#look at me rediscovering my inbox

[raventhekittycat]

coai for the ship bingo?

Man I had to dig to find this bingo card but I found it!

I have really, really, really, complicated feelings about this ship. Part of it is I ship both of them with other people first (my prefered pairing for the Cone is actually a polycule with Heiji, Ran, and Kazuha), but when it comes to ShinRan vs CoAi I actually like the dynamic of CoAi better! BUT I don't ship it because the idea of having a lesbian Shiho is very very very very very very dear to me. I need my tiny child to have been confused about romance because dating guys really doesn't sound interesting but everyone dates them and so I guess I like him but you get the picture. Anyways that the short answer I won't write the three page essay (but I could).

Sorry for the very late reply!!

(the clean ship bingo)

[fuckyeahmhawkefenris]

MAJOR update

So I don't know if anyone else even cares about this stuff, but I made some huge progress with tagging/retagging things here. For some time I haven't been tagging any posts at all lacking motivation because, seriously, does anyone even look at tags these days?

Still, my love for this ship keeps me going. Maker, I'd forgotten how therapeutic the process is. For a few days I almost stopped dwelling on my own personal issues.

Anyway

Allow me to remind y'all that this blog has a list of TAGS, a rather extensive one. I shudder to think how much time I spent compiling it all, but it does make me happier somehow

We have an impressive collection of fanart, so many comic bits they had to be separated into their own category to make it possible to navigate through all the artwork, writings that I don't think can be found anywhere else. In the beginning this fandom also used to produce a lot of memes and jokes, not so much of it now, but we don't forget our history! There is so much to uncover and rediscover.

I guess that canoodling/hugging/cuddling/snuggling tags are still a mess (always have been) despite my best efforts, but I genuinely tried to make it make sense somewhat. Having 8000+ pieces of art for your ship gets you there. Hard to believe it used to be almost nonexisistent in the beginning. It was so easy to navigate in 2012...

I didn't even try to sort out the comics, and fiction is not tagged either, except for the most basic basics.

Well, if anyone has any better ideas/suggestions don't be shy about @ ing me. Hell, if you can think of any new tags worth adding, let me know. And if you could reply to the relevant posts with it, it'd be fantastic.

If you're bored and don't mind spending some time with Fenris and Hawke, observing them love each other, please take a look at the list. There are also separate pages for the people who make fanart and write stuff for us, so you can always find more of their works by looking up the artists name in the tags. Though this page is forever in progress.

There's always room for improvement, so if you have anything to say, PLEASE SAY IT.

Also, the pornstash is up again, and now there is some semblance of a system.

It is a members-only blog, since almost all of its content is flagged and can only be viewed by members. So you need to become one. Everyone is welcome to join, but please don't follow it. All you need to do is like this post. I'll see your username and send you an invite. After that you'll need to check your e-mail (NOT tumblr inbox!) and follow the link you'll find there. And please read the post i linked carefully, there's vital information in it.

I'm just really tired

I'd really like to sort this place out completely so that when I retire, and someone is willing to take it off my hands, I could be at peace.

[tenspontaneite]

Just finished my 19th reread of Assembly, and it is just GLORIOUS. Love me some philosophical Suns rediscovering existence and its' meaning contrasting with the more simple, practical way spearmaster (and learner) see life. All of it with a sprinkle of chaotic sig. AND THE SCUGS!! omg scug culture my beloved. I know you haven't posted anything Assembly related in a while but if you have anything please do

Please know that I have kept this in my inbox for a while intermittently looking at it because it gives good brain chemical. Sorry for like not answering but I was hoarding it, thanks

Anyway I will share a bit of assembly scug lore I was musing on today that I may or may not end up keeping.

As we know, scug genders are largely role based and tend to vary a lot by colony and local lifestyles, but there's always at least mother gender, ungendered, or the rare guide gender.

The new lore: pups aren't thought to have a gender because they're considered too young for that until they pick their adult names. However, pups are referred to with linguistic words and pronouns that tend to categorise them in a similar way. These categories could be translated as runt and thriveling. The terms are almost entirely based on how hard it's expected to be to keep them alive. You'd call a weak or sickly or hapless pup a runt even if it wasn't the smallest of the litter, and a robust pup who eats well and shows good instincts would be referred to as a thriveling.

