#so they’re in 2 separate tags but still recognizable

[oobbbear]

Have a sneak peek, I changed a lot a lot in terms of the design, the others stay very much the same

[twixtandshout]

Tagged by @pidgeonpostal! And not tagging anyone else because I have SOILED the original template (soiled it!!) in deference to my [brushes off skirt] mostly clean public-facing appearance.

...I’ve been making a lot of Spongebob memes lately for someone who has not seen Spongebob.

How many works do you have on AO3?

71!

What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

...306,834. Jesus.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Uh. Many! I do a lot of one-offs (and/or start long things I never finish) in many different places. My top three fandoms by fics written are RWBY (29), Undertale (25), Gravity Falls/Transcendence AU (4).

Bet you can’t tell where my hyperfixations have fallen. 

I’ve also got some Pokémon and Sonic the Hedgehog fics back on my ff.net account, or I think I still do, anyway, but let’s never go back there pls

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Sweeter Than Honey (Undertale): Taking a Completely unsurprising first place, with over 600 more kudos than the runner-up, the haphazard Underswap fic featuring a post-college self-insert I wrote just after high school! I shake my head some at how overblown and ridiculous the gap between this and all my other stuff is (c’mon, guys, I’ve written way better fics), but this is also the fic which prompted me (and at least one other person!) to start using they/them pronouns. I’ve gotten a lot of really sweet comments about how seen and appreciated it’s made people feel, so I can’t get down too far about it.

2. To Be A Hero (BNHA): I don’t count myself as part of the BNHA fandom, for a number of reasons, but for something that’s arguably the main motivation for the entire plot, Midoriya’s quirklessness is something I’ve never thought has been handled well. This fic marked the first time I (somewhat tentatively) claimed the disability label (thanks again to Sweeter Than for prompting that realization) to hold that lens over canon. It also really shot up my chart, dang! It’s the only thing here I’d consider “recent.”

3. Three-Sentence Shipping (Undertale): Self-explanatory.

4. Brothers Beyond Bonedaries (Undertale): Ah, the way-overcomplicated AU³ I got nowhere close to finishing. One of the things I really like about Undertale is the interface screw, how Toby Fox uses the medium of the video game to pull off crazy things and enhance his game, but most of the fic written for the fandom seems dedicated to explaining it away, grounding it, rather than taking it to the next step and messing with the medium of fanfiction when you keep the story going. I tried to do something cool like that here, playing with questions like narrator and authorship and breaking the fourth wall, even taking the “final boss” fight to a “totally separate” fic reached through the first by link – but, well, then I never finished it, which probably didn’t make anything less confusing for the poor folks who missed the intent.

5. Spirit and Such (Gravity Falls: Transcendence AU): A whole fic written to line out a particular image I had, which, naturally, never made it to the page. I consider it a bit of a cautionary tale for myself when it comes to writing (near-)original content; there’s a lot I look back on and cringe. I still love the characters, though – well, the important ones – and I think just stepping away from the tried-and-true Mizar formula nets it a star sticker here.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

>w>; I try, but a lot of the time I just don’t have anything to say? Like, oh, you liked it? Neat. There’s not much to respond to in comments like that, and then I’m weighing falling down on an ~obligation~ to respond to every message in my inbox vs annoying people with copy-paste fluff responses all down the page. Plus I know I make more of an effort to comment on things that didn’t get the attention I feel they deserve, so if I’m driving up my own comment count with nonsense, am I preventing myself from being in a position to receive more comments later? And then if I do comment, am I being too effusive or running people’s ears off explaining things they don’t actually need to know? Sometimes people just want to express interest or admiration and don’t necessarily want a whole peek and guided tour behind the curtain.

Can you tell I have anxiety? x3;

Anyway, I do respond when I can. And I keep most of the comments I’ve gotten to go back and reread. 

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Hm, hmm. Lots of stuff in the TQ Nonsense series would probably qualify! I’m thinking of Unfixable, Wolfsong, and Ethanol. And there’s Bursting Through A Blood-Red Sky (I Can Live, I Can Breathe), of course, but that was always intended to have a fix-it epilogue. It’s just that I wrote it in a couple of hours day-of, stared at it, and decided I didn’t wanna just then. But now that’s As Long As You’re Still Burning Bright (I’m Still Awake), and that’s probably the best romance I’ve written, so that one worked out.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve ever written?

Now and then! When the urge strikes. Uhhh, I’ve got a series of Doctor Who x Undertale crossovers I actually made a whole dang verse for that never made it to print. Get a couple great comments on that every few months or so. I think the World Trigger x Undertale crossover is probably weirder, though, by virtue of WT being a very small fandom. My enthusiasm kinda sputtered out on that one.

Mostly I just daydream crossovers with whatever happens to catch my eye at any given moment. I have a lot!!!! Though odds are out on whether I manage to remember any of them once the initial thought’s passed, lol.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Gotten a couple eyebrow-raising comments, but I think mostly I’m just too small a writer to draw that kind of attention.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don’t? think so? Think my tastes are a little niche for most people to bother ^^;

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I had someone apologize once for any language mistakes in their comment cause they had to run it through a translator! That’s not what you asked (the answer is no), but it’s very flattering to think that someone liked my fic enough to read and comment despite the language barrier.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! :D @pidgeonpostal was gracious enough to agree to co-write Five Nights at Denny’s with me off an idea about shoes. This has fulfilled a long-held dream of mine (collabing with someone, not the shoes) and also introduced me to some lovely people.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Who has time for just one? ;3c Honestly, I care more about the characters and how the relationship – any relationship – between them changes them than I do about ~A Ship~ as a solid, bounded noun-object. I’ve got characters I like more and less and feelings about who does and doesn’t have chemistry in which directions with whom, but finding anything that agrees with those preferences is hard, harder when you take alloromanticism into account. I’ll play in any sandbox with cool toys, especially if other folks have already built sick sandcastles there.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

[kicks every single unfinished fic further under the bed] What nooo no WIPs here, everything on my account is either finished or does not exist

I’ve got a couple extra chapters of Sweeter Than floating around unposted, but 1. that fic’s a mess 2. high school Twixt and post-college Twixt are different people and trying to contort myself into three other me-shapes just cause people Like this fic is not something I’m super interested in 3. it’s headed for an emotional dip and I’d rather leave it where it is than post two chapters, stall out again, and leave folks with a bad end.

As for other fics... it’s looking more and more likely that v7 of my Yellow Brick Road AU will never actually make it out. >w>; I’ve got some really great ideas, but not enough to make me feel like I know what I’m doing, and that’s a big roadblock. Plus trying to engage with RT’s Atlas-Mantle worldbuilding in any serious capacity is... a headache. I can’t recommend the Happy Huntress Cinematic Universe enough, but it leaves some pretty big shoes to follow! And I’ve got small feet. <w<;

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue’s fun, probably as an extension of characterization. I love tearing into what makes people tick, especially against the backdrop of their environment, the story they’re in, and the people they’re up against. Voice is a double-edged sword; I’ve been told my writing is really recognizable and individual, but on the other hand, I’ve been growing frustrated with with the limits of my narrative ability. There’s a strong rhythm I keep when I write (you might notice it here, even) but that leaves me feeling predictable and stale. I’m not sure I’m great at setting as a matter of course, but I’m pretty good at describing setpieces where the need comes up; that comes from my background in poetry, as does the fun I have with sublimating and abstracting complex imagery. And I think I bring some needed nuance to the universal. For good or ill, I don’t do what “everyone else” is doing.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Well, writing, for one thing. If I don’t know how something’s going to go and don’t have the urge to write it, it isn’t getting done, which means there’s a billion things that will never see the page and a few hundred more that are never getting finished. I lose momentum easily and have a hard time getting started, and I put way too much standing on finding a foothold with other people; as critical as I am of my work, I have high expectations for the stuff that passes muster, and it never seems to measure up. I’m also really uncreative. Yeah, I can mix up elements and extrapolate events, but coming up with things wholesale is really hard, which is why I avoid it wherever possible and steal/reskin stuff from other places instead.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Something along the lines of “Hoo boy, I am Not qualified for this but hopefully it’s decent anyway.” Maria’s Spanish lines haven’t been a big deal – I’ve used it sparingly and, as a Latin language, it should be easy for English-speaking audiences to pick up on the gist – but I’ve had a harder time with Tai’s Chinese, both because I have Even Less background there and because it is, of course, an entirely different language system. If I write it out in English or Romanized italics, am I colonizing it or changing the meaning? If I write it out in the presumed-original characters (presumed because it’s Google Translate and who knows if I’m even barking in the right forest), am I confusing or alienating my presumed-majority-English-speaking audience? Where should I put the translations? Should I put the translations? And for Frisk’s sign language, thinking back, are the brackets I used instead of quotes alienating/infantilizing? I like that different characters give the text between a different feel, but I’m not an ASL speaker – and I’m pretty sure the word is “speaker,” which would only reinforce that that demographic would rather I didn’t do that. It’s important for all these characters, I think, that they use non-English language where it makes sense; it’s part of who they are. But as a white monolingual English-speaker, I don’t think I can really weigh in.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Thaaaat’d be Pokémon, followed closely with Sonic the Hedgehog. Whether those fics are still on my ff.net account or not (pretty sure I’ve purged them, but you never know) I’ve still got a couple saved to a folder on my current laptop, ostensibly so I can look back and see how far I’ve come and more practically to allow for the possibility of furthering group cohesion through public shaming.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I still like the idea behind The Man Who Is Atlas, and Burning Bright (Still Awake) gets props for being my current fic, though it’s currently in that spot where I’m excited to get new chapters posted but also quietly marking everything up in red pen. I think Harbinger gets the crown here, at least for now.

[always5hineee]

Depreciation- Chapter 2: Visiting Hours

Chapter warnings: mild language

Word count: 1361

-----

       After being released from her initial questioning, Y/N immediately took to Twitter. While she no longer had her original phone, (she had told the officers she lost it- in reality, WayV had confiscated it from her), they offered her a temporary replacement. She knew she would have to get a new one soon, as the likelihood of this one being monitored was almost a guarantee- it was the only way they would have offered to give her a new phone. Still, for now, she had no choice. What she was searching for wasn't suspicious, anyway.

       The first thing she did was type "WayV" into the search bars. The results that came up were expected, but unsettling.

       WayV concert

       WayV Lucas

       WayV postponed

       WayV is over

       What could this mean? Had SM released a statement? What did the general public know? She found it almost impossible to fathom that they had managed to keep the allegations completely under wraps, so what was the excuse this time? Heart twisting in tension, she clicked on the first tag, clicking through until she came to an official article.

WayV Tour Postponed Due to Unforeseen Complications

            She began to read the content of the body, skimming to the paragraphs that caught her interest. Most of it was corporate bullshit, but she managed to get the gist based on various lines.

"Unfortunately, Wong Yukhei of WayV, commonly known as Lucas, had suffered a mild injury. While we believe he will be in good health shortly, WayV will be postponing their tour until further notice. We thank you for your concern and your patience in this matter, and we will keep all of the WayZenNi updated as much as we are able."

       So they weren't planning on releasing the extent of Lucas's injuries? The last she had seen him, he was covered in those gashes, but he was still very stably alive. Hendery had said he killed the man, along with Xiaojun, but... that couldn't have been the case. He wouldn't have had time to incapacitate Xiaojun and completely kill Lucas in the few seconds she had been in the basement. He had just been saying it to cause her pain in her final moments.

       Still, the article was right about one thing- Lucas wouldn't be performing any time soon. It was clear that they intended to keep all of the allegations under wraps. In the event that WayV was proven innocent, they needed to be able to put them back on stage with no controversy. If any of this got out, it was over. Still, it was fairly easy to demand an unbiased jury, so the people who did act as jurors wouldn't be involved afterwards.

       At this, she started clicking through fan tweets. Some were nicer than others, and each one weighed on her like a mountain.

       I'm so sorry bbysss, get better soon! :(

       Haha I bet Lucas got hit by a truck or something

       This is so lame lmao when has sm evr relaesed a statement this fast?? it's for sure a coverup

       Y/N forced herself to take a deep breath. No matter the scandal, injury, or announcement, there would always be people who made crazy wild guesses for the purposes of humor or sensationalism. There was no way any of these people knew what was really going on, right? Forcing herself to pry her eyes off the thousands of tweets, she chose to look at a few other things. If her phone was being monitored, it may be suspicious that her first actions was just to search WayV on Twitter.

       Her next decision was to try and visit them. She knew where the detention center was, and they were technically just in holding until a temporary decision was made, so she had the right- if they accepted. Her guess was that they were all being held separately, although she wasn't sure if they'd be tried that way as well. Walking into the station, she told the man at the front desk of her intentions.

       "I'd like to speak to the group of men that was brought in last night?" He looked up at her.

       "Which one?"

       "Are they detained separately?" He looked to his computer, clicking a few things.

       "Not all of them. Not enough room. They're all in smaller groups."

       "Who's with who?" He raised an eyebrow.

       "Look, lady, I can't just hand out names. Either you know who you want to speak to or you leave before you get into trouble." She held up a hand in defense.

       "Sorry, sorry." So who did she want to talk to? She wanted to ask for Lucas, but she assumed he had been taken to urgent care or a hospital of some sort. The chances that he was here were slim to none, and producing an incorrect name would be more than suspicious at this point.

       "Ten." She finally said. Seeing the look on his face, she amended, "Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul." She was embarrassed at how flawlessly she could produce it, but she was a WayV fan, after all. His gaze changed from confusion to understanding.

       "Sorry. The nicknames are written on here, his is just... kind of off the page."

       "I get it." She watched as he stood, keys jingling as he unlocked the door to the back room.

       "Hold on, I'll ask them if they want to see you." He disappeared for a moment, leaving her to wonder what their response would be. Maybe Ten had some kind of plan, maybe they had already escaped? It wasn't long before he returned.

       "We're good to go." Leading her back, he explained, "We can't take them out of the holding cells, but you can talk from the hallway. Try not to bother the other inmates. It's fine if you want to talk to the rest of the group, but don't force them to do anything." She nodded. "I have to work the desk, but don't try anything. I can see you on the security cameras." She thanked him profusely, only daring to look through the bars once he had turned the corner.

       Looking into the cell, relief flooded her body. Although it didn't look the most comfortable, she saw Kun and Ten both looking intently at her, seemingly surprised at her presence. She convinced herself that it wasn't a dream, that they were sitting right in front of her. She had gotten so used to being around them twenty four hours a day that being separated seemed ethereal.

       "Oh, thank God." She wrapped her hands around the bars, leaning in. Kun and Ten glanced to each other, and then back to her. Finally, the leader muttered,

       "Keep it down. The cameras don't have audio capabilities, but if we talk too loud the officer might hear us."

       "What are you doing here?" Ten asked, basically destroying any semblance of official-ness that Kun had been trying to imbue. "Aren't you like, ratting us out to the cops?" Putting a hand to the back of her head, she laughed awkwardly.

       "Yeah, about that..." She explained what she had told them during her questioning, earning several insane looks from the both of them.

       "You're kidding." Ten stuttered, "You really care?"

       "That seems illogical." Kun stated quite bluntly. "You now put yourself in a position of perjury, as well as aiding and abetting should we be convicted. The only risk you run by admitting our situation is that we walk free and retaliate, which would be highly unlikely in that situation. It's frankly a stupid decision." Glaring, she mentioned,

       "I can always walk back out there and tell the truth." Sighing, she continued, "Look, we need to find a way to bust you out."

       "Impossible. Breaking out is practically admitting guilt." Kun stated. "We'd have to stay on the run forever, our music careers would be over, and our entire business network would shatter. Not only that, but we're more easily recognizable than any random criminal." At this, Y/N was starting to feel hopeless again. She knew he was right... Still, what could she do about it?

       "Well what are we supposed to do?"

       "Earn our freedom."

Go to chapter 3

[evak-fic-rec-turtleanon]

Evak Fics - Soulmates AU

The Soulmates au list. Plus an extra Jokael fic. WIPs are at the end. Under a read more:

***** SOULMATES *****

We can be soulmates by sleepinggiant (SERIES, 2 fics) - After you meet your soulmate, marks that appear on their skin appear on your skin too.

Life is a beautiful thing by skampanda (524 words) - They didn't just survive through life, they lived it. They had so much passion and excitement in their lives. They had each other.

in every universe by queerness (632 words) - The first time your soulmate touches you, a handprint stays there for the rest of your life

Handsome Mystery Boy by waitineedaname (1.3k words) - You need to know your soulmate's name before it can appear on your arm. Coffee shop au.

New Year's Minute by killercatchy (1.5k words) - Alternate universe where you have a timestamp of when you’ll meet your soulmate. The first minute of every year, you spend in your soulmates body.

Show me your true colors by NikiNixie (1.5k words) - A soulmate AU where you have a black stain where your soulmate is supposed to touch you for the first time and it turns into millions of colors once they do.

du er ikke alene by TheGhostOfMe (1.9k words) - soulmate tattoo

you've been scared of love (and what it did to you) by voidskam (1.9k words) - you're born with a specific eye color, but when you meet your soulmate, both your eyes change into a beautiful color that show you have found your soulmate.

In another life, my dear, by HeartbeatsAreMySymphony (2k words) - countdown to when you meet your soulmate appear on your wrist. a twist on the soulmate trope. warning: it's pretty angsty.

spend more time with you by hippopotamus (2.1k words) - isak accidentally freezes time trying to prove even wrong about his ability to reverse it.

seen it all in paper dreams by hippopotamus (2.2k words) - soulmate au where your world turns colourful when you hear your soulmate's voice

When I Kiss Your Soul by jinglebin (2.5k words) - Even's soulmate wasn't who he had expected or hoped it would be. Your soulmate's name appears on your wrist when you think of them. Enemies to lovers.

