#the one [ONE] requirement for me to ship characters is asking myself “would it be funny?” and the answer being yes

[jazz-kity]

seclara forever

[reading-comp-posting]

Have you ever considered using AI tools to assist with writing your responses?

Well no, because I'm doing this blog for fun. I'm enjoying writing out reading comprehension questions for posts, so why would I automate that away?

But let's say that I saw myself as some sort of arbitor of reading comprehension who needs to post as much as possible to enlighten the lowly tumblr masses. Let's say that I'm interested in upping my output of questions by any means necessary.

I opened up chatgpt and input a certain request, which would hopefully make it write questions about the last post I responded to:

Write reading comprehension questions about a Tumblr post, written by a user named "echoeyee," that reads as folows: "my take on shipping aromantic characters is that if you're aro you get to do whatever you want and if you're not you have to write me a three page essay 12 pt font times new roman double spaced explaining in detail why you believe entering a romantic relationship would be an interesting and worthwhile storyline for the character and how you believe their aromanticism would affect the way they experience said relationship"

And it certainly did write a lot of questions about it. Let's go through them, one by one.

1. What is the primary stance expressed by the Tumblr user "echoeyee" regarding shipping aromantic characters?

This one is good. If you look at the set I wrote, my first one is basically the same, just with different words and a less formal tone.

2. According to the post, what conditions must non-aromantic individuals fulfill if they wish to advocate for romantic storylines involving aromantic characters?

Again, this one is good. It's basically my 3rd question but, yet again, more formal.

3. Describe the format and specifications outined for the essay mentioned in the post.

This is the part where the questions get bad. The exact details of the essay are irrelevant, other than the fact that they imply a formal, academic setting.

4. In your own words, explain the user's perspective on the autonomy of aromantic individuals in contrast to non-aromantic individuals when it comes to shipping characters.

This question seems to genuinely be a product of chatgpt pissing on the poor. The purpose of the post (and specifically the essay within) is to ask people who ship aromantic characters without being aromantic themself to consider said character's aromanticism instead of erasing it.

Meanwhile, chatgpt seems to think that the OP thinks that people who aren't aromantic should be forced by law or something to write an essay if they want to ship an aromantic character.

5. How does the Tumblr post reflect the user's views on representation and storytelling in relation to aromantic characters?

I think that this one is a bit too speculative, but it does actually relate to the OP's intended takeaway.

6. Discuss the potential implications of the requirements set forth in the post for writers and creators in the realm of fiction and fanworks.

This one is just a bit confusing. Chatgpt seems to be going off the assumption that OP is issuing a decree as the emperor of the world.

7. Reflect on whether you agree or disagree with the sentiments expressed in the post and provide reasons to support your viewpoint.

This could have been a "discuss with a mutual" question, and I actually did initially write a question like this one, but I ended up removing it.

Aromantiscism is already controversial enough and I fear that a discussion of whether OP's take on shipping aromantic characters is valid could quickly devolve into discussion on whether aromanticism itself is valid.

8. How might the user's approach impact discussions and representations of aromanticism in media and popular culture?

Yet again, chatgpt is taking the essay thing way too literally. Yes, forcing every single writer who isn't aromantic but wants to ship an aromantic character to write an essay about it would most likely lead to a decrease in people erasing their identities, but the essay isn't the point.

9. Consider the broader societal and cultural context in which this post is situated. How might prevailing attitudes towards romantic relationships influence reactions to the user's perspective?

Obviously historical context is important to keep in mind when you're reading/listening to/watching/whatever a text, but this question has almost nothing to do with reading comprehension. You need to understand the post to imagine how people would react, sure, but understanding how people would react to the post doesn't help you understand this post very much.

10. What insights can be gleaned from this post regarding the importance of diverse and inclusive storytelling in media and creative works?

This could be a discuss with a mutual question. The issue is that it's a bit to broad of a topic.

[a-certain-romance]

Face the Consequence pt1

Characters/Ships: Ruan Mei x fem!reader Warnings: Smut written by a minor, Dumbification, scissoring, some fingering,

A/N: We’re almost at 600!! Yipieee!!!

As a longtime scientist working with the Department of Ecology, you were one of the first people to hear about Ruan Mei’s newest involvement with the space station. You didn’t know much about the true reason for why this genius appeared out of the blue. But what you did know is that her actions earned her a small debt.

As a small favor for Herta, Ruan Mei was asked to help deconstruct the makeup of a new plant species that sprouted in the ecology department. You first discovered it when it suddenly sprung up in the one of the department’s hydroponic farms. Neither you or anyone else knows how or why. Its peculiarities and rumored side effects require the project to be kept under the wraps until further notice. With your knowledge and expertise, Herta recommended you to work alongside the esteemed scientist until further notice.

Sure, it was a gamble. This particular member of the genius society wasn’t exactly known for her use of ethical practices. Yet, it was you who was recognized for the task. How could possibly pass it up? It was the perfect opportunity to give your career a leg up above the others and be the first to observe and experiment this new species, maybe even put a name to it.

The two of you spent a lot of time in the labs and it slowly became obvious to you why the is was kept hidden from others. Every time you were around the plant for too long you started to feel dizzy. You’d experience odd symptoms when encountering it for prolonged exposures—nothing life threatening— but concerning nonetheless. Perhaps some of the plant’s properties were allergy inducing?

Ruan Mei always looked fine. Though, there were some peculiarities you noticed as well. She always observed you for a little too long. You could try to understand her habits from a scientific perspective, but sometimes it felt like she was downright undressing you with her eyes. The awkward moments of accidental physical contact didn’t help either. It was obvious there was tension, but you would be the last to address it.

That is until a little accident occurs. An accident created by your own clumsiness. Who would’ve thought that a little swipe of your hand would fill the lab with foreign pollen?

The side effects were instant. You felt dizzy again, but from a different kind of emotion. And judging by the glazed look in Ruan Mei’s eyes, you weren’t the only one.

“Aeons, there we go. Feels so good, doesn’t it?” With your right leg against her shoulder, she rubs her pink, dripping pussy against your own.

“You’re so adorable when you’re all fucked out like this. All because of me” she groans. It only encourages her to double her efforts. The lab echoes with the hurried squelches of your cores sliding against each other.

Like a madwoman, her nails dig sharply into your hips as she rubs feverishly against you. Despite her being the one dominating, her sighs of pleasure overcome her. Her hips stutter from how good you feel against her. “Been wanting to have you for so long. You’re too tempting to just be my lab assistant.”

Ruan Mei grabs your chin, forcing you to meet her eyes. “I’d make you my pet if I could. Steal you away from this station, give you a better purpose by my side.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Being my little plaything. I could have you all to myself.” she rasped. “All to myself, all mine to fuck and destroy. C’mon, let me ruin you..” with loud moans from both of you, you both cum at the same time. She cries out, her grip loosening the slightest bit as she moves off of you.

