#kind of crackship type background relationships

[bluestrawberrybunny]

To start this post off: I know this seems like a weird crossover fic; HOWEVER, warning before people begin reading: this fic contains major character death, mentions of su*c*de, SA, s*x and s*x work, murder, blood, abandonment, child neglect, child ab*se, and emotional ab*se. If any of these make you uncomfortable, I would suggest finding another fic to read.

While this crossover seems really weird to some readers at a glance, this is a very serious fic that covers the topics mentioned above.

Ok… I am having some issues with the Apprenticeship AU (specifically dealing with writer’s block), but this is an AU and crossover fic I have not been able to stop thinking about. There are planned to be 15 chapters in total. First chapter is out now. It’s something that I really like, and I can’t wait to work on this story moving forward while I figure out how to tell the story I am wanting to with the SMG4 Apprenticeship AU.

So in the meantime, I’m going to be updating this one a lot more frequently during my recovery time from eye surgery, so… yeah.

No, I have no abandoned the Apprenticeship AU (and I am also planning on posting both fics on AO3 eventually, but I was writing them originally on WattPad so… yeah. Give me time to put those on AO3 for those who don’t have WattPad).

Basic rundown of this Space Pirates AU:

Crossover between SMG4, TMNT 2012, BABQFTIM (only Quest!Cuphead and Quest!Mugman are in this fic tho and no I do not support the original AU’s creator), Cry of Fear, Borderlands, and my OCs in a scenario inspired by the show Firefly.

This takes place during TMNT 2012 Season 4, when the group is in space (duh). This AU deals with very difficult topics, especially when regarding how I feel about a certain character from the 2012 series *cough* April *cough* and how she was handled, especially with her relationship to other characters, especially when one of the characters canonically died on screen from her hand.

Basically, this is a “What-If” scenario with a lot of angst, but also a fun found family story surrounding our lovely pirate crew, as well as a fun twist that is revealed at the end of the first chapter and will be explained more throughout the fic.

Again, I know this seems like it would be a crack fic, but it is taken seriously and I am actually taking this story seriously. To be honest, if this story wasn’t so rooted in the story of TMNT 2012 season 4, I would likely take this and make it its own thing. However, I do hope people do give this fic a shot (unless any of the topics I mentioned at the very top of this post make you uncomfortable, in which case I am perfectly fine with you skipping this one for your own mental health).

So… yeah. This is not a crack fic. It’s just me telling a story with a bunch of different characters from different continuities as if they’re all from the same one.

[threewaysdivided]

I posted 353 times in 2022

That's 114 more posts than 2021!

79 posts created (22%)

274 posts reblogged (78%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@threewaysdivided

@sapphireswimming

@doodly-doop

@redrobin-detective

@2hoothoots

I tagged 353 of my posts in 2022

#young justice: deathly weapons - 97 posts

#3wd - 93 posts

#art - 70 posts

#danny phantom - 38 posts

#3wd answers - 34 posts

#writing update - 33 posts

#dc comics - 30 posts

#young justice - 27 posts

#batman - 23 posts

#chapter 19 - 22 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#which is how you get things like token ‘girlboss’ moments for female characters who are still written in fundamentally chauvinistic ways; or 

From this post

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

@thecatlounge​ asked: I just read that ask about Vlad that you did and was wondering if you had any thoughts about Jack and Maddie. They have clear love for there kids and when they know they are in danger they will drop everything for them, but they also don't notice when there is somthing wrong going on.  Valerie would be another good one, though I think that she mostly framed around how whe is manipulated by others (like Vlad).

(the Vlad ask)

So, I have quite a few thoughts on Maddie and Jack, and they’re probably some of the most complex.

I’ve talked about this before but one of the quirks/ bugs/ features of Danny Phantom’s tumultuous production and at-times-contradictory canon is that there can be multiple disparate readings that are all somewhat supported.  And no more is this true than for the (nominally) good Doctors Fenton.

Let’s talk about the meta-side first because it’s kind of fascinating.

See the full post

87 notes - Posted August 26, 2022

#4

Decided to update the original FFN-style ‘book cover’ art for my fanfic Young Justice: Deathly Weapons. 

It’s fun to see how the visual identity of this fic has evolved from when I first came up with and posted the initial idea (right) to now (left) that it has a fully-detailed plan that’s developed a vibe of its own.

[Art pieces inside the background-portals can be seen here and here.  Teaser summary for upcoming “episodes” here.]

See the full post

101 notes - Posted December 11, 2022

#3

@kaiobeast asked: So, in YJDW, Danny is still very much a solo-hero type. I imagine that's going to potentially cause some issues down the road, both with learning how to work as an equal with other supers and bonding with them since his own hero development is so different from the Team's. No mentor, the discomfort that the nature of his powers can cause, the mixed history he DOES have that's public knowledge, and the lack of real exposure to the rest of the superhero sphere of influence.

(Young Justice: Deathly Weapons)

So this is interesting because you're completely right; those are things that should complicate Danny's interactions (and potential integration) with established heroes and hero teams.

However, the specifics of Danny's circumstances and road to joining the Team in Deathly Weapons kind of alleviate or sidestep a lot of those potential issues. At cost of giving him a new catalogue of complexes to deal with but beggars can't be choosers.

See the full post

104 notes - Posted October 9, 2022

#2

I don’t have many strong thoughts about Danny x Kaldur outside of it being a rarepair crossover crackship with the potential to be cute.

However,

Deeply Disappointed that the ship name isn’t Sleeping With the Fishes.

118 notes - Posted August 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

@kaiobeast​ asked: So, I've noticed that DP fans and authors have a sliding scale for Vlad. They vary from "haha look at poor little meow meow who fails at everything" to "Vlad is an absolute psycho and the Fenton parents are criminally negligent for allowing him near their kids". I'm very curious as to how you view Vlad and his relationship with Danny because that variance is so huge, and since it kind of slides between the two in canon as well.

Ah, Vlad.  Perpetual runner-up of Dracula lookalike contests, consistent bronze medallist in the race for most-culturally-relevant-Vladimir, and called by the internet everything from Psychopath to Meow Meow to I regretfully inform you Daddy.

One of the things that makes interpretations of Danny Phantom characters more fluid/variable than others is that (as you said) canon can be rather slide-y at times - something which lends itself to multiple quasi-canonical potential readings.  I think I’ve mentioned before that for me this means I have a bit of an annoying tendency to change my headcanons depending on what best facilitates a given story concept, rather than being wedded to One True Version™.

That said, Vlad is probably the major-character who I have the most consistent read on.

See the full post

276 notes - Posted July 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[miraculousalamode]

Miraculous A La Mode FAQ

welcome to the FAQ! this one is a long one; we wanted to give you as much information as possible! at the current moment, there are three mods taking care of everything here.

what is miraculous a la mode? miraculous a la mode is an event where the most important rule is the fic you’ll be posting with us cannot include the tag Adrien/Marinette, also known as the Lovesquare (or commonly abbreviated to LS). this includes adri(e)nette/marichat/ladrien/ladynoir. this also includes any kwami swaps or reverse crushes.

we want to give pairings (such as marigami, DJWIFI, julerose, marcnath, alyanette) that aren't written about as much a chance to be in the main spotlight for a fandom-wide event!

continue reading to see the entire FAQ!

is this a salt event?

this is not a salt event! this is an event simply catering to lesser-known and lesser-used relationship tags, giving them a chance to shine. we celebrate all aspects of the show here, but for this event specifically we want to focus on all the other ships. rare-pairs, crackships, polyships of all kind are welcome here, too! 

can the polyship include both Adrien and Marinette?

for this event we’re going to have to say no, as it would still be adding to the Adrien/Marinette tag on ao3. 

what’s a rare pair? what is a crack ship?

a rare pair is a ship that does not have a lot of fandom coverage, be it in fic or fanart form. statistically, these are ships that make up for less than 10% of Miraculous tagged ao3 fics. at the 10% threshold, pairing tags become common. as of Oct. 4, 2022 there are 58,267 miraculous ladybug fics, so the 10% threshold would be 5,826 fics. only two ships meet this criteria:

the lovesquare and djwifi. that being said: djwifi is still being allowed, as it is barely a thousand off from being a rarepair, and is only as common as it is because it’s a background pairing. if you exclude all lovesquare fics, djwifi drops down to less than 5% of Miraculous fics. 