In This Universe and the Next by bettertoflee (2.5k words) - For the longest time, Isak avoided looking at the name that appeared on his underarm

Real Eyes by SuddenTempest (2.9k words) - au where your right eye is your own natural eye colour but your left is the colour of your soulmate's. It is only once that you meet and recognize your own eye staring back at you that your eyes change to match.

keeping me close to you by alotofphandoms (2.9k words) - Isak and Even are soulmates with shared skin. Any mark made on them shows up on the other.

something lonesome, something so wholesome by hippopotamus (3.2k words) - au where there's a tattoo on your skin that can move around, and when you find your soulmate it can move onto them too. They are animal tattoos!

the threads that bind us by everythingislove (straykid) (3.3k words) - The silver thread appears on his third birthday, tied perfectly around his wrist. He doesn’t remember much about the moment apart from his mother’s tears, and the way his father’s eyes screamed ‘disappointment.’

Of Ocean and Sky by RamblingWithFantasy (3.5k words) - An ancient legend says that the islanders will find their soulmates for the first time on the way back home, someday.

the red thread by thekardemomme (3.5k words) - every time you lie to your soulmate it shows up on their skin. 5+1 things

The clock is ticking by writtenpeach (3.6k words) - A story about how Isak fell into the arms of his soulmate. Countdown to meeting your soulmate.

The Worst Soulmate by kaleidxscope (4.1k words) - Tattoo of the first words you hear from your soulmate. Unfortunately for Isak, his soulmate spoils Star Wars for him.

do right by you by puddingandpie (4.6k words) - an au where you swap bodies with your soulmate

Some of it is transcendental, some of it is just really dumb by r0nj4 (4.9k words) - It’s a place he’s been before, except he knows that it’s not. It’s a rush of endorphins and electricity and bright lights. “Do you think it’s happening?” Jonas asks.

(oh damn) never seen that colour blue by colazitron (4.9k words) - Isak has soulmarks. Lots of them. They are like freckles and they glow.

Shall I Find No Other by ultimatelawrence (5.4k words) - Everyone is born with a compass on their body, inked into their skin and commonly on their inner left arm. Instead of pointing to north, the needle on the compass points in the direction of your true soulmate.

The Imaginative Friend Syndrome by wyoheartsmusic (5.6k words) - Five times Isak and Even communicate in their heads and one time they communicate in person

i always knew by GayaIsANerd (5.7k words) - au where you get dreams of what your soulmate is experiencing.

let's not waste it feeling wrong by prettyisak (6.9k words) - Instead of your soulmate's first words to you written on your skin, it's the last words you ever hear them say, so you don't know who your soulmate is until you lose them. Warning: Angsty. Please read the tags.

flickered in my mind for only you by shadeandadidas (8.2k words) - But even the lonely nights hearing his mom cry for his dad couldn’t stop Isak from tracing the words (looped, like maybe his soul mate was an artist or a writer) etched permanently onto his skin. 

Is This Our Time? by Evakkk (9.9k words) - This is a world where everyone is born with an indistinguishable soulmate mark... it only changes into something recognizable, once you have physical contact with your soulmate, and it's always something meaningful to the relationship. Both partners will bear the same mark. Isak is about to turn 18... and he's the only one in his friend group who still hasn't found their soulmate. But what happens when he goes out one night, gets drunk... and wakes up with his soulmate mark? 

undisclosed desires in your heart by owilde (10k words) - It would be just a massive joke if Isak somehow ended up having a soulmate. He doesn't even want one, not really. It's silly. If Isak wants to date someone, he can find a girlfriend on his own, thank you very much.

our souls aren't strangers by everythingislove (straykid) (10k words) - The six times Isak and Even can't get it together, and the one time they already are. Or a childhood friends and soulmates au

Isak and Even: everything at once by imissedyourskin (10k words) - “yes. I used to see in black and white. Your dad used to see in colour. And then we met each other and we saw everything at once. It made me see colour and made your dad see black and white. That is what happens when you meet your soulmate.”

A Winter Dream by flyingonthewind (11k words) - Set in a world where soulmates are found by the touch of skin, Isak navigates life alone. At least he did until some drunk guy spilled beer all over him on the tram.

Love Is The Drug For Me by mccolfer (12k words) - The soulmate mark system is one that is full of flaws and uncertainty. Sure, most of the time you and your soulmate had each other's names and you'd meet and fall in love and be together forever. But sometimes the marks aren't mutual. Sometimes the name on your wrist is so common that you don't know who your soulmate is. Sometimes you don't fall in love with your soulmate, rather they're just your best friend. It's not always as clear cut as it's supposed to be. 

In this universe, in different times. by Bewa (12.9k words) - When two souls are separated by the Big Bang, they will forever search for the other until they finally are reunited. 

Taraxacum by GayaIsANerd (15k words) - Isak would never say this out loud, but he’s a hopeless romantic. His mother told him stories about the soulbond, how everyone was born with a symbol somewhere on their bodies, linking them to someone else, somewhere in the universe. These symbols were a representation of the soulmates’ souls.

Lost & bound by hjertetssunnegalskap (Crazyheart) (16k words) - Even has been in a bicycle accident and he has lost his memory of the past three years. However, Isak gets a shock when Even tells him that they’re bonded soulmates, and expects them to be a couple.

Trollbundet/Spellbound by Crazyheart (16k words) - A summer fling soulmate AU. Isak has graduated from Nissen and he’s attending Trolsk (Enchanting), an alternative Fair/music festival with his friends. When he meets a guy called Even, they bond. However, Even is reluctant about bonding. Is a summer fling all they will have?

Not the End by nofeartina (16k words) - Sometimes a connection is so powerful that it can bend the fabric of space and time. Or the parallel universe AU where Isak and Even find each other over and over again.

Making shades of purple by rumpelsnorcack (22k words) - The soulmark changes based on the soulmate's emotions. When their left hands touch, the soulmate bond connects.

beautiful people will ruin your life by traumatic (22k words) - au where two people can communicate solely by writing on their skin, Isak and Even are the best of friends until a lie burrows its way between them and nearly rips them apart.

Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking by staylucky (25k words) - The Afterlife is not what Isak Valtersen was expecting. He didn’t think he’d die at 18 years old in the first place. Purgatory’s ‘Apprentice Leader’, Eskild, is a wildcard, Isak's 'Angel Mentor' Noora doesn’t like Isak and he never got to even a kiss boy while he was on Earth. Thank Goodness, while he waits for reincarnation, for Jonas (another’s mentor) who takes Isak under his (literal) wing but most of all for fellow spirit and member of ‘Limbo Land’ Even Bech Naesheim, a beautiful boy with a past of his own. All isn’t what it seems, and Isak has a lot to discover.

Bittersweet Markings by BreeTaylor (26k words) - Isak's soulmate wanted nothing to do with him. Their skin was a shared canvas, but his soulmate seemed to hate every word Isak wrote. Isak's soulmate had a habit of drawing butterflies on his forearms. Isak never really understood what it meant, but when Vilde started showing up to school with them, too, he didn't waste any time in finding out.

You Make My Heart Soar by missmarymakeup93 (32k words) - Soulmates have basically become extinct. But one chance encounter has Isak in a mess of emotions. Especially when magical marks start appearing on his body.

Just your average ordinary everyday Superhero by vorfm95 (34k words) - Isak works for the governament fixing the chaos caused by the Yeti a young superhero who protects the streets of Oslo. The last words he'll hear from his soulmate is engraved on his arm.

we can take the long way home by Treehouse (37k words) - When he gently puts his hand on the right side of his stomach, the skin is burning hot and feels rugged underneath his fingertips, and when he lifts the cover to look he sees a dark patch there, about the size of his palm. He freezes, has to close his eyes for a moment. Surely, it can’t be, not this soon? But when he looks again, he’s sure. He’s gotten a mark. He’s only been eighteen for about a month, haven’t even had the time to start worrying about it yet. 

Colours Speak Louder Than Words by BreeTaylor (39k words) - (9/10 chapters posted) "Colour changes the way we see the world, Isak." Everybody sees the world in greyscale until they meet their soulmate.

For His Love to Flee by wyoheartsmusic (48k words) - in a world where vampires hide, two lost souls find each other. enemies to lovers

(2017/18) tender (is the night) by towonderland72 (kittpurrson) (49k words) - Reuploaded in 2020. His whole body aches, like he’s regrown his limbs overnight, stretched out muscles he never knew he had. Isak knows, in that moment, that his life has just been turned upside down. “You bonded,” Even’s girlfriend confirms, and the pity in her eyes doesn’t go unnoticed. “Try not to move.” The one where Isak and Even accidentally soulbond.

Lost to the Sea by Flatfootmonster (73k words) - Isak doesn't yet know who he is, or who he even want's to be. Even is indebted to the land and living in human form, despite his very nature demanding he return to the sea. Both beings crave belonging and a need to be seen, if only by one other set of eyes.

Burning For Your Touch by cuteandtwisted (221k words) - (16/17 chapters posted) Isak's skin burns anyone that comes into contact with it and therefore cannot be touched. Closed off and extremely manipulative, Isak transfers to Bakka and scares everyone away with his condition. Everyone but Even.

*** BONUS JOKAEL *** because it's cute

Seeing Color by waitineedaname (3.3k words) - He didn't ever expect he'd meet his soulmate in the middle of a fist-fight.

******** WIPs ********

Everything has changed but your eyes by onlydeadsoulscantdance (posted in Feb 2019)

twin reflections of kindred spirits by devonthemenace (last update May 2017)

Hold On (If Love Is The Answer) by silkeborgriver (posted in April 2019)

It Was Always Supposed to Happen Like This by Darwig3 (last update Jan 2017)

Living With the Uncertainty by kitsunechikyu (last update on June 2017) 

The saddest people smile the brightest by vorfm95 (last update in Feb 2019)

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by i_once_wrote_a_dream (last update in May 2019)

Princes and Stars by CrochetingWords (last update in Oct 2018)

cut off my fingers to touch your smile by bbyfruit (last update in Sept 2018)

These Mountains To Move by verlore_poplap (orphan_account) (last update in Oct 2017)

this world was built for two by twentyonedani (last update in May 2019)

Crystal Dust by Liolny (last update in Feb 2019)

[feverwildehopps]

8 Facts about Waverly

@androace-bunny tagged me over on DA demanding I share details and fun facts about my Zootopia fan oc, Waverly Wilde... okay maybe not "demanding" but he tagged me, I have a couple facts I'd love to share about Wavy, and this looks pretty fun

There's a lot of thought behind how I came up with and designed her, and I'm using this opportunity to do just that, so let's just jump into it

RULES 1. Post all the rules 2. Post 8 facts about your character 3. Tag 8 other people 4. Post their character’s names with their owners

I'm not good at tagging people so forgive me, or not, for neglecting to tag people ANYWAY ONTO THE FACTS

1. My idea for Waverly was not originally to be a fan child for Judy and Nick. Back in the day, I was creating a random Zootopia hybrid oc that I thought would be just fun to illustrate and play around with. Proto-Waverly was a raccoon/bunny mix. Assuming I gave her a last name, I can't remember for the life of me what it is. She looked like Waverly Wilde except with tan fur, gray eyes, a ringtail, and darker patches on parts of her body. I didn't exactly have a story for this Proto-Waverly except maybe she'd run into Nick and Judy on the beat a couple times for reasons I don't remember. The reason she turned into Nick and Judy's kid is because... let's just say my friend made a certain tumblr post which inspired me to make that change without her directly encouraging me to. She didn't even know I had a character to begin with so ehh yeah. Secondly, I wanted to have Nick and Judy to interact with a juvenile and that would still be accomplished through the change. I know everyone makes fan kits for Nick and Judy and maybe my old version of Waverly would've been a nice change of pace had I developed the concept, but I'm happy with my decision. Waverly Wilde led to the creation of other characters (Lotus, Spencer, etc..), to AU collaborations with other artists, and I even used these characters as a medium for practicing character development, writing internal/external situations, and bettering myself as a storyteller. I put a lot of myself and my experiences into them

2. Waverly's a hybrid so this is how she came to be: In my Au, interspecies couples can't exactly have children naturally, but that doesn't stop them from still having them biologically. There's an element of magic in my story (only because many other WH fan children creators have gone the scientific/medical/or just plain miracle route and I wanted to be different yet still practical). Basically every year, not annually, just any time in a different year, a day comes where mammals in Zootopia can make a wish, and their wish comes true that same day. Wishes are only granted if they are made by good intentions and won't drastically change the entire course of the world. "Good intentions" meaning wishes motivated by greed/spite/jealousy/etc. won't come true. Long story short, Judy and Nick took this opportunity one year to make their wish, and (with a little reinforcement) they were having Waverly, yay!

3. I named Waverly after a book character. At the time I was creating Proto-Waverly, my English class required me to read "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan. There was a character in the novel who I liked and her name was Waverly. I thought, "that sounds cool" so I named my Waverly that, and then as you know, my character turned to Waverly Wilde. The name stuck, which is great bc I also enjoy names where the first initial is the same as the last initial, y'know?

4. People have asked me why Waverly has "spots" if Nick and Judy don't have spots and for that I have two reasons: one, the first version of Waverly had spots and I liked that design element, I didn't want to give it up, also it pays homage to the old version of Waverly we never knew... which I think is cool. And two, most importantly, her spots help emphasize the distinction between Waverly, and other fan characters who look just like her.... It was hard to make Waverly's design immediately recognizable despite my art style. And I wanted her entire 'look' to be unique to her - not a copy/paste of Nick or Judy. I like how the spots are kinda iconic. And who knows? Maybe the spots were passed down from one of her relatives. At one point I wanted the spots to be a sort of 'tag' or symbol left over by the wish but ehh I kinda scrapped the idea

5. We know Waverly's a hybrid so she shares fox and bunny traits, but what are they? She has no night vision, but her hearing and sense of smell are great. She wakes up early because she doesn't have nocturnal tendencies. She moves more like a fox than a rabbit because she has a fox-like body structure, but at the proportions of a rabbit. Also, sometimes Waverly makes little bunny noises (that's how she got her nickname 'Chirp')Other than bird meat, Waverly will eat virtually anything. The only 'meat' she eats is fish

6. Waverly's relationship with her family is close and loving. She considers her parents like her best friends and loves to be around them. She cherishes her time with them. They feel inspirational and encouraging to her. She loves to hear them tell stories of humor, mystery, suspense, adventure, even tragedy - all from their lives as police officers, and Waverly likes to share with them her favorite moments from school and hanging out with her friends. Nick and Judy have learned a lot and Wavey always finds good advice from them. Waverly and her sister Lotus are different in so many ways but that doesn’t stop them from being inseparable. They hang out in each other’s rooms just keeping each other company, they share secrets only they can know, they’re honest with each other, and they take care of each other. Waverly always wanted a little companion to play and have fun with and Lotus doesn’t fail to disappoint! She loves her big sister too of course

7. Waverly’s relationship with her friends is never-ending fun. Waverly is the friendly type who can get along with mammals of many different personalities. She’s not always the leader, or the funniest, or taking the spotlight, but she always brings her charisma and kindness to the group. She cares a whole lot for each of her friends and is usually the one who makes sure everyone’s cheered up and having a good time when they’re together. When her friends are happy and comfortable, she feels more comfortable acting more like herself - something she doesn’t normally do in the public eye. After high school, some friends go their separate ways, but remain connected online and stuff - catching up with each other every so often. Yes, I’m planning on Waverly having a couple hybrid friends but I don’t know yet how many or what species they are

8. Waverly is passionate about self expression, fairness, being heard, and persistence. When she grows up she shares these passions though creating short films, artworks, and other public statements that encourage others to embrace individuality and make their mark. She shows confidence and wellness can be achieved and for many, taking slow steps to find their strength is the way to go

[wakraya]

Alright, let me put a few points of stuff I’ve seen on the tags to rest here.

1) Jades Are A Rare Caste.

They are implied to be less plentiful than other castes, yeah, I believe Seadwellers are also rare? But here’s the thing- We have six Jades. When someone says “There’s twice as many Jades as we have Rusts or Bronzes”, it sounds like, shit, yeah weren’t they supposed to be less abundant? Except. They’re still, in total, just Six. Alternia is a planet. Lore-wise, they may be a less plentiful Caste, but they’re not even... In the double digits. This is not even the population of a neighborhood, Xefros’ suburban area likely had more Trolls in total than there are Trolls in this Troll Call, and besides it’s likely all Jades are in the same place for some reason- Jadeblood School is the biggest headcanon right now, for example, so... Why wouldn’t you have a bunch of Jades there?

2) Jades Are All Female.

This is a straight-up misconception, yeah they’re mostly girls, but canon still leaves room for Jadeblood boys. So Male Jadeblood? Yeah, can happen, and there’s nothing going against the canon here.

3) Trolls Have No Concept Of Gender.

This one is honestly baffling to me because I haven’t heard about this until the discourse today. I am assuming this comes from the fact Troll Reproduction doesn’t care who provides the genetic material? Their reproduction is not tied to gender, which has made people assume Troll junk is the same for both guys and gals. Except... That’s about it. Even though it’s silly because they’re bugs and implied to be hermaphroditic, they still show sexual dimorphism. And even if they didn’t, they still have a concept of Gender, merely based on the fact there’s Troll Boys and Troll Girls? He/She divide? With Hiveswap expanding on it and showing us there are, indeed, NB Trolls that prefer They/Them. This Gender Divide is actually talked about by Porrim, who also implies that while Fuchsia-down Alternia seemed a Matriarchy, Purple-down it was actually a Patriarchy, informing us that not ONLY is there sexual dimorphism, but also, a cultural divide. By saying that Lanque can’t be Trans because Trolls have no concept of Gender, you’re either mistaking headcanons for actual canon... Or being transphobic by equating genitalia to gender. In which case, fuck off.

4) Trolls Don’t Care About Fashion.

