fandom doesn't have nearly enough femslash fic. The sapphics are starving.

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

Ride the Cyclone. Fantastic musical, fantastic characters, Jane Doe is my sweet daughter and deserves the world. Also recently taken an interest in Ada Lovelace, 19th-20th century classical music, and Ace Attorney.

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

This last semester of university. It's just been so incredibly draining. I'll be going abroad next semester though so should be some more excitement.

What’s a hidden talent of yours?

I can do pretty good accents (if I listen to someone with that accent for long enough.) When I was younger I used to be able to do a good Russian accent cuz I watched so much hetalia and now I can do a decent Clone High JFK voice.

Are you religious?    

No but I consider myself spiritual.

What’s something you wish to have at this moment?

A spa day. Especially a pedicure.

[distort-opia]

okay this isn't about batjokes but about riddlebat lmao. like i getcha if you ship them cutely (for example lego batman or telltale for batjokes) but when they ship them from the The Batman 2022 movie and they treat them like they're just a bit quirky !! of a normal relationship ship, the whole thing just makes me want to cringe cause what?? they ain't some kind of funny lil villains edgy uwu and if you do want to ship them i feel like it should be something atleast a bit like batjokes ig

I mean... tbh, I'm a little "why would you ask us, a Narnia blog, this" regarding this ask, since I'm not really a Riddlebat shipper :)) But the comparisons with Batjokes indeed seem to happen frequently, which doesn't really work if you look at it in detail. Joker and Riddler are distinctly different characters, especially in comics, and their dynamics with Bruce also heavily differ. But well, if you're a villain and obsessed with Batman... I guess the parallel is easy to draw.

When it comes to Riddlebat in The Batman (2022), I'm not really surprised by the uwu-ification of Bruce and Edward especially. This inevitably happens with this type of character; hell, it happens with most (white and even a little bit attractive) serial killers. For example, a Netflix show about Jeffrey Dahmer came out recently, and you can bet there's a fandom around it as well, despite everything. There's a segment of fandom that'll always find dark, obsessive characters attractive, and derive enjoyment from... well, not sanitizing them, but making them fluffy and cute and palatable, in a sense. Not sure if "I project on the other character in the ship and the thought of this horrible person being desperate and cute for me" is the draw, or if it's more "We're going to depict these two dark characters as what they lack in canon specifically"... or a combination, or something else entirely.

However, the latter is a phenomenon in most fandoms with darker ships, including Batjokes. It's not just Riddlebat. Fanwork tends to reflect what canon has the least of. That's how you get a lot of fluff or found family or happier fics in fandoms that have grim or tragic canon material (this is the case with Batfam-oriented works too). I personally don't begrudge fans who enjoy making or consuming lighter content for darker ships, since I understand what the draw is and the motivation behind it. I'm more of an enjoyer of the darker aspects of canon, and that's that-- I create that kind of content, and I know how to filter and navigate fandom to find what I like. There's only a problem if these fans don't make the distinction between "this is my personal headcanon and preference" and "this is canon characterization". If you unironically woobify the villain and argue they're misunderstood and actually they're so emotional and so hurt, etc. etc... then yeah, I get the frustration, Anon. At the end of the day, if you're going to ship villains who have canonically terrorized and killed people, you should be able to own it. If it makes you that uncomfortable to interact with a character this canonically dark, it's better to just move on to a different one, rather than justify their actions and rewrite the canon in your head to the point where that character isn't even recognizable anymore as themselves.

[willowedwisteria]

i know that i should be saying this to pink but after what shes been through i ought to give her some space since shes got a busy life but like-

so i decided to uh look for her source of inspo which is you-

can we talk about the many achievements she did during her time in tumblr like how she singlehandedly manage to revive the cookie run fandom with her SACRK AU

how she manage to get popular writers look at her genshin works on her previous account

how she made fanart and submitted them to you despite her artstyle not being on the anime side which the hate anons like to shit on

how her quotev story breaks the norms of the genshin quotev cliche stories by getting your villain darling au to quotev cause she wasnt comfortable writing a long story on tumblr

and dont forget her latest work of having her only pokemon post at the top of the pokemon x reader page that one time

and of course her biggest achievement...

her sending you the ask that birthed the villain au when she was an anon.

like i said, i know i should be saying this to pink, but given her posts about how she was not going to write anymore HERE due to feeling like a 9-5 worker and the hate anons shes been having months and even on her previous blogs, i was surprised that despite all that, she still hadnt given up on writing completely. and i thought, wow, wisteria mustve have motivated pink that much despite being younger than her.

but this also should be a lesson to everyone else >:(((

you shouldnt treat writers like they're just workers in a retail shop! they're writers that have a passion on making imaginations come true! not only that, they have lives outside of tumblr.

if they say they're going to delay/go on a hiatus/etc, be understanding! dont demand for more content when they got 100+ asks in their inbox! dont rush them when some of them have school and college to deal with!

thank you for coming to my ted talk and im sorry for clogging your inbox

-long time lurker anon am sorry

Oh my gosh, I genuinely cried reading this.

