#it's not embarrassing or anything. it's just a very very niche fandom that i don't think any of you would have heard of

[the-way-astray]

thinking about creating another account so that i can have a kotlc main

[praetorqueenreyna]

Not Another ACOTAR Fandom Demographics Survey!

It's happening again! The last survey was so fun and so interesting, I decided to put together another one. This one is going to focus more on the characters and ships that people prefer.

I'd love for this to reach ALL sections of fandom, so I would really appreciate it being spread around! This is the one situation where reposting is accepted and encouraged. Share the link on your own blog, or on another site (reddit/twitter/facebook/IG etc).

The survey will close on Wednesday, July 26. Results will be posted a few weeks after that.

Some questions and answers people may have under the cut

What is this survey for? Why are you doing it if you don't seem to like ACOTAR that much?

It's for me to have a dataset to play with! I used to be a scientist and I just like doing data collection and analysis. Also I think this fandom is interesting! People were very suspicious last time bc I'm kind of a hater and haven't read all the books. Which is fair, I GUESS. But I promise there are no nefarious intentions. I just want to play with some data.

Is the survey to prove some kind of point? Or support an opinion you have?

Nope! I am well aware that I have very niche ACOTAR opinions and am not looking to "prove" that I'm right. I don't care about being "right" I'm just here to have fun. If anybody thinks I'm doing something shady with the data to sway the results, I'm more than willing to share my raw data with anyone that asks.

I still don't trust you.

That's fine! Nobody has to take the survey. Just know that not taking it can skew the results towards opinions you disagree with. So not taking it doesn't punish me so much as make one side seem more numerous than the other.

Have you learned anything from the last survey?

I would like to think so! I have a better idea of the ships that people actually like (not having Neris, Azris, or Emorie on the first one was just EMBARRASSING). I also have a better idea of the plots of the books and the dynamics of the different characters. But I'm sure there's much more for me to learn!

[cilil]

I'm really curious about what fandom and character you're currently writing and obsessing over! And that it's not popular? I admit I'm really curious, if you plan on posting this fanfic?

I must admit that I'm (still?) a little too embarrassed to put that on this blog, so let me just say: We're talking edgy emo villain from a video game soon old enough to drink in the US. Where story/characters/worldbuilding aren't the most important features either (I know, I know, if only I at least had the decency to do this in a heavily story-driven RPG...🤣).

Let me set the stage for you in terms of nicheness. This character has like 12? 13? fics total on AO3. None of them have him being shipped. Only one of them has him as the main POV character. No smut. I was in tears.

(There was, however, this really good worldbuilding long fic that sucked me in and made me care about the world which honestly made things worse; but damn, it was a great time.)

I haven't written anything past an outline yet and if I end up writing anything I deem worthy of sharing it will not be on this blog. Most likely anonymous on AO3 because, well, it got dark and spicy (non-con, master/pet, borderline sex trafficking) and while I don't give a shit, as you know, some fandoms are weird about it and I'm not interested in beefing with people in fandoms I'm not even in.

It's also fem!reader-insert because I felt like it/couldn't find a ship I felt a spark for, so there's that. I doubt it would be of interest to anyone (except a small circle of close friends who have been subjected to my madness). Do people even read fem!reader-insert whump & smut (smump?) with very niche video game villains? No clue. Probably not XD

Well shit, I'm rambling again. Sorry. But yeah, that's where we're at. Very on the fence about everything.

[according2thelore]

thank you so much for the tag in that post!!! i immediately forgot every fact about myself unfortunately BUT i have two follow up qs for y'all.........

MERLIN! i am also obsessed with merlin and btw if you have a merlin account you are OBLIGATED BY LAW to tell me. constitutional amendment from the obama era. i think the merlin <--> supernatural pathway is all about duty by the way. and also gay sex.

also charlotte consider this ask your one drink please 🍷 and DO TELL!

haha, that's so fair! we love follow-up qs!

lizzy:

uh-oh! by law you say?? i'm sweatin'...i also love merlin! so much! i cannot shut up about it, and i have written/continue to write for merlin under a different account...but i fear i might have to break the law on this one. and it's strictly for the reason that i have Very Normal friends not familiar with fandom that follow my writing/keep up with my other ao3 and if they find out i shake the boys from spn between my teeth like a dog, i would have some massive explaining to do. obama's gonna come break my door down 😔 i am kissing you passionately in apology! but i think folks like my merlin work pretty okay! my biggest merlin fic is around 100k hits, which blows my mind with violence each day lol

you get it!!! you get it so hard!!!!!! what drives me crazy about merlin and spn is the inevitability of it all. they are soulmates, and they are fated to be joined, but at what cost? literally what cost? they are opposed forces, hunter and hunted, but a bond of love and forgiveness and belonging that keep them tethered beyond separation. it's the continuous loss and torture and fear and not leaving! they don't want to leave! their lives would be easier if they didn't love each other, but they can't stop. and they HAVE SEX! one of the things that sticks in my brain so hard about merlin specifically is the lengths that merlin goes to protect/save uther for arthur's sake. like that level of devotion, even at the betrayal of self, is BARK INDUCING!!! i could write forever and ever amen about merlin, so if i don't stop now, this entire post will just be me yapping and yapping.

charlotte:

oh my god WELL a few moments stand out from that day. first, lizzy and I were THE ONLY ONES TO DRESS UP after lizzy explained that people dressed up at cons (this was my first con ever—baby’s first!). Also me when I lie lol there were a couple sexy castiels but I digress. (lizzy note: there was also a billie and death cosplayer that blew my fucking mind my beloved <3)

second, literally everyone at our con had already met the boys. like. a girl pulled out a BINDER with like 4 m&g photos per page and just kept flipping through it. so while we were nervous wrecks all day, everyone was mysteriously so…chill?? like we picked up food on the way there and barely ate any of it since we were making ourselves ill.