Before you can move or say anything, she slips her fingers right in. “Ah, you’re a little tight. It’s no matter. I’ll have plenty of time to break in my new toy…”

[avocadorablepirate]

What Do We Call This? - 07

prev || mini masterlist || next

Pairing: Trafalgar Law x fem!reader

Summary: On a quest to find what you've been looking for, you acquire the help of the Straw Hat pirates, who've agreed to let you temporarily join them. There are however many challenges that come along with your temporary recruitment - an alliance with a certain Trafalgar Law being one of them.

Word Count: 1.2K

Warnings: fluff, angst, kinda slow burn, swearing, the occasional OP spoiler, they're both kinda mean to each other in this one

A/N: I don't know whether this series has a great flow, and honestly I don't know how well I've portrayed Law's character, but that's okay cause I'm very happy with how this chapter turned out <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>. I hope you like it too!

—⁠☆✿☆—⁠

Having boarded Law's ship you trail behind him into the submarine, leaving his crew and the Straw Hats on the deck. While you mindlessly followed him, you took note of the stark difference between the Polar Tang and the Thousand Sunny. Although it seemed a lot more cold, the grey metal walls of the submarine also offered a sense of security in their own way, the faint beeping noises oddly comforting.

Shifting your focus from the walls back to the man walking in front, you called out to him when you realised he hadn't noticed you following, or at least hadn't bothered to acknowledge your presence. On hearing his name Law slowly turned to face you.

"So what did you need my assistance with?" you ask, tilting your head in curiosity. From the time you had spent with him, you knew that when it came to planning, Law was always two steps ahead of the rest. So maybe his plan required you to be in Wano, or maybe he required your assistance with something on his submarine.

"You'd only hurt yourself more if you went with Straw Hat-ya to retrieve Black-Leg. It's better for you this way."

Or maybe not.

"Really? So, that whole needing my assistance thing was a lie?" His lack of a response was enough of an answer.

"I can take care of myself Law. I don't need you constantly watching over me like I'm some child," you assert, ready to storm off before your frustration escalates. But before you can retreat, an all too familiar blue aura envelopes you. "Law-" you try to protest to his actions but your words fall on deaf ears.

"Room."

"Shambles."

The room shifts to what looks like the infirmary of the Polar Tang, and you find yourself already seated on the white matress of a surgical bed as Law shuts the door to the room. Before you can inquire about his intentions, he answers your unspoken question.

"You haven't changed your bandages since we left Dressrosa," he remarks, pulling out a gauze wrap from a drawer and positioning himself in front of you.

"I changed them yesterday," you counter, but this only leads him to roll his eyes, "Clearly, you didn't do a good job of it," he chides, gesturing at the gauze that had been haphazardly wrapped around your torso. In your defense, you were in a bit of a hurry. Robin had found some books in Zou that she thought you would like, and you were all too eager to read them (plus, lingering in the infirmary for too long risked someone seeing your wounds)

"They don't need to be changed. I'm fine. It's all healed." You once again try to convince him, but you're met with a stern look this time. "Just because filling yourself up with alcohol and sleeping every chance you get numbs the pain, does not mean you're healed."

You're caught off guard by Law's reply. Though you think to yourself that maybe you should have known that someone like the Surgeon of Death, who knew how your devil fruit worked would notice that your consumption of alcohol and constant need to sleep were clear signs of you trying to distract yourself from the pain. Evidently, you had no memory of what you had said to him a few nights ago.

"Law-" you once again try to protest, but he's already removing the bandages, and you wince as his hand lightly grazes your side. He looks at you confused, your wounds shouldn't hurt just from this, he thinks to himself, and quickly but gently removes the rest of the gauze. His expression changes from one of confusion to frustration as he looks from the fresh blue-black bruises spattered across your torso to you.

"How did this happen?" he asks, and you shift in your seat, biting down on your lip as you contemplate telling him or not.

"How did this happen?" he spits through gritted teeth, and you shift your gaze away from him, at the same time realising that he wouldn't relent until you gave him an explanation.

"Some of the Minks were still injured before we left Zou, and Chopper wasn't around, so I helped them."

You notice his fists clench and unclench in response to your answer, a sign that he was trying to control his emotions. You choose to slowly meet his gaze as he takes a deep breath before letting out a sigh, already anticipating your response to his next question, "Why didn't you call me?"

"You were meeting your crew after so long, I didn't want to bother you."

He tries to remain calm, but your answer only fuels his frustration. His fists clench once again and he bangs them into the table causing you to flinch. Law's hands now enclose you on either side, his head bent down, so that his hat just about covers the way he's clenching his jaw.

"Why are you always finding ways to hurt yourself?" he murmers, his voice barely above a whisper. But he doesn't give you a chance to repond, "Do you care so little about your life?"

"It's just a few bruises," you respond, and this time he meets your gaze, his grey eyes laden with emotion.

"I don't understand," Law pauses, his anger mounting. "Why!? Why do you not care about your own well-being!? Why do you insist on helping people who've never done shit for you!?"

His words strike a nerve, and you scoff. You can only assume that he's referring to the Straw Hats. Your own emotions are starting to get the best of you, and you throw him a glare of your own, "What the fuck do you know!?" you yell back. Law's taken aback by your outburst, but is quick to regain his 'composure'. However, you don't give him time to respond.

"You know absolutely nothing about me Law, and you have no fucking idea what I've been through and what these people have done for me! So stop trying to protect me!" You grab at the gauze wrap and try to push him aside, but he doesn't budge. His hands grip tightly at the white sheets of the surgical bed, but he doesn't say anything.

"Move Law," you command, but his grip only strengthens, his knuckles turning white.

"I know enough about you to know that you knew Cora-san, and that's enough of a reason for me to protect you."

Law's jaw relaxes, but he remains silent and unmoving, reverting to his stoic demeanour as he waits for some sort of reaction from you, or maybe deliberates over what to say next. You're taken by surprise at first, not knowing how to react to his revelation. But the emotions are quick to come back, and your frustration with him that has been unknowingly brewing over the past month refuses to back down from this confrontation.

"Then you know that he wanted both of us to keep living. Yet you were ready to give your life in exchange for bringing down Doflamingo. So, don't fucking come to me about not caring about mine," you retort with more spite than you intend, your words almost like venom to Law. But you're far too infuriated to take them back. With one final shove you manage to push past him.

"(Y/N)-ya," he calls out to you, attempting to sound firm, but the tremble in his voice is unmistakable.

"I think it's best if we keep our distance," you mumble more to yourself as you walk out the door, leaving Law behind.

_______________________________________________

A/N: This was actually supposed to be longer, but I decided not to include the next part cause it would kinda downplay this part and just lose the drama. So y'all are going to have to wait till next week for them to maybe make up :⁠-⁠P.

taglist: @trafalgardaria @deathsmajestysworld

[lemotmo]

This was an interesting ask. Also I never thought of them as maybe being the same person. Do we think they might actually be the same person? Because that kind of makes sense 😳

Q. I know you're not answering anymore B/T questions but I would like your advice or opinion on something. I was/am a Buddie shipper. I will fully admit that I went over to the B/T side of things when they went canon but the closer it gets to the new season the more my Buddie heart is re emerging. But I'm concerned with how I'll be received back in that tag. I made B/T edits and everything so I'm not sure I'm welcome anymore. Should I change my blog name and start over? Just pretend like it never happened and hope no one calls me out? Or make a post about it and then not talk about it again? Genuinely interested in your opinion. Thanks in advance!

