#ivy is technically my fave fave but

[kaycstrikesagain]

Her or ivy, I love them sm!

re blog if u think harley’s the best dc character eva 😘🙏♦️🎉

[disjenyamembra]

So, first of all this isnt going to be about albums that released this year. It's just going to be about what I listened to this year, so kind of all over the place. I wanted to do this for quite some time and thought no one would care and then decided, shit, I care. So I'm doing this odd personal thing anyway. This is ordered chronologically and in general this isn't a ranking of any sort.

With that being said

SZA - SOS

Absolutely loved this album and was in the exaxt right state of mind to listen to this (aka being in a very straining push and pull situationship). Favorites include Kill Bill, Blind (still gets me all misty eyed), Special, Open Arm, I Hate U, F2F. If it's not on the list it doesn't mean I didn't love it, just means the others got looped more in some kind of depressed daze I was in. I have BPD and I remember splitting HEAVY listening to some of those songs. Vocals are incredible as usual and the variety in genres SZA takles makes it feel very fresh. I mostly value emotion and storytelling when it comes to music and this delivered in spades.

TV Girl - Who Really Cares

Bouncy, fun and energetic break up music. Great to listen to if you're feeling bitter and holding a grudge, but want to be a bit playful about it. I originally heard it as a teenager all the way back in 2016, but it found me again in early 2024 and this time I really listened. Faves: Taking What's Not Yours, Song About Me, (Do The) Act Like You Never Met Me. Carried me when I got all in my feelings but didn't want to listen to really depressing stuff. Speaking of...

Frank Ocean - Blonde

Really depressing stuff, not in general necessarily but for me personally. Also absolutely beautiful and stunning, as expected of Frank Ocean. One of the most inspiring albums for me maybe ever. Great for ugly crying to. Favorites - Ivy (my first Frank Ocean song and also very resonant), Pink + White, Solo, Self-Control, Seigfried (kicks me in the gut every time). Also Channel gets a spot here even though it's technically not on Blonde because I'm bisexual. Sounds like going to heaven.

Black Dresses - Peaceful as Hell

I LOVE THIS ALBUM. I, in fact, love it so much that I got a tattoo of the album cover. Excellent copium for like everything in life. At some point I will do an album review for it specifically, but at the moment it just gets a highlight here. Love the production to bits, love the message and just in general love everything about it. Favorites - Literally every song. It's a ten for me. Kept me going during a really hard time in my life. Full of grounded optimism and immense love of the world.

charli xcx - brat

Yeah yeah yeah. Everyone and their mother listened to brat, but what can I say, the album is genuinely really good. I've been a fan of Charli for years and years at this point and I genuinely think this release is a life changing masterpiece. There's not much I can say that orher people haven't before, so I'll skip straight to the personal stuff. Favorites - Sympathy is a knife ("why i wanna buy a gun? why i wanna shoot myself?" i was at a low, low point), Everything is romantic (so pretty, feels like if a scrapbook was a song), b2b (song that made me leave my situationship), think about it all the time (a look at charlis vulnerable side).

JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

Over the last two years I got way more into Jpegmafia to the point where he is one of my favorites of all time. I skipped out on the release cycle for this album, I wasn't doing great and it just kind of passed me by. When I got better I finally gave it a shot and I loved it. It's hard for me to pick favorites here because for me Peggy's albums are more of a united listening experience start to finish. I don't know how to describe it, but it mesmerized me. The production is incredible as always, the whole album has kind of an introspective tone to it. Great for dancing, working and looking inwards.

Princess Chelsea - Everything is going to be alright

This album feels like it's holding my hand and reassuring me very gently, the title is appropriate. The whole experience is very sensitive and soft, Chelsea's vocals are soothing and ethereal and the instrumental has a magical feeing to it. Favorites - The Forest, Time, I Don't Know You, Forever is a Charm and most of all Everything is Going to Be Alright (pt.2). This album says time heals and urges one to be patient and to find beauty all around you.

The Dears - No Cites Left

My current go to album. In truth I listened to it first a year ago or so and fell in love with it instantly, but this year it feels a bit different. It was recommended to me by a dear (haha) person who is no longer in my life of my own volition, and even though things turned out sour I still very much wanted to keep this album to myself. Despite being made in the early zeros to me it has an almost contemporary feel. Gets me emotional in all the right ways. I'm not a music reviewer so I dont have in me all that lingo to describe so many albums in interesting ways. I just recommend everyone go and give it a listen.

Favorites - We Can Have It, Lost in the Plot, Don't Lose Faith, Warm and Sunny Days, 22: The Death of All Romance (kind of an obvious pick for me, really), No Citites Left

That's all, folks! I listened to much more than that in 2024, but that's all I felt like writing about. Honorable mentions: chromakopia (didnt do this stuff because I already did brat and didnt feel like adding two very popular current releases to the list), overgrowth by cj the x (i loved it but its short and also painful to relisten), laughingfish (still need to spend more time with it), ghost hippies - призраки тоже плачут and kё - если я не смогу (two russian releases that i feel like should maybe be on a seprate list)

It's not a very efficient way to recommend music to other people, but that's not the point, I just wanted to talk about it all means to me.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed :)

[santademikey]

Give us a rundown on your OCs for the OC asks- (Name, bio, visual reference if possible, the world around them, trivia)

:)

vivienne (ivy)

ivy is my gta oc, she’s trevor’s daughter and is 18 in my fic. she’s not afraid to speak her mind and owns a purple motorcycle. she’s a mechanic by trade! her story takes place during the events of gta v.

fun fact— she has a matching tattoo with trevor! (the knife. it’s cool what can i say)

(i currently don’t have a visual reference for her — meaning i cant find the sim i made of her currently! i might update this though if i decide to not be lazy and make one for her. just know she looks like trev. a lot :)

[the fic she’s from!]

florence

flo is the first of my two (technically three because she has a daughter but she’s only a baby so i don’t think i’ll include her in this) mafia 3 ocs!! she’s 23, giorgi’s twin and is married to danny! flo works for vito in river row, and runs the dock union. she drives a yellow potomac (basically a 1960’s vw beetle!). her story takes place before, during and right after the events of mafia 3!

fun fact— her nickname, flossie, comes from what her mother used to call her as a small child. giorgi is the only person who stills uses the moniker to refer to her.

for reference, she looks like this! (the prettiest sim i’ve ever made i can’t lie lmao)

[the fic she’s from!]

audra

audra is my other mafia 3 oc (and lowkey currently my fave don’t tell the others). shes 17, and was handed to sammy and his wife perla by sal marcano not long after she was born. she’s incredibly shy, and loves taking photos of just about everything she can. she was very close to sammy and ellis (and perla!), and is just as close to lincoln too. she’s studying chemistry in the science hall in frisco fields. her story takes place during the events of mafia 3!

fun fact— she’s more or less fluent in french! sammy taught her :)

for reference she looks like this! (a lot like her birth father, but i don’t think that gives any spoilers away?)

[the fic she’s from!]

[renegaedz]

Andromeda and cass/minh r two of my fave ocs ive come up w btw. Not for storyline reasons like ivy and basil (i guess technically bc of that yeah. Now that i think about it the solid majority if not all of my ocs have mother issues in some way lmao . Dont know why that happened and ill choose to ignore that.) But they are my two who design wise i am so excited n enthused about. Hate designing charas so much. These two i love tho. Space theme. Also i finally can rly indulge in like alienation represented in a character w cass/minh. Every mixed oc i got has that as part of their storyline the like ah. I am a person who despite also being a person is still an outsider to those around me. Even if i fit in slightly i will be reminded i do not belong no matter how comfortable i get. Yeah this is like autism braincell and ig all my ocs have autism braincell if i made em and that's just normal to me. But this very specifically i bring out harder in the mixed ones bc then they have to struggle w feeling like an outsider to their own culture and people and home but in EXTRA ways and its awsummmm not for them but cathartic for me. Me and my like 4 blasian ocs and then theres kadsura . Asian squared but in 2 different ways.

[overthestars-and-offtoneverland]

Oh wow. No one usually tags me in stuff like this. Thanks for the interest.

Last Song: Pinkie's Bard Remix (G-Slur Removed). Looking at the two songs that came before this one in the playlist history, I was obviously in the mindset of a specific OC of mine. I do that thing where I daydream when I listen to songs and make mental musical performances for my OCs like I'm playing with dolls. Ironically, this OC is actually Romani so she could say the G-slur if she wanted but I prefer the edit. (I actually replace the word with the word "magic" when I sing along. "Listen to the jingle jangle of my magic tambourine")

Fave Color: Robin's Egg Blue. Specifically the shade of blue little girls in magical situations always seem to wear. (A la Wendy, Alice, and Dorothy)

Currently Watching: Helluva Boss, if it counts (Huge Fizzarolli stan. Alex Brightman, my beloved.) If not, been watching a lot of medical shows recently. House and Chicago Med mostly.