waiting in line?? girl embarrassing you wouldn’t have wanted to see us because we were HYPERVENTILATING. as soon as we cleared the doorway and saw jared, he made eye contact with us and kept glancing over the line to check when we were coming up (because of our slay niche fits) and as soon as we did, he said the episode BY NAME and told us we did a great job. (lizzy note: he was very excited and also his hand is as big is my waist i blacked out the whole thing if i didn’t have a pic i wouldn’t think it happened)

that man’s chest and arms. gigantic. bigger than my head. he was as solid as a piece of marble. we were like what the fuck. took our picture and NO JOKE we had to sit down on the floor in the hallway. we called lizzy’s mom. we bragged to the barista in the convention center, who was also very excited. we vomited and threw up because misha was next but in character and costume and let me just say

that man’s hands were FRIGID.

I’ll say it!! (looking at you lizzy who doesn’t remember it smh.) his m&g was slay ish because he was just smoldering and barely said anything (LMAO our man was tired and they were running 2 hrs behind). but! hilarious. I have both of the pictures hanging in identical frames next to each other in my first grown up apartment and it looks like the same photo at a first glance. it is the second most expensive thing on my wall (my diploma taking first 🤧).

and that…that was a glorious day. we’re trying to go again since jensen was sold out so we can complete the trifecta 🫶

-charlotte (& lizzy! hello! 2-for-1!)

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

Get to Know the Unknowable!!

14 DEC 2023 Lest I ever forget this momentous day

Hey so I found a list of weird unambiguous questions so we're doing a get-to-know-the-blogger thing for shits and giggles, which I guess I'll link in my masterlist or something.

Gonna include some blog-driven questions first and then just delve straight into what-the-actual-fuck territory.

Here we goooooooooooo

Fandoms?

One Piece Live Action is the only one I'm actively writing right now, largely for my own sanity. Fandoms I also write for include One Piece anime/manga (of course, though I'm painfully behind), Death Note, Harry Potter, Supernatural, Seven Deadly Sins anime, Durarara!, Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross, and maybe some others I might remember and add later or something. Feel free to make a random ask request for literally anything listed, there's a chance I might end up responding to it. But OPLA is my hyperfixation at the moment, with a little spice added here and there from manga. I make my own canon, don't like it then sail on.

Genres?

Oh fuck me up, I will write any genre. My original work is primarily horror, sometimes with a touch or fantasy or science fiction, almost always with a splash of crime. Fanfiction often revolves around romance, but if you want something niche, DEAR GODS TELL ME I WANT TO PARTAKE especially if it's horror please ask me to write horror

Reply time to ask requests?

My life is very chaotic right now, and thus therefore also is my reply time. Do not get disheartened if I write a few headcanons and/or a one-shot or two before I get to your request. Writing is very much a coping mechanism for me, so I write what I feel. That does NOT mean I'm not interested in your request, it just means that I want to make sure I'm in the right mindset to do it justice because I love you people and the fact that you like the shit I'm shoveling makes me so unreasonably happy.

Are you really an ageless unknowable horror?

Yes. We get into fandoms, too. Eternity gets fucking boring okay don't judge. Especially when your bff has been napping for LITERAL CENTURIES WOULD YOU WAKE UP ALREADY YOU TENTACLED DIPSHIT I'M STARTING TO RELATE TO THESE MORTALS AND IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE

What is the most ridiculous nightmare you have ever had?

Actually I wrote a whole ass horror story about it, which I might share here someday. So there was this epidemic of huge windstorms one night that knocked out the power in a handful of small towns around the world. Then the next day there were these weird little black rocks, oval shaped, about an two inches long and one inch wide. Smooth like river rocks with a white line running through them, just scattered around the towns here and there. Not super noticeable, not tons of them, but just enough that they looked out of place. If one came in contact with your skin, e.g. you picked one up or kicked one up into your shoe, you'd get this weird little pinprick of pain just behind your left shoulder. Three nights later, at precisely 2:43 in the morning (nonidea why, but it was 2:43, Inwill never forget that), you hear footsteps. Quick footsteps, small footsteps, coming toward wherever you happen to be, and then you're asleep. Then you wake up the next missing a limb or an organ, no signs of any injury or surgery or anything, just like it was never there to begin with (and obviously if itbwas a major organ then you never woke up again at all). There was a lot more detail, the dream was like living in some weird sci-fi horror movie, and it was so vivid that when I woke up from it I literally sat up and jerked away all my covers to make sure I still had all my limbs.

Tell us an embarrassing story.

Seventh grade. Close to the end of the school year. Was reading a book (I think it was The Shining), had one of my ankles crossed over my other knee, didn't realize I was somehow pinching a nerve. Had to stand up at end of class period, and one of my legs had gone completely numb. I stood, took one step, went down like a sack of bricks. The group of boys who used to bully me were all in the class and spent at least a month mocking the spectacle. Still think about that sometimes.

Explain an inside joke you have with a friend or family member.

Any time hubs and I go out together for any reason, one of us inevitably does Rick Sanchez voice "And awwwAAAAAyyy we gooo" before we leave the driveway. No idea how this started. No idea when it will end. I have a feeling we'll still be doing this into our 80s with no idea why.

Tell me your life story in exactly one sentence.

"Oh no, not again."

What is the strangest coincidence that ever happened to you?

