#i also may have scrolled through your blog & found the other piece i reblogged from you

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Hello ! It's an honor to be part of the librarby 🙌🏻

I'm curious tho, were my fics recommended to you or did you find them by pure chance ?

Anyway have a nice day 👋🏻

Howdy! Most fics I find on Ao3 by searching for them, but most fics I find through Tumblr are found because someone I follow reblogged them, which was the case with yours!

[lamemaster]

The Silmarillion Elves Finding My Mutual's Blog

AN: why am I doing this? Lack of brain cells, I tell you. But here we go (lmk if you would like to be removed...I don't intend to offend anyone). A small gift for mutuals and feel free to add more blogs if needed.

Summary: How would characters from the Silmarillion react to finding my mutual's blogs. Purely based on my interpretation which may or may not be messed up.

@asianbutnotjapanese: the loremaster with all the records. Elrond and Finrod. Do I need to say more? This trio would sit together to appreciate all the writings together. A group that thrives together as they compare their findings.

Finrod's appreciation might originate in the form of odes complimented by the notes of his harp.

Kings and queens of reblogging stuff for easier access.

@doodle-pops: There's going to be a crowd here. But the chief guest of this gathering can be none other than Fingon. Accompanied by Glorfindel and Fingolfin (because I see you with that sugar daddy fic Mina).

I completely expect Fingon to encounter the blog, binge-read everything and then create his own the very next day (and yes, he will write the most cursed ships). This elf will create multiple other accounts to comment on the Fingon fics...Will jokingly compare the note count of his fic with that of Maedhros'.

Glorfindel is just another golden retriever. He will meticulously thank you and the rebloggers (celebrates humbly at his popularity). And he will be the one to send super sweet 'you're amazing' kind of asks to the writer.

Fingofin will become an established annon on the blog. No one knows it's him. His online personality is 180 from his real life. (He's got some ships and opinions and mans won't stop from stating them *aggressively*.

@a-world-of-whimsy-5: The Ainur. Sauron, Namo, and Irmo (Manwe and Eonwe are lurking) are here and they will read everything. Don't be surprised if you get a bunch of passionate Sauron requests by an 'annon' the next day. Very specific requests.

Irmo on the other hand reads even the spiciest fics with a poker face late at night. I can just imagine him laying with his phone in his hand as he scrolls through the blog. A quiet existence but don't be surprised when you wake up with 50 notes and a new followers.

Namo will start by restraining himself to the sfw fics but somehow ends up reading nsfw and goes down the rabbit hole. Next day the he can't look anyone in the eye (especially Manwe). Decides never to do that again only to come back for more (don't even bring him close to hurt no comfort, this Ainur cried for Luthien. He can't handle angst).

@wandererindreams: Ulmo, Manwe, Eru, and The Void. Just a merry group having existential conversations. You all would be sitting there with your copy of texts and believe me Eru will pull out receipts to prove shit.

The sight of the Void being hyped by all the extensive headcanons...chef's kiss. Literal black hole feels included in the fandom for the first time.

Manwe and Ulmo would be there with wisdom and appreciation for your deep contemplation. Both commenting their piece and views about the subject in lengthy comments.

Eru will be taking notes. I can envision Iluvatar, playing devil's advocate (ironic) and arguing against anything and everything. Eru likes hooman who challenge him (ask Numenorians).

@animatorweirdo: Maglor and Sauron. The second eldest Feanorian will be found blushing as he reads your works and he will revisit the blog in bouts of day-dreaming of his true love. Leaves adorable emojis in the comments.

Believe me, Sauron would get some pretty interesting ideas from all your sci-fi fics. Now he really really really needs a vampire plus werewolf SO so bad. This maia will flourish under all the attention given to him. Follows fervently but will like sparingly (he's got an image to maintain).

I would also spy a lingering Maedhros but he's got the tired mom energy so he'll be a flickering presence who remembers Tumblr once every 3 months.

Lamemaster: dead. Feanor or Finwe will smite me the second they see my blog.

[pancakeke]

I wrote a bunch of paragraphs about nothing in particular again so here it is under a readmore so it doesn't take up space.

like 8 years ago when people used tumblr more via desktop browser than its app, I put a 3rd party metric tracker in my desktop theme that logged how people were referred to my blog. it also captured what pages of my blog people viewed.

at one point during this time I reblogged a piece of pixel art from a japanese artist. they came to my blog through their activity page, and then searched my blog in a couple different ways for the terms "ドット" and "ドット絵" ("dot" and "dot art", as in pixel art). I checked those search urls myself to see if they found anything but there were no results because I never used those terms or specifically tagged pixel art in any other way.

ever since then I've made an effort to tag all pixel art I reblog with the term "pixel art". that artist was probably hoping to find more art to check out and it bums me out that my tagging system wasn't thorough enough to help.

this is why I have my current specific tag system lol. it keeps evolving but having the ability to find stuff you're into without jumping through hoops is really handy. (the site-wide post and tag searches return sooo much bullshit. it's a slog sifting through thr noise whenever I use those to fill my queue due to the sheer amount of manga caps, polls, liveblogs, personal posts, and fics posted without readmores...)

if only the way to view all tags you've ever used still worked. I think it caps at 500 or 1000 now and is also chronological so the first 500 or whatever tags you ever used show up in the list. then there's a hard stop and it does not update as you delete posts or use that mass tag editor to remove certain tags for your blog entirely.

I went through my used tag list earlier this year to unify certain tags and remove tags that I stopped using in favor for other ones, but I only got like 400 tagged terms down the list. maybe downloading my blog data would show more. the trick I mentioned uses your desktop blog's archive page. the tags are in its code so you can use "inspect element" to view it. I remember scrolling a lot to load a bunch of posts on the page but cant remember if this was required or I just did it to see if I could access more tags.

it's formatted all fucked and hard to manage but you can copy and paste the long chunk of tags into one cell of a spreadsheet and then use Data options to split them into columns by commas (or whatever punctuation separates them, I forget). a wide list is a huge pain to view so from there you can click on a cell containing data, click ctrl+a to highlight all data in thr row, copy, then paste special as "transposed" to turn the copied row 90° so it pastes as a column. the spreadsheet will wide as fuck from the hundreds of columns so honestly its easier to paste the transposed data into a new tab and delete the original vs clicking in the column to the left of your transposed data and then pressing ctrl+ shift+right arrow to select all rows to the right, then deleting the extra rows.

if you're in Excel you may have to use the "delete rows" option from the "home" tab and then save the sheet using "file > save" (do NOT save via the save button on the upper left corner or ctrl+s). this returns the sheet to a manageable size for scrolling (plus reduces its file size). this piece of shit software usually retains the sheet width/length even after you delete hundreds of columns/rows unless you use this trick of deleting specifically via home tab + saving specifically through the save menu.

I got a round number of tags when I did this which makes me think there's a cutoff.

[titconao3]

how are you getting the best snape art posts??? honestly your tumblr + curation is so good <3

Oh hello!

and thank you <3 unexpected, but welcome!

So, er, methodology, eh? The short version: er, i see some art, i look at OP's tags, find a promising one such as "my art" or "(fandom) art" or "(character) art" and... go through it.

More under the cut, it got long. (Method in the madness or Madness in the method, i'll let you decide!)

Bear in mind that i Tumblr on a computer, using a browser, while using XKit (these days, it's XKit Rewritten): for most of my fandoms i have a pre-made tag bundle, so that's just a quick hover, scroll, and click each time. Well, click-click, one for [fandom] and one for 'fanart.' i draft all the posts then queue them alternating fandoms. All are tagged so that if anyone follows me (not that many people) they can easily filter out stuff they're not into. Once things are queued, they're also liked, so that whenever i see that art (or not art) post again, i know not to reblog it again. i have More Than Enough to queue already ^_^;; (so much more omg)

Most of the time i will reblog OP's own art and not reposts or posts from another website (sometimes it's the own artist's IG art, so that's alright, sometimes it's also from a deleted account.)

If the artist posts little, or lots but i like their posts, or most of what i'm not into i can easily filter out (i only filter tags, at least for now), then i may follow. i keep my dash manageable enough that i don't miss posts.

There are happy surprises because people aren't always systematic with tagging, so along the way i'll find other artists, draft the piece i noticed, and later when i have time i'll do the "go through OP's art stuff" thing. It can get a bit overwhelming when i get back in the drafts folder, if i've been away from home for a while and spent little time on a proper computer or laptop for days.

i also follow a couple of fandomedit tags (not fandom or character tags; that way lies madness and way too much discourse for me, tyvm), but only a small number and in fandoms where there is not a tsunami of new stuff every day.

Basically the clue is that i'm being a little Extra about things ;-) i do try to curb that down, because i've ended many times drafting then queuing all the art from every artist i found in a specific fandom, even when i wasn't in love with all the works, because i felt bad not reblogging them all (no, i'm not neurotic about stuff, why do you ask?). It's even sillier given that my drafts folder is so bloated that of course i haven't reblogged all the art stored there. In some fandoms i try to simply reblog the art i see from folks i follow and otherwise sit on my hands so i don't go down the rabbit hole of 'must check every work from every artist i see in every fandom i'm in.' That way lies madness; my drafts folder is already too unmanageable as it is.

i also am only on Tumblr, not twitgram, instatok, snapbook, or wherever fandom is happening these days. Well, i have a DW, for example, but i don't really go there often beyond posting my fic (sometimes weeks after i posted it on AO3) and managing event accounts (sibling blogs to those on Tumblr). i do use Discord but i vastly prefer one-on-one chats to group chats so i rarely wander into servers. i have to when i'm promoting an event i'm organising so i can do it when the stakes are high ;-) but it does mean that while Tumblr takes a lot of my online life, it's the only social media i spend any time on.

My use of tumblr is very much read/reblog: i don't post personal stuff here either, about myself, my woes, or my writing beyond the occasional 'i wrote this' post, and even that is not systematic. To me, it looks like it's either 1/ people See you and you become a potential target (or at best it becomes a job because if you do become popular, there will be more demands on your time and energy: can you reblog this? what's your opinion on that? etc), or 2/ people ignore you while you're writing stuff on a public platform because you don't want to be ignored, so you'd probably feel bad about it. However, reblogging art/gifsets etc makes the creator happy (well, i hope), so that's good. Although sometimes i see posts on how creators would like to see enthusiastic tags about why rebloggers like their work, but that would be extra work and pressure to say the right thing, so i don't. i still worry about it of course. #lifestyle ;-)

So i don't know if that's what you wanted to hear, but kudos if you got here, because that's quite a chunk of overly-tweaked text for what was probably just a throwaway note... oops?

[quuma]

『 ℕ𝔸𝕍𝕀𝔾𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ : 』

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𝙄𝙉𝙏𝙍𝙊𝘿𝙐𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉

hello, it’s nice to see you here !! i’m q, an ever-so tired 18-year-old student that’s trying her best to juggle studying, working, and posting !

my blog is mainly twst and jjk (only recently started actually making content for that though :,) ) related! expect many rambles about my favourite characters [i.e. bbygirl jamil <3, ruggie, + ace]

i post both digital art and the occasional piece of writing for all of those fandoms^^

uploads will be inconsistent because of the aforementioned studies + just life in general !

/ᐠ - ˕ -マ♡ ꒱ ˎ feel free to send me asks whenever you’d like ! my askbox is always open ! i may take a while to respond to them because of school/work, but i always enjoy reading through them all !! they rlly brighten my days !! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ☆

i also have two dogs !! one is a cavalier/maltese, and the other is a maltese/lhasa apso ! koko (born 2023) - the love and light of my life, who i love and cherish every day, and suki (born 2024) - who i hope has a terrible day (affectionately) <3

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𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙎:

nothing !

