#i am really loving people writing stories or ros based on their culture

[grapecaseschoices]

i usually don't send asks and i would send this off anon, but im scared of getting hate on this, since ive seen quite a lot of discriminatory behaviour in if fandom spaces when it comes to poc opinions so imma just stay anonymous if that's ok with u.

i came across a post you posted a while ago regarding the if ROs and the lack of diverse characters when it comes to darker skin characters and i just wanted to say thank u for making that post. i hope it gives writers and the fandom some food for thought. ive been noticing ever since i got into the if community that black/ros of black descent tend to almost always be the less popular ros and as a mixed black person myself it's really sad to see. you also mentioned the lack of darker skinned east Asians/south East Asians if i recall correctly (if not please feel free to correct me) and I honestly couldn't agree not. ive noticed in some ifs that the characters of color that are the most popular tend to be those of east Asian descent with paler skin or poc ROs who's ethnicity is left ambigious by the author and whilst I'm really happy that there's been more progress made in terms of diversity, i would love to see more black characters who aren't sidelined to the best friend stereotype and more poc characters who's ethnicity is made clearer.

some south east Asian friends of mine who are of Hmong-Thai and Agta-Filipino descent have also mentioned they would would love to see more South East Asian ROs as well as East Asian ROs who are darker skinned, because the majority of the rep that there seems to be for Asian characters are those with paler skin. its a similar feeling for Latinx ROs, i almost always see lighter skinned Latinx ROs being represented in the majority with a lack of darker skinned Latinx ros. I'm not forcing anyone to add diversity to their game ofc, but the ratio of poc ROs to white ros on some games have made me kind of sad to see, specially when there's like 4 or 5 white ros and then 2 ros of colors who seem like they were just kind of tacked on for representation points, but their backgrounds are left ambigious and no Nationality or ethnicity is ever mentioned by the author which kind of leaves me scratching my head ngl. there's also a prominent lack of SEA and SA rep in terms of ROs, so I'm always happy when I see one! I would also love to see more biracial characters who aren't half white, since we aren't all a monolith.

regarding black ros. in my time in the community whilst ive seen an increase in the amount of black ROs, seeing them always be the least popular in polls still makes me quite sad. i hope that fandom can become more open minded and give more black ROs a chance. on the other hand I've seen a lot of greatly written black ROs in comparison to back in the day, and I'm glad people are incorporating more ROs based on their culture which is great!

sorry about this essay, but i hope it doesn't come across as rude or offensive, it's just something that has been on my mind ever since ive seen your post regarding the lack of representation in if. English isn't my first language so I hope I expressed myself alright.

negl, when i the way you started and then the length of this post, i foreal thought it was gonna be a fight. so, it was a relief that isnt the case. i honestly don't think there's anything for me to add, because you said my feelings and all i could do is nod along as i read this.

though, i'm glad that my post struck a chord for you. (is that the thing to say?? i'm not even sure. i guess my purpose for that post was pointing out the ignored part and bringing on encouragement as well. so, while i'm glad it encouraged you to share your opinion and made you feel less alone in feeling uncomfortable with what you were seeing -- it sucks that things haven't changed to a point where you can feel comfortable saying your thoughts off anon without being harassed. like yikes [not at you, but at fandom]. roflmao. like this is 2023. we really STILL at a point where we're going to make people feel bad about having a GENERAL issue with the racism and colorism that if writers & the if fandom continue to show? rather than … idk continue to DO something about it.)

i would love to see more black characters who aren't sidelined to the best friend stereotype and more poc characters who's ethnicity is made clearer.

i have actually seen some improvement, too. either from the fandom directly zeroing in and supporting black characters (i know the polls can seem disheartening - and i had a feeling that's what drew you to my inbox - but there HAVE been moments where the black character would be the most favored ro -- buuuuuut .... sadly, it is still so rare that i continue to be surprised when it occurs) or in the if writers boosting black characters because they have an awareness regarding fandom's bias. i definitely do think we need more of the latter, tho.

i still think there is a very long way to go. extremely. like i think in general, despite the imporvements we have both observed, a lot of the newer games i've seen ratio is still low like you said. it's a mix instead of being - at least from my observation - as consistently majorly white like it used to be. now i'd say the ratio is aybe 3 (white characters) to 2 (characters of color, of different races) ... as opposed to 3:1. Whoo. BUT i've seen what you mentioned too, still -- too many games are still so white. And if they're not, they're more often than not theyll be light skinned East Asian or black (or mixed... with white). Or an ambigous Latino that I can't tell if they're a white Latine or meant to be a character of color. So, yeah ... i don't know what it is. a fear of writing characters of color, not finding characters of color romanceable, or just a lack of awareness.

Like I guess I agree with you (lmao), I don't want to "pressure" people to have diversity either --- mostly because the people who get hurt in cases like that are minorities reading the story. My desire, I suppose, is a want to understand. I know a lot of IF writers have the idea that 'my story is for me', and in a sense, I agree -- I think we shouldn't expect writers to bend every bit of story to the fans (not even an interactive story). I've seen the mess that can create. However, if you wanted it to be JUST your story, you would've left it in your journal. You want engagement and participation -- you want to share, and I believe most stories should be shared. So, why as an artis wouldn't you want to make a story where .... I don't know. I'm tired. I've kind of gotten to a point where I'm just like whatever. I'm disappointed in myself for expecting better from IF writers and the IF fandom.

BUT I am glad that you and your friends are not only discussing but EXPECTING better, because you deserve it. Because your friends deserve to see and engage with characters who are SEA (of all shades, but especially of darker skinned). You deserve to see mixed raced characters who aren't half white (or light skinned), because as stated yall arent a monolith -- that isn't all there is in the world. (And it's WEIRD to me, like WHY do we AUTOMATICALLY assume mixed/biracial = partially white? I mean I KNOW why but COME ON! lol.)

*sighs*

i WILL say though, again, it's not all bleak: and i have seen variation of the TYPE of characters of color -- like it isn't always the cold e. asian or the black emotional pack mule best friend. so that's good. and i hope that continues.

and you're fine, dove. i actually appreciate your ask because like i said i was feeling kinda ho-hum about things but this sorta sparked a fire in me, roflmao. you expresse yourself just fine, and honestly despite the essay i wrote back i really didnt have anything worth adding.

[hellkeepers-if]

Random thought.. you are probably used to these from Me.. sorry 🙈

But your post made me really think about how excited I am to get into the IF. I love learning about different cultures as I come from a verryyy diverse African country. We really are a mix mash of everything and everyone. And I have both Korean and Japanese friends so I know like the barest of basic knowledge but I think both cultures are equally beautiful.

I am however obsessed with boths fantasy genres. More so any anime that's Yōkai related is like a treat to me.

So my question finally lol is how much is the culture gonna be present in the story? Or is gonna be more focused on a mix of myths from all over?

And will you touch on cultural pressures too? Cuz again african child here unrealistic pressure to be successful and also have a family from random aunties is real here too 🤣

Also would be happy to learn more about other asian cultures and their own creatures that scare lil kids. I don't know much about Taiwanese or Filipino cultures at all.

Haha no worries, I love answering questions!

A large portion of Hellkeepers will be based in the chinese underworld, so chinese mythology will take center stage in the worldbuilding.

However, I am also Southeast-Asian, and a Singaporean raised by Malaysian Chinese folks. Southeast-Asians are already underrepresented in fantasy, be in it culture or it's people. I would be remissed if I could not write about them in a story that's so fitting for it.

There will be the opportunity to learn about other asian cultures in the story, be it through the RO's, mythological folktales, and other spoilery stuff I can't quite mention yet 😜

The overarching theme of Hellkeepers is about family, hence you will definitely get to see the influence of an MC that is raised in an asian household 😂

[ramonag-if]

Hello! I just read this IF for the first time from start to finish and i have some things i would like to share! Firstly, as a general statement, i absolutely loved it. Now to be more specific:

I have to talk about the family dynamics because hrgrhrhrh I almost teared up reading about MCs family on the mother's side. Maybe its because the setting and the feel reminded me of my own culture but yea i love our family. Speaking about family, im glad to have somewhere that i can project my daddy and mommy issues onto 🥰 /hj I do enjoy characters that are at least bitter about family stuff but MCs feelings were expressed beautifully throughout the story!

Now lets talk about the thing that surprised me the most! I did not romance any characters which is super rare for me! I was suprised by how you have written the friendship between the ROs and the MC because its so natural and loving and even though the characters have different dynamics, the warmth is always there! The progression is natural too. I might make romance playthroughs but i really value the friendships in this game 🥰 The way MC gets to have these people that care about them after their life in Salt Bay is just argghh ❤️❤️❤️

Lastly, thank you for the lovely story! Cant wait to read more ❤️

Thank you so much for playing the game! I am so happy you enjoyed it 💖

I love the Vinia family too and Belahm was a happy surprise when I realised how deeply affected he was by Salyra's absence which I think resonates for a lot of players on the angsty/hurt routes with Salyra. The family in Vinia are loosely based on what I know in my culture too, so it's great to see it being shared with others 😊

My favourite thing to write apart from the romance are the emotional responses, especially regarding the family dynamics explored in the game so thank you for enjoying them!