Went to the beach when I was seventeen. Was sitting out on the boardwalk playing guitar by myself because toxic family members were doing nothing but argue and fight in our hotel room, I literally just walked out and no one noticed for hours. Was super peaceful. Got into a conversation with two strangers who had just met each other as well and were hanging out, two kind elderly men. As we were talking, I found out that one of them was from my very small hometown in New York and had moved to the beach recently; and the other was from the very small town I lived in at that present time in South Carolina, and had recently moved to the beach. Both of them had moved there at around the same time. I still think about that a lot.

What is your favorite random fact?

Pineapple eats you while you eat it.

What is your useless talent?

I can bend the top joint of all of my fingers without bending the second joint, a la Sith Force Lightning. Arguably it makes me better at music, but I've never had to bend my fingers like that playing guitar, so I disagree.

What is the strangest food combination you enjoy?

I literally have no idea. I'm a tremendous foodie and "strange" is relative when you're willing to eat literally anything put in front of you at least one time just to experience it.

What would you name your heavy metal band?

Plastic Peanutbutter

If you could choose one superpower, what would it be?

Invisibility, so people would like just leave me alone seriously I'm antisocial as shit just give me peace and quiet (not internet people, you guys are cool af)

What is your strangest irrational fear?

Gamma Ray Bursts. Do yourself a favor amd don't Google it. I spent literally two years of middle school fucking petrified of that shit. It still gets under my skin if I think about it too long now.

Describe your most eccentric family member.

It me! 😁 or maybe my niece, but she's basically my personality twin so either way.

Have you ever met a celebrity? Which celebrity would you like to meet?

Nope. But I really would love to have coffee with Stephen King and just talk about life. His On Writing memoir changed everything I thought about writing, taught me that imposter syndrome was a thing, and that even the most talented and successful artists have it. Really I just want to thank him.

What is the craziest thing you ever did on a dare?

Got a tattoo. It's a skeleton key, on the outer side of my right thigh. I have another, but I got that one on a dare. Basically just because why not, and I literally forget it's there sometimes and sort of jump when I notice it.

What is the grossest thing you would do for $100?

Probably eat something super weird. Will literally try anything once, food-wise. In fact I'll usually try it twice, just to be sure.

What songs are on the soundtrack to your life?

Don't ask me that, we'll be here all goddamned year. A few right off hand though are "Doesn't Remind Me" by Audioslave, "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" by Elton John, "What it's Like" by Everlast, "Gone Away" by The Offspring, and "Vienna" by Billy Joel. I'm also unreasonably hyperfixated on The Fratellis right now because I suddenly remembered they existed a few months ago after more than ten years not hearing them at all and now I know almost their entire discography by heart. They're my feel-good band right now and pretty much all I'm listening to. Yes, there definitely is something wrong with me.

What actor would you choose to play you in your biopic?

Samuel L. Jackson. My life requires hefty use of the word "motherfucker." He might need a wig or two but I think he can handle it.

What is your go-to karaoke song?

I've never karaoked, but probably something from Chris Cornell, Ella Fitzgerald, Jewel, or Fleetwood Mac. Or "American Pie" by Don McLean.

If you were a superhero, who would be your archnemesis?

Probably myself rofl kinda don't like me very much

Create and describe an undercover alias.

Fancy black bowler hat, and a pair of those joke glasses with an attached giant nose and mustache. But like, be completely and totally serious about it, to the point that people are afraid to question you.

What is your most random impulse buy?

Death Note manga, complete box set. I was seventeen. I had money. Many years later and I do not regret it at all and it sits very close to my bedside.

What did you do as a teenager that makes you cringe now?

Let bullying bother me.

What would your warning label say?

"CONTENTS HIGHLY UNSTABLE, DO NOT TOUCH MIGHT TAKE OVER THE KNOWN UNIVERSE ON CONTACT or possibly cry hard to tell"

What is your guilty pleasure?

I don't think I have one. If it brings you happiness, don't waste your time being guilty about it. Just enjoy it and kick anyone who makes fun of you for it directly in the shin-bone. Actually don't do that just ignore them I'm not into violence.

What emoji do you use most often?

Combination of 🙄😒 to signify eyerolling.

Does your family practice any unusual practices?

Does emotional unavailability count asking for a friend

A genie grants you the ability to have infinite amounts of one item. What is it?

Guitar strings. Please. Dear sweet fuck PLEASE

What is your favorite joke?

A big moron and a little moron sit on a bridge. Which one falls off?

The big moron. Because the other one was a little more on.

Aaaaaahahaha

What is the best Halloween costume you ever wore?

Pirate. Always. I have so many clothes tucked in my closet and jewelry hidden away that are strictly there for the sole purpose of putting together an impromptu pirate costume it's honestly kind of sad honestly

What is the most awkward situation you ever found yourself in?

My very very religious mother-in-law noticing that I have a tattoo on my forearm...after SEVEN YEARS. Awkward af, but it was also hilarious.

What is the most ridiculous thing you believed as a child?

My older brother once told me when I was very young that vehicles move by rolling over and over end to end so fast that you don't know it's happening, and crashes happen when they hit a rock or a crack in the road the wrong way. I spent TWO YEARS secretly terrified of getting in a car before finally asking my mom about it and she just sort of sighed and said "oh god please stop listening to your brother"

What is the most outrageous lie you told a child?

I don't know Santa or something? I've got a ton of nieces and nephews. I try not to lie to kids, apart from letting them think magic exists for as long as possible, because everyone deserves to believe that.

What is the dumbest way you injured yourself?

Broke my pinky toe, because my dog got under my foot and I didn't want to step on her paw by accident so I jerked the wrong way

How do you waste time most often?

Probably napping. But given I have trouble sleeping at night that's sorta necessary or something I guess.