This is something Karkat says, and I believe Kanaya also implies she cares about it more than it’s usual? But Fashion in Troll Culture, seems to be exactly like Mail. Karkat mentions there’s no Mail they do not get a Mailbox with a Flag, yet we see Xefros get mail! Except it’s not Mail. It’s parachuted delivery straight from a website. There’s no standarized Mail system on Alternia, but that doesn’t mean companies can’t deliver things themselves, directly to their Hives. Similarly, Trolls have no concept of Fashion- They don’t care about things such as trends, variety, being dressed properly. And... Hiveswap doesn’t break this. They have more colorful clothes, and some look pretty good! But. Look at Cirava. They’re an absolute fashion disaster. Diemen is just dressed like a hot dog. The Jades all seem to wear uniforms of some sort. Fozzer and Marsti, Skylla, they are more akin to work clothes. The Soleil Twins and Marvus are more flashy, because they’re likely part of a spectacle. Most of them are either a sort of uniform or outfit that’ll fit whatever they’re doing, or a basic color with their symbol somewhere. And you can go from Bright Pink Bathrobe Stelsa, to Pirate-Clad Remele, and back to Punk Denim Elwurd. Not being Fashionable can be about trends, they may simply dress however they want, because of their interests, or their jobs.

But let’s think about this another way. Let’s say that, yeah, they did retcon Troll Fashion- Would... Would you really be mad if they retconned Troll Fashion. Like... Would you be happier if every Troll shown was wearing a plain black shirt with their Symbol, and pants or a skirt, with slight variations of a jacket or a tank top. I don’t think there’s a single Hiveswap design I dislike, and they’re all visibly varied and easily recognizable, and tell a lot about the character, which is like. Character Design 101? So I honestly don’t know what the complaint here is exactly, except Canon Purity.

5) Hiveswap Ruined Fantroll Variety

How. First of all, the entire previous point. Just, expanding upon basic Troll Clothes, showing us the extent of how Trolls dress. But also like... What did they limit exactly? We’re going to learn more about Trolls and Troll Culture and Biology, of course headcanons are going to clash with canon, but so far, what have they limited? I’ve heard about Horns, but like... These horns have all been so varied, and sure there’s stuff like hooks with Ceruleans and Jades, and Four Horns with Golds but... This pattern is also broken, with Azdaja having three, for example. We’ve seen new Psionic colors, we’ve seen stuff like Horn Piercing, we’ve seen Troll Twins, we have seen horns where the orange part starts at different heights than you’d expect and even some of the parts jutting out having their own red-orange-yellow coloration separate of the main shaft of the horn. If anything, until now, there’s always been headcanons for Horns, like, “Oh this is their symbol so it’ll be like this”, or “this is their caste, so, they’ll have big horns”, but no, we have Purples with small horns, we have Bronzes with curly horns downwards, we have a cerulean with super uneven horns, we have a gold with three horns, we have a teal with flat horns, we have rounded horns, we have hotdog horns. I’ve heard people wonder about some Horn Shapes in the prior weeks, about how they didn’t match their restrictive headcanons, and NOW you tell me they’re restrictive? There’s also been complaints about caste roles and stereotypes, and I feel people really forget that Alternia is a Tyranny that forces the inhabitants in roles they are most likely not happy with, specially for the lower castes. Like... Rusts are disposable, and likely to be bound to a life of servitude. Because they’re the lowest of the low, society treats them as such, and there’s stereotypes like Indigos being strong, but that’s not any more restrictive than Psionics being a Gold-only thing, and much like we see Zebede not having Psionics or Elwurd and Mallek having normal eyes to every other cerulean’s messed-up ones... There’s exceptions to the rule everywhere. There have always been.

I’ve also seen complaints about no mutant bloods or things like Albinism and such? And like... The fact they didn’t include it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. We actually got Freckles with Zebede, so it already implies skin conditions are a thing, so Albinism could happen, if anything we have more PROOF that it may be a thing! Complaining about a lack of Limebloods and Violets, too, is just nitpicking, we know there will be Violets eventually, but either we haven’t been shown right now, or they’re just. In the sea. And we’re in the land. And Limes are likely to be a plot point, I’m expecting at least ONE Lime (Fiamet), if not more to show up at some point, and if there’s NO Limebloods I’m sure there will be at least talk OF Limebloods and their whole, you know, extermination, which is a canon thing that happened.

6) The Game’s Representation Is Bad Representation

Listen... Listen. I have friends ecstatic that there’s at LEAST three non-cis characters in Hiveswap (One trans boy, two NBs), without counting the possibility of other characters being Trans (Pretty much anyone could be), or NB (Like, I think about half of the characters don’t have pronouns on their bullet points?), not to mention, further acts with new characters. Hell, even Xefros or Dammek or Joey could be Trans. We. Literally know nothing about these characters, our information is so limited, and yet there’s already people cheering about it and super happy to see representation and I’ve seen one person in the tag encouraged to come out because Lanque is Trans. There’s also at least two Jewish Trolls, plus the possibility of Kanaya being Jewish as well, either her, Rose, or both. And yet, even though they have simply said this, in good faith, respectfully, and trying to add diversity to their roster, and even though we literally know NOTHING of how it’ll be handled yet, you... Bash them for it?

Like, okay. Lanque. The big topic today. He’s not particularly masculine, but as has surely been repeated over and over and over again, not all trans men are masculine, and not all trans people suffer dysphoria. And yeah, it’s true! It would be nice if there was a more masculine trans man! It would be great if there were trans girls! It would be great if there were more diversely coded NB characters! And there may be?? There’s going to be more characters, if not in this Act, in future Acts, and of the ones we’ve seen, many of them could still be NB or Trans. Like... Again. We’ve got three bullet points from each character. Like, I’m sorry you didn’t get a trans character that you could identify better with yet? But that doesn’t mean you have to bash the one we got? When there are people genuinely happy and encouraged about it? You’re not being progressive. You’re being an elitist asshole, if you only accept 100% perfect representation suited to your tastes, and everything else is garbage, or god help me, ‘fetishization’ or ‘disgusting’ (I have heard both on the Tags), like seriously. You’re being the oppressive one. You’re the one making representation harder than it should be.

Oh and if you’re on the OPPOSITE side of the spectrum and simply being Transphobic or saying how all of this is ‘pandering’ to the audience, really I have nothing to say, if you cannot have basic empathy for a group of people finding representation in a game which source material is extremely queer, and have to resort to bashing it down, screw you.

7) WhatPumpkin Are Doing A Bad Job

This is your subjective opinion, and I’d dare to say, a wrong opinion, but let’s not go there for now. WP has suffered a lot of hate for some reason? There have been lies and slander and bashing for absolutely no reason. People hate Cohen for some reason, and have demonized him, when so far what I’ve seen about him is that he’s a pretty chill dude. The writing of Hiveswap wasn’t like, a masterpiece? But it was fun and it got a good bunch of chuckles out of me and made me care for the characters, and even got me a bit scared and sad at some points during the game! It has that Homestuck Spark, and if you say ‘it’s not like Homestuck’, you’re... I’m sorry, you’re just an elitist, or simply don’t like the style anymore? But it carries a very similar charm.

I’ve heard complaints about Hussie not being involved in the project- Which is false, he did write the entire story FIRST THING, and is overseeing the whole project with the rest of the team. There’s also been criticism towards WP ‘failing’ at representation (Before actually seeing the representation apparently, again, we know NOTHING about the game and how it’ll handle stuff so far), and also accusing WP and Cohen specifically of adding representation because of Woke Points and like... WP are Queer as Heck? I don’t know all of them, I don’t even know how many people are working at WP. But they’re not all straight 100% for sure, and I believe they’re not all cis- And even if they ARE all cis, I also doubt a group working on such a Queer game would NOT hear out from Trans friends. What I’m trying to say, is that they haven’t shown at any point disrespect of ignorance regarding the diversity they want to tackle, they’re not doing things out of bad faith, and we haven’t seen how they handle it yet. Even if they didn’t handle it ideally! Does it need to be absolutely perfect, there can be missteps on the way there, god dammit if someone’s trying to better themselves but not quite getting it right you don’t insult them and tear them down! You show them what to do better next time or where they are mistaken, by pessimistically ignoring what they’re trying to do out of spite you’re discouraging good will and being an asshole! Which leads me to my last point for now.

8) They Could Have Told Us We Were Misgendering Lanque

This one is... Really, a bit ridiculous. Okay, let me explain. If someone is Trans and you misgender them accidentally, they’ll tell you quickly and you’ll, hopefully, correct yourself. Obviously. When the Trolls leaked, everyone latched onto Lanque as ‘Butch Lesbian’, and clung to that hope, and now that they were proven wrong, there was salt, at first, and THEN came the talk about Misgendering Lanque. And let me tell you, I think this is very selfish of everyone saying it.

What WP likely thought would happen is that they’d reveal Lanque to be a Trans boy, and people would be like “Oh! Nice, Trans Rep!”. Sure they could’ve told us back then but... Why? Lanque is not. A real person. He’s a fictional character, he’s not going to be offended because you thought he was a butch woman for a few months, in fact the SILHOUETTE alone ALREADY had people clinging to him as a butch woman. If he were a real person? Of course there’d be a quick correction. But he’s. A character. He’s just a god damn character. Who is Trans, out of good faith by a very Queer company, showing us a Trans man, who is a character, and expecting that, like NORMAL PEOPLE, we would not do something like THIS.

When you criticize WP for not telling us Lanque was a Trans Man, all I’m seeing is a shift of blame, not wanting to simply admit you were wrong and jumped to conclusions, and like- Even if there was Fanart or Fanfic of Lanque calling him a woman briefly, shipping him around mistakenly, who cares? You just. Go. “Okay, I’ll change it” or “Whoops haha this was from when we didn’t know he was a Trans boy!” Why the militant hatred? Why the absolute disgust shown today? I can’t understand, I simply cannot understand why your first reaction to “Trans boy Jadeblood” is “WELL I THOUGHT HE WAS A BUTCH LESBIAN!! I WASN’T WRONG BY ASSUMING THIS, WHATPUMPKIN WERE FOR TRYING TO MAKE THEIR GAME MORE DIVERSE”. It’s like... You just. Correct it? You just correct yourself? And yeah you can want more masculine Trans boys, that’s fair! But dismissing what we got, entirely, and insulting it, and getting like THIS, and blaming the team, it just seems.

Narcissistic. It seems narcissistic and extremely self-centered, and perfectionist to the extreme of not wanting anything other than a complete and absolute ideal, that may fit you but may also not fit others.

In conclusion?

People are happy about representation. This isn’t destroying diversity or representation, this is not reducing customization of Fantrolls, this is only building MORE on the already expansive system, and giving us representation and hope for MORE representation in the future, and if you cannot be happy for a genuine, good natured, and honestly, perfectly fine attempt, if you cannot feel empathy for the people who did feel for this representation, if you can only want to find reasons to bash something down and demonize something good and point out how BAD and NOT GOOD things are and how MUCH BETTER they could be, then honestly, you’re a deeply unpleasant person.

Give things time. Give people with good intentions chances. Learn to backpedal and learn from mistakes and simply correct yourself when you’re wrong instead of going down a hateful spiral. Learn to separate fiction and reality. Just like... Think, for a moment, when you’re writing something down- Is it a jaded opinion, or an objective fact? Will it hurt and discourage people who’re genuinely happy or trying to make others happy? Why do more harm than good when there are good intentions paving the way?

I just simply cannot understand the basic lack of critical thought and empathy of some people I have seen today, and hopefully with this I can make my opinion on the whole absurd Discourse that transpired today clear.

[quintessence-sentimentalist]

From 10 to 20

10, 11, 15, 17, and 19 have already been answered, but the rest are below! 

12. Will and Matt’s relationship?

…You ever have those pairings where you don’t really put the energy into shipping them, but you’re also not keen on shipping them with anyone else? Because that’s pretty much where I stand with comic Will/Matt at this point.

Look, their cartoon counterparts? The crown jewel in my carefully curated collection of OTPs. I adore them so much and season 2 really made their relationship a compelling story. Now in the comics, I used to like them well enough because they were one of the main relationships in the series, slowly gathering traction since issue #1. Will was my favorite growing up, so naturally I wanted her to be happy, and Matt seemed like a good, nice guy worth her affection. I was eager for the day when they’d end up together, and hopefully Will would tell him the truth and clear up any weird past behavior.

I think the fatal flaw with this relationship is the fact that they took too damn long to get them to a good place, and threw in way too many conflicts on the road leading up to (and during) their relationship. We got a fakeout of Will revealing all in issue #20 (when their relationship was still tenuous because of Matt jumping to conclusions regarding Will hanging out with other guys), and it took twenty more issues before we got any real payoff. So maybe forty issues isn’t so bad for a will-they/won’t-they relationship, but it’s clear from the beginning that Will is interested in Matt, and he seems to return her feelings; they just dragged it all out with at least three storylines where one or both let their actions be ruled by jealousy (not to mention Astral Drop Will) and set them back even further. You just never knew where they stood this week – one issue they’d be crushing on each other, and the next they’d be at odds again because of a misunderstanding. I’m not saying couples have to be all sunshine and rainbows all the time, but when you’re rehashing the same plot points multiple times to keep them apart before they can officially become a couple? Not a good sign.

So issue #40 rolls around, I rejoice, and… things don’t get much easier moving on from that. They’re a couple now and it’s cute, but the fact that Matt’s now in-the-know is its own conflict. But it eventually resolves, and Matt gets to take part in running damage control when the girls are away (listen I live for this as much as I do for battle couple scenarios) and they get to be a cute couple for a few issues and it’s all adorable.

And then the Ludmoore arc happens and Matt gets sucked into the book partway through. They get him back, and then he decides to tour with Karmilla. And then the New Power arc happens and I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole and a hazmat suit.

The thing about Will/Matt is that they had so much potential, but they just ended up being the couple where nothing ever goes right and the narrative just wants to keep tearing them apart for The Drama. I think we really only had around 10 issues of them as an official couple sharing the same space – they were still together both times Matt was away but we never got to see them together. And by the time they’re sharing the page again Matt’s entire characterization has been put through a meat grinder and spat back out something unrecognizable.

I’m going to curb my tangent here because it already got out of hand, and end with this: I still feel protective about Will/Matt because of all the things it could (and should) have been, but the majority of their canon relationship can just flounce on off.

13. Caleb and Cornelias breakup?

Well, another one that I don’t think was handled very well in canon. To be honest, I wasn’t as invested in these two as I was with Will/Matt, probably because they were technically an official couple right away (even though the majority of their development can be summed up as “I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream”). Alright, cool, these two are going to be a thing, I can roll with that, whatever.

Then we get flower Caleb and the interlude between the first and second arc (which I still very much dislike), and then they’re separated until Caleb ends up in trouble again, and when they’re reunited right before a battle Cornelia decides it’s the most opportune time to reveal her true form, and her youth is off-putting to Caleb as if the Guardian form is the only one of value.

I’d say this is another relationship plagued by primarily one-sided views on the relationship rather than the duo together, as well as being a relationship framed primarily by conflict and battle. So much of their narrative is how much Cornelia loves Caleb and everything she’s willing to do to get him back and protect him, and a couple moments like this on Caleb’s end too. But when we see both of them together, it’s always in moments of crisis – even when Caleb returns to life and they kiss, they’re being held in Kandrakar for treason. They never get a moment to actually sit down and get to know each other in a moment of peace, to air out any concerns or crucial bits of information they feel the other should know before they go all-in with their love epic.

I ended up doing a better summary here of how things could have gone if they still wanted to do a break-up arc but leave the door open for a later reunion, or just develop this relationship beyond destiny and battle. But even if we look solely at their relationship as it was in canon, the break-up was poorly executed because it was done without regard to Caleb’s actual characterization. After considerable time framing him as the romantic hero, the narrative spins him as the tactless jerk solely for dramatic purposes. Maybe it could be passed off as a point that neither of them know the other as well as they think they do, but I find it incredibly hard to believe that Caleb’s always had this side of his personality and just kept it under wraps.

So let’s play with that idea a little bit more—keep the circumstances behind the breakup the same, but think on what would make it more believable/flow better. If they wanted to make us believe that Caleb’s jerky behavior is actually in-character, then tease it out a little beforehand! Let Caleb’s flaws shine through a bit earlier on, build up tension that maybe CxC aren’t the fairytale romance they think themselves to be (and have convinced the readers they are). When the moment comes where Caleb sees Cornelia as something other than a fellow warrior, an equal (or even superior), and turns condescending, the reaction should be “disappointed but not surprised, the hints were there” rather than the “this was badly written without any regards to the characters” we get with the canon version.

Curbing this one here too, but long story short, if I’m coming up with ways to both salvage and decimate a doomed canon relationship, that’s a pretty bit hint that the actual breakup was Not Good.

14. BatMatt? (that time Matt revealed he’d been from kandrakar All Along)

There isn’t a scream loud enough for how much I haaaaaaaaate this development. To save ourselves some time, I’m just going to link back to my New Power rant on this post, because the earlier paragraphs of that sum up how I feel about this situation, and if I try to rehash all my anger about it from scratch we’re going to be here all day.

Long story short, Matthew Olsen never deserved to be so brutally characterization-murdered and cobbled back together into something with his face and name but nothing else recognizable.

16. Taranee and Nigel’s relationship?

Hmm, this was another one I didn’t feel too strongly about. I think they were sweet at the beginning, where Nigel was learning to show that he was a good guy despite being part of a band of delinquents.

But that’s the thing: even after Nigel split with Uriah and his crew, the narrative never let us forget that he was “the bad boy.” Judge Cook disapproves of her daughter’s relationship many issues after Nigel was last involved in trouble, purely for drama, it seems. Then Nigel’s brother—with his own criminal record—comes back, and Nigel just falls right back in line. I can’t remember what happens between that and Taranee starting at the dance academy, but then we get their explosive breakup and that’s that.

