#i love being asked questions about my own personal blorbos

[gonetoforks]

So.... has Yuichi ever been burned?

ty for asking!! in a literal sense, yep! Living on a farm your whole life gives you some accidents in the kitchen haha

his fabric skin has a lot of similar properties to meat skin; it’s not as porous as fabric so his fluff and robotic endoskeleton stays mostly dry, and it can heal itself to a certain extent! He can stitch limbs back on pretty easily.

so regarding burns, he mostly has to deal with a black mark for a few days until it heals. Although, the first aid for skin that’s completely lost/damaged down to the fluff is to sew a patch on top and wait for that to become new skin :D Like on his elbows, he road rashed those pretty hard.

people on instagram had some questions about his physiology too! I think now’s a pretty good time to cross post them :D

[blujaydoodles]

💌 : How would they plan a romantic evening for a significant other?

I'm cheating I choose all of your blorbos

YELLSSSS JUSTIN THERE ARE SO MANY BLORBOS!! This has also been tricky to think about because 'a romantic evening for a significant other' is not (necessarily) the same thing as 'a date', and also all of my OCs have either not been in an actual relationship in a long time, or have not been in one uhhh ever at all lmao

Elyss's idea of a romantic evening is private and intimate; I feel like she would plan something like an evening walk in the woods, but depending on the other person maybe also something cozy, like staying in and reading together by the fire (preferably the other person reading out loud to her)? I don’t think she’d plan anything near water for a romantic evening in case it distracted her (unless her partner can also breathe underwater, in which case yes yes obviously yes WHAT could be more romantic than sharing the overwhelming joy and peace of the quiet depths with someone you love)

Idri gets all her ideas about Romance from books and goes over the top setting up a fancy candlelit dinner, dancing, roses, chocolates, wine, rose petals all over the bedroom-- a very archetypal Whole Shebang. She can't cook, so the fancy dinner is at a fancy restaurant. She's the exact perfect blend of self-aware of how ridiculous it all is and playfully playing into that, while also being completely earnest about wanting it to be really fun and nice-- winking at them over the rose in her teeth, but only because she knows it’ll make them laugh

For Juniper, I feel like a part of her might be inclined to try to Do Things Correctly, especially if she’s not very confident yet in the relationship-- dinner, flowers, candles, dressing up probably. But if she’s more comfortable, she’d plan something less formally by the book, but more romantic to her, personally-- something like stargazing together, or getting up early just to watch the sunrise. There would still be flowers, but it’d be less ‘an obligatory bouquet in a vase’ and more ‘a bed of druidcrafted flowers she’s set up where they’re going to be stargazing’ or ‘a wild blossom tenderly tucked into her partner’s hair’

Aubree dotes-- she's cleaned the whole house, she's got a hot bath with candles and fancy soaps ready for them, she cooks their favorite dinner and dessert and presents it all as artfully as she can, and there's a bouquet of wildflowers on the table cause you've gotta have flowers if you're being romantic, she’s gonna give them a back rub at some point, etc. There’s also gonna be a lot of wine, cause wine pairs well with dinner and with dessert and with a cheese board and with backrubs and romantic bubble baths and suddenly that’s A Fair Bit, haha

Melliwyk is not especially good or well practiced at romance, so I think she’d struggle to figure out how to plan a romantic evening at all :’) I think she’d generally lean on Going Out (because that's what people do, isn't it?)-- a nice restaurant, or a museum or something-- preferably stuff more in line with the latter, because what could be more romantic than bonding over experiencing something interesting together? She probably would also bring a gift-- specifically, something personal and handmade

Nyssa’s romantic evening emphasizes sensuality; this is wine and chocolates in bed, surrounded by flowers and silks, and if you’re not already naked you’re overdressed. Her ‘plans’ aren’t any more specific than setting aside the entire evening, but the loose plan is to lounge and bask and talk and feed each other grapes and get drunk and play music and kiss a lot and get frisky whenever the spirit moves them

Kethri is the kind of person who loves going out and doing stuff, so I think a romantic evening (as opposed to a basic date night) would be a private night in, to center the relationship/ her partner and how much she cares about them. She’d dress up however she knows her partner likes best, and she’s probably written a song just for them, which she plays for them over after-dinner drinks by the fire. Kethri tends to be really playful and cheeky, so I think if she's planning a romantic evening it's going to highlight her tender and sincere side

Felix, even moreso than anyone else, is very minutely tailoring his to his partner’s tastes. In general, he really loves seeing people light up about the things that interest them and make them happy, so in a relationship, being able to do that for his partner would be the height of romance for him-- especially if it gives them an opportunity to get excited and talk about what interests them, like going to a play by a playwright they love so they can discuss the themes afterward, or whatever.

Um, also, this is a crossover ship I’ve only very casually indulged but this is SO specific to them I can’t just generalize about it: if the partner is Melliwyk, he has boobytrapped her entire house. Like, this is the ‘scavenger hunt that leads to the bedroom’ thing, but instead of clues that are just sheets of paper that amount to ‘look in the toaster’ the clues are all, like, meticulously planned escape room puzzles and actual riddles and shit. Also, they actually lead not to the bedroom but to a hot bath and an actual dinner, because the woman needs to be lovingly tricked into eating and relaxing literally ever

Ask about my OCs?

[writingquestionsanswered]

I don't know if this question will make sense or if it's too vague, but here goes: how do I get my OCs to feel more like blorbos? With my favorite characters from books/movies/etc, I go feral about them, I want to put them in jars and poke them with sticks and see what makes them tick. But with my original writing, I'll have ideas for stories but despite following all the traditional advice for fleshing out character motivation, flaws, etc, I keep finding myself horribly bored with my own characters. This might be too vague to answer because what makes a blorbo for one person won't necessarily be the same thing that makes another person go feral, but I was wondering if you happened to have any thoughts on what keeps my OCs feeling so un-blorbo-ish? Thanks!

"Blorbo-izing" an Original Character

Quick question to start with: have you ever cast your characters with real actors or models, or commissioned an artist to create character art of your character? I feel like it's a fairly common thing for writers to do these days, but I'm still always surprised by the number of writers who don't do this.

I have a post about casting here (Guide: Casting Your Characters) but here I'll just say that, for me, casting or getting character art made is an essential part of "blorbo-izing" my characters. I spend lots of time creating and fleshing out my characters before I ever cast them or have character art made, but they almost never feel completely real to me until I have a visual representation of the character that exists outside of my own head.

Outside of that, I thing it's a really good idea to do some character development exercises that go beyond the scope of your story. Some of my favorites include:

Character Interview - imagine that you’ve pulled your character out of a story into the room and now have the opportunity to interview them. What questions would you ask them? What do you want to know about them that you don’t already know? What do you think the reader would want to know? What might be pertinent to the story that you haven’t thought about yet?

TV Crew follow around - Imagine you’ve dropped an invisible TV crew into your story’s world to follow your character around through an average day (even if it's anachronistic). Follow them from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed that night. What are they like when they wake up? What is their morning routine? What do they eat for breakfast? How do they get ready? What do they do throughout the day? Who do they interact with? What else do they eat and drink? What do they do for fun or relaxation? How to they make money or meet their basic needs? What is their bedtime routine like?