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𝙈𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏:

journal:

[2022] TWST STORIES (they're ooc and kinda cringe but still feel free to read them hehe)

"thinking of you <3" - jamil viper (it's been 2 years but im still such a whore for the 'buying a clothing item that you think your s/o will compliment you on' trope FBDHASJFBHDJS)

"(not so) unrequited love" - part one [jamil, ace, deuce, + kalim]

"(not so) unrequited love" - part two [jade, jack, silver]

"twst students vs toilet etiquette" - all twst students + crowley (brother what drugs was i on when i wrote this)

sketchbook: 

no longer going to link all of them here (because there is simply too many posts), but still feel free to browse the tag !! just dont scroll further than 2023,, my pre-yr 12 2023 art is,,, indescribable (dare i say,,, mortifying)

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𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼:

instagram.

tiktok. [i’m rlly funny sometimes teehee]

etsy. [international shipping is available!]

discord. ququqq #2037 [feel free to DM me whenever you’d like to, because i really enjoy talking to you all <3 !! but also realistically i get kinda freaked out responding to private dms sooo uhmmm maybe just send an ask on tumblr instead LMAO]

ko-fi. [can’t accept any coffees bc I'm banned from PayPal (wild story), but i’ll link it regardless !]

i’m also on twitter (let's be honest here, all i rlly do on that acc is retweet xiumin-related content) and artfol (generally inactive) under the username @/quuma !!

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𝙏𝘼𝙂𝙎:

general:

#. q’s reblogs [tag dedicated to stuff i reblog !]

#. q’s convos [general ramblings abt my daily life + responding to asks !]

#. q’s journal [a collection of all my writing !]

#. q’s sketchbook [collection of my art !]

mooties !!

#. ellie (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)

#. aster (･ω<)☆

#. amora ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧ (FINALLY FOUND HER NEW ACC AFTER LOOKING FOR 10000 YEARS FNDJSAKFBDKH YIPPEEE)

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[blueprint-han]

[Image ID: A black picture with the title “HOW TO SUPPORT FANFICTION AUTHORS” written in bold caps lock, colored with a winter forest picture. End ID.]

Well, this post has been made countless times, but I’m making one too because I’ve seen a lot of people say they’re new to tumblr and don’t know the whole “reblogging is better than liking” rule and other stuff. So without any further ado, here are ways YOU can support the fanfiction authors. Now keep in mind this applies to almost every author out there, not just the stayblr fandom, so if you’re a silent reader (or even if you aren’t), I advise you go through this post. Warning, this is a fairly long post going into detail, so yeah. I still expect you, the readers to read this, and if you’re a writer, feel free to lmk if i’ve written smth wrong or if you want me to add something! ^^

In this post I’ll go into thorough analysis of the pros and cons of each of the methods listed here and how YOU as a reader can show the authors whose fics you read more love and motivate them to produce content.

WARNING; LONG POST! GOES INTO A DECENT AMOUNT OF DETAIL. NOT EDITED, EXCUSE ANY TYPOS.

#1 : LIKING !

I think this is basic common knowledge, and a lot of people tend to do this. When you like the post, the author sees it, you see it, and if the author has their liked posts accessible (which majority of the time they don’t), and if someone deliberately goes to check it, then they see it. See why so many authors say just liking does nothing? Only liking says “Hey, I’m gonna tell you your story is not that good by simply liking it and not sharing it with other people. :D”

♯ PROS:

You’re telling the author that you've read their fic, and either you’ve enjoyed it to a certain extent, or you’re just saving it to read for later.

Likes are seen by you, the author and anyone who has access to your likes (which, most people don’t).

♯ CONS:

If you ONLY like, you’re not really helping the author’s work reach a wide audience because this site isn’t Instagram. Reblogging is the only way people can SEE our works. I’ll cover more on that in the next section.

In a nutshell, liking is good! But you should most likely use it in a combination with the other stuff I’ve listed below, because just the like itself doesn’t really do much in giving the author any feedback or interaction on their fics.

To clear shit up; I’m not talking about those people who don’t read the story or appreciate it in the first place. I’m talking about those who appreciate the fic, like it, but don’t leave any sort of feedback to show that.

#2 : REBLOGGING !

This is SO, SO important. I cannot stress on this enough. Let me explain WHY so many writers stress on reblogging content: 

Tumblr’s tag system is inherently fucked up, and has grown more so over the year. I’m not kidding, at first, the fic either used to show up in the tags or it didn’t, but now, sometimes your fic can be REMOVED from the tags because of,,, idk tumblr tag shit. Anyways, as you can see, it’s very demotivating for authors at that point, because the major way for people to find their content and expand their blogs has been blocked.  

Due to this reason, tumblr authors need to RELY on you, their followers to help spread their works to a wider audience. Now again, before you get me wrong, I’m not saying you ae forced to rb our works regardless of whether you like them or not. BUT, that being said, if you DO infact like the story, there’s no harm in reblogging, right? By doing this you’re indirectly telling the author — “hey! :D I liked your fic! Which is why I am gonna share it to my followers so they can read it too :D” Trust me, you’re doing nothing but helping the people who produce content for you to read. Seems like a worthy cause to hit the reblog button, right? It’s only a one, or maximum two step procedure.

Leave tags in your reblogs! Trust me, as an author myself and as much as I know from all my author friends, we oft check the tags of your reblogs to see if you found any part amazing or even if you have anything to say about the writing we put so much hard work into. Even a key smash or a “This was so [insert adjective] 🥺” is enough to leave a smile on your authors face. 

♯ PROS :

You’re !! Sharing !! Your authors !! Works !! This leads to them getting more recognition, so for the content they’re so graciously providing for free, you’re promoting their blog and helping them expand it.

If the tags are being a shit, which majority of the time they are, then you’re literally making an author’s day by reblogging! You’re showing them that you, a follower and appreciator of their works are willingly sharing their content because it deserves to be seen by more people. Again before any dumb people decide to attack me, i am talking about people who like the fic but don't bother reblogging and are silent/ghost readers. I am not forcing anyone to read anybody’s work.

YOU’RE MAKING YOUR AUTHOR SO HAPPY WHAT MORE REASONS COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT !! 🥺

♯ CONS :

Literally none, because as far as I remember no author is against reblogging of their works. It’s quite literally the way this platform functions. Reblogging is IMPORTANT.

#3 : COMMENTING/SENDING FEEDBACK !

This kind of overlaps with the previous section, but THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT STEP !! When you leave feedback, you are directly giving the author something so much more valuable to them than high follower/note counts or money. Your feedback is literally our serotonin. I kid you not the number of times I’ve received a positive comment and smiled and it has made my day. There’s a reason youtubers (though not the best example, bear with me here because it was the only one I could think of) ask people to subscribe, like and COMMENT. The subscription is like a follow, the like is ofc like a heart, and the comment is equivalent to an rb with comments in the tags. 

You might argue and tell me that a comment is basically like an ask so the reblogging step isn’t necessary, but I’m sure 99% of you use YouTube and you know that more comments leads to people’s videos boosted in the stream/trending charts. This is what reblogging does. Reblogging shares the piece with other people like minded, which leads to a boost in reads. You are literally helping your author grow.

It’s quite literally the same thing as youtubers. Youtubers NEED validation to keep their content creation going, so do writers, so do other ccs on this site. This post is however, focused on WRITERS, so keep that in mind.

♯ PROS :

By doing this, you’re giving author valuable feedback! It’s similar to what you do in rbing with tags. Interactivity with their fics boosts their note counts and helps expand their audience, so srsly, now think of it: your one comment is playing such a massive role to help ccs create more content.

Imagine how much of a difference the note counts will be in when every person who simply likes after reading the fic, reblogs, leaves a comment and sends an ask. the note counts would be high on each and every fic, which is validation in itself, but your comments would inspire the writer so much more! Please, don’t skip the commenting part. Even a simple one like: “this is so cute!” is wonderful. 

♯ CONS :

Remember, if you’re gonna give constructive criticism (which I’m sure you all are smart enough to know if different from hate), make sure the author is okay with it. Authors need to be in a specific mindset and must be ready to accept criticism, so if you’re gonna give constructive criticism to them when they’re at a low point, it may demotivate them.

Just commenting, instead of reblogging and commenting in the tags/ reblogging and then leaving an ask in their inbox, while it gives validation in plenty, will not lead to the author’s work being spread. Therefore I suggest either reblogging and commenting in the tags or reblog and then leave an ask, or comment under the fic!

!! reminder; I am not saying that if you don’t rb and just leave feedback, your feedback has no value. We authors truly appreciate every bit of feedback, but this post is aimed to help you learn how to interact with and support authors, and make them feel more motivated, because the current scenario of liking and scrolling is taking a toll on their creative abilities. Take it from a person who’s been writing for a year.

#4 : COMMSIONING VIA THEIR KO-FI/OTHER APPS !

Before any of you attack me, let me tell you that this is not a step that is 100% necessary to do. ONLY donate if you can and if you genuinely want to, and if anyone is forcing you to pay for something against your will, you need to get yourself out of there.

Regardless, if an author has a kofi and you’re able to and you want to donate, you definitely should! It’s also a valid form of support.

#5 : ADDING THEM ON REC LISTS/ RECOMMENDING THEM TO REC BLOGS

This is such an underrated option, to be honest. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen my fic was recommended onto some rec list and it’s made me smile so hard. If you like some fics, create a rec list! They’re oft very popular amongst the fans too. Making rec posts is such a great way to share your favorite stories with others. 

Rec blogs! I’ve seen a couple going around, and needless to say they are a great way to get someone else to read your favorite author’s work whilst also giving them your own feedback. These blogs oft accept recs via a form or ask box, and they leave your feedback along with their own, or else they’ll oft tag the author in the feedback post, so look! You’re basically helping your author share their fic to many more people, because you’ve given them feedback and a reblog.

♯ PROS :

Validation! Feedback! Reblogs! More exposure! Helping a blog grow! Spreading love! basically a run down of the stuff I’ve said before!

♯ CONS :

Literally no con of this. Unless, a one in a million case, this author says they don’t like receiving feedback/being tagged, and I’m sure NO person has said this before, at least none that I’ve heard of.

#6 : FINAL COMMENTS; MISC !

When an author points out about how the interactivity is drastically reducing, don’t just give them blind apologies. Yes, you feel sorry for not interacting as much, we understand, but rather show that you’ll become a better content consumer through your actions. We need to see that we’re not just throwing words into a void and that people are actually trying to be better content consumers. 

Understand the fact that authors don’t get paid for this, and 99% of the time, these authors don’t take commissions either. They’re giving you novel worthy writings for free. Take Percy Jackson: You think the author would have felt motivated to write the subsequent parts, let alone two whole series based off of it if literally no one showed that they were interested? Rick Riordan has sales, he is being paid, there are millions of people and big agencies who provide him feedback. Now take that huge amount and simmer it down to an audience of maybe 10000 people This is what fanfic authors want. They don’t want your money, nor are they telling you to risk your lives for them. All they want is, a reblog, some tags, some feedback, some INTERACTIVITY.  A sign that they aren’t throwing fics into the void and that people actually like them, some motivation to continue. Seems fairly easy to throw an rb with some tags, right?

Don’t bother to tell me that we do this for ourselves and we shouldn’t ask for likes and reblogs and feedback, because 1) you are consuming the content that we “write for ourselves” and 2) writers post their content here for interactivity and feedback. We could just not post and write and save our fics in our dungeon drafts for years. But we choose to post to entertain the readers, the consumers. And we aren’t even asking that much in return.