examples of other rare pairs would include Felix/Luka (feluka), Chloe/Kagami (chloegami), or Marc/Adrien (adrimarc). 

a crack ship is a ship that is wildly impractical and unexpected, yet equally entertaining and interesting. these are ships that allow fic writers and artists to have fun with tropes. examples of crack ships would include Amelie/Anarka, Jagged/Gabriel, or Juleka/Felix.

i would like to participate! what are my options for participation?

we will have four different applications available:

the mod form will be the first available and will close before we open the writer applications

the writer form will open second, and will be available after mods have been selected. our calendar dates the writer's form opening on december 1st 2022, and will close january 7th 2023.

the beta form will open third, and will be available after writers have started writing. we will be updating this question in the future to represent the actual dates of the applications.

the artist form will open last, and will be available very much after writers have been accepted. our calendar dates the artist's form opening on march 5th 2023, and will close april 8th 2023.

i want to participate as a mod! what type of mods are you looking for?

we are looking for mods who are willing and able to moderate and oversee the following aspects of the event: 

graphics mod that will help make this event come to life! our current artist is a snake with a paintbrush, and while we love him dearly, we’d love someone more capable.

behind-the-scenes administrative on Discord to keep the event going

those with Discord modding experience are preferable, but not necessary.

i want to participate as a writer! what will i need?

you will need an account on discord (you must be 13 or older to create one) so that you can join the server and an ao3 account in order to participate! both of these are free. you will be allowed to post your work on tumblr at posting time as well.

i want to participate as an artist! what do i need?

you will need a discord account in order to join the server, as well as some sort of online posting space such as twitter, instagram or deviantart so you can post your work online!

what is a beta-reader?

for our purposes, a beta-reader is a person who reads the fic before it’s published in order to catch spelling/grammar mistakes, and potentially suggest improvements. there are many different types of beta-readers, and many artists have different preferences on how much help they want to receive.

i want to beta some of these fics that have caught my eye! what do i need?

you will need a discord account in order to contact and communicate with your writer, and some means of sharing the fic between the writer and beta reader. this could be using Google Docs as a means of collaborating, or sharing a Word file back and forth. the specifics of how a writer wants their work to be beta’d will vary from writer to writer, so it’s advised that beta readers are flexible and able to accommodate to the needs of their writer. a strong constitution against typos is also recommended.

i’m a writer; is a beta reader required to participate?

no! sometimes being forced to have another person look over your work can stress a writer out to the point that their creativity is hindered or slowed. having a fic beta’d is a recommendation, but not required for posting. 

i’m a writer; can i bring my own beta?

yes! they are allowed to join the server though it’s not a requirement. if you need any help such as creating a thread within the server for you to use feel free to ask one of the mods.

can i sign up as a writer and then do art for another fic i like?

yes! please read the requirements for participating as an artist further down on the FAQ.

can i sign up as a writer and then do art for my own fic?

yes!

can i sign up as a writer and beta someone else’s fic?

yes! more information about beta-reading will be within the server after everyone has accepted the invites.

how many fics can i sign up with?

you can write a maximum of three. each fic you submit an idea with will get an ID that we will ask you to keep track of so when it is time to advertise your fic for an artist to potentially match with you, we’ll know which fic they’re referring to.

will i get emails about the event?

yes! you will be getting an email from miraculouslagoonevents@gmail.com indicating whether or not you’ve been accepted into the event. please add us to your address book so we don't go into spam.

are multi-chapter fics allowed?

absolutely! the more words the merrier!

is there a minimum word count?

the minimum word count for this event is 5,000 words.

what if i end up writing a fic that doesn’t meet the minimum?

no hard feelings! it’ll still be included in our collection. the goal is just to write non-LS fics, the minimum word count is there to give you a goal to aim for.

what if i don’t finish my fic 100% by the day it’s time to start posting but i want to keep writing it after the fact?

that is fine, you’ll still be included in our collection.

can i collaborate with a friend for this event?

sure! multiple writers can work on a fic together. we will ask on our forms just to keep track of who is working on which fics. have decided on an artist-writer pairing, too? awesome! since the writer application will be first to come out, we'll have a spot in the form for you to write the artist's name down.

is this event nsfw friendly?

absolutely! but you must be 18+ in order to write nsfw for this event. if you are underage and write an NSFW fic in an attempt to add it into our event, you will be banned. there are no exceptions.

i’ve never written a non LS fic before. am i still allowed in? even though i don’t have any references?

absolutely! 

what type of fic isn’t allowed?

fics that are homophobic, transphobic, sexist and racist are not allowed. fics that talk about these topics are allowed, but will have to be tagged appropriately on our forms in order to not trigger any mods handling your fics. content warnings for any of the above must be used on your fics, or serious penalties can arise.

translated fics of existing works are not allowed. 

lovesquare content (adri(e)nette/marichat/ladrien/ladynoir) is not allowed, even as a background pairing.

crossovers are not allowed. this is a miraculous ladybug event only, which means that the popular ship maribat will be disqualified from the event.

although we're not considered a salt event, salt (in moderation) is allowed. please note that extremely salty fics will need to be tagged.

as for fics with suggestive content, we ask that it be tagged properly with any content warnings you believe fits your work, so if you word contains NSFW or violence, we ask that you tag for it on ao3 as well as on your forms so that we do not potentially trigger any mods handling your fics. 

what if LS is at the beginning before one of the two (or both) move onto different ships?

that would still be tagged on ao3 as marinette/adrien, even if it’s not the endgame ship, which is not our goal for this event. that would not be allowed in. this event is to not add any marinette/adrien content to ao3 and end up boosting the numbers.

is gen (non romantic ship) allowed?

absolutely! friendship stories and queer platonic relationships are just as valid as romantic ones!

can i have a miraculous ladybug oc paired up with a canon character as my ship?

yes!

what are ’check-ins’?

check-ins are your way of communicating with mods about your fic(s) progress. for each monthly check-in, we will link a google form where we will ask for your fic’s ID as well as the progress of this fic. questions such as ’have you hit significant progress into completing this fic’ and ’would you like to put a callout for a beta-reader’ will be on the form.

what are fic IDs used for?

organizational purposes, we require fics to have IDs attached in order for the mods to find them easily on the spreadsheet. when we post artist calls, we will be using your ID for the fic in order to entice an artist and/or a beta-reader to potentially work with you— they will show up into the discord with the ID ready and available for us to properly pair you both. that way, you’re still anonymous to the public while you work on your fic, but still get to advertise that this story is potentially on its way.

how much progress should i be aiming for whenever there’s a check-in?

check-ins will be once each month after writers join. each check-in, we ask that you have 20-25% of your fic done.

what are snippets?

snippets are pieces of your story that you’re willing to share on tumblr in order to gain the attention of an artist. when it comes time to share snippets on our blog, we will have more information on how we’d want it to be formatted. 

what are the requirements for the snippets?

standard procedure is a snippet being about 2,000 words long, with a summary at the top as if it were AO3, and relevant tags that you need the artist to know about before potentially selecting your fic to work with. we will have more information on this once it’s time for us to ask for snippets for the blog.

i’ve finished! where do i post my fic/art?

for fics, we ask to post on ao3 since that is our initial goal. we will have a collections available for works completed with our event. we will also reblog it if you post on tumblr, too! for art, wherever you see fit! whether you post it on tumblr, instagram, deviantart, we’d love to see it! we’ll reblog your art onto our blog if you post it onto tumblr.

i don’t have an AO3 account! can i still join?

you’ll have to make one in order to join our event. if you don’t currently have an AO3 account but would like one, you can contact the mods for an invitation code to see if they have any available. you can also add yourself to the AO3 Invites Request queue. it’s recommended you make that account long before you’re ready to start posting.

what does posting look like? do we have to post the whole thing on the day we choose, even if it’s multiple chapters? 

if your work is multichapter, you will not be uploading the whole fic on the same day! we will have a schedule laid out for you to be able to post at minimum once a week until you finished.

how do i know when to post?

you will be provided a “calendar” form when posting date starts to get closer. this will be the day you will post the first chapter of your fic. as long as you maintain a one chapter per week, you are free to post whenever. 

is there a minimum/maximum requirement for my art?

if you pick a fic that is less than 20k words, you will only need to draw one artwork. however, should the fic be longer, we ask that you draw two arts accompanying the fic.