Letters or Journal Entries - Look at your character's back story, off-screen events, etc. and find something for your character to write about in a journal entry or a letter to another character. What would they say about this event? How does it make them feel? What do they think about it?

Use Your Character in a Writing Prompt - Look at some writing prompts and do one using your character as the main character. You can keep it within your story's world or plop them into a whole different world. Whatever works for you and your story. This is about getting to know this character in a different context than the events of your story provides.

Create a Character Mood Board/Aesthetic - Mood boards go a long way in mentally fleshing out a character for me. Being able to have a visual representation of their style, their vibe, things that are important to them, etc. really turns them into real people in my mind.

Create a Playlist for Your Character - I think playlists can also be a really great way to mentally flesh out a character in your mind. Sometimes, just having a particular song or a playlist of songs that makes you think of them gives them some dimension they wouldn't otherwise have.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[verdemoun]

Fun fact, Kieran may have been originally supposed to live longer, at least judging by his many unused voice lines (found on YouTube) and a longer hairstyle which I actually think looks better for him (found on rdr wiki of cut content). Maybe he was supposed to go to Guarma? The voice lines to me suggested going on hunting missions with him but I’m not too sure.

spoilers. obviously

fun fact i have listened to the 2+ hours of Kieran's cut voice lines so many times even my housemates know it and groan when they walk in and i'm listening to it. Did you know one of his cut voice lines for a near miss in a shootout is 'whoo, nearly took my head off!' to foreshadow his eventual demise? And he has several variations of lines telling Arthur to rest with the gentlest tone suggesting he would have been one of the few characters to show concern for Arthur's illness in later chapters? And slightly less relevant but there is a cut interaction in where he asks Jack to sneak him some food only for Arthur to threaten to kill him BUT CALLING HIMSELF UNCLE KIERAN???

screenshots by cad5150

About Guarma, all but confirmed. Here is one of his cut outfits, which I think very obviously suits the vibe of what most of the gang wore in Guarma like compare it to Micah's Guarma outfit in particular. Additionally he has this hood as an outfit accessory: some people think it was intended that when he rides into camp Horsemen Apocalypse there's a moment of the hood being taken off and then the characters having a much more visceral reaction to his eyes being gauged out but personally I think it makes way more sense that he was meant to be in Banking, the Old American Art 'replacing' Sean as an extra gun. Which would have been really cool because I would have loved a conversation where they bring up they're a gun short and it spiral into more reflection on how they're not just a gun short, they're a man down, they lost the 'joy in their lives' Sean Macguire and they were still hurting instead of just NEVER MENTIONING HIM AGAIN other than a few rare character lines.

Side tangent also his scarf is different in his guarma outfit which is it's own essay because if you're going off the blue high honor red low honor theory this so strong implies we could have seen some really cool character development. looking at what the gang were wearing in banking and then in guarma there's no obvious explanation as to where he got it. how cute would it have been if we got a scene where mary-beth gifted him a scarf?? but the also terrifying implication that we might see kieran become less high honour good boy blorbo to someone a bit more morally ambiguous?

I think the question really is how he would have fit in in Guarma, which of course we will never know and considering how much cut content there is about Guarma. Like everyone else in Guarma makes sense: Dutch's descent into immorality being so clear even Arthur questions it, Bill being the one trusted to look after Javier following his rescue, supporting their friendship in rdr1, Micah reaffirming his position as an actual piece of shit in his lines responding to Hosea and Lenny's deaths and complete lack of empathy. Maybe a kieran who is slightly more ruthless and active in shootouts in guarma but also shows compassion for arthur as arthur gets sick? Maybe the attack on Hanging Dog Ranch was meant to be more a revenge for Kieran's death assuming he was taken and killed similarly to his death in chapter 4 (given how much much foreshadowing there is for his death), but just another misery in chapter 6 that hits harder because we have more time to grow attached and see him develop?

Except. Except then we get to cut outfit kieran.

first. hellooooo sailor. but who is this man. who is this man who looks older. and wears a very, very low honour red scarf. and is obviously dressed still as an outlaw, and didn't go live a happy life with mary-beth. is it. is it possible. kieran was not always meant to be doomed by the narrative??

is it possible we would have seen kieran become more loyal to dutch and micah, true to his army abandoning, gang jumping, choosing to ride with the o'driscolls rather than die, immediately 'loyal' to the vdls despite torture because being alone meant certain death, coward nature? or would he have just been a character john could encounter in the epilogue? perhaps shaken by knowing arthur, as one of his very, very few friends, died trying to be a better person and abandoned any effort to be more than an outlaw?

but. but kieran. shirt all buttoned up. scarf on. thick coat. hair slightly feral and wild. why does it looked like you're all dressed up for the cold, buddy? like- like you might have been hiding out up mount hagen.

[livelaughlovesubs]

Oki doki follow up question since you DO infact like Magito! (Ppl are so mean to enjoyers of him :(

What's your favorite nsfw headcanon? I'm sure you've got them. I love hearing others hcs for my favorite blorbos <3

Ohhh I have a silly headcanon that he wants to know what it’s like to be knocked up as a girl.

And I feel like he’d be into cream pie, or cum in general

Like having it on his face - aka eating out, giving bj, just cum play

He’s very sado-maso if you ask me, and he’d definitely have a gore fetish too

What I mean is he likes blood, his own or yours, depends on how he’s feeling

Annnd he likes wounds, like the fatal ones. He can’t die cuz of them anyway so he doesn’t mind it if you just, like, chop off his arms

No joke now, I feel like he’d be into amputation, probably on himself and others 💀 (but I think he is sub leaning, like 70/30?)

Probably not really considerate for what you like, except you have a strong personality and can defend yourself, then he (might) not cross your boundaries. Otherwise if you are too gentle he would do things you don’t like too.

He seems like the type to be into orgies haha, but it’s not his strongest kink? Like he can go on without it too, but he’d like it

Then I also imagine him being experimental, as long as he knows he has the upper hand

So these bdsm things are purely entertainment for him, deep down he knows he can overthrow the situation whenever he wants

But if exactly that security is taken from him… the fear in his eyes would be so damn delicious, the cries, whimpers and shaking, just everything

WOULD stalk you, jerk off to you while you sleep and all the disgusting stuff

I imagine him very degenerate hehe, so it’s very fun, bc then I’d have all the rights in the world to write the most sadistic and filthy shit about him know to mankind

Would love to be romantic with him, or cute and soft, and honestly? It would be fun even, he knows how to act human

But he’d never mean the things he does, so it’s better to not even open that possibility if you don’t want to end up hurt. I think he is aromatic haha

The closest thing to love he can feel is obsession, and I’ve already described a little what he would do

Yeaaaaa, those are my silly little thoughts, thanks for asking and listening :>

[lunar-serpentinite]

alright kiddos buckle up, cloud has Opinions today

let's talk about the alpha douchification of harry and baby girlification of draco, as blackcathjp so wonderfully said

i will tell you that this isnt my first rodeo when it comes to mlm ships being shoved into heteronormative gender roles. ive been in the yaoi fandom, ive been in the BL fandom, ive been a weeb since i was aged single digits. im perfectly aware of how deep in mlm ship spaces this issue is. but today's subject of interest is drarry, and why i dont like a certain popular characterisation of drarry.