Don’t give me the whole “I’m scared that authors feel that comments are annoying” excuse either because seriously this has been DEBUNKED SO MANY TIMES. Istg, in the nicest way possible, if you still think writers are annoyed by interaction and feedback, after so many posts, long rants have been posted as to how we’re not, then you must truly be living under a rock. There, I said it. Please stop thinking this way, I’ll say it again, AUTHORS ARE NOT ANNOYED OF FEEDBACK, COMMENTS, TAGS, REBLOGS. WE LOVE IT. Saying this is like saying that the audience in a theatre play shouldn’t clap when the play ends because the actors would find it noisy. 🤡

I’ve seen some people saying they have anxiety issues and such, so pls note that I’m not invalidating your condition. If you’re trying to be more interactive, I really appreciate it! If you can’t, that’s fine too. You’re trying.

But for the people who have no reason other than feeling lazy to rb and comment, your lack of interactiveness is not excused. Please. Tumblr is a reblogging site. If you’re gonna consume content like authors are some sort of machines, I encourage you to go get some more perspective.

This site is not Instagram or the satan bird app. Your likes are appreciated but frankly speaking, they do nothing to the author except tell them “Hey i read ur fic but i'm not gonna support u :D” and honestly, that is detrimental to their creative capabilities and mental health. 

DON’T FOLLOW AN ACC JUST TO MINDLESS RB THEIR SIGNAL BOOST POSTS AND THEIR REBLOGS OF GIFS AND NOT INTERACT WITH THEIR WRITING AT ALL ! Trust me, authors prefer a lower amount of interactive followers than a high count that doesn’t even give them any feedback. Again your follows are appreciated, but when you’re following, you know the type of content the author creates, so the author expects that the more followers, the more interactivity. These days, this is just becoming the opposite. So don’t do it! If you’re gonna follow to read, interact with their works. I promise, this will make both you and the author happy. A win-win situation.

In conclusion: SUPPORT YOUR FUCKING AUTHORS! THEY ARE NOT MACHINES THAT HAVE NO FEELINGS TO PRODUCE CONTENT FOR YOU! FICS TAKE DAYS AND DAYS OF PLANNING, PLOTTING, OUTLINING, WRITING, EDITING, MAKING TEASERS. SO JUST SHOW THEM YOU APPRECIATE THEM WITH AN RB. IT’S THE L E A S T YOU CAN DO.

I will be liking this post here written by the lovely @chaninfused​ and @scriptura-delirus​ . Please take time to read it because if you weren’t convinced by my arguments, you will see how much frustration we as writers face on a daily basis. Please, just show support. Here is the post by @stayndays​ about how to get more people to read your work, because it also has a note on reblogging. Please educate yourself, and put an end to this mindless consuming culutre and bring up some interactivity.

If you’ve read this far, I want you to go to two of your favorite authors and leave some feedback in their inbox, and tag me in it (either tag me yourself or ask the author to do so, they won’t mind). Show your writers that our words are taking effect and you are becoming better consumers. I mean it. I’m serious. I want every single one who reads this post to do this. besides valid reasons, if you’re lazy to do this, you’re a part of the problem. PLEASE get more perspective.

Also, feel free to add to this post! I’d love to read your thoughts too, remember to be kind though. And, if I think your rb is somehow contradicting my points and is bringing down the reason I made this post, I will politely ask you to delete your comment, because this post is about being truthful about the harsh reality of tumblr consumers and how we can change it. I’m sure none of you will let it get to that point, though. <3 love you guys. 💓

And, just a reminder, don’t just blindly like this too. Do what I said before, and while I am not forcing you, I’d appreciate your reblog, because seriously, it took me 3 whole days to write this, plus, I’m sure this will help more of your followers understand the fault in consumer culture. haha, that’s it! This post was way too long uff.

also, this is ur cue to not be stupid in my inbox. You have something to say? Think I worded smth wrongly? I’m sure it wasn’t my intention to do so, point it out with manners. 

[yukipri]

One Piece Mermaid AU Text Headcanons Compilation

They’re starting to add up, so decided to make a list!

This is a compilation of my written text headcanons, most often in response to asks, that contain story content for the One Piece Mermaid AU.

Meant to be both a reference for myself and anyone who wants to read more about the AU without scrolling through my blog!

In chronological order, with the newest at the bottom. New text headcanon posts will be added as I write them!

This post can be accessed through the One Piece Mermaid AU section of my One Piece Art Masterpost pinned to the top of my blog.

>> If this is a reblog, click HERE to view the latest updated version of this post on my blog!

👒🐟Mermaid AU Headcanons 👒🐟

Story (Fic) Posts

On the Courtship of Monkey D. Luffy (Marco’s Bauble)

👒🐟Part 1

👒🐟Part 2

👒🐟Part 3

👒🐟Part 4

👒🐟Part 5

👒🐟Part 6

👒🐟Part 7

👒🐟Part 8

👒🐟Part 9

👒🐟Part 10

On the Baratie

👒🐟Prologue

👒🐟Part 1

👒🐟Part 2

👒🐟Part 3

👒🐟Part 4

👒🐟Epilogue

Others

👒🐟On Koala and Fishman Karate

👒🐟On Deuce, Part 1

👒🐟On Law

👒🐟On Dadan

Ask Responses (may also contain short stories)

👒🐟On how much Luffy weighs because of her muscular tail

👒🐟On how Luffy gets around without Ace’s help

👒🐟On whether or not Luffy can breathe under water

👒🐟On Ace, Zoro, and Thatch’s reactions to Luffy almost getting sold

👒🐟On why they’re called the ASL pirates instead of Straw Hats

👒🐟On Ace getting jealous of Zoro

👒🐟On romantic ships in the AU

👒🐟On Usopp’s relationship with Luffy

👒🐟On how Marineford’s different in the AU

👒🐟On whether Luffy trains for water tolerance

👒🐟On how the three brothers like to sleep

👒🐟On whether Nami sells photos of Luffy to the crew

👒🐟On touching Luffy’s tail

👒🐟On whether Luffy gets jealous of other people touching Ace

👒🐟On Law

👒🐟On whether all the girls are gay for Luffy

👒🐟On whether Luffy’s a Supernova

👒🐟On whether Sabo realized Luffy was a girl

👒🐟On Hancock and Amazon Lily

👒🐟On whether Zoro’s the first mate of the crew

👒🐟On the reactions of the 7 Warlords to meeting Luffy

👒🐟On how they found out Luffy gets cold in her sleep

👒🐟On Bartolomeo

👒🐟On Eustass Kid

👒🐟On Robin

👒🐟On Mer!Luffy’s strength compared to canon Luffy

👒🐟On Katakuri

👒🐟On the fight with Usopp

👒🐟On the Vinsmokes

👒🐟On Coby and the start of the adventure

👒🐟On Thriller Bark

👒🐟On Cavendish

👒🐟On Shanks finding out that Luffy’s a girl from Mihawk

👒🐟On Loguetown and the execution platform

👒🐟On whether Makino knew about Luffy being a girl

👒🐟On Sabo & Koala in the ASL Pirates

👒🐟On Luffy and Bathing

👒🐟On what Luffy wears when she sleeps

👒🐟On the vulnerable parts of Luffy’s tail

👒🐟On whether the ASL pirates still use the same ships

👒🐟On Merfolk Biology

👒🐟On Smoker

👒🐟Regarding Luffy’s Heats

👒🐟On Fishmen/Merfolk and Sexuality

👒🐟On Deuce, general notes

👒🐟On which characters will be in the AU

👒🐟On what the crew wants to see Mer!Luffy wearing

👒🐟On whether anime filler arcs will be covered in this AU

👒🐟On whether Luffy’s boobs hinder her movement

👒🐟

👒🐟List of Topics I’m currently not answering asks about

Not Mermaid AU, but other longer story responses:

👒Ask Meme - ASL brothers, on their reactions to an ex showing up

👒Response to: How do you think the ASL brothers would change if it was Ace that was separated and Sabo stayed with Luffy on Dawn Island?

👒Follow up: On how Ace would regain his memories, Pirates Route

👒General ask: What do the ASL bros like about each other? (romantically)

~~

EDIT: I am no longer actively working on this AU, and therefore am no longer writing headcanon responses at this time. I still appreciate comments for my content that’s already written! Thanks for understanding.

Got a question of your own? Send me an ask! Anonymous is enabled ^ ^

Please note: I really appreciate if you can send separate questions in separate asks! This makes it much easier to answer them, and to link them to this post. I don’t mind at all if you send multiple asks, but if you have 3 questions, please send 3 separate asks! Thank you!

To see my main Mermaid AU art + text posts, as well as my One Piece content in general, check out my main One Piece Art Masterpost!

[toastedbuckwheat]

Hello! I got Tumblr at the beginning of quarantine, so I'm a little new to this and I have a question based on your post about reposted art. I originally got Tumblr to lurk in the shadows, but started re-blogging stuff when I noticed posts about how creators want re-blogs instead of kudos. Is re-blogging the same as re-posting or are the two different?! Also, if I re-blog someone who re-blogged is that bad, or should I reblog the original post?

Hi anon! Welcome to the Hellsite of Tumblr hehehe and thank you for reaching out to me! I know this is confusing at first (I was super confused when I first joined Tumblr and also needed someone to explain things to me fjghfchg)

Reblogging is not the same as reposting. Reblogging is great! it’s in fact the greatest thing you can do here to support a creator - this way you expose their post to a wider audience (because it ends up on your blog = your followers get to see it, and may pass it on further)! 

Okay this might be difficult to describe... Basically, when you hit reblog, no matter how many times it gets reblogged, the post can still be tied to its source (the ‘OP’ - original poster). I might get 10 or a 1000 reblogs and everyone will still see that it was originally posted by me. This way the notion of authorship of the post is preserved! And reblogging from someone who reblogged from me (or anyone else) does the same thing. In fact, i can still see it in my notifications that my post got reblogged, no matter if someone reblogged it directly from my blog, or from some other account (because the post is still tied to me - i’m the OP)

Reblogging works like a chain. you reblog something from me, someone reblogs from you, and everything is nice and trackable to the source. when you click on the notes you can see everything people said when they reblogged the post, even all the tags they used (those are often really funny)! When it comes to art posts, it’s great because I can scroll through all of this and see what ppl think about my work. it’s really satisfying!

Please reblog!! :D

Now, reposting. Reposting is when you, let’s say, see a drawing on tumblr. You decide it’s nice, you download it.... and then you RE-UPLOAD it to tumblr (make your own, separate post) or WORSE, you put it on another platform (Instagram, vk.com, whatever) without asking the artist (the original poster). This is Bad. Because it’s not like the reblog chain! if you re-POST someone’s work, it is no longer tied to the artist! So above i said that no matter how many times/from whom ppl reblog, the OP still gets notifications and feedback. If you repost, they obviously don’t! like, unless you ask them, they will never know where the hell their art is. and when something gets reposts once, even with credits, it’s likely to be reposted again and well, the authorship becomes obsolete. It becomes just another image on the internet while someone spent hours working on it. It becomes some sort of a common good (which it’s not - it’s got an author!) and might even end up getting reused/sold on products, and ppl will think it’s right because ‘oh i found it on the Internet, i don’t know who the artist is’.

Imagine you worked on a piece for 3 days, put it on tumblr, and then some time later it got reposted multiple times, got popular, people use it as their icons on instagram or something, and you get absolutely zero credit, feedback, or material income (in case you make profit off your art). Everyone recognises your drawing but nobody ties it to your name! :(

Obviously another thing is deliberate art theft, which would be someone downloading art and reuploading it while claiming it’s their own.

If some very popular account re-POSTS a piece and it gets a thousand likes and a dozen comments, the artist usually gets fuck-all from it. 

On the contrary, if a post on tumblr happens to get re-BLOGGED by a popular tumblr account (with a large follow base), it is likely to get a lot of likes and reblogs, and the original poster gets notified about all of these, and they might benefit from it! :D 

If you ever wish to share someone’s art to a platform you assume they’re not on, make sure you ask them for permission, that’s all. 

