#the plan is to reply to the things currently in my drafts + reblog new prompts to get some fresh stuff

[demidritch]

pokes my head in like it hasn't been forever heyyy guess who...

[ms-demeanor]

Sometimes college professors like to hop on my posts lamenting the sorry state of syllabi these days and joke about how they haven't thought that far ahead in the course themselves, or talk about how they struggle to complete a schedule for their students.

With all due respect, that's your job. If you can't do your job, you should have a different job. If you need help, ask your colleagues or your department chair or *someone* because I know that professors aren't given a hell of a lot of education on how to educate, so you probably *need* help.

But every single time I make one of those posts I get anywhere from ten to thirty messages, replies, reblogs, and asks say "oh man, that's exactly why I had to drop out of school; I couldn't keep up with the assignments because I didn't know when they were due until the week they were due."

I have been a college student in three separate decades, and "not having a schedule of assignments in the syllabus" is new to my experience. That shit didn't fly in the 2000s or 2010s and I think it likely has to do with professors being overly reliant on apps.

AT A MINIMUM your syllabus should have:

Contact information (including preferred method of contact) for the professor

Office Hours

Grading Policy

Assignment schedule.

Your assignment schedule doesn't necessarily need to have the exact page numbers of every reading or a full assignment sheet for each project, but it should have things like:

December 1st - Major Project 3 second draft due December 9th - Quiz 10 December 12th - Major Project 3 final draft due December 15th - Final Exam

If you end up presenting a more thorough schedule with readings and homework later, that is acceptable to present a week or two into the semester but it is absolutely insane to me that students these days don't know what homework they're going to have to get done over Thanksgiving break during the first couple weeks of class.

If I had three professors at once who didn't give me a schedule, how on earth would I know if I was going to have to read three chapters of a novel, take a midterm and turn in two stats homework assignments, and complete a history research paper the same week that I'm planning to travel to see family? If I'm aware of this from the beginning of the semester I can make sure not to pick up extra shifts, or I can plan to leave a day later to accommodate the midterm, or I can start working on the paper early to complete it before the due date but if I don't know what's going to be due when, I'm going to have a big problem.

If you don't give your students a schedule you are communicating that you don't care about their schedule, and that you think it's their responsibility to contort their life (and their job, and their other classes) around your class, and honestly my advice to students in that situation is "drop in the first week and pick up another class". That's actually part of why I recommend signing up for one more class than you can really manage - if you get a professor whose class looks like it's going to be a disaster because they don't have a schedule, you can bail before the withdrawal period and get a refund for the class.

I'm only in one class this semester but the professor's response has fully dropped me into "Fuck it, I guess I'll fail" mode and I don't even know if I can pull myself out of my current D grade because I don't know how many assignments we have left in the semester.

This is a shitty way to run a class. If you can't do better than this, you shouldn't be running a class.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Why Writing Is So Lonely | Rin T.

Hello writers, and anyone else who uses Tumblr on a daily basis like me. (Although I’ve been inactive off and on.) It’s me, Rin, and I wanted to talk about something that I think a lot of us struggle with. Or at least anyone, and everyone who considers themselves writers.

The loneliness that can come with the writing life and being a writer. We spend so much of our time alone. It doesn’t matter if you're using your laptop or scribbling in notebooks. Or pacing around in your living room and muttering dialogue to yourself (which I'm completely guilty of.)

Writing is really a solitary passion, and it hasn't just recently been like that. I'm sure Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe dealt with similar feelings. And sometimes that isolation can take a real toll that many of us choose to ignore, both on our creativity, our passion, which I assume is writing in this case, and our mental health.

I’ve been writing for about 4 years now, mostly working on my own little passion projects that I plan on publishing and side hustles, not only for my writing project but also my blog (TheWrite AdviceForWriters). I’m currently knee-deep in 4 different novel drafts that I’m absolutely in love with. However, let me tell you. It can get Very lonely a lot of times. There are days when I feel like I’m the only person in the world who cares about these made-up characters and their fictional problems. The characters I create in my mind are so vivid that they seem like the only individuals who actually care about my passion. (They technically are, considering they are basically my passion.)

It’s so easy to start wondering whether anyone will ever want to read the stories I'm pouring my heart into. The self-doubt I get has been a big part of my writing journey, and sometimes it breaks my heart knowing that I may not please everyone who reads my stories. That I possibly could get the worst reviews out there on my book. If it's not perfect for society. For example, I have been reading and receiving news on Alex Aster and the amount of bad reviews she received for her LightLark novel, and she has had a few times where she’s stated she poured her heart into it. And it's not just Aster who deals with these as a published author; there are many others, and it sometimes scares me.

But you know what? I've come to realize that this loneliness is just part of the writer’s journey. And that it truly is going to be the process of every writer’s journey and career. It’s going to be one of the prominent challenges we have to face if we want to do this crazy, wonderful, painful thing we call writing. And I think it's important we talk about it, especially since I'm a blogger who owns a blog specifically for writers. The biggest reason I chose to create this blog was for this reason and the many other challenges of being a writer. 

I definitely will consider this blog post to be a discussion, and if anyone wants to reblog or reply to this blog post and start a conversation, please do so, just so we can support each other and figure out healthy ways to cope.

So, why is writing such a lonely pursit? Well, there are quite a few reasons, especially reasons for each individual writer; however, here are a few key reasons:

The Act Itself is Solitary.