[eldritch-spouse]

Hi! I wanted to ask a few things as your art has made me pretty confident about posting mine (I'm getting there!) And I wanted to start drawing + writing yandere OCs of mine but I'm unsure how to start or introduce them (if that makes sense)

While you probably won't answer this or this will get lost in the hundreds of asks you have, I just wanna ask this as I need some suggestions for starters.

Whenever you get this, please make sure to stay hydrated and eat something 💕

This is silly, isn't it?

You've already started posting about your ocs (at least one of them I think). And it seems you've already gathered an audience by making a name for yourself in actual fandoms, so I'm not exactly sure what advice you could possibly want from me- Given I'm mostly just an oc blog, you'll surpass whatever reach I have on your own, automatically basically. People will tune into it much faster, it'll take them less to find you.

I know posting about your own characters can feel embarrassing or "cringe", and honestly, getting over it is something only time allows. Never go into it expecting the same amount of numbers you'd get from talking about mainstream characters, but that's not anything you don't know already.

The way I introduce my characters generally has a cheesy line like "Say hello to ___", a drawing of them, and then either a short fic or a sort of mildly humorous intro about them- But only because that's my style, a goofy side of teratophilia mostly. I think your introductions need to lay your style out first and foremost. I can't exactly tell you what type of information you should put in the intro, because I don't respect the usual "Name: Age: Height: Sexuality: Likes: Dislikes:" formula. It bores me. You seem like a person who enjoys having things very organized, and I feel bad, because my blog is a fucking swamp in comparison and I don't always introduce characters in the same way...

Again, you look like you've been around Tumblr longer than I have, and as such, you can probably write in a way that appeals to a broader range of people (if that's what you're aiming for) much more naturally. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I'm an awful example to request advice from, because I know the stuff I put out puts me in a "niche". I don't write the more typical yandere things, so I won't get the attention of most. Plus, I have hard kinks. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think what you need the most is to let things sit. But again, I don't feel qualified to give anyone any sort of advice, considering I often just throw shit at the wall and find out what happens to stick. With no professional/experienced input whatsoever.

I think most people should go into showcasing their ocs with below the ground standards for interactivity. I never did it for the engagement, even if I'm grateful and very surprised, I did it because I love these characters and I thought I should put them somewhere so people could look at them occasionally. Some peeps enjoyed it, and to this day, I don't know why. I wish I could give you a concise formula, but I'm unable to.

I'd say the worst thing you could possibly do is just show an image of them and say "Okay, now feel free to ask about them"- That doesn't seem to garner a lot of attention on its own (unless you already have a large-ish or very interactive following). Make them feel alive, make content on your own about them, don't wait for questions. They will come in their own time.

Good luck, and sorry if I sounded cynical.

[lutethebodies]

Lute the Bodies: A BG3/5e Cesspool

New pin for a reintroduction, collecting series links (below) and abouty things (under the fold).

I'm just here for escapism and related brain-rotting enthusiasms. I’m compelled to create things and am maybe a bit too eager to share them all.

Series

Tav Tuesdays, character profiles for my BG3 Tavs, imported from 5e: Cannor (bard), Zafraia (rogue), Drem (monk), Olini (ranger), Farago (ranger), Qiranna (warlock), Ruy (cleric), Sianed (druid), Vashti (bard), Talinthe (fighter).

Tav Deep Dives, answers to folks' insightful questions: Cannor/Minthara Culture Shock, Olini/Wyll Friendship, 

Lost Songs for Lost Singers, a "Music Mondays" series, written by my cleric Ruy about seven of my bard Cannor's songs: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Worldbuilding Wednesdays, a 5e homebrew world tour, beginning with an Introduction plus Guides/Reckonings, and continuing nation by nation, tagged by region: The Green North, The Golden States, The Six Sisters.

Minthara Judges My Tavs: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Minthara in Act 1: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Solo/Duo Run Diary: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,

About Me

I’m a freelance creative and house-spouse from Southern California. I’ve been a professional graphic designer since 2004, and since 2020 I’ve specialized in creating map illustrations and artistic cartography. When not designing, I bike for exercise, make music, and follow baseball.

In classic lore bard fashion, my jams are trivia and general knowledge—I'm especially into the ways history, geography, and language intersect—but I'm not a specialist in very much (even maps; I'm definitely not a "real" cartographer).

Fandom-wise, I go for mainstreamy/conventional fantasy and sci-fi (Stars Trek, Wars, and Battle; Dune, Tolkein, GRRM) but also some more recent (Jemisin, Eames, Roanhorse) and/or fairly niche (the Marys Stewart and Renault) works in both as well as other genres. All my faves are problematic and I’m fine with that.

BG3 is the first video game I’ve been sucked into since Final Fantasy 1, circa 1992 (after the first two Zeldas and Ultima 4). I played D&D 2e briefly back then and play 5e regularly now.

In case it matters, I am much closer to 51 than 21, my pronouns are he/him, and I am happily monogamous/married. I don't post salacious stuff but I should probably call this place "18+". I block for my own sanity, because like I said, I’m here for the escapism.

I don't want to be overtly opinionated or take-y, but I’m too old, straight, white, and male to be anything but a demographic outlier On Here, so please be patient with any associated obliviousness and I'll try not to be too embarrassing to follow.

[losersroom]

A, K, Z?

A. Of the fanfic you've written, which is your favorite and why?

I feel like the answer to this changes all the time HOWEVER I genuinely think the Brock/Jonas time loop fic is the best thing I've ever written in my life and I'm almost angry it's RPF because I cannot show it to anyone i know off the internet and go "look at this great thing I made", haha. The use of repetitive language to set a mood! The use of the central narrative device as both an in-universe driver of conflict and also an extended metaphor for the cycles of violence and abuse present within organized hockey! The idea that you can see the shape of the cycle you're trapped in and still choose to be there because the alternative is worse! The subtly woven in implication that this loop belongs to both of them, not just Jonas! Yes I will toot my own horn about this for once. I made something that, in my own humble opinion, qualifies as Art. Whatever else happens now, I did that.