Last Movie: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I liked it. Felt like a very natural progression of the characters, even if a depressing one. Am I glad Lydia's trauma made her more susceptible to an abuser? Absolutely not. Do I see how that happened? Yes. (Btw, other characters even see this. They're definitely treating all the abusers like abusers.) She's still doing a bit better than her father on the parenting side. She's at least actually trying with Astrid even if she can't see past how she's being manipulated. Btw, love Astrid as a character.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Savory usually. My anemic ass needs salt and umami. When I'm craving sweets these days, it's more for fruit than candy or pastries. I lost my sweet tooth over time.

Relationship: Single if you want to keep things simple. Ethical nonmonagamy if you want to be specific. I am technically partnered but we aren't a couple if that makes sense.

Current Obsession: Literally don't stop thinking about ASOUE, but alternatively I'm back in my Beetlejuice kick (Specifically the musical. Alex Brightman, my beloved). Ride the Cyclone also had me in a chokehold recently.

Last Thing I Googled: Jungian Archetypes. Got interested in the concept after learning about the newest rendition of Harley Quinn in The Cape Crusader. Super into the fact they're leaning into her career instead of making her codependent on another villain (Look, I love her with Ivy, but Bruce Timm is correct that [blonde] Harley's character is very wrapped up in codependency on others). Also projecting because I love psychological theory so much that I put myself in debt about it. (I have a psych degree, but I'm a drama and art teacher, go figure lol)

Hmmmm.... Tagging @queermystic @creamsoda-slut @thatomnipresentorb @canwriteitbetterthanueverfeltit @where-the-wild-thingsgo

nine people i want to get to know better

Thank you for the tag, @slutsons-blog! Starting a new post because I'm autistic and therefore mostly only care about the "Current Obsession" question, and want to ramble excessively as usual in that one.

Last song: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team: Pokemon Square because I'm currently playing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon with my daughter. Otherwise I honestly couldn't tell you. Whatever was on in my car.

Fave color: Purple

Currently watching: Star Trek Discovery

Last movie: Knives Out

Sweet/spicy/savory: Sweet, tart, salty

Relationship: married x 27 years

Last thing I googled: the word "dependent", for spelling assistance. which is a good thing because I spelled it "dependant".

Current Obsession: it's been spn since 2016. Truly we are the Hotel California of media franchises. I did recently play Disco Elysium twice in a row in quick succession, and I follow the DE tag. I can't recommend the game highly enough.... but I can feel my Special Interest-level obsession with it fading already. Spn has never faded even a tiny bit and I wonder if it ever will.

@slutsons-blog I feel after reading that you're watching spn for the first time, that I did you a bit of a disservice with my Sam takes to you before in that I mostly talked about Sam's evolution as a character as the show goes on and very little about him from the first five seasons.

Gotta be honest and tell you that although I liked both brothers all along, I was a Dean girl until the end of s6/beginning of s7, when the balance of who gets whumped the most started shifting and my subconscious suddenly decided to switch allegiances. It's not that I liked Dean any less; my id just loves a sopping wet pathetic kitten of a man who has been sexually abused, and Sam got suddenly way more kitteny and pathetic after the Cage. So I don't actually have a ton of takes on "what to love about Sam in the early seasons". I do love early seasons Sam too--she is my beautiful baby princess--but my early seasons takes are a lot more inchoate.

I count myself lucky about my id's sudden defection though, because I think we have limited control of who our blorbos are, and having Dean as a blorbo is a tough row to hoe as the later seasons go along. You know how you noticed that in s6, Dean suddenly gets a lot more assholey without apparent reason? Unfortunately he never gets better again, and in fact keeps getting worse and worse as the years go by, until by the last seasons he is openly far more abusive to their joint child(-in-an-adult body) than John was to him and Sam. It's a realistic picture of what can happen when trauma keeps piling up on people, but it's also honestly pretty distressing, especially if he's your blorbo.

If one is in it for the ship, there's some good destiel content in the later seasons, but if you're in it for Dean, you're left either 1) dealing with the fact he's got extremely significant interpersonal problems that he never gets much of anywhere on solving and that negatively impact his chosen family in profound ways, or 2) pretending he's the same character he was in s1 and Sam is the same Sam from s1, only more boring, and Dean is just trying to put up with him because he was brainwashed by John (or ig 3- something in the middle between those two. But that seldom seems to happen in practice for whatever reason). These two versions of the show are poorly compatible, and that's how the Sam girls and the Dean girls end up in isolated silos. A few people manage to live in both, but not many.

Anyway, I feel like without the context of how Sam and Dean change in the mid to late seasons, the two fics I recc'd as Sam character studies are going to seem insanely Dean-critical, so if you haven't read them yet, you might want to wait until s10. In the meantime, the general recs are fun reads and hopefully do a good job of showcasing both characters earlier on.

Tagging (but I would be a huge hypocrite if I didn't specify there's no pressure to respond, since I almost always fail at responding to tag games myself): @adihildilid @aliusfrater @quietwingsinthesky @sammygender @ardentpoop

@peanutbutterandbananasandwichs @schizosamwincester @normalbrothershow @jellybracelet.

[darkpurpledawn]

I am way behind on my Harlivy rec posts but please enjoy these faves from this summer (June-August)!

and then, eden wept by baitedtodeath 

An evocative and dreamy epilogue to the Fear State saga, the moving ending to that chapter that these two deserve! 

Such Beautiful Monsters by MirroredShalott (@mirrorofshalott)

A great longfic to sink into, both a noir detective story full of intriguing plot and a slow-burn romance that functions as a character study of Harley. I love the writing style in this fic, it’s a really good time.

Laced with Fitful Red by saltwaterselkie (@the-saltwaterselkie-writer)

Technically this one was finished right at the beginning of September but I’m putting it here as well–a really fun pirate AU that works so well as a setting for the characters and does some thoughtful and interesting stuff with the Ivy-as-temptress and Ivy-as-force-of-nature concepts.

[lovequinn]

Taylor Swift songs for Jackie/Shauna, go

this message is a sext. you do not know what you just got yourself into. like there is an entire dissertation under the cut.

i believe in the uniquely homosexual power of warping any taylor swift song into the exact situation you need with one or two lyrics and a little imagination, so i could technically say "all of them." however here's a long, exhaustive list of what i personally think ACTUALLY fits them the best overall and why (but please god feel free to send me your reasons for other songs too, this is the crossover area where i thrive like a fungus):

i almost do - this could honestly be about jackie and shauna both refusing to be the bigger person and apologize/go outside/come inside even though they both want to, leading to jackie's death, OR my favorite, au where they both live and are still pissed at/hate each other but also love each other

sad beautiful tragic - self explanatory (and you've got your demons and darlin' they all look like me?????)

fearless - jackie and shauna driving around wiskayok pre-crash, both so in love with each other, both too afraid to say it, but imagining what would happen if one of them finally did

you belong with me - HELLO SHAUNA PINING VIBES????

tell me why/breathe - the codependent relationship finally deteriorating and breaking i.e. the cabin fight, honestly listening to tmw right into breathe is a #journey with that context

the way i loved you - can be either a) jackie thinking about wanting to be with shauna/her feelings for shauna and their intense relationship when she's with jeff pre-crash, or b) shauna missing jackie and wanting for jackie when she's back with jeff post-crash and post-dead!jackie (this is a fave shackie song)

come in with the rain - shauna at the window watching jackie outside, knowing she should literally come in, but refusing to go get her and just hoping she'll do it on her own

gold rush - HELLO SHAUNA PINING VIBES PART 2?????

tolerate it - shauna feeling unappreciated/stifled by jackie leading to the blowup (break free and leave us in ruins, took this dagger in me and removed it, gain the weight of you then lose it, believe me i could do it)

coney island - just general heartbreak disappointment vibes between the two, not feeling like they know each other anymore, idk i feel like coney island fits any troubled couple lmao (esp. thinking of jackie @ shauna with "the question pounds my head, what's a lifetime of achievement if i pushed you to the edge but you were too polite to leave me")

ivy - i mean. come the fuck on.

marjorie - shauna haunted by jackie and missing jackie and reminiscing about memories with jackie and wishing she'd had more time with jackie and wishing she had salvaged their relationship before it was too late

right where you left me - shauna is mentally stuck in 1996 when she loses jackie. everyone else seems to be better at managing to move on, but shauna just can't cope. and jackie is literally, physically, right where they left her (did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen time went on for everybody else she won't know it yessir we love pain)

my tears ricochet - vindictive, heartbroken ghost jackie haunting the SHIT out of shauna. i just got worked up thinking about it my god it's so them

mirrorball - this is such a jackie pining song honestly, in her uniquely sad way?? she thrives when she's useful to others, she lives off of the knowledge that she lights up a room and makes other people feel good, she seeks that out. and she especially wants it, NEEDS it, from shauna. and when she doesn't succeed at that, she shatters and gets desperate and lashes out.