A. Hi anon, obviously I can only speak for myself here, but I would say it depends on what your behavior was like this off-season. It was not unexpected that some people would ship the current canon. What was unexpected was how nasty everything became as a result. I'm not going to point fingers one way or the other in this reply. Because we all know where everyone pretty much stands on that issue. If you stayed in your lane, so to speak, and just made your edits and enjoyed the content you saw, I don't think most people will have an issue. However if you were one of the ones going from blog to blog threatening people, calling them names or sending them hate messages, you're going to have a harder time. How you choose to re enter the tag is entirely up to you. If it were me though, I would probably make a post about it just so everyone knew where I stood now. But I'm analytical that way and that does not work for everyone. You're not obligated to defend or explain your taste. If you feel your behavior requires an explanation of some kind then how you choose to explain yourself is entirely up to you.

I will say that you're not the first person to message saying you've decided you really do prefer the other ship. Myself and many other blogs have received lots of similar messages. That was always going to happen. The novelty was always going to wear off. It's part of fandom. People come and people go. It's a ship with very little context. So it's difficult to keep large numbers of people interested. It's why they've resorted to suddenly having insider information from multiple, completely made up, sources. None of these people are real. They're trying to convince people to stay and this was the best they could come up with. I will say the set designer insider was the most amusing. Because basic media knowledge should have figured into their nonsense at least a little bit. You don't build sets for non main cast members (and we already have confirmation that he didn't get promoted to a main). And you certainly don't give the directive of 'masculine with MMA stuff' as your set description( give me a call break). It's utterly nonsensical and ridiculous that anyone would believe any of it. Or that anyone would be that desperate for followers. There are two people, anon, that I can think of who would never be welcome on my blog, and I'm starting to believe they're both actually the same person. If anyone has proof of them really being two different people please feel free to share because I really am starting to think it's all one person. As long as you're not that person/people then I think you can find your way back. It's fandom and at the end of the day fandom is supposed to be fun. Enjoy what you enjoy without insulting others and you will be fine. 😉

Thank you Nonny!

I admit that I hesitated on posting this. I don't want people to come jump at me for posting this ask. But the original asker asked a very interesting question, so here goes nothing...

Listen, fandom is supposed to be fun. It's a happy place where we indulge in our love for fictional characters. It isn't all that serious. I love coming online in the evenings (or quickly in the mornings) to look at some fandom stuff and reblog some things. I love it here and I love 911, but it doesn't consume me.

I wouldn't have time to let it consume me. I'm a single working mom. For me fandom is a nice way to relax. A place to get lost in for a while and then go back to the real world. It's fun.

So yeah, there is no requirement or list of things you need to get through to step inside of a fandom. You just start posting about it.

When 7x04 aired, I never made it a secret that I didn't vibe with Tommy. I posted about it, looking for like-minded people. That's when I got my first hate messages about being homophobic for not liking Tommy or not vibing with BT.

As time went on, I admit that I got angry there for a while for being accused of things that weren't true. I 'stayed in my lane' and, after my initial BT posts where I was critical of their relationship, I stopped using the BT tag or Tommy tag, because it didn't feel right and I wanted to avoid getting hate.

But yeah, I was angry for people getting upset for my opinions on a fictional character. So yeah, I lashed out in a few posts and I'm not proud of that, but I also soon realised that it didn't solve anything. It only created more hate. (That's also why I don't post anything BT fandom related these days, except for this post. But this isn't about hate. This is about answering someone's question.)

There's also the fact that I've been shipping Buddie for years now and yes, I still wanted them together. Finally our moment was there. Buddie was in reach. I don't multi-ship. All respect to you if you can, but I can't do it.

All of this to say that while I am upset and angry with people who accused me and others of doing terrible things, accused me of homophobia and biphobia, dropped really nasty messages in my ask box... I'm not angry or upset with people who actually ship BT in a normal way, like we ship Buddie here on Tumblr. I'm not talking about Twitter here, because that's a very different environment than Tumblr. Tumblr makes it easier to just avoid things you don't want to see.

So ship what you want to ship. I don't care one way or the other. It's all okay. We're all in the same boat. People love what they love. But don't be nasty about it and harass people over it in their asks and comments. That's all. And this goes both ways by the way. No matter which fandom you're in, don't go seeking out people or posts to comment to or to harass. I quite often come across posts I don't agree with from both sides of the fandom, so I just ignore that post and move on. It isn't that difficult.

So yeah, if some fans want to start posting Buddie again, I don't care. Good for you. If you only want to post BT, I still don't care. Good for you! It's all good. It's only fandom.

I do think that the biggest hurdle for the OP will be the blocking. At this point half of the Buddie fandom has blocked a ton of BT fans for various reasons and yeah, half of the BT fandom has blocked a ton of Buddie fans for various reasons. It will be hard to start communicating again if we can't even see each other's posts anymore and can't communicate directly.

That's all I have to say about this. I won't be answering any more asks on this topic, because I really want to focus on the show and Buddie now.

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[anime-owo-kage-san]

*WHEEZE*

I’m sorry I couldn’t stop laughing when reading 1,2 and 4 😂

I don’t venture to these parts of the internet on my account. I just found it by chance.

Little explanation: personal pass times I have is requesting an AI to write a specific fanfic for me to read.

(Not post-worthy fanfics. It’s just cracky shit that I wanted to read for shits and giggles, but I obviously don’t want to write myself or ask irl people to write).

I decided to see how Capitol AI would write a Pomni x Jax fanfic. And, one thing you should know about this website, is that it would site sources where they got information, like the characters, the show, etc. Even fan contents or fanbase wikipedias. So, when I scrolled down to see which sites it got their material from, I found this.

Hate the ship or not, we can all agree:

- the people on this wiki page, doesn’t actually know who the target audience of the show is.

- zoophilia and bestiality is an outdated and dumb argument for fictional characters. (Do people really think kids want to date animals just because they see different species relationships on TV??)

- The age gap argument is getting stale. (Istg, you can’t even ship a 40 year old with a 30 year old without someone out there considering it as pedophilia these days).

This was just supposed to be a shit post, bc this post is ridiculous and pointless. But, in the middle of writing this, I thought it would be a good opportunity to speak out my opinion.

If anyone here wants to hear the other things I have to say, then continue scrolling:

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.

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Can we stop making “puking” posts/slander posts/troll posts just because you don’t like a ship?

Yeah, not every show/story requires romance for it to be good. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t think two characters are cute together. Even if they barely have chemistry, or they’re dynamic is “ToXiC”, or you plainly don’t like it when people change a character’s personality to fit a trope; It’s called FAN content, for a reason.

PLENTY of us are aware that none of the TADC ships are canon. And PLENTY of us are fine with that. Gooseworx has the whole show’s plan in her hands, and no can change her mind on what she can do.

But, we have the HEADcannons and FANarts in ours (emphasis on “head” and “fan”).

