#i actually dont know why the fic rec guy blocked me

[cannibalisticcorpse]

it's actually illegal to block me for rpfing on account of i wanna see pretty gifs and fic rec lists

[brelione]

Request:Okay, I’m back again with a JJ x Reader x Rafe hc idea! It’s inspired by a scene from the movie, Best Man Holiday. Let’s say Rafe and JJ witness Reader get into an argument with one of her best friends. How would they react since she’s the peacemaker of her relationship with both boys and how would they comfort her afterwards?Glad to see you’re back with a wonderful request bb

You had been in the living room with your boys, sitting with Rafe and JJ on the couch.You didnt really know what was going on in the movie, too busy on your phone.They were enjoying the movie though so it didnt really matter.

Then Addy called you

She had been your best friend for the past two years and pretty much your only friend outside of the pogues

“Hello?”You answered, having JJ turn down the volume on the tv.You heart dropped into your stomach. “Who the fuck told you that?What the hell are you talking about?”You stood up, pacing back and forth. “Yeah, okay?And?I dont see the fucking problem!”You shouted in the phone, walking into your kitchen. “The problem is youre a fucking whore!If I wouldve known that you had two boyfriends I wouldve dropped you months ago!How much of a fucking slut do you have to be to fuck two guys?Honestly, (Y/N), if you think any guy is interested in you beyond fucking you than youre a whole lot stupider than I thought.”She hung up.Your eyes were watery, tossing your phone onto the table before sitting down, head in your hands.What the hell just happened?

Rafe and JJ had heard the whole thing, pausing the tv and looking at eachother as you yelled.Uh oh.

Once they heard you sigh and the sound of your phone case hitting the table they got up, cautiously making their way into the kitchen.They shared another confused glance, trying to figure out what to do.

“What happened?”Was all JJ could manage to say, only hearing one end of the conversation.You gulped, a few tears escaping your eyes. “She’s an asshole- and someone told her about us.”You squeaked out, voice cracking.Rafe pulled you into a hug, kneeling on the ground so he could hug you properly.They understood how weird your relationship with them could seem to other people, knowing that you werent comfortable with anyone outside of the pogues knowing about it. “She called me a whore.”You were crying, holding onto JJ’s shirt.This alone couldnt get you crying this bad, it was the fact that she had told you that nobody was interested beyond a fuck.That’s exactly what your ex boyfriend had said to you before she started dating him.

“She was a toxic bitch anyways, babe.Shes not worth it.”JJ told you, holding you close to him while Rafe rubbed your sides.

They were trying really hard to help you, thinking about how you’d comfort them if one of their friends had said that to them.You’d probably stroke their hair and rub their backs or kiss them all over.

JJ kissed your neck gently, happy when you started to calm down, sniffling a little still. “Thats not even the worst part!She told me that guys dont actually like me….that they just want to fuck me.I hate her so much.”You sighed, feeling Rafe kiss your forehead. “You know thats not true, love.JJ and I love you so much, fucking doesnt matter.Its fun but thats not why we’re with you.”He kissed you gently.JJ nodded, agreeing before kissing you gently. “We can go on a date tomorrow, how would you feel about that?”He asked, kissing your forehead.

So thats exactly what happened

You were pretty upset the whole day, the boys taking your phone and blocking Addy’s number, snapchat, instagram, tumblr, pinterest, her brother, her second cousin and her mom so there was absolutely no way for her to talk to you.

JJ and Rafe had gone to the store to get some ‘suprises’

They ended up buying $200 worth of shit because you werent there to help with money management and priorities

Hot cheetos, meat, cheese, salads, juice boxes, a bottle of wine, cheeries and sprite,  a new shirt for you to wear

They walked right into hot topic with grocery bags still in their arms, Rafe dressed like a middle aged dad about to go golfing while JJ was dressed like a dolphin that just got back from a fishing trip

“Oh shit-look!Its the Harry Potter house thing!Shes the yellow one, right?”JJ asked, looking at the shirts on the hangers.Rafe bit his lip, thinking about it.  “Yeah, the yellow badger one like Cedric.”They had barely paid attention for the entirety of the Harry Potter movies, only paying attention when you started screaming about Cedric’s face.

