#i never thought i'd be a part of a otp

[nalyra-dreaming]

I know Rolin's a bit of a troll (affectionate) but do you think it was kinda mean of him to promise Loumand fans a tender, old-timey Hollywood romance in Paris when that doesn't (in my opinion) describe what we got at all?? I mean, Jacob's "80-year rebound" comment was a little savage, but not exactly a lie! I'm partly kidding here, but I do feel a bit bad for genuine Loumand enjoyers who wanted to see them become mutually infatuated and entranced with each other as they did in the book. For my part, I think what they've done with Loumand is far more fascinating than that, and a 100% book-accurate portrayal wouldn't have worked as well thematically or dramatically. Loustat are the heart of the show (you could argue they were the heart of the VC too, it just took Anne a while to realise it!) so it made absolute sense for Lestat to permeate the story even as Louis "moves on". It'll affect the way Lestat's other romances are framed in future seasons too, assuming any of them (bar Nicki) are included at all. So even though I'm personally on board with the show's choices, if Loumand were my OTP I think I'd feel a tad cheated! Thoughts?

I know of Loumand fans who saw it just like that, namely tender and wholesome, and who got quite aggravated at me pointing out stuff, so it's definitely a perception thing :)

The thing is, and I said it before - it IS tender.

And "old Hollywood"... well. They did hint at "Gaslight" back then with the posters. And the tunnels echoed "The Last Man". And so on. They definitely went there, just not in the way some were expecting, I guess.

I... am not so sure the book actually gives us that wholesome romance though. I have seen that sentiment before, but... is that what is happening there? Really??

Because Armand canonically lies to Louis, woos him while he has Lestat locked up, woos him while whispering to Claudia to kill herself. Woos him while influencing his mind. Makes him turn Madeleine.

To only note a few things.

I'm not sure I call that "mutually infatuated" or "infatuated with each other". Louis was, no doubt. Armand... Armand was obsessed and did everything to get what he wanted.

So while I get that some Loumand fans might feel cheated... well. Personally I think that the show dug into the text quite precisely, sorry. And they never tried to promote it as the big love story. AMC never even promoted the pairing either.

And as per Lestat and Nicki... well. We have seen what they did for the darker parts of Loumand and Loustat. I am quite sure they will do that for Nickistat as well.

[tongjingnian2point0]

Wow! That video was amazing! I am not familiar with Halsey, is this a mix of two songs? How did you do it? How was the collaboration process? Would you tell how this project came to be? It's do perfect how the lyrics line up with the frames!

Hi there! Thanks for your questions🥰 Glad you come asking! As soon as I saw your question, I know I'm gonna give a very long answer whether you want it or not ;)))) So here is my answer & I hope you like it.

To answer your question, first, yes they are remix of two different songs. One called Drive, and the other is Colors. I didn't do the remix, as I wrote in the details on YouTube. I had the idea to do it myself tho, because these two songs are very similar, and I was thinking why not mix them together? And when I searched it, I found one already exist. (& regretfully, it's not a collaboration (but I'd love to do collaboration works if I get the chance :) I wouldn't say it's how I'll remix it, but I love this verson too, and I can see the images poping into my head the second I heard it, so I went with it.

But if you're wondering about my process about the whole project (except the music of course), I never have a complicated process, was just following my structure step by step after thinking repeatedly and certain I wanted to do it that way.

This project didn't come out of blue. Actually I've thought about it for maybe a year or two before I get started.

The inspiration come straight from Halsey's Drive, and that whole album gives me a vibe of pure blue. I don't have synaesthesia, but I can always 'see' a lot of editing of my otp when I listen to musics.

To me, the core of SamnDean is the never ending road trip, exhaustion and everlasting love burning under the sun, especially in the early seasons. The color blue represents the feeling in my mind, and deep blue also gives me the vibe of 'haunting', just like wincest. Although they were apart when Sam was in Stanford, the memories were still haunting them from thousand miles away. And even when they're together, they're still haunted by their thoughts and feelings, just like when they were kids.

So Drive and the scenes of SamnDean came to me naturally when I heard the lyrics, especially when it came to the mutual pining and angst. And the pride mentioned in Drive is so canonned, SamnDean both have their pride, and from my understanding, that's part of the reason why they always end up hurting each other and their feelings.

Originally, I tried with two different songs, because they're both so related to wincest.

But Ride is more about 'I', and Drive is more about 'Us' like what I see in wincest. They are an indivisible whole, 'conjoined-twin' like they mentioned.

Besides, because I decided the color that represent that period is blue, I went to listen Colors again to find more inspiration, and that's when I found the melodies of these two songs are similar and wanted to do a remix (and you know what was going on with the bgm later).

Then, about the scenes and storyboard, like I said, I contemplated it for a long time and thought about it repeatedly, that I believe it's already refined in my head. I cannot give a exact process of how these ideas getting together, because it's been too long, and I don't remember where I started or how they mixed together. But what makes me wanted to do this is the line 'would it really kill you if we kissed?'

I'm not sure you've known me before, but I've tried to just paint one illustration with this line echo in my head, since I know it'll be so troublesome to start a goddamn video with just a blank canvas. But it didn't work, I still have this song in my head, and the non-exist storyboard was yelling at me, telling me to finish it.

So when I had a large block of free time, I started to decide which shots in my mind were suitable for the video and drew them into storyboards, with the change of music (from Drive to Drive and Colors).

Also, the change of lyrics gave me a new perspective. To me, the first line in Colors 'Your little brother never tells you but he loves you so' is more about Sam's POV, but from 'everything is blue', I see Dean. And re-read the whole lyrics, instead of making an ordinary one, I decided it'll have the different pov from Sam & Dean (I hope some of you realized it and know what I'm talking about here).

There still were changes from the draft to the final painting, but comparing to how many things I'll change when it comes to illustrations, it's nothing. It's more likely that I thought about it so often that there wasn't a lot to change when I finally started drawing.

About lyrics tho... I need to confess that I change some of it to make it more fitting. Also, I heard some wrong because I never read lyrics (oops)... so I didn't realize that I interpreted some wrong, until I was editing the video and searched it😅 But why not changing it? It sounds so similar with what I thought it was (like the way Halsey read 'you liked me' just like 'you are light to me'... I also wanted to mention the 'your laugh echos down the highway' one, but I found there are two different version so)

So yes, about some part of the lyrics fitting too well, blame my wild imagination 😉 xx

Anyway, I hope this answered your questions! Thanks for asking again, and if you wanna ask about something else you're more than welcomed to come back here! Hope you have a good day :)

the animation

[gummy-axolotl]

I JUST FINISHED BOOK OF BILL AND I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS

I decoded a lot of things as I went, but there were some longer codes and some ciphers I didn't have keys to that I'm leaving for my next read-through.

All of the book was so much fun, seeing Bill again, hearing these crazy things and these silly stories. And of course, BillFord is my new otp frfr. They're so divorced. <3

I also specifically bought the Exclusive version with the 16 extra pages, and I'm wondering which part was the extra bit? I'd genuinely like to know what wasn't included in the base version.

But one thing I want to talk about is something that really stuck out to me. I nearly cried at these parts.

(spoilers ahead)

Through the whole book, I've been imagining each character's voice in my head. So these were very impactful.

When it got to the page when Bill really, truly threatened Ford, I was shocked. Me, and I assume many other people, still never really understood the extent of Bill's power or his insanity. Bill finally shows what he's capable of. The heartlessness, the violence. He forcibly possesses Ford and hurts him and taunts him... I wasn't prepared for it.

"YOU'RE MY PROPERTY. DON'T FORGET IT. ...you have no friends, and if you died out here in the snow, who would even miss you?"

"I awoke from the hallucination... and began to weep."

I just. This was so shocking and powerful to me. These silly characters. I can feel the anger, the desperate rage. The fear and hopelessness. It's so perfect.

And the other scene, right before the Axolotl's page, when Bill cries out, cursing Stanley...