seven - little jackie playing with little shauna when shauna's parents get divorced :(

august - see you know a ship is *chef's kiss* when they have the angst to fit august. jackie gets with jeff and shauna feels like she's losing her even though jackie was never hers to lose. she's still at the mercy of her feelings for jackie, cancelling plans and dropping everything whenever she calls even though she's someone else's, missing the times when it was just the two of them and it was enough to just hope that one day they'd be something more (this all eventually grows into the resentment and overwhelming jealousy that leads to shauna fucking jeff)

hoax - jackie's heart breaking reading shauna's journal

the archer - hello jackie's crippling insecurity, fear of everyone seeing past her carefully crafted façade, and fear of losing shauna, + shauna's self-destructive behavior and need to just "blow things up and see what happens." this song is honestly such a good character study on both of them and how they're clinging desperately to each other (though in the end that doesn't save them from tragically blowing it up anyway)

death by a thousand cuts - these two are so goddamn codependent on each other, they're written all over each others' lives and if you were to rip them apart they'd struggle so hard to find anything untouched by the other. there's nothing strong enough to dull the ways they've hurt each other!!!! so they'd both just fall apart and wonder when it'll be alright again!!!!

afterglow - this is just both of these messy bitches to each other after the fight, taking ownership of what each of them did and regretting it (why'd i have to break what i love so much?)

it's nice to have a friend - self explanatory

look what you made me do - shauna having a fed-up girlboss moment and screwing jackie's boyfriend and probably immediately crying afterwards lol

gorgeous - jackie pining jackie pining jackie pining jackie pining

dress - jackie pining ft. picking out the red dress for shauna just so she could imagine her out of it (all of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting, my hands are shaking from holding back from you + say my name and everything just stops, i don't want you like a best friend, only bought this dress so you could take it off UGHHH KILL ME)

new years day - in the end it'll always be jackie and shauna there for each other, good, bad, and ugly.

out of the woods - this is the quintessential shackie toxic friends to uncertain lovers song. the rest of the world was black and white but we were in screaming color???? we were built to fall apart then fall back together???? your necklace hanging from my neck????? i walked out i said i'm setting you free????? yes.

i wish you would - refer back to i almost do.

bad blood - i feel like i'm obligated to include this one for obvious reasons but it isn't gay enough to really dwell on it

you are in love - the perfect soft best friends to lovers confession song we deserve if you're willing to flip some pronouns around

sparks fly - jackie pining part 3, ESPECIALLY if you read the lyrics as jackie asking shauna to whisper soft and slow that she's captivated by her (and also the irony of "give me something that will haunt me when you're not around")

the story of us - god there really are just so many great "we're fighting and there's tension fuck please just talk to me" songs aren't there. this takes the cake i think.

better than revenge - same as bad blood lol

long live - honestly this is just a wiskayok yellowjackets song in general but i'm including it

teardrops on my guitar - some serious name and pronoun suspension of disbelief needed here but also i could totally see shauna playing guitar as an extracurricular for her brown application and writing this sappy ass song about how she's yearning for jackie while jackie is raving about jeff

mary's song (oh my my my) - jackie and shauna growing up together and falling in love over the years, thank you

i'm only me when i'm with you - this is what plays in my head whenever they talk about knowing they're each others' best friends

i would like to conclude this post by saying yes, i am in therapy

[anyoneseenadam]

Hii

Can you please write something for fenrys? first meeting maybe? And the bond clicks? Thank you 🥺🥺

pairing: Fenrys x reader (throne of glass)

warnings: implied smut, kissing and nudity, lil bit of blood and injuries but mainly pure fluff

a/n: fenrys is my fave and u can tell in the fic omg!! i hope you enjoy it cause it’s probs my fave one i’ve written yet :))) (i also made it a teensy bit ddlg but that’s just cause i want Fenrys to baby me lol)

——————————————————————————

Shit

Fenrys pressed his hand to the wound in his side, feeling the slow pump of blood seeping between his fingers as he stumbled through the woods. He had won the fight. The other guy now lying in the dirt, however not without consequence. And he wasn’t entirely sure he would stay alive unless he could find a healer soon.

He stopped to lean against a tree, breathing heavily as he held himself together. He transformed into a wolf, moving faster, and trying to pick up a scent, any scent, that could possibly help him, when he caught the sweetest smell he ever had. It was a female, smelling like peonies and blackberries, sweet but with an underlying smoky smell. She smelled of long days in flowers fields and even longer nights beside campfires, evenings spent curled in hand woven blankets and mornings spent drinking dark coffee and eating sweet toast.

He whimpered and began running in the direction of the scent. If he wasn’t so focused on not bleeding out he may have stopped to consider why the scent was pulling him in the way it did. He would have considered the direction he was running into, the direction of his future, his past and his present. But he just kept up, going as fast as his injured body would allow, concentrating on the sweet smell and putting one foot in front of the other.

He felt the change almost immediately, the cold snow and rough bark being swapped for cool moss. The pine trees swapped for tall, oak trees teeming with life. The silence of a frozen forest swapped for the rustling of bushes as nocturnal animals moved silently under the guise of darkness. The chill of the snow-covered woods swapped for the warmth of a summer evening. He pushed between two bushes and found himself facing a clearing, in the middle of which stood a wooden cottage, the wood dark and the roof covered in more moss, flowers growing from every surface and ivy peeking out of the crevices in the house. He stumbled down the path to the cottage, turning back into a male and crossing a small bridge over a stream that separated him from the intoxicating scent he chased.

He let out what he could only describe as a bark, calling for the female that carried the scent he was growing addicted to, collapsing onto his knees, feeling his conscious fade as he held to the side of his stomach, searing pain replaced by fiery veins as his head swayed. He barely heard the door open, only noticing the scent get so much stronger. He attempted to look up, the movement making his head spin as he collapsed, the last thing he saw, a girl in the halo of the moon.

--

Fenrys awoke in a foreign bed. An unbelievably comfortable bed, but foreign all the same. He pushed up on his forearms, gritting his teeth at the reminder of his wound.

The room he was in was dark, not just in light source, but also in décor. The window was cracked open with lacy curtains half closed, there was a tall bookshelf sat next to a desk with leather-bound books lining it, and tall candles flickering and casting the room in a golden glow. The bed he was in was small, clearly just for one, but so soft. He had blankets surrounding him and copious amounts of pillows, some that appeared hand made. In fact, upon closer inspection, a lot of the room looked handmade. Art covering the walls depicting crying women or bloody scenes that he presumed had been done by the owner of this house, given the pallet and assortment of brushed he saw on the windowsill.

And then there was that scent. It was stronger here and he pressed his face into a pillow tentatively, breathing in through his nose as he picked up on the deeper undertones. Fresh picked daisies, melted wax, the pages of old, worn books and something he couldn’t describe. Something so intoxicating he felt tears spring to his eyes, his body reacting in an unheard-of way, so overcome with emotion from scent alone.

He heard footsteps approaching the closed door and hastily put down the pillow, sitting up straight and readying himself to fight whoever it was if they were an intruder. But when you entered he faltered.

Mate. The word clanged through him as he came face to face with an angel. You were wearing a dark brown broderie dress with white hearts lining the hem, your feet bare and toenails painted black. Your hair was falling around your face, messy and untamed, and you had dark smudges around your eyes, makeup that accentuated your features and made you look like a character from the scary books he read as a boy. However right now you looked more like a teddy bear.

He briefly remembered the tail of a witch he had read. An evil witch who lured men into her house with whispered words and sweet kisses, only to steal their hearts and use their blood to keep her skin young and eyes bright. This girl however was no witch, you had elegantly pointed ears and a graceful way of moving that only came from being Fae. He watched as you moved to his side, silent on your feet, putting a tray down beside him before moving an opening the curtains further, letting in more natural light.

“How are you feeling?” your sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. His mind coming to a halt as he heard you speak.

“I- er fine..?” His voice was rough, and you smiled, a reserved smile. Moving to his side and sitting at the edge of the small bed he was on, pouring him a glass of water from a small decanter you had brought through.

“(Y/n.)” you answered his unspoken question.

“Fenrys.”

He muttered a thanks as you passed the glass to him, noting the crystals that hung around your neck and adorned your fingers.

“Crystals?” he asked, and you looked down, playing with the rings you wore nervously.

“My mother taught me about their meanings, they’ve always helped me.” You bit your lip and Fenrys decided he would never meet anyone as cute as you again, it simply wasn’t possible.

“Me too, my mother used to carry them everywhere.” You smiled at him shyly, a beat of silence passing between the two of you as he listened to the birds outside.

“Can I see your wound? I want it make sure it’s healing properly.” You asked and he nodded, pulling the blankets down slightly, grinning as your eyes widened as you took in his physique.

“I’m presuming you’re the healer I have to thank for letting me see another day.” He flirted playfully but you shook your head,

“I’m not a very good healer I’m sorry, but I did stitch it up and it should do the rest itself.” You pressed gentle fingers against the skin surrounding his wound and he glanced down, seeing it was already practically healed.

“You still saved my life.” He said, completely serious and you looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“I’ll let you rest.” You said quietly, standing to walk away and he smiled, feeling more at ease than he ever had since the war, watching his little mate leave.

--

He woke up again a few hours later, wound completely healed and puckering into a scar. Standing he stretched his arms above his head, not bothering with a shirt as he left the room in search of the girl that had occupied his dreams.

The rest of the house was alike your room, tall candles and worn books everywhere. He passed a kitchen filled with copper utensils and a living room with an old armchair, a half-filled mug left next to it, but still no you. He saw the front door was cracked open and wandered over to it, pulling it open and stepping into the fresh air, barely feeling the chill on his body as he found you kneeling on the moss-covered ground facing away from him.