@byulla-ponk <3

I have a few things I wanted to say about each paragraph.

1. I'm glad you're thinking about her space and probably the ridiculous amounts of asks that are in her inbox. I'm grateful to people like you and I'm sure there are many out there who feel the same way.

2. I'm very happy and even proud of Byu-byu's (Pink's) achievements. She was very aware of what she was writing, she knew when to stop the moment CRK started getting involved with NFTs. Reviving the CRK fandom in Tumblr isn't an easy task and I'm so happy about her getting the attention she deserves.

3. Normally, as a writer myself, I don't actually read much. The fact that other writers actually read Pink's works is an amazing feat on its own, not to mention that I wouldn't be surprised if someone mentioned that they were inspired by Pink.

4. I was always happy to receive fanart and I personally have no right to judge someone's art style because I don't draw myself and I have no idea how to. Plus, every artist has their own style. Even if it isn't too appealing to the eye, everyone can still appreciate art.

5. I was definitely surprised to find out that someone went all the way to quotev and STILL CREDITED AND MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE INSPIRED BY ME. It wouldn't a shocker to me if anyone just took my ideas without crediting me at all, especially on another website.

6. Having your works at the top of a page is certainly remarkable. I know this might sound weird coming from someone who is younger than Pink, but I knew she had potential and, with practice, she could be an amazing writer.

7. Her biggest achievement, her sending me the ask that lead to the creation of what's now the most, if not, one of the most popular AUs in the SAGAU genshin plot hole. It might have been ultimately a misinterpretation on my side, but it was a blessing in disguise.

8. I understand and I'm extremely grateful for Pink's sake that there are anons and fans out there caring for her wellbeing. According to Pink, she's currently focusing on real-life things. I was surprised about her not giving up, but I would totally understand if she decided to go on a hiatus due to the unreasonable hate being thrown at her.

As a fellow writer and Pink's inspiration, I feel like I should look out for her and understand the pressure she might be going through. My encouragement can't compare to how resilient she has been facing against hate anons.

MASSIVE NOTE: If I give you motivation, that doesn't sum up to a reason why you shouldn't quit doing a specific action if you genuinely are tired of it or you just don't like it. Just because I might be your main source of joy and inspiration, that does not mean you shouldn't quit writing when I offer you encouragement IF WRITING IS TAKING A TOLL ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, WELL BEING, AND ENERGY.

In my humble opinion, treat writers as human. Some writers will always have this feeling that they should always write out whatever someone had requested to them. Please be considerate about what kind of updates they've been giving, their rules and regulations, your attitude towards the writers, and their mental health.

Thank you anon for sending this ask to me.

-Wisteria

[itsclydebitches]

I kinda wonder, what could bakugou do (hori write bakugou to do) to make him less popular with the "anti" crowd. Like He was a horrid child no doubt and people who try to put blame on Deku or lessen the terrible shit bakugou did aren't great. But as we don't rly see it, we have to assume bakugous behaviour wasn't stopped, we only ever saw his mum "punishing" him when he was being rude after getting kiddnapped. Nothing will excuse what bakugou did, but he has stopped? He's overall a harsh person but he's not harrassing and bullying people anymore, specifically not deku, he's trying to attone for what he did to deku and has now apologised for it. His behaviour was never viewed as justified or good in the series, he's a scary figure in middle school, we're not meant to like his behaviour, so the series itself hasn't justified his actions.

As someone who relate to both bakugou and deku more than I'd like to admit (never told someone to jump tho, that's fucked lol) so I can 100% understand not liking or even hating bakugou but as someone who's not 15 anymore, looking back I also made a lot of really shitty decisions and like bakugou have tried to make up for it, and like deku I was 'friends' with people who hurt me.

Is there anything he can do for the "antis" to just dislike him rather that be "anti"?

(I'm very sorry if you've talked about this somewhere, you can just tell me to look for it if you have, I'll continue to look for your posts on the subject)

Hey there, anon! I think I’ve spoken about this only tangentially and/or in my main Bakugo meta, which is too big for anyone sane to read. So yeah, let’s chat here!