You've not played any romance routes? 😱 Gasp. I joke, of course 😅 I really take this as a compliment because I wanted the friendships to feel just as fulfilling as the romance routes. There's really no need to romance anyone to get a good outcome and I value friendships a lot, so I'm glad you found the way the friendships are handled natural and so full of love!

Please do give the romance a try if you're up for it 😏 That's what separate playthroughs are for 😅

Thank you again for your support! 🌼💖

[nebulouscoffee]

Hey! I'm really sorry that life has been so rough lately, I'm keeping you in my thoughts 🙏 here are some things I'd love to hear your thoughts about, & feel free to make it as long & detailed as you want! 1/your favourite piece of Bajoran worldbuilding (from the show or from a fic you've read or from your own headcanons - you decide!); 2/your favourite type of alien clothing on any star trek (or single favourite alien outfit) & why you like it; 3/what your concept for Ben & Kasidy's child is: who they are, who they grow up to be, etc.; & finally, 4/your opinions about the clock Ben builds in "Dramatis personae". Here you go! Take care <3

... this is so incredibly sweet, thank you😭😭 I really truly appreciate it, as well as all of these Very interesting questions❤️❤️

Ahhh it's hard to pick, I love so much about Bajoran worldbuilding! First of all the non-linearity of their religion is SO COOL & mind-blowing to think about, & I really love the way it- by its very nature- allows you to re-contextualise so much of the show's lore. Like- is Joseph Sisko written into ancient Bajoran prophecies thanks to his non-linear affair with a Prophet?? Do those prophecies inform or influence traditional archetypes of love in Bajoran culture?? Did Kira grow up learning about an archetype of corporeal love based entirely on Joseph Sisko, the father of an alien man who would decades later become her boss??? I don't know!! But I can write fic about it!!! (And then not post it!!!🙈😂) I do headcanon that dominant Bajoran cultures all have strong archetypical figures, it just makes sense to me given their caste system & that "three brothers" story Kira tells Ben & just how much emphasis they as people place on roles and duty and their place in the world (and on their world). I also love the recurring theme that they greatly value (and like, listen to) their planet. They talk about Bajor like it's a living organism, one big ecosystem they are all a part of, and whenever there are floods, famines, earthquakes, etc, they pay attention, as if its a bug in the immune system- such an interesting contrast to Cardassia, where they plundered their own resources & then came for others. There's this whole collective spiritual (rather than strictly political or social) connectivity that I find very fascinating- something about Kira thinking of herself as simply an empty "vessel" to the powers that safeguard her planet & connect her to her fellow Bajorans. It makes me wonder about their large diaspora, & the sort of pain Bajorans like Ro may carry around over that forced separation. Oh, and that they have Fire Caves. Like those Fire Caves were really just hanging around the whole time huh. Also that Proper hasperat is apparently supposed to be made with a brine so strong your eyes water. So that's five things!

2. Garak's Watermelon Suit.

3.

Lol jk. Garak does have some fire 'fits tho (that red and black tunic with the embroidery? A Look🙌) Anyway,

2. I also think Lenara's purple formal dress was really pretty! And most of Quark's outfits are killer tbh. The detail!

Kira's dress from 'Fascination' was fun- and I like both Winn Adami costumes a lot, the vedek robes with the opera house hat & also the golden kai robes. Again, there's a lot of cool details (esp with that elliptical Bajoran symbol & patterned fabric which the 90s quality completely nukes.) Oh, and speaking of hats- all of Guinan's hats are iconic, and Jadzia's Klingon wedding dress was pretty cool too. Basically I am terrible at choosing things; I just now remembered Spock's Goth Chic robe from TMP and that reminded me SNW has been doing some really cool things with T'Pring's wardrobe-

3. The siskasidy baby!!! I have named this baby so many different things in post-canon fics lol, everything from Jennifer to Sarah to Jadzia ("Jazzy", or "Jazz" for short- I think this is my favourite, given how Avery Brooks seems to be irl about jazz.) I don't think I have any real headcanons about who they grow up to be (I'd love to hear any ideas you may have!) but I did come to terms with Ben missing out on their first year(s?) by imagining he sort of spiritually shares consciousness with several Bajorans over that time period (very much consensually, like this is an experience that allows these Bajorans to walk with the Prophets for a time & also enriches Ben's- and the Prophets'- understanding of Bajoran life) and these Bajorans befriend Kasidy & look out for her and the baby <3

4. Lmaooo I have SO many feelings about this clock. Like WHY did he build a CLOCK. *frantic strings across conspiracy board* I know, I know, the writers were probably just going for something random at the time, it was, at heart, a goofysilly s1 episode that easily could've been on TNG or VOY- but it really does become sort of mind-blowing when you consider it in the grander scheme of Ben's arc. Plus- they kept it in his office throughout the series!! They put it in JAKE'S HOME in the alternate 'Visitor' timeline!! I do think that episode implies their weird behaviours also came from somewhere within them (that's how I like to explain Kira Your-taste-in-men-frightens-me Nerys flirting with Weird Aliens Odo & Dax anyway😂), so I like to think Ben just has this deep ponderance of time & temporality just like. Sitting within him somewhere. The clock was actually from an ancient Gamma Quadrant civilisation whose memories possessed them all, but I still feel like that last shot where Ben sets off the timepiece he (for some reason) built from scratch and lets it tick was Symbolic somehow. Like- this man is part-Prophet!! He was conceived non-linearly his birth was arranged he was always meant to discover the Celestial Temple aka the path to- you guessed it- the Gamma Quadrant!! Something something Events Set In Motion

[shai-manahan]

I recently got recommended this, and from what I’ve seen, this IF seems super interesting! I am so happy to see a romani character; our existence seems to be super rare in IFs! Especially seeing that Jade doesn’t seem like a stereotype at all.

I’m not sure if this has been asked before, but what is Jade’s relationship with her family like in general?

Thanks for giving us some form of representation! I’m super excited to see more of this story.

Thank you as well, anon! I'm really glad you like Jade! She was actually the first RO I thought of for Hollowed Minds, and directly came from the short story I wrote that this IF was based on. Of course, if you have any concerns in the future, feel free to DM me and I'll gladly talk to you :)))) I'm part of a minority, too, so I'm doing my best to represent her well.

I'd say that family is very important both for Jade and her brother Richard. She was young when their parents disappeared (although their stories would also be explored in the future parts of the series), so Richard had some help from another relative in raising Jade. For spoiler reasons, I can't say much more about the relative, especially since the MC never even knew about that--Richard didn't tell the MC everything--and will only be able to have that knowledge once Jade trusts them enough.

Anyway, she hates what her brother is currently doing (which, again, I can't give too many details on, sadly), but she also cares for him a lot at the same time. They're protective of each other, and they're also very careful about giving details about their family and its history to anyone else as they consider this dangerous. However, it's also an action that made Jade feel a little disconnected from her culture because Richard basically thought her how to blend in.

Still, I think what I really love about writing Jade's character is that she'll increasingly let go of her fears in facing the consequences of her own mistakes, and will make a lot of effort to look into what kind of people her parents were before everything that has happened in the city :)

So yeah, Jade does treasure her family; I hope that becomes more evident, too!

[interact-if]

I’m sending this in because it seems like I could get good opinions from not only you but also the people who follow you. I have an idea for an IF, and I’m very excited for the story. My question is, would people be offended if I made the playable MC physically female that identifies as female and all the ROs physically male that identify as male? I have seen some out there that are strictly M/M or F/F, and I’m so happy they exist because I feel that population is underserved. I just feel, not having the experience, I could bring justice to writing LGBTQ+ (and I don’t want to offend anyone in that community by writing something incorrect), mostly when it comes to sex (which I plan on including in my game). I support games that have those relationships in them and admire them, even play those games, and I don’t care who plays my game. The more the merrier! I still want the characters to be diverse. One of them will be of a descent that is based on Japanese culture and many others, based on Persian culture. I also want the playable MC to have any skin tone/features the player wants. I just want to know if this…will have people coming after me? I want to tell my story, but I don’t want to be attacked for it, if that makes sense?

I really don’t mean to offend anyone. I just don’t want to cause trouble, and I just want to respectfully ask for people’s opinions on this.

Hello! So, before diving into our response, we’d like to emphasize that we are but five individuals running a blog devoted to interactive fiction. We are neither the end-all-be-all voice on this matter nor necessarily a representative mouthpiece for the community.

First off, you can write whatever you would like to write; as the author, you have absolute control over what you produce, so nobody is going to stop you from writing what you want to write. It’s also important to write what you enjoy.