An iterator like Suns, learning that there's two or sometimes three main words you can use for what type of child you have, is probably really erroneously going to assume the linguistic categories are based on gender and will accordingly mistranslate these terms as son / daughter / child.

[benevolentcalamity]

Love and Deepspace Husbands To Someone Who Has Not Played It

Quick note this is not meant to be malicious/disrespectful/etc. Just trying to vibe out here, man.

Rafayel

Merman, this I know. He has the same energy of Rudeus from Mushoku Tensei, in that he hides his trauma/real feelings behind a cool, charismatic demeanor. (Course he does this better than Rudeus imo, and this is minus being like a 40 year old pervert reincarnated.) May need actual therapy because homie I ain't the mental and spiritual Bob the Builder. I'd pick him first tho if I had to.

Zayne (Had to look the game up to remember this poor man's name.)

Doctor that genuinely wants the best for you. Don't know what his deal is, quite frankly know if I wanna. He's an okay petunia, good job and isn't some cold heartless bastard needing to rediscover the Christmas Spirit. 10/10, if he got a dog I'd petsit for him.

Btw don't know if this has merit and forgive me if this seems flippant, but he feels very autism-coded. (I can elaborate on this if you want.)

Xavier

Smol boy. Tiny. Does not know anything, does not know ABC's. Seems like he'd give a guy you hate a wedgie and then in the next moment excitedly tell you he found a boba place. Man's got the raw energy of a shameless male Sanrio fan and you know what? I can vibe with it. Again, no idea what the deal is and who Lumiere is, I invite people to blast my inbox with lore.

(Help)

Sylus

So the moment y'all have been waiting for.

I got massive vampire vibes when I saw his teaser on IG, and while I am mildly disappointed that isn't the case, supernatural Yakuza isn't exactly bad either. Huge and has a bite meaner than his bark for sure, which I respect; would shoot someone point blank without letting them finish a dramatic ahh dialogue. Also has this weird duality of "I'm going to fuck you up" and "I dropped my monster condom that I use for my magnum dong." You know what? I can deal, he seems like a whole hoot and a half.

Also you know that French man who lost points in pole vaulting because his dick hit the bar? ... That's Sylus, I'm just gonna say that rn. (Seriously, this man's dick means he qualifies as a monster, thus Sylus fuckers are monsterfuckers. I don't make the rules.)

[tired-old-men]

Hello! I started following this blog recently and couldn't believe it when I found it... I always loved The Brotherhood, but always felt so lonely on that. It's a dream to see all the love you give them on this blog! Thank you so much for this, really! This makes this fellow echidna lover really happy!

(I was also really shy to send an ask, btw haha)

Anyways, I wanted to ask something! How was Janelle-Li like? And how did you guys feel about her loss?

Comments like these really make my life to be honest! A part of me thought when creating this blog that a majority of this blog’s life would be me screaming into the void about these echidnas. After the end of the Archie comics they very much became quite the obscure characters, and granted they were already pretty niche in the comics to begin with. So it really warms my heart when people approach this blog with that “holy shit I remember these dudes!” feeling, because that was quite literally me a year or so ago when I slowly creeped back into this fandom, rediscovering this deep love for these characters. I’m glad that these characters still get a lot of love! I’m happy that my love for these characters can be felt in my art or in my writing and be shared with all of you. Thank you so much for your kind words PsychoAna, they mean the world to me and inspire me to continue on sharing the echidna love! ^^ 

Also never hesitate to drop something off at my inbox, trust I feel you on the shyness, I’m that friend that will be more likely to respond than to initiate an interaction lol but I can talk your ear off if you let me! No mater how serious, goofy, or chaotic your inquiry or interaction may be is totally fine by me! I’m just delighted by the fact you took your time to engage in my silly little blog. I swear I’m not a scary old man I’m just another silly lil guy on the internets lol ♥

⍟─────── ⋆ 。.・゜・✧・✦・✧・゜・。⋆ ────────⍟

Thunderhawk’s eyes soften “What was she like? She was… everything.. everything you could ask for in a Guardian in a child even. Headstrong, smart, resourceful, bright, incredibly athletic, she always found her own success in anything she did even in the most uphill of battles. She NEVER backed down from a challenge no matter how rough it got, she never got discouraged she just.. kept on going. 