For me personally—and that’s all I can ever do: speak personally. I think it’s important to keep in mind that there is no single solution to please the “anti” crowd. Each fan will be looking for something slightly different in Bakugo’s character, much of which might contradict what a “stan” is currently enjoying. Given how charged a character he is, I'm not sure it's possible to get the entire fandom to like him—what I’m looking for hinges on having a different reading of the story than you seem to. Meaning, I think the series does justify his behavior. Not in any overt, super obvious way like having all the characters go, “Wow, Bakugo! I sure do love how you threaten people all the time. That’s super cool and heroic!” Things are rarely that straightforward. Rather, it’s in a more subtle, but consistent manner that paints a rather conclusive picture across hundreds of chapters.

Simply put, Bakugo is continually rewarded for his actions. Or, if not outright rewarded, his actions are ignored in a way that implies silent acceptance. Characters may not always like what he does... but they're willing to let it slide because Bakugo's heroism was always treated as a given, not something he had to earn and prove.

With the ever necessary disclaimer that I’m not fully caught up yet, here’s a list of some of the things that stood out to me in the first half of the series:

Bakugo’s bullying made him the most popular kid in school.

Bakugo’s bullying was ignored by/outright supported by the teachers.

Bakugo’s bullying did not hinder him from getting into U.A., one of the most prestigious hero schools around.

Despite acting horribly throughout his time at U.A. too, this behavior was continually ignored by the teachers and other authority figures around him.

Bakugo’s struggle to realize that other people aren’t “trash” doesn’t hurt his achievements in any way. He still gets top scores, still wins the tournament, etc.

Bakugo’s behavior gets him special attention from All Might, the greatest hero and Bakugo’s personal idol.

His behavior doesn’t make others dislike him in any manner that’s taken seriously. Everybody is still willing to not just put up with Bakugo, but—in time—start treating his behavior as a quirk (no pun intended lol) that they’re secretly fond of, rather than something he should legitimately be striving to change. Kirishima is the most overt example of this.

This is compounded by his behavior constantly being framed as humorous. Much like with Mineta’s perverted actions, characters might superficially go, “No, that’s bad!” but the story never demands any significant development because then we’d lose the “joke” of Bakugo screaming in rage at the slightest inconvenience, threatening to murder someone over nothing, constantly belittling everyone around him in a “funny” manner, etc. When fans talk about development of a manga character as archetypal and extreme as Bakugo, most don’t really want to see significant change to his base personality. Because then that would result in someone who doesn’t look like the “real” Bakugo: someone nicer, more even-tempered, more mature, etc. But for those of us who were never drawn to that personality in the first place, the continued acceptance of his rude, egotistical, and violent behavior is discomforting. The easiest comparison I can draw is between this and Bakugo’s mother slapping him. That slap is meant to be another “joke”—we see it constantly in shonen anime, something "humorous" you shouldn’t take too seriously because haha, it's just an overprotective mother—but many fans do take it seriously, using it as the basis for a whole “Bakugo was abused and this explains his behavior” reading. Well, I take the “joke” of Bakugo’s threats and insults seriously, especially in a story that starts with something like telling Izuku to jump off the roof. In the same way that many fans want others to treat Bakugo’s mother as a serious topic that has had a negative influence on his development, I want the series to take Bakugo’s everyday actions seriously as a negative influence on… well, everyone around him. But it doesn’t. His base personality is grudgingly adored.

The above two points are seen most overtly in Izuku, who never wavers in his respect for Bakugo despite how Bakugo treats him. Not just prior to U.A., but during their training too. Izuku, as the protagonist, is the emotional heart of this tale, so when he talks about how inspiring Bakugo is, it encourages the reader to see his behavior as inspiring too. Rather than, as said, something that needs to change. Izuku's continued friendship with Bakugo, his adoration of him, and his acceptance of the way he's treated has severely warped how the entire story sees Bakugo's actions. After all, if #pure Izuku can see the good in Bakugo, why can't everyone else? He must not be that bad after all.