K. Do you have guilty pleasures in fic (reading or writing?)

I do not bother to feel a single scrap of guilt about anything I read no matter how perverse. I read RPF for years before I was comfortable actually engaging with it. HOWEVER I have undergone a very funny-to-me process of acclimating to writing, uh, NSFW content about the boys over the last month and a half that went, basically: "well, this is disconnected enough from reality via the omegaverse au flavor that i can write the sex scene without cringing but i AM going to get embarrassed talking about jonas brodin's cock and i am NOT going to write the knotting part" -> "okay i am going to write the knotting now" -> "nothing matters, i am outlining an extremely long fanfiction where brock goes into heat and begs to be knocked up"

so like. i guess it's not a guilty pleasure ANYMORE, now it's just a pleasure, you feel me.

Z. Is there a story you've written that doesn't seem to get much love?

Again. Time loop fic. But I've made my peace with it. I got some really good and thoughtful comments from people who Got what I was trying to do there, and the reality of it is that when you're writing for a niche ship in a small corner of a fandom, and you don't even put any knotting porn in it, people aren't going to click on that, which is fine!

Anyway tumblr user simmyfrobby made me a poetry edit about it so I can die happy. Call no fic a flop that causes others to produce their own art in response.

[bam-monsterhospital]

the "dork"ening

whenever i remember isobel is a companion you can cart around with you in elder scrolls online, i'm always reminded of the huge deal they made about her when high isle was being advertised. she's voiced by laura bailey, who not only is a prolific voice actor but also voiced the fandom-favourite follower, serana, in elder scrolls v skyrim.

before coming out, zos and any advertising surrounding isobel would always describe her as a "dork". it felt a little weird, hearing the specific use of the word "dork" again and again without further elaboration. Isobel is a "dorky" companion. What does this mean? Is she socially awkward? Is she overly obsessive with becoming a knight? Does she know niche factoids about select special interests?

No. none of those things are the case.

Oh, okay, so what does it mean then? What's isobel's deal, what's she about, what's her personality?

Nothing!

So why the continuous description of "dork"?

WELL. Seems like "dorky" is the new "quirky" shorthand for not actually writing a character.

Which is so weird because isobel has TONS to work with! Her introduction/recruitment quest shows character, shows all sorts of things:

She's a jock. She doesn't like the idea of spending time in a library looking through books. She doesn't seem to particularly like books BUT she does like stories. She has a childhood friend who she would do anything for who totally isn't her girlfriend you guys omggggggggg, winkwink nudgenudge. And my favourite part, she hems and haws and frets over having to come up with a poem all throughout the recruitment quest, but at the end she's like 'no shaddup, i came up with one don't you DARE LAUGH aaaaaaaaa', and then reads the monstrosity like ---ohhhh wait for it --- an actual dORK? WHAT? It's awkward and horrible and she KNOWS, she knows aaaaaa she's so awful at poetry and hates it but wow she still did it and you didn't even have to help her and she puts up with the embarrassment and just boulders on through it and you kinda feel proud of her for doing that when she was dreading it so much, and WHAT IS THIS, CHARACTER?!? IN A ZOS GAME? IN MY ELDERSCROLLS?

But then when you bring her around exploring with you, all adventurer-like (because the game only sees your character as some nebulous 'adventurer'), all that potential is washed away in favour of worshiping the ground you walk on, and we get the absolute. worst. lines. of nothingness.

like this! :

"I can't wait to explore this place! I know, I know. I'm strange."

This single line will not leave my head. It rots me. It rots me to my very core.

In a game centered on exploring where the writing deliberately refuses to see you as anything other than an adventurer who explores, with a function like the companion system where the entire premise (even IN THE WRITING) is you are joined by an npc to explore and the npc knowssss exploration is what they signed up for and is always the exact reason they join you at all...

the writers decided isobel should make this quip about being quirky because she likes exploring.

In a vacuum, the sentence is fine. Hell, it even has the whisperings of potential characterization like "Oh, why do you think that's strange?" and "you're so quick to dismiss it like people have told you you're a weirdo for voicing it before". But we don't get that here. This sentence by itself does. not. work. here. It does not work for the game, for the mechanics of companions, or even the individual "reason" (it's always the same reason) this particular character is exploring with us. That's literally what we're doing right now in this screenshot, we're exploring! This does not work!

Instead this line reads as self-congratulatory and out-of-touch with reality (on both isobel and the writers' parts)... which could be an interesting path to explore, but that's not what the writers intended with this. They intended this line to set isobel apart and above the crowd as an explorer... in a game about exploring.

Honestly it reminds me of the serana line that drops a lampshade on her backstory, making the character come off as "i'm not like other girls" and written by an idiot. That's what this line feels like. It feels like a window into the writers' brains when making this character: like they feel they're breaking new ground and making this character oh so special, when instead they're just playing with cardboard.

I haven't adventured long enough with isobel to unlock her friendship quests (but i have an idea of what circular path they'll go), and there's just so much more about her writing that turns me right the fuck away. It's honestly so disappointing (especially after all the hype-mongering) when we get tidbits of an interesting character who just loves the thrill of adventure and has a big major crush on tolwife lyris. It's a huge letdown.

[crownlessliestheking]

😐 😈 👀

😐 What embarrasses you the most about your own writing?