first of all let's pose the question : why is harry the manly alpha head honcho douchebag dumbass jock ? why is draco the naughty bratty overdramatic babygirl princess ? why do yall feel the need to push harry and draco into these stereotypical gender roles, especially in smut ? whats up with that ?

yes harry is a quidditch guy but that doesnt automatically make him a dumbass jock ? the guy's not stupid. i wont elaborate because i and several others have discussed harry's intelligence in other posts already (will link if asked), but yeah harry's not a "dumbass" or a "himbo", at least not in the way you people love to characterise him as. hes not even trying to be a dominating presence. hell, the guy wants to skeddaddle out of situations 8 times out of 10. hes a rough kind of dude, sure, but thats more for his own protection and not out of a need to dominate or control other people. it's weird and stupid to reduce harry's character just to make him fit yalls' homophobic and heteronormative view of mlm dynamics.

SPEAKING OF THAT, what is up with people overplaying draco's overdramatic tendencies and tying it to being a sub and/or a bottom or being the 'feminine' one in the relationship ? i love my bratty subs as much as the next person (my no.1 blorbo rn is a bratty sub who BITES), but if draco's only a bratty sub because hes an overdramatic princess diva who is so, so helpless without the presence of testosterone in your eyes, you need to reevaluate. yes hes a bit helpless in canon but again he was a kid with no pratical combat experience caught up in a war. + his parents' safety being dangled in front of him who wouldnt be helpess in that scenario ?

people absolutely love to explore draco's gender beyond being masculine and theoretically i love that because i love seeing people interpret characters all over the gender spectrum but there's just something about the popular draco gender exploration that just ,,, irks me, for the lack of a better word. people make him smaller ??? than he actually is ?? more helpless ??? like the height and size difference between drarry in canon isnt that noticeable but by god do people stretch it out to infinity and beyond. to make the fem-coded half of the ship smaller and more helpless and more dramatic is, frankly, toeing the lines of misogynistic if it isnt there already.

and why is it that it's always harry who is hypermasculine and draco who is hyperfeminine ? why not have both be feminine ? both be masculine ? both be all over the gender spectrum ? whyyyyyyy do they have to be male x female coded ??? hello ?????? if i wanted a heterosexual ship, i wouldnt be here

like come on guys, theres a bunch of different ways to write mlm ships and a bunch of resources out there to help you get going. why are we still sticking with the heteronormative gender roles in this day and age ? have we not grown out of it yet ?

THIS DOESNT MEAN I DONT HAVE AN ISSUE W HYPERFEMININE HARRY AND HYPERMASCULINE DRACO TOO. i despise heteronormative gender role coding. let queer ships be queer without the lens of heteronormativity.

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week's writer's spotlight feature is: @pearynice! With twenty-eight Stranger Things works, they've written twenty-seven fics tagged with Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson!

Nominated by @hotluncheddie, they recommend the following works by peachesandpears:

Talk to Me

Personally

Starched Collars

In your eyes

they are so lovely and so talented!! so many short and sweet pieces - that so often seem to touch and soft squishy part hidden away within me, put a little bandaid on it <3 - @hotluncheddie

Below the cut, @pearynice answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I’ve always loved the “opposites attract” trope. While Steddie is the first ship I’ve ever seriously written for, in the past this dynamic has always been my go to (ie: destiel lol) but Steddie specifically because I think Stranger Things is a great show with compelling characters, and that Eddie and Steve deserve a happy ending. And for me that happy ending will always have them with each other.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I love AUs. Love seeing the little blorbos in as many situations as possible. I love being able to see how writers take what we know about these characters and make it into a whole new story. (But especially a soulmate AU. I loveeee a soulmate AU.)

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I think anyone who follows me can probably guess hurt/ comfort and fluff. I LOVE making these boys suffer and then smooch about it. 

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

AH okay I will scream about this fic until I’m blue in the face (I actually submitted an ask to this blog about it because I think it’s criminally under-viewed!) it’s As the World Falls Down by daeneryske on Ao3. I read this MONTHS ago and I still think about it all the time. It’s long but god I wish it would never end. I want to tattoo it on the inside of my eyelids.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Yes!! I can’t say much because it’s for my Reverse Big Bang but they both contain tropes I’ve never worked with before and I’m so so excited to be writing both of them!!! I’m already having so much fun! And a goal of mine for 2024 is to broaden my writing horizons a little and explore tropes and topics that I haven’t yet, so I don’t really have any specifically in mind but that is my general plan!

What is your writing process like?

Very chaotic. I almost never write an outline. It’s pure vibes baby. And when I DO write an outline I almost never follow it (whoopsie) I feel like as I write the plot comes to me, and outlines tend to pigeon hole me so I can’t get myself out of writing slumps.

Do you have any writing quirks?

Maybe my overuse of italics?  I also don’t really know how to describe it but sometimes when I’m writing heavy action scenes/ emotional scenes I’ll start and stop sentences before they’re complete sentences. Like: “Steve says nothing. Sits down next to his father and looks over his shoulder.” I don’t know if that’s a writing quirk or not lol but that tends to be how I structure my sentences.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Definitely after I’ve finished. Once I’m on a deadline I psych myself out.

Which fic are you most proud of?

That’s such a hard one, because I think I’m proud of a lot of my fics but for very different reasons. I think if I had to choose, I’d pick Blood of the Covenant. It’s one of my more recent fics, and I had toyed around with a Wayne POV fic for such a long time before writing because I wanted to get it right. It was hard to find his voice but I think in the end I executed it well.  

How did you get the idea for Talk to Me?

Well besties I dunno how personal we want to get here, but the inspo for this fic (and tbh a lot of my hurt/ comfort fics) is just based on my own experiences. Growing up my mom did not have the capacity to tend to the thoughts and emotions of her kids, ergo me pushing that shit into a Steddie fic. Obviously what I wrote as Steve’s experience and mine are not directly parallel, but that is how I got the idea.

When writing Starched Collars, what was something you didn’t expect?

That was my first heavy hurt/comfort fic that I wrote, and I remember being really blown away that people could relate so heavily to Steve’s experiences. I remember I had some comments saying that they felt really comforted seeing their own experiences reflected within Steve, and I just never expected my writing to be able provide that for someone. 

What inspired Personally?

Well, again, we’re getting a little personal (babum tss)- but how I wrote Steve’s mom reacting to him mentioning the sunglasses is definitely how my own mom tends to react when I express any kind of negative emotion around her. In this case it was a lost parking stub instead of sunglasses.

What was your favorite part to write from Talk to Me?

The COMFORT- that’s always my favorite part. Making it better! (Although it is also a little fun leaving the angsty cliffhanger- but I will ALWAYS make my fics have a happy ending.) But also I’m a little in love with the idea I had that Eddie likes to rub on Steve’s stomach until he falls asleep. I thought that wrapped up the story very nicely.

How do/did you feel writing Personally?