your art piece must be fully completed, with lineart, color, and including a background (as long as it isn't a solid background). if you’ve chosen to work with an NSFW fic, you are not required to draw NSFW.

i’m an artist and i love a fic posted onto the tumblr! how do i claim a fic?

in april, our blog will be circulating anonymous summaries and snippets of stories looking for an artist to draw for it. when you see a post of a story that you find interesting and would like to stake a claim to it, there will be an artist form available for you to fill out. please have all the fic IDs of all the fics you’d like to potentially draw for ready for your form for us to start matching you.

please only claim an NSFW fic if you’re older than 18. if we find out that you’ve lied about your age, you’ll be banned. no exceptions.

how many fics can i claim?

you can claim as many as you would be willing to work with. ideally, if you are capable of drawing what is expected of you, there is a potential of you being selected to draw art for up to three fics. 

as a writer, what if i don’t like one of my fics i proposed? can i drop it?

you will be able to switch out any of your proposed fic with another idea until april, where we will be asking for artists to pick from the selected summaries we’ll be posting on the blog. if you’ve submitted more than one idea, you’re allowed to drop any of them, as long as you still keep one fic, so you can be active in the event.

can i drop out? how do i get banned?

you’re always allowed to drop out. the only way to get banned is if you don’t communicate with any mods of you wanting to drop out. please, just notify us that you wish to leave the event there is no penalty. please keep in mind that while dropping out when you have an artist or a writer working with you on your event piece could be considered rude, we understand if you have an emergency, and you won’t be held hostage to stay.

i have a question that wasn’t answered…

if you’ve got a question we didn’t answer, our inbox is open, so go ahead and ask! 

[rumpsalt]

Please tell me about your Plastic Man x Riddler crackship. Please, I never knew I needed this.

of course!

It originally stemmed from this pannel from the 2018 Plastic Man comics where Plas works at a strip club:

So I, naturally figured "this is silly, what if I made them interact"

but then the more I looked into their characters I noticed the more that they kind of complimented one another, in personality and traits. them being two characters that were never really ever given substantial love interests that cared about them, I immediately latched onto the idea of the two of them. Superficially with this "complimentary" thing, I thought it was a funny coincidence that their suit colour schemes are complimentary. Red and green. Yellow and purple.

if we move on to the personalities/ story lines:

- both have been known to do detective work & with Eel's criminal background and Ed's skill for private investigator type jobs, it's a big potential bonding point

- sometimes Eel is easily impressed, or at least expresses awe more freely & Edward absolutely loves having his ego stroked, Eel would do that constantly

- in most "rehabilitation" comics with Ed, he's often babysat and not taken seriously, but Eel isn't someone that'd treat him that way

- both are eccentric in their actions & expressions of self and I think that'd blend nicely

- they both have generally pathetic love lives and I think it'd be funny to see them fumble around each other

- in most situations (the 2018 Plas comic mostly) Eel denies himself worthy of being with someone because of what he's done & who he was in the past, but with Eddie, he still may feel that way but it doesn't really matter because they've both done bad things and deserve one another & can potentially hold one another in line at least to an extent

- between Plastic Man's constant dumb jokes & puns and the Riddler's riddles I just feel like they'd click

- this one's kinda loose, but I feel like their relationship wouldn't be inhibiting at all to either of them, because Eel really wouldn't care what Eddie does unless people are getting hurt and Ed's (mostly) a fairly harmless villian + even if he's a "hero" Eel's more of a vigilante, and he's still greedy, and you know that if money's involved in something he's gonna end up stealing some just because that's who he is

- they're both clearly bisexual, come on

also to add, not really a reason I've come to ship them, but I have a little headcanon that Eel would buy Eddie a bunch of little puzzle and riddle books, like sudoku, crosswords, cryptograms & forensic mysteries and such, and Eddie really appreciates the gesture, but he flies through them like crazy

for the most part that's what I based them off of ! it's kinda hard to get my exact thoughts to words, and not all of them are there, but in general that's what it is!

I'm sorry it's so long & I infodumped so much, but, truly thank you for asking!! I appreciate it & I'm glad to hear you like it ! 😁👍

If you have any more questions, I'm open to answering/explaining :)

[magmacannon]

OC ask meme lets go 16-20 and 31 & 32

YEEHAW let's do it... these are fun ones thank u

Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)? Best biologist would be Yarrow if he actually focused on it because organic sciences come more easily to him, but also he might not be the best because his focus would be everywhere. Roman is the secondmost likely to do well at it because he's a giant nerd who lives for school and knowledge and just always does that with all his classes.

Any OC OTPs? oOO with my own guys not as much but me and my wife have a few... huge shoutout to the OGs Roman and Vince, still going strong quite literally 14 years now! (Of my own characters besides this I think I'm... forming an otp for two skyship captains... late-middle aged milf rivals is very tempting to me)

Any OC crackships? fjfhd GOOD question. I think Yarrow smash or passing every character I have is very funny as an idea, and maybe the funniest possibility is like. the absolutely world-ending relationships between the primal gods of my setting (the giant 200 mile centipede has the hots for the unknowably huge primal god of earth, go girls!!!)

Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why) Okay choosing one is hard but I've been thinking abt him a lot so it's time to talk abt Yarrow!! Yarrow was the first developed OC that I made that wasn't either Just Me but slightly different (i.e. Roman) or tied/inspired by some sort of media (FR, other games I'd played) and like... idk!!! He's very important to me because of that but because he was the first character that I sat down and purposefully made a detailed background for, and is still one of the few characters I have that is intensely bold and has hard edges to him. He represents overcoming obstacles to me and becoming genuinely good person because you want it even if you're not perfect or 100% successful all the time, and then applying that same grace to others. Also he's fun to get clothes designed for and can be a goofy guy on the side which means I have fun with him in serious and silly situations.

Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)? Of my developed OCs that I can think of off the top of my head, Roman and Yarrow and Sgositova can for SURE sing and do so enough that others would know about it. Roman's a tenor with the best overall vocal skill of the bunch (he can get very loud if he wants to and still sounds pretty good!), Yarrow's a high baritone who has evolved to be a little more smooth jazz than his original voice claims (somewhere in the slider between Michael Buble and Frank Sinatra), and Tova's the worst singer technically with the most gusto and she's a husky-voiced alto (sea shanties will do that). OCs that can sing decently but don't do it often are Rho (higher alto than Tova, could sing lounge jazz if she wasn't shy) and Leynth (tenor as well, beautiful voice but has trouble with breath support and holding a note without accompaniment).

Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really) Gonna pick someone I haven't mentioned as much it's time for Grey because I think his blog would be objectively funny. Grey's blog is aesthetic black and white photos of modern architecture, grandiose party aesthetics, jewelry and suits (with links to buy them that were either there or he added on his own), and advertisements for his own business products (assuming they existed). He'd tag things with a three digit code depending on type and would have everything queued and genuinely it'd be hard to determine whether his account was a personal or company account until one day he posts something notably horny or extremely emotional and then quickly covers it up with about 80 reblogs.

Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why? Roman.............................................................. just because he'd be a miserable little bastard who's nearly crying and says "who's there????" at every noise. Special mention to Dehiscence for being the monster in a horror game tho they'd do well.

[dont-be-so-shy]

I came up with this weird AU. You know how sometimes you read fics where the characters have the same names as canon, and that’s pretty much all the canon compliance there is? Yeah, that’s this. 

Imagine, if you will, a time pre-canon. Perhaps the time that the Justice Society operated, when heroes were new to the world and not completely accepted. Now, do you have that picture in your head? Yeah? Well then welcome to my protégé AU! 

The basis of the protégé AU is that members of the Justice League are now the child sidekicks of their OC or role-reversed mentors, members of the Justice Society. 

For example, Bruce Wayne, Kal-El, and Diana of Themyscira are now teenage besties codenamed Orphan, Superboy, and Wonder Girl, respectively. Their mentors Batman, Superwoman, and Wonder Woman founded the JSA. When Bruce, Kal, and Diana become adults, they’ll found the JLA (named by Dinah Lance, daughter of Black Canary Dinah Drake and sister of Robin Dick Grayson-Lance). 