I think that’s another breakup that was poorly executed. While I love that Taranee rediscovered her love for dance, it was used too often as a source of conflict in the later arcs, starting with the breakup. I do need to reread the breakup since it’s been quite a long time, but I remember originally I was angry with Nigel for giving Taranee the “dancing or me” ultimatum. While ultimatums like that are never a good thing, it’s also horrendously out of character for Nigel, because he’s actually been a pretty darn passive character in the past. Look at his time in Uriah’s gang—while he certainly doesn’t seem to be getting a kick out of delinquency like the rest of the crew, he also doesn’t make much of a move to stop it outside of a few wary comments. Even when his brother comes back to town, he’s reluctantly tagging along and letting his brother dictate their actions. And while we’ve had some moments where he’s finally stood up for what’s right and holds his ground (see: saving Martin from Uriah), he’s never been aggressive about it.

The breakup not only features Nigel giving an ultimatum (which seems pretty hypocritical of him), but he yells at Taranee and is generally framed in an intimidating manner—he’s backed Taranee up against a tree, and makes a number of vigorous movements. This is the only time we really see Nigel as the “bad boy” archetype, and it’s solely for the purpose of this breakup, to shove more of the blame onto him than he actually holds.

Because that’s the thing—Taranee’s also at fault for this, due to some equally out-of-character actions, but since she’s one of our protagonists there can’t be too much of a negative light on that aspect, so Nigel’s role in the breakup is blown out of proportion to take more of the backlash.

If these two had actually been written in character by the time this conflict came up, I would see this going differently. While I still think Nigel would finally reach his breaking point and confront Taranee about committing all her time to dance, I think it would go down more like his previous confrontations, where he’s firm and holds his ground but isn’t aggressive about it. Let him have the courage to tell the girl for whom he’s had to prove himself multiple times that he’s feeling used and neglected, but rather than giving an ultimatum he asks for a compromise. He can deal with seeing Taranee a little bit less than usual if she’s doing something that makes her happy, but it would be nice if they can build out a little time for just the two of them. Maybe he apologizes for getting annoyed when she talks excitedly about the academy, and expresses interest in meeting her friends or stopping by to observe a class.

Taranee, on the other hand, sees where she’s at fault and works to do a better job of balancing her newly rediscovered passion with the rest of her social life, because while she might really love dancing it isn’t worth neglecting everything from before the academy. And maybe she puts in a little effort into learning more about Nigel’s interests as a fair trade, so he can tell her about something he likes rather than listening to her talk about dance for a change.

Again, another relationship that was ruined by out-of-character actions and could have easily been improved by communication.

18. Phobos?

Hrm. I’ve never particularly been into villains, and Phobos isn’t one of the exceptions, so I don’t have many strong feelings here.

I’ll admit that he does make a good villain, and was particularly crafty upon his return in the fourth arc. And I almost forget about this part, but I also thought it was interesting that we didn’t even get to see his face until, what, the seventh or eighth issue? Over halfway into the first arc, and we learned in issue #5 that he had every image of himself destroyed, and Elias was punished for daring to paint his face. I don’t think we ever got an explanation as to why Phobos didn’t want to be seen, so this is still a fascinating little detail.

20. Cedric and Orube’s relationship?

*cries*

Like with Orube alone, I need to do a closer reread later on to get more in-depth with these two, but I know for sure that they deserved so much better. And like I said in the Phobos post, I really don’t do villains, so it’s noteworthy that I grew to feel this way about Cedric.

I do like how their relationship developed, because my complaints about other canon relationships is that there’s hardly any communication. With Orube and Cedric, we don’t know in the beginning that they’ll be attracted to each other—they’re still enemies-in-law, shall we say (because neither were direct opponents before, for Orube it was more “enemy of my friend is my enemy”). I should hope that, to successfully get from this point to lovers, there would be some communication and development, which we got. They were cautious about trusting each other, but being aliens on a strange world certainly helped build the connection.

I also love how Cedric gets so flustered over Orube, whether because of her outfit or her successfully sneaking in without his knowing, and of course the cappuccino. It was refreshing to see this man defined by his schemes and deceptions get thrown off his rhythm by Orube, who isn’t even in warrior mode.

[closetofanxiety]

NXT to the Main Roster: A Haphazard Examination, Part 2 (2016)

More wrestlers went from NXT to the main roster(s) in 2016 than in any other year, so I want to examine it separately in my ongoing question to determine whether getting a coveted spot on Raw or Smackdown (or a less coveted spot on 205 Live) likely means stagnation and disappointment. Again, the grades here are for the way these wrestlers have been presented to the WWE audience, not for the wrestlers themselves. Except, I guess, for the F handed out to Big Cass.

Sami Zayn

Call-up date: January 24. The perfect underdog babyface at the top of the card in NXT (a role they’re currently trying to give Johnny Gargano), Zayn has had a respectable but mostly unspectacular run on the big shows. While they were never going to build main event storylines around him the way NXT did, after his initial feud with eternal lifemate Kevin Owens, he kind of drifted around the middle of the pack without a clear character or motivation. Hampered by injuries, his heel turn was initially masterfully handled: by saving Kevin Owens from Shane McMahon, Zayn was, in the immediate aftermath, allowed to seem conflicted, uncertain, and anxious about what he’d done. It looked like there was going to be real character development, and then, in a few months, he was challenging Bobby Lashley to obstacle course races. 

Grade: C

Eva Marie

Call-up date: March 28. WE DIDN’T DESERVE HER. She could have been a sensational, crowd-baiting heel, as she was LOATHED by the super nerds in the WWE audience, who hated that she couldn’t wrestle and was only getting pushed for her looks. I mean, the same was true of Lex Luger ZING. Anyway, it wasn’t too be, and we’re left to wonder what could have been.

Grade: F/Incomplete

Baron Corbin

Call-up date: April 3. Big Banter has grown into the role that is probably the top-dollar best he can hope for in the WWE: a sneering heel near the top of the midcard who can talk well and wrestle well. He’s a plug-and-play guy for babyfaces who are being kept on the stove while the main event picture sorts itself out, and he does great at it. I saw Baron Corbin wrestle Tommy Dreamer at an NXT show in Albany once and thought, “This guy suxxxx.” But he has proved me wrong! Good for Big Breakfast Constable Corbin.

Grade: B+

Enzo Amore

Call-up date: April 4. I’ll go on record as saying he was used well as the shitty heel champion in 205 Live. Everyone hated him, and that was his role. That was probably his ceiling: top hate figure on the ‘C’ show, but we’ll never know.

Grade: F/Incomplete

Big Cass

Call-up date: April 4. His attitude and behavior must have really been something for Vince McMahon, The Big Man Liker, to so quickly part with a big man who could talk and was at least more adept in the ring than, say, the Great Khali. After the split with Enzo, they didn’t really seem to know what they were doing with him, so I’m not entirely sure we missed out on a legendary career or anything.

Grade: F/Incomplete

Apollo Crews

Call-up date: April 4. This decision remains a head scratcher. Crews made his NXT TV debut on August 22, 2015, and in less than eight months, was debuting on Raw. Although he’s an incredibly talented wrestler, I don’t know that his NXT stint was quite the rocket to the top that would justify this. Since his debut, he’s been totally lost in the shuffle and without a discernible character. His most significant match to date was a losing bid for the Intercontinental championship against The Miz on an episode of Smackdown. The Titus Worldwide stuff has helped, but not much.

Grade: C-/D+

Aiden English

Call-up date: April 7. Rusev DAAAAYYYEH. If it weren’t for his alliance with Big Matchka, English would be staring down the barrel of a D+. Initially arrived on the main roster as a tag team with Simon Gotch, the two had an undistinguished run that included Smackdown tag title tournament losses to the Hype Bros and Breezango. Now that he’s the guy who stiffly raps before Rusev comes out, English is basking in his Mizdow Moment. When it ends, though, what will become of the Operatic Superstar?

Grade: C-

Simon Gotch

Call-up date: April 7. His gimmick had a lot of potential: the super old-timey wrestler in a postmodern, post-kayfabe world. It never really got off the ground, though, and while his team with Aiden English worked at Full Sail, Vince’s dim view of tag teams generally, plus the material they were given, meant it didn’t have much of a shot on the big stage. WWE let the trademark on his name expire, which tells you a lot.

Grade: F

Dana Brooke

Call-up date: May 9. After kind of a hot start that I’ve largely forgotten - she was heel Charlotte’s protege, remember? - she quickly settled into the rut of main roster women’s booking, which tends to consist of two women fighting over the title and then everyone else forming an amorphous backdrop, occasionally emerging for random six-person tags involving the main eventers. Dana did eliminate Kairi Sane at the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble, so that’s something, I guess. Since November, she’s been one of the few people in the company with a manager role, as an Alexandra York figure in Titus Worldwide. 

Grade: C-

Mojo Rawley

Call-up date: July 24. Did you know Zack Ryder’s been in the WWE system since 2006? He’s incredible. He’s like one of those NBA guys who you see playing five minutes in a playoff game, years after you assumed they had retired. Anyway, Mojo Rawley. He’s done as well as he’s ever likely to do, destroying Ryder after a heel turn, feuding with No Way Jose, and no longer being hyped. His main roster run hasn’t been disappointing, largely because his NXT run was about the same thing, minus the heel turn.

Grade: C

Nia Jax

Call-up date: July 25. Rock’s cousin or no, she’s managed to remain above the midcard scrum in the women’s division by having a unique look, as the only credible monster in the locker room. She has the problem that all monsters have sooner or later, which is: what do they do after getting beaten? In her case, it was a clumsy face turn in a bullying-themed angle with Alexa Bliss that didn’t do much for either woman. Still, because of her size and ability, she’s always somewhere near the top of the card, something that’s unlikely to change.

Grade: B

Finn Bálor

Call-up date: July 25. To my mind, he’s one of the few wrestlers who’s been better served on the main roster than he was in NXT. He’s the longest-reigning NXT champion so far, but his tenure there seems largely forgettable apart from his Beast in the East match against Kevin Owens and the bloodbath against Samoa Joe at Takeover: Dallas. On the main roster, he’s regularly near the top of the card, with his painted demon character receiving the holy-shit treatment, as we saw at SummerSlam. He’s become one of their most recognizable stars and the company clearly loves him.

Grade: A

Alexa Bliss

Call-up date: July 26. One of the best examples I can think of that demonstrates how a turn can elevate a wrestler, she went from boring, sparkly cheerleader to the top woman in NXT by becoming a heel. Initially the manager of the lookalike midcard tag team of Make and Blurphy, it was clear from the start she was bound for greater things. She’s been the signal success story of the WWE System in developing stars, as opposed to repackaging stars from the indies, Japan, and Mexico: Bliss is, if not quite a mainstream star, one of the most recognizable women in the company, constantly on top of the women’s roster, and winning raves for her incredible microphone work. Nerds who complain she isn’t good at wrestling probably wouldn’t have understood Abdullah the Butcher either.

Grade: A+

Carmella

Call-up date: July 26. OH THE IRONY! When she managed Enzo and Big Cass in NXT, she was despised by the Full Sail nerds, who would chant “you can’t wrestle” at her. Two years later, and here we are: Real1 is making unlistenable hip hop tracks for his Instagram stories, Big Cazz is set to make his indie debut for Big Time Wrestling in Spartanburg, S.C., and Carmella is coming off a 131-day run as Smackdown Women’s Champion, having beaten Asuka in matches on pay-per-view and free TV. She’s not at Alexa’s level as a heel - not many people are - but she’s done a great job of establishing herself in a women’s roster that suffers from way too many bland characters and storylines.

Grade: B+/A-

Jason Jordan

Call-up date: August 2. Listen, Vince hates tag teams. American Alpha was a red-hot team in NXT, where they got over thanks to their phenomenal work inside the ring. But even there, they were kind of bland as individuals. On the main roster, where tag teams rarely last, this spelled trouble. Jordan has been hampered by injuries, but even without that he’s a man adrift, the highlight of his tenure so far being the kayfabe revelation that he’s Kurt Angle’s son, which has mostly been treated as an afterthought. 

Grade: D

Chad Gable

Call-up date: August 2. Second verse, same as the first. They tried to spark some of that American Alpha magic after disbanding American Alpha by pairing Gable with Shelton Benjamin, with predictable results. I don’t think Gable’s been on television since May, and he’s not injured. He apparently feuded with Mike Kanellis on Main Event back in June, to give you some idea. He taped a thing for WWE’s social media channels with amateur wrestling god Dan Gable, which I liked, so there’s that.

Grade: D

Bayley

Call-up date: August 22. I will admit here that I did not “get” her gimmick in NXT. It just always seemed vaguely unsettling, and now we know that it led to the Cult of Izzy. That aside, she had an undeniable connection with the audience, largely thanks to her palpable enthusiasm and tremendous in-ring skill. I never really bought the commonplace line that she could become the female John Cena, mostly because I think that underestimates how much of Cena’s appeal comes from the fact that half the audience hates him. But she’s a true-blue babyface in a company that doesn’t really know what to do with true-blue babyfaces, and so her main roster stint has been something of a disappointment. It’s weirdly fitting that she’s locked into this seemingly endless frenemies storyline with Sasha Banks, another woman who was adored in NXT and who hasn’t really found her footing on the main roster.

Grade: C

Rich Swann

Call-up date: September 19. He had his moments in 205 Live, but it was clear his off-kilter personality and presentation were not what they had in mind as the Face of the Division. They were trying to mold him into what they have with Mustafa Ali or Cedric Alexander, when they would have been better off trying to make Swann the Dean Ambrose of the cruiserweights. Instead, well, we know what happened instead.

Grade: F/Incomplete

Austin Aries

Call-up date: December 18. I have a theory that Vince McMahon thought Austin Aries was Bobby Roode, and that when they hired the real Bobby Roode, Vince immediately said, “Well, then who the fuck is this guy?” 

Grade: F

[takaraphoenix]

Hi! I don't to sound annoying, but I think my last ask may have fallen into the void so here goes: do you have any tips for starting an AO3 account? Sorry if you got the last one and just didn't feel like answering

Oh no, sweetie. Not annoying at all!

And while I do usually not instantly get around to answering and the asks might lay around for a day or two... yeah, I don’t have any other ask from you, so, good you send it again ;)

Tips? Mh.

1. The Basics!

Let’s start with the most basic thing. Your name.

Is your name a “brand”? That is to say; do you already have a recognizable name? Do people know you from other sites? Tumblr, DeviantArt, Fanfiction.Net, Wattpad, other sites I don’t know?

Then maybe pick the same name, if available. People who already like you might recognize it! They will also have an easier time finding you.

Not to mention, the human brain can not remember that many names and if you make them remember that oh, your name on this site is XYZ and your name on another site is ABC but on the next site they can find you as A2C... that might be asking a bit too much of them.

So make it easy for people who like you to find you! ;)

But don’t make it too easy for people to find you.

That is to say; don’t put personal information on your profile. Don’t link to your facebook, best not put your real name on there. The internet is not exactly a safe place, there are bad people, there are creepy people and there are also dangerous people. So always stay safe.

Now that you got your name and a profile that, instead of leading to personal information best leads to your other accounts, such as tumblr, you’re all set to post your first fic!

2. Write a decent summary.

If you move to AO3 from a site like FFNet, you are used to a pathetically short character limit that doesn’t allow much freedom.

Your summary is your window into the fic. It’s supposed to be the hook. Nowadays, tags take over parts of that job too but in the end, the summary is the final sell.

It’s tricky to find a good balance between explaining your story in an intriguing way and not spilling all the beans. Because you don’t want to spoil the ending, you want them interested in reading more and not left with the feeling that they already know everything that’s going to happen.

The same as with the tags apply; include what you think is truly important. What do people need to know about this story before going into it? Think of it as a trailer to a movie. What’s the best pitch?

3. Tagging makes fandom life easier.

Tagging is the one important feature about AO3 that makes it so beautiful and special. And tagging seems to be the hardest task for authors.

There are those who undertag and those who overtag.

You don’t have to literally tag everything - like “kissing” and “hand holding” and the sexual orientation of every single character that will as much as be mentioned in the fic. If readers face a literal wall of tags, chances are they just won’t read it and skip the entire thing.

Undertagging isn’t good either though. If things are too vague, many might also feel like it’s not worth wasting time on checking it out because the risk of running into something they might dislike is too high.

My personal approach to it is to tag everything I see as relevant. Things that, if I see them tagged in a story, instantly make me click it. Like, if I write a story that is centered particularly around the angst and feels of a certain character; tag it. There might be people desperately looking for a fic that centers on that character’s emotional turmoil.

And be on the safe side with smut too. Tag what you’re doing; there might be certain things that are uncomfortable for readers and that they are trying to avoid. That can be as simple as the what, or even as the who does what. For example, if I see a tag for explicit content but the author did not bother tagging who tops and bottoms, I generally don’t even bother clicking on the fic anymore, because despite the fact how most authors claim that topping and bottoming has “nothing to do with the character”, 90% of fanfiction authors still have it hard-wired in their brains that fics are more bottom-centric, that the bottom is portrayed as the shyer one who needs to be fussed over and comforted while the top is the brash, brave one. So to avoid running into literal fuckery where the roles are reverse to how I view the characters, I just don’t even try anymore.

Which means that tagging top and bottom can a) cause people who are looking for specific fics with a specific character as either of those to find your fic and be happy about it and also that b) someone who doesn’t enjoy the order you enjoy not to run into something they dislike.

Which actually summarizes the way I apply tags anyway. Don’t tag everything, but tag everything you think someone might be looking for in a fic, or might be trying to avoid. It’s both a lure and a warning in once.