Ooh, this is tricky. I don't really feel very embarrassed by my writing but honestly every time someone betas my fic (like for an event, mostly), they end up taking out a bunch of commas or em-dashes. It's like girl, come on, you should know better than to just toss those in by now! And yet I have not learned.

😈 Is there anything you enjoy dong that you think your readers hate?

Probably the fact that I just never get on with it, when it comes to NSFW fics. I'm always waffling about, adding worldbuilding details, stuff like that. I think this tends to be okay for Tolkien fandom, but in others it's likely more annoying. Also like, super madly niche AUs that'll never have more than 10 people reading them. I don't care! I love it! Oh, and also for like. People who've subscribed to my AO3, unfortunately they're getting a lot of different fandoms from what they may have signed up for.

👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?

Yes, and they're Star Wars. I was really interested in Reylo for the brief period between TFA and TLJ, so I've got a few WIPs knocking around that are just totally abandoned now. Anyway, I proceeded to watch TLJ and go hm, no thanks, and that was the end of my interest in the Star Wars fandom.

[chimaerakitten]

Fic ask game! Sweat_smile, alien, open_mouth, and black triangle emoji?

(Sorry, I'm writing this on my phone and it struggles with emoji XD)

😅 Was there a fic/chapter that you were nervous about posting? Why?

On a generic level (Since I just gave the SecUnit job as a specific example) I get nervous about final or final few chapters of multi chaps. It's a lot harder for me to stick the landing on a long piece than it is to start, so I get worried when I get close to that point

👽 Strangest fic you ever written?

Hard question, because ive written some really niche fics, especially crossovers, and I've written some fics that were embarrassing in hindsight, (and messed up orphaning one of them in such a way that my username is still visible but I no longer have control over it, the worst of both worlds) but it's hard to gauge pure strangeness. Filk lyrics are strange and I've posted a few of those, but thats not Fic, strictly speaking. I guess maybe the Eldritch!ART AU? "What if lovecraftian horror but friendly and also a murderbot AU" is a strange choice, but I also do pride myself on writing less popular tropes and out-there crossovers so a lot of my fics are at least a little strange and it's not that out there for me. Not so many coffeeshop AUs here.

😮 Anything you included in your fic that you didn’t expect people to like?

I don't really have things I expect people to hate, because I don't write from spite or from serious dissatisfaction with source material, so I don't have one of those awesome stories that are like "I wrote a slowburn for my NOTP just so I could kill one of them off in the last chapter." I've got plenty of fics that got way more engagement than I was expecting though, most recently securityunit.patch326.732.98.program which I thought would get maybe a couple kudos since it's a very short contextless snippet I'd already shared on discord, but people seemed to really like it! That's always fun, and I enjoy all the feedback since right now my recent longer fics are for a fandom that is basically dead.

I don't think there's a black triangle emoji on this list? I am curious about the secret black triangle question 👀

[tyonfs]

Hi Alice 👋

How are you doing? I hope you're great and your days are full of beautiful things. As an amazing writer, your messages and ask box are probably full of texts, so I wish you'd see this message and have the time to answer.

I'm Violet, and I'm a great fan of your work. Although I'm mostly a silent reader and don't interact with your posts, you're one of my favorite witers, and I've read such great works from your page. The reason I'm writing this message is that I wanted to start writing here on tumblr, but I'm lost. The thing is that nowadays, most of NCT's fanfictions on this platform are pure smut without any interesting plot and stories, which get lots of attention too. While I'm scrolling here,usually I don't find anything interesting enough to read and enjoy, something that will spark your interest that you want to read nonstop until you finish that and it occupies your mind for days( I remember those ol' good times I'd read EXO's fanfiction on asianfanfics and such wonderful stories they were...) so that being said, I really wanted to write fanfics on here. Something with a good story and complex plot, not just a smut scene putting together to satisfy our single soul(sigh...) and not to say that whatever I have in mind are great stories or anything, it's just that I really want to share these ideas with other people and write stories for NCT whom are my biggest muse.

But unfortunately, English is not my first language, and the result wouldn't be that good. Also, it takes lots of time from me to try and write in English compared to when I write in my mother language( there's also all grammatical errors too)

So it has discouraged me to start writing on here ever since I had all these stories idea and writing drafts.

And I wanted to ask you whether you could give me some advice on what should I do?

Or whether you think it's a good choice to give my drafts and ideas to some other writers here to write for me?

Sorry for all the mistakes

LYSM 💕 and thank you

hihi there love !! ♡ i hope you’re having a wonderful day/night so far :’) i’m sorry this took so long for me to see omg!! i’ve been so mia from this blog and tumblr itself actually i’ve just realized 🤧

also it’s nice to meet you violet 🥰💗 you have such a pretty name!! also i’m so honored that i’m one of your favorite authors that means so much to me 🥹🥹

oh yes i definitely understand the want to share your works !! i feel like it’s every fic writer’s mindset to write their own story when they can’t find one to read that tailors to every niche interest they’re looking for (ME) 🤭 it’s definitely intimidating tho to share your works online but i think it can be very rewarding !! i would honestly tell you to go for it and post what you wanna write :’) english isn’t my first language either but writing honestly helped me improve a lotttt 🥹 i actually read my old fics the other day when i wrote for anime fandoms/pjo and they were pretty embarrassing to look back on ngl LMFOAJDJF but it’s rlly nice to see how your writing develops and progresses as you grow 💞

proofreading is rlly helpful when you’re writing and there’s plenty of software out there that can help you check grammar and punctuation !! you should try grammarly :’) it’s reeeally easy to just put your fic through grammarly and clear up the errors before you post 🥰 or you can join networks/servers and see if you can ask someone to beta read for you!! it’s definitely intimidating but i think it’s great that you’re already taking the first step to ask what you can do 💗💗 hope the writing goes well love !!

