#i'm kind of exploring it in the cruising fic actually

[pynkhues]

*puts hand up* I would personally love to see the first time they have penetrative sex again, especially if Lestat hasn't had sex in decades, if not since Louis (and Louis probably hasn't had satisfying sex in decades...)...and of course I would always love to see that with bottom Lestat, but however you chose to write it would be fantastic I'm sure

it's definitely on the list for after my kinktober fics are done, anon!

[lavendermoonlitskies]

Fanfic Friday: fic recs!

Hiii everyone, happy Friday! I forgot that I made a post like this ages ago for fanfic Friday, but I’ve read a bunch since then so here are some recommendations of Good Omens fics I’ve enjoyed recently:

“Heaven isn't built to house a love like you and I” by ItsScottiesStark

Rating: T

Length: 37,291 (8 chapters)

Summary: They did it. They stopped Armageddon. They survived.

This was it, the first time they were actually free to finally figure out what their side entailed.

Aziraphale is a being of love. Always has been. And now, all the love he has for Crowley is free to flow from the edge of his fingertips to the demon's, in a gesture that could only mean one thing; I'm with you. I'm here.

As much as his hands itch to reach out for the love of his existence, his words seem to fail him, time and time again. He knows Crowley deserves more than gentle hand holding and forehead kisses in the dark. He aches to scream his love from the top of his lungs, for the whole world to hear. And the demon knows it.

And he waits. Because he'll wait forever for Aziraphale. Because he knows they are meant to be one.

This one is great at immediately grabbing your attention. It starts on the bus during that scene towards the end of season 1 where Aziraphale holds Crowley’s hand, which very smoothly leads in to this theme of physical contact and how although they’re both unfamiliar with it, it’s secretly something they both long for from the other. Without spoiling too much, they sort of subtly lean into this desire for physical affection in a way that’s incredibly sweet yet almost tragic with how hesitant they are at the start of it. You can tell that they want so desperately to let the other know how much they care, but they still don’t know if the other is on the same page (so “he waits. Because he’ll wait forever for Aziraphale.”). This writer is really great at conveying how much they really love each other, highly recommend!

“Twin Suns” by IneffableDoll

Rating: T

Length: 7,291 words (3 chapters)

Summary: “I thought you were gone,” Crowley mumbled, and it was almost cliché, it was almost the kind of sentimental rubbish he would’ve moaned at had he heard it from someone else. But they were the rawest words he could manage. He’d thought Aziraphale was gone. That was all, and it said everything.

***

Directly following their celebratory meal at the Ritz, Aziraphale and Crowley clash with the feelings that struggle to settle after everything they’ve been through. And, in so doing, learn to rely on and communicate with each other in new ways.

Similar in concept to the previous one I mentioned, this fic takes place after the events of season 1. They get into some real honest conversations (something I love reading in fics because the characters in canon are not at that point yet and I am HUNGRY for some emotional honesty from them), and something I really love about this one is how patient they are with each other. In chapter one Crowley says that he’s not ready for this conversation, and Aziraphale respects that. Without spoiling too much more, they’re both super careful with the other’s boundaries as they kind of start to think and talk more about the love they have for each other that they’ve never really gotten the chance to explore until now. I absolutely love how they take things nice and slow, attentive to how the other is feeling about all of this. This kind of love is a new concept for the both of them, but they wouldn’t want it with anyone else, and so they try. And I think that’s beautiful.

“Icebergs and Angels” by The_Bentley

Rating: T/M (two versions)

Length: 23,498/24,929 words (8 chapters each)

Summary: It's 1912 and Aziraphale, not wanting to be lonely during his mission aboard Titanic, invites Crowley along for a cruise. But he boards the ship before knowing exactly what his mission is. When he learns Heaven wants to teach humanity a lesson for the claim even God couldn't sink it, it could damage his relationship with Crowley, who has his own views on Heaven's need to punish innocents. Can he repair things with Crowley and can they work together to save as many lives as possible?

The concept of this one is so cool, and very much something I could see actually happening in the show as another historical flashback/mini-sode. Aziraphale is given a mission from Heaven that entails many humans losing their lives, he’s obviously not on-board with that, and Crowley is there to help him save as many human lives as possible because, as much as he’d hate to admit it, he really is a nice demon who very much disapproves of Heaven’s disregard for human life. Throughout this one you get to see how the two of them interact with the humans, all while Aziraphale is battling this inner conflict of wanting to just go along with Heaven’s orders without questioning it while simultaneously knowing that it’s wrong. The narration is great, beautifully written and I really felt like the writer understands these characters on a very deep level. There are two different versions of this one, both of which are fantastic. I personally felt that the more platonic/aroace approach to Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship in the context of this particular story was more fitting, but if you’d like something a little spicier I thought that the Mature rated one was just as good! (I’m linking the non-spicy version here, but the link to the spicy one is in the summary!)