They had tiptoed around your house, telling you to go upstairs so you wouldnt see anything.

They made sandwhiches, wrapping them up and playing basket ball with them as they threw them into the basket along with mini bags of hot cheetos, carefully placing the jar of cherries in when they remembered the jar was made of glass.They were all excited, folding the napkins into hearts after watching a youtube tutorial three times.

Rafe had thrown the shirt at you and told you to put it on and not ask questions

Rafe had decided not to drink any wine that night because he would be the one driving and wanted you to feel 100% safe

Kisses, giggles and skinny dipping was pretty much the whole date.

Stabbing the cherries and putting them in your wine glass, topping it off with sprite and a splash of wine

They were proud that they had successfully planned a date without your help

They had gotten your hogwarts house wrong but they remembered the house of the guy that you were in love with and thats what mattered most to them

Making love at the beach at three in the morning, the sounds of crashing waves and soft moans filling your ears

It was safe to say that you pretty much completely forgot about Addy.

I know this was like a whole ass cliche but it was fine to write 

@nas-marie-loves-u @28cnn @sexytholland  @yuxsh06   @ifilwtmfc  @cherryobx @poguestarkey @n1ghtsh4d3-67  @poguestyleskye  @sunwardsss @meaganjm @jj-fic-recs @homophobicclownmoviestan @jj-iz-bae  @negativity4you @nxsmss @ofmaybankheart @broken-jj @joshy-obx  @curroptbunnie @outerbnx-stiles @angelreyesgirl100  @hannahhh-marie @sadnessrehab @purple-vodka-99 @harryswigss  @popcrone818 @fttayla @cherryobx @n1ghtsh4d3-67 @drewstarkeyobx @poguestyleskye @judayyyw @jjtheangel @sunwardsss @meaganjm  @sarcasticsagittarius1998 @natalie-kate-98 @nxsmss @broken-jj @joshy-obx @prejudic3 @annmariek8 @imagines-07​ @outerbongs​  @copper-boom​  @httpstarkey​ @teenwaywardasgardian @drewswannabegirl​  @simonsbluee   @jiaraendgame  @khiaraaa-in-spacee​  @on-socks-off​  @abbiesthings​ @kindahavefeelingskindaheartless @i-love-scott-mccall​

[grainjew]

Random ask time! Care to name ten fics, any fandom, that you have or plan to reread? (Not necessarily your top ten because top ten is hard but ten that you genuinely enjoy.)

hi lynse i can’t believe you slightly switched the ask subject from what you were contemplating sending in dms. yes i do care to do this!!! fics follow

these are arranged in literally no order whatsoever except vaguely the order I remembered they existed and tragically they will mostly not be readable for you lynse on account of us sharing fandoms basically never. but in any case!!! let’s go!!!!

A Professor and a Student - LeDiz - Pokemon Anime (Alola) - multichap, complete - Professor Kukui’s pov outsider on Ash, through interstitial set during the first season of Alola anime. This fic is the fic that got me into pokeani in the first place, and I have reread it all the way through at least once and specific chapters genuinely so many times. it’s good! it’s got so many fun reveals! it’s even got a surprise plot! if someone is in pokeani fandom though there’s like a 95% chance they’ve already read it, so it’s kind of pointless to recommend

Broken Rules and Consequences - Redring 91 - Doctor Who (All Eras) - series, ongoing i think - This is one that i’m planning to reread rather than one i’ve already reread: I first read it back when i was originally into dw, in like 2013, and honestly lynse the timing was probably right for me to have recced it to you back then. in any case i have a friend who vouches for its continued quality, and it was straight-up the only dw fic i kept up with for several years after i first fell out of the dw fandom. it’s a really excellent exploration of all the times the doctor has met their past and future selves, and i highly recommend it. it’s also very long, so watch out!