You were muttering under your breath and as he got closer he saw you were cradling a small bird with a broken wing. He watched as you closed your eyes, the ground and air seeming to still as you called upon your magic, a soft white light flowing from your hand into the bird until its wing was healed and it could flutter away.

“I thought you said you weren’t a healer,” he broke the silence and you turned to him with a small smile.

“I said I wasn’t a very good healer.” You replied, standing with green stained knees, your hair now piled atop your head and lip gloss coating your soft lips.

“What are you then?” he came closer to you, unable to resist holding his mate, even if you weren’t aware yet.

“My mother said we were natural faeries.” You said, looking at him shyly, “we derive our power from the earth, crystals, sea water, dirt, fire, stuff like that.”

He hummed, “So technically you could have any type of magic?”

“I guess, but I’m not very good at magic,” you muttered, hands fiddling with your rings again as he wrapped his arms around your waist. “Fenrys?” you asked, all pouty lips and wide eyes.

“Have you realised yet darling?” he asked, and you bit your lip. He knew he could tell you, but he wanted to hear you say it.

“I- we’re mates I think.” You were practically shaking, and he didn’t know why he suddenly had this burning desire to scoop you into his arms and protect you against the horrible world that was out there. He nodded with a smile, watching as awe took over your stunning face.

“Can I kiss you princess?” he asked, and you felt your face heat up, looking down as he pulled you closer. “Have you ever been kissed before angel?” he asked, his face hurting from the grin that was spreading over his face when you shook your head.

He tilted your head up to his, looking deeply into your eyes as your breaths came out quicker. “Not many people can find our cottage, my mother put up wards when she got ill, our family wasn’t well liked by the king. You probably only got here because we’re mates,” You muttered.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked again, running a soft hand over your head, smoothing your hair away from your face as you nodded sweetly.

He smiled before leaning down and kissing you gently. Pulling away and feeling as smug as a thief when your lips followed his, pouting at the loss of contact so quickly. He chuckled at your put out expression and leaned down to kiss you again, deeper this time, his tongue slipping into your mouth when you gasped against his lips, quickly beating your own in a battle for dominance and taking his time exploring your mouth.

He laid you down that morning and took you for the first time in the soft moss. Then again in your even softer bed. Now you were sitting in his lap, eating strawberries of a bush you had in your back garden as he pressed dizzying kisses into your neck, both of you still as bare as the day you were born, Fenrys having forgot how much he missed skin to skin contact, when you suddenly remembered.

“Fenrys?” he hummed in response, completely enamoured with the feel of your soft skin against his rough calluses. “Why were you hurt last night?”

“I didn’t tell you my job did I angel?” he asked, the pet name making you giggle as you shook your head, “I work for the queen of Terrasen.”

You gasped, “But she was killed!”

“Oh angel, when was the last time you left this cottage?” he asked, worry coming over him as he realised you had been holed up alone for so long.

“Not since my mother died. She said the king was dangerous and that he would hurt me if he found me,” your bottom lip was wobbling and Fenrys quickly kissed it away, shushing you as it dawned on him just how innocent his little girl was.

“No baby, he’s gone now, the new king of Adarlan is a very kind man and the Queen of Terrasen is wonderful,” he promised, “Will you let me take you to meet them?”

You nodded enthusiastically, bouncing slightly in his lap making him groan. He nipped at your ear lobe and you squealed as he pushed you down. You could meet them another day, today he was too busy with his little mate.

[terrainofheartfelt]

*pirouette**arabesque* just dancing in to give another unsolicited song recommendation - "love you like that" by dagny is the song for all your "blair fell first" needs (and workout/power walk mixes). I would include my lyrics of choice, but really it's the whole dang thing, so I'll just drop in part of the chorus: "you know when they say you got the real thing / and nothing else matters? / I love you like that / I love you like that." INSTANT SEROTONIN TO MY BRAIN.

*clumsily soft-shoes in* soooooo funny thing about these lovely unsolicited song recommendations (which are always welcome)…I made you a Thing:

nevertothethird’s Unofficial Dair Playlist

(aka Dan Humphrey and Blair Waldorf Are Total Saps: the Album)

So I took all of your recs from the ask box and ao3 comments, added a few of my own selected tracks and made 🥁🥁🥁 this playlist!

Youtube link here. Tracklist & annotations under the cut. I hope you enjoy! 💖💖💖

Young and in Love - Ingrid Michaelson

Starting strong with this absolute BOP

And you break my walls down (Coming down) / 'Cause you make me fall apart in a good way

Only You - as performed by Joshua Radin

Pulled directly from the ao3 comments on the milo-verse. I was immediately interested bc I love the original so much. Which may or may not be Captain Swan related

Wonder if you'll understand / It's just the touch of your hand / Behind a closed door

Like Ships Need the Sea - Emily Hearn

Another ao3 comment rec

Finally, you gave me the hope I'd awaited / Finally, you gave me your heart

Storm Comin’ - The Wailin’ Jennys

The first of my own inserts to pad out this playlist. I picked this one because a) The Wailin’ Jennys are an all-time fave and their albums were the soundtrack of my writing the “I know a place”-verse (plus that series title is a lyric of theirs!) and b) it’s hella sexy

When that love calls, open up your door

Souvenir - boygenius

Pulling thorns out of my palm / Work a midnight surgery / When you cut a hole into my skull / Do you hate what you see? / Like I do

Best Friend - Ingrid Michaelson

It’s the friends to lovers angst of it al

I keep my mouth shut tight / 'Cause I won't want to lose what's not even mine

Love You Like That - Dagny

Blair Fell First™

I know when I say it, it doesn't say enough / With you close, I'm the happiest I ever was / I tend to avoid getting emotional / I'm not shutting you out

So Long, Honey - Caamp

And there’s this feeling I get / When you’re in the room / I want you to stay

The One You Love - Passenger feat Kate Miller Heidke

Another insert because the VIBES. Something something pure & simple love etc etc

Oh, and if you find someone / That doesn't undermind you / If you find someone / That doesn't drag behind you

ivy - tswift

I wish to know / The fatal flaw that makes you long to be / Magnificently cursed / He's in the room / Your opal eyes are all I wish to see / He wants what's only yours

Strawberries - Caamp

Be my books, head on your shoulder with damn good looks

Jealous - Ingrid Michaelson

I used to be so sweet / Now I see a change coming over me

High and Low - Joshua Radin

This is technically my addition, but only bc there was already so much Radin. I’m not mad about it.

Don't you worry, now / Don't let life get you down / Just remember you're mine

Sweet Love of Mine - Joy Williams

Another insert from me. Joy Williams post-Civil Wars era is SO underrated and anyways she wrote this gorgeous love song/lullaby to her son who happens to be named Miles which is a coincidence I will milk for all it is worth.

I was broken, I was blind / Lost in a moment I thought I left behind / Then you woke up this dark soul of mine / Carrying a light I thought I'd never find

Me & My Dog - boygenius

I had a fever / Until I met you / Now you make me cool

Any of My Trouble - Sawyer Fredericks

I’ve thought this was a “Dan Humphrey is a giant sap” song for quite a while but it didn’t feel right on my other playlist(s)...THIS one though…

So set my heart down in the cold / Let it freeze so I will know / How it feels to be shattered / When you go

Missing You - Ingrid Michaelson

Never, you said this had dan/nate vibes so now everytime I listen to it that’s what I think…I may just have to write a fic about it and it’ll be YOUR FAULT <3

I'm in his bed again / Feeling like a stranger / When he's kissing me, I'm missing you

Hate You - Ingrid Michaelson

Okay normally 2 consecutive tracks from the same artist feels Wrong to me but here I think it works.

So much swirling up inside my head / Of what I didn't do or what I should have said

Skinny Love - Bon Iver

I tell my love to wreck it all / Cut out all the ropes and let me fall

Stay Down - boygenius

Wasn't a fighter until somebody told me / I had better learn to lean into the punch / So it don't hurt as bad when they leave / There you were, turning your cheek

Walking on a String - Matt Berninger & Phoebe Bridgers

I knew that I was dead before you touched my lonesome skin / You're never running out of ways to worm your way back in

Hey Kid - Ingrid Michaelson

This song was not one of your og Ingrid recs, but I thought it fit, so it had to go in here.

These arms and this heart / They are the only things that I have left to give

Little Giant - Roo Panes

Have the heart of a giant, but know you're a man / Start small, grow tall

By and by - Caamp

Just wish I'd spent more time / Listenin’ to her speak her mind

Call It Dreaming - Iron & Wine

Say it's here where our pieces fall in place / Any rain softly kisses us on the face…For all the love you've left behind / You can have mine

Today - Joshua Radin

it’s got the romance AND the found family

And you are the one I've been waiting for today

Feels Like Home - Caamp

Know that I lived my whole life long / And gave all the love that I could've given

The Muse - The Wood Brothers

Included for many obvious reasons, the title of course, and the dilf!dan of it all

Times like these so sweet and so true / Thinkin’s the last thing that you wanna do

This Is Why I Need You - Jesse Ruben

it’s about how living is hard but this is what makes it worth it.