It was honestly very therapeutic. I don’t think I’ve ever word-vomited out a fic more rapidly than I did for that one. I wrote that in my notes app in one afternoon, read through it once or twice, and posted. It was a relief to get all of that out in writing, and then even better to see that other people found comfort in what I had written. 

What was the most difficult part of writing Starched Collars?

When I was first drafting the fic I was going to have Starched Collars and In Your Eyes (the kinda sorta sequel) be one in the same. I spent a long time trying to balance the two narratives, before I realized it was just too much to fit into one fic. Having both detracted from the other’s story too much, and eventually I had it just focusing on Steve. I think this was the best move but I spent so long trying to strike that balance before I scrapped it.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I don’t know if I can name any one scene or line as explicitly my favorite, but the final scene of Because it’s Steve it’s absolutely a favorite. That whole fic is very special to me because it reflects a lot of my own thoughts/feelings/experiences on being demi, and that final scene is just exactly how I experience my demisexuality. (I’m not sure how long this can be, but I’ll insert the passage here): 

And they’re still in this disgusting bathroom. There’s still a toilet behind Eddie’s knees, but when Steve’s mouth meets his, it doesn’t matter. Because one of Steve’s arms wraps around his middle, his fingers dip into the spaces between his ribs, their chests touch, and it all feels so good. Because it’s Steve. And it’s still Steve who kisses him, still Steve who licks into his mouth, still Steve who nearly sends them both stumbling into the disgusting toilet. And because it’s Steve it’s so funny that Eddie can’t stop laughing, and there’s a blush high on Steve’s cheeks as he tells Eddie to stop it. But then Steve kisses him again. Asks if he wants to go and find Robin and Nancy. If he wants to dance. With him. 

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

YES. So Because it’s Steve is now a series: Demi/Virgin!Eddie, with all of Eddie’s firsts with Steve. This is very smutty but it’s also like, the sappiest, most disgustingly fluffy smut I’ve ever written. I would say it’s “schmoopy” but I was outed as an Old Lady on Discord because apparently no one uses that word anymore. ALSO- and maybe this is still too far away BUT I am working on TWO Reverse Big Bang pieces and… you guys… my artists are so talented and kind and their brains are so big and so far I’ve gotten along with each of them so well and I am already so excited to post these and we’ve only just begun. I cannot wait until we can make our visions into an entire fic!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add? 

YES- whoever nominated me for this (I don’t know if that’s something they’ll tell me??) THANK YOU- this is so sweet. I feel so honored that someone thought of me as deserving of this. There are so, so many authors you could've chosen and you chose ME! That’s just- insane. Thank you.  And to anyone who has said they found my hurt/ comfort fics relatable in any way, I rain all of the platonic hugs/ forehead kisses/ handshakes/ high fives/ nods of the head upon you. ❤️✨

Thank you to our author, @pearynice, and our nominator, @hotluncheddie! See more of @pearynice's work featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer's Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[sakasakiii]

omggggGGGG HI YOU'RE BACK i love your art!! your designs for the characters are so inspiring and unique!! and your art style is just so well-suited to the silmarillion <3 my question is, do you have any headcanons about edrahil? he's my favorite underrated blorbo!

HIIIII long time no see indeed!!! thank you so much for your kind words 😭 it means a lot to hear that you like my designs and my art style! im always brawling with how much im trying to tone out the anime influences and adopt a more... 'realistic'(?) style that it ends up being a giant game of mental gymnastics on most days haha 😂 im still figuring it out, but your words are a great reassurance so i am very grateful for them!!!! 🙇‍♀️

onto your question-- edrahil!! he's definitely one of the blorbos that doesn't get enough attention 😤 i would be lying if i said that im not guilty of this too, since i think ive only ever read... one? fic with him in it waa.... but as always with the professor's work, great fun comes from the freedom with which one can interpret the minor characters! here's one of the first doodles i did of him when i got your ask:

the bread and butter of my male characters always ends up being slender bishonen-types, but one of my goals going forth is to try and adapt myself to not falling to same face syndrome in the future, so i thought itd be fun to start by making edrahil swoler than usual on a whim 🙈 based on his one (1) line the book, he strikes me as a steadfast i will follow my liege to my death type of fellow.... and then it snowballed from there.... and that's how my take on edrahil eventually evolved from stoic-man-who-is-also-a-peerless-warrior into a no-thoughts-head-empty-his-majesty-only bodyguard

i like to think he's much nicer than he lets on and nowhere near as serious as his RBF may suggest! much like the rest of finrod's personal guard (aka his fanclub), their lord's wellbeing and public image come first above anything else. perhaps their strong loyalty should be concerning, but it's finrod i-befriend-Men-and-swear-eternal-oaths-of-friendship felagund we're talking about.... so maybe theyve got their own reasons too lmao

this is getting a bit rambly (IM SORRY) but one extra comic and final thoughts under the cut!

thank you again for your kind ask AND this fabulous prompt!! im guilty of devoting too much of my obsession onto the feanorians, so i always appreciate side character prompts to get the lil squirrel wheel in my brain spinning 💖 i hope this is a satisfactory answer, and that you have a great rest of your week!!

[ouroboros-hideout]

Night City memories.

@barghestapologist came up with this cool little idea and tagged me for it. Thank you again! Really love it and went around town with my blorbo girl. And decided to write something to every pic in her point of view. Brace yourselves - it's long, like always.

Rules: Snap some shots! Places (or people) near and dear to your ocs across NC! Filters and photo frames are optional ofc, it’s all up to you!

And since it's a tag game I´d like to give other's the opportunity as well who might not have seen it yet, but no pressure as always and everyone can try if they want!

@blackrevell @sofia-in-nc @cybervesna @chevvy-yates @kdval

To get the obvious out of the way: Of course I like the workshop. Kurt has invested a lot of time, money and energy to build a modern workspace with plenty of facilities for decent weapon production. I'd always prefer my own place in Russia, that's not up for debate and if his people think they know more than me and boss me around, I'd be happy to throw a few punches, but on the whole, working here is a chance to get something really big off the ground and I enjoy being a part of it.

When I need some fresh air, as fresh as it can get in Dogtown, I like to spend a few minutes in the stands of the stadium, the less busy part of the black market. My favorite thing is watching Kurt's little tin soldiers trying to salvage anything of value from the aerozep their lord and master has shot out of the sky - he’s just pure chaos.

To put it bluntly: I hate his damn parties. I hate everyone he invites, I hate that he always persuades me to come along. But the first time I saw the “finished” casino I was impressed. It’s his little playground, I don’t judge him for it, if this is his way of conducting business. After all, it seems to work. And of course you have to offer the rich and famous something to attract them to Dogtown in the first place. From that point of view, he's done a good job here. I like to come around if there’s no one else there. I am a sucker for impressive views and I doubt you would get anything better than up here. And the bar is a big bonus.

The small balcony on the left is the best place in my opinion. I've often seen Kurt standing there too, smoking a cigarette and looking down on the city. Even though I know he's actually looking somewhere else. So far, I've always turned round and let him have his moment - I think he really needs that. And maybe some more time before he will open up to me about it.