An Unexpected Greeting - kimirice​ - Pokemon Anime (Alola) - threeshot, ongoing - it’s a fic in the “cynthia runs into ash in alola and dumbfounds his entire class” genre and it’s a good one. my favorite one. i reread it whenever i want to feel serotonin in my bones. serotonin does not go in bones. whatever, this fic is such a joy, it’s pretty short, please read it if you too want serotonin in your bones on account of revealssssss

Phone A Friend - TheBigCat - Doctor Who (Seventh Doctor Era / Gallifrey Audios Era) - oneshot - this is another “reread when i want serotonin in my bones” fic. it really is amazing just how much joy can be stored in a single 1K oneshot, it makes me so happy, that’s ace’s space dad........... wahhh the au - everything’s fine tag on this one really carries it right into my heart

dreamt you a kinder future - Sixteenthdays - Dream SMP - multichap, ongoing - my FRIENDS forcibly got me into the damn MINECRAFT RP. this is all you will see of it on this blog ever because i do have SOME dignity left but if you HAVE gotten bodily dragged into caring about the block men yourself please do enjoy this time travel fixit about pre-plot Dream getting dropped into post-Doomsday era canon and dealing with the fact that his future self is evil and ruined all his relationships. its very good i reread the ranboo chapter regularly

The Red Coast - Maldoror_Chant - One Piece - oneshot - genuinely hilarious pov outsider on post-skypiea straw hats via some idiot bounty hunters who think they‘re easy prey. it’s a lot of fun and it took me three entire rereads to catch the punchline, which i am still mad about. please read this fic i am shaking my fist at it

Though She Be But Little, She Is Fierce - Izzyaro - Pokemon Anime (Kalos Era) - multichap, abandoned(?) - a few years after the kalos crisis, Bonnie sets out on her own pokemon journey. told through the eyes of her very alarmed traveling companion, who so incredibly doesn’t know what to make of her. yes, it only has two chapters and hasnt updated in years. i do not care. the chapters stand alone as oneshots and this fic has done so much for me. its like 90% of the reason i write bonnie the way i do its such a joy

Keeping a Welcome - Gramarye (ao3 | ffn) - The Dark is Rising Sequence - oneshot - did you ever wonder, gee, zeph, why do you write so much loyalty content? and why is it all Like That? well, the answer is that i read this fic at a formative age and imprinted on it like a baby bird, and then subconsciously was shaped by it for the next decade. genuinely it is SO good. it’s so good guys. guys it’s so good im going to cry just thinking about it. o a t h s ,,,  wahhhhhhh gramarye is probably my favorite fic author ever i love their stuff SO much. so much. i am going to cry im telling you!!!!!! (also while I'm here I also recommend everything else theyve ever written, especially the Eirias Triad, which i have reread probably as many times as there are fingers in my house, and which is only not on an entry on this list on account of me wanting to keep it at one rec per author)

Nah - soomin - One Piece - oneshot - the straw hats have been stuck in a time loop of their entire lives for many, many years, and boy are they having a good time causing chaos. this is one of the only op time travels that i feel like accurately captures what would actually happen if luffy did a time travel, and i love it. they’re having so much! infinite retries for the best adventure ever!

Insomnia - tikitikirevenge - The Legend of Zelda (Majora’s Mask) - multichap, abandoned(?) - novelization of majora’s mask with a twist: instead of resetting the three day loop every time, link gets exactly 5 cycles, and the whole thing is a stable time loop. its true it hasnt updated since 2015, but it was my favorite zelda fic back in middle school and i still reread it every few years to confirm that it’s just as good as i remember: it somehow always is. and every time, i forget just how agonizing (complimentary) the link&tatl friendship slowburn is like dear lord does this author know how to write a slowly developing relationship hh i wish more people would read this fic it’s really just very good ok dont mind that its abandoned just before the snowpeak temple

[harryskalechips]