She carried such an incredible sense of strength within her, she made a fine Guardian, better than I could ever be to be honest, like it was her destiny to do so.” Thunderhawk gives a soft chuckle reminiscing on a memory, then lets out a deep sigh as his face saddens. “She did a lot of good for a lot of people… And as a father I couldn’t be more proud of her… her absence is more than felt within us…”

Sabre places a reassuring hand on his grandfather’s shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze to remind him he was there for him. “She… she was like a second mother to me… when I moved to Angel Island as a young boy she welcomed me with such an open heart. She um always seems to know what to do or say to brighten someone’s day. I appreciated her words of wisdom, she had a different way of viewing things that really made me think during rough times in my Guardian journey…She truly was the best of us and I… I miss her too…” Thunderhawk reaches to hold Saber’s hand resting on his shoulder, he looks back at him giving him a soft smile behind glossy eyes, appreciative of his words. “Janelle-Li was more than an outstanding Guardian in her own right, she was a valued member of our family. Her unfortunate early departure from this world is one that can be felt in our hearts and throughout Angel Island, by the multitude of people who’s lives were enriched by her, she inspired the best in all of us, and she is dearly missed by all who came to know her. She was a shining beacon of light, she took pride in her role of Guardian, and I could not have any more love and appreciation for my dear granddaughter.” Spectre speaks, even in his monotone expression his words are genuine. He gently pats Sabre and Thunderhawk comfortingly as he stands by them. 

[daimyosprincess]

HOLD ON umm not to come in unannounced but do you have any boba fic recommendations asking for a friend 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙏🙏

NEVER apologize for coming in my inbox asking for Boba content because I always vibrating with need to talk about the daddy in chief!!!

Under the cut are some off the top of my head (you can check out my #fanfic tag too) and I will reblog with additional recs if I think of them.

All are 18+ and Boba x F!Reader unless noted, and in no particular order.

Homecoming by @thefact0rygirl

I would pay real money for the chance to read all of Vee's fics for the first time again. Her masterlist is my go to when I crave that good Boba 🌶️.

Afflictions by @rexxdjarin

This Empire-era fic lives rent free in my head. Julie gives me my regular Boba fix with her trove of thots and drabbles in her masterlist.

Verman'alor by @galacticgraffiti

Deliciously spicy read with lots of cool Mando'a used. Gala has some other great Boba pieces listed in their masterlist as well.

Hurts So Good by @saradika

Honestly I can't pick my favorite of her Boba fics, this is just the first one I had saved. The Little Mess duo is also amazing fucking hot.

The Duality of Us by @acatalystrising

You can really tell how much Eliza loves Boba in her writing! She's got a few other series and oneshots in her masterlist.

Tea Shop series by @pickleprickle

You want the sweetest Boba fluff you can imagine? Look no further than this series!! Brings a smile to my face every time I see a new part. Check out Lee's masterlist too.

A Simple Thing by iridan [Boba Fett x Din Djarin]

This fic... whew. I binged it in two weeks and I still have yet to fully recover. Excellent world building and FEELINGS. i am also into bobadin now

A Pillar of Salt by acomplicatedprofession

One of the most achingly beautiful things I've ever read. 10/10 in the feelings department.

I Know What You Like by millennialfalcon

Let's just say I found out that I'm definitely into that.

Rescue of the Wretched by @mando-cyare

One of the earliest Boba fics I read when I rediscovered my undying love for obsession with Boba when the Mandalorian came out, and this is still one of my all-time favs.

Bred by the King by Much_Ado_Abt_Novels

Another early fic. Guess I'm into that now too ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And last but not least I want to give a shout out to all the creators out their sharing their content with us!! Thank you for giving me the serotonin I need to survive 💖

[idontknowreallywhy]

For the fic writers ask game!!

14 how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

40 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

56 What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

p.s. you are definitely a proper writer and a wonderful one!

Rediscovered The Inbox (which tends to hide on the mobile app) -better late than never on a reply??

I did answer 14 already ages ago I think so have been pondering the other two…

40 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

I actually just commissioned some art on one particular scene which I am beyond excited about and may well get addicted to that process (note to self, check whether hubby is cool with second mortgage purely for multiple art commissions…) so that is kind of a dream come true (I’m getting WIP sketches etc and doing a lot of happy screaming!) but aside from that one…

There are scenes I feel like I’ve described quite well which could be artable but for others the actual picture stayed mostly in my head because I felt the detail would clog the narrative and I think I describe sound and smell better than visual anyway I think? There definitely one I’d love to see but not sure I’ve ever adequately described Estera for anyone to draw her (tho they’d be welcome to try!) but… if I could magically crystallise any image I’ve written it would be the photo she’s looking at here:

Her gaze shifted to the new photo, framed in blue, that she had recently added to her gallery. Yes, and in the last few months… everything had suddenly changed again. But this time in an indisputably good way. Because the imaginary hero had somehow shed the imaginary bit and become her friend. The two of them grinned manically out of the hasty selfie - hair dishevelled, flushed with adrenaline and drenched in seawater but vividly, irrepressibly alive.