Lol this got long, i hope it answers all your questions. feel free to send me a message if anything is unclear!

[cap-samwilson]

my things.

i don’t write that much for marvel anymore, but i did want to create a collection of what i’ve published on this blog that relate to my writing as well as links to all of my most popular fics. 

below the cut is a list of tags i use on the blog and a link to my works on AO3, as well as a link to all of my fics on AO3 and where to find my shorter works.  

tags i use for organizational purposes.

my fic: each fic that i have written will have this tag. this means that it is an original work that i created. other tags on my works, depending on the type, including “five sentence fic”, and each work will have tagged the characters involved, any tw’s, and any ships that are relevant

fanfic: every fanfic that i reblog that is not my own work will have this tag on it. i will try to reblog so that the original creator is visible. if i’m reblogging it, i’m recommending it.

fanart: every fanart that i reblog will have this tag. i will not reblog fanart that does not have the artist, and if i do on accident, please let me know so that i can rectify that!

gifset: this tag is for gifs that i reblog, and if they are credited then i will be sure to reblog it so that it is visible. also, if it is an edit that is in gif form, i will use this tag.

photoset: set of photos. again, i want credit to go where it is due, so if it is not obvious let me know.

others: other tags are more sporadic and might not be used as often. i don’t usually tag the movies that images are from, but i will attempt to tag when they are comic panels with comics, the actor in the gif if it is relevant, as well as the character or ship that is being used or described (ex. rhodeytony, stevetony, sambucky). 

my fics.

my AO3 is here, but i will link specific full-length fics i have written down below. again, my shorter works will be tagged my fic and five sentence fic if you want to find them on tumblr. 

1. love in five sentences - tony/everyone, essentially. the foundation upon which this blog was based. five sentence fics, between tony and another person. when you search five sentence fic on my blog, this is what you will find. the link is a collection of all of them in one place, if you don’t feel like scrolling. 

2. slippers - clint/tony. fluff, faling in love.

“what are those… atrocities on your feet?” tony asks, peering up over his tablet and holograms, and clint suddenly is just giddy, giggling, gone.

“they’re from my walmart back home,” he says, and it’s almost to the slippers, to the purple unicorns that squish with every step. his voice is syrupy sweet, and tony has to lean down just to get a better view of the ratty purple hair, the threadbare faces that are smiling serenely with closed eyes (with added eyelashes sewn in), and of course the shiny horns gone a little crooked. “aren’t they fucking hideous?”

3. hand to heart - bucky/tony. angst, hurt/comfort. tw: hospital scenes, mention of torture.

bucky is there when the reactor is taken out of tony’s chest.

one moment, it’s there, shining and bright and blue. the next, it’s gone.

not gone gone, it’s still there, still bright, but the shine comes from the metal of its encasing and not the soft glow of life.

4. he’s not a spark, he’s the whole damn flame - steve/tony. college au. fluff, pre-relationship. 

"i thought you and tony were still gazing into each other's eyes."

“what?” steve asks the voice, feeling the pencil slide across the paper with purpose, inspiration stepping before every stroke. her voice is the first he’s heard in hours, the arts department buildings pretty empty this time of day, except for the people leaving classes in the studios.

“well, the last time i saw you, you were drooling pretty heavily over tony stark in those skinny jeans, and… well, you know the rest,” nat teases, and unfortunately, steve’s pen has to come to a halt before the heat in his cheeks distracts from his homework. “figured you were stuck there.”

5. guardian angel - sam & steve. could be seen as sam/steve. sam as an angel.

sam wilson is made before the beginning of time itself, and knows that worlds that spin on an axis tend to be born, live, and then die. there’s a beginning for them, and sometimes he envies that - being able to start from scratch is a blessing that none of his kind get. they were made. by something, by nothing they were breathed into the air, perhaps. gone one moment and there the next. which moment? it’s… uncertain. fully formed, though, they are, and then the rest of the cosmos come and go in a flash around them, whirling in spirals of color and stars until something new comes from them. something like life.

space, power, reality, time, they unfold like a map before all of them, him and his siblings. the first cries of life echo through the emptiness and something answers back. souls are molded.

6. sun comes out - carol/rhodey. first meeting. 

“y’know, there’s a reason they call it a cockpit.”

that caught rhodey’s attention, like a putrid smell, and he turned in his chair to follow the stench. when he found the source, he couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose, gazing at the sight of some trainee leaning over a table, two women seated, pleasantly tipsy, and unamused.

7. fly high, baby girl - tony & morgan.

“you wanna fly, huh?” he said, giving her a big smile, hand lifting to cup the side of her face.

“like you, daddy,” she said with a grin, and her hands clapped together, pressing up on her toes. “higher and higher and higher!”

8. pieces of love - a collection of fic from my two hundred follower celebration, where i wrote little stories about some of my favorite relationships. 

flying dinosaurs - rhodey/tony. 

cake is on the agenda - peter & aunt may. 

moving in and moving forward - sam/bucky.

summertime - natasha/tony.

a little bit lucky - carol/rhodey.

the rain pours - natasha & tony, steve/tony.

hopeless cases - bucky/tony. 

[keeroo92]

Tumblr Tips You Probably Already Know

So I don’t know about you guys, but for me learning how tumblr works was a pain in the ass. I thought it might be handy to share a few tricks I’ve picked up the last few months for anyone who needs them. Bear in mind I’m still extremely new at this, and not all blogs would benefit from my amateur advice. I’m posting this just in case one of you guys are as frustrated and annoyed as I was at the beginning.

First - Adding a “Keep Reading” divider

Why to do it -  If you post a lot of longer stories, viewers will be forced to scroll through the entire post to see anything further on their feed. While this might seem like a good way to get people to read your work, it can become a hindrance if people don’t have the time to read and are forced to either suck it up and scroll, or unfollow you.

How to do it -

When you are preparing to post (Text post) just hit “Enter”. You should see a few icons on the right of where you’re currently typing, like this.

The icon on the far right will insert a divider that can be dragged to anywhere you like, and when you post it will create one of these -

Readers will need to click to view the full post. I don’t know if there’s a way to create these with any other type of post, but it’s something I learned after an Anon asked me to please use the tool. (Thank you Anon!!!)

My personal preference is to also list the word count above the cut off, so that my readers have a rough idea how much time they might need to finish reading. If you aren’t sure what your word count is, you can paste your work here and find out - https://wordcounter.net/

Some programs have something like this built in as well.

Timing your post

Why to do it - Like any site, tumblr has peaks and valleys of activity. I did a little bit of poking around and found that the most active time of day is between 4pm and 10pm Eastern. If you are trying to maximize the number of people who see your post, it may help to post during this window.

How to do it - I’m pretty terrible about dong this, but when you’re preparing a  post, you can schedule when it appears by clicking the drop down menu on the post button, here.

A small menu should open, like this.

The schedule can be annoying to work with, since it requires a specific format of date. Again, I suck at this, but I’ve noticed if it doesn’t like what I put in the post only refuses to submit.

The post will not even minimize, so you won’t lose your work. (I still recommend keeping a copy elsewhere just in case!!!) Here’s what it looks like -

This menu will also appear when you reblog a previous post, so you can schedule your reblogs with ease.

Opinions vary on whether reblogs actually do any good, but that’s for you to decide for yourselves. Both these scheduling features can be extremely helpful if you won’t be able to post for a few days (vacation, illness, etc.) but you don’t want your blog to stagnate.

Creating a Masterlist

Why to do it - Once you have a few pieces of writing posted, you want people to be able to find them, right? A Masterlist puts links to all your work in one place, like a Table of Contents. Someone just finding your blog can go through everything you’ve written to date and binge it all at once, or just a few to decide if they really want to follow you.

How to do it - Here’s a link to an in-depth tutorial. I’ll summarize below as well.

Start with a new text post. You’ll want to have an idea of how to organize your stuff in advance. I chose to do mine based off of the main pairing, but I’ve seen others go by the date of the post or type of post. You can do it however you like.

Next, list out everything you can think of. It’s fine if you don’t have a full list, you can always go back and add more later. Make sure you put everything in the right category.

Now the annoying part - linking! Every post you make has its own page, and you’ll need to copy the full URL. There’s a million ways to do it, but I just scrolled through my post history with a tag filter on and opened/copied each one in turn. It can be time consuming if you have a lot of posts, though.

Once you have the URL copied, find the line on your masterlist you want to use and highlight it.. Here’s an example.

Now, click on the little figure eight thing I circled. It’ll open a spot for you to paste the URL, like so.

Once it’s in there, click “Done” on the right side of the bubble to save the link. It’ll add a blue line under the text to show where people can click to follow the link. Repeat this until you’ve got each item linked up!

Go ahead and post it, and grab the URL for the masterlist itself. Navigate to your profile and click the little painter’s palette to edit your blog’s appearance. Mine is in the upper right corner, I don’t know if that’s standard.

On the left side of your screen, a new window should open where you can change all kinds of settings. Scroll down to find the custom link section. I’m not sure if every theme has this feature, so you may need to pick a new one to do this. Here’s what mine looks like.

Make whatever changes you like, but make sure you hit “Save” at the top of the window. You might want to check your profile to make sure it looks the way you want it to, but that should be all you need! Be sure to update your masterlist regularly. If you ever discover a line is missing the blue line underneath to show it’s a link, that likely means the link is broken. Generally, you can fix this by redoing the URL paste step above.

A few handy sites -

https://fanlore.org/wiki/Main_Page

If you feel a bit overwhelmed by the number of fannish words you aren’t familiar with, you can find most here. Great way to deepen your understanding and also make sure you’re tagging the right genre’s!

https://prowritingaid.com/en/Analysis/WebEditor/Go

This site is amazing. They have all kinds of editing tools, too many to list in one post. The main idea here is if you want to analyze your writing, this site does it for free. There’s a 500 word limit unless you want to spend a little money, but IMO it’s worth trying out. However, it can’t tell you your style or identify deliberate grammatical errors. Take it’s advice with a grain of salt, and don’t blindly do everything it says. You will lose what makes your writing unique if you do.

https://write-it-motherfuckers.tumblr.com/

HOLY PROMPTS, BATMAN!!! Seriously, this blog has so many amazing ideas it’s ridiculous. If you want to find a new plot or crazy AU, this WILL give you ideas!

https://writeordie.com/

A great tool for breaking through writer’s block! This site allows you to set a timer and word count, and program sounds to make should you reach/miss your goal. Not for everyone, but I like it for when I have tons of ideas but just can’t settle on one. Best part is it doesn’t delete your work after the time runs out, so you can copy it anywhere you like!

https://ao3commentoftheday.tumblr.com/

This blog is fantastic for any random questions you might have regarding fanfic. They answer things from how to write a chat fic, to how to write an ASL character, to where to find references on how to write a car chase. Truly amazing stuff!

And last lil thing - HAVE FUN!!!!

(Also, sorry if this whole post reads unkindly or in a condescending tone, that is NOT how I mean any of this! I’m not perfect and still have so much to learn, honestly just wanted to share on the off chance it’s useful to someone else.)

[izzy-b-hands]

20-30!

Thank you so much for asking!!!!

20. Favorite character to write?

Already answered, but I don’t mind re-answering cuz I thought maybe I’d narrow my three way tie, but alas, no lol. Still a tie between Ahkmenrah, Snafu, and Skwisgaar.