Getting more into Bruce, Kal, and Diana: They’re basically the Teen Titans but they’re also the animated series Young Justice’s Team, in that they don’t have an official name (other than “mini’s”) and they’re pretty casual, kind of like when your parents go to a house party and leave you with all the other parent’s kids, even though you don’t even know them. A few years after they meet, they start being called the Trinity, because while they may be teenaged hot messes in their private lives, on missions they are a put-together, well-coordinated team who conduct missions with minimum arguing and maximum efficiency. They’re the take-the-world-by-storm types. 

Bruce Wayne is a goth kid with depression who was orphaned at age eight and was adopted by the Batman. Kal-El is a brave, mom friend, big city-raised Krypton-born inviciboy. Princess Diana of Themyscira (secret identity Diana General) is Themyscira’s tragic, kind-hearted princess. Because they’re teenagers, we have all the sexuality and gender angst. Bruce, at least, has figured out that he is very, very gay. In my version, he’s also very, very in love with Hal Jordan (also a teenager). The Trinity all have multiple piercings, Bruce and Diana are tied for the most, Kal has the least. Bruce insists his are just for undercover missions but no one believes him (he’s very I-have-no-emotions in this AU, but he’s also a goth teenager so). Kal and Bruce paint their nails often but Diana does so only very rarely. 

Kal’s background: Kara Zor-El landed on Earth first, on the Kent farm where she was raised by Martha and Jonathan Kent. Martha and Jonathan know everybody’s secret identity and bring baked goods to JSA headquarters every few months. Becoming a journalist after college, she raises Kal-El, her baby cousin. Kara is Kal’s primary caretaker, legally his mother and more like his aunt mentally, while Martha and Jonathan are Kal’s grandparents. Therefore, Kara Zor-El (secret identity Kara Kent) is Superwoman and Kal-El (secret identity Clark Kent) is Superboy. 

Hal Jordan is Martin Jordan’s protégé. Martin Jordan also know as the Green Arrow (yes, Arrow) dies while on a mission with Hal and Hal quits heroing, moving to be raised by his uncle. When he turns eighteen, he becomes a pilot and becomes the first human Green Lantern. 

Mostly because I love crackships, Kal is in a polyamorous relationship with John Constantine and Barry Allen. Yeah, I know. Both Constantine and his mentor (also named John) are incredibly gay and John gets his assholishness from him. But it’s important to me that Constantine and his mentor are the best of friends. Yes, Constantine is like sixteen and his mentor is a full-grown, middle-aged adult, but they’re still really close and almost never argue. Constantine is somehow still a chain smoker and has now indoctrinated Barry into smoking during stressful occasions or at parties (you bet they attend parties, those teenaged heroes). Kal is just trying to get them both to quit. 

It’s also important to me that, similar to Roy Harper in S1 of Young Justice, there are some older but still teenage characters that appear from time to time. In this case, it’s Oliver Queen (I have no idea what his codename will be) and boy king Orin or Arthur Curry. The two are dating and on those relationship dynamic art posts, they would be labeled “One Hot Gay Mess” and “He/They Bisexual”. Guess which is which. 

Dinah Lance, who I mentioned earlier, is little younger than them, just as Oliver and Orin are a little older. 

I’ve also incorporated Vic Stone as a background character. He’s mentor-age, not a teenager and he’s more tech support. The reason for that is that he’s been fighting crime since he become part robot, back when he was a teenager and now he’s kind of (re)tired. Most other heroes his age become heroes on their own when they were adults. He has the most experience (actually he’s tied with Jay Garrick) and he’s the type of hero that seems to have endless wisdom to dispense and very little to say otherwise; someone whose words carry weight. 

Through reincarnation and time travel shenanigans, Carter Hall and Shiera Sanders/Kendra Saunders are reborn many times during this time. Originally, they are mentor-age, a married couple of bird-wing crimefighters, Carter Hall and Shiera Sanders-Hall, but after getting killed they are somehow reborn to be the Trinity’s age, then Dinah Lance’s age. Their legal names after their last reincarnation are Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders. Because of all the Death (with a capital D), they usually only operate under Vixen (who most people agree is the best hero, the myth, the legend). The two live on-base. Understandably, the Trinity are very protective of them and their thirteen-year-old written-in-the-stars puppy love. 

Dick Grayson also exists in this continuity as Black Canary’s protégé whose not a metahuman, just someone who uses Vic Stone’s Canary Cry bombs, and Wally West-Garrick Feels Things for him. Dick is only ten and Wally is around eighteen months older and going through a sexuality crisis. Wally is Jay’s orphaned grandson and at some point Barry had to watch him but also come to a JSA meeting and that’s how Wally learned that Barry was a metahuman superhero. Wally also works as Kid Flash but that’s like twice-a-year rare. (Dinah Drake, Dinah Lance, and Dick Grayson all live and operate in Gotham.) 

J’onn J’onzz is about Orin and Oliver’s age and there is no Martian war, J’onn’s just some random but insanely powerful guy who wants to explore Earth, like some Americans visit Mexico, but then he decided to be a hero so he’s being trained by an alternating roster of Dinah Drake, Kara Kent, and OG Batman, with the occasional tip from resident extraterrestrial expert Hal Jordan. 

Also similar to Orin and Oliver are Ted Kord and Michael Carter, two eighteen-year-old time travelers. Honestly, no one’s sure what’s going on with him, or even how old they are at any given time. The JSA just figured “hey, they’re not actively fucking things up” and lets them be. (Because, they, unlike a certain someone, don’t fuck up the timeline enough to create an alternate universe, Barry.) Vic Stone occasionally time travels with them. The mini’s love them. Ted and Michael are very much in True Love and very cute and everyone is jealous and pissed off at their cuteness except Orin and Oliver who are also very cute. Roy Harper is a four-year-old originally found by Martin Jordan, Orin, and Oliver on a mission raiding a Luthor base (the theory is he was being brought in to be cloned alongside another hero’s DNA but they didn’t get around to it before the JSA found them) being raised by the latter two because the former is dead. 

Billy Batson is also a teenage hero but doesn’t hang with them much, except for occasionally with Kara and Kal. He doesn’t follow the other mini’s to found the JLA, instead sticking with the JSA. Billy experiments with he/they pronouns, but ultimately sticks with he/him. 

Miscellaneous headcanons for the protégé AU: Doctor Fate is a hardass and nobody likes him, Constantine’s mentor and DF fight all the time. Jefferson Pierce and Koriand’r are both nineteen and dating. Jefferson is Vic Stone’s protégé and Koriand’r’s first Earthern friend. Bruce’s mentor is African American and has a younger cousin (in very early 20s) named Mal Duncan(!!) who kind of does hero work on the side sometimes. His girlfriend Karen Beecher is tech support training to be a Earth hero alongside J’onn. J’onn, being older, kind of takes Karen under his wing. Atom (Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi) are best friends with a five year age gap. 

Imagine the JSA base to be like the Watchtower, where the mini’s sleep over and bake in the steel kitchen at 3 AM, watch YouTube videos on the floor in the hallways outside official meetings, do math homework lounging on the futons while snacking on popcorn and Zesti’s. 

OG Batman/Batman 1.0 ([insert first name here] Duncan) uses he/they pronouns

Bruce Wayne is Batman 2.0, originally Orphan

Malcolm Duncan is Guardian (but only sometimes) 

Diana’s mentor is her aunt and the general of Themyscira, Antiope, Wonder Woman 1.0 

Diana eventually becomes Wonder Woman 2.0 

Superwoman is Kara Zor-El Kent

Superboy/Superman is Clark Kal-El Kent 

(Maybe Kon and Jon show up at some point? Jon could be Kara’s son, Kon Kara’s blonde clone)

Barry’s mentor is Jay Garrick/The Flash 1.0

Barry is Kid Flash/Flash 2.0 (Jay is getting on in years) 

Martin Jordan (Hal’s dad) is the original Green Arrow

Oliver was at some point his protégé but Hal never met before they fell out and Martin died 

Oh! A name idea for Oliver: Arsenal and Hal was Speedy

Now Oliver is Red Arrow (bathed in blood, revenge, etc.) and Hal is Green Lantern

Oliver eventually becomes Green Arrow again when he gets a protégé post-AU 

Hal and Oliver have the kind of relationship where they don’t communicate or talk at all but they know everything about each other, if you know what I mean? 