Which was taken just after this scene. And yes, Scooter has destroyed another expensive suit 😏

56 What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

I’m going to try to flip something I often worry is a failing in my stories because the reason I haven’t “fixed” it is because it is actually the bit I feel I’m best at and certainly is the stuff that comes out when I get excited with a sudden NEED to write immediately. So… even though I suspect it makes my fic slooow and the plot languishes in the background…

A thing I love doing and I think I’m getting better at is exploration of the thoughts and feelings of a character in a specific moment/scene. Usually through an inner monologue, sometimes interspersed with dialogue, but I just love picking apart a character’s mind spiral to show where they are mentally on a matter, where they came from and maybe edging them towards some progress. Scott and Virgil are the usual victims of this but I often do it to an OC as well, with the intent of showing one of the main characters’ development through external eyes.

Again, it doesn’t make for exciting, action-filled fic and I sometimes feel guilty for posting 3 chapters covering about 10 mins of events but… actually I enjoy reading that kind of thing from other people so clearly I believe it’s legit story telling when they do it so I’m trying to give myself permission to believe it is when the writer is me :)

Thanks for the ask and the encouragement (which, coming from one of my fave writers, is extra encouraging!)

[achaotichuman]

Hiii! Hope everything is fine and that your day/night is going well! I'm just in my Andras feels and now I really understand why I never 100% loved Feylin or Feyre in the first book (even though I loved it and I still love it) and the reason is... Andras. Not only because Feyre killed him (knowing/feeling he was a Fae) but for what she did after and... idk, I have this hc that if they had to break-up it wouldn't be because of Tamlin's character assasination (never forget, never forgiving) but because love couldn't heal the scars/the pain. After these deeply traumatic events (for both) after 50 years of pain and sacrifices, now that they're free from Amarantha... they breathe and see what it has been done. Everytime Tamlin holds Feyre hand, will he think about how she holded a knife to skin his friend? How she drowe one in his heart? She died for him, she did, he loves her, she loves him... but everytime they both look at each other it feels like a burning lash that never heals. If they kiss, do they taste the ashes of their love burning them? A gnawing pain in their stomach, the burn of holding each other eyes, trying not to flinch away? Trying to hold on the love that hurt? Idk, I would've loved so much the angst of the end, if done like: we love each other so much that I would die/kill for you, that bond that can break a curse, but that isn't enough to heal, because we keep burning an putting salt in our wounds, where they both began their journey to heal and rediscover themself. Maybe even how to love again without all the hurt. Alas, this is my Angsty hc andddd, sorry for my rambling! I hope it didn't bother you too much! Anyway, I love Andras, we knew him for one minute, but it was enough for me to love him (and for me to never actually forgive Feyre -bc she never does think about him twice- and truly like/like feylin -bc aaaaa, Andras and TamTam and Lucien trio deserves better and asxtcf) because he Deserved better and was a good friend and Fae and ok, now I will stop babbling away lol Sorry again!

No need to apologize, I love rants, headcanons, all the like! My inbox is always open for them!

I totally agree with you, I didn't like Feyre either more so towards the end of Acotar and the start of Acomaf because at that point she hadn't given Andras a single thought. A main point of her trauma is Acomaf was that she had two stab two fae, but she never cared or mentioned the first life she took that led her to Prythian in the first place. Andras should be recognized as a war hero for the sacrifice he made, but Feyre does not care in the slightest about him.

It's also why I hate one specific line of her thinking, in Acomaf when Lucien comes to take her back, she states "Something had festered in the training at the Spring Court" (that line is paraphrased) pretty much stating all training in Spring was terrible and created monsters out of men.

This to me solidifies that Feyre has entirely forgotten- or admantly does not care for Andras. The man (and the men before him) that willingly put their lives down for Prythian's sake to her are the result of 'festered training'.