You are the who, love is the what, and this is the why

My My Love - Joshua Radin

a simple sweet unadorned song. the perfect finale

It's something new because of you

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

I am curious: what are your favorite scenes from your main ships (date, dair, derena...)?

scenes involving milo don't count, sorry!

for me, it's really not just scenes, but body language & just in general, how they are with each other, you know? dan and serena grin at each other and hug SO much, you can tell that being around each other in s1 made them both so happy, and even after that glow fades the way they look for comfort in each other... top level stuff. the way blair looks at dan... we never see her as radiant at any other point. she was not looking at anyone else like this. and gosh, dan and nate. they're both so comfortable around each other that there's absolutely nothing weird about like. discussing that one ex girlfriend whom they both share AND both were in love with. there is literally no other duo who trusts/enjoys each other's company so much that they're comfortable in a love triangle. (probably because they're more in love with each other than with the girl, but that is not the point. or is it?)

anyway, more specific answers. under the cut. this is one of the longest answers i've ever written on this blog possibly but you KNEW that would happen when you sent this ask, didn't you? (affectionate)

derena: i tagged one of my ds reblogs as 'the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one' and like. look at them! this hug from 1x10 kills me in the best way. they are both the literal embodiment of :D when they see each other! i love 1x10 as a whole moment, their entire thing at cotillion is so sweet and they're both so happy. the fact that he is talking about his chemistry teacher during this kiss in 1x07. that bit at the end of 1x05 when they talk about their siblings (being there for their sibling because of fallible parents being a derena parallel makes me simultaneously really sad and really soft, tbh). 1x05 gives me SO MUCH SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT but the way they walk off together arms around each other does something to me - these are two people who are still getting to know each other but who really like what they see, and who trust each other and. are just having a good time together! back when derena was my OTP, the 1x11 "your story's about me?" was absolutely a fave, too, and i still adore it, albeit in a different, more nostalgic way. i like a dan who writes cute stories about serena. no empty shell sabrina van skoneker bullshit. she is so much like you, daniel! you'd be shattered if she did this to you. don't do this to her. tbh, most derena moments from s1 are just A+ romance. the bit in 2x02 in the jitney is so funny, they're SO bad at being exes. the bit in... 3x03 i think?? i don't remember... on the contrary. when they're talking about dan's fling w/ georgina and serena's relationship with carter, the ease with which they talk and how happy/supportive they are of each other's new relationships... yeah. love to see it.

i also really like any instance of them having honest/open conversations. 1x13, talking about how serena is concerned about blair. 1x08, serena talking to dan about feeling jealous of vanessa. this bit from the touch of eva or whatever that episode is. 4x04 i think. this is the conversation everyone is trying to get dan to have and he's avoiding EVERYONE else. derena interactions in 3x21 (can't find a gif right now) - the fact that dan is with serena when her dad abandons them, the fact that he goes all the way there with her. 2x07, "i'm really glad you're nate's friend. he really needs someone like you right now" (though i'm cheating, that's technically a d/n moment too klhdflkgf). there's a bit in s4 where he's advising her against having an affair w/ colin, i don't remember the ep number, but the way he takes her side so easily and naturally and puts due blame/responsibility solely on her professor... yeah. 4x10 i think this ep is?? idk. but like my tags say, im sentimental about this moment because while what dan was doing was irresponsible, sneaking her out of the ostroff, he was the only person in this episode who was actually talking to her and listening to her and taking her seriously. nobody else was doing that!!

i probably have more moments i'm not remembering, but we're only 1/3 into this answer and LOOK AT THE WORDS, good lord, i'm sorry.

dair: my favourite dair episode is hands down despicable b (5x21) which i have heard is an uncommon answer. i just love the conflict resolution of it all, okay!!! 1x04 & 2x08 are like. standard answers any dair shipper will give, and i'm no different. i love dan being able to give blair advice and blair actually taking his advice even though they're not friends yet!!! be right back, yelling at the intimacy of it all!! 5x16, with their getting together (this little kiss and dan being so startled by it), blair admitting a flaw she genuinely does have and dan saying it's not awful because it's her, which is just. romance at its finest. those vows, good lord. 5x18.... they're having fun! blair showing up at the loft in lingerie for dan... the delight on her face.... (i know this moment blows up in their face but when she's there she looks so happy and proud of herself and this was like THE moment when i was like. oh. dair is really the heart of this garbage show huh).

i think for me, the thing that really sells dan & blair together is the serena of it all. both of them love serena more fiercely than anyone else, and that is what brings them together. (fwiw i definitely think nate loved serena this much and this deeply, too; the writers just wanted to pop the serenate balloon, which even i think was extremely unnecessary and ooc.) but (& i have so much meta about this) their relationship grows beyond serena. their entire s4 arc is SO good. i love how comfortable around each other they are, in such an adult way, in the sense of like. they both bring so much stability to each other? morgan tagged this edit "the marrieds" and like. yeah. b offers to help him shave. they're having breakfast & reading the paper together.

all the love declarations we got that weren't a simple 'i love you.' be your charming wonderful self (how could she not love you/ tell me what would make you happy, dan) i told chuck he doesn't have my heart anymore (you spent your life earning the keys to set you free when you were free all along!!!!) dan's pep talk to blair in 5x21 (already linked a gifset earlier, here's another one if you want i guess). there's definitely more... but honestly, the way the dair arc was executed was so good - while i do have my complaints, i also think keeping those aside, it was SO close to perfect. i love dan & blair's banter and gradually becoming closer and closer and closer. it felt very organic and real and GOSH. the way penn & leighton looked at each other while playing dan and blair...... it's just SO MUCH.

date: this is the hardest, because it's. *screams*. maybe you saw me losing my mind over those 2 seconds of nate handing dan a waffle? i love almost every scene with these two, even the hellish s6 breakup scene. my favourite episode for d/n (& also favourite gg episode in general) is 2x06 - i love the homoerotic subtext of it all. nate pretending to be dan because dan's name is the first name that came to his head. dan flirting w/ nate while tied to that thing, in his underwear. them becoming friends. and 2x07 as a follow-up to that! dan getting nate to live in the loft with the humphreys for a while. i am so soft.

4x09 is a terrible episode in general, especially for serena my beloved, but the d/n moments in that one? off the CHARTS. this weird overly macho flirting, in some ways THE most iconic d/n line. this entire finish each other's sentences nonsense. someone (i think it was ana but im not sure?) compared the energy of those scenes i just linked to the book blairenate love triangle resolution, blairena choosing each other over nate in the books, date choosing each other over serena in the show (if only! RIP.) after the saints & sinners ball, this cute little moment of 'youre the only one who understands me. please tell me they went home together. i mean. how could they not have.

3x07, them watching vampire porn together. a tag i used on ao3 (& also on here, once) is 'nate brings out the himbo in dan'. here is a prime example. 'is she levitating?' i don't fucking know, dan, what do you think?? (i was telling my partner that that's what i love abt dair vs date. around blair dan is an intellectual, a librarian, an art historian, a museum curator. around nate it's like dan is competing to be #1 himbo on the show. can my girlfriend actually fly? i don't know, dan. i can't believe you're seriously asking such a question.)

3x12 pep talk. (sorry about the shitty quality!) essentially nate telling dan that he (dan) is hot and that he shouldn't talk himself down so much.

dan making nate gay in his book. you know. his book from which blair found out he was in love with her. nads (who i will not tag in this billion word long gushy meta, because i value her sanity) once called inside "wish fulfilment' and. i mean. yeah

nate checking dan out at the derena wedding continues to be hilarious. hilarious in the same way as dan sexually fantasising about nate. canon really went 'let's give ivy some special easter eggs' and i appreciate them a lot!

i love the way they are around each other - so quietly attuned to each other. i showed my sister my date!husbands gifset, and she was like. yeah they're so married. and it's just stuff like how dan looks for nate over his shoulder, it's not even an active action, it's as easy and natural and intuitive as breathing, checking to see if nate is still there.

oh, that wasn't as hard as it could've been! okay. cool. im SURE there's more things i could scream about, because it's DN, the fact that they're non-canon makes me THAT much fiercer about them than dair/derena, to be honest. so many dots to connect!! anyway.

[transcognizi]

if its okay, train lore (both crews) hcs?

IS THAT WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT-

I'm doing Cyril's crew first because these are technically canon when I say them:

The Engineer only wears her coat to look cool and for the autism. When she's actually working, she's dressed more like a lumberjack lesbian and Yes, It Is Hot.

The Inspector actually spends most of their time reading. They have lots of books, some old faves brought in their bags from NM, some they've gotten at other planets, some they borrow from the other crew members!

I am thinking about The Pilot's gay little book club we talked about daily.

At least half of The Pilot's scars are because Ben got hungry again. It doesn't even ask. Just comes in and starts rooting around for organs in there. He doesn't mind, so long as he's not the one to clean it up after everything regenerates and he's up and going again.

The crew members I mentioned that Cyril doesn't like actually are the only ones who don't have some form of immortality, so I guess they're right to be distrustful.

Ben is technically Space Australian.