That said, the community is, in our experience, very inclusive, and largely devoted to providing a space for the queer community. We can understand the desire to have an appropriately inclusive and diverse game, and why you particularly want to turn to characters of color to bridge the gap; however, substituting characters of color for queer characters to claim diversity in a project is possibly something that will receive the wrong kind of attention. Furthermore, assuming that writing characters of color well is any less complex than writing queer characters potentially suggests that said characters could end up underdeveloped or tokenized. (See Nines' and Roast’s response below for more context)

All of that doesn’t mean you can’t make a game that’s genderlocked and restricted to M/F romance, and I don’t think anyone will be offended by such a game, but it might limit your audience. At the same time, there are (many) other visual novels that have this format, so it’s not something unheard of. As far as CoGs and text-based games go, as far as we’ve seen, they are rarely genderlocked unless for plot reasons, etc.

There is also a chance that you may receive feedback requesting that the MC be un-gender locked, or for additional ROs to be added of different gender, or for the ROs to be made gender selectable. These requests may be gentle, insistent, kind, or aggressive, and they may only occur at the beginning of your work, or may occur throughout your game development. Maybe they’ll never happen at all. It’s impossible to predict the future, but in our experience, we have often seen this occur to games in the past with RO gender imbalances, locks, etc.

As for searching for feedback, if you’re looking for feedback but you’re not pursuing the CoG format, may we suggest the Reddit subforum? It’s a little difficult for you to get the feedback/dialogue going here that you’d likely like to get, so Reddit’s format may be more conducive to your needs.

In the meanwhile, those who would like to provide their thoughts are encouraged to respond in the comments of this post. Please remember to be polite with your discussion!

— — —

The above is our general mod response; a few of us wanted to offer some individual thoughts as well, and those can be found below. These are personal opinions and reflect each individual mod’s thoughts, rather than a collective response.

While it can be a little daunting to write about something you’re not familiar with, writing often broaches topics with which we don’t personally have first-hand experience. Additionally, queer relationships are ultimately still relationships between people—they’re not all that different from heterosexual relationships. If you’re worried about the way you’re portraying your content, that’s something well-curated beta readers/testers (from the population you’re trying to represent) can help test for, and give feedback on. And on top of all of the above, that’s not to mention the potential issues associated with substituting in POC to replace queer people, which is perhaps not what your intention is, but is what it feels like your intention is (see Roast and Nines for all the ins and outs on why this is an issue). Ultimately, I stand by the opinion that on the most basic level, most will not be offended by a game that’s about a straight, cisgender female MC—yet some, or even many, may be off-put by such a game. I know I, personally, am. (P. S. Also consider that the MC has to interact with the other ROs that she isn’t romancing, as friends, enemies, acquaintances, what have you—having selectable ROs, for example, also allows the player to “diversify” their acquaintance group, if they so wish.) — Dani

I understand that this ask is coming from well-meaning intent but I would just like to state that writing characters of color is not easier than writing queer characters. One of them isn't a substitute for the other. Writing characters of color and writing queer characters are separate matters entirely, and both come with its own difficulties. Wanting your characters to be diverse, while admittedly lacking the perspective to back such identities, is still a murky water to navigate.

Personally speaking, and I really do have to be transparent about this, the way certain sentences were phrased in this ask rubbed me the wrong way. Still, I understand that this isn't malicious, just someone who is asking for guidance, which is something I can't fault. We all have to start somewhere, you know? That being said, if you really want to write diverse characters, my general advice is to do research. Lots and lots and lots of research. No author is exempt from that, honestly.

Find helpful articles, journals, studies, video essays, etc. to aid you in writing your characters. If you still feel like that's lacking in some way, which is a valid concern, being open to feedback from the appropriate people is also a good way to improve. The integrity of a project is important, but so is reasonable criticism against, for, or about it. Keep an open mind, educate yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help or clarification should it be needed. — Nines

Nines says it well that queer people and poc are not interchangeable nor any 'easier' than the other. The fact that you're willing to do research and include characters of color yet not include queer characters tells me that you're afraid yet misconstruing how much effort actually gets put into cultural research.

There is a 'purity culture' that goes around tumblr that claims that diverse characters have to be perfect, have to have no flaws, cannot die, cannot have trauma, cannot face adversity, they must be perfect and good and happy.

I think this is bullshit.

I also think the backlash from this 'purity culture' community is what is creating so much fear in authors (including queer authors!!) in making characters with different backgrounds and identities than their own. In making queer characters with flaws and tragedy and negative characteristics.

If we only ever wrote what we knew, what we've personally experienced, fiction would be a very boring world.

Being afraid of representing a community wrong is a valid fear, but it shouldn't stop you from trying. You can write what you want to write, but it shouldn't be limited by fear.

Do your research. Get sensitivity readers. Be open to feedback. Be willing to be afraid, but do it anyway.

If, in the end, you decide to gender lock, make it an informed decision at the very least, and if you are including characters of color, know that that is a heavy amount of research too, and should be handled with the same care as what we've said on queer characters.

And like we've said before, we are not the voice of the community, we cannot give you permission or our blessing or flawless feedback, we are just five people running a blog. — Roast

Alright this was already mentioned a bit before but I wish to add my two cents: M/F relationships are the norm anywhere else in real life, and if you feel like there's no space for you and your relationships in a mostly-queer community then you might want to recheck if this is the community you wish to have as your target audience.

No one's going to be offended if your story is cishet, as we said, but you are extremely reducing your audience by doing such. The appeal of interactive fiction is that a good bunch of us have played female-mc-straight-love-interest visual novels in the past, having to endure being misgendered or romancing people we might not be attracted to.

The current interactive fiction community we're trying to promote has opened a million doors for everyone to explore themselves, so don't be surprised if your story, no matter how good, is ignored due to this aspect. Most of us have no interest in being forced to play as something we're not.

Again, we cannot tell you what you can or cannot do. We don't speak for the community, we speak for ourselves and for this blog. Maybe every comment we've made was incorrect and your game turns out to be successful, really, but it's what we believe you should keep in mind. — Cruz

Honestly, I don’t have much to add since everyone here mentioned and discussed important facets of this ask! At the end of the day, we are not a group who can or will ever dictate what you can or cannot write. That is not the purpose of the blog or the reason why we’re working as hard as we are. 

There have always been games with this specific set of characteristics: gender locked MCs and/or ROs. Some people may enjoy it, others may not, for whatever reason. 

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee anything in terms of how people will respond to a game, because people will react to content differently. All we can do is offer our perspective and the potential things that may happen in the future based on the experience the lovely devs above have had. (fellow interact-if mods, my beloved ❤️)

It’s always admirable for people to reach out when they’re unsure, and I’m sure there are infinitely more opinions that vary or are similar to the ones in this response. But there you have it, some of our thoughts! 

Goodluck with your project! — Mars

[the-kingshound]

I've been seeing ALOT of people talking about the colors you've chosen for the MC in, "The King's Hound," and I'm having a hard time seeing how it actually matters. I may also have a little problem with people complaining about something like this.

I have played other IF's where it is cannon that the MC is a POC because of where the they are from. Or maybe that it is cannon that the MC is fit or malnourished because or the lifestyle they've been living.. One example of this is in, "A Tale of Crowns," by Cherry. The people who complain are shut down and it's made known that this is how the writer intended for it be. Not many people do complain, however, and I'm not sure if that's because the said writer is also a POC. The writer has pretty much said stuff before on the topic of how offensive it is for people to try to whitewash the culture they've built. It is a fictional story, based on real places. I think people are just upset that they can't make a white character. I personally have no problems about playing a POC and imo I think it's kind of messed up that people felt the need to complain that they have to.

I DO however agree that if you are not a POC that some research would come in handy, but I see you've already done some and you plan to do more. Don't let it get in the way of your world and lore building though! Things like race may not even matter much in your world. Even if it does, I know you'll do right by it.

Another thing I've seen is the height issue, but taking into account the real life counterparts during that time period, people were shorter in stature. You actually got pretty accurate on the height for the time period and that makes me happy lol. I dig accuracy. I think yours are actually a little taller which makes me happy too(I'm just glad to be here). Looking it up, the average for a male was around 167-170cm or 5'5" (from 200-410 AD). That only increased by like 5cm over the course of 200 years. In places that were rural (and had food shortages) or even if the temperature was colder the average height shrunk.

ANYWAY sorry for the long ask lol. I just wanted to shoot you some words of encouragement and let you know that there are plenty of people that love how you're doing this. I was hooked the minute I saw the plot and I had clicked subscribe by the time I got to seeing King Arthur is an RO. Write your IF the way you want, people will love it. Don't let people run you over either, and remember you can't make everyone happy. People are going to complain no matter what you do, so you might as well have fun doing what you love. I've seen other writers get stressed trying to please everyone, get bullied into change, or they try to change so much that their original is just lost. I don't want that to happen to you. I'm sending lots of love your way! Remember to stay hydrated and take breaks! ❤

Thank you both for the heartfelt messages.