We have no control over the show, and that’s fine. Because, we don’t want to change anything in the already perfect show. We just want to come up with silly ideas and silly scenarios. And no one deserves to be slandered or be policed for that.

[vladdyissues]

It's so cute that you uploaded some puffy, you're so kind 😭💞

But I have a question, why did they even block his account? How does Tumblr block an account? He didn't upload anything bad [?]

To the best of my knowledge—and I say this because I did not see every single one of Puffy's posts—Puffy did everything that Tumblr requires when it comes to posting "mature" artwork. She tagged her posts, used Community Labels, cropped and/or censored thumbnails, and made use of the "Read More" option. She was bolder than me when it came to posting certain art styles and speaking unabashedly, but that's a difference in personality. Puffy is a free spirit, incredibly witty, and absolutely hilarious. I'm old and crotchety and try to avoid drama if I can help it—not to say that Puffy in any way invited or deserved termination. She did not.

But she was no match for a targeted mass-reporting campaign. And, unfortunately, there's no way to know just how many people were involved or how much harassment she's been receiving since she joined Tumblr. I know there were at least three asks, likely more, and one rude comment left on one of her artworks early on.

But Tumblr has a poor track record when it comes to making decisions and meting out justice. They don't typically perform thorough investigations, they panic when they see certain words, and they're also prone to outrageous hypocrisy—like the fact that gifs of graphic, live-action porn somehow still manage to survive on this site after 10 years and a purge that cost the company a billion dollars in value, and how they claim to be "the queerest place on the internet" while simultaneously alienating and fostering a hostile environment for the queer artists who are largely responsible for Tumblr's success. Porn and spam bots run amok, but the blogs of marginalized people and artists are first on the chopping block.

I myself have had blogs deleted for lesser reasons. A couple years ago I created a "ship week" event blog, which was deleted simply because at one point in the TV show, one of the characters in the ship was a minor. The blog posted G-rated prompts. It was text-based with completely worksafe header graphics. It didn't endorse any age ranges, but left that up to the discrimination of the participants. The participants complied with Tumblr's TOS if they posted 18+ content, cropping images, using Community Labels and such. Everything adhered strictly to Tumblr's guidelines.

But I was the target for a lot of hatred from the rest of the fandom. They hated my guts because I shipped "the wrong ship"—because it was a gay ship, because it upset the canon heterosexual ship that one of the characters was in, because I wasn't sniveling in fear whenever they sent me hateful asks, because I refused to be bullied or shamed. They went after us because we were a tiny group of fans, easy to target and eradicate. Disgusting behavior, really.

I tried to appeal the deletion, but I never heard back from Tumblr. Fine. I moved the event to another platform (and it looked much better there, too), and that was that.

In short, Tumblr would rather delete a hundred innocent blogs out of fear of offending their ad sponsors rather than 1) investigate the claims made against the blog, or 2) give the blog owner a chance to delete the offending content.

One final thing:

Last month, around 17 June 2024, several Pompep fans on Tumblr received anywhere between 1-3 anonymous asks telling us to kill ourselves or "get raped".

Over cartoon characters.

It's a sad state of things when there's more sympathy, respect and agency given to drawings of fictional lines than living, breathing people.

[michaeldemiurgossociety]

Welcome to Secret Sword 3: Sword Hard with a Vengeance!!!

It's the third annual secret santa/gift exchange for the MDAS/Michael Demiurgos Appreciation Society.

Please see this year's rules below:

First the Dates: Sign-ups from 11/7/2024 - 12/8/2024

Assignments Sent on 12/12/2024

Assignments Due on 1/12/2025

Works Posted on 1/20/2025

Big Reveal of the Secrets on 1/27/2025

**

Second, the sign up form:

Third, rules:

*This is a Michael-centric gift exchange, as a result we are going to encourage mainly having Michael as the primary character or focus in fic, art, videos...etc.

*However, we will also ask if people as one of their sign-up questions would prefer any gift that either crosses over or might involve Tom Ellis in another role like Godcat in Exploding Kittens or Oliver Knight in Tell Me Lies. If we have two people with requests and willingness to do something that's TE-related from other projects, then we will consider doing that as a pairing option as well. It depends on if we have two people who match up in that way, but you are allowed to give a Tom Ellis in another media project answer to that specific question as a prompt, yes***

*This is an all ship zone. The only exceptions are for ships that might be seen as promoting inappropriate adult/underage relationships or bestiality. Everything else goes. If you don't like it, don't request it or add comments to it when works are revealed.

*The sign up list will ask everyone what their squicks/triggers are. If you have them, please list them. This helps us to appropriately make sure you're paired doing work for someone who matches you and also so you don't have to make something that makes you feel uncomfortable.

*The exchange has two hosts, myself (Legendarytobes) and Dtaina. You need to save our email when we reach out to you with assignments and be open with if stuff comes up. We don't mind, we just want to have enough time to let possible pinch hitters know.

*Similarly, please reach out to me or to Dtaina if you need more clarification of your giftee's prompts. We can always be intermediaries and ask the giftee for more specifications if that will help you create better as the Creator.

*Yes, if your giftee requests something with AU or crossovers you can do that. If they don't specifically request a crossover or AU michael idea, then you need to try and honor their prompt/request as closely as possible.

*Also, honor ratings requests of your giftee. If they want something to stay PG, then please do that. We will try as hosts to pair people who have similar heat level requests together as well.

*You will provide three prompts. The gifter who makes your gift only has to fulfill one of the three. They can do more but one out of the three prompts fulfilled is all that is required.

*Please feel free to spread this all over the internet and social media. We love to have new people participate too. Even if you've never made a fanwork, you can feel free to start now!

*In case you feel overwhelmed by being a new participant---and we love new people---but a story only has to be 500 words minimum and a vid only has to be 60 seconds and art only has to be one drawing/image. And, yes, we'll also take poems if that's your kind of fanwork.

*If you want to use AI to create images like from Bing AI Art, that is allowed. We do not want, however, fanfics created with ChatGPT at this time.

So, if you're on the fence about trying it, this is a great way to try creating in fandom too.

We really look forward to having old and new artists/writers/vidders joining us this year

Finally, please keep in mind:

*This is a very golden rule place. If you can't say something nice about a work, then just don't say anything and respect all types of Michael appreciation.

[skywalking-through-life]

what ship do you hate most?

LOL, oh my anonymous friend, I wondered if anyone was going to ask me this. I'm going to try to answer without opening a can of worms about my opinions that I don't know if I'm brave enough to crack open, but we'll see where this goes. This answer - even more than usual - is probably going to be long.

Okay.

I don't hate any ships.

I know that some folks may not believe me, but I genuinely, 100%, I do not. And will not!

Are there ships I don't understand, or don't find appealing, or find disturbing? Yes, very much so! I personally am usually squicked out by ships that are incestuous, ships between an adult and a child, ships where there is a clear and dangerous lack of consent, and ships that are shipped because the person doing the shipping wants to 'punish' or bash one of the characters, so they ship them with whoever will give them the worst time. I have very little patience for stories where the people in the ships cheat on or betray one another in some way as a feature of the relationship, and tend to roll my eyes when I see people use them to vent their feelings about other people's ships. I don't like ships that feel one-dimensional, and I don't tend to like ships absent passion.