21. Least favorite character to write? 

Ooh-tbh, Larry from NATM just because I feel like I always make him an asshole? Like, I haven’t published all my fic ideas for NATM because I keep making him really mean? And in some it works but in others I’m like ‘jesus chill Lee he’s just a Dude trying his best’ but also at the same time I feel the way Stiller played him and his character arc means he’s got some major ego to him as the films go on? Idk that isn’t a hot take or anything just me being frustrated with Ben Stiller lol

22. Favorite story you’ve ever written? 

Hard choice, because I love all my kids, but I cried after writing this one lol: https://aboutthatmelancholystorm.tumblr.com/post/186781309036/you-know-that-i-love-you

It hit some personal stuff for me, so to be able to have it work organically in a fic so I could also like, mini therapy session myself? Cool af. Also, ppl seemed to like this a lot too, and while that validation isn’t the only reason I write, it’s always cool when my writing makes ppl happy. 

23. Least favorite story you’ve ever written? 

I don’t really have a least favorite, but I do have some I’m more frustrated with, due to how long they took me to write, etc. Currently? The answer to this is my Mark the Date series because A. it is taking me a day and an age to finish it and B. I feel like it kinda flopped, so it’s hard to pull up any energy to finish it, but like...I may as well now lol. I’ll get it done eventually.

24. Favorite scene you’ve written? 

Oh god tbh I have too many I love just cuz like

I can go back to how I felt writing them and yeah

But as of most recent fics, I really this bit: 

-Snafu patted the blanket near his head, and waited for Eugene to put out his pipe and lay back beside him before snuggling close to him. “You could be right. Could be God. Could just be love.” “How’s that?” “I think love has its own way. Even before you meet someone, even before you know you’re fallin’ for ‘em. Love’s just…out there, like the air or somethin’. Finds you when the time is right, and finds who you click with. You gotta do the rest, the stayin’ in love part, but that bringing together, that first spark…that’s love just existing, and doin’ what it needs to so the world keeps spinnin’, so people make it through tough shit,” Snafu replied. “I like that,” Eugene said. “Think love did a good job with us. Makin’ sure we found each other.” Snafu pressed a kiss softly to the corner of Eugene’s mouth. “Sure did. Wouldn’t ever want to be with anyone else. I don’t even know what that looks like, and I don’t want to.” “Same here,” Eugene’s mouth was warm as he kissed him back. “Here’s to love for making sure you found me.” -

from this fic: https://aboutthatmelancholystorm.tumblr.com/post/186926226531/absolution-is-the-taste-of-your-lips

Because I’m sappy af more than I let on, and also this was a chance to like, write out my own feelings via Snafu. And that was a pretty cool and fulfilling thing for me, ya know? 

25. Favorite line you’ve ever written? 

oh god this is another hard one to narrow down but

I always come back to this line and go ‘oh shit did I really write that. Nah, someone better than me at this had to have. They briefly possessed me or something”:  

-Music and talking and shouting and footsteps collide kaleidoscopic in his ears, but none bearing the one sound that he’d run to if he heard it.-

from this fic, mentioned twice now in this post lol: https://aboutthatmelancholystorm.tumblr.com/post/186781309036/you-know-that-i-love-you

I really love alliteration, and for me this line just sums up how it feels to walk thru a city when you aren’t just wandering really, but are looking or waiting for someone, and have that awful yet sometimes good feeling of expecting to hear or see them but it feels like you’re waiting or searching forever and in the meantime the city just lives on around you, a stopped platelet stuck in a vein full of vitality. Like, idk if it hit any of my readers that way, but that’s what I was trying to get across lol, so the line always hits me hard in a good way when I scroll thru my writing tag and see it. 

26. Story you’re most proud of? 

Gosh

I gotta choose just one kid for this aldsfkja I’m bad at choosing I love my gaggle of ragtag goofballs. I have an original piece I’d choose for this, but I’ve never posted it on here, so I’m gonna choose out of my fanfic on here instead.

One I am really proud of is this one: https://aboutthatmelancholystorm.tumblr.com/post/186781309036/you-know-that-i-love-you

and I know it’s the third time it’s been part of an answer on here but

I really love this one idk. Thinking back to how I felt while writing it, how it all flowed in a certain way. The whole experience was just something else, and I’m proud of this one in a certain way I find myself, funnily enough, unable to describe. 

27. Best review you ever got? 

Okay this sounds cheesy but like

I really do love and appreciate every review or review-like thing I’ve ever gotten so I can’t choose just one for this

Like, y’all gotta understand, I’ve deleted some of it and erased traces of it from my blog, but I’ve written for years on here, I have some stuff on my ao3, and for the longest time I got nothing back, or very nearly nothing. Maybe a few likes, but no comments and not much else. I always just rolled with it and assumed I just wasn’t writing anything good enough to inspire reviews. Idk if that’s true or not, but in any case it means I cherish every comment, like, reblog, and anything review-like in nature because I’m so grateful to have it now, and I know it could well be pure luck that I stumbled up on a really supportive bunch of fandoms with great readers. 

In other words, thank y’all for every kind word and like and reblog and also I may be an immortal feeding off of validation of my art, but we’ll see on that last bit, because I haven’t tested it. 

28. Worst review you ever got?

One from middle school. I’d just finished my very first novel, gave it to a friend to read, and he said it ‘smacked of being too fanciful and childish, something only kids and women would read’ (it was a YA fantasy novel so I mean... what exactly he expected, idk cuz he knew what it was before I gave it to him, like it’s supposed to have those elements as a lot of these sorts of novels/stories do, and that isn’t a bad thing about them at all, so like...what his damage was idek.)

Also this is the same dude who texts me randomly and is really weird abt his friendship with me and happens to be an English teacher now (RIP to his students.) 

Anyway, after he said that I tossed a review right back, because well, middle school and also I was very upset with him because I’d not asked for anything other than a general ‘if you picked this up randomly and started it, would it suck you in enough to keep reading or would you put it down’ like that was literally all I needed him to answer for me. So I told him his latest novel (his second at that point) was essentially just him masturbating to his own opinions (because he’s an arguer, who loves to tell ppl they’re always wrong, and that’s by his own admission) for one hundred pages, and not in a way that anyone else would care to read. He was pissed, but so was I. We didn’t talk for a good week, and we had almost all our classes together lol. 

Like, getting nothing back in review sucks too, but this one has stuck with me forever. Best part? I mentioned it to him a few years back, and he only vaguely remembered it, and followed it with “but I’ve said a lot of rough stuff about your work. I mean, it deserved it at the time, but you might be good at this someday!” 

I didn’t smack him, but I really, really wanted to. 

29. Favorite story/poem of another author

This doesn’t specify on Tumblr or not, so I’ve got two: one from outside tumblr, and one from on here.

A. When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be by John Keats

When I have fears that I may cease to be   Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,Before high-pilèd books, in charactery,   Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;When I behold, upon the night’s starred face,   Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,And think that I may never live to trace   Their shadows with the magic hand of chance;And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,   That I shall never look upon thee more,Never have relish in the faery power   Of unreflecting love—then on the shoreOf the wide world I stand alone, and thinkTill love and fame to nothingness do sink.

B. Again, this Tumblr one could be a huge ass list because y’all on here are amazing, but one I’ve been rereading over and over again recently is @xmxisxforxmaybe ‘s Remnants series, which can be found here: https://xmxisxforxmaybe.tumblr.com/post/186702235396/remnants-complete-work

Like, Ahk as a character is captured so well, and I love the way the plot twines and also when the smut comes up? Very good A+ smut, something I value pretty highly on and off Tumblr because man, sometimes smut is just work to write, so I appreciate it when it’s really good. All around, this series has captured my heart and I legit have a link to it saved on multiple devices so if I need something to read, I can just pull it up right away. 

30. Hardest part of writing? 

Self-doubt. It’s the biggest hurdle for any artist, regardless of the art in question I think, but with writing it seems to double down a lot. Like, you have to really get out of your own head, even as you spend all your time there with your writing ideas. Shit gets weird and twisted, man. 

For the longest time, I really let self-doubt defeat me too, and I regret the time I lost to that. I still get hit with it randomly, cause I don’t think it every really goes away for any writer, not even the big names like Stephen King or Neil Gaiman (who I’m half tempted to @ on here purely because I wanna know his feelings on this stuff because I respect and admire him as an artist and his thoughts very much, but also he’s a very busy man so I’m not gonna bug him by doing that lol.) 

All there is to do is to work with it, push past it, and most importantly keep writing. I have days where that feels like the hardest thing, but each day I manage to get past it and get the words down? I let myself feel proud of that, and mark it as an achievement in my Big Book of Stuff I’ve Done in This Life. 

[runicbeast]

Self-shippers, wanna see something cool?!

I've been scrolling through / following the #self shipping tag for a while. Noticed I have like, a F/o set up most people probably don't have that I'd love to share / teach anyone else to make! Just shoot me a message, don't be afraid, I literally have nothing better to do and love when people take interest in whatever I'm up to! I'm not worried about damaging any Street CredTM on my main here, I haven't been relevant in forever, if at all.

(This is my first time using a “Keep reading” cut off, since this post is sort of long. I think that sends folks to my blog, sorry if my font is hard to read in, idk how to change it. There’s always copy-pasting into a word processor)

The place where this amazing thing lies? Google Sheets. I guarantee you, it's useful for WAY more than data entry. I've been building up this "F/o set up", let's call it King Kong, an arbitrary name I'd given it that just sorta stuck, since 10/14/17. It all started with the Grade Book template.

Wow, it's been a while since I looked at the base template, so much has been changed since then. Not gonna show the real thing / parallel to this page, because sensitive info, but I will talk 'bout it's features. No one's ever asked and I never plan on sharing the sheet itself, so I'm just gonna rant on all the capabilities (and if anyone's interested, I can share some formulas to help build your own)

Note: This is all 1 Google Sheet, made the whole thing myself except for the /very/ base, which I think was the School Grades template? It's been a year since I started it, it didn't start this awesome.

There's a page full of graphs, info grabbed from my F/os to find what I'm attracted to. I hope to build The Ultimate OC, or one geared towards myself one day with this info.

You get one (1) graph. Looks like I have a preference.

The most used page is the Mobile viewport, or "Mobile RE", (Mobile Random Events) shaped to fit my phone. In the center is a randomized prompt, with pieces taken from another page. A different F/o is generated for each prompt, sometimes multiple (road trips are fun). Some prompts have a "switch" that is effected by character traits, such as characters listed as "Introvert" or "Extrovert" , or “Punchy-fist” or “Pacifist” may see a slightly different prompt

Example prompts -

"Spongebob Squarepants seems to have caught a bad case of the hiccups. Seems frustrating ~ You're just glad it ain't you."

(Has an Honest / Dishonest switch) "While you and Spongebob Squarepants are walking around town, you find a wallet. You could care less what is done with it, but Spongebob Squarepants insists the wallet be returned to it's owner. It's even got the ID in there and everything, so you oblige. One good deed a day." (While the Dishonest may just pocket it)

(Note: Spongebob ain't in there, just first rando I could think of XD)

I usually just peek at these for like a sec / enjoy 'em / imagine 'em in the moment, but you can write as many prompts as you want, even using them as actual prompts for drawing or fanfiction writing! I’d love to share the premise of some of the prompts I’ve collected if anyone is interested there.

There's also a refresh button, a break switch (seen here "Turned off for editing"), 25+ color themes (got "Chocolate" set in the pic), Night reading mode (love reading white words on black text, it’s on 99% of the time), Game modes such as "Best of" which just shows my favorite prompts, pronoun / name dropdown lists. want your F/o to call you your nickname? One of your kin names? Genderfluid and don’t want to be locked down?. 

Sound too good to be true? Hell naw mate, shit's real. Just needed to put a little work into it and boom there it is!

Looking outside the viewport, there's a currency system (Pearls), along with that, a gambling prompt exists (Though I have to calculate winnings / make changes manually), Merchant's Prompt (they can buy stat boosting / effect items w/ pearls), Inventories, Statuses (Cursed Tiki effects a character's stats), Holiday indicators for seasonal prompts, you bet your ass I have a column for each character's MBTI / Enneagram, friendships between characters, even across media sources if it works.