I am starting to understand that it is indeed not possible to make everyone happy and that that's fine. I am, as a person, someone that struggles to say no and that usually tries way too much to please other people and that's not really a healthy way to approach some things.

On the topic of MC's height and skin color for now I am standing by my original decision (height on the smaller spectrum and darker skin color) since it's not really something that important in the story in light of the main themes I want to convey with my plot. It is possible that I will change my stance on this, but you will probably only find out once the demo will be released.

Thank you all for your input in the past days, I hope you will enjoy the story nonetheless!

[emersonfreepress]

okay so is there content that you had planned for the ROs and story in general but then scrapped cause there wasn’t a good place in the story to stick it in? and if so, can you share what it was? 👀 👀 👀

yes, definitely. *rubs hands together* oh man, you done asked THE question today xD I can't wait to get into this 😁

Academics. I almost decided to have classes and grades be a minor part of gameplay, but the more time I spent designing it the more I realized I wanted nothing to do with it 😂 I haven’t really enjoyed academic gameplay in other interactive fiction because I 1) hate having to choose between studying and interacting with awesome characters, 2) have terrible short term memory, and 3) hate school in general!! So instead I just opted to have the MC be really good at school, point blank period so I could focus on social drama and relationships instead! 😆

Physical skills. I spent literal months crafting the catering scene around setting up stats for stamina/endurance, dexterity, and strength instead of just magnetism, confidence, and persuasion. They had their own backstories with the MC’s parents being overly invested sports parents instead and I think the background choices were like... martial arts, gymnastics, and track? But yeah, I ended up scrapping it all because I was spending hours on research about those individual sports so I could integrate them into the MC’s narrative organically but like... when I tried to think of what use they would be in the actual story, I came up blank. Best decision yet, esp since it means a lot less coding!

Skin tone customization. For one, I noticed that a lot of my favorite IFs don’t offer that customization and it hasn’t impacted my experience at all. For two, I originally realized I might as well not implement it since I am striving real hard not to introduce any customization that won’t actually be mentioned in interesting or meaningful ways in-story. I don’t think it’s really all that common for real life friends (esp in high school?) to comment or compliment each other’s skin and like... when it comes from someone who doesn’t share a similar complexion or ethnic background, that type of commentary gets... d i c e y. So then I wanted to be sensitive to that but what’s the pay-off? An RO mentioning how they love your skin tone once? Awkward sentences with the MC referring to their own skin color? Idk, just wasn’t vibing with it. I’m open to revisiting it in beta or something but for now it’s scrapped.

Singing, Rapping, and Gaming as Hobbies/Talents. I feel bad about scrapping these, honestly 😂 They’re great and I really wanted to incorporate them but it just came down to already having a lot of stuff to code. Plus, I know I can write the Hobbies/Talents I stuck with far better. And for Book 2 purposes, as well!

Leo. as @sourandflightypeaches ​​ asked me about a long while ago, I had to scrap an entire RO 😢 His name is Leo, he was the nephew of wealthy west African diplomats residing in Emerson, and I love him dearly! His backstory was largely based on my mother’s childhood and the circumstances she lived through after immigrating to America. and... ok, i’m about to go on one hell of a tangent so buckle up and bear with me if you can 😅

my intention with this story, aside from writing things that I personally enjoy (graphic violence, spooky woods, social drama, romance, conspiracies 😚), is to explore greed, wealth, and how the ways people and families interact with those two things influence young people and who they grow up to be. here i go sounding pretentious af 😝 and here’s where I apply a cut for those who want to preserve a little mystery to the main characters!

With Gabe, we’ve got someone who grew up with very little stability or financial security but who has found unscrupulous methods to gain status and money, with both noble and selfish motivations.

Kile has some of that childhood experience in common with Gabe, having been in the foster care system since infancy, but they lucked out when they were adopted into massive wealth by a caring, loving couple—a couple that uses their wealth and privilege to be far more lenient and protective of Kile than is actually reasonable or responsible.

Jack comes from a prestigious wealthy family on his dad’s side who he loves dearly but there’s no getting around the fact that they love him back as much as they despise his working class mom.

Jessie is a spoiled sweet heiress (being the baby of her family and the only girl) and while she lives blissfully ignorant of the harmful source and impact of her father's income and career, she bears the weight of the expectation to fulfill very traditional gender roles, including her behavior and appearance, but also extending to her career and life plans.

Rain's wealth led to them growing up sheltered and isolated but also extremely accommodated, giving them maximum freedom and opportunity to discover and develop their personal talents and interests. However, they have almost no positive relationship with their parents who have essentially decided to give up on a kid that couldn't be exactly the accessory they tried to mold them to be—both in terms of their identity and personality.

Rupan/Rohan, at their very core, rejects everything about conformity, self-importance, and excessive luxury—which means they have never, ever truly fit in with their peers. Going full non-conformist, however, has resulted in them becoming alienated from much of their family, as well, despite them all loving each other very much. Their history with false friends and betrayals has led them to over-indulge in their vices and reckless behavior to compensate for that isolation. Sometimes, they just get in over their head and many times, they know better. Every time, it's just that the feeling of finally belonging is utterly intoxicating.

Vivian/Vincent has two extremely successful parents who didn't inherit but instead built up their wealth and they aspire to be just like them, to a degree that is well and truly unhealthy. Their mother specifically is an over-achiever and applies mountainous pressure for them to follow in her footsteps, especially academically. Vi is completely capable of achieving what their mom expects of them, but they were already an extremely sensitive perfectionist so this has made them intensely critical of themself. This is a large part of why they are such a rigid, no-nonsense person and that in turn has made them one of the most disliked people among their peers—which is a huge personal failure to them since their father is a very well-liked and socially successful person in town.

And the Emersons are peak privilege: inherent high social status, brains, looks, charisma, athleticism, and massive wealth. They could never have been anything less than extremely popular, just by virtue of their last name and the nature of the town's social dynamics and politics. And they do enjoy that privilege (esp Curt lol). However, it should go without saying that being so high profile, even (or maybe especially) just in the isolated scope of your hometown, isn't always a boon. Their family's and their own perceived failings are widely discussed and privately mocked and/or celebrated. Real friends are scarce while fake ones and snakes are plentiful. Plus their dad is a gigantic dickhead who sees his kids as extensions of his own status and reputation and not much else. Public shortcomings make for an unbearable time at home and the world outside the estate is at once overly accommodating, full of assumptions, and even subtly hostile at times—all unrelated to their own actions or character.

And with the MC, I think the narrative will make it clear there are several ways that story can go. You start off with irresponsible parents that have lost their wealth due to their own mismanagement and material ambitions—how that affects any individual MC should differ based on choices and consequences!

So why bring any of that up when I was supposed to be talking about my cut OC? 😂😂

Leo was going to be the unwelcome recent addition to his uncle’s household, the son of a brother his aunt hates for (petty af) Reasons, and she took that resentment out on him directly by restricting his access to nearly every aspect of the family's wealth. Especially material goods and living conditions. He was basically treated like the help, tasked with playing nanny for his many younger cousins and burdened with doing the homework and providing academic cover for his dumb as rocks cousin in the same grade as you all. To sum it up, he was basically a victim of trafficking at the hands of his own family with his uncle out of town enough to feign ignorance to how bad his wife was treating his nephew and his aunt going out of her way to keep him busy, at home, and isolated. This is sadly a super common form of trafficking in Francophone African cultures (although I don't think most people view it as trafficking. and I’m sure the same is true of other cultures but I don’t want to speak outside of my purview). And like I mentioned above, it’s how my own mom's (and idek how many cousins') child/teenhood went.

It’s a perspective on modern wealth, privilege and greed that I really, really wanted to tell. I am confident in saying it hasn't been explored in interactive fiction yet (though correct me—and direct me 👀—if I'm wrong) and out of all the wealth/greed explorations I came up with, it's the one I have the closest personal ties to and the strongest feelings about. The characters and plans I had for it were detailed and I'm proud of them but at the end of the day... I just couldn't find a place for Leo in the story at large.

Leo was, in fact, the last main character I came up with, when I had already designed and fleshed out the larger story and started crafting the timeline of major events. I think the worst thing I could have done for a story and perspective that I care about this much is shove it into a plot that didn't have room for it at the very base level, regardless of how well the character or his story is written. Shoe-horned characters always stick out. I didn’t want to disservice Leo by having him be the character that did nothing or could be removed from the main plot without affecting it at all, y’know? That’s so much worse than just forgoing the indulgence, imo :((

ugh.... Leooooo 😭 I'm so sorry bb, I failed youuu 😥

[royalreef]

(( As much as I love Monster Prom, some of its decisions as it comes to canon are just... boring. Disappointing and kind of a letdown in comparison to what was previously implied. They aren’t necessarily bad, and even in another story they could be perfect and impactful, and they’re all written nicely - but it’s just... A letdown in comparison to all the other possibilities.