But while all of that might annoy or baffle me, dislike of certain pairings or tropes isn't hate, and is small potatoes compared to what I see as a MUCH larger issue.

And that - what I DO hate - isn't any particular ship, but the culture of extreme, sometimes violent, often thoughtless and self-centered emotionalism that (unfortunately) has always been a part of shipping. Ship wars, pro vs anti ship discourse, and the idea that our feelings about the fictional characters we love and hate should somehow translate to how we - REAL HUMAN BEINGS - treat each other; all of this worries me deeply because in this I see the REAL evils of the REAL world bleeding into fictional ones. Hate is a powerful emotion, and to see it applied to real people because of fictional interests? I abhor that - and all it has historically led to - in my very soul.

Whenever I hear about people getting death threats in their inbox for liking/not liking/not having the correct opinions about a ship, whether 'problematic' or otherwise, I genuinely feel sick to my stomach. I understand loving something so much you want to defend it against any perceived attack; I understand thinking something is so evil that it needs to be spoken up against. But I do not, and never have, understood how and why so many folks apply that deep seated anger to FICTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. Our world is a beautiful and terrible place, and is so wide and complex - wider than the margins of any book, or the frames of any film. Surely we can better spend our passions out there, on the thousands of issues that deserve our attention, our care, and our hearts, rather than in here, on each other, over things that do NOT matter at the end of all things?

And so the end - the ultimate, the core - of this issue for me is this: hating a ship, or participating in ship discourse of some kind, would require me to let fictional worlds have access to my anger, no, to my real, roaring RAGE; to the messy parts of myself and my complicated relationship to the real world that I come into fictional worlds to write myself free of. And I just don't believe there is a place for that kind of vitriol in spaces that are, for me, meant to be joyful and liberative.

[monbons]

Ten Questions for Writers

Thank you @artsyunderstudy, @roomwithanopenfire, @emeryhall, and @run-for-chamo-miles for the tags! I am a wee baby, so I wasn't sure I should answer. But I've loved all the asks going around (the Top 5 fics posts were great and my TBR is so long now!), so I figured why not?

How many works do you have on AO3? 3

What’s your total AO3 word count? 53,184 (I posted my first fic ever for EGF just this past February, so I guess that's good?)

What fandoms do you write for? Carry On always and forever

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! As everyone has already stated, responding to comments is how you build community. If I hadn't gone back and forth in comments, I would never have found the Discord or made so many amazing fandom friends. BUT ALSO! I had no idea how AMAZING comments were when all I did was binge fic and kudos. Then, I posted Kill Em With Kindness, got overwhelmingly nice responses, and now I make a point of ALWAYS replying and--more importantly---commenting on fics written by others. (This is a blanket apology to all the lovely writers whose fics I read and did not comment on before. But hopefully I've gushed at you since then in my responses to YOUR comments on my fics, or in person, or on tumblr, or on Discord...I hope to someday go back and comment on a re-read to make up for it!)

Have you ever had a fic stolen? No?

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Also no, but I'd love to! My first three fics were 100% me. With "Baz in a Bubble," I've bounced ideas around with anyone who will listen, including outlining help from @hushed-chorus and plot brainstorming with @thewholelemon and @talentpiper11. Since it is a full AU not based on an existing work, the drafting has moved MUCH SLOWER than my previous three fics combined and figuring out "what's next" has been harder, so collaboration has significantly helped! The story went from one where Simon was more of a plot mechanism for Baz's growth to having a fully developed Simon with his own subplot and meaningful relationships that complement the SnowBaz of it all. That wouldn't have happened without collaboration, so I imagine co-writing is an even better experience---especially because I second guess every word I write. I'm sure having a partner would help with that!

What’s your all-time favorite ship? SnowBaz owns my soul

What are your writing strengths? I've been told my dialogue and pacing are good. Maybe also writing sweet moments? Literally the #1 word people use to describe my plots/characters in comments is "adorable." Not sure how to feel about that one... In any case, I am still so new I am only just developing strengths.

What are your writing weaknesses? I want to be able to write with a punch, if that makes sense? I think there are so many gifted writers in this fandom who have such a beautiful way with words that they can create a whole moment in a single four word sentence. I am verbose, which waters down a moment and makes me feel like my stories are narration heavy. I also have trouble describing things precisely with new or different words so I am not constantly repeating myself. Precision of language and an extensive vocabulary are sort of required to pack a linguistic punch. Finally, smut. Love to read it, physically hurts to write it. (I blame the residual Catholic guilt...) But I am committed to learning so my next EGF is not described as "adorable."

First fandom you wrote for? Carry On. Why write anything else?

Not sure who else may have already done this, but here are some no pressure tags: @hushed-chorus, @bookish-bogwitch, @thewholelemon, @cutestkilla,

@shrekgogurt, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

[neverenoughmarauders]

Ohh, I thought you were only here for canon! But you like prongsfoot and lilypad (which I have to say has the most amazing ship name but I'd never heard of it until now).

I mean I am primarily a canon fan, and no one can ever truly make me dislike canon.

E.g. even I am not super sold on how Tonks and Remus happened just because it all happened off the page - to me it's clear from the interaction in the hospital wing that Remus IS in love with Tonks, but doesn't want to - and in the absence of Sirius and James to knock some sense into him, the others do it. And guess what, I find it fun to fill in the blanks. One day I want to write a Remadora story with my amazing Tonks and my sweet, dear Remus! But am I surprised people hate the ship? No, and I could write a long essay about it.

What I like about canon is that few relationships are perfect and rather than either re-writing the characters, the ship or anything else, it gives us so much room to explore the existing dynamics and characters. What makes two people work? Very often it will be a combination of background, personalities and circumstances - had the circumstances been different, then a canon ship might not have happened. That's also true of real life.

There are plenty of worlds in which Ron and Hermione don't work, but after everything they've been through, it makes sense to me that they get together - and stay together.

Having said that, I absolutely enjoy exploring ships that don't happen in canon - and that's not limited to Prongsfoot and Jilypad. I would even truly be fascinated by Wolfstar, if it wasn't constantly treated like canon (and the ADHD part of my brain likes variance, and Wolfstar is everywhere...).

Personally I prefer ships to consist of the people we see in canon (ie they keep their canon characterisations), and that the stories include the messiness that most of the canon counterparts have. E.g. what makes private, people-pleaser and conflict-shy Remus fall in love with the rebellious and sometimes cruel Sirius - and what makes someone like Sirius, who is constantly seeking thrilling adventures with James, pause and see Remus? This fanfic author does a fantastic job of exploring how that could work in their writing. I too tried once to explore this in a wolfstar one shot.

At one point I considered writing an unrequited Jegulus one shot XD I am stubbornly trying to ask myself how, if at all, can various characters be shipped. And as far as I can be confident in characters I didn't write, James would never fall for someone like Regulus, but we don't actually know enough to conclusively say Regulus couldn't fall for James (and hate himself for it).