Testing laboratory to check if new characters I've found would fit here (linked because it wouldn’t upload to the post for some reason?)

Team Puzzle the F/os are working on, it's 82% done ~ Each piece is picked up when a certain prompt comes up.

I may not have a self-insert made special for self-shipping or a detailed story of how I met any of 'em / life together like most you have, which is super cool. But I've got this.

I realize some folks still may be too shy to contact me, so here's some useful formulas to start with -

=IF(A1="word", "Yes it is word" , "Nope it's not word") ^ You can nest this formula like there's no tomorrow. Can be used with below for random chance. Ex. Under 50 is tails, over is heads

=if(iserror(SEARCH("thing to find",A1)), "Not contain", "Contains" ) ^ Similar to above, checks if a cell CONTAINS a cell instead of is EXACTLY that word

=RANDBETWEEN(1,100) ^ Classic out of 100 randomizer, but numbers can be adjusted

=CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,2), "Apple", "Banana") ^ Another random choice. Can def have more than 2

=INDIRECT("column letter" & cell with row number) ^ This thing is very smart, let’s you outsource the location of a cell

Say these are all in column A - Red (A1), Blue (A2), Yellow (A3)

=INDIRECT("A" & B1)

Then in B1 or something you have either the number 1, 2, or 3. It will use that number to know where to grab the info from :)

I use this in my main Mobile RE viewport, the row number is randomized outside of it, also allows info / notes on specific prompts to come up in a separate cell since they use the same row but a different column

=INDEX(HP!D1:D88 , L21 , 1 ) 

^ Incredibly similar to the above “indirect” formula. I grabbed this straight from the sheet. L21 is like B1 in the other formula, and the HP!D1:D88 is like “A” in the other, but this one grabs info ACROSS SHEETS, HP is in a different tab than this formula is in! Very useful

=index(E129:M129, randbetween(1, counta(E129:M129) ) ) ^ Big ol' text randomizer. This one is for a single prompt tho

And that's like 99% of my formulas, I probably have minor ones floating around tho. Reblog if you've been inspired / want to contact me to make your own / want to spread this around!

[mermaidylluria]

Warning to all you mers on Tumblr out there: The purge has officially begun. My account just got flagged, and the only things I have on here are my own event photos (which are all family-friendly & fully clothed), and mermaid art (both classical and new, some of which has an LGBTQ focus- and may, at times, *gasp* in some cases feature kissing). So.. just as a heads-up, the whole Tumblog censorship hubub is a real thing. My hope was that in a page FULL of mermaids, it would be obvious what the space was about- that it was absent of pornographic or ANY kind of child-endangering content, n’ be subsequently left alone.  But it appears that’s not the case.  So now that we know mer art is going to be targeted (after all, “NEKKIT BEWBIES, ER MAH GURD!!”), I suggest we all get ready to either defend our posts (via disputing flagged content), participate in some kind of (peaceful, preferably meaningful & artful) protest, or just leave the platform all together. 'Cause this tells me that they're not only flagging classical art, they're also trying to eradicate LGBTQ content, and NONE of that is okay.  Personally, I’m going to do all 3.  Fight and dispute, while making preparations to move my space elsewhere.  Where that’ll be I’m not sure yet, but if we loose, I want a place for my mermaid stuff to go, and the demigods at Tumblr better be aware, I’m taking my decently-well-known bellydance n’ other blogs w/me too, if I’m forced to leave.

And just for my personal 2 cents on the matter?  Dear gods, not ALL of the internet has to be child friendly. XP Censorship like that happening on YouTube, Facebook & now Tumblr stifles creativity (look at channels like Glam&Gore, who can’t barely do SFX makeup anymore because she keeps getting demonetized), silences valuable artistic and minority voices, removes audiences for burgeoning creators (who, btw, may NOT be engaging in pornographic content in ANY way), and forces narrow-minded, puritanical standards of "decency" (which are by FAR the minority), over others' ability to operate successfully in that medium. This smothers decent, AWESOME things like art, science, expression and SO much more. XS  See, it’s not about the p0rn.  It’s about the CENSORSHIP.  This is the internet. It was designed to dispense and SHARE information, ideas, inspiration, fun, etc. Not be a surrogate nanny for your kids. XS

ANNNNYWAY, if you want to read more about what is and is not allowed on Tumblr now, you can visit: https://tumblr.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/231885248. (And be sure to read to the bottom, where users can find out how to appeal post & entire blog flags under the last 2 questions.)  And if you have a mermaid blog where ANY kind of toplessness is involved, note that "female presenting nipples" is distinctly mentioned, which, as I'm sure lots of you already know, directly impacts classical AND modern art- one of the few things on Tumblr that can be shared WITHOUT a copyright, as well as a TON of mermaid art, classical and otherwise. XP 

What does this mean?  Well.. in simple terms, it means that stuff like Botticelli and Picasso are no longer welcome on Tumblr.  It means that Reubens, Waterhouse and Rodin, if they have artistic interpretations of naked women in their work, cannot be shared on Tumblr.  Even though their works are featured in international museums of the highest callibur, lauded all over the world as legends of innovation, vision, unparalleled beauty, & precision, expression & creativity, and world-famed for their social and economic value.  Those.. are not welcome here now, apparently.  Meanwhile, images & videos stolen from present-day & other modern hard-working artists, photographers, cartoonists, writers and other creators from allll over the world arrre hunky-dory. XP  DaFUQ, Tumblr??? (At -least- they mention mis-attribution & non-attribution on their new guidelines now. That at least, is an improvement. X*)

But now.. let’s see how that’s directly affected my blog, shall we..?  ‘Cause, as I mentioned before, I figured surely since I didn’t actually have any pr0n on my pages, I & other mer pages should be safe, right?  BZZZZZZZT, WRONG.  After getting this e-mail (pictured above), I went through my whole blog and found the 4 posts that were "flagged" as having adult content. *rolls eyes* 

3 of them were reblogs &1 was an original post. 

2 of those posts were queer-positive modern art. 

1 was a photographic collection of pieces FEATURED IN "W" MAGAZINE, 

And the last is a piece of classical style, queer-positive art. XS 

One of the modern pieces doesn't even show nipples, just saggy bewbies COVERED with small seashells. 

The other modern-style piece was a Rackham style drawing, where the tatas are but a mere suggestion of simple lines and dots. 

One was shown in a INTERNATIONAL FRICKING FASHION MAGAZINE SPREAD, which was apparently suitable for SOMEONES' interpretation of public consumption, 

and the last only shows suggestions & curvatures of breasts! (Showing the side and outer portions of the female chest, with no nipples. XP)

-And WHY AM I HAVING TO JUSTIFY THIS???? THIS IS ART. THIS IS NOT P0RN. Again I say "WTF, Tumblr????" XS

As you can see, 3 of my posts were reblogs, so I had no means of disputing those posts.  (According to their new guidelines, the owner of the original post has to do that, and if they are found as having “inappropriate content,” there’s no further means of appeal.)   But one of them, one of the very first posts I ever made in this blog, was an original, so I was able to refute its being deemed as inappropriate.  FIrst, you have to go through allll of your posts to find.. whatever it is someone’s had issue with.  (Whether it’s a person who’s flagged it or something chosen by Tumblr’s algorithms/keyword alert systems, I have no idea.)  But they don't even bother to link you in your notification e-mail, so first you’ve gotta FIND what’s being flagged before you can repeal it.  (I didn’t even know what I was looking for at first.  They never specify.  Would it be a tiny new icon near the Edit and Share buttons at the bottom?  A wee little flag pointer, outside of the post itself..?  Do I got to my posted page n’ try to find it?  Or will it be in my Posts stream, & the whole post be red..?  Who knows?)  But eventually, after enough scrolling, I found what I was looking for.  A big red bar across the affected posts.  -And if it’s a post you can do something about, they give you a button to push on the designated "flagged" work, at the top right. After you hit the "dispute" button, you’re given a largely blank page.  In the center, you get to choose between Dispute, Cancel or Learn More.  No “tell us why you feel this should not be flagged, why it doesn’t violate our rules,” nothing.  Nowhere to speak your peace.  You just hit a button, and you’re done.  You get no say, other than “I object, your honor!”  NOT COOL, people. NOT COOL.  You clearly don’t wanna hear the voices of your content creators, or, at least, enough to allow them to speak for the work they felt appropriate enough to post..

Reading this from another media source?  Please don’t discount this issue if you don’t personally have a Tumblog.  It doesn't really matter whether you use tumble or not, whether you think it's lame or not, etc. The problem is much, much larger than that, and it’s growing.  This is another very large, social media platform that's being affected by censorship in the name of marketing- and thus, be child-friendly.  They want the whole family to be able to come and see all the ads they wanna put here, and without that, they don’t make their money.  So anything not child-friendly, even vaguely PERCEIVED as not child-friendly (by God only knows whose standards), is being wiped out from the whole platform.  Don’t believe me?  It’s happened on YouTube, on Facebook, and likely, many others.  Do some googling and check it out for yourself.  YouTube is a platform that’s being strangled by this phenomenon right this very second.  There are videos on it.  Go see. Now.  ‘Cause if we don’t educate ourselves about this n’ do something to fight it, what’s happening to YouTube is our future.  Not just here on Tumblr, but EVERYWHERE.

Big Brother isn't just watching, guys, he's stealing your open arenas for personal and creative expression, so he can better market to you & yer kids.  He wants EVERYONE to buy his Stuff.   And if the kids can’t see it here, they won’t ask mommy and daddy to go get it for them.  So out classical art, and LGBTQ content, and mermaids go.  Out the door.  (Meanwhile, who do kids love?? UM.. MERMAIDS.  HELLO!!!  What should be educating them about history and the arts?  UMM.. FINE ART, HELLO.  Who teaches them about tolerance and diversity and SO MUCH MORE?  Umm.. THE LGBTQ community!  Who teaches them about what human bodies look like, and that it’s okay to have ANY kind of body?  UM.. BODY POSITIVE ART, THANK YOU.)  

We need to put the kaibosh on this somehow, now. Not just for Tumblr, or Facebook, or YouTube. We've got to find SOME way of letting the Big Boys know this is not activity we will tolerate. 'Cause the places to freely express ourselves are going to continue to diminish, get scarcer, and fewer.. until they're all.. gone.

ART =/= PORN, YOU IGNORANT, PURITANICAL, MONEY-GRUBBING FISHTITS.  LEARN TO POLICE YOUR OWN CHILDREN, MORE EFFECTIVELY POLICE GENUINE CRIMINALS, AND LEAVE THE REST OF THE INTERNET ALONE.  Please.

♥

[kagehina]

Hi! Today, I want to talk about how to identify stolen art and how to proceed when you see that there’s a blog growing off of stealing art. 

It’s something that fortunately isn’t as frequent as it was in the past, but it’s something that still happens and I see it when I’m scrolling through the haikyuu!! tag (I’m sure it’s existent in pretty much every fandom though). So I thought of making this post! I hope it’ll be useful to someone and it’ll encourage them to help others see how they can share art without being disrespectful to the artists!