I really like angst and this is one of my fav concepts so what about anne and gemma not liking y/n and thinking she's a gold digger when is far from being one and actually really loves harry? If u don't wanna write it do u have any fic recs similar to this one😅

I’m sorry I’m so late with replying. I wanted to write you a piece to enjoy. I do have a recommendation that is exactly your request, you probably read it already but here it is if you didn’t. Enjoy!

https://bubblecumhxrry.tumblr.com/post/158488098213/can-you-do-a-blurb-where-gemma-and-anne-dont-like

Word count 2495

“Mum, Gem, this is Y/N, my girlfriend.” Harry smiles as he introduces the unknown girl to his family. Y/N and Harry met back in L.A and after 4 months of dating, Harry thought it would be perfect to bring her to his mum’s house since she’s never been to London before.

“Hello, it’s so nice to meet you!” Y/N smiles widely as she reaches in to give Harry’s family a hug. It felt weird at first since Y/N got the vibe that maybe they didn't want to give her a hug. As she pulled away, she noticed Gemma’s discomfort and the forced smile on Anne’s face. 

“Well, sweetie why won’t Harry show you the room you two will be staying in for the weekend while Gemma and I finish preparing lunch?”

”That’s perfect thank you so much!” Y/N attempts to hide her disappointment as Harry hauls her along behind him as he carries their bags inside his mother’s large home.

“So this isn't my childhood bedroom but it’s been my room since I bought my mum this place.” Harry’s face showed nothing else but warmth as he thought about what this house meant to him. He sets their bags in the corner of the room and sits on his big king bed, opening his legs as an invitation to let Y/N come forward to him. 

After taking off her coat, Y/N doesn’t take another second as she approaches the boy who’s only given her love and affection. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rests her chin on his brown hair as she looks around his room. There wasn’t a lot of personality going on but she did notice a few personalized items her boyfriend left here from his last stay.

“Are you feeling okay?” Harry mumbles into her stomach as hugs onto her legs. Y/N didn't even want to mention how she felt the disappointment of his family when they first saw her. 

“Did you tell your mom that I would be coming with you today?” Harry pulls away and takes her hands onto his instead.

”If I’m being honest, she only found out yesterday.” Y/N’s eyes widen in shock. 

“Harry!” 

“Baby, it’s alright.” He holds on tighter to her hands. “Look, she’s cool with it. They weren’t expecting you but I didn’t really want them to either.” “Why?”

“I’m scared that they would ask too much about you and judge you base on that.” If it wasn’t obvious before then it was obvious now. Harry wanted Y/N to meet his family despite he knows what they already think of her. The thing about this new relationship blossoming is that it’s still new. And with new things still learning how to grow, there is more of a chance of doubts and fears blocking their view of what truly beautiful can come out of their relationship.

“I think they already don’t like me.” She mumbles as she pulls away from him and sits on his right. 

“Love, don’t say that.” He whispers as he tries to catch her attention. “Look after my relationship with Camille, I was really sad and I turned a bit of an asshole. They probably think I’m not ready but I promise you I am. Y/N, believe me.”

“Okay.” Harry gives her one more kiss before they head downstairs to face the heat. 

“For lunch, I made Harry’s favourite. I hope you don’t mind.” Anne gives a small smile right before sighing and sitting down with the rest of them. Gemma seemed to acknowledge Y/N’s presence but she never showed any interest. As they were eating homemade tacos, Y/N would bring up some of her interests and not once did Anne and Gemma try to learn anything more from her. They would simply just nod and switch the subject back to anyone at the table instead of her’s. 

“Harry, can you go to the supermarket and buy some eggs. I forgot to buy some and I was planning on using them for tomorrow’s breakfast.” Anne sweetly asked as she and Gem cleaned up the table. 

“Yeah. Y/N would you like to come with me?” Harry’s eyes tried to shoot Y/N a message but instead, she saw this as a great opportunity to know more about his family so she ignored her slight discomfort as she shook her head and gave him a farewell kiss. 

“Anyway, I can help you clean up?” Y/N asks Gemma as she watches her stack the plates while Anne goes to the kitchen. 