I can't feel any form of pity for Feyre because she doesn't give a single fuck about the lives she takes unless it gives her sympathy points.

I like the idea that Feyre and Tamlin's relationship should have ended because despite the fact both would go to the ends of the world for the other. Tamlin is holding on to the life she took, the blood that stains their hands. They can save each other, but they can't heal each other. The angst is *chefs kiss* delicious.

But as it is in canon, I can't respect Feyre for what she's done. By Acomaf she's become a person who extends no empathy to those who don't benefit her.

Anyway, loved this rant and headcanon. Send any my way that you think of!

[raventhekittycat]

🧡✨SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING ✨

💖💖💖thank you 1989nihil💖💖💖 You are wonderful too! And I hope your day is going well!

Sorry for the very late reply!! >.<

[yinyuedijun]

hi hi non-oomf!!! actually just rediscovered your blog like 5 mins ago after moving accounts a while ago and boy am i glad i did because those aventurine fics… i'm so normal :) anyway feel free to delete this bc i know ur inbox must be jumping right now and this is kinda out of nowhere but since you selfship, do you also roleplay? anytime i see a fellow writer on here that has selfships it's literally the first thing i think of bc i loveeee writing with others writers & it's helped me tremendously over the years!!! no this isn't a sponsored ad LMFMDSO i'm just curious and i am shamelessly LOOKING ok!! please take care <3

hi there, thanks so much for reading my aventurine fics, I'm so glad you enjoyed them <3 (and also welcome back, glad you rediscovered this blog!!!!) I sadly do not roleplay but I used to do it a lot when I was way younger and I completely agree that it's a really wonderful writing exercise. I also used to do collaborative fic writing with people - not as in collabs but as in me & another writer would go back and forth in a google doc, writing fic in real-time together and we would crank out like 10k word fics that way LOL. retrospectively it was an insane way to write but it was super helpful for me as a developing writer !!!

thank you for the ask!!!!

[thedisablednaturalist]

what is your favorite aquatic invertibrate?

THIS is a loaded question. I've kept this in my inbox for a while cause there's SO MANY it's hard to choose. I'm most interested in mollusca and crustacea but those are still large categories.

My favorite mollusk is Dirona albolineata, the frosted alabaster nudibranch. Absolutely gorgeous and come in my favorite color.

I pretty much love all nudibranches though. My second favorite would have to be sea butterflies, they're so weird!

And of course the animal crossing famous Clione limacina or sea angel

Academically, I'm currently researching freshwater mussels for our reintroduction project. Mussels may not be as flashy as nudibranchs, but they are extremely important for improving water quality in freshwater habitats. It's hard to choose a favorite, but one I've researched the most and have grown fondly of is Alasmidonta varicosa, the brook floater. We are hoping to eventually reintroduce it to it's previous native range. Fun fact, when you pick them up out of the water, they stick their "tongue" (foot) out.

I literally had the species name written on my giant whiteboard in the office for a few months so my boss would keep seeing it since I really wanted us to use it as a flagship species to design our reintroduction project around. Fast forward and we've gotten a grant and things are progressing nicely.

Anyway on the crustacea side that's an even harder choice. I'm always excited to see aquatic isopods and scuds. I'm probably most fond of Malacostraca (amphipods, isopods, decapods, etc.) and Branchiopoda (clam, fairy, and tadpole shrimp, and water fleas). Do not make me pick one I am unable to. I will say I have a particular soft spot for crayfish as they are the organisms I've had the most one-on-one time with (I literally have a pet crayfish named Mr Pinchy). I just love anything with pinchers (⁠��⁠ƪ⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠）≧〔゜���〕≦

First crayfish I ever held doing it's little defensive stance of Shake Em Like You Just Don't Care. Just take a look at it's mouth! The mouthparts are so cool! I love watching Mr. Pinchy eat.

My favorite macroinvertebrate would hands down be Corydalus, aka Hellgrammites, which are the larval form of Dobsonflies. I have yet to see an adult dobsonfly in person, but have been told they're terrifying and not very nice. We shall see about that. Hellgrammites are simply angry pathetic overdramatic babies and while people say they bite I've held plenty and never been bit. They will absolutely go for the other bugs in the tray so you do have to keep them in a separate container. We've lost a couple of caddisfly larvae to the jaws of the mighty hellgrammite.