NOW for my headcanons about Jinx's crew:

JINX MY BELOVED I just think she's great,, I like to think sometimes she tries to teach Cyril the dances she knows and they're Horrible at it but this is fine,

I love Reggie so much and I like to think about it and Cyril making things in the kitchen when they're visiting!!

SHRIMP LYF I'M THINKING ABOUT THEM... They've got antennae and I like to think the antennae move with their emotions. Like they get excited and the antennae are just like !!! straigh up OR when they get said and the antennae go down like cat ears. THINK ABOUT IT.

I am thinking about Jinx and Hereward's sparring practise. I am also thinking Hereward is a himbo.

THINKING ABOUT ULYSSES REMINDED ME OF THE POLYCULE AND NOW I'M THINKING ABOUT IT... THE VIBES...

SPEAKING OF. Aldwing my beloved <3 I think they should be allowed in the gay little book club when they learn Basic. Maybe even sooner if Ivy can translate.

[danijimenezv]

Ma’am, I saw Sara ask a few writers about their E x MC weddings and I got curious about Jill, so now I have to ask

1. How touchy are they on their wedding day? Affectionate or more subdued because all of their family is there?

2. Is Louise there?

3. Do they sneak away during the reception for a quickie?

4. When do you see them getting engaged?

5. How long of an engagement do they have?

6. Is Ethan into planning it or does he let Jill do whatever she wants? Or does he only care about the "important" things?

7. Do they have any fights about the wedding? Like little baby fights

8. Where do they go for their honeymoon?

9. Do either of them cry during their vows? Or the first dance? Or the speeches?

10. Best man and maid of honor?

Anon, I love you for asking about my babies, I could talk endlessly about them! Also yes, I believe @thesassywitchofthenortheast started the wedding fever in the fandom 😂❤

1. How touchy are they on their wedding day? Affectionate or more subdued because all of their family is there?

They are all handsy. Jill tends to be a bit more subdued when she's around family because they are all about formality and stuff, but it's hers and Ethan's day and she can't bring herself to care about anything else. And Ethan is still processing that he got her as his freaking wife. So yes, super handsy

2. Is Louise there?

Yes and no. She doesn't attend their wedding, but she stops by at some point to wish them the best and to see her son on his happiest day.

3. Do they sneak away during the reception for a quickie?

They do 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ but only a couple of people notice their disappearance

4. When do you see them getting engaged?

About a year after OH3, when they are 39 and 29

5. How long of an engagement do they have?

I'd say about a year long

6. Is Ethan into planning it or does he let Jill do whatever she wants? Or does he only care about the "important" things?

He practically lets Jill do whatever she wants, because he knows his fiancee is a perfectionist and already had a lot of things envisioned years before he popped the question, and he wants her to have her dream wedding. Though, Jill runs everything by Ethan, to make it feel like they're planning it together, and Ethan indulges her most of the times

7. Do they have any fights about the wedding? Like little baby fights

I don't see them fighting about anything. Jill has a very classic taste that goes well with Ethan's taste, so I think everything goes smoothly for them (and also the fact that Ethan just wants to see her happy so he goes with whatever she says). Maaaaybe the only thing I see them disagreeing on is the amount of guests

8. Where do they go for their honeymoon?

Costa Rica baby 💁🏻‍♀️ my country. The Papagayo Peninsula is stupidly stunning! Or maybe Nosara, which is my fave vacation spot. Still to be decided, but definitely Costa Rica 💕

9. Do either of them cry during their vows? Or the first dance? Or the speeches?

Not during the vows, but Ethan lets out a few tears during their first dance as spouses, and Jill cries like a baby after the speeches

10. Best man and maid of honor?

This is still undecided, and I might need help plotting this so I'll summon @jamespotterthefirst, @aestheticartsx, @liaromancewriter or anyone who wants to help me figure it out 😂. I feel the slight obligation to pick either of Jill's sisters, she's closer to Ivy than to Kat, but I also see Sienna being a great potential and kinda want her to be. For Ethan, I picture him growing really close to Tobias again (after they fix things, of course) and growing close too to Jill's older brother Luke (because they are the same age), but there's also Naveen, and Bryce (they technically are in laws and they become bros, even if Ethan would never ever admit to it). So who knows, I need help

[gotolunarvalleys]

fave taylor song babe?

The hardest question EVERRRR! Okay technically it’s august that’s my #1. But honorary mention to: I wish you would, cruel summer, the other side of the door, enchanted, you are in love, treacherous, right where you left me, ivy, holy ground, dancing with our hands tied

[third-rail-vip]

fic writer interview

Tagged by @adventuresofmeghatron

I’m late so you’ve probably already done this but tagging:  @laurelsofhighever  @tanaleth  @asaara-writes  @allisondraste  @pchberrytea  @red-hot-chili-tiefling

Thank you for tagging me!  Sorry it’s taken me forever, my imposter syndrome has been laughing loudly in my face at the idea of being considered a ‘writer’.  Please, come in, sit down and have a look see at my complete lack of process or general idea of what’s going on :) 

Name:  Ginger

Fandoms:  Fallout 4 currently.  Dragon Age a while back.

Where you post:  I put all my full fics on AO3 and if it’s a shorter one then I post the whole thing here on tumblr too.  If it’s giant then I post a snippet here with a link to AO3.

Most Popular One-shot:  Based on kudos The Wanderers - yeah i’m surprised too.  It was my first venture back into writing after taking time out and it was a whole new fandom and a game I was new to.  It was a fun silly little exercise in me learning my new otp and working out their fairly early days dynamic.

By comments, it’s Complicated.  I’d had that one in mind for a while before writing it (probably why it took 4 rewrites before it felt how I wanted it to).  It’s a good bit of post-feral encounter wound tending and hurt/comfort with some feels starting up (or becoming harder to deny).

Most Popular Multichap:  I don’t have any multichapter fics any more.  Once upon a time I had a Dragon Age Origins one.  I’m not good at the commitment of multichapter.  I made it 14 chapters into that one and it took me so long to drag myself out of Lothering I took it out back and shot it.

My Fallout one shots are part of an ongoing series - Then I Met You - which is a series of snapshots of Ivy and MacCready relationship (it’s still in pre-relationship stages right now).  It’s mostly character driven rather than main plot driven, but it does fit within the fallout 4 canon with some backstory and timeline canon divergence.

Favourite story you’ve written so far:  You know what, it’s my least popular Fallout one, but I have a soft spot for Blood & Rain.  It’s the second one I wrote and it’s Ivy’s pov with a hint at her pre-war life (she’s a non-canon origin sole survivor).  I got to indulge myself in writing descriptions and some action - my old faves from when I used to write (pew pew is way harder to write than stab stab).  It’s also got a really important bonding moment between Ivy and MacCready.

Fic you were nervous to post:  Every damn one.  Sharing anything you’ve made really is putting a little piece of your heart out on a platter for everyone to see and waiting to see what will happen to it.   I guess The Wanderers was extra nerve wracking because it was the first thing I wrote after telling myself I’d never go back to writing, it was kind of a make or break experiment.  Blood & Rain because of the potentially triggering material, hoping I’d touched personal subjects with enough sensitivity but also still telling the story I needed to.  

How do you choose your titles:  hahahaha WELL, I finish faffing with the main story in AO3 and then am outraged that I’m expected to have a name ready before I can post it.  Honestly though, I’ve no formula.  They all have working titles in google docs which tend to be either a vague description of what’s happening, or a song title/lyric that’s running through my head while I write.  Like, the current fic I’m working on is ‘mass pike pt 2’ which is a useless title since the part 1 was actually called Gunners & Grudges.  And I won’t know until posting day what I’m going to call it.  

I did put some serious thought into a title for my series - Then I Met You.  I was cycling through song lyrics or things that might be a general vibe for them but settled back on one line from MacCready’s final affinity chat, “then I met you”. And it just fit so well.  Meeting each other is a turning point for both of them; whether you just look at it as making a friend in the wasteland, or finding some direction after drifting for too long, or there finally being a glimmer of hope after a long time in the dark (this all counts for both of them), something changed when they met.  

Do you outline:  Sort of.  I have a massive ‘fallout notes’ document where i just jot down whenever i have an idea of something i want to write, or just random bits of dialogue that spring into my mind (that may never see the light of day again).  From there, if I want to expand them I tend to bullet point with plot ideas, more dialogue, key backstory or important things I want to cover.  I tend to have multiple fics I’m doing this with at once and I bounce between them depending on where my mind has drifted off to that day.  By the time I actually come to write something, I tend to have a lot of notes to work from, in fact quite often I have to cut back on all the ideas I wanted to cram in and some things get slotted back into the giant fallout doc for future reference.

Complete:  I only have one shots, so technically they’re all complete and can be read, for the most part, individually without you needing to have read the others.  They will make sense, there might just be some context from previous one shots in there.

In progress:  Then I Met You is an ongoing series for my Mac x Ivy one shots.

Prompts?:  I do put prompt list out there for Mac x Ivy when my brain isn’t cooperating and I feel like a need a little extra inspiration.  For the current series I’m hoarding them and working them into the context one shots I have planned.  Pretty much all my Dragon Age Origins one shots over on AO3 were prompt fills.