Orin’s mentor, the general of the Atlantian army is Aquaman, kind of a recluse hero

Orin goes by Tempest in this AU but he also went by Aqualad at some point in the past (he’s embarrassed by it but Oliver was there so now everyone knows) 

Orin is also the king of Atlantis, but not the current governing body, that’s Mera. He’s created a secret human identity, Arthur Curry, since he’s kind of known as the Boy King of Atlantis, a metahuman and foreign authority 

Dinah Drake, raising both Dinah Lance and Dick Grayson, is the Black Canary, the first female hero. Dinah Lance goes by “Canary” mostly and is nicknamed “Shriek” and Dick goes by “Robin”

Selina Kyle is Catgirl, Bruce’s best friend, dating Bruce’s other best friend, Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn

So yeah, that’s the uber-complicated, interconnected protégé AU! 

[fardf150]

Whack randomass question but tell me what you like about hinawada :0 I always like listening to people rant about their rarepairs and why they ship them lmao, 99% of the time they get me to ship them too smh

:00000

jxosjxosjoxjsoxw same tbh

Okay so I don’t really know how it started? I was just kind of thinking of the weirdest crackships possible and it came to mind. It seemed cute enough so I gave it a bit more thought and now I’m in hell.

I feel like they really balance each other out in a way? Like, if one of them bites the other will most definitely bite back and I feel like that’s kind of an essential thing to any relationship involving Mondo- obviously there’s nothing wrong with it if you ship him with more timid characters, I just feel like that dynamic would work best for him.

This would lead to complications and arguments every now and then, but that’s just par for the course in any relationship ever.

While they (presumably as we only know slightly less than the bare minimum about Hinata’s past) don’t come from similar backgrounds at all, they’re pretty similar in certain ways, but different in others that again, I feel like gives them a nice balance.

While they aren’t the best at dealing with emotions, I feel like that’s a thing they could work on together. Idk I just feel like they’d help and support each other in any way they could.

I just feel like they’d have a lot to learn from each other, I guess? Tbh I just really like them together in any case. They’d make such a great pair, whether romantically or platonically.

I’m just really into the whole ‘their personalities have a nice contrast but they’re also similar in ways they might not have realized and they just complete each other’ type deal.

Also the. The. The height difference. Hajime deserves a big bf to cuddle and Mondo deserves someone he can hide inside of his jacket and carry around all he wants. I do not accept criticism.

But also just,,,, Hajime wearing Mondo’s jacket.

Put simply: they both have an attitude and maybe the balance that brings can help them to chill out a little but also I just like to see them together

I haven’t seen or played through the UTDPs yet so idk if they interact at all but if they don’t imma be sad

[morethanaprincess-a]

Sonia Nevermind x Byakuya Togami? Sonia Nevermind x Arsene Lupin from Code Realize?

Ship it or skip it meme

Ooh, two ships for the price of one post! And two I’m very excited to talk about!

Sonia Nevermind x Byakuya Togami

This is probably the Danganronpa crackship I feel most strongly about for Sonia! If there was more fanfic devoted to this, I would have read it all by now. As far as writing it, I think it’s very much dependent on a mun and their portrayal of Togami, but I would love to explore this ship if the opportunity presented itself!

In many ways, these two can uniquely understand the pressure of leadership and performance, so to speak, due to their talents. While Sonia is much more apt to separate her professional life with her personal interests, I don’t see her as holding Togami’s bluntness and cruelty against him too much, until he starts thumbing his nose at people he thinks are below him. She would certainly contest that opinion. And they’d probably fight about it, with him bewildered and unable to understand why royalty would lower themselves to the level of commoners.

But if they were looking to pair off initially to satisfy their families’ likely strict requirements in a significant other, they’d be pretty well-matched and a “good on paper” type of couple. Togami wouldn’t shame Sonia for indulging in luxury when she needs it (in fact, I could see him encouraging more of it), and I could see Sonia being a gentle, calming influence in his life when he needs a break from being the leader all the time, not thinking less of him for it. Additionally, he likely would adapt the easiest to being a member of the Novoselic Royal Family and all the appearances and etiquette it requires. Even if he might not enjoy it all the time, he can treat it all as business relationships and associates. He also wouldn’t question most family traditions either.

The problems I see them having is that Sonia is a far more affectionate, physically and emotionally, person than Togami is. If he couldn’t express how he felt towards her, she’d feel pretty unsatisfied. He doesn’t need to be romantic all the time, but hopefully he could, at least in private, remind her that he loves her. Because she’ll be reminding him in every instance they’re comfortable with. 

This is one of the half-dozen canon Danganronpa ships I’ve considered for Sonia. Hopefully the other five will get suggested too!

Sonia Nevermind x Arsene Lupin (Code: Realize)

Firstly, I love chatting and considering otome game ships for Sonia. It’s probably my favorite type of crossover at this point. Please, send me your otome crossover threads and ships.

Second, I think a Sonia x Lupin ship is possible, but it’s not my first choice for her. My first and second choices of Code: Realize ships for Sonia, considering the background I’ve created for her for this particular AU, would be Van Helsing and Fran, respectively. Sonia’s inquisitive nature, level of responsibility, kindness, poise, and elegance I think would suit Van and Fran far more than Lupin.

That said, I certainly think the flirting between Sonia and Lupin is strong. Lupin is intelligent, clever, witty, and very romantic (he’s French and plays up into those romantic French stereotypes. It’s hard for Sonia to be immune to that!). There would be a certain mutual curiosity about each other that neither of them can really deny. They’re two people living far from home in steel London who are both open-minded, adventurous, and passionate.

Long-term, I doubt they could make it as a successful couple. Sonia will be queen of a European country (one that I HC borders France, but still) and Lupin’s always on the run for some sort of crime. The more she has to fulfill her birthright and be a leader, the less she’ll be able to get mixed up on the wrong side of the law. Even if it’s done for the right reasons. I don’t see Lupin ever wanting to give up that lifestyle as I don’t see his heists as something entirely focused on the profit but for the thrill of it all, and Sonia in turn wouldn’t give up her title to be with him as a criminal on the run.

I’d really like to write a ship playing out between these two, though! I just don’t feel confident they’d be successful in the long run, though I’d love to be proved wrong. Because I’m a sap for happy endings.

[merrylittlehogwartsrp]

Happy Holidays, Moni! We are thrilled to “invite” Draco Malfoy (fc Austen Butler) back to Hogsmeade for a little forced Winter Cheer. We were most excited about how Draco fared Post-War and how the Post-War climate effected the Malfoy holiday traditions.

Please pack your bags and send in your tumblr. Additional information can be found here!

OOC DETAILS:

NICKNAME: Moni

AGE (must be 18+): 26

PRONOUNS: She/her

ACTIVITY ESTIMATE: I’m in the middle of transitioning to a new job but I should be able to reply at least a few times a week. If something happens, I usually contact/update the main the let them know that I’m too busy and need a hiatus until I can get myself together.

CHARACTER DETAILS:

FULL NAME & NICKNAMES: Draco Lucius Malfoy

BIRTHDATE: June 5th, 1980

BLOOD-STATUS: Pureblood

* GENDER IDENTITY: cisgender male

* GENDER PRESENTATION/PRONOUNS: male, he/him

* SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual (I want explore this depending on chemistry)

CHARACTER SITUATION:

OCCUPATION: Potioneer at St. Mungos.

HOUSING: A Condo in Diagon Alley

SOCIAL STANDING: Once viewed as the only heir of two of the biggest Pureblood houses in the UK, he is now living his very own “redemption” arc. Many are unsure of what his true intentions are but they are very interested to see how long and far he takes this new point of view.

CHARACTER CONFIGURATION:

TALENTS/WEAKNESSES - + Potions, Charms, Occulumency; - Anything to do with Animals that isn’t his owl or cat, Divination, Teamwork

STRENGTHS/FLAWS - Intelligent, Clever, Ambitious; Cunning, Self-Centered, Spoiled

CHARACTER HISTORY: please write one short paragraph for each.

FAMILY BACKGROUND: As the only son and heir to Malfoy (and most likely Black) family, Draco was spoiled by his parents since day one. His father was filled with pride and wanted his son to be his mini me. His mother wanted to give him the world and raise him be a proper young pureblood wizard. Brought up to believe that he was superior than everyone else, it was Draco’s belief that no one could reach his level. As a Malfoy, he only deserved the best. Best clothes, books, toys, and friends. When these things weren’t available to him, he made sure to make everyone around him miserable. Malfoy’s never showed their true feelings, however. That was showing weakness. And no one wanted to be weak like mudbloods, blood traitors, and filthy muggles. He was grateful that his parents brought him up the RIGHT way. They were Purebloods after all. They had to make sure to set the proper example for all.