The wannabe military camp at the entrance to the Sapphire is a good place to familiarise yourself with Kurt's people. Many of them, and this surprised me, actually have brains, and it's nice to chat to them and listen to some of their stories, throw a few punches in the little boxing ring they've set up (or take a few, yes, I have to admit) or finish off the evening with a beer at the dingy little bar. One evening, a newbie came up to me, looked at me with big dreamy eyes and asked me in a trembling voice what it was like to work so closely with THE Kurt Hansen. I really had to pull myself together not to lose my composure. His name was Pablo or something like that, I think. I still have to laugh at the fact that this buffoon has fans like he's a rock star or something.

The Longshore Stacks always gave me the impression that it was the most civilized place in Dogtown, if there is any. Sure, it's pretty much impossible not to bump into some junkie or otherwise mentally deranged person when walking the streets, but this is where I still feel like it's the most enjoyable place to be. A small community of people trying to live their lives in this surreal place. The ‘Tree of the Lost’ as the locals call it really moved me when I saw it for the first time. Of course, I have no idea who the people here or what their fates are. I just pick up conversations in passing whenever I go there. And I don't feel connected enough to the people there to ask serious questions. It's not my business, to put it bluntly. But I think it's a beautiful and at the same time heartbreaking idea. The bartender at ‘The Moth’ is pretty cool. I've had a few interesting conversations with her already.

There's this completely run down cinema in the center of Dogtown. Like everything else, I assumed that it must have been taken over by some gang or homeless people, so I never really paid much attention to it. Kurt asked me to meet him there one evening after work. As it turned out, the cinema was unoccupied. And the inside of it was actually still in good condition. Not gonna lie, it really could have been opened. But the clientele in this junkyard would probably have completely looted the place within a day or razed it to the ground if you didn't protect it with a few Barghest puppies. And unfortunately ‘pure entertainment’ isn't important enough for that, I don't blame Kurt for that opinion. But I'd like to punch him every time he has such exaggeratedly cheesy date ideas. Or rather, I'd like to slap myself because I think it's *sigh* cute how much effort he puts in. He actually invited me to the stupid cinema to watch a Tarantino with him, which he had specially organized. Reservoir Dogs from 1992. Of course he had no idea what it was about and just went for it because it had the word ‘Dog’ in it. 

Before I head into the workshop or afterwards I like to drive around in the badlands. To get a clear mind for the tasks ahead or to deflate myself from a long tiring day. In any case, at a time when the heat in this shitty state is halfway bearable. There’s a really nice view not far out off the city on Dogtown I like to head from time to time. I showed it Kurt already too, because that donkey can’t set a foot outside his little empire without me kickin’ his ass to do so.

I encountered a family of Nomads one day while exploring those dry dusty desserts around Night City. They are part of the Aldecaldos I at least heard of before. They were quite suspicious when I first got there. But after a quick exchange of words and telling them I used to ride with a clan too, they got quite curious and invited me for a stay. The friendliness they approached me with after just a short time really warmed my heart and brought back some fond memories. And we had so much to talk about. I really hope they will stay for a little longer in the city so I can head out again to meet with them.

On my way around the badlands, I one day came across this lake. I need to ask Kurt about it, because I really doubt it’s natural and probably some sort of Corpo-disaster. But it’s a really peaceful and silent place, though I’d never set foot into the water. Probably will get a shitton of diseases within seconds. There’s also a small cabin not far off the road. So it seems like someone else is enjoying the views and calmness of this place as well from time to time.

Kurt: You forgot about one place you like in Dogtown. 

Aon: Enlighten me. 

Kurt: Right by my side.

Aon: *sigh* Should have seen that coming. 

Aon: But you’re right. 

Kurt: Told ya’. 

[rahhhrahhrahhh]

Okay, I don't know if it will spark or not your creativity but if not don't worry, I got PLENTY of inspiration, first of all I'm an idia stan so you can expect a lot of idia and platonic ortho with me x)

So could I please ask for idia with a gn or fem s/o, whatever you wish, and his s/o never understood why blot is considered dangerous as they/she was raised by a blot entity that took a liking to them/her (and of course the blot had some brain left) and plot twist being so exposed to blot made them/her a chimeria half human half blot ! (Ortho is shown to be able to sense blot so maybe ortho was curious why they/she had such an high level of constant blot without overblotting) bonus point if /!\ chapter 6 and 7 spoiler /!\ idia bring her to styx and somehow get found out by his parents and have to explain why does he date a chimeria half blot, and how they/she are so polite

Maybe I ranted a bit too much or went too specific so feel free to cut off some parts x)

im going to name you blue blorbo or idia anon from now on

[ Went completely off chart so I'm so sorry if this isn't what you wanted!]

Tw: none that I can think of, just fluff!

Blot-chimera!reader x Idia shroud

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙

You met Idia when you were fairly young, outside of his family's estate. You were playing in the forest nearby and he heard your cheerful laughter. Leaving his stuffed toys on the front lawn and out the gates, he ventured through the trees. Ortho was inside taking a nap so he was on his own, with only the sunlight guiding him.

But then

He saw you.

you looked so sweet, dancing around a small clearing in the woods. He didn't notice the blot monster lurking nearby, focusing only on you and how your laughter rung in his ears.

You heard a twig snap and gasped, finally noticing the blue haired boy. You looked at him curiously, not very spooked as to see he was a child, like you! You smiled and waved, walking over to him.

He took a step back, and you a step forward. Back, forward, back, forward, back until you had his back against a tree. You leaned in closely to admire him, his breath hitched.

"hi! My name's (name)! What's yours?"

You said, taking his hand in yours and shaking it. It took him a moment to process what was going on.

"uhm.. idia.." he replied quietly. You giggled and led him back to the small clearing "nice too meet you Idia! Would you like to play with me?"

"..sure.."

And thats were your friendship started

He'd often come over for play dates and the like, back before Ortho had the incident. His parents often wondering where he was going but didn't stop him. knowing the forest was safe and it was nearby, plus they had the tracking chip and his cellphone Incase he needed them.

But he did eventually Introduce you to his family, and boy were his parents surprised. They were wary of you at first but slowly warmed up, seeing you had no Ill intent but you did seem different from most kids.. you seemed sweet although, where were your parents?

Ortho loved you right away! He'd follow you and Idia everywhere! Playing, laughing, and laying on the grass admiring the stars.

You were there for him through everything, comforting him, giving him advice and listened to his woes.

You were his saviour, his safe space, never questioning why your blood was darker than most, unnaturally so. Your skin seeming sickly in a way. Or that strange feeling of dread he'd get when you came too close.

Eventually, he had to leave for nrc. You were upset ofcourse but you wanted him to be successful, promising him you'd be here when he came back.

And through those 4 years, you'd wait for him. The first to greet him when he'd come back from Winter break or summer vacation. The first to take him into your arms and tell him how much you missed him. The first person he'd rant to about the year.

But now he knew why he always felt strange when you'd get too close. Why you seemed different.. no, are different... He'd seen it in his fellow schoolmates.

You weren't fully human.. were you, sweetheart?