Just look at it! Here's a video where I'm trying to get a good shot of it's gills (those frilly things on its underside). They roll into a defensive ball which is so endearing. I also love anything that can curl into a ball. I think they're absolutely adorable but most people tend to disagree with me ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

TDLR I love all aquatic invertebrates so very much. I didn't even get into shrimp or coral or starfish! They make me so happy I actually have to limit how much I read about them in a day because my emotions get too big and cause me to become hyper (which is a bad combo for fibromyalgia). I'm not great at remembering information so I get to constantly relearn and rediscover things which is a blessing and a curse. This also makes taxonomy especially hard for me so let me know if I messed up somewhere.

[luckydragon10]

i was feeling pretty sad. I've had a shitty week and tomorrow's gonna be a rough day at work. But then, i remembered: bad bet update! Thanks for being something to look forward to.

Oh gosh, this got lost in my inbox for a wee bit there. My apologies! Of course I rediscover it the day after I finish Bad Bet. Oi, good job, me.

AHHH! Wait, wait, I have something for you. Bad Bet may have finished, but there's a new fic in town, and I am officially passing the relay baton off to @nuwildcat, who's going to update her KP sugar daddy fic, beautiful and dirty rich, on Thursdays. 😁 If that sounds like your kind of fic, I recommend it!

[contentment-of-cats]

Just give me the coffee, I will do the rest.

Loki is settling in. Mostly, he wants to eat and sleep. The few times I have let him out of the Borg Cube, he's been out for 10 minutes, gets overstimulated, and runs back to his Safe Place. Right now he is learning how to play with toys, and loves his scratching posts and pads. He's been through so much. I have asked that the ex get a visit from his karma.

Unpleasant Subject Ahead

Another thing that this whole thing has driven home is how important it is to get your affairs in order - even if you don't have cancer. Loki's mom was getting a divorce and fell so ill so fast that she was unable to make her own medical decisions within days of admission. Even if you are getting a divorce, even with an actual protective order, your spouse is still the legal default person to make decisions for you. They are your legal heir. If you don't have a legal spouse (marriage certificate), it's your adult children, if you have no kids then your parents make those decisions even if you're a legal adult. If you have no immediate family, then your extended family gets called in.

Power of attorney legal and medical

Will for personal property

Living trust for investments and real estate

Medical orders (supersede those of the POA) such as Do Not Resuscitate

A health care directive like this one.

It's hard to think about, but when your surviving extended family is a mess (like mine) you want these things in order. Hell, have them notarized so that a judge can look at the plaintiff and say, "What the hell is the matter with you?"

Golden Treadmill

I'm strapping myself in with another 'write to spec' contract. Yep, it's more porn. I negotiated for one every six weeks from February to November. I need to visit Amazon and stock up on barf bags and brain bleach. I did say that I won't write noncon or (yes, this is a thing) racist tropes. It's hard for me to write hardcore body horror. I might be writing horrible porn in order to pay off my medical bills that makes my pussy slam shut like an angry clam, but I have standards. That being said, the editor delivered the advance to my freelance bank account and the outline to my inbox.

Whoo boy.

In my defense, I did not know that 'monster fucking' was commercially viable.

Cat in the Kitchen

Rediscovering food has been a wonder. As promised, my rearranged innards make it trial and error, but the errors seem to be self-correcting. Gut flora does come back, but I have not been brave enough to venture into my spicy Indian, Chinese, and Mexican foods.

I've been making casseroles/hotdish because they freeze well and sometimes the fatigue renders me incapable of anything other than pushing a button.

For casseroles/hotdish you need:

Vegetables: Frozen works fine. Canned is saltier, so if you go canned use 'less salt' brands. If you are using mushrooms, frozen, fresh or dried is best. I find canned mushrooms have a very weird metallic taste.

Starch: Potatoes, rice, pasta/noodles, bread. Yes, tater tots count.

Protein: Can be vegetable protein, beans, canned tuna or salmon, or meat. Smoked salmon is delicious in casseroles and soup, so I go to my local deli on Friday to get lox ends and trimmings.

Sauce: Canned soups (cream of ____), jarred or canned pasta sauce, or packaged cooking sauces and gravies.

Topping: Cornflakes, tater tots, cheese, potato chips, stuffing, etc.

Flavor: Dried herbs, onion and celery, garlic, spices.