I could get into detailed analyses of all the above—like how Bakugo was the one comforted after attacking Izuku outside the dorms at night and how the messed up relationship he has with Izuku is upheld as something to nurture; how the remedial courses he had to take were made to be rather silly, thereby undermining their supposed importance to his development; how Bakugo’s kidnapping had nothing to do with his flaws, but much of the fandom uses it as a way to dismiss any appropriate consequences because, “Hasn’t he suffered enough?” etc.—but in the interest of keeping this within a readable length, I’ll leave it at that. The point is that Bakugo has always been privileged when it comes to his behavior, resulting in others either outright praising it, ignoring it, or demanding that he change a miniscule bit, which always keeps him far below the standards of both his peers and the expectations of a hero. Everyone in 1-A must learn to be even better than the good people they already are... Bakugo needs to learn that other people aren't dirt at the bottom of his shoes. It's never been a particularly impressive development when pit against the rest of the class. All of which can make something like an apology feel pretty hollow. Yes, he’s apologized and I say with all seriousness that that’s great! But how does that apology stack up against 300+ chapters of content? As Bakugo’s words highlight, he's been a really awful person up "until now": he was consumed by Izuku being “miles ahead of [him],” he “looked down on [him]” because he didn’t have a quirk, he “didn’t want to recognize that,” he “hated that,” “grew distant,” “tried to beat you down,” “opposed you and tried to show my superiority over you,” and ends it all with, “it probably doesn’t mean anything telling you all this” before finally getting to the “I’m sorry.” This is basically a laundry list of how horrible a person Bakugo has been for the entire series, with an acknowledgement that this apology is coming really, really late. This is the moment where I could START to like Bakugo, depending on how he acts form here on out, but that pivotal moment arrived after six years of content and in the final arc of the story. It’s too late. Bakugo needed this kind of self-reflection and positive action 250+ chapters ago so he could (hopefully) grow into a better person across the story, not at the story's end. What we got instead is 322 chapters of him being a really horrible person, but the story going out of its way to excuse or even praise that behavior the majority of the time.

As a quick comparison to end on, I think what Bakugo needed was what Soo Jin got in True Beauty. You don’t need to have seen the drama to follow along. The tl;dr is that she has a lot of the core qualities of Bakugo: an all-consuming drive to win that was created due to abusive parents with high expectations, resulting in her bullying a peer to a pretty horrific extent. The difference between them is how the story frames their actions. When Soo Jin becomes the bully she loses everything. Rather than succeeding academically, her grades plummet, making it clear that this anxiety and self-doubt (things the fandom keeps insisting Bakugo is struggling with, but that rarely ever show up in the text) is actually impacting her day-to-day life. Her best friend drops her because she’s not going to support her choices. The boy she likes rejects her. She’s eventually forced to start over somewhere new - which importantly separates her from the girl she was bullying - and get some distance from her parents, resulting in the growth needed to become a healthier, happier, good person again. So when Soo Jin apologizes to the girl she hurt, it feels earned. The story continually recognized how horrific her actions were and put her into a place where she either had to change, or continue losing at everything else that was important to her. Bakugo? Bakugo doesn’t lose. Oh, he claims he does because he’s comparing himself to Izuku constantly, but that’s just him thinking in extremes. He still wins academically. Still wins many battles. Still wins at having friends. Still wins by maintaining the prestige of being a U.A. student. Still wins by getting All Might’s attention. Still wins by receiving Izuku’s respect and an agreement to maintain this rivalry that Bakugo is so obsessed with. Bakugo comes out well 99% of the time, he just thinks he's "lost" because he can't stand not being the absolute best.

For me, the story needed to have Bakugo face consequences for his behavior, not receive rewards and/or have others ignore it, and that revelation/apology needed to come way, way sooner. For me the issue is not a specific action that Horikoshi can have Bakugo do in the next chapter and them bam, I like him now. The problem is Bakugo’s entire concept, how he’s received by the entire cast, and his run across this entire series. "Entire" is the key word there. Which is why the “But he’s apologized. What more do you antis want?” reactions don’t sit well. What we wanted is a better written redemption arc across those 300+ chapters, not a single scene that’s meant to have us forget all the other problems inherent in the story. At this point it’s a far more complicated situation than, “Bakugo just needs to do X, Y, and Z and then we’re golden.” At the end of the day, Horikoshi failed to make me like him as a person and I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to change Bakugo enough to make him likable to me. Bakugo was never the sort of character I’d be inclined towards without a serious, nuanced redemption arc, but sadly, a core, crucial part of that redemption arc took six years to arrive. At this point there’s no way to change the problems in Bakugo’s writing for that huge chunk of the series and not enough time left in the series, it seems, to do the work we should have seen across the entire run. Honestly, idk if the Bakugo we'll get going forward is someone I can just dislike as opposed to being really uncomfortable with, but my money is on there being too little story left and too much investment in upholding Bakugo's base personality for that to happen. I could absolutely be proven wrong! But I think the problems are structural and needed to be better dealt with from page one, not hastily patched over in the final hour.

[miraculousfanworks]

Artist Spotlight: Star.Clef

The Miraculous Fanworks Discord server's spotlight highlights content creators in the community! Each month, one artist and one writer will have their accounts promoted on our social media accounts.

This month's artist is star.clef! You can view the writer of the month post here.

Darya is a talented artist. From kwamis to cute chibis, she does so much!