Like I remember when the only lore ending we had available for any of the ROs was Damien’s Hairstylist ending, and the RPC was FULL of unique takes on lore for all the other characters! Like the old idea of Liam and Polly being childhood friends, or lore with gorgons, or even just how Zoe would behave after becoming a student. I’m not mad with how they all actually turned out, as again, I do think they were written well and were impactful in the intended ways, but at the same time... They feel like simple answers. Answers that don’t play as much in the idea that, these are monsters, in a world where magic and utter nonsense are commonplace and nearly anything is possible so long as you have the stats for it. It’s boring. It’s simple, and easy, and not too unusual once you get the gist of it.

Maybe it’s just the fact that the rest of the game is so wholly based in anything other than realism that having the serious lore be realistic just... I don’t know, feels strange?

As odd as it is, I feel like I lucked out with Miranda. The Bellanda ending was just bad, providing next to nothing lore-wise, coming off in a way that I’m sure wasn’t intended, and fumbling everything that’s been implied with Miranda up until then. Most of my Bellanda lore was developed before its release, since Bellanda herself was known about before then and I know someone had looked through the game files to find the picture for that one ending, so other than getting the other sisters’ names and adding a few chunks of things for me to work with, not much with my lore changed. Hell, the entire ending was just about lampshading how Miranda had no character nor lore nor motivations, and it just.... Felt like the worst possible way to explore Miri in any further detail?

Especially because she’s not a boring character!!! Once you start looking at her, laying out the consistencies and all the little things that we’ve been dropped, it paints a wonderfully interesting picture with a lot of fascinating things at play! She’s mega-rich in a way that even existing monarchies aren’t and weren’t even historically, she mentions things which have no business being in a fantasy kingdom, what is implied about her culture is bizarre and suggests that the Merkingdom has been isolated from other influences for far longer than even monsters and humans have from each other, what we hear about the Vanderbilts themselves and Miranda’s upbringing and all her little traits is sincerely concerning, and even the most obvious “ something is most definitely going on in a way we can’t see ” trait of her having eating serfs and not eating for herself is entirely undiscussed and never touched upon. She’s a character with a TON of vague, interesting concepts and a whole lot of unknown space between, and canon’s answer of “That space is totally empty, Miranda has nothing going on whatsoever” just feels like a copout!! There are so many interesting ways you could take it, and to completely dismiss that is BORING!!!

Like... I don’t know, maybe it’s me fanning my own flames, but I feel like it makes sense that the blog I really stuck with and the blog that’s been active in the MonProm RPC the longest would be a Miranda blog. She, out of all the characters, has the most big, interesting concepts behind her, and canon has almost entirely abandoned her. To be a Miranda blog, you have to deal with those concepts one way or another, and you have to wade into all the implications of them to continually write her, and with canon and fandom both ignoring her, you have to be very internally motivated to keep going with her. While I’m sure any other character had the same possibility, that they could’ve been the one in my place who got started at the beginning of the RPC and stuck around as long as I have - it just feels fitting to me, that Miranda was the canon character who it happened to. Canon didn’t really have a chance to kill her lore with a boring answer to who she is and why, and even in being canon divergent in the way that I am, it’s still less canon divergent than how a lot of the older ideas on lore would be anymore.

Maybe this is wholly me connecting red string on a corkboard. I’m willing to accept that, and it’s probably the truth. But it feels like a lot of wasted opportunities to make really unique, complex lore that just fell through the cracks because canon played it safe. 

If anything, I’d liken it a lot to the monster designs themselves. There was a chance to create beautiful, unique, horrifying monsters that you can date and be your worst self with, and while what we ended up getting is still good, they’re also kinda just people in face paint.     

[mossyrossaliceinterviews]

Thao Nguyen Doesn’t Stay Down

Oct 8, 2020

By Mossy Ross

 Photo Credit: Shane McCauley

When I first listened to the title track off Thao & the Get Down Stay Down’s fifth album, Temple, I immediately hit repeat. After I finished listening to it the second time, I hit repeat again. And then again. And then again. I had a teenage urge to learn all the lyrics, so I could sing along at the top of my voice while cruising down the road. The song describes the pain of losing a home to war, an experience many of us haven’t lived through in America, and yet I still felt a deep personal connection with the song’s powerful message. Perhaps because this country is currently facing such extreme civil unrest, so the thought of experiencing war firsthand is increasingly becoming more real. But the song also touches on the turmoil we can sometimes feel in our own family lives as well. Thao Nguyen seems to be a master at crafting albums that exquisitely make complicated and painful matters a bit easier to bear.

Thao recently won a Sunny Award by CBS Sunday Morning (my most favorite of all morning shows) for the music video to her song “Phenom.” Not only is the video wildly creative and entertaining, it conveys an intergenerational rage that’s finally being collectively realized. It’s the rage of someone who has discovered it’s okay to feel sick of constantly being at the bottom of the ladder, and the message should strike fear in the hearts of corrupt politicians everywhere.

As if a timeless and timely new album and an award winning music video weren’t enough, I was triply astounded after watching the documentary Nobody Dies (available to stream Sat., Oct. 10), which follows Thao on a journey with her mom to Vietnam. The trip was Thao’s first visit to Vietnam, and her mom’s first time back since fleeing the country in 1973. It was a chance for Thao to see her mother in an environment where she wasn’t defined by being a refugee, as she often is in America. In both the documentary and the album, Thao paints a picture we don’t often see in American popular culture: the perspective of a child whose parents have lived through and escaped war.

Mossy: I watched your documentary, and it was such a beautiful tribute to your mom. Is there anything about your mother’s life and experiences that really stand out for you, that you think Americans could learn from?

TN: When I wrote Temple, it was because I wanted to offer a different narrative and rendering of someone who experienced war, and the idea of what a refugee is. And obviously in recent years, maybe throughout American history, how refugees have been reduced and the narrative that has been relayed. I think it’s really important to remember that there’s a distinction between an immigrant and a refugee. And also that someone is not just defined by this war that happened to them and their country. I think that’s why Temple was so important for me. I really wanted to capture my mom’s life before, after, and during; and just help enrich that community. I was raised in Virginia, and growing up, it was so stark the way people treated (refugees). I think that parents that are refugees or immigrants witness a lot of incredibly unfortunate encounters, where their dignity is dismissed. You watch your parents be dehumanized in either casual ways, or really serious ways. So this was one of my efforts to address and make peace with that.

Mossy: When I was watching your documentary I found myself smiling. And then I got to the story about your dad and I just started bawling. What parallels do you see between your father and the patriarchy at large?

TN: That’s an interesting question. My record before this one was about my dad. It’s called A Man Alive, and it’s just about our nonexistent relationship and all the bullshit. But what I started to understand when I was making that record, was just a facet of what it is to be emasculated in American society. And what that means for the families of the men who are emasculated. And I think that you see that a lot, especially in immigrant and refugee homes. And others, I mean, I’m only speaking from my experience. But what does a man do to assert power when he feels as though he’s denied power in society? I think it becomes a really personal and intimate, familial problem. And you know, it helps me understand his experience and what unresolved trauma that basically debilitates him, and renders him an irresponsible, reckless person. Patriarchy in general…I do think so much of it is people not knowing how to grapple with the expectations of masculinity. I could go on. (Laughs) I’ll just say it’s so detrimental in every direction, because if you’re not masculine enough, you will pay and then someone else will pay. And if you feel as though you’re  not respected enough, then the ways that men feel pressured to illicit that respect in our society is so deadly.

Mossy: You said in the documentary that when you went back to Vietnam, it helped you understand your dad’s temperament. That you understood it…but you didn’t. It’s like saying, “I do understand where you’re coming from and I empathize, but I don’t accept how you’re treating me because of it.” Which I feel is kind of where true healing from trauma can begin. How else do you deal with trauma?

TN: Well there have been different waves of awareness and lack of awareness of what I needed to be doing. I mean, I’ve done the typical things like drinking. (Laughs) I think touring helped. I’ve spent the majority of my adult life on tour, and it’s a refuge. But it also allows you to not deal with anything for a really long time. You could go your whole life without dealing with things. Of course, songwriting and making music. And really wanting to go there lyrically by being more specific with lyrics. Okay, and then therapy. But as far as music is concerned, I think it’s been really helpful to have these songs and talk about them, even under the auspice of promotion. But it’s also just connecting with people and talking about the songs. These levels of vulnerability make for a lot more humane experience. When we play live shows , if people get a chance, they’ll come up and tell me what a song has meant. And it really is so heartening and gratifying, and part of the healing.

Mossy: So you’re saying drinking didn’t work?!