I could hear him. Screaming in agony, not just anger, but fear and sadness. Defeat.

I love being able to imagine the voices while I read, it made everything so much better. I would love to have an audiobook version of this sometime... Holy shit.

But yeah anyway lol. Those two parts made me really emotional ngl. I'm going to work on decoding the rest of the book later!

[dangermousie]

Finished.

God, what a glorious, glorious, glorious ride, a truly solid epic drama in a way I haven't seen in a very long time - there were two other flawless cdramas for me this year - Lost You Forever 1 and The Ingenuous One - but TIO was a smaller scale story and LYF ended in medias res. AJTL was the only complete, epic cdrama this year for me, but oh boy, was it beyond.

First, my two tiny niggles - this is a drama where the 40 episode limit fit badly, like tightly pinching shoes. You can tell how they had to speed and cram to get in the resolutions of dynastic struggles in An and Wu and the war with Beipan. This drama really needed to have been 50 eps. (The cramming also resulted in the sole plot arc that made me go huh - LTG random decision to try to marry Ruyi before he rides off to what he thinks is his last battle and his just as random decision to go "oh well" and agree to release NYZ and then when NYZ shows up before he can be released because he broke out and wreaks havoc, let them walk out. Maybe if they had more time, it would have made more sense, otherwise it felt like an aberration in a character arc that before and after was consistent and made sense.) Second niggle is not really one because it's clearly due to censorship - the last minute redemption of the Wu emperor etc - the writer made is as believable as she could but you could feel the censorship sticky hands all over it.

But those are minor complaints. Overall this was solid from beginning to end, very adult and with secondary characters who all felt real and complex and interesting. A few thoughts:

Our main OTP was incredible. So adult, so competent, so badass but still feeling human. I bought that those two were larger than life legends AND flesh and blood people. And that chemistry!

I loved that this drama allowed relationships to be messy. Yes, we have our epic main couple but I especially loved what happened with Chu Yue and Shisan and LTG and Ying. I loved that neither was an epic romance. With CY and Shisan, I loved that they didn't make him realize he loves her forever blah blah - he was an incredibly consistent character - charming, loyal and utterly clear he's incapable of permanent commitment to a single woman and she never could change that. And yet he died in large part to protect her, and it's in keeping with his character and it makes sense that this solidified her remembering him forever - he's not just the one who got away, but he DIED for her. It's very clear if they both lived, this would have gone nowhere and ended with him wandering off or her moving on wanting commitment from someone who is capable of it, but as it is, it froze the possibility of love in ember.

And I loved the narrative of LTG and Ying. They both come into marriage in love with someone they can never have (Ruyi and YL), they both have similar backgrounds (royals but neglected and looked down upon), they both share the same goals (power but to take care of people) and they really are friends. I love that when we last see them, they have what is a great period marriage - no love but respect and common goals. And she still mourns YL and he probably still thinks of Ruyi but the thing is, I love that the narrative leaves the possibility of them eventually falling in love with each other (or other people) because as she tells him - you think you will always love a particular person but life is long. (And it's so true - she will remember YL until she's old, once again in part because of the unfulfilled possibility of it - but it doesn't mean she won't be able to open her heart to someone again.) It's a surprisingly hopeful ending for them and I love it. I'd totally watch a show where they discover love with each other tbh.

I did love that no character (except possibly Prince Danyang) got everything they wanted even if they emerged alive. They got some and had to give up some.

I loved what it had to say about having to be worthy of your power and position - you are not owed fealty by birth but you have to earn it. It was a surprisingly anti-imperial show for a recent cdrama.

All the deaths of our faves gutted me, none as much as Yuan Lu's. Oooof.

As to the ending, I can tell people are gonna have fits but I like it. I love many an ending legendarily reviled in cdrama fandom (Princess Agents and Novoland Eagle Flag have perfect endings in my opinion; I realize that opinion, especially about PA is enough to get me throttled in certain quarters but it is what it is) and I came to cdramas back when pretty much every costume cdrama ended horrifically tragically - think of the endings of the Chinese Paladins, The Myth (for a long time my n1 drama even though it made me cry so hard I threw up, ending-wise), The Young Warriors, Little Fairy, even Lan Ling Wang, Glory of the Tang Dynasty and Bu Bu Jing Xin if we are going somewhat later. I mean, one of my favorite dramas ever is Royal Nirvana and that ending is like drinking a thermos full of depression. This is nothing.

Honestly, I would have been fine if the ending for our OTP really was them dying pretty much together, in their different battles. That hint that they are alive and living with their kids is lovely and welcome, but I'd have been fine without it and it raises a lot of questions (though if anyone could fake their deaths and survive that sort of thing, it would have been them so fair enough.)

Anyway, this is basically my love letter to this drama. It was amazing and I am so glad I watched it.

[spnfanficpond]

New Member Spotlight July 2024

The Pond is always growing and we want to make our new members feel welcome! Here’s a list of recent additions to our fishy family and a little info about them!

GIF by akaribaby

Guppies, Jellies, and Mutuals, oh, my!

RainyThursdayNight

Tumblr handle: @rainythursdaynight

AO3: miss_bored_tf_outta_her_mind

What is your SPN OTP? Dean/Castiel

Are you in any other fandoms? The Umbrella Academy, She-Ra, Attack on Titan, The Legend of Korra, Avatar the Last Airbender, The Owl House, MCU, Harry Potter, Detroit Become Human, The Walking Dead (Telltale), etc.

What are you looking for in the Pond? A place to write alongside others/learn from other SPN writers/jump into writing for SPN with other authors and readers from the fandom!

What types/pairings do you like to read? Dean/Castiel, Castiel/Meg, Sam/Eileen, Dean/Jo, Sam/Jessica, Sam/Rowena/Gabriel, Claire/Kaia

What genres do you like to read? What are your favorite tropes Hurt/Comfort. Angst with a happy ending, Pre-series/Stanford Era, Solo Hunters Dean and Cas, Found Family, Wrong Number AUs, Time Travel AUs

What kinds of fics do you like to write? Introspective Character Studies with plot, Time-Travel, Found Family, Crossovers, Secret Agent AUs, Media Inspired AUs, literally almost anything tbh

Is there something you have not written but would like to try? Writing for Supernatural is completely new to me. I was part of a large-scale rewrite a while ago so I've rewritten episodes of the show but never really a fic, so having you guys be exposed to my writing first before I post it would be really nice. Having people who've read similar stories reading mine before I give it to the general public is the goal!

AylaCaveBear

What is your Tumblr name? @aylacavebear

What is your SPN OTP? Sam and Eileen, or Sam and Jessica

Are you in any other fandoms? Dabbles in Vampire Diaries

What are you looking for in the Pond? Interacting with others who share the same interests, i.e. Others who enjoy SPN fanfics, reading and/or writing. Learning more about navigating Tumblr better and enhancing my writing, as well as helping others if I can.

BOOST: Honestly, I'd like to promote my sister. She made something for me to promote my tumblr on youtube. (I'm not looking for subscribers or views. She's just amazing at what she does and thought there might be other users who might be interested in what she offers.)

What type/pairings do you like to read? Reader Inserts mostly, A/B/O dynamics, Dean x Reader/You and even some Sam x Reader/You.

What genres/tropes do you like to read? All of them honestly. I have to say though, Smut with Fluff and Angst are my absolute favorites. I also love a good plot twist.

Do you have a favorite Fanfic writer? I can't say I have one favorite. There are so many amazing authors on there. @holylulusworld has some amazing A/B/O fics, as well as many others. I've sort of been binge-reading them at the time of answering these, lol.

What kinds of fics do you like to write? I love to write fics that are Dean x Reader/You. The "reader" is typically also an OC and they typically have some bizarre 1-in-a-million trait. I love writing series with lots of parts and typically have a slow burn filled with fluff, angst, and all sorts of fun little things.

Tumblr Master List

Your most underappreciated fic!