“Here’s a wet rag, can you just wipe the table?”  Gemma doesn’t even try to stop Y/N from helping, she tosses the rag across the table so Y/N could grab it. “I’m just going to be in the kitchen.” and with that, Gemma is already leaving Y/N by herself. 

The table wasn’t that big nor dirty at all but Y/N made sure to wipe the table until it was pristine. Making her way into the kitchen, she couldn’t help but hear Anne and Gemma speak about her.

“You think Harry’s actually interested in her?” Gemma whispers to her mother as she and her had their backs facing Y/N as they washed the dishes.

“I think she’s a rebound.” Anne disappointedly replies as she rinses their dishes. “She seems like a nice girl but I’m not sure their relationship will last.” This broke Y/N’s heart more. She never told Harry how she felt about them two. Of course, she’s falling in love with him every day but he’s going on tour soon and she knows full well that it wouldn’t work out for them. She always knew they had an expiration date and it stung her a bit more that his family knew it too. 

“She’s not really Harry’s type either.” Gemma shakes her head as she wipes the plate Anne just gave her. “I don’t know, I was talking to Harry a bit and he said she’s a struggling college student. I think she’s just using him for his money.”

“Gemma, don’t speak like that. It’s disrespectful.”

“Mum, I can tell you don’t like her either.” 

“I don’t but it doesn’t matter if Harry loves her then I’ll learn to like her so should you.”

“I don’t think Harry loves her, he’s still talking to Camille.” Y/N’s heart drops completely. It’s one thing to feel disrespected from Harry’s family but from Harry too? Y/N knew he was heartbroken from his past relationship. Why is he still talking to her?” 

Y/N doesn’t take another second as she interrupts their conversation to pass them the rug. “I’m going to be upstairs, I’m not feeling well.” she doesn’t let Gemma or Anne notice her tears as she makes a b line to the stairs. 

Her heart was beating too fast. She felt embarrassed to be in this house. Anne and Gemma see her a gold-digging rebound while Harry hasn’t been that committed to their relationship as she thought he was. He told her when they first met that he was no longer in contact with his ex. She knew he loved her but the least he could do is tell her he started seeing her again. 

Luckily only being here for a couple hours, only a few things were out of her bag. She shoves them in her bag as she looks around Harry’s room one more time. Maybe, this relationship wasn’t meant to be. She knew she had to wait for Harry and tell him that she had to go home. She didn’t want to leave without him knowing. She cared too much about what he thought of her and although she’s mad at him for lying, she wanted to know if he would fight for her. Fight for their relationship. She took her luggage and sat in the living room, wiping away her tears. 

The sound of the front door opening signalled that her boyfriend had finally arrived. She wished they were still in the first stages of their relationship. Where they would stay in each other’s arms for hours without speaking of his fame or her demanding schedule as a working student. But time will always pass and for Y/N, she couldn’t just wait for Harry to pay her bills, she needed to do that herself. 

Anne and Gemma were walking out the kitchen together talking about something else as they greeted Harry at the door. He had a carton of eggs that he bought a few blocks away from their local grocery store. Passing them to his mother, he looked around for Y/N. 

“Where is Y/N?”

“She’s upstairs,” Gemma replies as she watches her little brother blast past her to head upstairs. She was a bit surprised at how Y/N was the first thing on his mind after leaving the house. 

“I’ll put this in the fridge.” Anne walks away as Gemma makes her way into the living room only to catch Harry’s girlfriend sitting on the couch before her. She eyes the luggage and looks at Y/N once again.

“Are you leaving?” Gemma whispers as she and Y/N both hear Harry’s frantic footsteps upstairs. 

“Mum, Where’s Y/N did she leave?!” Harry was running around the house as Anne was shocked about hearing the news. 

“No, I don’t-”

“Harry she’s here!” Gemma yells as she stands in front of Y/N.