[fuddlewuddle]

How do you manage to write so much, like, without running out of steam (or seemingly running out of steam) - it seems like your creativity is constantly flowing, it's wonderful! Do you have any tips for writing and keeping motivation going? It's clear you're so passionate about everything you write. It's really inspiring. I'm really happy the top gun fandom introduced me to your fics. xxx

Hi Nonnie!

First of all thank you for the lovely message, I’m so happy you enjoy my fics. 🥰🥰

Now, in answer to your question, I feel like I need to caveat it and say that I realised pretty early on, that I don’t seem to have a brain like everyone else when it comes to writing. As in, no one else I know, writes as much as me 🙈 (to put into context, I’ve been writing fanfic since March 2021 and I’ve written over 3.4 million words, so yeah, the brain rot runs deep 😅).

But for tips on writing and how to stay motivated, I would say

Write characters you love. You’ll be spending a lot of time either in their head or writing about characters falling in love/ interacting with them. If you don’t like the character you’re writing it will generally show. You’ll have probably noticed that my favourite character is Maverick, and one of my favourite things is writing other characters fall in love with him. Describing Tom Cruise and how beautiful he is (whether as Mav or any of the other characters I’ve written of his), makes me happier than anything else. But I also love writing Mav’s POV, because he’s such a complex character. I’m currently on 322 fics with Mav in, and I love him more than ever. Him as a character and all the possibilities for stories involving him, keeps me motivated.

Be open to writing different things. I know everyone has hard limits on things they won’t write, so I don’t mean them, but more in the sense of scenarios or kinks you might not have considered, and not letting preconceived notions of the idea stop you from trying to write it. I’ve written so many kinks and stuff, mainly for RoosMav, that I never would have written before, but to me it was a way of exploring their dynamic and relationship in multiple ways, which stops me becoming bored with them as a ship. You don’t have to do this, but I just feel that if you spend too much time doing the same kind of writing (whether that’s writing style or scenarios or kinks) then inevitably you’ll get bored and move on, and you might not actually want to leave your blorbos behind.

Write for yourself first. Generally I don’t write an idea I wouldn’t want to read. If I put effort into writing a story it’s because at some point in the future I want to come back and read it. Other people read in my stories and enjoying them is always a wonderful bonus, but I never forget I write for me first. If you do this, then it doesn’t matter what you write, it’ll always be a success regardless of the number of kudos or comments.

If you think no one else will read your fic, think again. I’ve written so many random ships (SO many 🙈) and there’s always someone who will find them. The world is better with your creativity out in the world than hidden away. At least, that’s what I like to think every time I post a crossover fic about a pairing no one else has every considered anyway 😆

If you open to writing multiple pairings, then I find it’s a great way of getting over writers block or ennui about a pairing. Keeps it fresh, as some ideas don’t work with some pairings, but it does with others, and it means you don’t get sick of a character.

Don’t force yourself to write when your body/ mind isn’t up to it. If your body needs rest, make sure you rest. The ideas and words will no doubt come when you least suspect. Or at least mind do. Usually when I’m trying to sleep 🙄🤣

And finally, I would say, don’t be made to feel ashamed of what you write. You can write whatever you want forever. No one else is going to write a story the way you would. So, if want to write it, then do. I can guarantee someone will read it.

Anyway, hopefully some of this is useful. As I said though, I’m honestly not sure how I manage to write so much comparative to other people. I probably need help tbh 🤣

Thanks for the ask, Nonnie! 💜

[key-rk]

Do you have an idea for your own Darkwing Duck arc?

I love your artwork especially the one with Drake and LP fishing! It looks straight out of a watercolor graphic novel. You’ve got the facial expressions of Drake’s grumpy but endearing personality down to a T.

AHH THANKYOU SMM!!! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT :D

I had a lot of fun drawing that piece, I'm glad you enjoyed it (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

--

As for the question, that's interesting to think about. I don't often think about more potential stories for the Darkwing universe, aside little bits and pieces here and there (mainly a long overdue holiday for the mallard family that doesn't result in fighting crime–they deserve a little break, I think about that cruise Dw wanted to take Lp on in 'All's Fahrenheit in love and war' all the time )

BUT.

There is ONE potential thing I wish was explored and that's a final/ third showdown with Taurus Bulba. I've rambled on about it in a previous post, but Bulba is such an important villain in the show–having a genuine impact on the cast. Not to mention at the end of 'The Steerminator', Bulba says something along the lines of 'This isn't the last you'll see of me', INTENDING we'd get to see more, but that never happened.