TN: (Laughs) I still do it, so I’m not saying it doesn’t. Just don’t go crazy!

Photo Credit: Shane McCauley

Mossy: You have such a wonderful vocabulary, so I’m guessing you like to read. Who are you favorite authors?

TN: Thanks for saying that. Writing and reading favorite authors are how I prepare the albums and the songs. And when I’m writing songs, I never listen to music, and I only read. But I love, oh man, I grew up reading Toni Morrison and her way with language and the vivid pictures she paints and the way she renders people. Grace Paley is another writer who’s style I love. Marilynne Robinson. George Saunders. I typically am drawn to contemporary literature. And now there’s a lot of reading to be done to learn about how America has become what it is. And to that end, Octavia Butler and James Baldwin really influenced the writing of this record.

Mossy: So you’re like Kurt Cobain over here, writing songs inspired by literature.

TN: (Laughs) I wish I had a cool sweater.

Mossy: Ah, he had the best sweaters.

TN: He had the best sweaters.

Mossy: I saw on your Instagram that you support women prisoners and Critical Resistance. Why are you specifically interested in these causes?

TN: With the California Coalition of Women Prisoners, I’ve been involved with them since 2013. Originally it was because a housemate of mine was an amazing organizer, and has been with them for years. And I was home from tour for awhile and he asked me to join this advocacy group, where we went in to prisons and visited, and we were part of a legal advocacy team. So the album, We the Common is entirely about and in tribute to these people who live inside, and this organization.

Mossy: Do you need to have a law degree to do that? I wanna do that!

TN: (Laughs) You totally can! No you don’t have to have a law degree. So the people like my friend…they don’t officially have a law degree. They just know so much about the system, because they’re constantly trying to help people figure out their parole, and how to get their face back in front of a judge. So we went in conjunction with a lawyer. We were just a team that was basically working with a pro-bono lawyer.

Mossy: You mentioned connection and live performance in your documentary. How do you think the musical performance landscape is going to change since the pandemic?

TN: I don’t know what’s going to happen to the venues as they exist now. I don’t know what kind of modifications or concessions they’ll have to make. So I do think that there will be more unconventional and nontraditional venues that come up by the time we’re ready for crowds to gather. And I think there will be more multi-use spaces and art institutions and contemporary art museums. More of those kind of hybrid events. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the rock clubs. It’s so sad. But I do think that we were barreling towards a reckoning. And I liken the music industry to the restaurant industry in a lot of ways…how thin the margin is for survival. And I think people will play smaller shows, because they can happen more quickly. And I think there’s going to be a lot more direct to fan engagement. And those who have a preexisting fan base will lean more into those fans, and be less concerned with expanding.

Mossy: It’s almost like what’s happening in the music industry is symbolic of what needs to happen everywhere. More localizing and community building.

TN: Totally. And I think Bandcamp is going to take an even stronger role as leaders of a more ethical model. I think what’s happening right now with streaming services is, ah, (laughs) unbearable.

Keep up with Thao’s music and the organizations she supports on Instagram at @thaogetstaydown Stream the documentary Nobody Dies this Saturday at https://www.youtube.com/user/thaomusic

[kareenvorbarra]

rarepair 2017 letter

Hello Author! Thank you so much for writing for me. I hope this letter makes sense and gives you some inspiration. 

ETA: NOW COMPLETE, and I’m terribly sorry for the delay. 

General Preferences

With a few exceptions that I’ll specify later, I don’t want any smut or sex-focused fics. In a few cases (also specified below), I’d prefer there not be any sex in the relationship at all, even if it’s just implied. I don’t want any of my requested ships to be portrayed as abusive or unloving - even where there is angst or confusion, I imagine that all of these people genuinely love and care about one another and are trying their best. However, some of the characters on this list have experienced canonical rape and/or other types of abuse in other relationships, and I’m absolutely fine with those issues being addressed. No alternate-setting AUs, please.  

Silmarillion - Huor/Rian, Idril/Tuor, Idril/Tuor/Voronwe, Barahir/Emeldir, Finduilas/Gwindor/Turin, Beren/Luthien, Eilinel/Gorlim, Hurin/Morwen

Huor/Rían

This is one of the ships that I actually wish someone would write smut for. Vanilla, for sure, but beyond that almost any situation would be great. Huor and Rian having cute, slightly awkward first time sex between their betrothal and the wedding. Huor and Rian having angsty comfort sex the night before he leaves for the Nirnaeth. Anything else that you can come up with, as long as it also includes plenty of emotions and characterization. 

If you don’t want to write a sex scene (it’s cool, I don’t like writing them much either) literally almost anything else would be good. Cute! Angsty! Both! Ideally I would like it to be set when they are both actually adults and start getting romantic, whether that’s at the very beginning of their relationship, or during their brief marriage. Some ideas:

Them talking about the bad things that have happened to them, about the impact that war has had on their lives, and helping each other deal with those memories. 

Rian still has nightmares, though not as frequently as she did as a child. Write about the first time she has one after getting married. 

Something about the two of them interacting with music? Is Huor musical? Does he sing, or play an instrument like his brother? Or does he just really love listening to Rian sing? Or something about them dancing together - what are Hadorian social dances like? 

Idril/Tuor

First of all, if you end up writing a fic about these two, I’d like to request that Maeglin not appear in it. Other characters can mention him if you want, but I’d really rather the story not focus on him in any significant way. 

As another general rule, I’m not interested in interpretations of these characters that gloss over their pasts, particularly Tuor’s - you don’t have to directly address the loss and abuse he experienced as a child, but please don’t write him in a way that doesn’t make sense in light of those events. I would also really love a fic where Idril and Tuor talk about bad things in their pasts for the first time. 

Also, Idril and Tuor talking about Huor and Hurin! Bonus if it includes Idril singing a Hadorian song or speaking a bit of Hadorian that she learned from them, and Tuor being excited but also sad. 

Again, a nightmare fic (that’s...going to be a bit of a theme in my requests) would be wonderful. Either Idril or Tuor has a violent nightmare and the other one has to wake them and help them calm down. 

Idril/Tuor/Voronwe

Not looking for sex with this one, but cuddlepiles/bed-sharing would be excellent. 

Three-way co-parenting after Earendil comes along.

Tuor gets some kind of non-life-threatening but very nasty human illness that keeps him off his feet for a while, and Idril and Voronwe freak out and dote on him a lot. He tries to get them to calm down, but once he’s managed to convince them he isn’t dying he rather enjoys the attention - it’s been a long time since anyone has fussed over him while he’s been sick, and he’d mostly forgotten how it felt to be so thoroughly cared for. 

The three of them keeping each other going after the Fall of Gondolin and leaning on each other for support and comfort during the long, dangerous journey to Sirion. 

Barahir/Emeldir

I’d be down for reading a sex scene with these two if you feel like writing one! I imagine they are both active, physically affectionate people who are really comfortable with each other and know each other’s bodies very well. They also like to dance and spar together, and I’d love to read a fic about them engaging in any of these activities, before or after their marriage. 

As with Huor/Rian and Morwen/Hurin, I would welcome angsty pre-battle comfort scenes, with or without sex. Or anything about them relying on each other during the Bragollach. 

I’d love anything that plays up the battle couple aspect of their relationship, whether that’s them sparring, teaching young Beren how to fight, getting caught in an ambush while on patrol together, or something else. 

Finduilas/Gwindor/Túrin

No sex please, but I’d be on board for some awkward, angsty, emotionally-charged cuddling.

What would a genuinely happy moment between the three of them look like?

What would happen in an AU where they all managed to talk about their feelings for each other and work out some of their emotional issues together? Again, I am always here for cuddling and other forms of non-sexual intimacy. 

I don’t have a whole lot of ideas for these three, but basically I want it to be emotional and at least a little angsty but where they all care about each other deeply, though not all in the same way and not always sufficiently expressed.

Beren/Luthien

As with Tuor, I’m not interested in characterization that doesn’t take into account the unimaginable trauma and suffering that Beren experienced in the years before meeting Luthien. I’d love to see any of that explored in their relationship - how does he readjust to speech after living alone in a forest for so long? When does he begin to tell Luthien details about his past and family members? What do they do on those days when Beren is overwhelmed by guilt and grief, even though he now lives a peaceful life with his wife and son?

I do want their relationship to be strong and loving and based on mutual respect rather than deference - they would do anything for each other, but they also disagree sometimes and don’t always act in ways they other approves of. They respect each other’s abilities even though they fear for each other’s safety. 

I do think they had some forest sex in the months before Daeron outed them, but I also think it took Beren a while to be emotionally ready for that kind of intimacy (and I don’t think he’d had much sexual experience, if any, before Luthien). I’d love to read about that as a gradual process, where Luthien is the more experienced person and is kind of initiating things, but also being careful and respectful of Beren’s boundaries. 