“Y/N.” Harry sighs as he looks at her packed bag and her sad eyes. Anne and Gemma look at each other, knowing full well that Y/N heard them talking beforehand. “Can you guys give us some space?” He looks at Y/N with his face full of disappointment. As they both left, he took a seat across Y/N in another chair. “You’re leaving.” Y/N cries again as she can hear the anger from his voice but he didn’t know she was angry too. She doesn’t know what else she can do, she’s hurt.

“Harry.”

“Why?” His voice was cold. It doesn’t seem like he was sad if anything he was masking his emotions really well that made his girlfriend think he doesn’t really care.

“I know you’re still talking to Camille.” She didn’t want to tell him that her mom and sister didn’t like her too. She was scared he would think she’s trying to manipulate him. 

“So?” Harry’s eyes finally meet her in confusion. “I’m just talking to her.”

“You’re still in love with her!” His eyes widen as he stands up to talk to her instead. 

“I’M IN LOVE WITH HER? How many times have I told you that I’m over her!”

“Why are you still talking to her then!” 

“I want to be friends with her!” Harry was now angry at her accusation. Did she really have to leave him too? Because of this? He trusted her to be there for him but when he wants her to meet his family, she’s ready to run out that door. He just doesn't know what’s truly setting her off. How unwelcomed she feels in this house. How the people he loves don’t even want to know about her.

“Harry, I have to go.” She’s standing up and taking the handle of her luggage. This would be the moment Harry should say something but he can’t, nothing can come out. He’s utterly confused about why this girl is walking out of his life after meeting his family. He’s confused about her sudden decision to leave and most importantly, he’s confused why she’s mad about Camille. He knows he doesn’t love Camille and although he doesn’t know if he loves Y/N, he doesn’t want her to feel intimidated about him talking to her again. He never mentioned it to Y/N because…. Because? He doesn’t know? 

Are there still lingering feelings?

Before Y/N walks out the door, she finds Anne and Gemma standing there already while Harry still stood in the living room. “I know you guys don’t like me. I’m sorry.” She tries to not let her voice crack as her arm shakes a bit, dragging along her luggage. “I promise you, I’m not a gold digger and I could care less about Harry’s fame. He’s a sweet boy and I was truly falling in love with him.” She closes her eyes trying to keep herself together. “I’ve never been in love before but this stay here, although it wasn’t a long one, made me realize that maybe H and I aren’t meant to be together.” Y/N doesn’t even try to hug them but she’s already opening the door so she can walk into her uber that she ordered. She tried to stall her time saying goodbye to Anne and Gemma that maybe Harry would interrupt her but he never left that room. 

“I’m sorry sweetie. I never meant for you to hear what we said in the kitchen that was disrespectful of us.” Anne tries to touch her arm to comfort her as Y/N just welcomes it. Gemma looked truly ashamed as she realized that maybe, this girl was different.  She’s been too protective of her brother. She’s seen his heart break too many times and after every girl, he introduced her too, her heart couldn’t help but feel Harry’s pain when they would break up. 

Y/N’s car finally departs just leaving Anne, Gemma, and Harry. The two girls are watching the car leave as Harry finally grows his balls to chase after her. 

“Did she leave?” Harry’s eyes were watery. His anger dissolved as he heard Y/N’s confession. His feet were glued to the floor but once he heard the door slam shut and the car zooming out their driveway, he had to stop her.

“Yeah.” Gemma mumbles. 

“I can’t believe you guys! That’s why she left! She felt like we all didn’t like her! I should’ve told her fuck!”

“Harry, I’m sorry.” Anne tries to reach out to Harry as he pulls away in anger already putting on his boots.

“I have to find her.”

“Harry. You can’t drive in this condition.” His mother tries to warn him. But the only thing Harry could feel is fear. Fear that this girl has already slipped through his fingertips. 

So, the first place he went to was the airport but Heathrow airport will always be busy and he knew he couldn’t find her there. He bought a ticket for the next flight to LA, waiting at the gate to see her but she never arrived. He didn’t know she would stay at a hotel and explore London herself, without him. He didn’t know that when they were both back in LA, she would block his number and avoid him at all costs. He also didn’t know that she would give up on them and move on with her life. 