Upcoming work you’re most excited about:  Ugh guys we’re getting close to them getting together territory and boy do I wish my brain was being cooperative so I could get these couple of stories in between down on the page and could start working in earnest on those ones.  There’s a lazy morning in bed after a big party fic I’m really looking forward to writing (I’m looking forward to both tbh) - any excuse to explore stories behind scars and tattoos and I’m there for it.  I’m even getting a commission from the amazing @tarberrymentats  for it *discord wiggle*, so yeah, I’m excited about getting to that one!

Anyway thank you for reading my ramblings x

[voxvulgi]

multiples of 6 - for whoever you think has the best answer including youuuu (you can skip those you don't like xD)

// alright so *cracks knuckles* *puts on accountant hat* *takes out calculator* in 100, the largest multiple of 6 is 96, which has 16 6′s in it. i have 18 muses, but 4 of them are exclusive, so i can stick to the 14 non-exclusive muses and have 2 questions to spare, which i can answer myself

Keep reading

6: do you keep plants? 

“I do. I live alone, so the flat feels dead sometimes. Plants help me feel like I don’t live alone. I do like isolation, but that’s only to a certain extent. Plants are living beings you have to take care of, and they’re a sight for sore eyes, too. I especially like them in the kitchen. When I wake up to make breakfast, the sun is at an angle that pours gold into my kitchen window, and the specific shade of green of their leaves is absolutely gorgeous. I also have a group of small pots to plant thyme and rosemary and such. I could just buy them fresh, but picking your spices yourself every now and again just...engulfs the senses.”

12: what's your favorite planet? 

“When Malik asked me this question and I told him Uranus, he laughed at me for ten minutes straight. At first, he laughed for a few seconds because he thought I was making a joke, but when I told him I was serious, he laughed for the rest of the ten. I really wish scientists just let Uranus be called Ouranos. Did they really not consider that sometime in the future, a girl would tell someone that her favourte planet was your-anus and get laughed at? Rude. But anyway, Uranus is my favourite planet...literally just because it’s pretty. Blue is my favourite colour. Also, it’s the only planet that spins on its side, which was what made me decide that it was more worthy of being my favourite planet than Neptune. Neptune just goes with the flow. Lame, right? Uranus is not like other planets. It’s different. It stays home and eats chicken nuggets instead of going to parties. Also, it was the only planet named after a Greek god instead of a Roman one, and when I found that out, I was like finally, and I just made it my favourite planet.”

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

“I live with my cousins, alright? They own a pub. So, basically, we live upstairs, and the pub is downstairs and open until late. My cousins don’t have a problem with this because they set their won work hours and wake and sleep as they please and all, but I have to attend work with the local herbalist sometimes because she trains me. So, one night, the pub was open well after the usual closing time because some man was getting married in a few days and wanted to celebrate with his friends. I’m not the kind of person to tell people how to live their lives and how late to go to bed, but I was irritated and went downstairs to ask my cousin when this would be over. You know, just so I could get a good idea of when I’ll finally be able to sleep. When I got there, the man to be married was flirting with the barmaid. I would have ignored it, but she looked terribly uncomfortable. I told him off first, and it didn’t work-- obviously. So I went back to my room and gathered some leftover poison ivy powder. I went back downstairs, flirted with him, and unbuckled his belt in front of all his friends. They ooh’ed and ahh’ed because they’re idiots, then I tugged on the back of his waistband and left him with poison ivy all over his arse. I waited until his face twisted and he started drunkenly panicking, then I left. That man didn’t know I’m related to the owners since my cousins are white and all, so there was no harm done to the pub’s reputation, but my cousins and the pub workers -- even the barmaid -- now keep asking me not to hide poison ivy in their pants whenever I look even mildly disapproving.”

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?

“I’d trust Alan with every one of my secrets. Except if I do something that isn’t actually worrying but I think might worry him anyway. Because he’s a worrier. That’s not technically a secret.”

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

“Look, I think everyone has been truly scared. There’s always a moment in their life that really scares them, and just because it isn’t as scared as they can psychologically be doesn’t mean it wasn’t true scared. So yes, I have been truly scared. The most scared I’ve ever been was, obviously enough, when I got the phone call from my mother about Joseph.”

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now?

“Branches. They’re upbeat but at the same time make me feel calm and relaxed, which is thankfully my mood in general.”

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!

“My favourite coffee shop is a block down from my work. I rarely take work there, usually just buy a coffee and leave or stay for a while and lounge. It’s my favourite because they make the coffee taste how it smells. If coffee doesn’t taste the way it smells, you might as well be drinking mud water. They practically have walls instead of windows, and there’s this terrace on the second floor. It gives you a good view of the street. Looks best in the morning because there’s a park just a street away and people everywhere. The coffee shop itself -- the interior, I mean -- is just clean and tidy. Their seats are comfortable but don’t look like something a wannabe hippie would own. They like their plants in moderation. Their tables are glass, not metal or wood. They don’t have puns or cheesy quotes anywhere. I like that.”

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?

“My biggest fear was that a dragon would kidnap my mom and hide her in a tower. I thought and still think that my mom is so pretty! So I figured that if a dragon was going to kidnap someone, it would be my mom. I don’t have that fear now, but I’m...well, I’m really afraid of Jace dying.”

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?

“Jenny and Dean last father’s day. Their dad’s already been dead for about a year at that point, but...hell, it’s their dad. I probably looked really sad, too, and he wasn’t even my biological dad.”

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

“I do like poetry. Not big on the older stuff, mostly because of the language barrier. The modern stuff is easier to understand. I actually prefer confessional poetry because it’s like looking into the dark corners of someone’s mind, and not in this romanticised way. Not for me, at least. This certain kind makes me feel seen because when someone shares their experiences from behind their own eyes, in their own shoes, they experience emotions and thoughts that are so raw and human that I feel less alone reading them. I haven’t read that much, to be honest, so I don’t have favourites. I’ve only read the more popular ones that have been coming out in the past decade, so I think picking a favourite is unfair because my pool is so small.”

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? 

“I don’t know. I’ve never worn a flower crown, but I suppose that if I were given one, I’d like for it to have a good amount of leaves along with the flowers. Green is my favourite colour. The flowers can be anything, but I think open ones look better. Maybe daisies-- they sound perfect. Yellows and pinks and reds would be welcome, too, as long as there’s a good amount of white daisies.”

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it?

“I would not say I forget easily, but I note everything down, just in case. Some things are too important to get wrong, while others just cause avoidable inconvenience. It helps me organise my time and prioritise, too, so I just opt for making notes.”

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?

“Fanclub! They’re very cute. I only saw them in that movie called Despicable Me. Most of the time, Ivan and I aren’t allowed to use the TV, but it was on one of the days we were allowed, so we watched it. I liked it a lot. The minions are so full of energy and happy and stuff.”

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?

“Ooooh, yes!! I’m gonna get a bunch of tattoos! They won’t be anything fancy, though. Just some stars and smiley faces here and there. They’ll all be in colour. Nothing black or white. There’s probably gonna be some small dinosaurs. And music notes. Oh, and rocket ships! I’ll just get a tattoo every time I think of something. They’ll be small. Like, and inch or something, so there’s plenty of room!”

90: talk about one of your favorite cities.

“Paris is my favourite city. The thing about it is...it loves you. That’s how I can describe it. It’s a very old city, okay? A lot of shit went down in it. There were wars and revolutions and all that. I admit that I don’t know much about the historical details because I sucked ass in history class, but I just feel like Paris was founded on fighting, and people fight for their rights and the things they love. So...I think that every building in Paris was made with love and built with a purpose. I don’t like New York because I feel like it just wants to eat you. Paris loves you. I’m very appreciative of that, and I’m appreciative of the buildings most of all. Especially the old ones are gorgeous. I try to incorporate as much of Paris into my architecture models as I could.”

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?

“Not really quickly. If I just got on my computer and it tells me it needs to update, I wait until I’m done with my task before I update it. Otherwise, it’ll keep bothering me about it, so I just like to get it over with. Similar thing with my phone. I postpone the update until bedtime then let it update while I sleep. No need to let it disturb the flow of my day, you know? But I’m still gonna do it. I’m not a big procrastinator.”