Is there something you have not written but would like to try? I have three, lol - A/B/O, Choose Your Own Adventure (already have a plan in mind), Cas x Reader (as per a request on a one-shot I wrote asking for more and I'd love to write it).I'm not entire sure about help with any of these, as I have others I need to finish before I can even start on these.

TheCatSaysMew

What is your Tumblr name? @thecatsaysmew

What are you looking for in the Pond? I've been writing Supernatural fics for over a decade, but it has been mainly for myself so I don't publicly publish them. I absolutely love writing fics and doing character studies, and I really like reading them on Tumblr too. I was hoping to connect with the community, make some friends, get inspired to write more and also inspire others.

What pairings/type do you like to read? I'm a reader-insert girlie through and through. I usually go for the Dean x Reader fics!

What genres/tropes do you like to read? Angst. I sometimes read smut, but I find angst far more delicious than smut!

Do you have a favorite Fanfic writer? All my fic reading is mainly done on Tumblr. I feel like I've read every Dean x Reader fic on the platform, so I'm always excited when new ones pop up. I love reading stuff from @avanatural, @mind-empty-just-fictional-people and @wearywinchester among many others!

What kinds of fics do you like to write? Reader/Self-insert, angst, mixed in with a little soulmate trope

I don't have a masterlist as I don't usually post stuff publicly, but I did rewrite a theme from my current longfic to take part in a writing challenge.

Your most underappreciated fic!

Is there something you have not written but would like to try? A casefic. I actually want to incorporate it in the final part of my longfic, and I really want to get the early seasons aesthetic on point. It's so difficult to verbally describe something that we're so used to seeing visually: the gloomy shots, the dingy motels, the impala parked in front of a small town home in the rain, etc. It would be lovely to discuss on how to best write visual / cinematographic descriptions like that! Also, I'm not very good at detective-style writing, so I'm finding it quite the challenge to write a 'solve a case and defeat the monster of the week' fic.

CrowleysMistress

Crowleysmistress (ao3 not on tumblr)

Discord: Sacha04534

What is your SPN OTP? Sam/Lucifer (I mean not like shipping them but it’s all I write even if in a non-con way)

What are you looking for in the Pond? Other SPN fans - particularly angsty Sam ones

BOOST: I have a a witchcraft podcast called The Brujas Broadcast

Fic types, tropes, pairings, genres: I skip slow burn, super long ones, all reader insert, most OC, all crossover. (I like) Angst for sure, AU, adventure, smut and fluff some days depending on mood.

Do you have a favorite Fanfic writer? So my (AO3) history says I like ultimatefandomtrash, angelszn,

What kinds of fics do you like to write? Sam/Lucifer

AO3 Master List

Your most underappreciated fic!

Is there something you have not written but would like to try? A long multi chapter piece. I feel like I need to have it all done and ready to post together and not be working on something and just post pieces of it.

xPurdyGlambertx

Tumblr: @xpurdyglambertx (on all socials), including Discord and Wattpad

What is your SPN OTP? Too many - multishipper

Are you in any other fandoms? TWD, Stranger Things... those are the big ones

Pairings, genres, tropes, fic types: Ships and poly both, Mostly smut and angst

What kinds of fics do you like to write? Smut and angst, mostly oneshots but I'll pump out a multichaper fic every now and then!

Tumblr Master List

Your most underappreciated fic!

LucasBarr

Tumblr: @lucasbarr

AO3: Ophelia_Yvette

What is your SPN OTP? Dean/Cassie or Dean/Benny

Are you in any other fandoms? Mermaid Melody and Harry Potter!

What are you looking for in the Pond? fellow writers! People to talk about fic with and to help with fic writing (bc spelling is my nemesis lol)

Pairings, tropes, genres, fic types: Dean pairings for sure 😂 I am a multi shipper at heart tho so I enjoy a lot of pairings (besides like reader inserts). Found Family, Angst, Fluff, AU

Do you have a favorite Fanfic writer? Basically any spn fic writer who writes about his Amazon daughter Emma or any of the female characters of SPN 😂

What kinds of fics do you like to write? Ones about the kids of SPN like Jody’s girls, Kaia, the Freaks and Greeks gang, Ben, and Dean’s Amazon daughter Emma 😂

AO3 Master List

Your most underappreciated fic!

Is there something you have not written but would like to try? I want to get better at writing Sam and generally capturing the atmosphere of the early seasons in a fic (if that makes sense?)

Meryl1988

Tumblr: @meryl1988

AO3: Meryl1956

What is your SPN OTP? Well: I'm going to be honest here. You may feel free to kick me out Castiel/Dean. Sam/Dean. Love both equally.

Are you in any other fandoms? Starting 911

What are you looking for in the Pond? I am in complete awe of the wonderful writers of son fiction. If I can provide any support or good for thought, I would feel honored.

Pairings, genres, tropes, types of fic: Castiel/Dean. Sam/Dean. Castiel/Dean/Sam. Dean/Benny. Sam/Jessica. even though I am a total m/m reader. I love fics where she's alive and posseses a good personality. Every single one. I love stripper tropes, enemies to lovers, any AU with my boys. Hooker fiction. Poor/Privileged pairings. I also love Omega verse and Mpreg. Also RPF

Do you have a favorite Fanfic writer? This HARD! There are many but I will list a few @Felisblanco @Justinedelarge @friendofcarlotta On A03 Dollyluxe Nyxocity. Tumblr Flesflutter. Tumblr Hellhoundsprey Morgan Sunglasses Spn_kinksock Lukinha_jesus Compo67 taymarpigeon Applecrumbledore Ashtraytheif Castielslostwings Castiel_left_his_mark_on_me Amypond45 Rivkat Boydean Komodobits Naughtypastrychef Lovethemwinchesters Abs_cats Smackthedevil Chaotictrinity Anyrei. Queerwolf. Co authors Dmarie92

Sardonic-The-Writer

Tumblr: @sardonic-the-writer (and on AO3)

What is your SPN OTP? destiel, but i'm extremely partial to sabriel and crowstiel

Are you in any other fandoms? mainly spn right now, but i also love the umbrella academy and the gorillaz

What are you looking for in the Pond? mostly just to insert myself into the spn fandom space more, as well as find a safe space to share fanfics and stuff

Pairings, genres, types of fic, tropes: mostly reader inserts, but a solid ship fic of literally anyone is also good. pretty much anything genre wise, as long as i have a fun read. some of my favorite tropes would have to be friends to lovers, or just straight up a reader inserts where there's no romance and just them working a case alongside the guys. it appeals to me as an aroace guys

Do you have a favorite Fanfic writer? unsure, but i really enjoy gabriellives, The_White_Rabbit_42, and relic_amaranth's works all over on ao3

What kinds of fics do you like to write? reader inserts! mostly platonic, but i try romance sometimes. i also write a lot about my spn sona ezra (azrael) but that's mostly for me and the few people that know about him

Tumblr Master List

Your most underappreciated fic!

Is there something you have not written but would like to try? i haven't written a ton of ship content before, but i know that if i want to i will!

Codepend

Tumblr: @codepend

AO3: theknife

What is your SPN OTP? sam & dean

Are you in any other fandoms? good omens, hannibal

What are you looking for in the Pond? share my fanfics and make friends!

Pairings, genres, fic types, tropes: ships, angst, fluff, pining, unrequited

What kinds of fics do you like to write? one shots although I am working on larger projects

AO3 Master List

Your most underappreciated fic!

Is there something you have not written but would like to try? I find multi-chapter fics more overwhelming

That's all for this month, folks! (If we're missing anyone, let us know and we'll add them to next month's list!) Make sure to say hi to the newbies and make them feel welcome! Thanks to all from @manawhaat @mrswhozeewhatsis @mariekoukie6661 @thoughtslikeaminefield and @heavenssexiestangel

[chipen]

SHIPPING  INFO.  answer  the  following  for  your  muse(s)  so  people  know  how  shipping  works  on  your  blog.