Back to your main point: the reason why I truly adore Jilypad and Prongsfoot, however, is because they require little work/alteration by nature to work. I am not saying you cannot make wolfstar work with the canon characterisations - I've been proven wrong here - but Sirius who's entire character seem to evolve around James and then Jily - well, it's not difficult to take that one step further. I am also older than I was when I first got into the series - way older - and there is something increasingly appealing by best friends to lovers, and relationships with an equal power dynamic.

And this needs to end with a link to my favourite Jilypad fic: Hopelessness.

[bonesart]

My pieces for Dimension Disability, a zine I organized for this year’s @d20zinejam

Imagine the respite of being able to sigh in relief and not be charged for the breath. To weep with joy and know that your tears cost you nothing.

When Elaine Lee created the world of Starstruck she asked us to imagine a world where humanity has achieved faster than light spaceflight space travel, invented cybernetic consciousness, and found sapient alien species, but is still ruled by a crypto-fascist hyper-capitalist corporate plutocracy. It’s really not all that hard to imagine really.

For people like me, who live with disabilities in a nation that neglects to give us free healthcare, or even universal insurance, Gunnie’s opening vignette rang a little too true. We know what it’s like to hate our bodies for how costly they are, to be haunted by the debts they accrue.

I’m not paraplegic, and I’m fortunate enough to have been raised in a household that never went uninsured. But I find myself resonating with Gunnie far more than any other disabled D20 character. He is emblematic of many of the truisms of the Disability Rights Movement: Anyone can become disabled at any time, and it is one of the only minority identities that you can gain at any point in your life. One second Gunnie was able bodied, one second he was not. His life was forever changed by an accident. None of us are immune from these catastrophes.

But he also lives in a world of medical miracles. If it weren’t for the cost of his cybernetic body, if it weren’t for the systems that imposed his debts upon him, would we still consider him disabled? Personally, yes. I think a life that requires accommodation is a disabled life. But I also recognize that the medical model of disability is flawed. There are many social forces that disable Gunnie, that disable me. If the two of us didn’t live in capitalist hell worlds, we’d be able to do many things we currently are not. Not to mention the culpability of capitalism in creating dangerous situations that lead to naive navigators being ejected into space without protective gear, or medical systems that leave chronic pain undiagnosed and untreated for over a decade (eh-hem). Gunnie’s story tells us that disability rights won’t be achieved until we shrug off the repressive systems that demand that profits come before people. But it also tells us that we need to be willing and able to care for each other and accommodate many needs even after we ritually sacrifice the execs of Eli Lilly to the Night Yorb, condemn Bezos to a life of sharing a bunk bed with Bazathrax and the Jersey Devil, and nail Elon Musk to a giant metal X before demolishing it with a classic Operation Slippery Puppet.

And Gunnie’s story tells me one more thing. There is joy to be found in a disabled life. Maria Town, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, once said, “Everyone will become disabled if they are lucky enough…Disability is not necessarily a sign of weakness or a sign of a lack of competence. It is instead a sign of survival and resilience and strength.” There are things Gunnie only does because of his experiences with disability, only because he lives in a disabled body. He counts cards, he ejects his torso from his legs in a wild gambit to get to the ship in time, he longs to free the universe of debt. I think if nothing else, my disabilities have given me determination - to fight invisible oppression, to advocate for my disabled siblings, to make it another day because fuck you migraine, fuck you OCD, you aren’t my mom- and compassion - to love everyone even, the people with minds I don’t understand, to find community with those very different from me, to help where I can.

This has been a long rambling rant (maybe my roommates’ suspicions I have AuDHD and not just the ‘tism have merit), but I hope to leave readers with the inspiration to persevere and to research and fight for disability rights. In the United States, a growing fascist movement seeks to rob us of our rights and it is suspected that the Americans with Disabilities Act is the next target. Non-Americans should also be wary of increasing encroachment of capitalism into your medical system. We all deserve an All Debts Cleared moment. Fight the good fight; the ball is not rolling up, WE ARE THE BALL!

[ID: A digital painting of Gunnie, shown from the shoulders up in profile. He is a bald, Black man with a gold and bronze cybernetic body, and a gold and bronze ring around his forehead. He is smiling, covering his mouth with one hand in disbelief, and crying out of his visible eye. A screen on his neck reads "c-0" in small green analog text. Behind him is a star-scape of indigo and magenta. Above his head, a blue panel bordered by green reads "All Debts Cleared" in green, analog, capitalized text.]

[shaunashipman]

I don’t mean this in a rude way cause everyone can have their own opinions and I’m honestly probably going to block you cause I want peace in my life I’m just honestly curious in what world do Buddie shippers only care about Buck and Eddie fucking?? Cause for one thing if that’s all they cared about they could just move on from Eddie because buck has another “hot” guy to be with?? Which I’ve seen a lot of not most bummy shippers do. Like Tommy has next to no character and on top of that if he was a girl he would be getting so so so much hate for showing up without a costume to the bachelor party. I just want an example of Buddie shippers only caring about them fucking cause as someone who’s been here for years a lot of buddie shippers actually care about the relationship. Hell my favorite moments are when they’re just soft with each other and helping each other when they need the other one. I think about them holding hands and their tattoos lining up more then I do them having sex. So I’m lost and I don’t get why your hating when you can just enjoy your ship while they last

ok look, you may not even see this if you've already blocked me and honestly I hope you have, curate your space. but I also know people who send these types of asks like to wait around obsessively for a response

I get that you think that because you've used nice words that this isn't a batshit thing to send to someone, but it is

• "i don't mean this in a rude way" proceeds to word vomit rudeness in my inbox

• "I'm honestly probably going to block you" why have you not already?

• "cause I want peace in my life" we don't know each other. I have directed nothing at anyone except the general collective of BoBs. if you feel someone having an opinion on the internet is not letting you have peace, that's something you need to work out yourself, possibly with a therapist

• "in what world do buddie shippers only care about buck and eddie fucking?" I literally had to scroll my blog to even figure out what this was about, and the answer is hyperbole. often used for dramatic and emphatic affect, to make a point

• "I just want an example of..." why? why do you require an example from someone you say you're going to block in order to justify their opinion? why are you entitled to go into their inbox and demand it?

• "I don't get why...you can't just enjoy your ship while it lasts" why can't you just enjoy your ship being fanon?