We've interviewed her, asking her questions about her fanworks and advice for other artists.

1. How long have you been drawing in general?

I've been drawing since the moment I could hold a pencil, at almost 3 years old. What started as little doodles grew into a passion. I started to experiment and draw professionally when I was 15, and recently began practicing digital art. While, theoretically, I've been drawing for a long time, the process has never been linear as I had to take long breaks for medical reasons. However, I'm always trying my best to improve and make others happy by sharing my works along this creative journey.

2. How long have you been creating for the fandom, and what's your favorite part of the process?

Miraculous was what inspired me to want to learn to draw and improve my artistic skills. I first wanted to recreate the iconic umbrella scene, but couldn't do it justice. This motivated me to keep practicing and experimenting in the hopes of one day improving to where I can say I'm proud of what I made. Even today, I still feel I don't recreate the umbrella scene with justice, but that's okay because I'm still learning! My favorite part of the creative process is the sketching phase, because it’s where I get to explore and experiment my ideas to bring them to life, without needing to worry about making a mess.

3. Has there been anything in particular that influences your style?

Honestly, I am still experimenting with art styles and figuring out my own. I'm a bit self-conscious about not having a definitive style yet, but I remind myself that it just means there's more room for exploration. However, if I were to describe my art style, I would describe it as a blend of Miraculous, Disney Princesses, and various animes.

4. Do you have any advice you'd like to give to other creators?

There's a lot of things I'd love to say to help inspire other artists, but, ultimately, the most important advice I can give is that one should always do their best to overcome the obstacles that come their way. Growing up visually impaired, many people discourage me from pursuing art as both a hobby and a career. They would criticize my art, saying it's flat and add fuel to my self-doubt by saying I should give up since I can't see well enough to create good work. Despite all of that, I kept creating and trying my best to improve my art skills, because nothing and no one should prohibit one's creativity.

5. How do you think the identity reveal is going to go? Feel free to draw something quick if you want to!

I liked to hope that the true identity reveal will be mutual and accidental. However, after everything that's been going on in season 4, I'm not sure anymore. An accidental reveal seems too risky with all the stakes that the show has portrayed thus far. Although, I still remain hopeful that the reveal will be mutual, even if the aftermath won't be all sunshine and rainbows. I'd love to see both Adrien and Marinette grow as individuals and as partners, whether romantic or platonic, after knowing who one another truly is.

You can find Darya on her Instagram @star.clef. Some of her works include covers for some fanfics, an icon of Box Noir, and a piece depicting the reveal.

Interested in being featured? Come join the server!

[jellyluchi]

It's the one year anniversary of jellyluchi!!! 🥳💜🥰

I'm so happy I made this blog... I didn't think it would function the way it does now, at all! The way I was used to participating in fandom was very different back then. I would make graphics and maybe write canon ship fics. I made this account just to read Prosciutto x reader works, that's it 💀 and maybe find old content of him. I wasn't used to reading x reader works and I thought it was extremely embarrassing because self-shipping is frowned upon and people looked down on others who enjoy x reader fanfics. No one understood my self-ship with him and how I love him.

I was afraid of exposing myself on main for some reason and was EXTREMELY shy about my love for Pros. I couldn't even talk about him without going on anon (shoutout to [insert some blogs I'm too shy to mention] who I sent anons to thirsting after Prosciutto back then and feeling sad about shipping with him, some of whom are my MUTUALS now?!??! which is crazy) and was sad all the time thinking I was no good for him. But he made me so incredibly happy I just had to have a sanctuary where I could archive all my absolute favorite content for him. And thus, this blog was born.

I used to frequent other people '#prosciutto' tag very obsessively and read and re read so many of my fav works that I was frustrated having to bookmark the links instead of just going to a tag I made myself. I did want to start writing for him because I knew in the coming months that content for La Squadra would dwindle (especially for Pros) so I thought I could make content for myself to make me happy. (Shoutout to creators who write and draw for La Squadra!!! YOU are the backbone!!!). I was too scared to share my writing at first thinking it'd be no good either but I'm so glad it is received well, at this point I'm just happy to have fun with everyone instead of worrying if my content is good / bad etc 🥺

The idea of making an OC was completely out of the question! I'd never done anything in-depth like that before despite trying to make OCs in the past which ended up in me not being passionate enough to develop them. But because of the help and inspiration I've encountered here I was able to pull through and create a character that I love very very dearly.