Also, trigger warnings. You plan on writing heavier subjects? Murder, self-harm, torture, abuse, rape? Definitely put it in the tags. There are people who might just be really squeamish about it and don’t like it, which should already be reason enough to warn, but there are also people who have a serious history with such issues and might be triggered by them. So if you tag such things, they might already be filtered out by having been blacklisted by the users and you might have just made some people’s lives a little easier.

Tag your pairings. Maybe best in order of importance; many might just look at the first listed pairing, used to authors sorting them by importance and thus dismissing the fourth, fifth or sixth ship you tag as just random side-pairing. So if you have a main-pairing, always tag it first.

Also include character tags. I was recently told that there are apparently actually people who filter by character tags. News to me, though I do check the character tags too to see if my faves are in it.

4. Use the features AO3 offers!

This starts with something as simple as the fact that AO3 sends you mails about Kudos and comments. It’s a great way to stay up to date with how much love your fics gain.

Now that we’re at it; comments. Reply to them, if you have the time. Those are people who are interested in your work, in something you evidently love enough to put it out there. Engaging with them is a brilliant feeling. Getting feedback on your things and getting to know what they expect of your work or want from it. Occasionally, it can even be very inspiring and give you an idea to include to your story that you hadn’t even thought about!

Another thing about comments however is that you can moderate them. It’s a feature I personally don’t use because I’m a veteran at this point and there’s nothing I haven’t seen in the comment section to I’m not that easily fazed.

But if you are still new to not just AO3 but fanfiction in general and if you might write a ship the so-called antis deem “problematic” - which, at this point in time, can literally be any ship aside from canon no, wait, canon too - you might do yourself a favor there. Because fandom life can be beautiful but it can also be hell. There might be shitheads who come to your fic and say nasty, bad things about your pairing choice, your fanfiction, your writing, maybe even you yourself as a person because they’re trying to hurt you.

Don’t let it get to you.

But if you are more sensible about such things, then maybe moderating reviews can be a useful feature for you because it allows you to delete spam and flames without them ever showing up in the fic. You can always flag reviews as spam or delete them, even if you don’t use the feature, but you’ll have an ugly “scar” on your comment section that says [this review has been deleted].

One of the most handy features AO3 has - after the tagging - is in my eyes the series-feature. It allows you to bundle multiple fics together under one umbrella. Personally, I really hate when people post oneshot collections on AO3 as one fic and there’s tags for like 20 fandoms, 30 pairings and 60 kinks in that one fic and you as the reader have no way of telling which of the additional kinks would now relate to which pairing. The far easier and cleaner solution would be to post oneshots seperately, so people can easier tell what they individually are, and mark them as part of a series for that collection. It’s, of course, a matter for authors, but I’m not the only one who simply scrolls past such oneshot collections because I don’t have the patience to go through it just to notice all my kinks are tags that would belong to a shot I’m not interested in (not to mention the ones that already tagged the collection as including a pairing but 20 shots in that pairing has still not been written, or the ones that don’t include in the chapter title what pairing and fandom the individual shot is... and you’d literally have to seep through 30 chapters to find that one pairing in the collection that you’re interested in. Yeah no, I got better things to do with my time and close the whole thing).

So yeah, the series function makes it far easier to gather things you want to put under an umbrella but still make easy to navigate for your readers, which, always nice.

Another handy feature about AO3 is that you can put links into the fic. So if a character starts singing a song in the middle of the fic for romantic mood... Not everyone recognizes a song by its lyrics and it just doesn’t set the mood as well; how about just putting a link to a YouTube video over the first line that the character sings? Your readers can open it in another tab and let it set the mood for your fic.

5. Don’t let haters get to you!

I know I mentioned it above already, that you shouldn’t let shitheads get to you, but it’s important enough to earn its own separate point on the list.

Fandoms are filled with hatred and mean, nasty, selfish people who will do and say everything to keep their fandoms “pure” and thus attack people who ship or like things they themselves don’t like.

That can, at times, be really drowning and hard, so you need to focus on the good parts. If you’re a first-time writer, you might not yet have the connections, or you already do from tumblr and other sites, I don’t know, but let’s say you don’t. Then make them. A point of that is the above mentioned “interact with your readers” advise I gave you; the people happy about what you write are the good people and the kind of people in fandom that you want to associate with - so just do it. Do it, make friends, find people who you can gush to about this thing you both love.

If you already got those contacts from other sites? That’s great! But hey, never too late to make more friends and meet more fellow fans.

But those people are incredibly important if you want to participate in any fandom, because they are what reminds you that the fandom can be safe, sane and nice. That it can be a beautiful place and that it’s worth loving.

Because otherwise the hate from the other part of the fandom might get to you and it might even make you dislike the show/movie/book itself simply by association. I’m sorry that I’m sounding like such a downer here toward the end, but I’ve already seen it and gone through it myself, that if you fall into the deep end of negative fandoms, they can ruin everything for you. So it’s a piece of advise that is very dear and important for me to give - find the safe, sane and nice part of the fandom, claim it for yourself and enjoy it and don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have the right to enjoy and love it.

And that’s it. That’s all I can think of, at least. I hope there was at least some useful stuff in it, but since I don’t know how experienced you are with fanfiction writing and posting, I figured I’d better be more thorough and more general about it. Better give too much advise than too little, I guess.

Now, one last thing: Enjoy writing and never forget to enjoy writing; never let it become a “task”, always love it, okay? ;)

[sapphicalexaandra]

Your Deepest Desires (2/4)

Pairing: Jace/Alec

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Summary:  The meeting with the Seelie Queen didn’t go as planned, and now Jace and Alec have to face the consequences of their awakened feelings.

Notes: A Canon Divergence, rewriting of the Seelie Court kiss (and beyond), but with Jalec. Read tags for further information.

Chapter 2

“We are buried in broken dreams.”

Izzy’d had a long day.

Preparing the Institute for the Cabinet that was set for the next day between local Shadowhunters and Downworlders leaders, while its Head was away on an important diplomatic mission, wasn’t a piece of cake. Not that Izzy didn’t excel in this kind of preparations, or that she was going to complain about her brother trusting her with this responsibility after all her recent…issues. It’s just that these particular issues had lowered her endurance considerably; an exhaustion deep in her bones that not even her Stamina rune could quench.

Consequently, she was now looking forward to burying herself into her bed in the hopes of catching some sleep, which had become far too elusive lately.

She hadn’t been prepared for what she found there, however.

Izzy had seen her big brother upset, grumpy, intolerable, distressed, set over the edge…but the mess she found curled up on her floor half-hidden behind her wardrobe was hardly recognizable as the person she loved most in this world.

“A-Alec? What happened?!” She immediately rushed over, panic setting on her, as she knelt in front of him and laid her hands on his shaking shoulders.

Alec was covering his face with his hands, but when he reluctantly raised his head to blindly stare at her, the blotchiness and utter despair in his features was unmistakable.

“Did – did someone –?” she stumbled to ask, her sense of dread only rising. The Seelies were a difficult species to handle…but could a diplomatic mission really have turned out that bad? She felt her stomach twist in knots as she started imagining the worst scenarios that could’ve reduced her brother in this state. “…Magnus? Jace? Are they –?”

“N-no…they’re – fine,” came Alec’s cracked voice, barely above a whisper.

He didn’t seem able to clarify further at her inquisitive, frantic raise of eyebrows. He simply leaned – almost smacked – his head against the wall behind him, scrunching his face in anguish, breathing hard.  

Izzy felt herself tear up against her strongest will.

“I’m here, big brother, okay? Whatever happened, you know you can count on me,” she shifted next to him, letting him rest his head on her shoulder, gripping his hands. “Anything you need…”

She held him as he kept on drawing in uneven breaths, his body uncontrollably shaking as he tried to contain the sobs threatening to burst out of him. It took a while before he had calmed down enough to let out somewhat coherent words.

“The – the Seelie Queen…sneaky, that one. A real – piece of work,” was all that he managed.

“What did she do?” she asked gently, mentally adding the Queen to her permanent blacklist.

“A test! Or they would all die – M-Magnus, J-J-Jace and the mun–vampire. Clary and I had to choose which one we wanted to…kiss the most,” he explained, laughing mirthlessly. 

“A – kiss?” Seelies sure were creative. “Then what is the prob–?” 

A pointed, piercing look from Alec reminded her of a very different conversation they’d had a long time ago.

“You – you kissed…Jace?” His lowered head was answer enough.

Of course, she had known of her brother feelings for his parabatai for a while now. She knew how much he had struggled with it, how much it had plagued him. Yet, at this point in time, after all Alec had gone through, it came as a bit of a surprise…

“Alec, I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think…”

“Not as bad?! I kissed my parabatai in front of my boyfriend’s disappointed face! When I had thought – really thought that that chapter of my life was finally over, you know?” he blurted out. “That I had put an end to it! I’m – I’m happy! In a relationship for the first time in my life, with a person I like a lot! And yet, why is that – why can’t I just?!”

“Oh, Alec…”

He pulled back his hands from her hold to run them through his hair.  “After all this time, nothing has changed! Why do I still have to love the only person in the world I’m literally forbidden to love! And – and who would never…”

“Alec, you can’t beat yourself up like this over it. You can’t help–”

Alec let out another sound, like that of a trapped animal. Leaning his elbows on his knees and hiding his face in his hands again, his voice was muffled as he chanted, “Stupid – so fucking stupid…” 

“Alec, no, don’t say that, you are not stupid.” She smoothly, but firmly, tried to pry his hands away from where they were clawing at his face. She waited till he looked at her thorough his bleary eyes. “You’ve had this feelings for such a long time, you can’t expect them to just go away. It’s really not been that long…it’s only normal that you still have some residual feelings…”

“Residual feelings?!” his voice peaked at his sarcastic remark. “Residual feelings I could accept, even deal with! But this?” he pointed at himself and his current state. “If these are just some residual feelings–”

“Then you need to actually give yourself time to move on! Not by just ignoring that part of you! Look – look at me, how I tried to sweep everything under the rag in the hope it would just go away. But it wouldn’t, it kept coming back stronger and stronger…”

“Then what should I do? How am I supposed to…?” he trailed on, unnerved.

“I would like to know as much as you, I would like so much to be able to help ease your pain right now, big brother…but it’s something you have to figure out yourself.”

Alec sagged in on himself. Izzy couldn’t see him like this.

“But I’ll be here for you, whenever you need me. I’m surprised you came to me so soon...but I’m glad. After how I’ve been –” she tentatively smiled at him, to see if she could spring a reaction out of him.

“Don’t mention it.” He wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was fixed on a spot in front of him, completely spent.

Izzy doubted her words could lift him up. Was this what it felt being on this end? So useless.    

“You’ll get through this, okay?” She had to make him believe that.

Izzy went to cup his face, as a thought occurred to her. “How did the others react?”

He snorted. “I honestly don’t know. I kind of ran away. I couldn’t face them. Hell, Magnus will probably never want to see me again. And Jace will likely try to pretend nothing of importance happened…”

“You know they love you, right? I’m sure they – Magnus, especially – will understand. You need to go talk to him, you’ll see!”

“I highly doubt that…”

“And Jace! He wouldn’t want to hurt you in anyway, this won’t change anything between you two…”

“I know that. Do you think I don’t know that? But right now, I don’t need…I can’t look in his eyes and see his pity. I can’t look at him, hear him say ‘We’re brothers, of course we love each other!’ and just be okay with it…because a part of me – a part of me doesn’t want to move on, do you understand?”

Izzy, sadly, did.

“I still look at him and see everything I can’t have.” He closed his eyes again. “All the things I tried to bury…all the things I shouldn’t be feeling, they’re all on the surface now and I can’t, I don’t want to let them go just yet…I need some air.”

And just like that, he got up and started moving towards the door.

“Alec, wait!” She grabbed his arm to stop him. “Where are you going?”

“Just…out. I need to clear my head.”

Izzy went around him to look him in the eyes. “Are you sure you should be alone right now? I don’t –,” she tried to talk over his impending protest. “I don’t want you doing something stupid or...”

“Iz.” His expression softened, as he put his hands on her shoulder. “I’ll be fine.” His eyes were still red, and she remembered the sight of an unconscious Alec on the roof of Magnus’s apartment. She couldn’t be so sure about that.

“I promise,” he added firmly, seeing the concern in her eyes. “I won’t do anything stupid. Like you said…I need to figure this out on my own.”

Letting go was indeed one of the hardest things to do.

“Message me when you get back, then…please.” He nodded, and she hugged him.

Buried in her brother’s shoulder had always been one of her favorite places. He had always been her rock, like she had been his. Seeing him shaken like this, knowing how much he didn’t deserve this kind of pain in his life, hurt her more than she could say.

“We are knee deep without a plea”

Alec wandered the streets aimlessly, as if in a daze, the sinking feeling that had set on him since the moment he had realized, clawing at his insides non-stop. His sister’s comforting words had worked only for a short while, but, as the hungry tangle in his stomach slowly made its presence felt again, her advice had started to sound more and more impossible.

Why had he let Izzy see him like that in the first place?

After he had come out of the Seelie realm, not remembering in the slightest how he had got there, the sight in front of him – the lively and colorful park, the clueless passersby carelessly enjoying their everyday life – had felt so intensely separate from himself, more than it ever did. Where could he go among them, that would’ve helped him get his mind out of its feverish, panicked state?

Izzy had seemed as the most obvious, the safest answer. Izzy wouldn’t judge him, she would still love and support him, no matter how much he actually deserved it…feeling embarrassed in front of her was needless at this point. She had been there for him in this mess from the start, and he couldn’t help but hope she would be able to give some sense to the chaos around and within him.

He had felt, marginally, better, knowing that there was at least one person in his life he hadn’t irremediably disappointed and driven away. Nonetheless, he had already known she couldn’t do more than hold – or try to hold – his pieces together. The situation didn’t change.

Cause how could burying all that had resurfaced, which had caused all of this, be anything but good?

So, there he was now, desperately trying to forget, yet incapable of tuning out the memories that were still so fresh and vivid in his mind, as he barely noticed the roads he was taking or the people he passed, invisible and unnoticed. Like he had wished all his life to be as it came to the very thing that had just been shoved in his face that day…

Closing his eyes was a mistake. He could still see the scene, as clearly as it had happened, replaying in his head over and over again.

How the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind until it was too late…

How he had stood there, frozen, as a wave of all the feelings he had tried to repress and ignore all his life had come crushing down on him with a vengeance, smirking cruelly at him, making him realize exactly what he had to do…

How he had felt disgusted by himself when that hideous part of him rose to the occasion, claiming yes, take this moment, your one and only chance, make it worth it (and he had, by the Angel, he had), and, beyond all the humiliation, he had felt this fire inside of him, burning him with the strength to cross the distance and…kiss Jace. Really kiss him.

That memory now made him want to just dig a hole and bury himself in it, away from the wrongness of how…right it had felt. The rough yet smooth skin on Jace’s face as he reverently held it in his hands…the way their mouths had just fit together, the taste, the friction, the sensation of it still making him dizzy. He had lost himself to the moment completely, everything else be damned.

And Jace, Jace had kissed him back, he had opened his mouth to him and held him close like a lover would… which didn’t mean much, Alec told himself. There wasn’t much else Jace could’ve done in that moment, as well as the fact that he probably wouldn’t have wanted to hurt Alec’s feelings. He must’ve felt nauseated by it, by him; he just would never admit it to his face. He would be the one, if nobody else, to want to spare Alec that kind of humiliation.

Alec repeated this to himself as if he cared if Jace had or hadn’t liked the kiss; the first option was both impossible and something that wouldn’t change anything; the second was only reasonable. Letting himself fall into a biggest fantasy that he was living in would be his second biggest mistake of the day.

So why was he still doing it, knowing it would cause him only so much more pain when he had to start letting go of these feelings again? He should be doing it already…not thinking about them, not indulging in them, trying instead to fix the mess he had just made. That was the right thing to do.

But one moment held him back, a moment that had stuck with him more than anything else.

When he had opened his eyes as they let each other go, the face in front of him – with those mismatched, unfairly beautiful eyes staring right back at him, the swollen mouth that he had just kissed – had blinded Alec to the point where he could feel himself bleed out of all the…love he had inside. The knowledge that he would now have to lose that forever had caused a lump to form in his throat, that he had unsuccessfully tried to swallow down.

How could that be fixed? How could he face Magnus when he still tasted Jace on his lips and would like to taste him again (and again)? How could he pretend that hadn’t meant anything, when he could feel the opposite deep in his entire being?

Magnus would know the truth, as the Seelie Queen had done. Clearly, his deepest, most secret shame was marked on him like a constantly burning rune, its heat slowly consuming him from the inside-out.

And yet – what would dwell on these feelings bring to? Only more delusions and disappointment. He had known from that start, back when he had chosen to step into the circle of fire with Jace, that he would only end up hurting more people as well as himself.

His future was with Magnus, who he still honestly cared about and with whom he was building a solid relationship that he truly enjoyed. That should be his priority. If he lost that, he would’ve lost something good for nothing.

He would figure out a way to look Jace in the eyes again later…he would figure out how to forget him again later.

“I don’t want to know what it’s like to live without you”

Jace ran all the way back to the Institute, his companions far behind him, yet he still couldn’t catch up with Alec. Once home, he frantically searched for him in all his usual spots where he would go to hide: his room, the rooftop, a few backdoor corridors or empty rooms…he still couldn’t find him. He then turned to his last resort.

“Izzy! Have you seen Alec?” he asked, breathless, as soon as she opened her door.

“Hello to you, too,” she shot back, an eyebrow raised. By her worried look, by the way she took him in – with a hesitant, curious expression – Jace knew that she had seen her brother.

“Is he there with you? I really – really need to talk to him. I don’t know how much he told you…”

“He’s not here, he left a while back. And he told me enough.” Her tone was guarded, yet sympathetic.

“Do you know where–?”

“Listen, Jace,” she interrupted him, widening her door a bit more. “I think you should let him be for now.”