I understand fandom rots our brains, it does it to all of us, myself included, I've posted things I probably shouldn't have and wouldn't have if I had taken a step back first. but it is not normal to go into someone's inbox like this, demanding justification for opinions and making out like I have been somehow personally attacking you

now, please do block me if you haven't already, cause I'm not gonna shut up and I'm not gonna explain myself to someone who comes to condescend in my inbox and obliquely accuse me

[mazzystar24]

I’m respectfully about to lose my mind at some of the fandom rn with the way buddie shippers are being treated… It’s like no one understands the whole point of shipping a couple is to want them to be together, so duh if something happens that could potentially lead to that pairing they’re going to get excited and theorize? Yes it’s absolutely important for Buck to explore his sexuality outside of buddie but the way people are trying to say that buddie shippers are homophobic for wanting endgame buddie….. when buddie is literally a queer ship? it doesn’t make any sense to me as a queer person myself because it’s like- y’all do realize that buck dating eddie would in fact mean that he is still bisexual, and that people have wanted thst for years, so A) why are we shocked and appalled at buddie shippers for being happy that they are one step closer to endgame buddie, B) why are we calling people homophobic or biphobic when they are quite literally shipping two men together, C) why are we all acting as if buddie endgame hasn’t been simmering just under the surface for YEARS and that if they were going to give us buddie, then thag means buck and eddie would both have to come oit as queer…

I’ve seen so many prominent blogs in the community who have made posts like “buck’s bisexuality has nothing to do with buddie and you are a horrible human for even insinuating that” and so many people are agreeing??? And not to mention the fact that now these same people are trying to villainize and trash on Eddie when in all honesty Buck’s behavior in 7x04 was NOT okay- physically harming someone because they’re not giving you attention is never okay (and i’m saying this as someone whi ADORES Buck, he still needs to be held accountable.)

It just reads very icky to me that so many people are screaming “bi pride” but then spewing all of this vitriol over a ship that would fit within Buck’s bisexuality…

It worries me that the writers are going to see this negativity from people and they’re going to just completely back-burner Eddie’s character in favor of Buck and it disappoints me because even outside of buddie, a major tv show portraying a repressed gay poc with religious and family trauma would be EQUALLY as powerful as Bi Buck is……

but i guess that’s just people only caring about the queer storylines when it’s about a white man since these are also the people acting like Hen and Karen or Michael and David haven’t been there the whole time

but that’s just me i guess….

I’m bullet pointing not to be curt by the way just because I prefer addressing part by part🫶

1. Agreed like this fandom was relatively peaceful then BAM it fully shifted overnight like in the words of Taylor swift THIS IS WHY WE CANT HAVE NICE THINGS

2. Yesss exactly like I’m very much a dont yuck someone else’s yum type of person so like even ships I don’t like I’ll be like okay respect 🫡 enjoy your fandom space love that for you AS LONG AS THEYRE RESPECTFUL TOO and I’m not gonna lie to you I see the primary source of negativity and stuff in the fandom be people who legit never watched anything other than the bucktommy related content (which I kinda have a whole other rant about but I don’t wanna give you miles and miles to read in one ask)

3. Yes to that 100% - buddie is a queer ship the cognitive dissonance it takes to call someone homophobic for shipping them is honestly fascinating atp, Buck is bi canonically now and y’all do realise that who he’s with or if he’s single even doesn’t take away from that right??? Like the rep is THERE and will always be THERE

4. You worded it a bit weird but I got what you meant (I hope) so anyone who didn’t may require a little clarification, the sentiment of bucks bisexuality being separate from buddie I think is 1000% correct and I agree wholeheartedly that a persons sexuality and their journey shouldn’t be just about their love interests but about themselves as a person, the issue people are taking is that 1. The people saying this are saying it on every buddie post even when the same blogs posting it have 177283 posts talking about buck as an individual and as a bisexual man outside of buddie and bucktommy, so it’s sort of become a weaponised statement if that makes sense 2. The buddie shippers are the ones who have been advocating so hard for the show to give us canon bi buck like that’s just fact no one can deny so to the og fans who’ve been here for YEARS (I’ve only started like 2023 ish so I’m not counting myself there) this must be such a total slap in the face to be receiving so much hate now

5. Oh yeah the Eddie bashers can personally come fight me

6. If I’m 100% honest I choose to interpret the basketball injury as being mostly accidental like I think he got too into it and forgot himself and his own force for a second rather than intentionally hurt Eddie, like it so happens in sports, I think it’s like just the after guilt that made him question himself and his motives, idk that may just be me denying canon because it just felt too out of character for me to believe

7. I think the fake bi pride stuff also irks me BAD like some of these people are looking for very surface level superficial representation and if you don’t push for more and more substantial and meaningful representation then you’re gonna get constant variations of the same exact thing and these are also the same people ignoring every other queer character in 911 which is just🙃

8. Idk how much the writers take fandom into account but I constantly say like if they were to listen to fandom they’d go the route they know people wanted for years

9. YES about Eddie’s character like I made a whole post about gay and comphet Eddie and how meaningful it would be because it’s just so so unique and unprecedented

10.HAHSKDK THE CROSSED OUT PART IS WHAT I JUST SAID BUT I DIDNT READ IT GAJSKDKFM

[lbfad-minibang]

REVERSE BANG FAQ (2024)

What is a Reverse Mini Bang?

The Love Between Fairy and Devil/Cang Lan Jue Reverse Mini Bang is a fandom event for writers and artists, with the goal of creating collaborative work based on and inspired by the hit 2022 Chinese Drama, Love Between Fairy and Devil.

Participating artists will submit a piece of art, which will be posted anonymously. Authors will choose from the art which they would like to create for and will write a fanfiction of at least 5,000 words. Once we reach the deadline, all fic writers and artists will 'reveal' their work, resulting in a 'bang' of LBFaD fan content.

PLEASE DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED IN THIS POST TO OUR ASK BOX. Alternately, you can contact @harocat at any of my linked social media accounts (twitter, tumblr, or discord).

How Does it Work?

Once signups open, artists will have one month to complete a sketch of what they would like to see created. It is up to you how specific this sketch is. It can allude to a very generalized premise (i.e. a ship cuddling) or it can be more focused (i.e. a mermaid AU).

This ONLY NEEDS TO BE A SKETCH. And once you have teamed up with your writer, if you decide to change something about the original sketch in your collaboration, that is fine. Artists can complete as many pieces as you want once you're matched up with your author, but we ask that you only submit one sketch.

Before the sketches are submitted, you must keep the contents of your art secret. This is because we want the artist/author selection process to remain anonymous. Once an author is assigned to your work, both artist and author may freely discuss their works in progress on social media, discord, etc.

A month into the event, sketches are received and posted publicly for artists to see. Authors then go through and pick the TOP THREE pieces they would like to write for most. We will do our best to get writers the pieces they prioritize highest, but it's very important they select three, because unfortunately giving everyone their number one pick is likely impossible.

A week before the posting date begins, authors must submit a draft showing that at least two thousand words have been written.

Writers and artists will be allowed to tell us pairings, squicks, triggers, tropes, ratings, characters, etc that they refuse to draw and write for, and they can also inform us if there are any participants they are not comfortable working with (we will publish a list of all participants before this date).

Once the posting period begins, participants may post their works at any time throughout it. Collaborating art and fic should be posted at the same time, so you will need to work this out with your partner. You can, but are not required to embed your art in the fic. If it makes you more comfortable, you are welcome to post the art separately and link it in the fic (and the artist must link your fic in the art post). Or you can do both!

All of these will of course be reblogged to @lbfad-minibag.

Who is in charge here?