Literally anything about these two!!! I love them!!!! A fic exploring any point in their story between their first meeting and Thingol’s death would be great. 

Eilinel/Gorlim

I’d love anything for these two, really. I’d say no sex in the interest of focusing on characterization, since these two don’t get much of it, but I really just want to read something that they both appear in as living people.

Anything cute about their lives together! When did they meet, how did they meet, when/why did they fall in love? How long had they been married when the war began? Did they want children?

In addition to or instead of the above prompt, some good pre-battle angst of the sort that seems fairly ubiquitous in my favorite Edain ships. What happened the last time they saw each other alive? 

Húrin/Morwen

In my headcanons about these two, they were betrothed in their early teens to help tie the Beorian refugees to the Hadorian community, and didn’t get married until years later. If this idea appeals to you, I’d love to read something about them getting to know each other. Their personalities are very different, so how do they get along at the beginning? How do they come to grow fonder of each other?

I also imagine both of them not having had sex with anyone before they get married, and I’d love to read some cute/awkward first time wedding night sex. 

Something about the two of them being super happy at Huor and Rian’s wedding (with maybe also an undercurrent of worry about the plans for the upcoming war, especially on Morwen’s part). 

Morwen helping Hurin deal with the death of his father, and with the fact that he now has to assume leadership of his people at the age of 21. 

And again, angsty pre-Nirnaeth comfort sex would be welcome. 

Vorkosigan Saga - Duv Galeni/Delia Koudelka, Drou/Kareen Vorbarra, Harra Csurik/Lem Csurik

I love Duv and Delia and I think they’re pretty underrated! One thing I’d like to see is Duv first opening up to Delia about his family and the things he did during the rebellions on Komarr. At what point in their relationship did they finally discuss these things? Bonus points if you work in his birth name and his feelings about it in some way. I’d also love anything about them and their kids, with any combination of fluff and angst as they adjust to being parents and reflect on the ways Barrayar and Komarr have changed since their own childhoods. Another idea: Delia traveling to Komarr for the first time and actually seeing all the places she’s heard about, or Duv going to meet some of Delia’s extended family for the first time (maybe Drou’s father and brothers, or Kou’s sister?). I’m interested in stories about them exploring their cultural differences and learning more about each other.

Drou/Kareen is kind of a complicated one - I don’t imagine them ever having sex or really talking about their relationship in terms of romance, but still becoming intensely devoted to each other and basically being the most important people in each other’s lives, something that, in different circumstances, might have turned into a romantic relationship. I’d like something set any time during Drou’s years as Kareen’s bodyguard. The main thing I’d like to see for this ship is maybe-romantic-maybe-platonic physical intimacy, like hugging, cuddling, or bed-sharing. Some scenarios I’d love to see: one of them comforting the other for any reason, one of them brushing the other’s hair, Drou helping Kareen get dressed for some fancy event, Kareen accidentally waking Drou when she has a nightmare and Drou ending up sleeping in Kareen’s bed for the rest of the night, or any combination of those. Anything with them sort of co-parenting Gregor would be lovely, as long as they have a little alone time at some point in the story. I’d rather Serg not appear in the fic, but feel free to have other characters discuss him or address how his past treatment of Kareen continues to affect her. A fic about how Drou and Kareen react to hearing about Serg’s death for the first time would be super interesting. 

For Lem and Hara, I really just want to know more about these two, especially their early lives. How did they develop feelings for each other? What was their courtship like? What kinds of strain did the events of “The Mountains of Mourning” put on their relationship, and how did they eventually recover from it? How did they feel when their second child was born? What did they tell their other children about Raina, and when did they do it? Just some ideas. You can mention Miles or other major Vorkosigan Saga characters, but I’d rather none of them appear in the fic. 

Tortall - Francis of Nond/Raoul of Goldenlake, Lalasa Isran/Tianine Plowman

Basically, all we know about Francis is that he’s quiet, kind, and close friends with Raoul (he’s referred to as “Raoul’s blond shadow”). When I reread Alanna: The First Adventure recently, I came to the conclusion that Raoul (who is bisexual in my head) and Francis were each other’s first sort-of romantic relationship, very close friends who realized as young teens that they were also attracted to each other. Of course, then they both get the Sweating Sickness and Francis dies while Raoul is still very sick. Basically, I want a cute story about shy Francis and outgoing-but-insecure Raoul dealing with their feelings for each other, and/or a sad story about Raoul dealing with the death of his close friend and first passionate crush. I understand if you don’t feel up to writing the death part, though - the cute slightly-angsty awkward stuff will be fine on its own. No sex in this one, please, though kissing would be great.

For Lalasa and Tian, maybe a story about them telling Kel about their relationship for the first time? Or scenes from early on in their relationship as the romance is developing, when Lalasa begins to confide in Tian about her experiences with men and harassment. Or maybe their private reunion after Lalasa is freed from her kidnappers - what is their relationship like at this point, and does their fear and relief inspire any confessions of as-yet-unvoiced emotions. I’d love a little angst or hurt/comfort, but ending with the two of them made happier by their relationship with each other.

Clone Wars - Padme Amidala/Satine Kryze, Steela Gerrera/Ahoska Tano

For these two ships I’m mostly interested in AUs where they both survive TCW/the prequels. My dream Satine/Padme story is where they go into hiding together and raise Padme’s kids and fall in love - anything along those lines would be lovely. If AUs aren’t your thing, maybe a fic about them meeting as teenagers and bonding over their experiences of becoming political figures and being in danger from a very young age, and also developing crushes on each other but not really knowing how to deal.

For Steela/Ahsoka, I’d love to see them working together in the rebellion and going on missions as a couple, falling in love, being practically inseparable, something like that. Bonus points if people sometimes assume that the mysterious agent Fulcrum is a man, and are surprised to find out that Fulcrum is actually two 20-something lesbians. Extra bonus points if all four of them somehow meet several years into the Empire’s rule and little Luke and Leia are there???? Just some ideas. For something actually in the timeline of the show, I’d love a fic about Ahsoka narrowly saving Steela from falling off the cliff and the two of them spending time alone together after the battle, finally realizing/opening up about their feelings for each other.

DS9 - Kira Meru/Tora Naprem

I would sell my soul for some Naprem fanfiction that doesn’t erase Meru or portray Naprem/Dukat as some kind of passionate, misunderstood cross-species romance. I’d also love to see the two of them interact, and so the idea for this ship was born. I’d like all the canonical information we have about these two to be preserved, and if you feel like incorporating details about Meru’s continued relationship with Dukat from the non-canonical Terok Nor trilogy feel free to do so, but if you haven’t read those books then don’t worry about it. Also, it’s been a while since I read that series and I can’t remember if Meru and Naprem ever meet in it, but I feel like they don’t, and obviously they have to meet for this fic to work.

Some hard “no”s for me - Dukat can be in this fic a little, but I’d rather he not be a major character. I also don’t want his relationship with either Meru or Naprem to be portrayed as, for lack of a better word, unproblematic; the story must deal with the power imbalances inherent in the situation, and be sensitive to the fact that coercion (i.e. the things Dukat does to Meru and, by plausible extrapolation, to Naprem) is a form of rape. I don’t really want sex in this one, just a big mess of complicated feelings about Dukat, other Bajorans, the friends and families they may have left behind, and each other (cuddling and/or kissing optional but appreciated).

So, ideas and things I’d love to see explored: how and when might Meru and Naprem first meet? What do they think of each other? Does Naprem develop real fondness for Dukat, and how does Meru react to this? How does Meru die? I also want to know your take on Naprem’s backstory. For a more specific scenario idea, I’d love something with Meru and Naprem staying together for a few nights while Dukat is away from the station, and talking about him and the war and their old lives and (if you want) Naprem’s pregnancy/baby Ziyal. Meru and Naprem sleeping in the same bed in this scenario would be very very good.

[jyn-and-tonic]

Have you ever been t-boned by a ship?

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, and idk why it has been bugging me lately, especially as I feel a lot of RO hype has faded, but I still felt like putting my two cents out there. Please understand that I don’t expect all (if any) reylo or rebelcaptain shippers to agree with me on this idea, but I did still feel like sharing. 

No one plans on getting t-boned. You’re just minding your business, eyes on the road, being a good driver, when all the sudden out of nowhere, something smashes into you and pushes you completely off the road. 

That was me just about a month ago.

It is no foreign concept to most that know me in this fandom that I have a deep fascination with the relationship between Rey and Kylo. However, that did not smack me upside the head in the middle of the theater. It wasn’t until I read a lot and watched a lot and talked a lot that my interest in it became so rooted. 

I did admittedly feel a connection to Rey, a girl who’s had to fight for a lot in life, but really I saw more of myself in Kylo, someone who “had it made” but screwed themselves up a lot. While sure, I could see the cinematic and storytelling gold mine that lay inside the idea of “reylo”, it was never something I ever really connected to on a deep emotional level, rather it was supremely intellectual for me, and still is. 