Slowcooker meals are great, too, and follow the same rules as casseroles/hotdish. But my favorite caserole dish is my Gran's Lancashire hotpot - lamb neck chops, potatoes, onions, and more sliced potatoes on top for a crispy lid.

Back to work.

[pynkhues]

Uh if you're looking for prompts for a potential fic on the lighter side, I've been desperate for more "Louis photographs Lestat, it leads to sexytimes" fic since this photo of Sam (and I genuinely could see the show exploring the idea of Louis rediscovering his love of actually taking photos himself). There have been a couple that have incorporated that, but only a couple, and anyway it's like reunion fics, there can never be enough. But just the eroticism of being able to focus on each other so intensely but with at least the pretense of it just being about the photos, and Louis being able to really let himself see how beautiful Lestat is (which at least in the past, I don't think he always wanted to dwell on), all of that good stuff....

Sorry, you sent me this weeks ago, I'm just hopeless with navigating my inbox at the moment, haha, but yes! Love it! I've been percolating on it, and have found my way in for it and will be writing it for my last Kinktober prompt :-)

I'm genuinely surprised there aren't more fics either, especially given Louis literally imagined Dreamstat saying to him that the problem with his photography was that he wasn't in the pictures, haha.

[ciaossu-imagines]

For the personal asks, can you answer the following questions:

5. List up to ten (or more, why limit yourself?) words you like and their definitions?

10. Talk about something you are working on?

11. Share something you are proud of?

12. What fandom currently holds your fixation?

15. What kind of weather do you like the best?

16. Talk about something you love?

21. What are you currently reading? Give us a quote if you like?

C

Of course I can! I’m really flattered you sent in something to learn more about me 😊 I hid this under a cut, just for the people who really are just here for the fandom stuff and don’t want to read the rambles of this writer but thank you so much for the ask!

5. List up to ten (or more, why limit yourself?) words you like and their definitions?

Okay, please forgive me but I work around drugs all day and some of them have fantastic fucking names that are just so fun to say. Domperidone is just so much fun to say and it sounds so fancy for a medication that’s normally used to help stomach issues. Moxifloxacin just rolls off the tongue really fun too (it’s an antibiotic, for anyone interested). Just saying the word ‘Christmas’ or ‘Halloween’ makes me smile like an idiot, because I truly love and look forward all year to both holidays now. I used to be a Christmas grump, because I had really bad memories of it, but I have found the spirit. I swear like a sailor, so ‘fuck’ and ‘cunt’ are both oft-used words that I love a lot. They’re multi-faceted. I also like really weird words, ones that aren’t often used or just sound so fun. Twitterpated is so fun, it just means to be very infatuated. I use whippersnapper unironically. I guess I could only find eight, but eight is pretty good, for such a weird but wonderful question!

10. Talk about something you’re working on.

I honestly have just really been working hard on getting replies out, getting caught up on reading I’ve been wanting to do (while letting myself feel less guilty about it by saying it will help the blog), getting stuff straightened out on the blog, and now working on building the queue and emptying the inbox. Outside of that though, I have been having fun, for an hour here or there, working on podficing. I really enjoy it, I get a lot of compliments in my day-to-day on my voice both in person but especially on the telephone, it’s been letting me test out a new microphone and editing software, and I eventually hope to be happy enough with something I’ve recorded to share it, either with just a couple people or the public at large.

11. Share something you are proud of.

Oof. Double oof. Triple, quadruple Oof with a capital for emphasis. I’m really, really bad at saying good things about myself or the things I’ve done in my life. I keep working at it in therapy, but it’s really hard for me and I don’t have a lot of pride in myself. However, I guess the closest I can come is saying I’m really proud of that goddamn college diploma hanging on my wall. For those who don’t know me well, I actually dropped out of high school in grade 12. That diploma is years later than it should have been but it took a lot of courage and hard work to go back, get my GED and get a college degree.

12. What fandom currently holds your hyperfixation?

I think it’s really common with a lot of people, myself included, that the fandom you’re currently reading or watching is the one you hyper-focus on. Because of this, because I’m currently reading Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun! and One Piece, those are the fandoms I’m thinking about the most. However, with each new ask I pull up or each new prompt I bring up to write about, I’m able to rediscover the joy and love for the show/manga/game again so I don’t think the hyperfixation on those is too extreme. I can carry a lot of obsessions at once, what can I say?