Mod Haro (she/her, cis lesbian, millennial): This is my second time running this bang. I've run several large fandom projects before. Previous events moderated include @cdrama-action, @yuuriweek and @yuurizine, as well as endless events from before tumblr was a thing. I got into LBFaD in January 2023. It was only my second Chinese Drama after The Untamed, but now I've become extremely addicted to them.

tumbr: @harocat

twitter: harocats

discord: harocat

At this point in time I am moderating this by myself, as I don't anticipate it being too large for me to handle, but on the off chance it does, I will add a second mod.

FAQ:

What can I write and draw?

Whatever you want as long as its Love Between Fairy and Devil. There is no rating restriction (but you must be CLEAR about the rating when submitting your pieces, and participants under eighteen cannot write or draw for mature fics). Alternate Universe is acceptable, as is crossover as long as the focus is primarily on the LBFaD cast.

Please note that while you can bring elements of novel canon into your story if they help enrich it, this is first and foremost for the drama and as such fics and art should be based on it.

Finished fics must be posted on AO3. If you do not have an AO3 account and need one, let me know. Finished fics will also be added to a LBFaD mini-bang collection.

Why secrecy?

To keep things fair, so writers and artists get an equally fair shot.

Can anyone participate?

Yes, absolutely. Just sign up.

What happens if there are more writers than artists or vice versa?

In this admittedly likely scenario, there will be a section of the artist signup form that asks if you are willing to complete art for more than one fanfiction and vice versa for authors. If you are, please select 'yes' and let us know (tentatively, this does not have to be set in stone) how many you think you can do. It is perfectly fine if you can only do one.

There will also be a section for if you are willing to 'pinch hit' i.e. complete a piece of art or fic if someone drops.

Can I do something that isn't art? Cosplay, gifs, graphics, or fanvids?

Yes you can! However, there will be a section on the form for writers for if they'd prefer only art, or they'd be willing to collaborate on another medium. Please do sign up though!

Can I sign up as both author and artist?

Yes. Definitely. Just fill out both forms.

CONTENT GUIDELINES:

Racism, sexism, transphobia, misogyny, and any other forms of bigotry are unacceptable. This does not mean your story has to be entirely free of these things (i.e. a story where a character has to deal with misogyny in the workplace would be fine), but it cannot promote it.

ALL work must have sensitive content labeled. This includes the standard A03 labels (Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage), as well as anything else you may deem necessary. Please do not just label something 'dead dove, do not eat.' You must explain what the dead dove is. All pairings present must also be labeled.

As mentioned earlier, mature content is welcome, but participants under eighteen cannot write or draw for it.

PROCESS:

Writers and artists both sign up. Artists begin creating their sketches.

Artists submit sketches. Writers select their top three favorites, and they are assigned a piece to write for. They are given the contact information for their artist. The collaboration begins.

It is required that at least ONE of you have a tumblr account, so the completed works can be posted to this blog. Both of you do not need one. You do not have to join the official discord, but it is recommended. If you do not, there must be an easy way for author and artist to communicate (i.e. tumblr DMs, twitter DMs, or via email).

Once the deadline comes around, you are free to post your fics and art! If your story is a chapter fic, you do not have to post it all in one go, but it MUST be entirely posted by the time the posting period has ended. I.E. our posting period is two weeks, so if you have a four chapter fic, all four chapters have to be posted by the time that is over.

CHECK-INS:

There will be two check-ins.

First check-in is one month in, when you submit your sketch and acknowledge to us that you have contacted or been contacted by your writer.

Second check-in is one week before the due date. At this time we will ask to see at least two thousand words of writing. It is okay if it is in 'draft' stage and not polished or beta read. For artists, we will ask to see a preliminary sketch. This CAN be rough.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

As noted, please do not discuss your bang on social media until you have been assigned an artist.

You will be asked to provide at least two forms of contact in your signup form.

PLEASE join our discord. The link will be included in the signup post. I cannot ask for this enough, because it will make it so much easier for us to do check-ins and for you to collaborate with your partner. There will also be channels where you can brainstorm with your fellow creatives.

SCHEDULE:

September 8, 2024: Signups for both artists and authors open.

September 22, 2024: Signups for both artists and authors close.

October 20, 2024: Sketches are due, and writers begin selecting.

October 27, 2024: All writers must have selected their top three sketches by now.

October 30, 2024: Writer assignments go out.

November 10, 2024: Check-in to make sure all artist and author teams have contacted each other.

December 29, 2023: FINAL CHECK-IN. Artists must at least have a sketch, and authors must at least have a 2K draft.

January 5, 2025: POSTING BEGINS

January 19, 2025: POSTING ENDS

As we anticipate this event to be fairly small, we are not stringent on time zones. It just needs to be the relevant date somewhere in the world.

OH YEAH, ANYTHING ELSE?

Let's get even more participants than we did the first time around

[andreal831]

Didn’t know you liked bonenzo too! Bonnie fans are intimidating so I don’t want to ask them but I don’t get why Bonnie fans ignore Enzo

Bonenzo is one of my top favorite ships. It helps that Bonnie is my favorite character in TVD and I just love Michael Malarkey.

I really can't speak for anyone other than myself, but I can say that I do think Bonenzo is often overlooked in the fandom, by both Bonnie stans and everyone else.

A big part of this is likely because we don't actually get to see a lot of their development. It all happens in a time jump and then we just get random flashbacks. I always viewed this as another slight from the writers. We get more scenes from side relationships like Mary Louise and Nora than we did from Bonnie and Enzo. I'm not saying we should have less, and I even liked Bonnie and Nora. But Bonnie deserved a more fleshed out relationship. I still love them, just wish it was more.

I also think people get upset that Bonnie wasn't paired with a "main" cast member. But I actually prefer it that way. Bonnie was far too good for any of the men in TVDU. They needed to bring in an outside person for her because she truly needs to leave Mystic Falls behind and create her own life for herself.

Essentially, people just prefer other ships over Bonenzo. I think the most common ships for Bonnie are pairing her with Klaus, Damon, or Kai. And, don't come at me, but I hate all of these ships. Each one of these men have hurt her and used her. They are also all incredibly toxic. Sure, Enzo was at a point, but he changed before they began dating. Bonnie deserves a person who fixed themselves first, not someone who requires her to hold them together. I've also said it before but I don't like any cross-over ships between New Orleans and Mystic Falls. There is too much bad blood and it just always feels unnecessary to me. The Mikaelsons served their purpose in MF and left. Bonnie going to New Orleans would just get her pulled into more drama where people would be relying on her to clean up their mess. Although, I would love to see Bonnie meet the NOLA witches. They could all learn so much from each other and it would just be incredibly powerful. I would just love a scene of Freya, Vincent, Davina, and Bonnie casting some epic spell.

All of that to say, Bonnie stans view Bonnie as a main character (as they should) and want her to have as powerful of a ship as like Delena or Steroline. I personally think Bonenzo is, but because he is more of a side character, some people disagree and want more for her.

I also think people in this fandom just really love the toxic ships so when there is a ship that is just happy and healthy, they think it's boring. But again, I can't speak for everyone. These are just some observations I've had.

Let me know what you think. Also, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!

Thanks for the ask!