What’s  your  OTP  for  your  Muse(s)?

for  hawks  :  dabihawks  /  for  gojo  :  satosugu  /  for  izuku  :  bakdeku  /  tododeku for  my  all  my  muses  i'm  honestly  pretty  open  to  shipping.  i  think  outside  the  main  ones  up  there,  i'm  a  huge  fan  of  inuokko,  sukume,  itafushi,  tojikuna,  choyuki,  and  nobamaki.  on  the  mha  spectrum  -  shigadabi,  erasermight,  monoshin,  and  kiribaku.  as  for  bsd  i'm  a  fyolai,  soukoku,  and  suegiku  truther.  honorable  mentions  include  hs:r's  renheng,  mozeqiu,  and  whatever  the  fuck  the  polycule  between  moze,  feixiao,  and  jiaoqiu  is  called.

i  love  shipping  okay?

What  are  you  willing  to  RP  when  it  comes  to  shipping?

i  think  the  easier  question  is  what  i'm  NOT  willing  to  rp  when  it  comes  to  shipping.  no  adult  x  minor  shit.  i  won't  do  nsfw  with  my  minor  muses.  i  do  think  cuddling,  hand  holding,  and  kissing  is  perfectly  acceptable  but  i'm  not  about  to  write  the  dirty  with  them.  no  non-con  and  no  cheating  (this  can  be...  like.  discussed  as  something  of  plot  point.  it's  more  grey).  not  an  encompassing  list  obviously  but  MOST  things,  within  reason,  are  fair  game  for  me.  i  also  am  perfectly  willing  to  write  smut,  i  even  enjoy  it,  but  it's  totally  chill  if  it's  not  for  you.

How  large  does  the  age  gap  have  to  be  to  make  it  uncomfortable?

hadn't  really...  thought  long  and  hard  about  this  but.  minors  and  minors  and  adults  with  adults  obviously.  this  is  such  a  nuanced  question  though.  like  realistically  i'd  want  the  bnha  kiddos  at  15  dating  no  one  older  than  17  (obviously).  a  character  like  gojo  though,  who  is  almost  30  years  old...  idk  dude  you  go  fuck  that  1000  year  old  king  of  curses,  good  for  you.

just...  yknow.  don't  be  weird?

Are  you  selective  when  shipping?

kinda!  i  mean  i  need  to  vibe  with  the  writer  and  their  portrayal  -  and  if  we've  never  shipped  before  definitely  some  plotting  is  required.  but  then  there  are  people  like  ven  and  ira  where  the  ships  sail  before  the  boats  even  hit  the  water.  i  definitely  have  main  shipping  partners  and  while  i  try  not  to  practice  ship  exclusively,  their  muses  for  me  are  a  main  and  number  one.

How  far  do  steamy  moments  have  to  go  before  they’re  considered  NSFW?

i  usually  define  it  as  when  the  clothes  start  coming  off!  the  goods  out  and  about?  bam,  read  more.  but  usually  i  follow  my  partner's  lead.

Who  are  other  muses  you  ship  your  muse  with?

please  refer  to  question  one.

Does  one  have  to  ask  to  ship  with  you?

well.  sort  of.  i  hate  assuming  shit.  it  makes  me  feel  like  an  asshole  if  i  do  and  if  i  get  it  wrong  i  want  to  crawl  into  a  hole  AND  DIE.  but  usually  i  can  read  the  room.  i  also  recognize  that  a  lot  of  folks  on  this  hellsite  are  shy  so  i  tend  to  just...  ask  for  us  both.  you're  welcome.

Are  you  multiship?

i  sure  am.  i  tend  to  have  a  strong  stance  on  this  but  it  has  a  lot  of  grey  area.  as  stated  previously  -  while  i  don't  tend  to  do  ship  exclusivity  and  will  write  and  ship  with  variations  of  other  muses,  i  do  have  some  partners  that  are  simply  my  main  portrayals  and  i  will  tend  to  use  those  threads  for  my  personal  character  development,  if  that  makes  sense.

Are  you  ship  obsessed  or  ship  more-or-less?

obsessed  is  a  strong  word...  i  am,  character  development  obsessed??  and  i  think  shipping  can  be  a  big  part  of  that.  it's  fun  to  write  and  plot!

What  is  your  favorite  ship  in  your  current  fandom?

dabihawks  and  satosugu  have  me  by  the  fucking  throat.  bkdk  too,  i  fear.

Finally,  how  does  one  ship  with  you?

tell  me  which  muses  you  want  to  kiss  and  the  answer  is  pretty  much  a  guaranteed  yes.  or  even  throw  me  a  prompt.  tell  me  via  carrier  pigeon.  send  smoke  signals.  keep  stabbing  me.  i  want  ships,  i  just  hate  to  needle  about  them!

tagged  by  : @resolutepath <3 tagging  : @venstm, @gokunoban, @koseigu, @symbl, @hiohaku, @putrescencx, @vzmky, @heyhey-sensei if you already did this im sorry ok

[gemharvest]

boyfriend from fnf for the ask thing!! :)

favorite thing about them: I reaaaaalllly love his whole beeping thing idk. IDK !!! Maybe it's a neurodivergence thing but I really connect with characters who are depicted in communicating in ways outside the norm. Also there's something very funny to me abt how he beeps absolute gibberish but people understand him anyways. Like just as a comedic bit, not reading it any deeper, that shit's gold to me.

least favorite thing about them: Ok this is a take from my artist brain but fuuuuuuuck his hat fr that shit is way harder to make look right than you'd think. That or I just have a weird perfectionism issue. Which is also a likely contender.

favorite line: the best part of Friday Night Funkin' was when Boyfriend said "Beep bo bop" and funked all over those guys /j /ref

brOTP: I think you could get a really funny dynamic out of Boyf and Darnell. I need to get more confident in my read of Darnell b4 I do anything with that thought but it's There.

OTP: RGB polycule ftw you couldn't even claw these fuckers from my cold, dead hands. You know the ship is good when it's got me making friends through it. /silly

nOTP: I don't knowwww. Like there are ships I can think of for this where I'd never engage with them but I don't feel strongly enough about it to call any of them a nOTP. SORRY LMAO.

random headcanon: This guy would fw chewable stim toys but he'd have to get really tough ones. Guy who would shred a kong if you gave it to him without monitoring him.

unpopular opinion: What evennnnnnnn are the popular opinions in this fandom I barely go to wider fandom here. Unpopular opinion I wish more people depicted his beeping ??? Maybe ?? But that's a tentative one since I know for more serious works it's kinda. Hard to run with that. In my writing I have my workaround of "all his dialogue is in quotes cuz he's beeping so what's written is actually a translation" but liiike I still haven't figured out a pleasing way to do it in art. Like the best I got is speech bubble with beeps and translation underneath but it feels like. A Lot. So like, all of that to say I wish the beeps were worked with more but I can see where people come from just writing plain English for him. And maybe it is worked with more in wider fandom idk.

song i associate with them: OUHHHHHH HUMOR ME. I'm posting two. CW for suggestive themes in both (lyrics/ samples).

eyestrain/ flash warning on this next vid

favorite picture of them: IT'S SO HARD FOR ME TO PICK JUST ONE THERE'S SO MANY OFFICIAL THINGS WITH HIM THAT I FW. Here's the ones I rotate a lot in my head:

^ I think I've made it obvious my proper fave would be the beach poster art that shit's just Peak to me rn but I am always incapable of picking just one favorite.