LIFE DURING THE WAR: Hogwarts was very much a home to Draco. He was surrounded by friends, endless amount of books and resources, and the ability to prove to everyone how wonderful he was. Unfortunately Harry Potter, The Red Weasel, and Mudblood Granger was around to annoy him every chance that he had. What he distaste most of all was how Potter and Granger always got the attention in certain classes. Sure he would joke to scare them into thinking that the Dark Lord would snatch them up. But he had no idea that he would one day be forced into becoming a Death Eater and that his jokes would become reality. To him, there was nothing in this world more important than pleasing his father. Lucius Malfoy was his idol after all. So when his family was in trouble, Lucius wanted to prove his loyalty. Those two years were hard for Draco. He never imagined that earning power in this way would be so hurtful, cruel, and in many ways disgusting. When Potter and his friends were presented to the Dark Lord, Draco found himself lying to save the people he despised. Maybe it was how he was being treated by the Dark Lord or maybe he was truly waking up to the reality that all of this was 100% problematic and f-ed up. Whatever the reason, throughout the war Draco saw what it was like to receive kindness in return. This resulted in him being saved by the one person he thought he would hate for the rest of his life.  

LAST THREE YEARS: After the War, Draco wasn’t sure how to feel. Kindness was shown to him by his enemies and his family name was now tarnished. Was there any hope for him? For the Malfoy name? For his future? For the first time in his life, he had t start from scratch. He was resourceful in his planning and saw that if he was going to survive this new world, he had to commit to changing. After attending many court hearings, he was let off the hook due to him being a minor when he became a Death Eater. To show his gratitude, he started to help create potions to give to the injured from the war. Giving back to others was weird at first but when he started getting the acknowledgement and praise from his success, he felt that feeling he had when he was a child. A community service project turned into a job and soon he found his place in the world again. Some may not believe this new change of heart (especially with him working hard to help out the mud….sorry Muggle-Borns) but he likes this new feeling of accomplishment that he is getting through this line of work. He is grateful that he isn’t in jail and grateful for the second chance. He won’t take things or granted any more. He’s already seen that outcome and doesn’t want to go back.

HOLIDAY DETAILS:

Draco has always loved how his family has celebrated Christmas. It was a three day event for them. Though they would never admit it, they based their celebrations off of old Muggle traditions that has been a part of the Malfoy family since the 1880s. Maybe they were attracted to the whole idea of tradition on such a precious holiday. Or maybe it was the sense of warmth that the family would NEVER admit they were missing. It’s a mystery that no one in the family talks about and probably for the best too.

The first day starts with Breakfast. A small group of family members from both sides come to Malfoy Manor. Once Breakfast is over, the Malfoy’s prepare for their annual Christmas Eve Ball. Family, friends, and associates are invited by invitation only to this black tie event. To outsiders, it may seem like a stuffy Pureblood party. Yet to those invited and in the inner circle, it’s a time of joy and being around family. Dinner is served at 8 on the dot and then dancing starts at 9:30. Gifts are exchanged at midnight  with most people leaving right after.

On Christmas day, The Malfoy’s have a quiet Christmas brunch and exchange their own gifts with each other. They don’t have a religion that they follow or a figure that they worship. Yet they do enjoy visiting the abandon Abbey down the rode to pay their respects to Malfoys from the past that were laid to rest. That evening, They visit the Black side of the family, something Draco didn’t care much about. Being with them was like walking on glass.

On Boxing Day, the Malfoy family gives their House Elves a half day off. They spend the day going through old artifacts and privately cleaning out old rooms that they don’t want the House Elves to enter. They then usually go out of the country for a few days and return for the new year.

These were traditions that Draco remembers from when he was a child. All of this stopped after his 4th year. His father was so busy with trying to impress the Dark Lord and climb the ranks of the Death Eaters, that Draco hasn’t had a real Christmas Holiday since then. This proposed party is a chance for Draco to try something new. Though he loves celebrating the holidays with his mother, just having a small Christmas dinner together seems lonely. Maybe surrounding himself with people would bring some familiarity to his life.

OOC SUPPLEMENT:

SHIPS: Draco/Hermione: My favorite crackship. I know it isn’t that popular but I see so many similar characteristics of the two. It would be awesome to explore this either as a relationship or a friendship (or both lol). I know Draco was a horrible jerk to Hermione but it would be nice to play things out and see how they go. Draco/Astoria Greengrass: We don’t know much about Astoria but it would be cool to explore what type of person she is and why Draco might be attracted to her. Draco/Chemistry: I’m all about Chemistry. So if things seem to be clicking between out characters, I’m open to try and see where things go!

CHANGES: Nope!

FACECLAIM: Austen Butler, Ross Lynch, Jackson Wang

[chronotopes]

tagged by @benjameme-sisko; answers and questions (?!) under the cut

1. which starfleet uniform is your favorite? 

it’s a close race between the later-season ds9 ones that were introduced for first contact and the red-and-white wrath of khan uniforms. i think both of them reflect the tone of the works they’re in very well and also they look damn cool. i know a lot of people on here don’t like the gray ones but they’ve grown on me big time. 

2. do you create any fanworks of your own?

my m.o. before this has been “make fun text posts and call it a day, feat. occasional art”, but yeah for ds9 i’ve written two fanfics and .... WANT to write more, but who fucking knows am i right. in a true-to-brand fun fact, they both involve Jezri Hell in some way. 

3. if you could have a holodeck program of your own, what would it be?

if this is assuming i already live in the star trek universe, i think it’d be, like... definitely one of the #historical #rpf ones that all the NERDS on the shows are so fond of. maybe one that lets u hang out with byron and the shelleys for geneva ‘16. or maybe i could do one that’s themed after a dumas novel, that’s the right mix of romanticism and fun adventure  

4. your favorite tacky costume in star trek

ooh um it’s a tie between a) the mauve shirt jim kirk is wearing in the search for spock / the voyage home, which makes me Very Angry but is also funny, b) julian bashir’s asymmetrical v-neck, because garak so obviously made it, and c) quark’s vacation look. (GOD i’m so mad at that episode for being bad. i’ve said this like three times now but it SHOULD have been gold.) 

5. your favorite character in all of star trek; you’re allowed to choose only one

kiraaaaaa. she was my introduction to ‘women in star trek that are written like actual fucking people’ and i would die for her. 

6. if you could change any plot line in any trek media, what would it be? 

oh god. um i feel like the objective answer is to fix either a) the maquis storylines on voyager, or b) the development/’mentorship’ of seven, also on voyager, but i haven’t SEEN voyager so i can’t exactly be a #1 source on this. so.... i think i’d change ziyal’s arc so that a) she isn’t used as a convenient resource to straightwash garak, and b) she lives to see the end of the war. waltz still happens tho, i guess she fakes her death or something. dukat’s arc post-waltz is another thing that i think needs fixing (summoning bajoran satan kind of seemed to come out of the left field) but right now i don’t have any good ideas as to how. 

7. wackiest crackship pairing? 

quark/grantaire from les miserables. they don’t even fuck, they sit in the bar and tell one another all the ways in which they’re terrible people and this gives them sexual gratification. yes i’m aware that i’m the only person who finds this concept funny, am i going to stop bringing it up? hell no. dril voice “i will never log off”. anyway this relationship would be something that’s detrimental for them both and validates their worst aspects, which means it’s an in-character enterprise. 

8. favorite rarepair? 

kira/cretak!! i like kiradax but after the early seasons they REALLY don’t interact a great deal, and i guess kira/cretak creates lots of exciting post-canon possibilities. that jumja stick conversation? yeah, they need to fuck. 

9. episodic storytelling, or serialized storylines? 

hmm i mean. this is just in application to star trek (everyone knows the episodic x-files eps are the best ones) but i think i’ll go for serialized; there’s a reason ds9 is my fave, and i’ve been a lot more into dsc lately. that said i like the way ds9 does serialization more than dsc sometimes, in that i wish (i know this isn’t in line with today’s conception of television) that dsc had more in the cards-style episodes, where serialized plots are still happening in the background but the characters get a chance to slow down and relax and have nice things happen to them. we kind of had that with magic to make the sanest man go mad, which i think was one of the strongest early-season dsc episodes; i think we could do with more of that.  