[blackacre13]

9, 12, 13 plsss

12 answered here!

9. What's your writing process like?

Process? What process? *laughs maniacally* writing is the only thing in my life I don't organize. I really let the idea or characters or impromptu plot drive me for the most part. I rarely outline and often wing it. It's something I am actively trying to work on, but just has always been how I've written from like tot to now with any kind of writing. It's always come very naturally/flows easily for me, for which I'm super grateful. STEM things on the other hand...

13. Do you take pride in your writing, or does it embarrass you? Why?

I have always been proud of the fact that I consider myself to be a writer and that I've always been "good" at it, or known for it so I'm proud in that aspect. I think good writing is an admirable and flexible skill for so many different elements of life and I have always loved it whether it's work, academic, as a hobby, etc. I wouldn't say embarrassed. I mean, in the fic realm, I think fan art of any kind is so powerful and admirable, but it is a bit "embarrassing" or just kind of hehe when someone is like "Logan's a great writer!" and I'm thinking, have you ever read anything I've ever actually written? And I probably wouldn't steer someone towards Loubbie smut...well, depends who's asking, but it's more niche/as a hobby/outlet for me than where I would point to in order to showcase my writing. So not embarrassed, but it's a bit of its own little world for me when it comes to fandom. My writing in general though, I'm not embarrassed, but it is very very VULNERABLE and EXPOSING when I show someone my writing, especially when it's original, because it's an extension of me and very personal, so someone's critique and opinion of it is going to cut deeper than them trying one of your brownies kind of thing...

deep fic writer asks

[dangerous-advantage]

fanfiction trope asks >:) (evil smile) there was only one bed, hurt no comfort, major character death, omegaverse

ohohohoho... well

There was only one bed.

i'm... impartial to this trope. i think with a lot of tropes, there's always gonna be time when it works for you and time when it doesn't. really, it depends on the context.

i don't actively seek this one out in a fic, but if it's in a work I like, generally, i don't mind it. if the author plays it in an irritating or stupid way, or (god forbid) uses second-hand embarrassment... ugh. that i can't stand.

but like... it can also be played in a lot of ways i really like (repressed, touch-starved characters with this trope? chef's kiss, honestly) so imma have to go with neutral.

Hurt/No Comfort.

i am a slut for some good hurt/comfort, but man, oh man, good hurt/no comfort?? godDAMN it's good.

what really sells this for me is the ending. with really sad fics, i can kinda be wary going in, but usually, i end up really liking them when i reach the end.

there are a few caveats to this. first, i can only do so much hurt/no comfort at one time before i have to "cleanse my palate" with some hurt/comfort (i'm not really a fluff reader, but i don't dislike it or anything). also when the hurt/no comfort dips into trauma porn territory or really hardcore/fucked-up shit, i'm out.

hurt/no comfort inhabits this really specific niche where if it's good, it's probably straight up shakespeare, and if it's bad, it's really bad. you just have to be good a differentiating between the two going into it, and also be really specific about what you want from a hurt/no comfort story. it's not really a trope i'd read just to chill out or pass the time. when i seek out hurt/no comfort, it's a deliberate choice, often with deliberate things i'm looking for in mind.

with that, i'd have to say love it, but not obsessively. when i'm looking for it, and when it isn't trashfire garbage, it's good. otherwise, i'm not interested.

Major Character Death

once again: you have to be careful with this one, but when it's done right, it's usually the best thing you'll ever read. i'm pretty impervious to major character death by now, but this trope had made me cry before, and every single time, it fucking earned it.

when i'm gonna read a fic with major character death, i want to know what i'm getting into, but it certainly won't scare me away. i won't say this is something i seek out, but i do think when it's handled well, it can be reaaallly good.

so like it for this one.

Omegaverse

really pulling the heavy hitters out for this one, huh? well.

there was a point in time where i was pretty into this trope. those days are behind me now for the most part, but i will say: i don't hate it. i don't seek it out either.

i do like certain concepts within the trope, especially when authors expand upon and better them. a lot of omegaverse stuff can be kinda repetitive, but i do remember certain instances where authors "defied the genre" by expanding on and exploring in-universe concepts.

i remember there was one in a past fandom with a heavy emphasis on scenting and platonic affection, as well as gender roles (which is something that i don't understand why more omegaverse writers don't explore more? i mean, the trope is literally defined by genders, there's so much there beyond just surface level assumptions.)

i really liked how they wrote it and used the traits of the genre to further the story in an interesting way (mostly to stir up drama between the characters, but the politics of it were really interesting.)

there are a lot of things i didn't (and still don't) like about the trope, so it's kinda touch-and-go. nowadays, i'm not opposed to reading omegaverse stuff, but i won't do it just because it's omegaverse. if it seems interesting and the plot is good, sure! why not.

however, this trope can turn me away very easily from a story, even if i like the premise, when it's not handled correctly. i have very specific things i like, and a lot of things i dislike. so i'd say it depends completely on the fic with this one. overall, neutral.

[olderthannetfic]

I've been low key obsessed with your blog. You've managed to cultivate a lot of interesting conversations and topics, so I wind up always coming back to scroll anything I may have missed. So, out of curiosity, what motivated you to create this blog, and what kinds of conversations and responses do you enjoy the most?

--

Heh. It's just my personal blog. I couldn't get my usual username, so the name is a random joke about some 1990s fandom wank I was reading about at the time. I don't really do side blogs or themed blogs usually. I just have a personal account wherever fandom has moved most recently.