[character ask prompt]

[slippinmickeys]

Twenty questions for fanfic writers

I was tagged by @agent-troi and @randomfoggytiger Thanks for the tag, guys!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

53

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

712,000 exactly, which is sort of creepy?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The X-Files mainly, though a million years ago I wrote two fics for JAG, and technically, I have a His Dark Materials fic (but it's an XF crossover)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Mesas of Deuteronilus Mensae

Prompt Drabble Collection

The Annapolis Grant

Three Part Harmony

A Companion Unobtrusive

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! Comments are the only payment fanfic writers get, and it's an incredibly valuable and underrated currency. Fanfiction as a community is one of the most generous you'll find, and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this particular one.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh man, probably La Comtesse de Saint-Germain.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

In this day and age I feel like we deal with enough shit, so I try to end most of my fics happily. I think A Gem-Like Flame probably has the most uplifting happy ending, but then, I'm a sports nerd.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't yet.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Um, probably pretty vanilla het MSR. No shame.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've only written one, but it turned out really well, I thought. It's an X-Files/His Dark Materials novella-length crossover that takes place in Lyra's world, pre-Lyra, called Out of the Little Grove.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Anyone who steals my fic is going to catch these hands.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, a couple of years ago someone asked if they could translate one of my fics to Russian. It's out there somewhere.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I jumped in and helped @monikafilefan get Five Years and a Lifetime over the line for a fic exchange a couple of years ago. A fun, collaborative experience, that was like 85% Monika. It's a great fic, check it out if you haven't!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Mulder & Scully are my OTP. Always and forever.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'd love to finish Madam Scully's Spiritual Services, Inc., it's an AU where Scully works for her sister's Psychic Boutique while prepping for med school. Scully ends up being actually psychic and she helps newly minted FBI agent Fox Mulder solve a series of murders. I have it almost completely plotted (except for the nitty-gritty hard stuff), but I don't think I'll ever get it done, sadly. It's just too big a story to tackle with where I am in my life. Though I never say never.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm decent at dialogue, have a pretty firm grasp on plotting, and, I hope characterization.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My character work is probably my weak spot, which is why I have so much fun writing fanfic--the character work is already done, I just get to play around a world where everybody already knows the characters.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

When I do it, I hope like hell that I'm doing it right. I think it's necessary for some stories and you just hope you're properly respecting a language you don't speak.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The X-Files, in the year of our lord nineteen hundred and ninety eight.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It's a toss up between Proof of Life, an AU where CNN conflict reporter Dana Scully is kidnapped and imprisoned with fellow kidnap victim and photojournalist Fox Mulder, and they, you know, fall in love. And North of Zero, a post-col novel where Mulder and Scully get William back and have to save the world. The one I totally pantsed (made up as I went along), and it came together like alchemy. I love that story. If you don't like AU, you'd like Proof of Life. If you don't like post-colonization stories, you'd like North of Zero. I don't always like everything I've written after I'm done writing it (a writer's life), but I'm incredibly proud of both of those fics.

Tagging @monikafilefan because she's already tagged, and anyone else who wants to do this!

[misc-obeyme]

idk about anyone else but i always love crack ships and ships in general, i can always appreciate other ships, even if they're not my otp. It just means more content to enjoy!

Luci and Solomon would be fun as a pairing i think. If I had a crack ship, it'd be Solomon and Mammon. I don't know if they've had any moments at all together. Maybe one.

But Solomon has been steadily climbing up my favorites list on the ladder since nightbringer. Though he'll never take Mammon's place for number one lol. But I like to imagine them both with my mc.

I can imagine Mammon accidentally getting his hands on a really rare spell book and instead of selling it, gifting it to the two of them with the excuse that he couldn't get any offers for it (he is lying and it's obvious from his blush)

Or Solomon coming across a rare item he forgot about and gifting it to Mammon because he thinks he'd like it. Or digging through his collection for something he's willing to part with to help Mammon with debt, saying something about needing to get rid of it is all.

and after writing these little blurbs i will be thinking about these dummies a lot more, it is no longer an 'if' i think. new ship and new ot3 ig akskfj

okay I'm done rambling LMAO thank you for your time

- ✨ anon

Okay, yes, I absolutely love crackships. I can also appreciate other ships, I have no problem with any of that at all. I say people should ship whoever they like.

While I always write x reader, I actually have quite a few Obey Me ships that I like. DiaLuci of course which I actually did write a little story for per a request I received. Those two are just so obvious, how can you not ship it, right? I'm also fond of SoloSim because I think those two have an interesting dynamic. And of course there's SimeBarb which is also just really cute. I'm down with BarBeel and Solodeus too though to a lesser extent. And while I never really considered it before, apparently there is also Diavolo/Belphie (sorry I don't know their ship name lol), which is not something I thought of, but I don't dislike it!

My favorite crackship is absolutely SoloLuci. I love their relationship already, it's so funny to me, and I just can't help but enjoy the idea of them actually ending up together because it would be even funnier to me. Like I could write whole stories about them.

My other big crackship is Mammon/Barbatos. (BarbMam??) Again, I just find this to be absolutely hilarious. I could write whole stories about them, too, and I'd be laughing the whole time lol.

Okay one last crackship from me that I think would be fun is Diavolo/Asmodeus. Because listen, Asmo would be so into being queen lololol. And I just think it'd make Lucifer so mad, too. I'm sorry I just think it's so funny I can't help myself.

Of course, any and all of these become a little less crazy if MC is involved, but I generally consider these ships without MC. I did write that little blurb about a Solomon/MC/Lucifer threesome, but I generally like to think of them without MC because that just makes it so much funnier to me.

I love your description of a Solomon/MC/Mammon throuple situation, though. I always felt like Mammon didn't like Solomon lol but yo neither does Lucifer so. But I think with an MC that they both love and care for to kind of initiate the necessity of them being in close proximity and getting along... yeah, I could see all of the things you describe happening.

That'd be super adorable, now I'm just imagining them starting a little trio band and calling it MC and the Mons. (I'm so sorry.)

Anyway, I love your new ot3 I hope they bring you much joy!!

[delusionaid]

SHIPPING INFO. Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog.

What’s your OTP for your Muse(s)?

I have a few "OTPs" for a few of my muses, but not for all of them. However, I choose not to state them for various reasons, one being that I feel like it might discourage someone from suggesting a different ship to me. Which it absolutely shouldn't. What does OTP for me even mean? Yes, in a way it is my favorite ship for a certain muse, for example for fanart, fanfics, or general discussions. However, general OTPs aren't always my favorites in RP. I have some ships in RP that I never even thought of before and wouldn't under normal circumstances call "my OTP", but writing them with a good writing partner makes them very dear to me and I wouldn't exchange or drop them for the world.

It's rare for me to really have a ship that I call an OTP, actually. I have some favorites and some I'll always like, but for a ship to qualify as OTP I really need to obsess over it thoroughly for a long period of time. I'd also almost go so far as to say I usually have one OTP per fandom, and not one per muse.

What are you willing to RP when it comes to shipping?

I am open to most things if they make sense to me for our muses; unless it is an AU I don't want to bend my muses out of character just to make a ship happen. I like many classic romance or fanfic tropes (enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, star-crossed, arranged royal marriage, fake dating, etc.) or naturally developing things, depending on the muses. There are a few things I won't write (for example non-con or underage), but like I said I almost never get requests for these things anyway, luckily. This is something I'd explain if it came up; I don't tend to post a list of No Gos just because it's rarely needed anyway.

Ideally I like to discuss ships beforehand - even if we're just planning the idea, and are waiting for the chemistry test - just to know if we're having similar tastes and thoughts, but if things progress naturally, then we can cross that bridge when we get to shippy land. The one thing I do insist on is that you tell me if there's something you absolutely don't want incorporated in our ships (e.g. you hate enemies to lovers, or anything relating to NSFW).

As stated in my rules, I don't auto-ship. That means even if you see me reblog fanart of a ship that doesn't mean I'll instantly ship that ship without any discussion beforehand. It means I like the ship tho, so if you are interested and we're mutuals, we can talk about it!

How large does the age gap have to be to make it uncomfortable?

As long as everyone's a consenting adult, I don't get uncomfortable by age gaps. Particularly not if one of or both of them are immortal. I am not necessarily a fan of (mortal x mortal) ships with a massive age gap but it can work for some characters in some contexts. As for 2300 y.o. vampire x 25 y.o. human? Absolutely no problem.