10. which is your favorite title theme? 

it’s a tie between ds9 (which i am the most emotionally attached to, and which i think sets the tone for the series so well, and it’s ALSO absolutely beautiful) and tng (which is just.... A Fucking Banger)

11. give us an episode that never fails to make you happy, and an episode that never fails to make you sad. 

happy: in the cards (jake! nice things happening in times of war!), sad: what you leave behind (jezri! everyone saying goodbye to everyone they love!) 

okay uhh i don’t have that many star trek mutuals that i know for sure enjoy doing these things, but i’m going to tag @ensignhoshisato and @little-vulcan (SORRY, i know you were already tagged in the prev. one, you Really don’t have to do these), @bajroan, and @twentyeightghosts (idk if you do these but i like hearing your Thoughts on things so it’s worth a try.) yes anyway none of you have to obviously, and if you’re someone who wants to but wasn’t tagged then please do it. do you guys see why i don’t tend to tag people in these things. 

anyway, 

you’re called in to make a new season for the star trek series of your choice; which do you pick, and what are some things you plan to do? 

similarly, you’re called in to create a series bible for an entirely new star trek show; are there any characters/settings/timelines/gimmicks/central themes that you’re drawn to?

you get to make any recurring star trek character a regular, but to do this you have to demote an existing regular on that show to recurring. whom do you swap?

if you had to swap fashion senses with a star trek character for a year, who would it be?

what’s your stance on the mirror universe?

this link takes you to a random memory alpha page; what did you get, and do you have any opinion you’d like to express on this thing?

do you care about any kind of star trek Lore(tm) in terms of like, years, names of dominion war battles, runabout types, conlangs, etc, or are you like “fuck the lore this is my town now”?

do you read star trek novels? if so, what’s your favorite one, and if not, what would convince you to read one? 

which star trek show was your first, and is that one your favorite? 

what’s your ideal endgame for your Favorite Star Trek Ship Of All Time Ever? (i mean ‘pairing’ here but if you’d rather answer for a literal ship then go ahead) 

if you served on a starfleet ship, what would you like its name to be?

[carouseltwonique]

Whoops! Never posted my Cadence and Big Macintosh daughter on here, doing that now! - So here's Honeycrisp Blossom, the daughter of Big Macintosh and Cadence! She's one of the oldest of the Next Gen, training to be a teacher while the rest of the older children are in High School! Why Big Macintosh/Cadence? Simple, there was no reference to Shining Armor/Cadence being married in Equestria Girls so therefore I'm free to rub my filthy crackshipping hands all over that universe. Name: Honeycrisp Blossom Nickname(s): Honey, Miss Honey, Ms. Blossom Age: Early Twenties Parents: Big Macintosh and Cadence Species: Human Special talent: Teaching Voice Actress: Clare Bowen (Nashville) Personality/Background: If all the goodness of a warm, sweet hug could be channeled into one soul, it would be Honeycrisp Blossom. She's a kind, caring young woman who wants to become a teacher and make the world a better place. Honeycrisp will donate her time to charity and caring for the sick, give her lunch to those who are hungry, offer to tutor in her free hours, etc. She's training to become a teacher in Canterlot High while attending College and is often the guiding voice and gentle hand for the other Next Gen children. She has every bit of the caring, loving nature of her mother, coupled with the hardworking and quiet southern charm of her father. Spending time with her Aunt Applejack has also instilled a good sense of honesty and values, though she has trouble recognizing when others are dishonest due to her faith and trust in others. She never gives up on anyone, which is as admirable as it is harmful and she has to learn how to know when to quit and stepping back. She's quiet, (though not nearly as much as her father - and his quiet is different than hers), and has a nasty habit of allowing herself to be taken advantage of, leading to some tough and nasty situations in her growing up. As well, she has a tendency of overextending herself - she achieves everything she sets out to do but often at cost to her own well-being, something that her friends and parents are trying to train her to cut back on. Honeycrisp Blossom grew up in a loving, nurturing home with her parents - Cadence, in this universe, was an orphan adopted into a loving family and with not nearly as many of the complications that her alternate self had, grew up overall much happier and more well adjusted - though with some issues with rebellion and self-worth in her youth due to attending a school largely above her station - much less overall than her pony counterpart and it is because of that she was able to find herself and be happy with Big Macintosh - one of her best friends and a loving, devoted boyfriend-turned-husband. Big Macintosh devotes his time to working on the family farm managing the finances and doing the heavy work with AJ, volunteering at the school to help Granny Smith and, most importantly, being an amazing father to his children and husband to his wife. The two have a very close, loving marriage and it's just happy and sweet. - living in a cozy home sitting comfortably between Sweet Apple Acres and the City - Cadence and Big Macintosh gave her a lot of attention and care, Honey being their only child for a long while (she has a yet-to-be-designed little sibling and an adopted little brother (Thorax)) and she adores her parents very much. She's not exactly seeking romance though she's like to find a relationship as good as the one her folks have. She's not very good at the heavy duty farm work her father does, though she always wishes she could be - and she assists in tending to the garden vegetables in their yard, helps patch up his work clothes, helping her Aunt Apple Bloom and Granny Smith make Zap Apple Jam and babysitting the younger Apple clan. She loves playing music and singing, she has a lovely country voice and has been training in piano and guitar since childhood - it's a hobby for her, not a career option and she'd much rather play music for her family and friends than on any sort of stage. She also loves making quilts and knitting/crochet/sewing and makes all sorts of crafts for everyone and setting up donation drives where a lot of the contents are her own works. She's not a clothing designer or on the skill level of Aunt Rarity, she can just make a few types of knitted essentials and novelty projects after years of practice. Overall, she's a very wonderful young woman who is the apple of everyone's eye - for good reason, and who teaches those around her to do good. She's just got to learn how to think of herself and be more aware of the faults in those who may try and do her wrong before someone takes things too far. (Honeycrisp may be the closest I ever come to creating a saintly character, she's just so kind and good, to a fault. However I wouldn't change a thing about her, she's as sweet as honey and apple blossoms)

[toomanypizzaboxes]

Story Process, Start to Finish

Or, how to write multi-chap stories and balance thematic content.

So I recently received a PM on FFnet with these questions: 

And basically, I was just wondering if you had any tips on how you do it? How do you get inside each character’s head? How do you manage to write a story that is both serious and light hearted at the same time?

And I was going to reply right away, except when I actually sat down and thought about it, I realized I’ve never put much thought into the hows of a project, just mainly focused on getting it done. I also realized that these questions have much longer answers than I was prepared for, as I’m terrible at summarizing. It’s one of my big weaknesses. So I thought, since I was going to be answering this anyway, why not make a post of it? Because of course what I need is more attention right? (lol, don’t answer that.) Okay, so let’s get started!

1) Start with a very vivid image of a complete scene.

This is the way I’ve started every single one of my fics. I usually get a lightning strike image in my head of a “fully-rendered” scene. This includes the the setting (colors, time of day, place, sounds, era), the characters involved, and even an aesthetic to an extent (cinematic, old-fashioned book, play). For example, Eyes Wide Open started with the final chapter, where Hinata and Sasuke confront each other while Hinata is wearing Itachi’s clothes. I pictured the tension that would exist between them, with Hinata being very passive usually and Sasuke being overwhelmed by how upset he was by his own petty jealousy. That scene was the springboard for everything else.

You may be thinking, “but that’s ridiculous and very lame advice, not everyone can do that/seems unhelpful!” but it’s not true. Everyone can; it’s just a matter of patience. If you wait long enough and daydream about subject matter that you want to write about, eventually your subconscious mind will do all the heavy lifting for you and puke out an owl pellet of fine content. That may be a little gross of a metaphor, but it’s all I got. Just keep mulling over the same variables you want to include and I promise the scene will come to you.

2) Think about what needs to happen for that scene to be accomplished.

So, now that you have the crux of your story, your visualized scene that will become the seed to the rest of the tale, it’s time to figure out what that seed needs in order to grow. 