When he confronted you, you didn't know how to respond. Knowing you couldn't hide it forever but at the same time afraid of losing the one you held close. blurting it all out through tears, he finally pieced everything together. Getting the closure he needed after all these years

he held you close, shaky hands hesitantly petting your head. Now you were the one needing to be comforted. Telling him about how your parents dissapeared one night and were left all alone in your cabin in the woods, until a blot monster found you. Taking you in and raising you as its own, having been exposed to it for so many years it wasn't a surprise that it tainted your human genetics.

You cried about how you never went to a school, or a doctor, never having been let far from the forest. He nodded and squeezes you softly, calming down a bit as the only noises leaving your lips now we're hiccups and sniffling.

You were something completely different from him. A new interspecies that should be examined, something incredibly rare. But he didn't have the heart to do that to you. You were far too special, you needed to be protected.

"I promise.. to keep you s-safe and warm.. for the rest of our lives.. I've loved you for so long, (name)-chan.. I want to be with you.. s-so please accept my love..?"

His voice surprised you, looking up at him with wife curious eyes.

He said it so unsurely, you couldn't help but smile and nod your head. Burying your face into his chest, while he finally noticed the blot creature watching you both. It nodded it's head in approval and dissapeared into the dark. The dread was gone, Being replaced with happiness and relief. He picked you up and hurriedly took you into his family's mansion. Laughing loudly.

He was glad he was brave the day he met you, wandering away from his comfort zone. Otherwise, he doubted he'd have someone so perfect in his arms

[NOT PROOFREAD AND IS UNEDITED. I WILL REVIEW LATER!]

Tags: @twistedtavern

[wen-kexing-apologist]

4, 13, 18

4. Who is your ultimate Asian ql blorbo?

For those of you who consider Word of Honor a BL (which I do because of the original content) look no further than my user name for the most obvious response to this: Wen Kexing is my ride or die. That’s my sweet, murderous, summer child, and he has never done a single thing wrong in his life. 

For those of you who don’t consider Word of Honor a BL, I think I will have to give it to the wonderful, the marvelous…

Daisy from Secret Crush on You. 

I haven’t watched this show in awhile, but if there is one character who comes across my dashboard who I am immediately overcome with joy to see, it’s this lovely young woman right here. She’s just the sweetest person and I want nothing but happiness for her. 

13. Which Asian ql tropes get you every time?

Pinky touches, underwater kisses, any and all Happy!Sad boys, characters being asked “are you tired?”, food as love, characters being comforted in the midst of a nightmare, “I’m sorry I like you/boys/girls”, etc, etc, etc.

18. You get to pick a side character from two different qls to put in a show as a main pairing--who are you choosing and what kind of story is it?

Oh this is a fascinating question! Hear me out:

Archie from Marahuyo Project and Bas from I Told Sunset About You and I Promised You the Moon. 

If you know me, you know I love complicated characters who are good at heart and you know I love angst. So hear me out. Archie, my dear sweet boy, struggling incredibly hard with his own sexuality after the loss of a friend has a reasonably paced arc throughout Marahuyo Project where he is unable to come out by the end of the story, but he does help the Sea Creatures conduct their Pride parade by throwing rainbow confetti, so he’s starting to get a little braver. But it took the very patient and understanding love and support from Venice to get Archie to even move an inch. I think he might need someone like that to help him step back in to himself more fully. Bas is, as we know, that kind of person, and he respects himself enough to not get pushed around more than he can bear. He is very forgiving of Oh’Aew when they are together, but it comes to a point where he gives Oh up because he knows that Teh has a stronghold on him. 

If I made them a main pairing together, it would be one of those angsty but healing shows that digs in to the harsh realities of existing in a homophobic society, Archie’s internalized homophobia and grief, and how meeting someone like Bas helps him come into himself more. Archie gets love and support and Bas gets someone that won’t drop him every other day to run back to Teh. 

Asian QL Ask Game

[clotpolesonly]

i figured out why Declan is my go-to blorbo, and it's because he's one of those characters where i can find common emotional/experiential ground between him and practically every other significant character and that just makes him fascinating to me and so so versatile

Declan and Gansey: repression, repression, repression!! so much anxiety rolled up into a tiny little ball and stubbornly ignored because feelings are unseemly and have no place here. they will feel things when they're dead, thank you very much. responsible beyond their years, on their own/taking care of themselves long before they should have been. tending to other people or the practicalities of the moment take precedence over themselves, at all times. unfortunately, Ronan is very important to them and they will go out of their way to protect him. also the insomnia and the autism vibes.

Declan and Adam: ruthlessly practical people. hard working and ambitious but for a reason, not for its own sake (Adam to get out of the trailer park, Declan to camouflage his other activities). they would rather die than admit to weakness or vulnerability in front of another human being. Do Not Let The Emotions In Or You Will Never Stop. feeling alienated and fundamentally from their peers, and distrustful of/disillusioned by the idea of help from authority figures -- if you have a problem, solve it yourself. both very very accustomed to lying, constantly and about everything, in order to disguise their home situation and deflect attention from anything that might cause people to ask questions. complicated relationships with their mothers, at least partially rooted in negligence and not stepping in wrt the situation with their fathers. and of course, there's a difference in scale and severity, but feeling unsafe due to the aforementioned fathers.

Declan and Blue: the particular brand of resentment that comes with being the only unspecial member of a special family. being the sensible one and stubbornly proud of how well they manage to get by without any of the ✨ super specialness ✨ that everybody else has. torn between wishing and wondering what it would be like to be special too and being desperately grateful that they're not. wishing that somebody would understand how fucking lonely it is knowing that you and your loved ones will never truly understand each other. being too proud to ever admit as much out loud.

Declan and Noah: this one's more nebulous, but the idea of being not fully real, not fully a person, and definitely the idea of not being seen. of being invisible and looked through. Noah's is because he's a literal ghost, obviously, and it's through no fault of his, but Declan has gone out of his way to cultivate that experience, to make himself as overlookable and forgettable as possible, for safety and security. but it doesn't feel good. the erosion of the sense of self as time goes on, worn down by the life they're living. and a shared understanding of being the victim of extreme violence (Noah's murder and Declan's attack by the Grey Man, at least).

Declan and Henry: the children of criminals. burdened with the knowledge of a world -- two worlds tbh, the criminal and the magical -- that they can't speak about to anyone else. socially isolated and starved for emotional connection. uncomfortably comfortable with the violence that has permeated their lives and always acting under the assumption that it can and will find them again.

Declan and the Gray Man: business is as business does and it's not personal. ✨ depression ✨ and going through the motions because this is just their life and they don't have the emotional or mental capacity right now to think of how their life might be changed. making themselves as dull as possible and then not being able to find their way out of the hole they've dug themselves, at least not until someone comes along to remind them of what it feels like to feel things.

Declan and Jordan: repression of self and lack of identity. not being allowed the space to be their own person, always forced to cram themselves into a tiny box for the sake of others. bursting at the seams with dreams that they're not allowed to chase and feelings they're not allowed to express. feeling truly seen for the first time when they meet each other.

Declan and Hennessy: being preceded by the reputation of a parent they resent. living in Niall and JH's shadows, always compared to them, even when they suspect that they may actually be better than their parents at what they do. the struggle not to let that bitterness swallow them whole before they can grow into their own reputations and make names for themselves.