He blinked at her words. “Let him be? He must probably be feeling so bad about things he can’t control right now, he has to know it doesn’t change anything! Or that I – “

These thoughts had plagued him since he had seen Alec run away. His parabatai driving himself crazy over the entire thing, as if he was to blame, doing something stupid to make up for it or something…and the turmoil of emotions that had been coming his way from their shared bond didn’t reassure him one bit.

Jace had to find him. Tell him that he would always be by his side, that he didn’t have to feel ashamed about his feelings…he had known for a while now, and he had never stopped thinking the world of his parabatai. He had, admittedly, thought that they had more or less gone away, considering how happy he had been lately, with Magnus. And they had also never explicitly talked about it. Still, nothing had to change. They were parabatai, by the Angel, and they had been through much worse!

Yet, two piercing eyes at the back of his mind – staring into his soul, all the depth of the emotions in them openly shining through – put a nagging thought in him. How could things stay the same after witnessing, being at the receiving end of, the exact intensity of Alec’s love for him? He felt an ache in his stomach at just the thought.

“That’s exactly part of the problem, Jace,” Izzy cut in, stern, but not unkind. “He just – he needs space. To let what happened go, to let you go…he doesn’t need to know what he already does right now. His feelings…are not just something you can accept and move on from. You…they are a real burden to him! And he can’t deal with it if you’re always there, unaffected by all of it.”

“You think…I’m unaffected?”

To think that what he saw as his way of unburdening his parabatai could be perceived as him being unconcerned, as if he hadn’t as much at stake in their relationship, made him uncharacteristically angry at Izzy.

“I know that this is difficult for him! But I can’t just let him deal with this alone, not when I hurt when he hurts, not when it can drive a wedge between us…forever!” He swallowed hard at that.

“I hear you, Jace.” She put a hand on his shoulder, ignoring his troubled expression. “But if you try to push in, he’ll only push you back further. I’m not saying for much time, but I really think it’s better you left him alone…only until he’s ready to come back to you.” She smiled encouragingly at him, and Jace sighed, his anger fading, resigning to her logic.

Another thing he absolutely didn’t want was overstepping his parabatai’s needs. 

“Just tell me – how was he exactly?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking,

Izzy’s smile turned into a sad frown, which told him more than she could say. “Go rest for a while, okay? You look like you need it.”

Jace could only nod and bid her goodnight.

Going to sleep turned out to be more difficult than Jace expected…or as he expected.

Even though at some point, the whirlwind of distressing emotions coming from his parabatai had settled into a subduing sadness, which meant Alec had at least calmed himself enough to not be overwhelmed anymore, Jace still felt worry tightening his stomach. He kept wondering where Alec was, if he had come back, wishing he could go check and talk to him if he was there, but not daring to, not after his conversation with Izzy.

Thus, he was left on his own, and he tossed and turned in his bed, trying to find a comfortable position, when really all he needed was to stop thinking.

Cause now that the immediate problem could not be addressed, and the intensity of the initial humiliation, shock and panic had subsided, Jace had no more excuses to block his own whirlwind of emotions.

The fact of the matter stayed that Alec had kissed him and he…hadn’t disliked it. Which was a euphemism. He had genuinely…actively…enjoyed it. 

Of all the years he had grown to know and love Alec, something like this had never occurred to him.

He remembered that time, a few years back, when he had first realized that what Alec felt for him was not entirely brotherly. He had been surprised, but it hadn’t seemed to him like that big of a deal. Sure, that kind of feelings were forbidden for parabatai, but he had personally thought it was only normal to have them. He and Alec were closer than most, so what if Alec had wished they were even closer? He had felt the same for many of the women he had been with. He knew pleasure, he understood sex, he couldn’t very well blame Alec for wanting the same for himself.

But Jace had never really understood anything. His flings had been just that…nothing that seriously mattered to him, nothing that could go against his father’s teachings.

To love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be the one destroyed.

No matter how much he hated to admit it now, Valentine had had that much influence in his life, in his choices, that even now it was hard to let those beliefs go, after they had been ingrained in him so deeply.

Until Clary, he hadn’t dared to let himself feel anything that resembled love, anything that could weaken him or the other person involved. 

Except, that he had. He had loved – still loved – someone more than he ever did anybody else. And that person had always been Alec.

When he had first arrived in New York, he had felt himself grow attached to that kid who had welcomed him with a shy smile and an awed look. And he had let him in, he had let Alec see him at his most vulnerable, and in turn Alec had done the same to him. His affection for him eventually arrived at a point where Jace felt like he never would’ve wanted to be parted from Alec, ever. And that had driven him into a panic.

Remembering his pet falcon, the same fear he felt back when he still lived with his father had took ahold of him again. He was letting himself be weak, when all he was supposed to do was train to become the best warrior in existence…and that was when it had occurred to him.

Parabatai draw strength from each other and are the best in battle.

It had been the best, the only acceptable solution to turn around that fatal flaw in his life, and Jace had never looked back.

That was how it had always been: on one end, his bond with Alec, the deepest and most sacred thing in his life; on the other, the concept of ‘love’ he attempted with other people, but that had never really done anything for him. Or that only ended up in disappointment, like with Clary. Those were two things so separate and distinct, irreconcilable in his mind, that having them suddenly collide…had thrown him entirely out of the loop. He felt unhinged, his entire world turned irreversibly upside down. 

Cause what if all this time…what if it had always been…what if he had unknowingly but consciously misinterpreted, masked his feelings, especially from himself, to try and put them in a box his father, if not approve, would accept…what if he had put Alec, and himself, through all of this, because he had let Valentine, and his fear of him and his judgment, rule his life…

Cause the truth was, he was now a burden to Alec.

He knew that wasn’t exactly what Izzy had meant, but knowing to be the reason of his parabatai’s distress hurt him profoundly. Feeling that their closeness brought him such pain was reason to doubt anything Jace held dear. Questioning if it might stem all from his own cowardice made him feel sick with himself.

In the end, the only thing he was certain of in those last moments before losing consciousness, swimming in a sea of burning eyes and warm lips, was that he couldn’t, wouldn’t lose Alec.

“Did we ever see it coming?”

It was late in the night, far too late for a visit to be polite, yet Alec couldn’t wait till the morning.

The door opened on its own after only a few knocks. He had thought he would have to beg his way in.

Magnus was on the other side, dressed for the night, a drink in hand Alec already felt guilty about, and a guarded expression on his face. He regarded him as Alec entered, nodding to himself.

“Magnus…” Alec started, a strain in his voice. He didn’t know how to finish. There were no words true enough, beside the truth…and that wasn’t acceptable. “I’m so, so sorry. I–”

“Don’t,” Magnus interrupted him, smiling at him.

Wait, what?

“There is no need for apologies.”

That was the last thing Alec had expected to hear. “But…”

“It was…a blow, for all of us,” his boyfriend continued, undeterred. “Especially you, I see.”

Alec felt far too conscious about his swollen face and shabby attire, but he couldn’t care about himself in that moment.

“It was a blow, but not a shock,” Magnus went on. “Or it shouldn’t have been a shock, you figure? This was the first thing I ever knew about you, beside that you were a good shot,” he hinted at a smirk.

The incident with the memory demon had also been burned into Alec’s mind and soul for all eternity, like this one would be. He didn’t need the reminder. He could painfully see the relevance, however.

“And we all forgot, didn’t we?” Magnus let out a light, bitter chuckle. “But I know, better than most at least, how people and the feelings you have – or had – for them, have the tendency to come back when you least expect it. What matters is how we deal with it.”

Alec took that as his clue. “I know! And I will - this will all be forgotten again, I promise. I – I might still feel something for Jace, but I honestly, genuinely care about you and I want this to continue…”

Magnus smiled again, and there was something sad in his smile.

“Is that really all it is? You ‘feel something’?” he put in, raising an eyebrow.

Alec was left gaping for words, in the desperate search for the right way to explain himself.

“Alexander…”

“Wait! You need to listen, okay, I–”

“Alexander…you don’t have to explain what you feel to me, and you don’t have to forget about it. It’s important that we don’t fool each other.”

“I’m not fooling you…”

Magnus came forward, snapping his drink away, and put his hands gently on his shoulders. Alec felt like he was living a fever dream.

“I know you aren’t, I’m not saying that. I’m saying that what happened today has shown that both of us have things we must deal with on our own. Both of our pasts have been brought up to us again in the most unpleasant of ways…and it’s neither of our faults. Seriously, Alexander, I don’t want you to blame yourself for what happened.”

Alec didn’t know about that. He didn’t know what to think either, what to feel. Should he be relieved? Magnus wasn’t mad at him. But his words…sounded final.

Was he ready to lose Magnus? Could Alec fight for his relationship? Should he? Did he want to fight for it? He had worked so hard to have it, and yet…

Not knowing the answer to either of those questions kind of made the next words simpler to accept.

“Trying to move on from someone with someone else…I’m afraid, it doesn’t really work. All the people involved often end up getting hurt…” Alec lowered his eyes in shame. “And it’s not fair to anyone. Alexander, look at me.”

Alec reluctantly complied. Magnus’s eyes were genuinely full of affection as he looked up at him, and Alec had genuinely grown to love him. Why couldn’t that had been enough?

“This is not goodbye…or it isn’t, necessarily. We’ll still see each other, won’t we? Shadowhunters-Downworlders meetings? And you can always ask for my help, you know that…I might not answer every time, but I’ll always be the High Warlock of Brooklyn and you the Head of the New York Institute. And I’ll always care for you. But I really think we need to take some time apart…and what do you know? If it’s meant to happen, we might find each other again.”

Alec closed his eyes then, as Magnus hugged him. What did they know, indeed?

It was pointless, to say the least, trying to filter all that he was feeling, as he morosely made his way back to the Institute. He had nothing more to do than resign himself to the cloud of foggy, grey sadness so eager to take ahold of his heart. He didn’t think it would ever go away. 

So, what now? He couldn’t refrain from asking himself.  

Funny, how things worked. If he had known that he would have to face the biggest humiliation of his life, fulfill his deepest desire and lose his boyfriend all in the same day, with one swift move…would the outcome have changed?

Doubting he would like the answer, knowing his miserable, pathetic self had everything coming for him, he mentally prepared himself for the next day when the Cabinet with the Downworlders would take place. It would be a feat in and on itself, but most of all he would have to do his job and act normal all while trying not to instantly implode at the sight of the people who knew.

Jace would be there running security…and Alec still didn’t know how to face him.

[tenroseforeverandever]

Home for the Holidays: Chapter 3

Chapter 1; Chapter 2;

A @dwsecretsanta​  gift for @chocolatequeennk.

Characters:  Ten x Rose; Jackie Tyler; Pete Tyler; Mickey Smith; Jake Simmonds; Donna Noble; Empress of the Racnoss; Lance Bennett

Rated: Teen (rating may change)

Tags: Doomsday Fixit; Runaway Bride rewrite; Angst; Hurt/Comfort; Separation; Eventual Christmas fluff; adventure

Summary: A Doomsday Fixit that also follows the events of the Runaway Bride.

Despite having the victory of the Battle of Canary Wharf behind them, Rose remains resentful that the Doctor tried to send her away after she promised she’d never leave him.

Chapter Summary: Rose and Donna attempt to take on the Racnoss.

Notes: Sorry to all for the loooong delay in getting this chapter up. This is the reason I really like to get everything written before I post.

As always, many thanks to my wonderful betas, @hellostarlight20 and MrsBertucci. You are both so brilliant!

And thanks to all who have taken the time to read, review, or leave kudos, or any combination of these!

Any recognizable dialogue comes from the Doctor Who episode, The Runaway Bride.

Also read at: AO3; FF.net; Teaspoon

***Please note: I have made some edits to Chapter One as a result of continuity issues with upcoming chapters, mostly dealing with the level of intimacy in the Rose's relationship with the Doctor.

HOWEVER!!!! Tumblr is being a pig and not allowing me to edit at this time. Please refer to the updated versions on AO3, FF.net, or Teaspoon.  Sigh...

Home for the Holidays: Chapter 3

Rose and Donna clambered off the ladder and hurried along the cramped service corridor, pausing only to get their bearings. Spotting an opening in the wall, Rose slowed down and tiptoed up to it. She peeked through and found herself right behind a line of the Racnoss’s robot guards. Springing back and barely containing a squawk of fear, she wheeled away, moving as silently as possible, tugging an oblivious Donna with her.

“Blimey!” Donna whispered, unnerved, once they moved a safe distance down the corridor. “What happened? You’re as white as a sheet!”

“The robots… the ones up on the gangways? That’s them, right through there.”

“No. Way!”

Catching her breath, Rose gestured with her thumb. “So, we know the Empress is just over there, yeah, but how do we get to ‘er? Can’t exactly go out that way.”

“Have we even got the right corridor? There could be millions of them all over. The place is like a rabbit warren.”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure this is right. Why else would that robot have brought you here instead of in through one of the other doors? ‘Sides, there’s no time to turn back. Gotta keep moving forward, see where it takes us. C’mon, Donna,” Rose urged, breaking into a trot.

Donna dutifully gathered her skirts and followed close behind. “There’s a lot of running, isn’t there, when you’re with the Doctor?”

“Yeah, there is.” A wave of nostalgia swept over Rose, and she smiled. She did quite a bit of running in her position at Torchwood too, but it didn’t hold the same excitement it had when she had run with the Doctor’s hand in hers. “And look, Donna! There!” She pointed ahead of her to some stairs leading down to the left. “They look like they’re headin’ in the right direction!”

Rose and Donna crept down the stairs, and found themselves in a large storage room containing mops and buckets, and shelves full of spare parts for various pieces of industrial equipment. A crude, arched opening was cut into one wall. They could hear the voice of the Racnoss clearly through it.

“This must be it!” Donna stage whispered, as she crept up to the opening.

“Shhhh! Be careful!”

Donna bent her head around the opening.

“What do you see?”

Donna turned back, her face animated with excitement. “This is it! She’s out there. Right - bloody - there! I think this must be the same passage that wanker ex of mine used earlier.”

“Lemme see?” Rose nudged Donna aside, and peeked out.

There were a couple of stairs leading up out of the opening, then several more to the right, leading to yet another staircase down to a large, raised platform where the Racnoss stood. Beyond the Racnoss, down at floor level, Rose could see the large, circular pit in the floor, and beyond that, the laboratory. She noted, with a sense of relief, the two robots that had been standing with the Racnoss earlier were no longer there. Presumably they had been the ones chosen to search for Donna. But she and Donna would still need to contend with the many robots standing guard on the elevated gangways. They would just have to hope for a bit of luck.

She swallowed hard, attempting to calm her nerves. “Okay,” she beckoned to Donna with a twitch of her head, “the Racnoss will be expectin’ one of her robot blokes to deliver you to her, yeah?”

“Yeah, suppose so.”

“Well, that’s exactly what’s goin’ to happen. You’re gonna walk in front of me, so she doesn’t get too good a look at me, an’ I’ll have a hold of your arm. You gotta pretend you’re fightin’ me, yeah?”

“And we’re just gonna walk right up to her and… what?”

“Yeah, that’s where my plan gets a little sketchy, I’m afraid. Are ya in?”

Donna nodded, swallowing hard. “Well, I’m not letting you go out there on your own.”

“Thanks, Donna. Whew,” she rubbed her sweaty palms on her denims, settled the metallic robot mask over her face, and adjusted the cloak so it covered her completely, “I hope she can’t smell fear, ‘cause if she can, this get-up won’t fool her for long.”

“Oh, don’t worry ‘bout that. She’ll just think it’s me… and she wouldn’t be wrong.” Donna’s uneasy smile confirmed her words.

“All right. This is it, Donna.” Rose took a deep breath, and clutched Donna’s arm, trying not to pinch down too hard, but hard enough to appear convincing to the Racnoss.  “No more sneakin’ around. We have to go in like we mean it.”

“Well then, let’s do it!”

--oOo--

Rose had to hand it to Donna: the woman had guts! She broke into a tirade at Rose, as she feigned stumbling down the stairs toward the Racnoss Empress. Rose shoved her at appropriate times to make the scene seem realistic.

The Racnoss whipped her head around at the commotion. “Ah, the bride has returned: come to join her groom in holy, dreaded matrimony. Bring her to me,” the Empress demanded, turning her many black eyes toward them.

Rose quailed at the sheer size of the Racnoss. She was huge, imposing, so much larger than she had seemed earlier from the relative safety of the laboratory. Doubt seized her. Maybe she should have tried to find the Doctor, instead of thrusting herself and Donna on this misbegotten mission, straight into the clutches of the creature.

Lance’s sneer emanated from his prison, suspended in the web. “Didn’t think she’d get very far. She’s just that thick!”

Rose bristled at Lance’s tone and hissed in Donna’s ear. “You were engaged to that tosser?”

“I hate you!” Donna snarled at Lance.

“A bit late for that now, sweetheart.”

As the Racnoss turned to glare at Lance, Rose stepped forward with Donna. “I’m gonna push you toward her, but I need you to duck right out of the way, over there, off the edge of this platform, and try to find some cover. Can you do it?”

“Don’t have much of a choice, do I?” Donna shouted as though snarking at Lance, but effectively giving Rose the answer she needed.

“Oh, so feisty. I admire this one!” the Empress chortled. She swung her head back toward the groom. “You should treat her with more respect.”

As the Racnoss continued to berate Lance, Rose realized that was the best distraction she could hope for. Mentally bracing herself, she shoved Donna toward the Racnoss with a commanding, “Now!”  

Donna stumbled and dropped to the ground, rolling herself to the edge of the platform. Snarling, the Racnoss wheeled around, and reached out with a long, red limb to snag her claw in Donna’s long white skirts, pinning her in place.  Rose lifted the gun, from under her cloak, feigning aiming at the fallen bride. Her finger quivered on the trigger. Donna was screeching, being dragged back along the floor inch by inexorable inch toward the irate Empress. Rose would have to act fast, if she was to have any hope of freeing her. The Racnoss was currently distracted by Donna, but it wouldn’t be long before she noticed Rose wasn’t what she seemed to be, and the element of surprise would be lost.