How to identify that the art you’re seeing has been stolen:

• ‘empty’ post: pay attention if the post has no text, no art source, or has a vague text that doesnt hint that person who posted it is the artist (e.g. “omg look at this! I love this ship");

• tagging system: look through the tags and see if there’s a tag that hints that the art was made by the uploader (e.g. a tag titled “my art” or “this took me so long to draw!”). This is usually reliable, but keep in mind that there are people who claim they’re the artists of art that isn’t theirs, a even shameless form of art theft;

• art style: when you go on the uploader’s blog, can you notice that the art uploaded features a consistent art style? It’s common that people who are still finding their art style have it still a little incosistent, but if you notice that each art piece is very different from another (e.g. one picture is very anime-ish and one other is bordering realism), it’s likely that the art, at least some of it, is stolen;

• ‎blog description: look for a mention that the blog owner is an artist - when you read the uploader’s blog description, do they say that it’s their art that is being uploaded (again, keep in mind that there are people who claim to be artists of pieces they’re not the artists of)? From my experience, if their blog description is something among the lines of “this is an anime/manga blog where i post pictures i like” or “this is just another [fandom] blog”, and they match the other bullets above… They’re suspicious. Oh! And there are even people who directly write a disclaimer “I’m not the artist of anything posted here” on their description, as if it suddenly makes it okay to post said pictures;

※ It’s good to reverse search the picture(s) you think may be stolen. SauceNao is the best website to do it - it’ll show the source of pictures that are originally from deviantart or pixiv. Here’s how to use it. if nothing shows up on SauceNao, google search is a good website to reach, as it’ll show many other sources, inlcuding tumblr. But keep in mind that it won’t necessarily display the source directly, it’ll usually display first the websites where the picture you searched is more popular.

If all of the bullets are added up, it’s likely that the art is stolen. But how to proceed?

Talking someone out of stealing art can be tiring and discouraging, specially but not exclusively if it’s YOUR art that was stolen. Be sure to be prepared! It’s worth it. 

The best thing to do is to ask the uploader! Be polite! Ask if they’re the artist or if they have the artists’ permission to upload art. Usually, people who upload others’ art without their permission don’t know that what they’re doing is wrong and that it’s the main reason why artists stop sharing their art online at all and, in many cases, even lose their interest in drawing. So, the best thing to do is to try and tell the uploader how harmful it can be for the artists. Contacting people usually works well for me and they usually understand how what they’re doing is wrong. However, it’s happened to me that some people simply respond “i found this picture on the internet, I don’t know who the artist is”. You can show them how easy is it to find artwork’s source! here’s a good page w/ multiple guides. Pixiv is a popular japanese website that other websites steal content from, so it’s useful to know how to communicate with artists through there. Here’s a guide on how to ask for permission from pixiv artists!

Remember that sourcing art is better that not doing it at all, but it’s still not ideal. The best way to upload other people’s art is having their permission!!!

If the uploader refuses to listen, or disables messaging/asks from other users to avoid contact, or blocks those who tell them that what they’re doing is wrong, there’s the option to report them. If you’re the artist of the stolen content, you should fill the formulary in this page. If you’re not, try contacting the artist so they can do this themselves. You can try and e-mail Tumblr support about this, but having the artist itself message Tumblr about it is way more effective. You can also make a callout post for the uploader, but, personally, that’s not my favorite way of solving things. I’ve never recurred to this but I can see how this could be helpful. It’s up to you!

That’s all the advice I have about dealing with art theft. If you have anything else to add, please do!! I’d like to learn new methods of dealing with it, and I’d like to hear what you do if/when you decide to try and talk to an art thief about it.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to reblog if you feel this could be useful for anyone else! See ya!!

[california-grethan]

Under False Pretenses - Hidden Identity // {G. Dolan}

Description: As a fangirl, there was nothing that hurt more than knowing you might not ever meet those you idolize. That was probably the most difficult aspect of the entire thing: nights were often spent wishing that you could be in their life, having the ability to text or call them whenever. But, no. The harsh reality was that they didn’t know of your existence, yet you continued to fangirl and support them on a website that they don't even visit. Why? Well, they were your happiness. There was also nothing that you loved more than being able to escape to this website, bonding with others that felt the same way as you. It was your happy place, your safe haven; the one place that you could shamelessly showcase your love for the two boys that made you happy. 

Warning(s): there’s really nothing I can think of🙃

Requested: [yeahhh] // [nopeee]

Word Count: [2,514]

masterlist // blurb nights // come talk to me!

His P.O.V

I’m stuck in bed, sick with a ridiculously high fever. I feel absolutely miserable, and it’s made worse by the fact that we have to skip a Tuesday because I’m too sick to film. I hated this entire situation. I hated being sick. I hated being stuck in bed. But most importantly, I hated letting our fans down. I couldn’t help but feel like it; they were our entire world. Ethan and I would be nothing without them; they’re responsible for the successes that we’ve been blessed with.

I wish I could talk to each and every single one of them, so I could tell them how much they mean to me. It was hard, though. There were so many of them and they were all over the world. Social media made connecting with them feasible, but it was hard to be able to give them all the recognition they deserve.

They were all such incredible people who continue to blow my mind every single day. So many of them were such creative human beings: making edits, drawing incredible portraits of us, writing about us. Our fans were definitely the best and I hoped, everyday, that every single one of them knew it.

I was cocooned in blanket, shivering despite the fact that I was emitting so much heat. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for myself as I blew my nose, adding yet another tissue to the massive pile on the floor next to my bed. Hearing the sound of my door creak open, I turn my head to the door, waiting for Ethan to come into the room.

He gave me a pitying smile, “Hey, bro. How’re you feeling?’

I coughed, groaning because it hurt. “Like absolute shit, but I’d feel better if you cuddled with me,” I mumbled jokingly.

Ethan stayed standing by the door, no doubt wanting to stay away so he wouldn’t catch what I was sick with. He grimaced at my words, “Bro, what?”

Giving him a shit-eating grin, I repeated myself, “I feel like absolute shit, but I’d feel better if you cuddled with me.”

He rolled his eyes at me, “Dude, whatever. Listen, I’m gonna head out for a little bit because Bryant wants to get the shoot with the Ducati done. Is that good? Or do you seriously need me to stay home with you?”

I shook my head. “No, go ahead. I’ll be fine. I’ll probably just stay in bed all day,” I managed to get out, my voice sounding hoarse.

“Alright, do you want me to pick up any food on my way home?”

“Could you buy some soup? Oh, and medicine. We don’t have any.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll see you later. Remember to keep hydrated.” He shut the door behind him, leaving me in the quiet of my room. I turned back to the TV, grimacing because of how loud it was. I reached for the remote, turning it down as it did nothing to soothe my pounding headache.

I sighed dejectedly, not knowing what to do with myself. Grabbing my phone and unplugging it from its charger, I unlock it. I turned the brightness all the way down, the screen far too bright for my liking. Mindlessly scrolling through social media, I like and retweet posts I stumble upon. Social media was a goddamn black hole, one post leads me to another and before I know it, I’m looking through Tumblr, reading fanfiction about Ethan and I.

Whenever I found myself on this app, I end up going through blogs for hours. Every single fan that ran a blog was so dedicated; it was absolutely mind-blowing. This time, a certain blog catches my eye because of a post that was written about me, more specifically, about my laugh.

---

I want you to close your eyes for a second and do me one favor. I want you to imagine the most wonderful sound that you can think of: a favorite song, the sound of the waves crashing against the ocean, the crunch of fallen leaves as you walk on them, it can be anything.

…

God. His laugh was truly mellifluous. It was the best sound I’ve had the pleasure to hear, both through a speaker and in real life. It was simply angelic, which made sense because he was an angel sent from above, I was sure of it.

There was so much about it that I absolutely adored; it wasn’t just the sound itself, but rather everything associated with it: from the way his face would scrunch up as he did so, to the way his arms would curl into his body during the process.

…

His laughter was infectious. I couldn’t help but to giggle to myself whenever the sound floated through the air. It was one of those sounds that had the power to make a person happy because it was laced with happiness. What person can’t help but to be happy in the presence of happiness?

…

His eyes were the first to indicate that laughter was about to come. There would be a light in them that screamed excitement. Then, the apples of cheeks became more prominent as his lips curled into a giant grin, his rows of perfect white teeth showing. Lastly, he would throw his head back: this was the best sight because it indicated that it was a genuine laugh. But there was nothing that made me smile even wider than when the sound died out, quickly becoming a wheeze rather than a laugh. This told me truly how funny or entertaining he had found whatever it was that had him laughing.

With that said, was the sound you were thinking of at the beginning still the best sound? Or have I managed to convince you otherwise?

---

I couldn’t help but to simply stare at the screen of my phone when I finished reading. Astounded by the fact that someone could write something so beautiful about my laugh. There was nothing remotely special about it, but whoever wrote it made it sound as if there was. Intrigued by their writing, I click on their blog, trying to learn more about them.

It didn’t take me long to find out that the owner of the blog was a girl. Y/N. After reading other things that she’s posted, her talent for writing was so obvious to me. It was mind blowing. I scroll further down her blog, laughing periodically at some of the things she’s posted. She intrigued me, whoever she was. There was just something about her that made me want to find out more.

Without thinking twice, I click on the button that says “Come Talk to Me:)” and begin typing.

Hi! I just found your blog and I wanted to tell you that everything you’ve written is incredible!

- B. D.💜

Y/N’s P.O.V.

I let my bag drop from my hand, hitting the floor with a ‘thud’. I was absolutely exhausted, my classes for the day sucking up all my energy. Groaning, I collapse onto my bed, hissing in pain when I realize I landed on my laptop.

“Ah, shit. Please don’t be be broken,” I beg, speaking to the inanimate object as if it had a say in whether or not my weight caused it damaged.

I flip over to the other side of my bed, allowing me to grab my laptop from underneath me. Setting it on my lap, I scan it for any possible damage, letting out a breath of relief when I saw that it was perfectly fine.

“Oh, thank God,” I mumble to myself.

Since I already had my laptop out, I decide to log into Tumblr. I immediately smile when the twins pop up on my dash. Scrolling through, I like and reblog posts of the blogs I followed. This was my getaway. No matter how stressed out or tired I was, this website seemed to be able to make me feel better instantly. I don’t know exactly what it was. Maybe it was that when I’m on here, I’m surrounded by others that share my love for the boys. Maybe because it provided me with a creative outlet, a place that gave me the opportunity to share my writing. Or maybe, it was because it was the one place that I never felt judged; everyone in the fandom is so kind and welcoming that I always felt loved, even if none of us had never met.

My eyes lit up when I saw a little ‘1’ pop up next to the icon for my ask box. Clicking on it, I see that someone left an anonymous ask. A smile found its way onto my face as I read it.

Hi! I just found your blog and I wanted to tell you that everything you’ve written is incredible!

- B. D.💜

My heart swelled at the kind words. I clicked onto the ask, quickly typing out a response.

Hey lovely! Thank you so much for taking the time for reading my work and dropping by my asks! Hope you have a great day☺️

I run my blog and write because it makes me happy. I love being part of a fandom and forming friendships with people that share my interests. I choose to write because it’s something that I enjoy and it’s a creative outlet for me. I don’t post anything on my blog with the hopes that I get recognition, it’s simply a bonus of it all. To know that others find enjoyment in the content I create means the world to me and makes me want to share even more of my writing. To others, this entire thing may seem ridiculous, but to me, it’s my one true source of happiness.

I reposition myself on my bed, trying to find a more comfortable way to sit. I click onto a new tab, opening Google Docs and trying to start a new piece so I can finally get something posted. For far too long, I stare at the blank document, the blinking cursor taunting me. Every time I start to write something, I end up hating it, rushing to delete everything I’ve managed to type. My eyebrows furrowed, growing frustrated at the lack of progress that I’ve made so far.

Just as I’m about to admit defeat for the day, an idea immediately pops into my head. I start to type furiously, terrified that my inspiration would leave me. A smile plays on my lips as I add more and more words to the document, falling into a comfortable groove.

I sit back when I finally finish, happy with what I’ve written. Scrolling to the very top of the page, I start reading, looking for mistakes I’ve made and parts that were awkward and needed to be changed. It probably took me longer to edit and revise than it took me to actually write the piece, but it was worth it. There was nothing that brought me more satisfaction than finishing what I’ve written and knowing that I made it the best I possibly could. Knowing that if I spend anymore time criticizing my writing, it would never get posted, I don’t give it anymore thought and post on my blog.