Declan and Farooq-Lane: young professions who have worked very hard, thank you very much, to be as competent as they are. logical thinkers with a brewing storm of emotion that they try not to let interfere with their logical thinking because they know it makes them impulsive and they don't like that loss of control. loss of control is the enemy. they are the only grown-ups in the room and they would rather die than acknowledge that they are actually scared kids in way over their heads. both with complicated feelings about dreamers and deep-seated issues related to their dreamer brothers. also they have very similar taste in women.

honestly, the only people that Declan doesn't have common ground with is his brothers, and that's what makes his relationships with them so interesting and so fraught. there's something to be explored between Declan and Ronan wrt their suicidal ideation (though they have very different flavors of it) and perhaps with them both feeling insecure compared to each other, but so much of their conflict is about just how different their experiences and perceptions and personalities are.

and Declan being unable to relate to Matthew on a personal, empathetic level is probably part of why he finds it so hard to really think of Matthew as a fully independent PERSON in his own right. though, if Declan's experiences with the bag of Niall's memories had gone a little differently, there could have been a connection over the experience of being denied full personhood by a well-meaning but ultimately overbearing and neglectful guardian. 🤔

anyway, these have been my musings on Declan and why he continues to fascinate me. he has the range, darling.

[sotwk]

Happy birthday!! Love the summer campfire idea, thanks for inviting me! I'll obviously have multiple asks but here's my first.

For What Would This Thranduilion Do?What would Gelir do if he found out someone he interacted with on almost a daily basis had romantic interest in him but he didn't have any romantic interest in them?

I love Gelir's personality in the fics I've read so far and would love to see him in more Situations 😆

Oooh this is the first (and so far only) request for this game--thank you so much! <3 What a great question!

"If he found out someone he interacted with on almost a daily basis had romantic interest in him but he didn't have any romantic interest in them..."

What Would Gelir Thranduilion Do?

Ahhh Gelir. By far the cockiest of the Thranduilion Princes (gets it right from his father, where else??), he does like to flirt and is fully aware of his ability to charm others off their feet.

For all his bravado and suaveness, he's rather immature when it comes to understanding deep emotions, whether his own or of others. One of Gelir's biggest character flaws is a lack of empathy, enough to cause him to be rather crass and insensitive, even unintentionally.

He thinks of flirting as fun and harmless socializing, and it could totally happen that someone is already showing obvious romantic feelings for him, and he would fail to catch on to it.

What would he do if he found out someone liked him but he didn't share those feelings? Basically, his cocky self would totally collapse in the presence of that person. He would not know how to properly handle the situation, but he would fumble trying to figure it out on his own.

Instead of being honest and straightforward, he would make matters worse by continuing to flirt and lead the person on--perhaps even imply that he feels the same way, just because he doesn't want to hurt their feelings. He can't help himself.

Only after he's already dug himself in too deep (like maybe the lady has already taken him to meet her parents or is picking out a wedding date) would Gelir finally seek advice from his betters.

In matters of the heart, the Thranduilions most often seek advice from Mirion, the only one of them actually married, and who has real game and a flawless grasp of social etiquette. Also, he's the only brother Gelir can trust would not give him a hard time (in retaliation for the teasing he inflicts on them).

Mirion would teach Gelir exactly what to say. It will still probably be a painful and awkward conversation, but at least that poor admirer would finally know the truth and hopefully be understanding. Whether the friendship can be saved or not would be entirely their choice.

This was really fun! Thank you again for giving me a chance to talk about my special blorbos! :)

This "What Would This Thranduilion Do" game is part of SotWK's Summer Campfire Sleepover 2024. (Requests accepted only on July 11-15, 2024.)

[andypantsx3]

Ok Andy this had been on my mind for a while now and I really want to hear your thoughts on this!

So we all know that Shouto is pure husband material, the kinda guy you'd be proud to introduce to your parents! But yk all those years of abuse and trauma (our poor bby ;-;) would definitely take a big toll on anyone, right?! So I was reminiscing about the earlier episodes where he is all closed off and cold to everyone, and that really got me thinking... what would dating Shouto REALLY be like.

How much of his behavior in a relationship really be affected by his past? Obviously nobody is perfect and even though our princess man comes close what do you think his shortcomings are as a person/partner? What do you think his toxic traits would be? What could be some of his bad habits? How would he react during an argument? I used to hc that he would be really calm and passive but then I remembered this scene

Ofc us being his partner would change things, but he DOES lash out at times. The police officer hadn't yelled at them, he was just explaining what they did was wrong according to the law (which could be unfair but thats his job) and he straight up called him a slur 💀 (well yk in this society where so many ppl have animal related quirks it probably is a slur? Idk tho). He was sorry later but still. I was so shocked when I internalized the fact that Shouto does infact have quite a temper, even when he's not rude/ aggressive about it. It doesn't make him bad or anything because 9/10 times it's well warranted and I am just a pussy who doesn't handle other's anger well but yk...

WHO WOULD EXPECT A TEMPER FROM THIS LIL FACE?!

I am really wanna take his character and study him under a microscope and I am really interested to see your pov on this. Also don't feel inclined to agree with anything I said if you dont, I asked you precisely cuz I wanted a different way of looking at him from mine.

Btw none of this is to paint him as a bad person or partner because of a few shortcomings or his trauma. We all know he's too precious for that and that would be hypocritical of me especially since I have many of my habits and unhealthy ways of dealing with stuff that I dislike, but I also feel like he has so much angst potential in issues that aren't necessarily rooted in his family but moreso his own personality. Healing is often a "one step forward and three step back journey" and while I hate to watch him struggle, his perseverance gives me a lot of strength. Also obviously people change over the course of time and character development and all that, but we see even after the MASSIVE amounts of character development Bakugo has he still retains a lot of his previous qualities and obviously still struggles with a few things. I wonder if it's similar for Shouto. I wonder what he struggles with 🤔 (idk why I am scared but I don't want ppl to take these dumb sleepy thoughts of mine the wrong way yk lol)

I support my mans rights, his wrongs and everything in between :>

(p.s. I am so sleepy rn I don't even know if any of this is coherent cuz the points are flying all over the place but I hope you get a gist of what I am trying to ask. I love myself some sweet angst when it comes to all my blorbos but when I think of Shouto nothing obvious comes to mind. Also whenever I write even an ask or question like this my respect for writers keeps increasing tenfold! How do you guys write fics at like 4 am and it's still a masterpiece and I can barely string my thoughts together... )

Yes!!! I have so many thoughts about this, particularly as someone who also has daddy issues and a hot temper but actively works to be better as well lol.

I do think for the most part we've really seen Shouto move past who he was in those earlier episodes. That is not to say he still doesn't have those feelings, but he arguably manages them in a more regulated way. He has the temper but now he also has the tools and the perspective to better articulate himself.

I think generally Shouto would work hard to be calm and patient during an argument, but as with any human being, mistakes will be made and tempers will spike. I think during particularly bad arguments he'd get more closed off, like in those earlier episodes, would try to go off by himself so that he doesn't explode with that white-hot rage.