Swinging around to aim at the Racnoss’s humanoid chest, Rose fired off a round of shots. She was jolted back by the force of the weapon’s recoil, toppling ungracefully onto her bum and getting the wind knocked out of her. The Racnoss swivelled her fierce head, baring her jagged teeth, but was otherwise unaffected by the bullets that had glanced uselessly off her thick exoskeleton. Rose’s stomach sank like lead as terror overwhelmed her

“And what do we have here?” the Empress wheezed, her many eyes fixed on Rose.

In that moment, Rose realized her hood and mask had become dislodged. There was an ominous shuffling as the robot guards all swivelled, pointing their weapons at her. The gig was most definitely up.

“A little girl playing dress-up?”  Keeping one foot on Donna’s dress, the Racnoss extended another limb and flicked the rifle out of Rose’s hands. It went skittering across the floor, well out of Rose’s reach.

Rose shuffled backward, out of the range of the long limbs.  She removed her mask, and as her eyes met Donna’s despairing gaze, she mouthed a heartfelt apology, guilt and shame washing over her.

Indifferent to the emotions of the humans, the Racnoss continued her commentary. “A sweet, tasty treat for my starving children.

“But now! Enough is enough. I grow impatient. The bride and the groom are both here. It is time they be joined together in their awful wedded life...  Activate the particles. Purge every last one!” she bellowed.

Rose watched, enthralled, as Donna began to glow, the Huon energy pulsing from her body. A groan from above attracted Rose’s attention, and she saw Lance glow as well, though not as brightly.

“And release.” At the Empress’ command, the Huon energy streamed up from Donna’s body, rushing to meet the energy being purged from Lance. The two streams met in the air over the pit, before plunging to the centre of the Earth. “The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages! My children: the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh!”

Turning her attention to the ceiling, she shouted, “And now, the Web Star shall come to me.

“Oh, but my babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Who shall be their first meal? The Bride, the Groom, or the pretty, little bridesmaid?”

At that moment, a burst of light from the pit indicated the Huon energy had reached its target, and the distant sounds of many chattering voices could be heard as the infant Racnoss ascended the shaft from the Earth’s core.

“The Groom, I think. You have been most impolite to your lady friend. The Empress does not approve.”

“No!” Rose scrambled to her feet. “Don’t do this! You don’t need to do this! We can help you. I… I represent Torchwood. We can find a way to help you. Find you a place where you and your children can live in peace.”

“Ahhh, yes, Torchwood. Torchwood has been very helpful already.” The Empress emitted a gargling chuckle. “They drilled this fine hole and provided me with everything I needed to create the Huon particles. But now, little girl, the only way they can help me is by filling the stomachs of my children.”

The Racnoss again directed her voice skyward. “Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat.”

“Wait! What are you doing?” Donna yelped. “You can’t do that!”

“I think you’ll find I already am. The human race is being harvested, little human bride. Soon you will join them.”

“I don’t think so!” Panic in her eyes, Donna scrabbled onto her feet, hauling herself away from the clutches of the Racnoss, the sound of tearing fabric signaling her freedom.  With the skirt of her gown in flowing in tatters behind her, she ran to Rose, taking up a position beside her, facing the Racnoss.

“Arrrggghhh!” the Empress screeched. “Do not think you can escape! You have nowhere to hide. You and all the humans on this wretched planet are worth nothing to me alive.”

“But you can’t…” Donna’s anguished voice trailed into nothingness.

Dread filled Rose at the thought of all the innocent lives being taken as she and Donna stood helpless to save even themselves. She put a comforting arm around the bride’s shoulders.

Suddenly distracted, the Racnoss swung her head toward the far end of the room, close to the laboratory, and Rose followed her gaze to where one of the robots could be seen moving up some stairs at the far side of the chamber.  “My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever, little Doctor-man.”  

Rose felt her mouth drop open in shock, as the robot removed its mask and cloak, revealing the brown-pinstriped form of the Doctor. With a loud, unified shuffling, the robot guards all redirected their attention away from Rose and Donna, and onto the Doctor.

“Oh well, nice try,” he quipped.

Rose couldn’t hold back the little sigh of longing that escaped her at the sight of him, so familiar, and yet so strange after his absence from her life for so many months.  She flushed as she noticed Donna watching her with narrowed eyes, and pulled the hood of her cloak back up over her head, concealing herself from both Donna’s scrutiny and the Doctor.

She watched, fascinated, as the Doctor peered up at the webs where Lance hung, ensnared. “Now, first things first. Lance, I’ve got you.” He aimed his sonic screwdriver toward the web, loosening the strands.

The web started to give way, and Lance squirmed in fear. “What the hell are you playin’ at? You tryin’ to get me killed? I’m gonna fall!”

“Nope. You’re going to… swing!”

The webs released, leaving one long strand that Lance clung to, shouting in terror, as he swung down in a wide arc over the open pit, toward the Doctor.

“I’ve got you!” the Doctor called, his arms outspread to catch the groom. The strand of webbing was too long, however, and Lance was hurtled at high speed, his trajectory taking him several feet below the spot where the Doctor stood waiting. The Doctor grimaced at the loud clang Lance’s body made as he smashed against the metal railings and fell unconscious to the floor. “Oh… sorry.”

“Oh, my God!” Donna muttered.

The Racnoss surveyed Lance’s supine form, nonplussed, and began to cackle. “The Doctor-man amuses me.”

“C’mon, Donna.” Knowing instinctively the safest place to be was close to the Doctor, Rose grabbed Donna’s hand while the Racnoss was preoccupied. Desperately forcing herself to ignore the sound of some of the robots training their guns at them again, she hauled Donna to the edge of the platform, where they both sat down and pushed off, landing on the hard concrete floor below. They rushed over to where Lance lay, and Donna crouched down, shaking him none too gently to wake him up.  Rose glanced up at the Doctor, from under her hood.

“Empress of the Racnoss,” the Doctor spoke with authority, and pride swelled in Rose at the sound of his voice. “I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now.”

“You little humanoids are so funny. This little one,” she gestured to Rose, “has already made such an offer. I declined.”

“What? Your robot?” he scoffed. With the cloak still pulled up over her head, the Doctor, preoccupied with addressing the Racnoss, hadn’t recognized her. “Ah… but you’re not really a robot, are you? Weeell, great minds think alike, eh? But, then, you must be Torchwood, to have the audacity to make an offer like that.”

Hands quaking, anxious about how the Doctor would react to her unexpected presence, she pulled the hood off, and shook out her hair. “Hello.” She gave a nervous little wave, pressing her lips together in a farce of a smile, and forcing herself to meet his gaze as Donna unsympathetically hauled a groggy Lance to his feet.

The Doctor’s eyes roved over Rose, the hard anger in his gaze softening to wonder as he acknowledged her presence for the first time. “Rose…” he whispered, his lips twitching up in the hint of a proud smile. Then the smile fell, his expression reverting to firm resolve as he turned his attention back to the Racnoss. “Well, you’ve had two generous offers. You’ll get no more. What's your answer?”

“Oh I'm afraid I have to decline your offer, too. You see, my children are so hungry and now what a glorious wedding feast there shall be! The Groom; the Bride; a Bridesmaid; and you, Doctor, the Best Man.”

“Oh, that I am. And I warned you. What happens next is your own doing.”

“I’ll show you what happens next,” the Empress growled. “At arms! Take aim! And–”

“Relax.”

Rose looked around her, incredulous as the robots all slumped forward, deactivated.

“What did you do?” a shocked Donna asked the Doctor.

“Guess what I've got, Donna?” he smirked, waving around a large remote control unit. “Pockets.”

She turned to Rose, incredulous. “How did that fit in his pockets? Hey, Spaceman, how did that fit in your pockets?”  

“They’re bigger on the inside,” Rose explained. “Like the TARDIS.”

The Racnoss, spoke again, contemptuous. “Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh.”

“Oh, but I'm not from Mars.” The Doctor’s voice exuded confidence.

“Then where?”

“My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Gallifrey.”

“So, he is an alien,” Lance commented.

“Shut up, you!” Donna smacked him hard on the shoulder, causing him to stagger forward.

“They murdered the Racnoss!” The Empress’ temper surged, panic flashing in her many dark eyes.

“I warned you. You did this.” The Doctor revealed some red Christmas baubles that had also been tucked in his pockets.

Rose allowed herself a chuckle. “Lemme guess… those are some of the exploding baubles from earlier today. Am I right?”

“No. Way!” Donna stammered, eyes wide. “They… well, they… yeah, they sure look like them.”

“No! No! Don't! No!” the Empress began to beg.

Using the remote control to direct them, the Doctor tossed the baubles into the air. Some surrounded the Empress, whizzing around her, tormenting, while most of them went zipping out, through the lab, into the sub-basement corridor. Within seconds, the sounds of explosions rattled the room, and with a great, roaring rush, water came flooding into the chamber and plummeted into the great pit. Fires broke out as baubles ignited the webbing on the ceiling, and horrible, anguished wails echoed up from hole where the Racnoss young perished in the flood.

The Empress’ howls could be heard above all the other noises that filled the air. “No! No! My children! No! My children! My children!” She thrashed and keened, wailing in anguish.

The water continued to flood in, splashing and surging, swirling around Rose, Donna, and Lance’s feet, the level rising dangerously with every passing second. Rose looked up at the Doctor and shivered. It had nothing to do with the cold water that dripped from her hair and soaked her clothes. She shivered at the Doctor’s expression, wrathful and pitiless: the Oncoming Storm. And yet in his eyes, there was a look of such hopelessness…

The Empress gave one last yowl, dragging Rose’s attention from the Doctor. The water had already reached past the level of their knees when the Racnoss shouted an order to be transported and disappeared in the flash of a transmat beam.

The platform where the Racnoss had been standing was now empty, and Lance chose that moment to make his escape toward it, slogging through the water as fast as he could in his unsteady, semi-concussed state, with the swift current tugging at his legs. Rose leaped after him. He could not be allowed to escape. At the very least he would need to be held at Torchwood and interrogated. He would most likely be retconned, as well, to make him safe to integrate with the general public again. She lunged through the water, catching up to him as he struggled to climb up onto the platform. She grabbed his arm and helped him up. Then she leaped up beside him and, together, they negotiated the slick surface, slipping and sliding across the floor and finally down to the storage room at the back, where the water had already risen to Rose’s chest level.

They needed to get to higher ground.  

“Hurry! Up the stairs,” she urged, gesturing to the flight of stairs leading to the service corridor. The water was rising steadily behind them. “Faster! Let’s go!” she barked, clambering up the first few steps as water sloshed around her waist.

Not yet on the steps, Lance floundered in the deep, heaving water, fighting to stay upright. She stretched her arm out to help him, and suddenly his hand wrapped around her wrist like a vice. She gasped and with a condescending leer, he met her eyes and yanked her down toward the rolling waves. Grasping at the railing with her free hand, she struggled against him. Her hand slipped along the slick, wet surface, and she felt her balance falter. A sudden surge of water knocked Lance off balance and she took advantage of his instability, flipping his hand away with a quick twist of her arm.  

He plunged back into the water below, sputtering and flailing his arms wildly until he managed to grab hold of a railing and pull himself out of the water.

Rose scrambled up the stairs once she was sure he was able to stand up again. She glowered at him. “Just move your fuckin’ arse, yeah. I’ll not be waitin’ on ya.” She turned her back on him and leaped up the stairs two at a time. Upon reaching the service corridor at the top, she careened along it, leaving Lance to his own devices, certain he would follow. At that point, there was nowhere else he could go.

When she approached the opening that led to the gangway where the robots were located, she ducked inside, desperate to ensure the Doctor and Donna had also made it to safety. She pushed out onto the gangway between two of the dormant robots, and her heart hammered in horror at the sight of the Doctor still standing there, numb, frozen in place, water drenching him, lapping around his ankles. Donna was standing on the platform beside him, shouting and gesticulating, but Rose couldn’t make the words out over the noise of the deluge in her ears.

“Please, Doctor,” she implored him under her breath. “Go. Please!”

Relief surged through her when he finally responded to Donna’s shouts, suddenly awakening to the danger of their situation. As if by instinct, his eyes flickered to Rose’s, meeting them briefly before turning, grabbing Donna’s hand, and clambering up the stairs to safety.

[biofunmy]

JR’s Street Gallery Comes Indoors

On a fall day at the Brooklyn Museum, it was hard for JR, the most recognizable anonymous artist in the world, to go more than a few steps without a wave of double takes and a trail of enthusiastic fans.

JR, who is 36 and was born in France, has been in the public sphere for at least a decade, yet still declines to give his full name and insists on appearing in public in a fedora and semi-rimless sunglasses, a bit of schtick that can make him look like he’s stepped directly out of a Godard film. This persona, combined with his work — monumental public photography projects often made in parts of the world wrenched by political strife or made inaccessible by military conflict — has lent JR the aura of an empathetic Houdini, magicking himself into unkind places and performing the dual trick of not getting killed while stirring warm feelings.

“JR: Chronicles,” his largest solo museum exhibition to date, tracks his by now well-documented actions from the Gaza Strip and the slums of Southern Sudan and Sierra Leone, to more recent work in the United States. Because his art is centered on portraiture and involves wheat-pasting oversize prints on building exteriors — the faces of women in Rio’s favelas splashed across their homes, or disembodied eyes in Havana, Istanbul and Los Angeles — JR is usually categorized as a photographer or a street artist, but neither really gets at his abiding interest, which is people, and connecting them.

“I don’t really like the term ‘street art,’” he said as we walked through the exhibition. “My studio was the street for a lot of years, just because I had to install my work anywhere I could, and I didn’t know anything else. For me it’s art whether it’s inside or outside. Sometimes it doesn’t work in a gallery. ”

JR doesn’t give away much about his past, aside from saying his parents emigrated from Tunisia and Eastern Europe and that he grew up in one of the “stable” banlieues outside Paris. When he was a teenager he would travel into the city center to write graffiti, using the tag JR, his real initials, or FACE 3, from his short-lived career as a D.J., until he realized he wasn’t good at either pursuit.

“I learned the climbing, I learned all the other stuff, except being a good writer,” he said. By his own admission, his art career began in near complete ignorance. “I came from an environment where there was no art at all. I didn’t know Keith Haring or Basquiat or Cartier-Bresson. I didn’t know there was a job of being an artist. The narrative of other people has always been more interesting to me than mine.” He shifted to documenting his friends’ talents, and pasting photocopies of his pictures of them on walls, complete with spray-painted frames and the heading “Expo 2 Rue,” for street gallery.

His first formal project, “Portrait of a Generation,” from 2004, featured close-ups of young people living in public housing in the Parisian suburbs of Montfermeil and Clichy-sous-Bois. JR asked them to make exaggerated faces, then pasted the images around the bourgeois neighborhoods of Paris. They’re playful but also confrontational, prodding at the conceptions of working-class immigrants in these communities as menacing. The portraits took on added gravity in the next year, as rioting by youths pointing to police abuse and inequality spread from Clichy, and JR’s pasted pictures became the background to burning cars. “JR: Chronicles” opens with a wall-size print of the French-Malian filmmaker Ladj Ly pointing a camera like a shotgun, a sly subversion of media portrayals of black men, but also the kinetic potential of images and the idea that social injustices could be remedied simply by making them widely visible, something that suggests JR’s working thesis.

Since then, JR has viewed his projects as correctives to durable stereotypes and incomplete characterizations of people who traditionally lack the representation to object. “What’s interesting is if you talk to a woman in Brazil and a woman in Palestine, you realize that often they have the same point of view: that they’re being misportrayed and they want to change that,” he said.

JR’s practice retains much of the graffitist’s instincts and moral center: the guerrilla application, the anti-authority ethos, the elevation of those shunted to the margins. “For me it’s really clear,” he said. “I was writing my names on walls to say ‘I exist,’ then I started pasting pictures of people with their names to say they exist. I feel safe when I see graffiti because it shows there’s life. When you go to countries and there’s not one single tag on the wall, you should be stressed.”

He doesn’t spend a lot of time discussing the technical aspects of his work. “Who cares if the photo is good or not good?” he said. He’s much more animated in retelling what happens after an image is pasted up and people start congregating and talking. The portrait is a provocation, an effective vehicle, but you get the sense he would happily switch to nautical flags or pottery if he knew those would take. The point is to get people to see each other, which for JR is the simplest route to understanding.

It can feel daunting to take in so many faces, each with its own history and struggle. But JR is all tightly coiled energy, bopping around the gallery, arms tracing connections in the air. He’s a gifted talker, but often, to punctuate a point he’s making, he’ll stab at your shoulder or jolt your arm. Aware both of his medium’s built-in ephemerality and a keen sense of self-promotion, he has been a consistent self-documenter from the beginning. Each of his interventions is accompanied by a short film, either made on the fly, or as his resources became more robust, with sophisticated production and a narrative assist from Robert De Niro.

For awhile, JR operated just at the outer edges of the art world, making a fairly straightforward but mostly unimpeachable kind of human interest photography that boosted empathy for his subjects. But in the last few years, under the representation of Perrotin — a global player that also represents blue- chip artists like Takashi Murakami and KAWS — produced gallery shows and the attendant sales, his work has invited institutional consideration, and criticism. There’s the knock that his persona feeds a mystique that gives his art a thrust it may otherwise not enjoy or deserve. JR defends his pseudonymous identity less for its performative affect than as a useful tool in a hostile reality.

“We live in a global world, but in most of the countries I go to no one knows me,” he said. “In Turkey or at the Mexican border, I would be stopped before I even started. I’ve been arrested in a lot of countries. The day that art is welcomed the same way everywhere, I guess I wouldn’t need this,” he says, gesturing to his camouflage. “You know, it’s kind of annoying to wear sunglasses all day.”