Part 2

[rainbowsky]

Final round-up of fan fic asks

I've gotten a few more interesting responses to the fan fic discussion so I'm going to round them all up here. This will be my final post on the topic until/unless there's a dramatic new development, or a particularly notable response I want to highlight. Thanks to everyone who brought their thoughts and experiences to the topic. I hope everyone at least feels heard.

The biggest piece of advice that I would like to offer is for everyone to focus on what they love rather than what they hate. If we all did that, the world would be a better place. Alongside that, I'd like to remind everyone to please support authors whose work you like. It's so important. Give them a kudos, give them a nice comment, recommend their work to others. You never know what kind of grief and harassment they are dealing with to bring you these great stories, and our support means a lot.

This is in reference to previous posts here and here.

Anonymous asked:

With regard to fandom and fan fic issue, my years of experience being part of very large fandoms has led me to believe that big accounts are v important in facilitating and enforcing the general consensus of the whole fandom. Unless there will be big accs who'll remind everyone of being respectful & just not being a dick over other's preferences, nothing will change.

This is also the reason why I think certain solo fandoms have adapted weird and twisted narratives as their general fandom story because no big acc has tried to police them & and say hey pls be rational. Whether we like it or not, in a place where how far voices, ideas, tweets, posts get heard is based on the number of followers you have, big accs will have the power and influence in creating/curating/shifting the narratives.

So, if you want to know why your/our fandom thinks like this in general, look at what big accs are tweeting/posting, look at what ideas & values they follow, look at their preferences or how strongly they react to certain situations. it's taxing and toxic for big accs given the nature of social media these days, but it's also the reality of system, the more followers/audience you have, the more influence you will have.

So to anyone reading this I hope we all practice more restraint and reflection before we post anything. Remember that words, no matter what medium you write it in, will always carry weight.

So true. It is easy - even for myself who spends a fair chunk of time answering people's asks - to forget that people can sometimes be impressionable and what we say can influence people whether that's our intent or not. I get used to thinking of myself as a regular guy just doing my own thing when sometimes my thoughts and words go well beyond where I initially posted them.

I think it's important for us to be careful what we say, and it's equally important to be careful what we take from what other people say. Especially when it comes to big claims. Always get a second, third, fourth opinion and don't be afraid to ask for clarification if something doesn't sit right or sounds confusing.

It's also important to reflect on how our words and actions might affect other people's experience of fandom, and err on the side of 'live and let live' wherever possible. It's great to have our own preferences and to champion them, but we should try to do so in a way that leaves space for other people and perspectives.

The more unique perspectives and the more friendly, open dialog there is, the healthier the community will be as a whole.

There's nothing wrong with encouraging and guiding growth in the particular areas we are interested in, as long as it doesn't step on, oppress or attack those who are peacefully enjoying something different.

Anonymous 2 asked: bjyx fans attacking gdgdbaby for including zsww/lsfy dynamics in an event named bjyx then turning right around and attacking the zsww/lsfy event organizer for excluding bjyx? god, can you hear my facepalm and sigh of resignation and incredulity from over there? im genuinely not surprised that they're trying to drive an entire part of the fandom out by disgusting them (and me) with these immature tactics. i believe what im about to say next will sound quite bait-y and i respect your decision 1/?

should you choose not to post this. but i do know that it is not only me, in fact there are many out there, that is of this opinion. we just dont talk about it on twitter to avoid the potential mess it will bring lol. okay, here goes nothing. (do note that im talking about the majority here, not every single person is like this) so bjyx fans tend to be cishet females whereas zsww/lsfy fans are more diverse in terms of age and gender, and most of them are part of the queer community too 2/?