It took me long enough to see TFA that I could not avoid the online chatter, and while a bit of it revolved around plot and such, it was mostly about ships. Stormpilot, Finnrey, Kylux, you name it. However, if there was one thing I knew more than there being a million ships, it was that Reylo was apparently the “wrong one”. Now, of course, seeing it myself cleared that up for me and I’ve spent enough time being hated for it and that's fine, but the point is that I expected to find myself attached to the “romance” of at least ONE of these pairings before even going in and it’s possible that affected me in some way.

Now, I knew it was going to be a bit of time before I got to see Rogue One, so after it premiered, I literally shut off Tumblr. I didn’t even bother trying to blacklist, since that didn’t work last time, and just ignored it completely. I basically didn’t even look at Facebook much (it was christmas season anyway, and I was bored of seeing everyone’s family stuff all the time) and I think I just watched a bunch of Netflix and scrolled Pinterest, since nothing really makes it there in a timely fashion.

The other main distinction between TFA and RO for me was that, I had basically gleaned the entire plot and spoilers before going in, so nothing was really a shock. You’d think with the fact that we already knew what happened at the end of RO that it would lay the groundwork for not really allowing the viewers to be “spoiled” as the plot was already laid out 40 years ago. 

I think this heavily contributed to my t-boning. I walked in expecting to be handed a familiar-shaped puzzle piece, one that would fill in the gaps of a familiar story, but wouldn’t hold any surprises. And yes, while the plot and the story were pretty clear-cut, the shape of the piece if you will, I never expected what was actually printed on it. 

I guess I’ve evaded being straightforward about my meaning with all this. It boils down to this. Reylo is definitely still my OTP, but Rebelcaptian makes my heart sing. I’m not sure if I can really explain why, but I am certainly going to try. 

So, the biggest pushback that I’ve noticed towards RC shippers is that if they were/are not also Finnrey shippers, then they are discriminating (guys, can we please drop this argument, it’s been over a year, just let people be happy with what makes them happy and stop sticking your fingers in pies that don’t belong to you). I refuse to argue that one ship is more “progressive” than the other based on the race of the actors, because frankly, I couldn’t care less. I’m not trying to be high and mighty and say that I don’t see color, but rather that color is on the outside, and character is on the inside. I’ve never been enamored by a character simply because of the way the actor or actress looked. If the character was flat, no amount of looks could fix that. Stories are written for characters, not for actors. 

I remember back when Return of the King was released in theaters, the comic strip Foxtrot ran a bunch of comics centered around the fandom culture of wrapping up this epic story’s journey to the big screen. The sister asks her brother, who is quite the LOTR fan, something to the effect of “So how often does Tolkien mention Orlando Bloom in the books, is it a lot”. The idea, while being somewhat frustrating to a girl interested in fandom at the time, highlights the absurdity of assuming that character personas were written for actors to play them. Again, characters are written for the characters themselves. 

Dude! I found the strip. I can’t believe how accurately I remember this from like 13 years ago.

  So, this is not in anyway to put down the characterizations of Rey or Finn, because again, this is not a fight between two ships, but rather to try and put into words what has literally consumed me over the last week (admittedly in a way that I find embarrassing as I’ve kinda always prided myself on being a “closet” fangirl, because I don’t wear a lot of my heart on my sleeve, but this has been NOTHING like that). I’m not here to put that ship down, just to try to explain why I can be heavily invested in two ships that have such different character dynamics.

A lot of it I think comes down to what parts of the characters I see in myself. While I did see some of myself in Rey, especially in her resilience, I just never resonated with the pure effervescence that she has. Though her life on Jakku was brutal, difficult, and lonely, she does not take long to form connections with others in a way that is rooted in an internal joy. She is laughing and smiling with Finn before they even know each other’s names. I am just not like that at all. That’s not to say that I don’t understand how to feel joy or that I’m always a seething ball of rage, but I don’t innately gravitate towards new people I meet. Though it might sound selfish, based on the kind of childhood I had and the emotional abuse I sustained, I have built walls up around myself. Yes, it’s somewhat to keep myself isolated from others, but it’s also a bit to see who’s willing to climb up and over them to get to me. 

In another facet, I also know that I am an intimidating person. My personality type is one where I am critically logical about everything I see and do, yet my ability to dream and create is practically unstoppable. It makes for a person who can see and believe in every possibility, but is logical enough to know exactly which battles to pick long before we fight them. To us, it is efficiency. To others, it is cynicism. I can’t with any surety say that I could pinpoint a Myers-Briggs personality for Jyn, but I imagine it would share a few similar traits with me as an INTJ. There’s no doubt she is independent, having fought only for herself her entire life, and obviously she struggles to trust others and connect with them. This is something I connect with immensely. 

The other half of the equation lies in the other half of the pairing. I honestly think this half holds a lot greater weight for me personally. This is the part that is really difficult for me to explain without feeling awkward or embarrassed. INTJs understand a lot, but we are not good at expressing feeling and emotion. So yeah, a lot of the equation lies in the fact that Cassian is the type of person that I can actually see myself loving. I have not been in many serious relationships in my life for two main reasons. Again, I’m intimidating, but more than that, I have little patience to form strong bonds with most kinds of people, because they annoy or frustrate me. I can work with lots of types of people easily, but I don’t “love” them. It’s very difficult to focus in on exactly what I can and cannot deal with in others, but let’s just say I’m pretty picky. It lends itself to a lonely life for sure, but I would far rather be lonely and in control of my life than to keep company with someone who annoyed or stifled me.

I feel the reason this ship just OBLITERATED me was because you NEVER see this type of personality in a female on-screen and have her be labeled as anything but the resident “bitch” of the film, and she’s certainly not going to be the heroine. Then, on top of that, it’s pretty obvious, whether through the movie, or the novelization, or just by Cassian’s official Spotify playlist, that he’s seriously captivated by Jyn, but it’s definitely not love at first sight. It’s quite a Pride and Prejudice feel, them both thinking they are so very different at first, and then finding they are actually so similar in the end. The reason Rebelcaptain is such a painful ship to love is because the pinnacle of their realization about each other comes only literal moments before their death. Sure I’ve been in relationships, but I’ve never felt “fulfilled” through them. I was still searching for something that I was beginning to think didn’t exist for me. It’s not that I’m going to use this type of characterization in Cassian for a litmus test for all my possible future relationships, but the point is, for the first time practically ever in my life, I actually feel an emotional attachment to a relationship i've seen in a story. This was an earth-shattering realization for me. If you don’t share a similar personality type to me, I fully understand that this may make little to no sense. It’s hard to grasp how someone could make it through 26 years of life and never feel attachment or happiness for the idea of love. 

The first moment it really struck me was Chirrut’s assessment to Cassian that he “carries his prison wherever he goes”. Like, IF THAT AIN’T ME. At that point in the film, Cassian literally has no more “need” for Jyn, and has found himself locked up for the first time of his life. Yet, upon escape, his priority is still to find her and get her safely out. As the film continues, we keep seeing time after time where he puts her before something logical or a direct order. Eventually, we begin to expect it. That connection doesn’t make logical sense to an outsider. She literally hasn’t smiled once, or shown any sort of affection to others, or made kind comments, or anything, yet, he is absolutely enthralled by her. Perhaps he’s just attracted to someone who can wield a cool stick-thing (what is this actually called) by I’m pretty sure it runs a bit deeper than that. It’s as if neither of them could have found this connection with anyone other than each other, as their personalities are too picky. No, I’m not saying they’re soulmates, cause that’s a concept I don’t believe in, but that it’s not difficult as a viewer to assume that, had their lives continued past the credits, without each other, they could have easily remained alone forever. 

“But he was going to kill her father” you say, and you’re right. He was. He’s a spy, he’s given orders, and he carries them out. But if we aren’t defined by our choices, then what are we defined by. They’ve all done terrible things as Cassian said, but he made the decision not to do this one terrible thing. The novelization makes it clearer that his hesitation was rooted in his feeling for Jyn. Not necessarily a “good” feeling or a “bad” one, but there through his scope in Galen lay the same eyes that burned with such intensity in Jyn. I won’t pretend to understand why each character did each thing, but I will find meaning where I feel it fits. 

So again, it’s so hard to have this strong point of view on one ship, but also have differing strong points of view on another one (read:Reylo). I feel conflicted somewhat on an intellectual front, but it all feels very clear on an emotional front, frankly a front that is very new to me in general. 

I’m not sure if any of this is making any sense, again, it’s so hard to pinpoint for me. It just seems that I am so connected to this relationship because it gives me a hope I never anticipated for myself. While having resolved myself for a while to just being alone forever, it’s refreshing to have something to believe in, even if it’s just a story. Emotions are important, and the inability to understand them is dangerous. Finally beginning to understand what it would actually mean to feel that connection is very important.