JR’s obvious analogue is Banksy, whose guerrilla art and success in remaining beguilingly anonymous have yielded eight-figure auction results. “For years I would be like that, completely covered,” JR said. “But I realized by not talking about the work, people would not understand the complexity of it, the layers. It implicates people, and so I wanted people to understand the subject’s intention.”

As his projects have evolved in complexity and reach, they’ve become a shorthand for the kind of citizen-of-the-world pluralism and inextinguishable optimism that can be hard to separate from naïveté. “Chronicles” includes JR’s most recent project, “The Chronicles of New York City,” a large-format mural featuring 1,128 people, whom JR and his team photographed and interviewed by way of a 53-foot-long trailer truck studio that trawled the five boroughs last summer. It’s the third in a series of Diego Rivera-style frescos, after a similar project in San Francisco, and a 2018 Time magazine and JR commission that took as its subject this country’s gun control debate.

He’s been dogged in declining funding from and association with commercial brands and government entities. Still, his pictures are deliberately noncommittal, allowing viewers to affix their own conceptions to the subjects, skimming the surface of deeply intractable social problems rather than engaging with them fully. It can be a frustratingly reductive vision, an Occam’s razor theory of world peace. “The first time I traveled, people told me I’m going to get killed,” he said. “I think being naïve is what has helped me the most.”

“People say, well they might need food, not art, and I’m like, all right, let me go check that, I want to hear from them. So I would go to Kenya or to Sierra Leone and say ‘this is what I do, but you tell me if it makes sense here.’” And the response was always the same: “ ‘Because we’re struggling we shouldn’t have access to art?’”

JR insists that his work doesn’t have a particular style, and so avoids a cult of personality. His “Inside Out: The People’s Art Project,” begun in 2011, invites participants to submit self-portraits, which his studio prints poster-sized and sends back for them to paste. It aims to transcend the artist’s hand entirely.

“I didn’t invent black and white or pasting,” he said. “I never sign my work in the street. So actually, more people don’t know who did it than people who do. I put my work in places where nobody knows me. Yes, it’s giant, but there’s nothing written on it. It’s there for whoever wants to know.”

JR: Chronicles

Through May 3 at the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway; 718-638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org.

Sahred From Source link Travel

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[littlemarketingproject]

“Meh” Visuals? 11 Tips to Make Your Company’s Visual Content More Appealing

Your company’s image library says a lot about its marketing plan. The images its marketing team chooses to share, even more so. — Yes, even if the “marketing team” is still you, the founder.

Follow these straightforward tips to render your company’s pics, charts, memes, videos, and anything else you can plausibly construe as “visual” more appealing to those you expect to consume it.

1. Trust Your (Untrained) Eye

Here’s a simple rule of thumb: if you truly, honestly think it looks good enough to publish, it probably is.

Yes, this is a potential minefield. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there’s simply no guarantee that your taste is representative of your audience’s. If your standards are unusually low, shouldn’t you get a second opinion?

Perhaps. But you don’t need a marketing professional to sign off on every single piece of visual content you produce. If you have a graphic designer on your team (or on call — see below), then you’re in better shape than 80 percent of early-stage businesses. If you don’t have a visual arts expert on staff, surely you have someone you trust to a) critically evaluate visual content, and b) provide unvarnished feedback on same.

2. Live-Link Your Pins

Not yet sold on Pinterest? Cast off those lingering doubts, set up a page, and begin adding high-quality photos for followers to peruse.

Pinterest is at its best when brands use it as a gateway for awareness- or consideration-stage prospects — consumers researching or weighing their options, but not quite ready to pull the trigger on a purchase. To attract these early-to-mid-stage prospects, you’ll want to live-link every single pin to a corresponding product page, with or without a checkout feature. The Pinterest page for Bixler University is a case in point: a no-frills funnel for students, alums, and parents searching for distinctive class jewelry.

3. Use Solid-Color, Decluttered Backgrounds for Product Thumbnails

From a distance, your product thumbnails should appear cut from the same cloth, even if they’re produced in different locations, at different types, with different equipment. Key to this effect is the background — namely, a decluttered, solid-color, low-contrast background that’s the farthest thing from the focus of the composition.

4. Invest in a Legit Camera (Not a Cameraphone) for High-Touch Photos

A low-key background only gets you so far. So does your off-the-shelf cameraphone, powerful though it may be. If you’re serious about producing and editing your own product photos, bite the bullet and invest in a legitimate digital camera. When those first stunning thumbnails hit your Shopify portal, you’ll thank yourself for loosening your normally tight fist.

5. Find a Freelance Graphic Designer You Trust

Don’t have a graphic designer on staff yet? Not sure you can afford a full-timer anyway?

No sweat. If you’re not running a full-service marketing shop out of your office, there’s no need to invest in an above-replacement designer. Look to reputable freelance platforms like UpWork to find reasonably priced designers capable of performing high-quality work on tight timeframes. Once you find someone you like working with, ask whether they’re amenable to an increased workload; if they are, you may have unwittingly found your first all-visual employee (and perhaps your future CMO).

6. Bone Up on Memetics

One type of visual content for which you probably don’t need a professional graphic designer is the trusty meme. Meme-making crash courses abound; this one is better than average, and beginner-friendly to boot. If you’re humor-challenged, or worried about toeing the appropriate/off-brand line too closely, make it a collaborative effort or farm out the work to a (paid) friend whose judgment you trust.

7. Develop a “House Style” for Promotional Photography

You can recognize your own handwriting at a glance, right? Your photography should be no different. For product photos and candid around-the-office or in-the-field images, work on developing a recognizable “house style” with similar palettes, saturations, and subject placements. This is an impossible-to-overestimate aspect of consistent, professional branding. You might not hit the mark every time, but you’d be remiss not to try.

8. Remember the “One-Thirds” Rule

File this under basic, oft-forgotten principles of photography. Also known as the “rule of thirds,” it asks photographers to divide their fields into horizontal and vertical thirds to create nine spatial blocks. The lines separating those blocks become photographic axes — the spines along which photographers should situate subjects or elements. For whatever reason(s), the human eye responds well to rule-of-thirds compositions, so keep it in mind as you create original works.

9. Vary Your Subjects

This could also read: “don’t be afraid of stock photography.” If you only have a handful of human subjects at your disposal, and you’re not ready to run a casting operation out of your cramped coworking space, turn to reputable platforms like Shutterstock and Pexels (which has an extensive free library) for reinforcements. Most savvy audience members can tell the difference between original and stock photography, but if that’s preferable to running through the same three personnel configurations in a dozens-deep photo library, so be it.

10. Use Popular SEO Tags for Images You Want to Make Discoverable

Don’t sleep on image SEO. Use tags that accurately describe the content of your photos — say, “lake cabin” or “sand dunes”. You won’t rank on the first page for all (or even most) photos you tag, but the extra effort could get you across the line in less competitive cases.

11. Move Beyond #NoFilter

The Instagram hashtag #NoFilter was popular for a minute back there. It retains adherents today, but the moment has definitely passed. And for good reason — tasteful filters absolutely have their place, particularly in marketing materials that call for arresting or surreal visual elements.

Set the Right Tone

Above all else, make sure your visual media portfolio sets the right tone for your organization and brand. It’s better never to post a questionable photo or dash off an original image without proper editing than to realize what you’ve done and rush to take it down before it attracts too much scorn. Your audience is paying attention. Don’t let them down.

Original post: “Meh” Visuals? 11 Tips to Make Your Company’s Visual Content More Appealing

“Meh” Visuals? 11 Tips to Make Your Company’s Visual Content More Appealing syndicated from http://www.dailyblogtips.com

[gadget-reviews]

Best Ski Goggles 2018

For our annual list of the best ski goggles in 2017, we only chose goggles with a high optical quality, interchangeable lens systems for maximum usability. Helmet compatible straps and high quality, layered foam for all day face comfort were also critical deciding factors. As a result, our #1 pick is the Smith IO 7 goggle which boast large spherical lenses, easy lens interchange, and a highly adjustable strap compatible with most helmets. To that end, Smith offers tons of lens and color options for this particular goggle including a photochromic option, which automatically adjusts to the brightness of the sun. Also, did we mention that Smith offers a lifetime craftsmanship warranty?

Best Ski Goggles 2018

How We Choose

In the five years of teaching skiing full time, I've figured out how to separates the okay goggles from the legendary ones, and how to avoid some of the most common mistakes in goggle buying. How do we choose the best of the best? We're looking for goggles with advanced spherical lenses, that offer great peripheral views, UV protection, and stylish color options. Our choices must be helmet compatible too, as more and more skiers wise up to the benefits of protecting their heads. We're also only including lenses with interchangeable lens systems - an important factor for swapping lenses on bright or cloudy days. All of the goggles we have chosen are offered by recognized manufacturers in ski industry with proven track record, and we've avoided budget and up-and-coming brands to bring you only the most refined ski goggles available today.

Why You Should Buy New Ski Goggles

Goggles have evolved greatly over the last handful of years to meet two main needs. First, skiers are demanding more flashy colors and styles, and second, skiers are almost universally wearing helmets today which older goggles cannot fit over anymore. Helmet use is on the rise, and we really expect to soon see every skier wearing a helmet. This means old goggles with small straps are out. You need a goggle with enough adjustability to be worn with or without a helmet and that's exactly what we've chosen here. Our goggles feature highly adjustable headbands and wider attachment points at the goggle to accommodate that new helmet. While fashion may not be the most critical upgrade factor, flashy new lenses do offer a few real upgrades over older lenses. First, newer goggles and lenses are beginning to incorporate wide lenses with a greater peripheral view. This helps with safety, allowing you to see more of what (and who) is around you at all times. Second, these newer lenses are using reflective coated technology to help shed harmful UV light before it reaches your eyes. Because crisp visibility and wide viewing angles are an important part of skiing at your best level and avoiding potential dangers, we feel there's a strong case to be made for an upgrade. Your goggles may be the unsung hero of your skiing gear. Without a good goggle you'll be left skiing in poor, flat lighting which makes skiing difficult and unsafe. Choosing the right goggle and lens combo will revolutionize the way you see the snow you're skiing...literally.

Smith IO 7

Price: $160 | Style: Interchange | Included Lenses: 2 WHY IT'S A TOP PICK: Refined simple design with large spherical lens for perfect viewing. Designed around a "less is more" concept, these interchangeable goggles come with two lenses (on most models). You can swap out your lenses with one simple turn of the release lever, and lock the new ones back in within seconds. All around the best ski goggle we have reviewed on our list. Triple layer foam on the IO 7 surrounds your face with moisture wicking synthetic fibers for a dry, cool fit all day, no matter how hard you're hucking it. One of many reasons this goggle earns our top rating is for the almost limitless variations available. Buy your goggles in one of more than a dozen frame and strap colors, and you can buy just about any color reflective lens to match your style. Highly customizable, reliable, and crystal clear viewing make the Smith IO 7 our editor's pick  for  best ski goggle this season. Read: Best Ski Boots Quick release strap and silicone bands around the entire strap help to make sure that once the goggles are on, they won't be coming back off easily. Wide pivot strap hinges are designed with helmets in mind and we know this goggle will perform like a dream with your favorite helmet. I recommend the photochromic lens - it adjusts the darkness of the lenses automatically based on the brightness of the day. Sunny day? You lens will automatically become darker. Cloudy day? You lens will lighten up for better viewing and safer skiing!

Smith IOX

Price: $99 | Style: Interchange | Included Lenses: 2 WHY IT'S A TOP PICK: At a lower price tag this great wide lens goggle is compatible with glasses (OTG)! I've been rocking the Smith IOX goggles for years since they first hit the market and I can say that with over 300 days in these goggles, they don't back down and never fog up. The Smith IOX are also one of the best ski goggles for wearing over the glasses (OTG). Roomy, comfortable, and featuring a cutout on the sides for your glasses to sit gently on your temples without being smashed by the goggle. Without a doubt, the IOX goggles earn the best OTG goggle pick on our list. Changing lenses on these goggles isn't as easy as the newer IO 7 goggles, but it's still quite simple. The quick release strap is durable and reliable, fitting any helmet with ease and style. Our main concern is that the IOX goggle offers slightly less peripheral view compared to the IO 7's. These are great, reliable goggles with all the performance of the IO 7's at a fraction of the price.

Oakley Flight Deck

Price: $174 | Style: Interchange | Included Lenses: 1 WHY IT'S A TOP PICK: Massive lens will keep you looking like the best skier on the mountain  (even taking diggers on the bunny hill). Oakley has been making solidly-built optics for years, and ski goggles are no exception. The Oakley Flight Deck ski goggles are based around an oversize spherical lens and a low profile look. The may not be not as slick as Maverick's gold rimmed aviators from that 1986 classic, but it's as close as you're going to get without an F-14. Without a doubt, the best ski goggles for style and fashion. The included lenses are designed to be 100% protective to UV light for prolonged high altitude exposure to sunlight. We all know how bright a cloudless day can be on fresh snow pack at 12,000 feet - keep yourself protected! Our only real complaint is the high price and single lens included with the goggle.

Dragon Alliance X2

Price: $129 | Style: Interchange| Included Lenses: 2 WHY IT'S A TOP PICK: Thin frame design makes the lens view unobstructed and completely immersive for great skiing. If you're looking for a serious goggle with a lens view that won't compromise, then the X2 is for you! Dragon Alliance created this goggle around a frame-less design, which maximizes real estate and minimizes any obstruction of view. For their reasonable price it seems Dragon Alliance has been able to create an awesome goggle at a killer budget price. Don't forget the goggles come with two lenses right out of the box. We think this is a great deal at a great price. Dragon Alliance has really been the sole maker of "frameless" goggles up until recently. You can be assured these goggles make a statement and won't be mistaken on the hill. While gaining popularity, they're still much less common than the Oakley and Smith goggles. Dragon Alliance X2's earn best frame-less goggle design.

POC Lobe Goggle

Price: $77 | Style: Interchange | Included Lenses: 1 WHY IT'S A TOP PICK: Economy based pricing with a wide lens view and great fitment. If you're in the market for a great wide lens goggle with helmet compatibility at a reasonable price, then the POC Lobe might be just the ticket. Unfortunately the interchange system is a little clunky compared to other goggles on our list but the lower price might just make up for it. Relatively narrow outriggers for the goggle straps mean you may have a tight fit over larger helmets, but the strap its self is plenty adjustable to meet your needs with or without a helmet. Unfortunately lenses will cost as much or more than a whole new set of these goggles, so choose your color options wisely when purchasing. These goggles stand out on the hill with a unique, simple aesthetic that's recognizable from a distance. With uniform color throughout the goggle, the POC Lobes earn the best ski goggle choice for the skier looking to match colors. They look great with a sleek, matching color helmet too!

Key Factors and Features of a Good Ski Goggle

View: Never compromise on view. One part of having great clarity and contrast through a goggle is a high visibility lens for overcast days. I highly recommend an interchangeable lens system for this reason. Spend the extra money on a good pair of wide view goggles too, and your skiing will improve dramatically.

Price: Price is a big deal to many skiers. A new pair of skis and boots are expensive, so it can be tempting to try and save a little money on the goggles, but don't do it! Investing in good goggles is critical to avoid fogging, clarity issues, and low light contrast issues. It's scary trying to ski moguls in low light with a foggy lens. Avoid that by investing in a good goggle system.

Helmet Fit: Most goggles these days are designed to be worn with a helmet. Wide hinge points for strap attachment and silicone bands on the strap help keep everything in place. Make sure your goggles and straps are wide enough to fit around your helmet - all of our recommendations are!

Lens Types: Buying a goggle with a wide assortment of available lenses is a huge bonus. On super dark and snowy days a clear (or near clear) lens is great to improve visibility. For bright bluebird skiing a reflective lens helps protect your eyes from solar radiation, and also gives a good increase to your overall "radness" level in style.

Included Lenses: If you're spending good money on a new goggle system, look for one that includes more than one lens with your purchase. The Smith IO7 goggles we reviewed, for example, usually come with two lenses - a dark and a light lens to accommodate different weather patterns throughout the day.

Mistakes to Avoid

Going Too Big: With the big goggle trend at an all time high, some skiers may buy the coolest goggles only to find out they're actually too big to fit with their helmet. Yeah, that's a thing. Check reviews to make sure the goggles you're ordering aren't too big to fit your riding setup. Skimping on Price: Many skiers will say their skis or ski boots are the most important piece of gear. I would urge you to think differently - your goggles are the most important piece of gear. Without a good, crisp image to see while you're skiing, it's impossible to avoid dangers and injury. Fog, flat lighting, and overly dark lenses are all common issues. Spend the extra dough on your goggles - you'll be happy you did.

Which Ski Goggle is Right For Me

With so many options on the market, we've narrowed it down to reputable brands with goggles that outperform and are feature rich. We recommend you stick with high quality ski goggles to get the most out of your day on the mountain. Glasses can be difficult to wear when skiing so if you're looking for an over the glasses (OTG) goggle solution, go with our #2 pick, the Smith IOX goggle. Interchange lenses, high performance, and OTG fitment make this goggle a clear winner. If you want only the best all-around goggle system today, we recommend the Smith IO 7's with quick interchange lenses, triple layer foam for all day comfort, and many choices of advanced lens technology. We also think they beat the competition with helmet compatibility and adjustability. For the newest and sleekest frameless goggle look on the mountain, it's tough to top the Dragon Alliance X2's upgraded from previous models. Huge lenses, tons of color options, and reworked design make them a total winner. Ultimately all of the ski goggles we've chosen have a place on the mountain, and all that's left for you to do is choose a goggle based on your needs and budget.

Best Ski Goggles 2018 was first published on GadgetReviews