I think it would've been very interesting to conclude the story of Taurus Bulba, especially with how 'The Steerminator' ended. We were shown that both Darkwing and Gosalyn struggled with his return, both having a moment of panic when seeing him (which is sososo interesting)

BUT ALSO. Before he became part robot, he was a lot more rational and calculated–which in some way made him a lot more dangerous than let's say megavolt. He's already a lot more threatening than any other villain of the show. But in 'The Steerminator', he's lost parts of himself, being a lot easier to anger, he acts more on impulse. But he's a lot stronger physically. Pairing that with Darkwing's fear of getting Gosalyn hurt or worse, (and kind of dying himself) + Gosalyn's trauma regarding him–it would be incredibly interesting to see just how'd they'd deal with him for a third time. To deal with Taurus Bulba whose only goal is to get to Darkwing and potentially succeed because of how much he knows about them; their fears and weaknesses.

I really do think it could have been such a cool way to end the show, or just have an episode regarding Bulba's final arc and explore Dw's and Gosalyn's characters further. (I know Bulba appears in the comics, but I'm not really counting those here.)

Mmmmmmm

Not much else, though I do wonder what the transition period looked like for Drake after the Darkly Dawns the Duck. He'd spent so long alone, lowk isolating himself (man didn't even have a house 😮‍💨) and suddenly he lived in a neighborhood with a family? I believe that would've been difficult, ESPECIALLY for him. He's shown throughout the show that he finds people to be difficult to be around, not to mention his tendencies to overwork and disconnectment from the identity of 'Drake Mallard' (a clash reunion reference to where he lost his mask. He doesn't particularly value himself without the costume due to years of being unimportant and hardly acknowledged) and in 'Water Way to Go' he claimed to "get manically depressed on the weekends" (do what u will with that)

I know cartoon wise, they wouldn't explore that aspect of Drake re-adjusting to civilian life again, but I still like to imagine it. I think Drake's character is soso interesting and that little period specifically could have been intriguing. I don't think I've come across any fic delving into that yet either 😞.

(bonus detail: Drake actually didn't have his temper as a child. In his backstory episodes, he doesn't really possess it. In clash reunion he is kinda full of himself, but he's not angry to the point of lashing out at someone. This flaw only develops after he'd become an adult and lived in the tower alone for who knows how long 💀)

RIGHT WELL THAT'S IT. I REALLY LIKE TALKING ABOUT THIS SHOW, APOLOGIES FOR HOW LONG THIS IS 🙏

[snaketailthecat]

A Dance of Flames and Distrust

A Mikado Sannoji/Nikei Yomiuri x Reader Fic

Prologue Part 1

Bright.

That was the only way I could describe the light hitting my face. I slowly opened my eyes, panic washing over me as I quickly took in my surroundings.

Bright sun, sand, ocean, and palm trees were what I saw as I looked around. I stood up and quickly realized my surroundings resembled that of an island, or a beach if I was lucky, but knowing my track record that nicer outcome is unlikely. Speaking of which, how did I get here anyways?

That question in my mind was one I had no answer to, which was strange I'm not the kind of person to forget things. Actually, now that I think about the last thing I remember was talking with a client about someone he wanted dead, and he was not exactly the kidnapping type.

I sighed and looked out towards the ocean waves. I suppose my questions will go unanswered for the time being, as gauging the situation is the best course of action right now.

If this is a kidnapping there are most likely escape routes, no human is perfect, however, if this is something else entirely it's better to observe for now and see what can be done.

With that in mind, I put my hands in my leather jacket pockets and started investigating.

I first noticed a giant cruise ship that was half white and half black docked at the beach. It looked more like someone's art project than anything, but hey, who am I to judge?

Reading the name on the side of the ship it was called the "Monocruise", an odd name to give a ship in my opinion, but eh whatever floats the creator's boat I guess.

Walking up the stairs leading to the doors, I noticed it was locked.

I mean makes sense, you don't want your victims escaping, but still, I wonder why this is here in the first place? Ah well, more questions to get answers to later I suppose.

As I turned around I noticed someone exploring the beach as well, he seemed a little concerned yet quite relaxed about the situation. I walked down the stairs to greet him and stopped in my tracks realizing just who stood in front of me.

"Hello, Shobai.” I said blankly.

Of course one of my biggest rivals would be here, not that I hate the guy or anything, but he gets in the way of my business a little too often for my liking.

He turned to look at me, a smirk on his face. "Wasn't expecting to run into you here Y/N, not too surprised though."

I just stared at him in response.

"Yep, still an emotionless mercenary." He seemed a little lost in thought as he addressed me again. "You got anything to do with this shit?"

I simply tilted my head in response. "If I did I wouldn't be talking to you. However, if this is some kind of kidnapping it is quite strange."

"How so?" Shobai asked nonchalantly.

"Kidnapping people and leaving them be on an island. Whoever captured us has done so for a reason." I said.

"No shit, dumbass" Shobai grumbled.