Are you selective when shipping?

Man, I'd love to just copy Lauri's text here but.. yes, I am. As stated before, I don't insta-ship - if we're seriously going to ship, I want to know that I am clicking with you as a writer and if we do, I want either extensive discussions of headcanons and backstories, or I want to start at the beginning / at a time where our muses aren't together yet. (This can also be the test for us to see if we click.) I don't want to write an established ship without any discussion beforehand, also in part because my favorite part about writing ships is the "getting together" phase.

I need chemistry between our muses. I might ship a ship in general but the way you write your muse just doesn't click with mine, so it really depends on the writer.

I am not usually ship exclusive, however I tend to not write the same ship more than once in most cases, particularly not if I have a bigger verse established that gets developed over time. Sometimes I end up writing with multiple people in a shippy way, but I've noticed after a while I kind of gravitate towards one writing partner, for example if that ship enters a more deeply developed stage. I don't expect that from my writing partner in return, but I do like it. It's kind of a case by case thing, with some ships I am more intense and others I am more casual. It's also a matter of how fast are we, how much do we plot and meta ooc, how invested are we both in general. I don't want to tie anyone to me who is a very fast writer, for example, simply because I cannot keep up with that speed and it would feel unfair to you.

Finally, please don't drag fandom tropes and ideas into writing 1:1. I like fanfics and fanart as much as the next girl, but in RP I am much more canon based and I want ships to fit within the narrative more than I want to entertain juicy tropes. Oftentimes I see people write ships inspired by popular fanart or comics or fanfics that are great as fan content, but quite removed from a canon setting, which makes the muses varying degrees of ooc. This is something I might do as an AU, but most of the time I will only do it if we've been shipping for a while already (in canon verse). For example: I love the enemies to lovers trope - but we need to figure out how they actually move from enemies to lovers. I won't just slap them together and say here we are.

How far do steamy moments have to go before they’re considered NSFW?

Eh.. any unmistakeable description or insinuation is something I would tag as NSFW. Even if it's written in a poetic way without graphic details, if a sexual act is described, it's NSFW. Smooching and cuddling is fine, anything that involes the downstairs or other touchy touchy with intent goes into the tag ;) Just to be safe (at work).

Who are other muses you ship your muse with?

I have multiple ships.. usually not too many per muse, but some have more than one ship. I am open to suggestions, I've sometimes ended up shipping things I never saw coming. I really enjoy writing rare pairs, tbh, if they make sense together and the chemistry fits. Those tend to be the most fun, almost!

Does one have to ask to ship with you?

Yes. If you send me shippy asks and we've never spoken about it before, I will ignore it or respond in a non-shippy way. Even if there were actual canon ships (which in this case, there aren't) I don't auto-ship them, it still depends on chemistry. So even if you know I like a ship and you consider it a "canon / implied ship", please talk to me first.

How often do you like to ship?

I enjoy all kinds of writing and scenarios; friendships, conflicts, mystery.. but at my heart of hearts, I am a romance writer. My ideal story is a fantasy story that involves romance (or some other meaningful and deep relationship that is explored). That doesn't mean I always want to ship with everybody 24/7 but it means that I enjoy the relationship (any nature) part of a verse the most, and I have a particular love for romantic relationships and all they entail (crushing, getting together, the angst of forbidden or unrequited love, the insecurity, the excitement, etc). I like reading it and I like writing it. I don't need it for every muse and I certainly don't ship everything just for the sake of shipping, but I very much enjoy writing romance when I get a chance to develop it well. (However, I also genuinely love the opportunity to write OTHER dynamics within a ship verse, to enrich the whole story.)

Are you multiship?

Yes. I have multiple ships on this blog due to various muses, and I also am open to multiple ships on one muse - however I don't tend to have too many per muse.

Are you ship obsessed or ship more-or-less?

I love my ships. I don't know if I am obsessed - but I have been, with my OTPs for example ;)

What is your favorite ship in your current fandom?

That's for me to know and for you to . . .

Finally, how does one ship with you?

Write with me and convince me with in character chemistry.. and/or hit my DMs :) Don't be afraid to ask, honestly the worst thing you'll get from me is a no (or a yes, depending on how you wanna look at it). Even if it's a weird ship, crack ship, insane ship, disliked ship. I don't judge. Just ask, I don't bite.

Tagged by: @daybreakrising & @resolutepath 💙💙 Tagging: @wishkept @gunnhildred @azizam @auratvm @immobiliter @luzofstars @captivemuses @reflective-muses @aeviare

[scriveyner]

2023 Wrapped!

A total of 8 fics this year! And I just barely hit my resolution of 150k posted. These stats are insane, by the way, utterly insane. I never expected anything to hit like smarch/kinktober did this year. Fucking wild.

After the jump is a list of the fics this year and a few thoughts on each. A big thanks to everyone for reading this year, and here's to a fic-filled 2024!

stop time, your hand in mine (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (7,257 words)

First fic of the year, and the one that really and truly jumpstarted sskk² stories. I'd dabbled a little prior to this, but really the only thing that existed was the origin fic from 2022, when Acchan and Ryuu-chan were infants.

chase forever down (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (70,985 words)

Holy moly, y'all love vampire fics. The amount of tags this fic got when Things Went Down in S5 still makes me laugh. This is my favorite fic of this year tho, because I had so much fun writing it.

southern air (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (12,557 words)

Pure fluff exuding from every pore. Fun family shenanigans. I love writing sskk² it's just so healing.

crossing paths (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (8,728 words)

SSKK will always be my BSD otp, but I love me some chuuatsu. Doubt it's the last time I'll write some, but I know its reach is limited.

the places we'll go (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (5,022 words)

My sskkbb23 entry, of course more sskk². I really like taking SSKK and showing them possible futures, have you all noticed this, lol.

three minutes more (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (49,900 words)

I honestly and truly did not expect this fic to juggernaut. I have a chat from before kinktober started being all, "well I don't think it will be as popular as chase forever down..." and y'all came in like a wrecking ball and showed me how wrong I was. I am so glad this hit and hit strong for people.

all the love in my heart (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (4,428 words)

Technically this counts as more than one fic but I don't like to list typetriggers separately. Just a bunch of little bites of sskk² goodness, from kid sillies to adults getting their alone time.

so be good for goodness sake (文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs) (1,247 words)

If you can't tell I very much love writing kid logic, and Acchan and Ryuu-chan are just full of it. The best part about writing sskk² fic to me is watching how the characters have changed and settled into new roles in their lives. (And also trying to figure out what new chaos Acchan can kick up, that kid is indestructible and has no sense of self-preservation. Nor what is actually food.)

[swaps55]

When did Sam and Kaidan start to form as an item for you - had you played the trilogy through a few times?

Oooh, this is a fun question. You ask AMAZING questions. <3

I've been playing Mass Effect since 2007, so I'd done most of the romances well before I ever really put pen to paper. My original OTP was actually Shepard/Liara, in large part because 1. I love Liara, 2. I played primarily dudeshep, and 3. I spent years replaying ME1/2 on console before ME3 came out, so Kaidan wasn't available to me as a romance.

Sam himself is an evolution of my 'original' Liaramance Shepard (who never got a first name) from Exordium, my ME1 long fic. They share a lot in common, including an abhorrent taste in coffee, but more significantly, they both met Kaidan Alenko in a shitty Arcturus bar at ass o'clock in the morning a few months after Torfan, and bonded over pancakes.

(The mshenko subtext is actually all over Exordium, probably in part because I am very demisexual and didn't know it at the time, and Kaidan and E!Shep were extremely close.)

When I started writing mshenko it was not with any particular Shepard in mind; I stuck to one-shots and kept it fairly generic. But if you were to go back and read my non-Opus mshenko stories, you'd see glimmers of Sam, a proto-Sam if you will, peeking through most of them. I frequently wrote a vanguard who fidgeted with the gravity well and couldn't sit still.