Then came the wonderful people I met because of this blog in the past year. I couldn't thank each person enough for what they've done for me 🥺 every single person who's interacted with me has encouraged me to show my love for Pros more and not be ashamed and it lead me to be so much more of a happier person. This blog most definitely changed my life! In so many ways !! I made wonderful friends and memories thanks to this blog, found a community of people that help me feel accepted and who have fostered a better friendship with me than I could do for many years!!! In previous fandoms I tried to connect with large groups but inevitably there would be a fallout and I wouldn't be interested anymore (or worse, getting involved in drama). In the end I would lose passion for the source material and move on. But I feel like the connections are very personal this time around 🥰.

I just hope to continue making happy memories with this blog, it's such a big part of me now, I don't even check my main blog anymore. This is one of the only places I can be honest about my feelings and have fun which is so important to me! Thank you for everyone who has stuck around so far idk how to thank you enough 🥺💜💜💜 Thank you for your love and support, for encouraging me, for liking my thoughts and feeling for Pros and my ramblings about Focaccia, and everything else in between!!!! There were many times I thought perhaps I should abandon this place but... I'm so happy I stuck around. Here's to many more years!!!

[saveraedae]

Staying anonymous for this, but I read your response to the question of what your biggest struggle is with making The Mark Side and how it's the fact that people leave the fandom and stuff. I'll be honest, as a former TMS, there were 2 things that made me leave. These are both personal/opinion based so obviously you don't have to agree with my reasons. The first one was that, despite the showing being called The 'Mark' Side, he's my least favorite character. I always wanted to learn more about the other characters and see more art of them... But most of the time we just got drawings/info of Mark so I was just kinda like :/. The second one being the way the fandom treated Alex. The character is a fucking rapist (correct me if im wrong because its been a while) but everyone in the server kept drawing/portraying him like he's just a funny joke background character... And that made me really uncomfortable. I still wanna support you on Tumblr and Youtube, and im looking forward to episode 2... Im just... Not really in the fandom anymore

Honestly not too sure why people like Alex as much as they do...? I mean I know some people genuinely like him but I think for the most part a lot of people then were making fun of him for being a bad person more than just 'haha funny man.' (Kinda like what a lot of people do with Mark) But yeah I kinda agree, it is a bit weird. I don't think it's the same nowadays though, I think that was mainly 2019.

ALSO fortunately info / content that doesn't focus on Mark will definitely happen now that pretty much nearly all of Mark's story is out of the way. (Since he's the main character.)

Honestly most of the non Mark related stuff I have been saving for like, the actual series. From what i can remember of what's already written there's some Ash stuff and some Luke stuff but that stuff is quite a while away. The reason why I haven't completely spoiled every detail about every character is because I want to give some sort of payoff to people. I have no clue why I had to spoil the whole series lol.

[avenger-hawk]

I was kinda of surprised when you said people come at your rare pairing fics to demand more of the pairing they liked (mostly itasasu)

Honestly more than anything i was reading for your writing not the pairing (there are bunch of fics if you’re just gonna read it for the pairing, i mean what’s the point then reading stuff from you instead of an different author since they don’t care much about characterization than the pairing itself), i don’t know if it’s offensive or anything but personally i never cared about the pairing. Whatever you wrote and however you wrote it and set it up always intrigued me and felt realistic, so idk what the hell people are complaining about tbh

PS: i’m an artist and a lot of people say they like the drawings I whatever I felt like to draw more instead of the ones i drew on requests. Writing and drawing at the end of the day is art, they are even sometimes complementary to each other and both took the inspiration it needs to create from the person itself (so usually making an artist something they don’t want to wouldn’t result in something good). That’s what makes its special I think, everyone can draw an apple but not everyone can make it in a form of an art (that’s why I think it’s shallow reading for the pairing than the writing itself that would be just like how you say every apple drawing in the world is the same, if art loses its uniqueness is it really even art anymore).

Wow...thanks Anon. I don’t have words for this tbh.

First of all, it’s not offensive at all! In fact it’s amazing if a reader likes my writing so much that they read everything, regardless of the characters and pairings. It’s the reason I’m more proud of my rarepair fics than my itasasu ones, especially of my ShisuixSasuke fics, since there was no one considering them,. so I’m very proud that my longfic and the world I build for them to happen, was appreciated.

So ofc I feel disappointed when in fics where Itachi exists but the pairing is another, ppl want Itasasu anyway. Partly it’s my fault, because I’m a slow author and when I started writing certain fics I put more Itasasu vibes than I should have, I guess, and ppl took the hint, partly because between the moment I planned the fic and the moment every chapter was written, characters developed their relationship in a stronger way, leaving Itachi out of the picture. This is my fault as well, because I always thought that Sasuke would always have Itachi in his mind more than anyone else, and in a way it’s true, but it doesn’t have to be shippy any time.