I just blankly stared at him in response. He stared back with an annoyed look. "If you're just going to say what I already know then scram."

I simply walked away without giving him another glance in response. Shobai wasn't exactly a bad person to be around in all honesty, he was entertaining and a fun challenge, but I knew better than to waste his time.

At least he didn't actually hate me, and that was good enough to where I didn't want to annoy him to that point.

I noticed a gravel path leading away from the beach earlier and decided to see where it went. As I walked I realized that this was indeed an island, however, something about it rubbed me the wrong way, almost like it was, fake? I mean I suppose I'm just not used to nature, living in the dark parts of the city practically all my life it's not like I was able to enjoy it.

I shook my head and noticed a kind of convenience store up ahead. At least I won't starve or anything if it has food and water in there. I decided to walk in just to see what I could grab, as I did so I noticed I at least still had my dagger, gun, and several pouches attached to my waist.

Wow, the kidnappers didn't even take my weapons they're really bad at this whole kidnapping thing huh? I walked over and grabbed a few water bottles and some random bags of chips.

"You know those are bad for you right?" A voice said behind me.

I turned around, and there was quite the jacked man standing there with a disappointed look on his face. He wasn't wearing a shirt instead opting for a jacket that managed to stay on his shoulders somehow. He was wearing sunglasses and had blonde hair that was tied back in a small ponytail.

Judging by his height, and how strong he seemed to be, this would not be an easy fight if it came down to it. I should not try to provoke him. Though, he doesn't seem like the type to start a fight judging by his concerned body language.

Though if it were to come down to a fight, I should go for the eyes. I highly doubt those sunglasses are just for show.

"I suppose. However considering I do not know the current situation, nor how long these supplies will stay here, it's better to grab what I can to ration later" I said, grabbing some nearby beef sticks as well.

"I mean this isn't the apocalypse." He said in a slightly confused voice.

I simply shrugged and continued to grab items some which were somewhat healthy to appease the man next to me. Who seemed to be growing uncomfortable with each passing second. I was hoping he'd just give up and leave me alone, but he seemed determined to continue the conversation.

"So, name's Hajime Makunouchi, Ultimate Boxer. I'm guessing you're from Hope's Peak too?" He asked nervously.

That's when I realized that I was supposed to attend Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Sharpshooter before losing consciousness and ending up here. That's quite unfortunate, but I'm not complaining, never liked Hope's Peak anyways.

"Um, you there?" Hajime asked, concerned. Ah right, he's still there, I should probably give him my name.

"Apologies, Y/N L/N, Ultimate Sharpshooter."

"So are you good with guns or something?" He asked in a curious tone.

"More or less, while my specialty is in firearms, I also know how to use a variety of close combat weapons," I said blankly, as I finished grabbing what I wanted. "It was nice talking with you Mr. Makunouchi, but I have other places to investigate."

I calmly walked away from the confused boxer, and out of the convenient store's doors.

I continued walking down the path as I started to drink from one of the water bottles. I noticed a park with some, particularly loud individuals, so I steered clear from there for the time being.

I'd like to keep my eardrums intact.

The next place I encountered was a particularly tall building. I looked up at what seemed to be a type of bell at the top.

Well, this seems like an interesting place to look into. I quietly walked inside the doors, and the first thing I noticed was the statue in the middle. It looked well carved, but I didn't pay it much attention.

Though the atmosphere of the room was quite odd, a slight tension filled the air like a thick fog.

I shook my head and noticed two others in the room.

One was a blonde individual. Donning a cape, and hat, he looked like the kind of character you would see in a fantasy RPG. Though what unnerved me the most was the mask he wore, it showed no emotion at all, and it seemed like the man was staring at me somehow.

I turned my attention to the man that was writing excitedly on a notepad around his neck. He had black hair that seemed to be covering his left eye and wore a light brown hat and jacket. He seemed to be enthralled in whatever he was writing on a notepad around his neck, so I turned my attention toward the masked individual as I walked towards him.

He tilted his head as I approached, and I simply waved in response. I'm not particularly good with starting conversations considering most are initiated by someone else, but hey I can try right?

"Hello." I simply said.

The masked man just stared at me in response, and I did so back. I suppose neither of us is exactly up for a conversation. The sounds of movement interrupted the silence, and the man passed me a note.

'Mikado Sannoji, Ultimate Wizard.' is what it said.

I looked at the man, took a pen out of my jacket pocket, and wrote 'Y/N L/N, Ultimate Sharpshooter.', before handing it back to him.

He looked a little surprised by my actions.

"Not much of a talker either." Is all I said in response.

Mikado nodded in understanding before walking off, giving me a wave as he went. I gave the faintest ghost of a smile, a rare sight for me.

He seems interesting, I'll have to talk to him later when I get the chance. I decided to leave the other person in the room alone, but just as I turned to leave.