I started brainstorming what became Opus in 2019, not long after I'd resigned myself to the thought that I'd run out of Mass Effect stories to tell. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I could go on for days about all the pieces and influences that ultimately shaped Sam, but the bones of what became Sam and Kaidan already existed with Exordium way back in 2013: a ruthless Shepard who had a long history with Kaidan before they ever set foot on the Normandy, who relied on Kaidan to keep his moral compass pointed in the right direction.

[leiawritesstories]

20 Questions for Writers!

Thanks for the tag @writtenonreceipts!! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

21 and counting 👀

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

226,575

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Primarily for Throne of Glass, but I'm always open to writing for more fandoms :)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Chef Rowan

Fly The Black Flag

Until Proven Guilty

Wild Proposal Stories

Quarter After One

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes!! Comments are one of the best parts of being a writer/creator and it makes me happy to both receive and give them.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Late-Night Dances, which involves MCD🫣🫣 or really any of the handful of fics I've written where a character doesn't make it.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oooh maybe Fly The Black Flag? I kind of borrowed the ending from POTC but changed some things, and a little while later, I was able to write a sort of epilogue/outtake where Rowaelin have a child, and it was super fluffy and cute and heartwarming.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No? I don't think so, this community is genuinely wonderful and so supportive :))

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes I do, hehe. I've only ever written F/M explicit content

10. Do you write crossovers?

Well......sort of. I like to sneak in characters from the other SJM books if it's possible and if it works, and once upon a time I tried to write a crossover fic that has since been abandoned 😂. But if it's ever in the cards, I'd love to properly write one!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also nope, but that would be so cool

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Possibly 👀👀👀 @mariaofdoranelle

14. What is your all-time favorite ship?

Rowan x Aelin. They will never not be an OTP.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Probably The Only Option, which has a whole plan/outline and some notes for the plot but will probably never be anything more than what it is. This also happens to be the fic that sparked my main idea for an original novel, so it might never be more of a fanfic, idk.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I honestly don't know lol. I think I can write family dynamics/kids pretty well, but I grew up with a bunch of siblings so it's kind of easier for me to write sibling and family dynamics. I'm also the proud (?) owner of an inner angst monster that I call Frederick, and he's very very good at having ideas for making situations painful 🤭

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Definitely consistency. Even in oneshots, I'm prone to forgetting what I wrote earlier or if they're linked oneshots/in the same setting or world, I tend to forget or change details about the setting, which just bothers me SO much. And don't even get started on how horribly inconsistent I am in long fics 😭😭 like, I'm a hella planner, but somehow I'll be rereading old parts of a draft (hello, Until Proven Guilty) and realize that there are big glaring gaps from the earlier parts to the later parts and just cry over the plot holes.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Love it! If the language is significant to a certain character, particularly to their background/development, I love to see dialogue in another language. Wish I spoke better in the other languages that I sort of know (Spanish/tiny bit of Italian) so I could incorporate it into writing. I think it's also super super amazing how some writers can create original languages.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Bloody Jack Throne of Glass! Started writing and never stopped lol ;)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

i had a whole lot of fun writing DILF Rowan, which came from a prompt. also really really enjoyed The Assassin and the Princess, which is a sort of alternate canon reimagining.

some tags if you want: @mariaofdoranelle @elentiyawhitethorn @tomtenadia @house-of-galathynius @rowanaelinn and anyone else who wants to!!!

[silviakundera]

DRAMA REC: So I feel like any real review of Thai drama Moonlight Chicken is hard without heavy spoilers because honestly I don't know how to talk about what makes me passionate about it without discussing all the character relevations that occur over the course of its 8 episodes. I'll try to be generic as much as I can.

The thing about why it's hard to discuss without spoilers is that the characters and their full baggage are revealed slowly episode by episode, because like in real life you often learn about new friends & love interests slowly as intimacy deepens...

But from what I can see online, it's very subjective for viewers - depends on the person if they find these themes and personal challenges compelling or not. This doesn't fit with the typical "BL asian drama" format.

My personal viewing stake: There's an otp that has TAKEN OVER MY BRAIN. I have been searching for this energy ever since finishing Lighter & Princess. Gotta confess that I couldn't care less about the second couple who are teenagers. Apparently MDL and a lot of tumblr only liked the teen couple (valid!), but I just skipped over them mostly because when my brain locks in on Real Adults with Adult Problems I often cease to connect to high school student storylines. But the age gap couple with a 39 year old character who is FEELING his age... Jim & Wen. I've watched all 8 episodes now and they are like cocaine to me.

Ep 1 setup: We're not in Bangkok! (gasp) Jim is almost-40 and runs a late night diner in the less upscale part of town. Wen, about 10 years younger, is drunk at his diner as he's trying to close for the night. They pick up on the unspoken signals, instant electric connection, and end up wandering back to Jim's place and having what looks like fantastic sex together (without exchanging names).

But then after that first night, in the remaining 7 ep of the show you get a slowburn build up from zero as Jim doesn't want a relationship - with anyone. This is truly, sincerely a 'it's not you, it's me" situation. He is mired in baggage and the angst is SO DELICIOUS to me. Angst and soft hand touches and late night conversation. There's YEARNING. SO MUCH YEARNING.

And then my darling Wen! Who brings almost the same energy as the Lighter and Princess FL. @dangermousie I never thought I'd see this irrepressible determination and tender, good humored patience again! He is deeply sure that there is something special here with Jim and is unrelenting about trying to scale Jim's walls. I know that sounds like psychotic SML material lmao but it's all about the tone and context. It's very clear that Jim is allowing Wen in his life and doesn't, deep down, want Wen to give up on him. He's damaged and scared but I always felt he wants Wen to be right - that they are falling in love and can build something real together. He just can't make himself take that step. I mean, in their 2nd meeting he is EQUALLY INSANE to agree that it's v normal and hinged behavior to let his 1 night stand start randomly showing up to work shifts at his diner as 'temp staff' he can't afford to pay because... um. Basically to stalk him? idk I don't think it's stalking when u have a mutual agreement?? 🤔

Wen falling deeper into Jim and KNOWING the feeling is mutual no matter how many times he's (so gently!) pushed back... can be sooooo personal. 😭😭😭 The vibes of this "we're Not Together™" but it's inevitable, I'm just waiting for the timing to be right... reminiscent of the last 10 episodes of Lighter & Princess. This building intimacy and tenderness that stretches on until as a viewer you feel like... They ARE in love, they're together but just without the sex. They just have to stabilize their lives first before committing whole-heartedly. THE BITTERSWEET PINGING. (screams)

One thing I've observed is many people seem to struggle to connect with Jim's character. The closest thing we have to a protagonist (?) Maybe. Anyway, I suspect it might be a generational thing. I found the drama incredibly compelling, but I grew up queer in the 80s and 90s. I'm well into my 40s, a bit older than Jim, but I think the generational queer experience overlaps pretty well considering the sociopolitical differences btw us/thailand.

The screenwriter is an older out gay man, so I presume that's also a factor in how he did a pitch-perfect depiction of Jim's struggles to find home.

Wen has his own baggage that feels very real and raw. I loved his storyline because I could personally relate to it also from my queer relationship experience.

I've blabbered on here before about how I feel like there's something different about queer stories being told to other queers, not targeted to straight viewers primarily - I'm not saying it's better than the big brands and popular international media including lgbt rep. It's just different imo and I do think it's valuable. I want to see stories about the complexities of the experience & about the gay community that can't just be mapped to straight people. Where the story would not feel the same if you flipped the sexualities. That's what Midnight Chicken was to me: the characters of Jim and Wen and their personal development & slow love story together felt very queer and the age gap was a relevant part of this. And that called to me. I could recognize parts of myself in them and my personal experiences as a gay woman.