i would like to clarify that most of these zsww/lsfy fans are not dynamic exclusive (in the sense that they are friendly and interact with all ggdd fans) they just prefer to "identify" themselves as zsww/lsfy fans (on twitter specifically) just to form a distinction from bjyx fans who mostly are dynamic exclusive (as in; they do not consume non-bjyx content, and straightup refuse to interact with non-bjyx fans, often blocking them). as a result, id say that the zsww/lsfy communiy is way more 3/?

mature and respectful (after all, they're mostly queer people talking about a queer ship) whereas many problems in this fandom, such as the homophobia, adamantly insisting on "drawing lines" between dynamics, stem from the bjyx exclusive fans, comprised of cishet females who "may not know better". so, it is of no surprise to me that they're resorting to these immature tactics of calling gg unsavory names, and organizing retaliatory events with controversial topics in an attempt to "purify". 4/4

I trust that you have arrived at that theory through your own experience and observation. I haven't personally spent much time immersed in this stuff so I can't claim to have any real insight or expertise. If you say that's your experience of it, then at the very least that's how you've seen things up to this point.

I just want to say that I think we should always be careful about making assumptions about people's age, gender/gender identity, etc.

There are plenty of good reasons to avoid doing that; because those assumptions could be very wrong, because those assumptions are often laced with ageism, sexism, etc., because those assumptions - even when correct - might not be an accurate basis for the conclusions we draw.

But the primary reason I recommend avoiding those type of assumptions is because anything that enables us to clump a group of people together in our minds like that will tend to make them easier to demonize and dehumanize. They are no longer individuals who are each responsible for their own unique perspectives, they are now 'the X group' who is known for 'A B C series of easily attackable ideas or behaviors'.

If we attribute undesirable traits and behaviors to a group of people we feel opposed to in some way, that makes us feel more righteous and justified in behaving unfairly toward them, dismissing their humanity and warring with them. It's just risky behavior to engage in, even when it's well-intentioned.

There might actually be some truth to what you're saying. It could very well be that most of these people are young, inexperienced, heteronormative, etc. but if that's the case then we should try to use those traits to better understand and empathize rather than to better dismiss and discredit.

Just my two cents on that.

It can be really frustrating dealing with what feels like other people attacking us, trying to oppress us, etc. - especially when there are more of them than there are of us. In my experience the best solutions to that sort of problem are generally the ones that focus on what we are doing and want to do rather than what they are doing that we don't want them to do.

As I am always preaching, we can't control what other people say, do or think. The only thing we have any control over is what we say, do and think (and how we respond to what they say, do and think).

I have found in my experience that the moment I step out of a conflict mindset and instead step into a problem-solving mindset, everything starts to come together. I feel better, my outlook is more positive, I can begin to see solutions and allies rather than problems and enemies, and most of all, I become more focused on what I am doing than what others are doing.

So I would recommend everyone who is invested in resolving these conflicts focus on that. "How can we best showcase and encourage the types of stories we enjoy?" instead of "How can we stop these other people from doing things we dislike?"

Anonymous 3 asked:

Hello again! It’s anon #3 from the fanfic post. I really do appreciate reading your thoughts on various issues like this, so thank you for always taking time to write in depth. As for supporting without going to war, the simplest way has always been to just show appreciation for the creators, hype them up. Kudos are the easiest way on ao3 but comments in addition are great. This goes for all content—art, fics, vids..etc. Creators love to see and read how people react to their content. Sharing is also great, fic recs are very helpful, just be cautious with art and reposting though. Hope this helps a bit!

Thanks so much, Anon. I think this is excellent advice. And it's true that appreciation is great, but helping to expand the audience is also great. Recommending stories, pointing people to the pages/websites of artists we like (as opposed to reposting), sharing our own ideas and approaches, encouraging people to try new things... all of this helps build healthier communities.

And here's another one: WRITE! DRAW! CREATE!

I urge anyone with creative interests or talents to bring their voices to the community because we all can benefit from hearing from you.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your thoughts on this issue. I hope that over time we can all work in positive ways to improve the situation.

I think this subject has been well-covered now so I'm going to retire it for the time being. If anyone still feels they want to discuss it further please feel free to message me privately. Thanks.