"Hey you! Stop right there!" A voice said behind me.

As I turned around I was met with the man with the notepad, who was way too close for my liking. I took a step back and glared at him; at least he didn't attempt to come closer.

"Your interview starts now!" He said loudly, while pointing his pen at me. I just stared blankly at him in response.

"Obviously you are from Hope's Peak! So name and talent, pronto!" He exclaimed.

I sighed, of course, a journalist, just what a criminal needs. I crossed my arms.

"Y/N L/N, Ultimate Sharpshooter."

He nodded, writing something down on his notepad, as I quietly started to walk away.

"Now- Hey!" He seemed to notice me walking away, great. "Don't you just walk off! I'm trying to interview you!"

I just ignored him and continued walking as he continued to yell. I realized he wouldn't stop following me, and stopped to look at him.

"Two questions, and then we're done." He seemed to perk up at that, and I internally groaned.

"Alright first question! How would you exactly describe your talent?"

"It's in the name, I'm good with firearms, though I can handle a variety of other weapons quite well, mainly daggers." I said.

He nodded, as he continued to write.

"Question two! What brought you to Hope's Peak?"

"Was scouted, I'm known for being one of the best assassins out there that specializes in firearms so they saw potential in me." I said blankly.

"What a scoop! Previous assassin enrolled into Hope's Peak!-"

He seemed excited at least. I walked away, and thankfully, he didn't follow me this time, he was too distracted by his writing.

Well, this is going to be one interesting kidnapping indeed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello! Thanks for checking this out! I'm excited to share this story with you all, and hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I am quite new to writing something like this as well so criticism, questions, and suggestions are always appreciated!

Have a nice day/night everyone! -Snake

[skypied]

OR!!!! Or something about big sad gay wip!! That one doesn’t take up too much of my headspace because I know literally nothing about it but that’s subject to change if I actually ask about it

Ah yes..... big sad gay wip...... my beloved mortal enemy...

I've been holding back sharing any info on it bc I've been so unsure of the tone and angstiness of it. And it's constantly evolving. This'll likely be a bit incoherent, bc so much is still up in the air, but here's a bit of the... concept and process? or something

I'm trying very hard to keep it brief. Yeah, this long as fuck post is me being brief.

First it started as a pretty generic Luberto first time fic, but it grew and grew and grew into something that could/will probably be 30-50k, including some relationship/communication issues between them, and a bit of "figuring out how to live their lives safely but happily as young queer adults". (It's already 25k and I am barely... Halfway. Maybe. So. Lol.)

Then I had the idea, "what if Alberto curbed his loneliness, hunger for affection, and the inherent loneliness of growing up as a young queer kid in a small town with little to no affirmation it's okay to be gay, by cruising/having a lot of casual sex and it fucked up his relationship to his own sexuality?"

Which already is a preeeeeetty big thing to explore both with him individually and with how he and Luca would get together and how their relationship would progress without all the "first time fic" ideas I had before that.

SO what was originally the "big sad gay wip" has become the "first time fic".

first time fic: will be without the aforementioned Alberto angst and be something long form and focus more on relationship difficulties/arguing between them mainly re: Luca applying to university and figuring out how serious their relationship really is, and figuring out how to live safely as young queer adults and general themes of growing up I guess? These snippets are from what is now the first time fic. (”first time fic” probably isn’t a good descriptor for it anymore, but that’s all I can think of as a name for it - bc what it started with was capturing their first time)

the new big sad gay wip: will be featuring the Alberto+sex angst, but it's very loose currently. I'm trying to not restrict myself or wrangle it into a narrative yet, what I have is 13.5k in various sections that are barely chronological. I'm struggling to figure out how angsty/whumpy it's gonna be. Right now the answer is very.

inserting a break here for cw/tw about underage sex/sexual abuse/assault and some gray-area consent in the next indented paragraphs, just in case - feel free to skip ahead

I have some heavy sections where Massimo's fishermen colleagues take advantage of him regularly, and Alberto starts thinking Massimo is in on it, that he's consciously letting the other fishermen have a go at him so he can earn his keep basically. There's also a scene where Alberto asks if Massimo wants the same from him. Really leaning into the daddy issues here.

When the boys more or less get together, Luca doesn’t know any of this and is overjoyed and excited to finally get to kiss and touch him, but Alberto’s just... being really antsy and avoidant. Luca thinks he’s just shy and after waiting patiently for a while, tries being more forwards. When Alberto reacts badly he gets really anxious and guilty about whether Alberto even wants to be with him and if he’s been forcing himself on him but Alberto is too kind/afraid to lose his friendship to say no.

BUT I just am not sure. It feels almost too angsty. I like it! It’s just almost too much. Idk. Figuring it out.