[annavolovodov]

ya girl saw the downton movie and has some Thoughts

if you followed me at all from 2011-2015 then you'll know i am firmly Team Downstairs and did not want this movie to happen, just so you all know what position i'm coming from here.

everything below is gonna be spoilery af. if you haven't seen it yet and want info just hmu. if you have seen it and want to talk about it please message me bc i’m always up for chatting about Downton.

okay but the title sequence with the music building and cresting as we come up over the hills and get our first shot of downton... goosebumps. tbh i don't know shit about film making but i can't fault the technical aspects (costumes, music, cinematography). the impact of the increased budget was felt from the very first second.

for the plot i’m gonna split things by character to make it easier. i’ll probably go to see it again and maybe after that i’ll have some deeper Thoughts but i missed being able to liveblog during the film so enjoy my rambling first reactions.

upstairs peeps

everything with violet was iconic. i'm glad that they didn't neglect her relationship with isobel and ofc maggie and imelda played fantastically off each other. pretty much everyone has already highlighted the scene with violet and mary at the end and it tied things up perfectly between them. violet and mary are so so similar and violet has been pushing for her to inherit since before S1. the movie showed us that mary is basically running the estate even if she doesn't get the the title and i can totally see why violet is confident in the future of downton now. that being said, i don't think violet will actually die. maggie has been talking about leaving since 2012 and fellowes obviously put this in as a get-out clause for her should she want to go, but i reckon they’ll convince her to do more. if carson's palsy can be mysteriously cured, so can violet's conveniently vague illness.

i already knew that robert and cora weren't gonna be in it much, but i wish we could've seen cora finding out what was happening with edith and helping her out. it wouldn't surprise me if there was a deleted scene there cause that whole storyline felt a little disjointed. i completely forgot that cora knew about the pregnancy and was so confused at how the queen foud out about it all. i don't think we got anything in robert and cora's bedroom, or anything with cora/baxter and robert/bates, which would've also been very welcome but i guess they can only fit in so much.

onto mary: this may be an unpopular opinion but god i miss her long hair. yeah i know it wasn't the style of the time but her wig in this one was tragic and they need to fix it. i absolutely love that t*lbot didn't exist for a solid 95% of this movie and mary got her rightful place ruling downton. i wouldn't say i’m the biggest mary fan but her arc felt like one of the more satisfying ones of the movie imo.

as someone who has been firmly #teamedith from day one i am delighted to see my girl happy and successful. literally all her outfits were A+ and not to be gay on main but those scenes of her in her nightclothes getting ready for bed gave me my rights. i’m sad that she seems like she's either given up her magazine or has less of a role in it now based on what they said outside???? she did seem unsatisfied with aspects of her position so hopefully she'll go back to doing some writing and publishing cause that was a good fit for her, and if edith and bertie are “modern” enough to travel without servants surely edith moving away from traditional grand lady duties and back to her magazine that wouldn't be an issue. 

the mention of sybil being gone seven years? yeah. thanks for the pain. tom accidentally saving the monarchy on no less than two occasions is the ultimate "congratulations you played yourself" moment but the fact he thought the army had sent someone to check up on him is the level of republican i'm trying to be on. i'm a bit ehhhh on his relationship with lucy, mainly cause i'd rather the screentime given to the newbies had went to established characters. but like sybil/tom was a wholeass epic romantic slowburn spanning several years through a war and across class divisions n shit and meanwhile lucy/tom have known each other for forty eight hours and had three conversations in a hallway so like obviously that’s just gonna pale in comparison????? like it just is???? i guess i don't hate it but it just was a bit unnecessary and the time coulda been spent on better things.

isobel didn't have all that much to do on her own but i appreciated her scenes with violet and i love that she was the one to figure out that lucy was lady whatever's daughter. penelope wilton's facial expressions during some of the exchanges with violet were great. i see lord merton has also undergone a miraculous recovery from his apparently serious anaemia but he also didn't appear much which was a big win for me!

team downstairs aka the ones i turned up to see

as a downstairs supremacist who has watched the screentime distribution in previous fifty two eps of the show, it’s fair to say i had low expectations going in. i expected a grand total of 10 minutes for the servants combined and i think that's why i was unexpectedly happy with what we got. ideally we would've ditched the subplots involving the personal lives of the royals and all the stuff w imelda staunton and her maid but oh well it could’ve been worse and i'll take any breadcrumbs i can get. anyway i'm eagerly awaiting the team downstairs cut of the film one of yall will hopefully make when the dvd comes out. the only part that was far, FAR too upstairs heavy for me was the last sequence of the film after the royals left and i think we would've benefitted from rounding things off with team downstairs after the ball.

so i guess retirement magically cured the palsy carson had, but i guess after matthew’s miraculous recovery anything can happen at downton when it comes to health. Fellowes is getting a free pass for retconning this one cause i cba with more death/loss. mary going to carson for help and him immediately coming to her aid was very sweet. kinda wish we'd find out what he was up to post-Downton (except for his gardening) tho.

i was expected zero carson/hughes content in this movie and yet !!!! and yet!!!!!! we were somewhat well-fed. like carson (incorrectly) thinking he can control the other servants and mrs hughes' "oh that went well charlie, start as you mean to go on" hdjksjs i love them. and the lil scene in their cottage ugh. also we got more of them using their first names and yeah i guess that makes sense given they've been married for a while now but as i said, i had low expectations.

mrs hughes is still like the best person ever but wbk. her vs. the royal housekeeper = iconic. i kinda felt bad for royal whatsherface in some ways because she clearly didn't know who she was up against THE elsie hughes who has vanquished much scarier foes in her time. the other servants were never gonna win that battle.

the 0.5 seconds of baby bates *chef's kiss* perfection. god i am slightly bitter it was only 0.5 seconds given the fuckin multiseason journey leading up to his birth. tbh we should've ditched everything involving the personal lives of the rando new characters and let baby bates have some of that time but fellowes loves upstairs too much to let that happen. the small interaction was adorable though and i'm glad the mention of his name was subtle enough that we can retcon it cause i truly believe anna and bates would've came up with a more creative choice than that. genuinely i'm so curious about their whole living situation and how they cope with a smol child while working full time but i doubt fellowes even considered that so y’know. what can we do. i enjoyed the breadcrumbs but i wanted more.

i did go into this film with the mindset of "something awful will probably happen to anna or bates," cause that's what usually happens in these things but plot twist!!!! we saw them smile on multiple occassions!!!! what a nice change for us all! i swear every time anna bates smiles an angel gains their wings. her scenes with mary were good and i'm happy their friendship made it into the film. you know what else i was happy to see? the EXTREMELY UNDERRATED brotp between anna and baxter. there was a couple of moments with them standing next to each other or talking to each other and it warmed my heart. like yass two of my fave people are friends. it's a big win for me. 

i'm sure i read something about brendan being involved in another project which meant he couldn't film too much (i'm curious to whether this impacted the lack of baby bates scenes?) and while it's true that bates didn't have a ton of scenes, i didn't feel like he was absent which was good.

thomas had the best storyline imo. i don't blame him for being angry that mary brought in carson and it was actually very iconic of him to go off in the library like that. i found it hilarious that while everyone else was panicking at downton he went off on gay adventures. i really wish we'd gotten this "thomas makes a gay friend then discovers the village's underground gay scene THEN gets a boyfriend" in the show cause that would've been SO MUCH BETTER than some of the other stuff that got stretched out across the last couple series (like the love quadrangle with daisy/ivy/alfred/jimmy). like, imagine thomas’ movie plot as a series-long arc. the impact. i liked the guy that was his maybe-boyfriend and i hope any continuation keeps that relationship going.

mrs p and daisy continue to be the mother-daughter duo of the century. i thought both of them were supposed to be moving to the farm post-S6 but i suppose that would've meant they wouldn't be in the film hence why it didn't come to fruition. i guess they could all move once daisy and andy get married. mrs patmore didn't get a great deal to do but i still feel like i saw her a fair amount. comrade daisy was awesome and is definitely me when i see any monarchy-related stuff. somewhere over the last few seasons she's developed into one of the most interesting characters in downton and we don't talk about that enough. andy trashing the boiler was immature af but at the same time i feel like it completely makes sense for daisy to take that as a compliment. it’s just such a daisy thing to do?????

now, there is one thing i kinda fucked up here. while i went into the film with low expectations for everyone else, i fully expected baxley to be A Thing because how could i not and boy did i come out looking like boo boo the fool. i guess baxter and molesley have continued the tradition of Agonisingly Long Downstairs Slowburns which would be okay if we were still getting one season per year but is quite frankly rude when we're on rationed content like this. the first half of the film i thought it was gonna be revealed that they were together or something but then that scene at the end implied they're dancing around each other and my god is it frustrating. i would give so much to trade tom and lucy's romantic subplot for a baxter/molesley one but once again i know that's an unrealistic dream.

definitely not enough baxter in general but that one shot of her, anna and mrs hughes standing in the same frame was worth the price of my cinema ticket. still love molesley even tho he's a monarchist.

in terms of the overall downstairs stuff, i'm euphoric at seeing all these people interact with each other again. as we all know, found family is the best trope and since the servants are literally the epitome of that every moment focussed on them is like chicken soup for my weary soul. was the revolution against the royal servants realistic? no. was it realistic for the two people who came up with most of the plot to be the ones who went to jail for doing literally nothing wrong and would therefore want to avoid stuff that could get them in trouble with an all-powerful family? also no! however, seeing downstairs all working together for a common goal is content that appeals directly to me and i am thankful.

shoutout to the last scene which is the best way the movie could've ended it for me. use of first names AND walking home together? thank u fellowes.

tldr; team downstairs fan who was strongly anti-movie, went in with low expectations, was pleasantly surprised.  there are a shit ton of things i’d change but i just really loved seeing these characters who all mean so much to me again. obviously the only reason this film happened was for financial reasons rather than a desire to continue the storyline (cause the finale tied things up perfectly imo) but i wish they'd done a two-part miniseries instead to ensure everyone gets some screentime. two ninety minute specials every few years would work much better if everyone wants to keep downton going but i guess that doesn't bring the cash in like a movie does.