What motivated me to join tumblr specifically was a promise I made to myself back in like 2003 to not be an embarrassing grandma next time we were all switching platforms and to try to be an early(ish) adopter of the next big thing instead of kvetching about it and needing to be dragged by my ear.

By now, I'm much more used to Tumblr, and Dreamwidth feels awkward and unfamiliar, which is pretty funny. I wouldn't have predicted that back in 2011.

--

I enjoy meta. I like it when people have long text comments about how they see a fandom or a trend in fandom. I love it when people post about bits of fandom history I don't know about. I like hearing about fandom outside of English. I like people posting personal impressions and anecdotes as much as harder facts, but I don't like appeals to emotion. I like people celebrating their rare fandoms and underappreciated fannish interests but not guilt trips.

If you really love the thing, go make the thing happen! Don't bitch about nobody else doing it for you! In fact, that's the root of a lot of what I like in fandom: the DIY, can-do attitude of community and infrastructure builders that we see in niche subcultures. I think it's been diluted a bit as fic fandom has become more accessible and mainstream, but it's still around.

Basically, I like an oldschool Livejournal and mailing list vibe. I'm in fandom for conversation and discussion and longform text.

I want that oldschool style but without the depressive wangsting about being left behind or the full dose of 'offa my lawn' that sometimes goes along with it in the genuinely oldschool spaces. I want to see younger people picking up bits of that LJ vibe because they enjoy it and it's a cultural style that can be applied to any community, not because they think they were born decades too late.

It's never too late to go consume old media or research an interest or pick up a hobby! It's never too late to create new communities, using what we like of the old and discarding the shitty bits. Somebody made a Miami Vice discord not so long ago. I was shocked but pleased.

I like it when fans who build things tell me about their cool projects, whether it's a little discord or something as ambitious as bobaboard. I like it when people ask me for help with their research or tell me the results of research they've already done. I love those "how do I find fandom history thing X?" questions that let us dive down a rabbit hole of figuring out what platform the thing would have been on and if there are any wayback links.

I guess I prefer happy things overall. We all need more happiness in our lives. But I'm not someone for whom pure squee of the "So dreamy!" *swoon* variety works very well: I express my love by analyzing and making things, and I like other fans who do the same.

I keep meaning to go back through the BTS a/b/o fic I've read and pick out all the weird gender roles and fun worldbuilding ones and write some meta about how this style of fandom led me to liking a/b/o where before I hated it. That's the kind of happy + navel gaze-y fandom thing I most enjoy. When I find someone else writing this kind of thing, even for fandoms I don't care about, I love it.

I dunno... I think it's pretty obvious what I enjoy from what I spend my time on: longform text, intellectualism, history, telling sanctimonious bullies to stuff it.

[heretherebedork]

Senpai show. I Adore this little thing. A lot stuff make no make sense. 2nd embarrassment was here yeap. I am sure if the screenwriter had worked harder on it or it it's not mbs show this drama would be love by mamy. such a missed opportunity. many things were great some trophs and most of all actors. Oh they are 👌chemistry between lead on and off screen 🔥I know that this is an average series (in something way) but the level of criticism /toxic in bl watcher community is.. disproportionate I suspect that one.od other reason of this is this Japan bl. If this was idk thai one people will be more open

We trend Demand. Japanese give US life change show only. Antything less is meh

I will be sad without it. This give me a lot Happiness and this is the most important. Also this show is first time i prefer show when most of people dislike it.

Next JBL is on October for me

I'm very glad you loved it so much. It was definitely cute and, even if it didn't work for me, I can see how it would work for other people.It's definitely meant to be lighter and more humorous.

Now, as we know, I am oblivious to chemistry so I have no idea and I definitely think that counting off-screen chemistry is a misstep for any show. I truly, truly believe that we need to stop talking about off-screen chemistry entirely because it's lead to so many toxic fans and toxic ways to talk about actors. Is it important? Maybe. But I find it deeply uncomfortable to talk about because I've seen how people talk about it.

I do not wander into tags or most fandom discussion so I have no idea about the toxic elements but... all shows will get criticism. And all shows should get criticism, no matter what some fans might say or think about certain shows. Shows will always have criticism, nothing is perfect for everyone, no matter how good. But there is also a huge, huge, huge difference between toxic and critical. Heck, the most toxic BL I know is toxic because no one can be critical without being attacked. So the idea of lumping toxic and critical fans is not one I like.

Am I a critical fan? Yes. I think the time skip at the end was very poorly handled and left me feeling like the characters had, if anything, become less mature over their time apart. But can I see how cute it could be? Sure. I write my own criticism because I think it's important to share thoughts, both good and bad, about shows.

But, also, yes. There's going to be a difference about how most people, including myself, view Japanese BL versus Thai BL. Just like there's going to be differences between viewing Korean BL and Thai BL or Taiwanese BL and Korean BL or Thai BL and Vietnamese BL! Every country has their own industry, their own style, their own expectations. And that does mean that shows are going to be judged differently.

Japan has a thriving and wealthy film industry in which BL is a niche. We get a few shows, they tend to be good to amazing, and thus a good show is going to get more criticism because we're holding them up to higher standards. Thailand makes so much BL most people can't keep up with their output. They range from abysmal to mediocre to good to amazing to trashy to high budget to low budget to no budget. Thailand has a different scale than Japan because they're different countries with different output and different styles and different expectations and that's important to keep in mind when talking about shows (@absolutebl has some awesome posts comparing the different country styles, from serious to humorous ((I love the one about dating them, okay? Shut up.)) and they've definitely talked about this.)

But I'll also be clear that I don't need Japanese shows to change my life. I just feel like Senpai struggled with tone and character. It was perfectly fine in the end, enjoyable, and I'm glad it brought you so much joy.