Now for what the plot is? No clue yet. Just know of the inner conflicts, not the outer. I’m not good at threading things together in a narrative, or even having enough scene ideas to make a whole narrative. But I don't wanna rush it either. This is like the fic I want to write, you know? I'm scared to rush it. So I'm just letting it marinate and writing whatever I feel like might fit when I feel like it and doing my best to just see what happens and trust the process that it will end up as something.

I think splitting them up is for the best and that it will make both easier to write! Before splitting them I was in a much bigger conflict regarding the tone running through it all, now both feel a lot clearer and more concise and easier to tack ideas onto. (If you click through the tag for the “first time fic”, skim those and compare to the indented section about the “new big sad gay wip” I think you can see why the two are hard to combine.)

I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE, I have been dying to talk about it but feeling like I shouldn't show my hand, you know? Especially since I am super aware it's prone to changing even more. But I'm trying to be more open with it and trying to explain it to outside eyes helps a lot! I typed this all up on Monday and on Tuesday I was making new progress! also it's christmas! time to be sharing and caring or something! even though it kinda terrifies me to the point of shaking clicking post on this bc I’m so anxious about this idea

Thanks for asking! <3 Now both of these can live in your mind too if you want

[rawliverandcigarettes]

Also, speaking of salarian planets : since Trigestis predicted a planet's existence and location mathematically when all the planets in the Pranas system in ME3 are close enough to be seen from Sur'Kesh (Halegeuse is closer to Pranas than Jupiter is to the Sun), do you have a headcanon to fix that ? Like, faulty interface in ME3, or something fancier, like Trigestis's planet being exploded during the Krogan Rebellions ? I hope I'm not being a bother.

Hello again! I'm sorry it took me AGES to get to it and I will, shamelessly, blame it on new job syndrome again.

So I kind of want to use this ask, if that's okay, to confess something slightly embarrassing coming from a narrative designer and someone who slugged through releasing a fic under the guise of "I want to get it right" for so many years: the more time goes by, the more I realize I am not as much of a lore nerd as I thought I was.

It's more complicated than that actually: I adore, ADORE lore that deepens art thematically. Whatever I can get that gives me insight on societies, culture or characters, even biology/geology **that adds an insight on theme**, love it. Can't get enough (ish when it comes to HH, because I'm actually a coward and I'll get to that).

But lore that exists to fill up Codex pages, lore that I sense have been written under pressure of deadline or does not intrisincally tells me more about why is this story told... It can tire me pretty easily. That's why I do not care, could not possibly care less about the obligatory million details about gun and weaponry in videogame codexes (not just ME), or the fetishism around military hierarchy breakdowns (unless it's used as a jumping point to explore character or world, but it's rarely the case and ends up being just weirdly reverent, nearly ritualistic --the attention given to these details does inform on themes, but way more on what has been prioritized than the actual details in these cases imho). It got way worse since I started doing the work myself; there's at once so many thoughts put on the details, and also so little in certain cases --you just gotta cram something and it's the compromise that you got at the eighth meeting on the matter, and it's kind of meaningless by that point and a weird middle ground nobody is truly happy with, but the deadline's looming and you have bigger fights to concentrate on so whatever, ship it I guess.

A lot of videogame lore gives me this sort of vibes now, and the planet descriptions of Mass Effect, while honestly pack-fulled with treasures of characterization that gives some underwhelming species more characterization that we ever got in the main missions, have probably been written either by a contractor with a tight deadline that proposed concepts fast and had to iterate on the rejects even faster, or by a core team member that did this on the side when no fire was currently roasting the game alive. It's speculation of course, but most of this "codex" game writing is very dense and high-input work that does not really allow for self-reflection or letting the content simmer and slowly shape sense out of itself. So while I love the details and some are so good, I have to admit I generally choose and pick from whatever speaks to me in this sort of descriptors, and it's been a hot while since I last cruised the galaxy searching for these treasures of worldbuilding. I should do it more! But it did slide down as a the bottom of priorities, just like this writing probably did in real life....

But to actually answer your ask instead of going on a weird tangent about game writing work: I'm gonna be honest, I completely forgot about that bit. I could make up an explanation on the spot, but the truth is: I was kind of waiting to get on The Empire of Preys to do a checkpoint on deep salarian lore (especially location related), and have it inform the detailing of the writing past the big lines --actual salarian culture shows up surprisingly little in Halfway Home given Shlee is completely allergic to his salarianness and runs away from it as fast as he can!!!!