I was impressed by the writing. Strong acting. The directing of individual scenes is excellent BUT the 1 big flaw is the editing. Very amateur, super abrupt scene changes! Just jarring. But whatever, I've seen some terrible editing in cdramas too. Also note the storytelling tactic is to show a series of meaningful moments & interactions over like 6-8 months of time. Events progress in ways we don't always see and it's not always spelled out to the audience, everything that happened since we last saw them. That may or may not work for the viewer.

[Plus there's a very sweet & wholesome teen love story that also gets a happy ending, if you're into that. One of the teens is deaf and there's no "cure the disability" nonsense, don't worry. I was adult-focused but I did appreciate the complicated family relationship subplot with Jim trying to caretake his nephew and their relationship to the mostly-absent sister.]

ok so now into spoiler territory. Letting the relevations come out organically would be a much better viewing experience BUT...

SPOILERS ON JIM & WEN BACKSTORY

Jim's whole deal is he had a big love in his late 20s-early 30s that fucked him up good. He grew up being told gay love isn't real, leaves his rural farming town with his sister in their teens, disconnected from his family... But even his sister, who loves him, had the perspective that it's Just A Phase. Jim expects to Prove Them Wrong. Then his boyfriend cheats on him.... With a woman. Activate that generation's internalized homophobia and self-doubt. And then before he gets to truly confront his partner, his partner dies in an accident. So he never gets resolution.

And he's stuck under a mountain of debt, on the edge of poverty because he didn't get any of the guy's assets when he died of course. No rights under Thai law. Partner's family takes it all but the old car & the cat. All he has is the small chicken rice shop they had bought and ran together and it's killing him, he both hates and loves it. He's this amazing member of the local community but doesn't see himself and his own worth clearly.

Wen is working through the guilt of falling out of love from his 1st gay relationship that lasted 5 years of his 20s. Broken up but still living together. Trying to stay in each other's lives (I've seen this a lot, because in small gay communities you don't just cut ties with good people you care about). But living together is toxic for both of them, despite the real care that's there.

He also feels disconnected from a community at the start. He has work collegues, all straight friends, and his now-ex boyfriend. But you get the subtle sense that his local ties are all with the boyfriend Alan's family and mutual friends with Alan who don't all know about the breakup yet and he doesn't know how to interface with them anymore now that he and Alan aren't the same. He's the one who fell out of love, so he's "the bad guy" here and the straight friend he tries to talk to about trying to co-habititate with his ex and stay close friends doesn't really get it, because that's just way more typical behavior for older generation queers - it's notable that when the situation is fully explained to Jim, he doesn't seem to find it bizarre at all (as said, I've gone through that myself, and known friends in that situation; found that subplot to be very well done.) (I read that many viewers were disappointed this wasn't a standard infidelity situation where Wen is just regular cheating on Alan, but I have to say that I feel the opposite. The subplot and how it played out felt very relatable to me. I didn't need a cheating angst plotline in this drama that could be transplanted into a straight drama. I wanted more stories that represented my lived experience as an adult lesbian, and Wen's narrative gave me that.)

Wen keeps searching for a home even while living with Alan and having loved him in the past. Which to me was a sign that he'd moved to this smaller city, living in Alan's condo and in Alan's life with Alan's extended family... He started eating beef because Alan did and following along. He doesn't know where HE feels at home, what Wen needs to be comfortable and happy. When he more & more starts to believe he can make this home with Jim, he's determined to make it happen.

[birdmitosis]

Have you watched manlybadasshero's play of stp? He's on youtube, gone through all the vessels and probably like 99% of the dialogue so if you need references I'm sure you can find it somewhere in his playlist

Also I found your fics on ao3 and I'm already in love with them! You do such a good job with writing all the voices, I look forward to seeing how they all end up developing

(Bonus, thoughts on hero/paranoid? Ik you have hero/contrarian (so good) and paranoid/cold (hadn't thought of it but intrigued) but the nightmare route where they're both just scrambling to keep the body alive just makes me want to ship them for some reason lol)

I have!! That's part of why I was so surprised to find that there was a combo of voices I'd never seen before at all; he's covered so much of the game, but I guess it's a pretty rare variation and the helpful chart I've been using to figure out how to get different voice combinations doesn't actually break down The Razor's chapters beyond "The Cheated -> Gain every Voice"... A combination of him and BAI GAMING and CrankyTemplar are how I'm getting mmmmost of my easy-to-revisit canon reference stuff, though. (And he was my first LP of the game I watched, so I have a real soft spot for him XD) And thank you so so much! That is really nice to hear; I'm looking forward to getting the next chapter out and showing a bit of... mitosis. How they interact with each other internally and externally. :D (I am also making a little list of synonyms for each voice's description due to one of the AMA answers, to give myself little touchstones for how each Voice's Main Trait could actually imply various little traits, because that answer just really intrigued me.) (And I really like Hero/Paranoid, honestly! Paranoid/Cold and Hero/Contrarian became OTPs mostly because they grabbed my brain and wouldn't let go, but I have a ton of other ships for the game for real, including Hero/Paranoid due to The Nightmare chapter, Broken/Hero/Paranoid due to The Apotheosis chapter, and Hero/Paranoid/Opportunist due to a particular variation on The Wraith chapter. Hero and Paranoid have a seriously good dynamic, really!)

[theabysscomeshome]

Number one clown Childe for the meme?

How I feel about this character: I think Childe is really fun. He was our first introduction to the concept that the Abyss can change you, and that combined with his infamous eye lighting and seeming inability to exist in regular society was super intriguing. I'm endlessly interested in details of how exactly he interacts with people, especially other Snezhnayans, and how he's seen due to both his position as Harbinger and also what he's actually done with that.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Hmm. Childe/Zhongli is fun, imo, to hop on the popular ship bandwagon. I love parallels here between Zhongli taking an interest in Childe and Zhongli taking an interest in Xiao and the yakshas way back when, and how perhaps he might see his younger war-torn self reflected in the eyes of both of them. I love the scandal of a respectable and likeable funeral consultant being seen socializing with a harbinger. I love how little any of Childe's many many issues even faze Zhongli. Aside from that I already mentioned I read a fun Kaeya/Childe fic once and I think there's potential for those two to be very Messy together. I'd also be open to Childe/other harbingers, though I haven't given any particular one of those much thought.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Childe and Zhongli c: But also 100% Childe and Ekaterina, I've seen some _very_ intriguing discussions of how they might interact and it hits a lot of my favorite points re: how Childe is seen amongst regular Snezhnayans vs non-Snezhnayans, combined with Ekaterina's particular slant on this as someone who is fervently loyal to the Tsaritsa. I was also very intrigued by Childe and Skirk, but idk how I feel about that now that I've seen her (though admittedly that's getting into parts of the story I haven't seen all of).

My unpopular opinion about this character: I see people complaining a lot about how he almost drowned Liyue while having a tantrum. This annoys me a lot. During the Liyue story quest we find evidence that he'd been planning that drowning for months. Probably ever since he came to the country. It was the attempt to get the gnosis from Morax's body that was the whim, because he thought it might be more exciting. But Childe's attempt to drown an entire city was extremely premeditated, and I will not have anyone saying otherwise.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Related to the last point, I wish Hoyo would let Childe (and the other harbingers) be a bit more villainous. I've noticed a definite trend of trying to soften them once they've become playable, but not in a 'they've slowly been reformed by the power of friendship' way. It's in a 'oh they were never actually that bad' way, and I think that's very boring. Let Childe be the harbinger who was fine with trying to drown a city if that's what his orders were, even if he thought it was kind of boring. Let him struggle with whatever instincts the Abyss left him with (which I think are also downplayed nowadays, tragically) in a way that's not easy to paint as heroic. That doesn't diminish his love for his siblings. If anything it makes it more interesting, because his love for them is at odds with his current life and that could have been a whole thing aside from him badly pretending to be a toymaker. Let him have an actual character arc to become heroic if that's the direction hoyo wants to take him.