I am very very happy that you read my stuff for my writing, my world building, my description of characters...for me these are the most important things. The pairings exist ofc, but without a proper setting for them to happen, and without a realistic characterization, it will feel ooc and boring imo. So thank you.

Most people are lazy and they don't care about how much effort a writer puts in their writing. Most just want the smut tbh. And in a small niche of the fandom such as itasasu and/or darkfic fans, there is little content so they always want more, it's annoying for them to see some other pairing taking content away from them. And some rarepairs gain a little popularity for a short while then they disappear, replaced by something else, like my ShisuixSasuke, so when I started posting some new fic for them no one cared anymore lol

I admit I’m guilty of only reading fics for the pairings I want to read...I wasn’t always like this though. For a long time I enjoyed reading fics, and I read general fics, character studies, plot oriented fics without pairings, and pairings I didn’t care about, like I mentioned a Shikamaru/Neji one I saw recommended and I felt like trying, and it was really good, despite me not caring about either of them. Then I started dedicating less time to fic reading so I only looked for pairings I wanted to read about, but ofc I found stuff I didn’t like and with time I stopped reading fics because of the general disappointment.

I totally agree with people enjoying art no matter that character and pairing cause I’m like this. You’re an artist, you have all my respect and admiration...you have no idea how much I love drawings and how jealous I am of those who are gifted at it...drawings, illustrations, fanarts, they are so different from writing. And ofc the public’s reaction is different.

Writing takes patience, the reader has to get into it, spend time on it, and they don’t always have the attention and motivation to continue, if they stumble on smth they aren’t convinced of. the writer gotta gain their attention, some do it writing short shippy stuff without much depth, some don’t, it’s their choice. The reader should be ‘open’ to read smth they are not initially interested by, it’s not automatic.

On the other hand art kinda forces the person open with its magic. The person who sees a fanart is instantly flooded by what the artist did, the beauty, the hotness, everything conveyed in the image, and if they keep on looking at it they’ll see more and more amazing details, but in truth they were captured by the fanart the moment they saw it. It’s a different kind of magic that I love very much. So it’s almost natural, imo, to fall in love with an artist’s style and to like everything they draw.

You’re right, writing and drawing are sometimes complementary, they also inspire each other, and that’s amazing. Art is amazing. Creating beautiful things is amazing~

[lavender-lotion]

3, 4, 16 (DON'T say cherik), 22, 28

oh my god i absolutely hate you for asking me these aha you’re my favourite person in the entire world 

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

to date, it’s been X-Men (alt timeline movies, ofc) despite the rocky beginning I had. in this fandom I’ve learned so much about my own writing, and my writing style has grown SO greatly since I first joined and has taken shape into... well whatever the hell it is now, which is something I really like (most of the time)!

I fairly quickly created a small, tight circle of people I really enjoy being around in this fandom, and have since cultivated my own little fandom space that I really, really enjoy. it’s filled with people I love chatting with, people as open-minded as accepting as I am, and it’s a place that I strive to make feel welcoming for all who join, as well! I run an 18+ X-Men Alternative Timeline Movies focused discord, so if you’re interested, join us here! 

I am trying to branch back out into The Fandom a little more after feeling a type of way for some time, and I’m honestly enjoying that a lot too! it’s been interesting to follow some more folk, and I’m really happy to see my dash start to thicken up after being close to barren for so long. 

currently, I have a small group of close friends I care a great deal for (hi, Mid!) that has absolutely made this fandom into one of the best i’ve been involved in. 

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

very very very simplified and slightly unture answer: no. every single bad experience has taught me something that I’ve carried into my other fandom experiences, just like life lmao, but for more of a meaty answer to this question: yes. 

so much yes. 

I have SO MUCH regret around teen wolf, actually, for so many different reasons, but I’ve also learned SO much. seeing a server ran in a way I Did Not Like has helped me better mod my own fandom spaces, and I am very anti-totalitarianism and am VERY against showing abject favouritism to specific members, while I also always try incredibly hard to ensure no one feels ignored. I was reminded of how finicky friendships are, and learned not to be the person who puts in the sole work to keep ‘em going (and how to recognize if I am) because... when you stop the friendship might stop, too. I learned NOT to hit on close friends, no matter how much I might want to, and I learned the importance of open, clear and precise communication in romantic endeavours, which was actually a very good life lesson because I’d never been in a situation that could teach me it before. I’ve learned, or, am LEARNING, not to let personal experiences with one-on-one relationships taint my view of a fandom—this one is hard, and is something I am trying very, very hard to work through as I’ve recently been hit with a very strong and very sudden wave of inspiration for teen wolf.