Another embarassing confession that I took an even more embarassingly long time to work through: for the first years of working on the project, I felt very vulnerable and defensive about my interpretation of the story and themes, and I was terrified, absolutely terrified of illegitimacy. So confronting myself to lore again after my initial judgement/gut feeling, after all the emotional attachment I put into the story and all the deep meaning it took for me, was not an option I enjoyed at all, and I avoided everything Andromeda because I was so scared of what it could do to my fragile reasonning. Since then I decided I cared way less about doing a completely valid and diligent reading of micro-details of lore than to put my own spin on the universe, in conversation with it rather than restricted and bound by its, sometimes, arbitrary limitations. I still have to ploy around plot points (UGH Cerberus DLC *shakes fist*), but only if I can make it into a Point somehow (I think I did with the aforementioned after years of battling with it). But paradoxically, letting go of this insecurity (which is still in process of deconstruction, I am not completely above it yet) allowed me to rediscover hidden gems of lore, question my biases and interpretations, and helped me deepen my story. So I'm super glad you bring it up, I'll definitively look into it and see if I can twist this inconsistency into A Point or let it go!

I'm sorry I replied exactly 0% of what you asked, but I think the opportunity to go a lil' Author On Main (TM) was too good to pass. Sorryyyyy. ._.

[i-want-my-iwtv]

I'm going to be roleplaying with someone and they want to do a mother/son relationship, like not in the usual way. Like, what is the ACTUAL relationship between Gabrielle and Lestat? What is it really? I want to do a thread, but I don't want to trigger anyone or make it look all grim and incestuous. And I sincerely apologize if I've offended you by asking the question. I just dunno.

[By the way, I usually answer things with a relevant fanart/image/gif, but in this case, I think it’s too serious a topic for that.]

“And I sincerely apologize if I’ve offended you by asking the question.”

No offense taken, it’s a fair question! 

I am a little wary that this is a bait set out by those who see things in RP/fiction as “promoting” something in real life. A bait set to invite the kind of anti-shippers who are looking for a way to tear me down regardless of how I respond, when all I ever want to promote is:

The 3 Laws of Fandom.

(And I’ll quote a relevant piece of it from @ozhawkauthor, but please read the whole post):

“Much (though not all) fandom is about shipping. There are as many possible ships as there are fans, maybe more. You may have an OTP (One True Pairing), you may have a NOTP, that pairing that makes you want to barf at the very thought of its existence.

It’s not up to you to police ships or to determine what other people are allowed to ship. Just because you find that one particular ship problematic or disgusting, does not mean that other people are not allowed to explore its possibilities in their fanworks.

You are free to create contrarian content, to write meta about why a particular ship is repulsive, to discuss it endlessly on your private blog with like-minded persons.

It is not appropriate to harass creators about their ships, it is not appropriate to demand they do not create any more fanworks about those ships, or that they create fanwork only in a manner that you deem appropriate.

These three laws add up to the following:

You are not paying for fanworks content, and you have no rights to it other than to choose to consume it, or not consume it. If you do choose to consume it, do not then attack the creator if it wasn’t to your taste. That’s the height of bad manners.

Be courteous in fandom. It makes the whole experience better for all of us.”

I want to make it very clear that I’m answering this as someone who supports exploring dark themes and taboo topics in fiction/RP. As long as you are not violating real living person’s rights, or invading any real living person’s space*, then you are doing nothing wrong. I’ve been blocked. I try to tag for things that can be triggering/upsetting to others, but I will not self-censor to appease everyone, so I absolutely support ppl unfollowing/blocking me if what I post makes them uncomfortable.

*Posting your fic/RP with the appropriate warning tags is a form of respecting others’ space and rights. If they don’t like your writing, they can block you, too. Their dashboard is their responsibility.

“I want to do a thread, but I don’t want to trigger anyone or make it look all grim and incestuous.” 

I think grim and incestuous could be very interesting to explore; not every fic/RP can be a fluffy Coffee Shop AU! 

Re: Concern about triggering anyone, I’ll repeat myself, it is everyone’s responsibility to curate their own fandom experience and as long as you are tagging and putting content under cuts, it is their responsibility to protect themselves. If they are incapable of that, then they should ask a trusted person to monitor their internet use. 

People are triggered by many things, not just taboo and darker themed writing. This person’s triggers are Jello, Popsicles, Soup Broth, please read it! And to quote from that post, “a lot of ‘activists’ on tumblr aren’t looking to actually help anyone or make anything better: they’re sadists cruising for new victims.”

TL; DR: Anon, do what you and your partner are comfortable doing.** If RPing it as a ship squicks you both out, don’t do it. If Rping it as a ship is exciting to you both and you want to explore that taboo, go for it! Just be sure to tag it with the right warnings, and add cuts so that ppl will be protected from content they may not want to see. You can also RP privately however you like, there is no rule that says RP must be done publicly. 

**If your RP partner is pressuring you to RP something you are uncomfortable with, then I would suggest not RPing that with them, and similarly, if you are pressuring your RP partner to RP something they are uncomfortable with, I would suggest not pressuring them into it. 

Hit the jump for my response, cut for length, and discussion about possible incest between fictional characters.