I do think, thankfully, that Shouto's ability to show empathy and compassion even in the middle of what we know are the most emotionally trying times of his life (the fights with Dabi), bodes well for his future ability to communicate and regulate himself on the whole. I do not see him as the kind of man who would yell or break things; I see him as the kind of man who now does everything in his power not to be like that.

And also with a face like that, would we not just let him win any argument anyway?? LOL

[tavina-writes]

Sorry may I ask you a question? Your meta is so interesting! In mdzs "debts" is a recurring theme and can you please explain it? I've read meta about how in Chinese culture jc's owed the wen siblings a debt and he should have saved them, but I've also read meta about how he owed a hugger debt to his own sect. I've read how jgy killed whr and nmj, people who he owned his educations (debts). I thought that mdzs was more about "Who is wrong? Who is right?" so that everyone is a bit wrong and a bit right but this kind of meta make me doubt myself and think that maybe in mdzs someone is really morally right (wwx and lwj) and everyone else is wrong. I am going a little crazy, that's why I asked you. Anyway, thanks in advance and have a good day!

Hi Nonny!

There's no need to apologize for sending an ask! I love asks!

Regarding your question about debts and what is "owed" in relationships, I think it's important to clarify that like, presumably if someone saved your life you'd also owe them a debt of gratitude, a life debt, or however and whichever other 'debt' terminology you'd care to use there. So this concept of "debt" because you owe someone for doing something for you is not in and of itself a 'unique to Chinese culture' problem, and I think looking at "oh this person "owes" this other person a thing" is not entirely a great? way to analyze how character relationships "should" or should not go. There are lots of ways we as people in a society owe other people in our society and the characters in this book, much like us, are trapped in a confluence of factors that pull them in different directions regarding what they should or should not do.

The book itself (at least from my own opinion) is meant to read as "everyone is both right and wrong at various points in this text because this is a book with complex characters and not a morality lesson" because lest we forget, WWX made a woman eat a chair leg at one point, which. We cannot say this was correct in really anything except the most reductive main character centric interpretation.

Regarding debts themselves that say, WangXian might owe their families in accordance to their society that sound just about the same as the examples mentioned above, we can say things like "since Wei Wuxian was raised by the Jiang, he should've been helping Jiang Cheng rebuilding Lotus Pier instead of sitting around drinking or running off with the Wen!" or "how dare Lan Wangji injure thirty-three of his family elders, doesn't he know he should've been filial to them and owed his education and position in society to the Lan Sect?" and "why is it that WangXian got to go fuck in a bush at the end of the story when other people who arguably did fewer crimes end up dead? Does this mean they owed less to society or made all the right choices compared to say, the other people who are still in fact super dead and don't get to fuck their beloved in a bush?"

Does this start to look like this concept of "debts" doesn't,,, actually explain anything about the moral complexities of the character's situations? That's because it isn't a good indicator of if character x made a moral choice or not.

But again, this whole concept of "debts" to explain why a character does a thing and why they're morally good or evil and reprehensible for not doing this other thing is entirely a thing fandom does in meta to make their fave look good or character they're an anti about look extremely bad under a case of "well ACKSHUALLY morality says they SHOULD HAVE done this!" None of these characters exist either as Perfectly Moral Beings or Perfectly Evil Immoral Beings inside a decision making vacuum.

It...also doesn't really matter if your fave is right or wrong either :D just for context. They're all fictional blorbos upon a page and or screen. No real person was harmed in over the course of the story. No woman deep throated a chair leg, no child was tossed down the stairs, no groups of people were massacred, no brothers were abandoned, no one was poisoned with rage disease until they died, nobody committed incest... etc etc and honestly debating about if fictional characters were right or wrong fascinates me a lot less than "what does the story tell us about what drove them and made them tick?" and "what adaptational and translational choices did other people before me make about this story and do I agree with them on their adaptational choices."

:( sorry this came out so messy anon! I just don't think the "did this character repay their debts -> is this character a good person -> a morally good character therefore doesn't owe anyone anything anymore and if they do owe someone something that doesn't count/no they don't." pipeline is particularly useful from an analyzing the story standpoint.

[mxopifex]

A Fanfic Writer's Guide to Writing Fanart Prompts

So it came up while chatting with some other members of a fandom gift exchange that some of the writers felt less comfortable writing prompts for recieving fanart gifts and I thought I'd try and make a guide to help out since I do both fanart and fanfic.

The stumbling blocks as I understood them were: 1) not knowing what you like in fanart, 2) not knowing how to articulate what you like (which is probably more related to the first item than you think), and 3) worrying that all your prompts are too narrative. Imma do my best to address those, but if you have other questions feel free to drop me a line. I want to help.

I call this a guide, but it's more of a series of questions to ask yourself than a how to, or rather this is a how to think about and understand what you want to ask for type guide. A good prompt doesn't need to (and maybe shouldn't) touch on every issue I bring up here. The goal is to make the person who is making your gift feel confident that they can make something you like, not to tell them exactly what to do.

What to do if you are worried that you make all your prompts too narrative heavy:

First, relax. Fanart often carries a narrative component. You can reasonably prompt something that might involve a bit of visual storytelling. That said, the amount of story you can get in a single image is much smaller than the amount you can pack into even a modest 1k short story. Imagine a single scene you might like to see; the kind you love when it pops up in a fic. "I'd like to see the blorbos on a beach vacation" or "I'd like to see character A treating character B's wounds." You can further abstract this to things like "a cozy domestic scene" or "being flirty."

Some Prompt Prompts for if you are feeling stuck on what to ask for

Tropes! Many tropes work in a fanart setting. The ones that don't are the ones that need a bit more narrative behind them to make sense. It might be tricky to convey Fake Dating with a single image, but Hurt/Comfort or Only One Bed is very doable.

AUs! Want to let the artist play dress up with the blorbos? See what they'd look like as the socialite guests in a 1920s Agatha Christy style murder mystery? or just ask for something more general like a fairy tale setting or modern au.

Set the mood! What's the vibe you like best about this character or coupling? Do you want something dark and broody? More lighthearted and comedic? Tender and romantic?

Style! While I don't advise requesting something in the vein of a specific artist's style (the person making your gift has their own style) talking about styles of art that you like can help them understand what's visually appealing to you. So mentioning like "a moody film noir type setting" or "overwrought flowery romance like in shojo manga" isn't horrible, as long as you leave the artist room to bring their own sensibilities into the picture.

Poses! Want that bridal carry? Sharing an umbrella? Something that emphasizes a height difference? Don't go too hog wild with details "and their left pinky at a thirty degree angle..." but if you wanna see someone getting dipped on the dance floor, go ahead and ask for it.

Two final thoughts. First, just like with fic prompts you want to have a couple different ones in your ask. Every artist has things they feel more or less comfortable with, and giving a few options helps to make sure that there's at least one that they can work with. Particularly if you have a more complex prompt, it would be good to also have one that's simpler or more open to interpretation. Second, check in with yourself to see if you have any art specific DNWs.Maybe you can handle written descriptions of blood but not visual depictions or maybe the character has that one outfit that you think is butt ugly. Either way make sure you are clear about it in your prompt.