Logging off Tumblr, I shut the lid of my laptop and climb off my bed. I stretch, trying to gain feeling in my limbs before I make my way downstairs to the kitchen in search for some food.

His P.O.V

I look over to my nightstand when I hear my phone vibrate. Groaning, I lean over to pick it up, wanting to see what notification popped up this time. A smile formed on my lips when I saw that it was from the Tumblr app. I couldn’t help but get a little excited when I read that she had posted something new. I click onto the notification, bringing up her newest post.

---

The bright rays of sunlight made their way past the curtains, interrupting your deep slumber. While stretching your arms above your head, you look to your right, your vision only to be met with a gorgeous boy, his skin still retaining its sun-kissed color despite it already being a month into autumn.

You turned your body over, trying your best not to wake the piece of art that rested at your side. your eyes raked down his sleeping figure, admiring the beauty of the human that you were blessed to call yours.

…

His face was calm, peaceful, and younger. Making it seem as if sleep was his only true getaway from the stress of his life. It allowed him to leave everything behind, to forget everything that he had to get done, although it was only for a few hours.

His bleached hair became frizzy in his slumber and was pointing every which way, enticing you to run your fingers through the gorgeous locks. But you resisted once again, not wanting to disturb his peaceful sleep.

The sunlight shifted, now hitting the sleeping figure next to you. The golden glow highlighted his tanned skin, making him look even more like an angel, like God’s gift to this earth.

…

His body turned to face you, his eyes were fully open, his hazel orbs were bright, the sunlight that was hitting him highlighting the greenness of them. His lips contorted to a sleepy smile, making your heart swell even more at the man.

You brought your left hand up to grasp the side of his face gently, your palm coming in contact with the rough scruff that he had managed to grow in the past two weeks due to his laziness to shave. A small smile rested on your face as you caressed his gorgeous face.

He leaned into your grasp as he laughed at your words, his laugh even more magical than his morning voice. “I would do the same thing if I were to wake up before you, just stare and admire at the beauty that I get to call my girlfriend,” his voice was just a whisper, making his words sound like a secret that could only be said between the two of you.

…

“Ok, fine, only because you’re cute.” His chest was pressed up against your back, his hand resting on your slim waist, and his arm stretched above your head to reach for the spice. His long, nimble fingers wrapped around the container and he backed away from your body. You turned to face him, staring at his muscular physique, taking in the angelic figure that you were lucky enough to call your boyfriend.

---

I was amazed yet again. I couldn’t comprehend how someone strings words along the way she did. Hell, I can barely speak the language sometimes. Without thinking twice, I find myself in her asks again, but I stop myself. Nervously, I decide to ditch the idea of leaving her another anonymous ask, messaging her directly instead.

Hey, I’m Bailey...

A/N: I wanna say a big thank you to @tidsoptlmist, @spiffydolan @sunflower-dolans, @graysearring, @spongebobrose, @damndolanz, and @maryneedsadamntish for letting me bother them and have them give me feedback! This is a series that I’m very excited to be writing and I hope you guys enjoy it! 

[marvel-lously]

It’s who I am now... (pt.2)

Content: angst

Words: 1720

Pairing: avengers x reader

Previous part: x

A/N: Many of you wanted a part two, so here it is. I appreciate all the support you gave me and I tried to follow as many of your advices as I could. Grammar in this one probably isn’t the best (’cause I was writing this at like 1 AM) and I’m sorry for that. Again, likes, reblogs and comments are very much appreciated and so is constructive criticism. Also I wanted to remind you that I am now taking requests, so just drop by my inbox and send them in.

Along with my favorite blogs I am now also tagging those of you who asked to be tagged. Let me know if I you want/don’t want to be tagged anymore or if I forgot to tag you.

@supersoldierfreak @tbholland @hymnofthevalkyrie @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @winterbuttmunch @str-spangled-banner @inkvin @fandomyimagines @incorrecttomhollandquoteimagines @itstomsdarling @ptersparkers @that-fandom-sucks-tho @a-confused-turtle @avengerschatroom @agentmarvel13 @acrossthehearts @potatolikesmarvel @shitty-imagines-95 @camibirdieboo @fictional-wonderland @hufflepuffholland @thevanishedillusion @dixonsunicorn @capandbuck @soivebuiltupaworldofmagic @tomshollandss

10 YEARS AGO

Breathe in, breathe out. That was your mantra. In and out. Focus. Grabbing a knife tighter in your hand, you let out a long breath. You have to steady your heartbeat or this fight will be over before it starts. You finally looked up, meeting the eyes of your opponent. Breathe. Don’t let him intimidate you. His fists were clenched, his knife already pointing towards you. You were now circling each other, getting closer and closer. He took the first swing and almost cut you, but luckily enough you dogged him. You were much, much smaller than him and you knew that you can make this your advantage, rather than disadvantage. He took another swing, but you were again quick to dodge it and when he stumbled forward, you kicked his back so he fell. He was angry, very angry and that was bad, really, really bad. You weren’t aloud to kill each other, but many fighters ended up with broken bones and concussions and some never recovered. You were watching him as he took the attacker’s stance again, twirling his knife in his hand. You noticed that every time he launched himself at you, he took an extra step, which you could use for your advantage as well. And you did. At his next attempt to hit you, you used those few seconds he spent to take an extra step and punched him straight in the face, probably breaking his nose in the process. He stumbled backwards, but what you didn’t expect was him dragging you along as he fell. He somehow managed to get a hold of you and grab you around your neck as he did so. You were choking. His grip was getting tighter and tighter around your neck and your vision was starting to get foggy when suddenly a voice got into your focus. »Nyshka, Nyshka! Fokusiraj se. Možeš se spasiti!« (Nyshka, Nyshka! Focus. You can save yourself.) You saw a shadow in a corner of your eye, but you could only recognize him for his voice-your trainer. »Hajde Nyshka! Borba!« (Come on Nyshka! Fight!). You tried to get a hold of his arms and pull yourself from his grip, but he was stronger. »Slušaj me Nyshka! Gubiš! Neću ti dozvoliti da izgubiš! Šta ćeš da radiš Nishka?!« (Listen to me Nishka! You are losing! I am not going to let you lose! What do you do Nishka?!) Breathe in, breathe out. It was hard, but you couldn’t stop, not now. The knife. Where was your knife? If you find the knife, you can win. You managed to scratch his arm and for a short moment he loosened his grip, giving you time to take in a sharp breath. You saw it then. The knife was just under your feet, you could win, you just had to get yourself out of his caging embrace. Remembering what your trainer had thought you, you dug your nails deeper into your opponent’s skin and when he loosened his grip again you closed your chin, stepped to the side, hit his groin and then elbowed him with all the force you could gather, sending him to the floor. You then picked up your knife and pressed it to his neck. The fight was over. You won.

6 YEARS AGO

You heard footsteps behind your back. He was following you. He had been doing so for a week. You didn’t know who he was, not yet, but you were about to change that. You turned left and walked into the Café. You knew the owner so you went to the kitchen from where you could see how your stalker came in and took a seat in a corner, the assassin in you immediately started analyzing him. You could only see his back, but that was quite enough. His Armani tuxedo and brand new Rolex showed that he was clearly rich, he also seemed very confident with his intentions, judging by his straight posture and head held high. He also started not so subtly flirting with the waitress when she took his order, his playboy showing off. If you looked closely, which you could from the corner you were standing in, you could see that the time on his Rolex was off, indicating that whoever this person was, he wasn’t from around here and the black stains behind his nails probably meant he was some kind of an engineer. While he waited for his coffee, he was scrolling through his phone. It wasn’t any of the popular brands like Apple and Samsung, it was as if it was specially made for him. He was getting impatient, you could tell that, seeing as he was constantly tapping his fingers on the table and looking around the place, probably hoping to find you. You also noticed his shoes. They weren’t normal, there was something attached to them and it looked familiar, now if only you could remember where you had seen something like it. He finally got his coffee, what seemed to calm him down a little. He ordered espresso and from what you’ve learned people who order espresso usually have a very charismatic personality, are very energetic and know exactly what they want and how to get it. The pieces finally started to put themselves together in your head. You knew who that was, what you didn’t know however, was why he was looking for you.

You followed him out after he had left a very generous tip for the waitress. It was already dark outside and there seemed to be no one else but the two of you outside, so you decided to take action. You quietly neared him, grabbed him by his arm and pushed him behind the building. »You have five minutes to explain why you’ve been following me for the past week and if you don’t give me a valid reason I’ll shoot you!« you said with a stern voice. »Killing a worldwide superhero? Wouldn’t that be kind of trouble for you?« he retorted. »Four and a half minutes, you better hurry with that explanation, you’re not doing so well.« you said back. »Ugh fine, no need to go all killer mode on me. Geez.« he said then took a deep breath. »You are Nyshka, right?« He asked. The blood suddenly drained from your face. »How do you know about her, about my past, who told you?!« you now almost yelled. You were supposed to lay low, nobody was to find out about you, about Nyshka. »Wow, calm down I am not going viral with this, nor am I going to blackmail you with it. I just need to make sure I found the right person.« You didn’t know what to say, but it’s not like he would believe you if you said no, not after you just threatened him. »Yes I am. I am Nyshka, now may I ask why is Tony Stark himself trying to reach out to me?« you asked, now in a calmer voice. »Well correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you raised by the Serbian group of the most skilled assassins? Became one of their best, but decided to walk away after they sent you to kill Dr. Arslanović and his family and you’re laying low ever since, hoping they won’t find you?« he said in a steady voice as if testing his waters. »And what does my past, that is by the way none of your concerns, has to do with this situation?« you replied, slightly anxious about what he was going to say. »We need your help.« he quickly answered. »And who’s we?« you asked him, still nervous. »The Avengers. You know, world’s greatest superheroes?« he answered sarcastically. »Now why would you need my help? Don’t you already have assassins skilled enough in your team?« you wondered. »Well, yes and no. Nat and Buck are clearly very skilled, but we need someone who knows how Serbians work, someone who knows the territory. And from the information I’ve gathered you seem to be the most suitable for this job, the most logical choice.« Did he just call you suitable? »No.« you said nonchalantly. »No?! Did you just turn down a chance to become an Avenger?!« Surprise was evident in his voice. »Yes.« you answered, annoyance clear in the way you spoke. »And why is that?« he wanted to know. »Oh well I don’t know. Why wouldn’t I want to expose myself to the people I’ve been trying to avoid my whole life? Why wouldn’t I want to stay away from the people who killed my family, trained me for a killer and ruined my life? Why wouldn’t I want to stay away from the people who tried to make me kill an innocent person, who had a family just because they saw no use of him anymore? Really, I can’t imagine why I would want to stay away from all of this!« your voice was already starting to tremble and tears were gathering in your eyes. »I see.« he said. »But there might be something you don’t know that just might change your mind.« you were just about to walk away when he said that. »They have your father.«

That wasn’t possible. Your father died when you were little. It was the day they took you, the day your entire family was shot in front of your eyes. He was shot in front of your eyes. »My father died sixteen years ago.« You said with yet again shaky voice. »No, no he didn’t and I can prove it if you come with me.«

And you did. And that was the first of the many decisions that led you to where you were now.

NOW

»Steve! Steve!« Sam called from the gym entrance. Panting, Steve stepped away from his punching bag, heading to where Sam stood. »Man, are you alright?« Sam asked, seeing how something seemed to bother his friend. »No. I can’t… I still can’t understand why she did it Sam? Why did she leave and didn’t even left a note, not a goodbye, nothing. Why?« he asked hurt and frustration in his voice. Sam took a deep breath in, then said: »Yeah, about that, we might found out something. We might just found out where she is.«