“I’m going to be roleplaying with someone and they want to do a mother/son relationship, like not in the usual way.”

Is there a “usual way” to RP? If you’re suggesting in the ship way, it is something I’m sure exists.

Ppl RP with canon in mind, or without it. 

“Like, what is the ACTUAL relationship between Gabrielle and Lestat? What is it really?”

That is a question with a ton of landmines, so I’m not going to say that they are definitely a ship or definitely not, it’s up to the individual reader/RPer to decide based on their reading of canon, or diverge from canon and write the characters however they see fit. This kind of exploration is one of many ways to engage with the characters and I see nothing wrong with canon-compliant or not canon-compliant writing, either way.

Personally, I can see both sides of the argument. 

>>Not as a ship: There are some who see them purely as a mother and a son, and DEFINITELY nothing more. She does come to his rescue at the rock concert (how did she know to go to him? She has telepathy, but being his fledgling, she cannot read Lestat’s mind; she could have picked up the warnings from other vampires, or Louis might have contacted her), there are several times in canon when she asserts herself in an authoritative manner. She’s protective of him when he’s in a coma, and she slaps some sense into him when necessary. All these things can be filed under “motherly.”

It’s easy to not ship them, so I don’t really need to provide further canon evidence, they are, biologically, mother and son! There’s nothing more to add to that.

>>As a ship, Unpopular Opinion: one could argue that they can be shipped, because:

A) He becomes her maker, which changes their relationship to him being more of the “parent.” 

- During the initial phase of Lestat turning Gabrielle in TVL, as he’s taking her life, he says she’s no longer his mother (to be fair, this is the kind of intimacy a vampire feels when feeding on anyone, but still, worth mentioning):

Myknowledge dimmed and flickered and there was no mother anymore,no petty need and petty terror; she was simply who she was. She wasGabrielle.

- Then, once she’s turned, she insists on being called by her name instead of “Mother,” so some take that as proof that she doesn’t see herself as being his mother anymore, in the mortal sense of the word. 

B) The act of making a vampire is extremely intimate, it has been compared to childbirth. It’s the most intimate act a vampire can share with anyone. I believe in fanon that it creates a physiological bond between maker and fledgling, so one could extrapolate to say that the act itself could create a ship. 

Note: In most maker/fledgling relationships, there is some assumption that turning the fledgling is done to bind maker and fledgling as a ship; essentially making the fledgling into a companion for the maker and the maker into a companion for the fledgling. In this case, Lestat turned Gabrielle in order to save her life, not knowing if he would even survive the act, so I don’t think this was a factor here, neither of them necessarily intending to be in a relationship together, but the physiological bond discussed above would still be a possibility.

Also worth mentioning is that he asks for her consent, as he had not been asked for consent himself, and the question is very clear:

No words again, just the silent thrust of it, and the question, more immense than could ever be put into words, Do you want to come with me now? DO YOU WANT TO COME WITH ME INTO THIS NOW? I hide nothing from you, not my ignorance, not my fear, not the simple terror that if I try I might fail. I do not even know if it is mine to give more than once, or what is the price of giving it, but I will risk this for you, and we will discover it together, whatever the mystery and the terror, just as I’ve discovered alone all else. With her wholebeing she said Yes.

^This could be construed as him wanting her for a companion and her agreeing to it. 

C) LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX. This is a point of debate for many fans, whether the Ricean vampires can have penetrative sex. In my opinion, in canon they cannot, and while penetrative sex is NOT A REQUIREMENT to a relationship (there are relationships where there is no penetrative sex and they are no less valid than those which do have it, in my opinion), the incestuous aspect of a Lestat/Gabrielle ship is alot less squicky for me knowing that they aren’t able to literally bone in the mortal way. Some would argue that the bloodsharing is more intimate than penetrative sex, and that’s fine, but still, being unable to literally bone is just so much less squicky, in my opinion. But ppl made fanart of essentially that and it was still very funny, to me! 

Call it what you will, but the first bloodkiss shared in canon is between Lestat and Gabrielle on the night she is turned.

^^^ALL THAT SAID, I wouldn’t shoot anyone down who ships it, they are both adult fictional characters. One could argue that there is some canon evidence to support it, but canon evidence is unnecessary. 

Again, Anon, do what you and your partner are comfortable doing. If RPing it as a ship squicks you both out, don’t do it. If Rping it as a ship is exciting to you both and you want to explore that taboo, go for it! Just be sure to tag it with the right warnings, and add cuts so that ppl will be protected from content they may not want to see. You can also RP privately however you like, there is no rule that says RP must be done publicly. 

If your RP partner is pressuring you to RP something you are uncomfortable with, then I would suggest not RPing with them, and similarly, if you are pressuring your RP partner to RP something they are uncomfortable with, I would suggest not pressuring them into it.