A lot of people who write romance fics start with the same motivation I do: you have your main ship and you want them to kiss/enter into a relationship. However, a lot of younger/less experienced writers stop there. A kiss is easy, right? All they have to do is be in the same room and make eye-contact, duh! What I’m getting at is that a lot of younger writers do just that. They place each party in a setting where they’re together and of course, since we love them and want them to love each other, they immediately fall in love inexplicably and kiss that very same night, story done! 

There’s nothing wrong with that. If you want your ship to just kiss and be done with it, you can write that. However, not everyone wants to accept that it’s that easy, especially if one ships a crackship like sasuhina. It can be really difficult to keep people in-character and have them fall for each other instantly, and most people who’ve been reading/writing for the ship for a long time might not be interested in or satisfied with the usually-shallow setting that these love-at-first-sight romances offer. It’s just not fun. I, for one, want to suffer with my OTP as they grow and change in order for their love to take place!

So that’s what you have to focus on. Keeping with the Eyes Wide Open example…. There’s no logical reason for Sasuke and Hinata to be around each other. Sure, they were contemporaries in canon, but Sasuke barely paid attention to his own teammates, let alone people who held no bearing on his life in the slightest. So I changed the setting and the age group. Of course people in the same town who come from similar family backgrounds have a likelihood of sharing classes, so it’s not that difficult to imagine them meeting on the off-chance. Most of the big developments in Eyes Wide Open happened because of Sasuke’s and Hinata’s outside influences, who all knew each other and thus pushed them together. 

What does your ship require? What needs to change for them to be open to love/a relationship? I like writing slow burns because most realistic romances are slow burns. The involved parties rarely realize the road they’re on until it’s too late and then messy feelings get involved and all the delicious events start occurring. 

3) Saturate yourself with the canon materials, then study up on fandom materials.

“How do you get inside each character’s head?” It’s a really good question and I’m not too sure myself, but I’ll do my best to explain my method. 

Most of my stories begin on a whim because I’ve been binge watching/reading/playing something non-stop. If it’s gone on long enough, I’ve usually picked my favorite characters and naturally started shipping them. (Ah, the life of a crack-shipper!) 

When you want to write for a fandom, it’s wise to know the canon material as inside-out as possible. If it’s a movie, make sure you’ve watched it recently. If it’s a TV series, make sure you’ve seen all the episodes with important details. (I’ve skipped a lot of Naruto filler, for instance.) Surround yourself by canon knowledge and study it until you’ve got a grasp of the canon universe. Abilities, physics, politics, hierarchies, interaction, setting, etc. This is your foundation to branch out from. I once opened a Naruto fic where the author repeatedly referred to chakra as Charka, capitalized and all. It generally bodes poorly for the future content of the fic because if they didn’t even pay close attention to the canon really, how much effort are they going to put into writing for it? This is an important process for making your written piece feel close to the same level of charm/draw that the canon has.

Narrowing that down, if you want to write a character-driven piece, you need to know the characters. Treat them like they are real people that you want to be close friends with, then pay attention to everything about them. Fall in love with them. Study their motivations and personalities. What causes them to react in varying situations? What draws out certain emotions? It’s okay to use references. Make use of the well-curated wiki pages that many fandoms have. Get to know ages, heights, tastes in food. Manga are usually really rich in these smaller details, as it’s common for them to be sidebar filler.

Once I’m sure I’ve gotten a strong handle on the canon character, it’s time to dive into fanon. If I’m writing a fic, you can bet it’s because I’ve read up and down every website category for this pairing and haven’t found what I wanted. But the key is I’ve read so much fanon. Study how other authors write the characters. What aspects do they focus on? Do you like the way they portray x/y/z? A lot of people made Sasuke an overly-romantic, can-do-everything-perfectly type who referred to Hinata as “love” or “darling”. That didn’t really feel like Sasuke to me. In canon he’s a bitter snot who has a bit of an inferiority complex and he acts out by not using honorifics and being sort of casually disrespectful. He can also be incredibly lazy in his human interactions, so he wouldn’t be confrontational or talkative unless it got him something or he was provoked. A lot of people also made Hinata an overly-stuttering mess who’s just there to be pretty. Listen, it’s a real turn-off to be constantly bombarded by what Hinata is wearing to show off her “feminine curves” in “all the right places” and how slender or petite she is, how her long, milky legs are so enticing. You want your characters to be human and relatable. When Hinata is a runway model who can pull off some cool jutsu, I get bored. I’m not pretty and jutsu doesn’t exist in reality, so what else is there to connect with? What goes on in your character’s head? Their feelings, their dreams. What do their mannerisms do to illustrate those thoughts? Don’t focus on appearance unless necessary. It takes away from the emotional impact of your story.

How does fandom portray your chosen characters and what do you want to do differently? That’s your goal for characterization. 

4) Summarize each event needed to reach the conclusion.

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s a method I got from an old “how to write shoujo manga” book. Separate the various plot points into their own, standalone-events, then write them on their own note cards. Write scenes you want to include for the heck of it, too, go crazy! This is your story, have fun! When you’re done, arrange them into a timeline with a build up to a climax and then a wrap-up. Boom, your story is half-written already. This really helps avoid (most) writer’s block, as well.

5) Start writing.

Go forth and write! Trust your instincts. You’ve gotten the hard parts out of the way and your foundation is strong at this point. Take your time and if you get self-conscious or confused, go ahead and reach out! Get a beta-reader, or maybe a friend to bounce ideas off of. Make sure it’s someone you trust. If you like, you can write the whole thing in a first draft before posting so you have time to go over it for plot holes/errors/etc, or if you’re impatient like me and don’t care as long as your ship reaches a romantic conclusion in a satisfying way, go ahead and post as you write. 

6) “How do you manage to write a story that is both serious and light hearted at the same time?”

My number one piece of advice for this question is this:

Ingest the kind of media you want to produce. 

I’m a huge fan of romantic comedies, but specifically the older ones from the late eighties and the nineties. Even more specifically, Nora Ephron. Nora Ephron is fantastic at creating a story that is just as implausible/fantastical as every other romance, but her characters are well fleshed-out, relatable, and funny. Her settings are a wonderful balance between the tantalizing energy of  fictionalized big cities and the quiet, intimate moments you get between friends and families within those cities. The structure she utilizes has a draw to it. It pulls you in and makes you feel like you’re experiencing it along with the characters. While many of her stories are really, truly comedies, there’s usually a sense of drama woven in with a skill I can only hope to achieve someday. I think the key for keeping a story light-hearted even while it deals with heavy subject matter is to keep the dramatic aspects lingering along the outskirts.

For example, in When Harry Met Sally, you follow along with Harry and Sally as they age over twelve years. Natural comedy is easy to write, because everyone has their own sense of humor that shines in the right circumstances. Harry and Sally clash over their opinions but in a way that makes it easy for them to get along, as well as providing witty, engaging dialogue throughout the film. Most of the content of the story evolves through their shared awkward encounters involving friends, romance, bad decisions, and other things that real people experience every day. However, the whole time there is an underlying message that is being slowly brought to the front: the stress over finding someone to love and belong with before one gets “too old” or time runs out. Small moments are placed amidst the various sequences, off-hand comments about aging, competing with more attractive people, disgust with the opposite sex but the desire to still find someone to love.

In reality, we deal with drama every day. A person living in poverty might be one paycheck away from homelessness, and while that detail weighs heavy on their mind, they won’t think about it constantly because that would be exhausting. Most of our time is spent living in the moment, thinking about the past and the present until we are forced to deal with drama. Utilize that in your writing. 

In Eyes Wide Open, the bulk of the story is spent in everyday life of going to college classes, eating out at a cafe, spending time with friends or spending time at home. That’s the light-hearted part of the story. The rest is comprised of the small details hinting at drama like Itachi’s cough building into his collapse and consequential surgery, Sasuke’s space-outs as he struggles with his anxiety and PTSD, Hinata’s background growth as she develops into her own person separate from what her family wants or what she thinks Naruto wants.

Compartmentalize the different subjects you want to tackle in your piece, then organize them in ways that make sense story-wise and feel satisfying emotionally. It takes practice and I’m not saying I’m the best by any means. You can write one-shots to practice until you feel good enough to try a multi-chap fic. 

I hope that I answered the questions sufficiently, and that this is helpful to anyone who reads. This is by no means a one-answer-fits-all process; it’s just things I’ve learned from my own experiences. If you have anymore questions or want to discuss something more in-depth, feel free to inbox me any time! I’m always available! Thanks for reading!