but like, with that all said, I still absolutely LOVE the teen wolf fandom and have had so many amazing amazing amazing experiences that I wouldn’t change for all the bad, and that the bad experiences are really localized to the ship-focused spaces I was in and the personal relationships that I had, NOT with the fandom as a whole which I am slowly dipping my toes back into! I learned so much about myself and my writing during my time in the fandom, and that is another thing I absolutely wouldn’t change for the world. I am over the moon that I’m writing here again, honestly, and the reception I’ve gotten has been SO insanely amazing. 

starker is another one I regret-but-don’t-totally-regret-because-I-learned-shit. starker taught me the importance of 18+ fan spaces, and showed me what can happen when people... aren’t careful. when mods are minors themselves. I learned that cross-generational nsfw spaces are a RED flag, and that they mean GET OUT, and that anyone who would willingly allow minors and adults to mingle over explicit content are people I Do Not Want To Be Around. I learned a lot about myself there on an interpersonal scale, and I found out a lot about my sexuality and kink preferences, too (which was a wild time). while I do very much enjoy the lessons I learned from being in the space I was in, I could do without some of the more negative things I witnessed, even if they taught me a lot. 

16. Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

SINCE I CAN’T SAY CHERIK I’m going to have to dig a little deeper and talk about Sterek, lmao. I was really, really, really into Sterek starting around... 2014? I read... fuck tons. absolutely insane amounts of Sterek fic. and I wanna say... around 2015? maybe? there was a really popular trope in Sterek, wherein Derek would push Stiles away (by being mean, by pretending to date one of the Pack (usually Erica), by bullying him, by telling him the pack didn’t want him, etc, etc) so that he could... keep Stiles safe? it almost always went the same way. there is a threat no one told Stiles about, Derek did “what he had to do” to keep Stiles safe (i.e cutting him off from all his friends and massive, obvious crush) and then when Stiles got hurt, the pack would come to his rescue and save him (only after Stiles got a little beat up), and then Derek would care for him, or not leave his side, or check up on him, and Stiles would wonder why he cared after everything that had happened and... bam. Derek would admit his undying love. And Stiles would just like forgive him and they’d get together and be happily ever after as a pack and...

that was so damaging lmao??? I can’t even tell you how many fics fitting into this trope that I read, to the point where I was like... “wow Derek loves Stiles so much he’s such an amazing person for keeping him safe by pushing him away and making him feel isolated and alone and hated” BUT LIKE WHAT. WHAT. that’s horrible??? so so so horrible??? I am so fucking thankful it isn’t something I really saw too much of when I came back around to the fandom around 2017, but.... oh boy. for a ship that I considered an OTP and read like the entire tag of, I have VERY few sterek fics of substance (when compared to the rest of my teen wolf writing) and this is the reason why. 

this trope and it’s absolutely ludicrous popularity a few years ago really, really turned me off the ship. 

22. Is there anything you regret writing?

content-wise: no. very, very easy no. I don’t regret any of the pairings or kinks I’ve written & I don’t think I ever will (I’m very anti-shame, lmao. if you like it, flaunt it). 

but... I do regret some of the emotional labour I’ve put into works? the emotional attachment I have with certain fics, or genres, or pairings, and how I’ve tied them to a specific person or persons. like, I can’t write ageplay anymore, because of how strong the association of ageplay is to someone I cared for deeply and no longer have in my life (and even if I ever manage to write it in general, I’ll never be able to write Steter ageplay). I have 13k of a fic that was supposed to be a surprise gift to a close friend that I hadn’t heard from in... ages, to the point where I gave up on sending the occasional monthly-message. I have one thing I wrote for a dear friend (who never interacted with it) and now I can’t help but feel like the story is awful, despite not doing horrifically stat-wise.  

I write because I love it. I write for people I care about, because writing is a labour of love, and it’s a way I can show them how much I care for them, but... sometimes that bites me in the ass, I guess. 

I’m working on it, lol. 

28. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of?

god okay there is NOTHING better than the idea of this. I’ve had a few mood boards made for me here and there, which are always SO loved and cherished and massively appreciated down to my BONES, but I don’t know if I’ve... ever really gotten fan art? I had someone make some really, really cool like... OG bit-moji type art of a couple of my fics, which is amazing and I have it on my phone still, and @hd-hale once drew me a GORGEOUS sheriff stilinski inspired by Daddies’R’Us, but to get FAN ART i would CRY lmao

right now, I think something from to love and be loved by you would feel really, really extra special because even at 6/17 chapters posted, it’s my longest work ever. what would it be a picture of?? hell if i fucking know but probably something that hasn’t happened yet, lmao