15. What kind of weather do you like the best?

It really depends on the season. Where Canada has such distinct seasons, I have different types of weather I prefer in each one. In spring, it’s the really warm, clear days with the kind of blue skies that have an ombre effect to them and have big puffy clouds and just the slightest of breezes. In summer, it’s the freak summer thunderstorms with big lightning strikes that last for a couple hours and stop as quickly as they started. In autumn, it’s those perfect ‘sweater weather’ days that beg you to take long walks to look at all the colourful leaves and that smell like woodfires burning and dry leaves crunching. In winter, it’s snowstorms. Snowstorms all the way because they are beautiful to watch and it gives me an excuse to not go out into the cold.

16. Talk about something that you love?

Okay, but guys, despite being so young, because my older sister gave birth as a teen, and her kids are also starting young, I very recently just became a great-aunt. I was sent pictures, because I can’t be there, but holy fuck, that baby is the most adorable thing. They came quite premature, so unfortunately they’re not able to leave the hospital yet, but they’re so tiny and fragile and pink and just…despite not having children, I do think babies are adorable and love that one very much.

21. What are you currently reading? Give us a quote if you would like.

Outside of those two manga mentioned above, I’m rereading the Hold Me Closer, Necromancer novel and it’s sequel. I love both books a ton, wish other people would read and love them too and talk to me about them. They’re young adult, yeah, but they are fun. There’s a lot of quirky humour in them I love, the supernatural angle is well done in my opinion, the world is nicely fleshed out, and the main character is just a dude, but a dude you root for.

A couple of my favourite quotes –

“Most people felt lost after high school. Sometimes I felt like I’d never really been found in the first place.”

“So you’re telling me the zoo commissioned you to make a zombie panda in order to avoid a potential international incident.”

“I wanted to howl until I was nothing but sound.”

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello! I wanted to know if there was any tips to get you back to writing a Story for a fandom that you are no longer interested in. Basically, how can you find that certain ✨️spark✨️ that you once had when you first entered the fandom, in order to find the motivation and inspiration to go back to writing that piece again?

Fan-Fiction: Finding Spark to Finish Old Fic

We talk a lot about "sparks of inspiration" in creative writing, because those creative sparks are what motivate us to write about a particular thing. Sparks of inspiration can come from almost anywhere, but quite often they arise out of our interest in something. For example, if you're interested in high fantasy and you become interested in found family, you might be inspired to write a high fantasy incorporating found family. Your interest in examining the theme and dynamics of found family is what motivates you to write the story. So, when we lose that interest, that's a problem.

So, how do we rekindle that interest once it's lost? With original fiction, it's a matter of rediscovering your interest in the story you wanted to tell--the characters, the world, the themes you wanted to explore, the events you wanted to happen. With fan-fiction, it's a bit more complicated, because not only do you have to rediscover your love for the story you wanted to tell, you have to rediscover your love for the story that inspired you in the first place. In other words, if you're writing Good Omens fan-fiction, for example, you need to rekindle your interest in Good Omens before you can rekindle your interest in your own story. And rekindling your interest in someone else's story... that can be tricky.

We write fan-fiction because we're head over heels in love with a story, whether it's a TV show, movie, book, comic, musical, celebrities, etc. And the thing/s that make us head over heels in love with that story in the first place can be very specific to who we are in that moment in time. The genres that interest us, the actors who put butterflies in our stomachs, the characters we connect with, the themes that resonate with us, and the pairings that gave us life... that can change even after a few months. So, when you've moved on and those things about that fandom no longer interest you, what do you do?

Fake it. You have to fake it. Start by sitting down and doing some thinking about what you loved about that fandom in the first place. What drew you to watch it/read it in the first place? What elements early on made you think "OMG, I LOVE THIS"? What was it about the genre that pulled you in? Who were the actors you liked best and why? Which characters did you connect with and why? What themes resonated with you most and why? Which pairings made your heart beat out of your chest? Try watching some fan-videos on YouTube to remind you of what you loved. Look for character studies, episode or season tributes, ship-focused videos, or ensemble videos. You can also try watching trailers, behind-the-scenes featurettes, blooper reels, clips, cast/crew interviews, and vlog-style videos that examine the story or characters.

Once you've done that, hopefully you'll feel enough of that initial spark that you'll be motivated to work on your fic again. You'll still probably have to think about the story you wanted to tell and why you wanted to tell it, but hopefully this wave of motivation will be enough to help you finish your story.

I hope that helps!

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