At the end of the day, writing is something we have to do on our own. Sure, we can brainstorm with other writers and friends who write or get feedback from beta readers. Or even develop  and edit your manuscript with a professional book editor. But the actual act of putting words on the page is a solo endeavor. We’re the ones doing the typing, the (physical) writing, and the constant racking of our brains to find the perfect word or phrase to put down on paper or the blank page on a screen.

Even when we’re writing collaboratively, there’s still a certain level of isolation involved. I mean, after all, our individual writing process and creative visions have to align for the collaboration to work.

And let’s be real—aligning those things isn't always easy.

I’ve reached out to book editors, more so of developmental editors, which is an editor who guides the writer/author on the actual plot and outline of the novel itself. And they have mentioned the difficulties of needing to align with the creativity of the topic or novel. It isn't easy at all.

I know that for me, my most productive writing sessions happen when I'm alone. And I know for a fact I'm not alone on that.

Having no distractions when it's just me, my thoughts, and the blinking cursor on the screen with a Spotify playlist playing in the background. And while that can be deeply fulfilling and very productive, I will admit it can be incredibly lonely.

It's an Emotionally Draining Process.

Writing isn't just about stringing words together. It's about pouring our hearts and souls onto the page. Were digging into our deepest emotions, our biggest fear, our wildest dreams, our thoughts, our philosophy, I can go on. And that kind of vulnerability can be utterly exhausting.

When I'm in the process of drafting a new novel or the many current projects I'm working on. I often find myself emotionally drained at the end of the day. I've been living and breathing these characters, feeling their joys and pains as my own. describing the actions, words, and emotions these characters do and feel. And then after that, I have to close my laptop, put my pen and notebook away, and try to reenter the “real world"—a world that doesn’t always understand the weight I've been carrying. 

It can be so isolating, feeling like the only person who understands the emotional journey of your writing. Knowing what it feels like to create characters and their stories and emotions and personalities just as if they were real humans. Our non-writer friends and family members try their best to be supportive, but unless they experience it firsthand, they cannot fully grasp the depth of what we go through. I can tell when I explain my projects to others who aren't writers, it can sometimes feel like they don't care about what I'm saying to them. Or it can also feel like, my stories are just a synopsis for an underrated movie no one’s ever watched.

It's a Profession of Rejection

I think we all know, writing is a tough gig. It's a tough career and job. Even the most successful authors have had to face their fair share of rejection. The rejections can be received from agents, publishers, readers, or critics. (like I mentioned earlier), and that constant stream of “no’s” can really chip away at our confidence and sense of self-worth. And especially if you're an aspiring author and have not yet published your work. Knowing that rejection is a big part of the career of writing is frightening. Really.

I remember when one of my best friends, who is a writer, who is currently in the process of publishing her book, would send query after query only to receive endless rejections. She told me it felt like the entire world was telling her, “Your writing isn't good enough,” and that can be a pretty lonely and demoralizing place to be. It has made me anxious about getting to the querying phase, as I still haven't begun to query yet.

Even when we start to find some success, the fear of rejection never really goes away. Will readers love our next book as much as the last one? Will readers even like my debut novel? Will the critics tear it apart? I know when I first started writing my first novel project. I rewrote the first chapter. 13 times!! And that’s because of all the questions and doubts I had in mind. It’s enough to make any writer want to crawl into a hole and never come out.

And the thing is, as writers, we often don't have the same support system that people in other professions might have. We don't have coworkers to commiserate with or a boss to reassure us; it’s just us. Our doubts and the eerie silence of an empty inbox. For example, Ana Neu, one of my all-time favorite Author-Tuber's, has dealt with similar struggles. She’s mentioned several times how lonely she feels and how her family doesn't fully understand her love and passion for writing. And I completely agree with her. If you want to listen to more of her, please listen to her podcast and watch her videos on YouTube here.

So, now that I went over the key reasons as to why writing is so lonely, I didn't want to end this post on negativity, that’s why I wanted to list the main strategies that have helped me:

Build a Writer’s Community

One of the best ways to combat the isolation of writing is to surround yourself with other writers. That’s why I found social media to be a gift, not just for the other obvious reasons, but because we get to find writers around the world who enjoy the same things we like. Having that sense of community can be a game changer.

When I first started my Tumblr blog, TheWriteAdviceForWriters, I was really hoping to create that kind of supportive space for writers. I wanted to create a space where anyone who enjoys writing—not just fiction writers, but anyone who finds writing to be a passion of theirs—can share their dreams and struggles with. It's been amazing to connect with so many incredible people who just “get” the unique challenges we face. Being able to share our achievements and share our compassions. It's been vital for my own mental health as a writer, and I hope that it can also be vital for all of you.

And of course, the community is not about venting or seeking validation from others; its about providing feedback, encouragement, and just being able to make friends. Having that makes the lonely parts of the writing process and journey feel a little less lonely.

Prioritize Self-care

It's so easy to get caught up in the work and neglect our well-being. There have been multiple times where I wouldn't take a break from my writing sessions and simply not eat and drink. I wouldn't give myself time to process everything I wrote, and I immediately after would criticize it.

However, I find that self-care is the most important part of combating the isolation that comes with being a writer. For me, that looks like making sure I get enough sleep. You can't process, learn, and remember anything when you don't have enough sleep. During my personal self-care, when I do 45-to 1-hour writing sessions, I usually take a short nap after. Eating nourishing meals and snacks is important, as is making time for the hobbies and activities that bring me joy. I usually like reading books, spending quality time with my family members, and very feisty (and sometimes scary) cat.

3. Cultivate Gratitude

When loneliness starts to creep in, it can be really helpful to shift our mindset and focus on what we are grateful for; this can be really productive and rewarding. Being a writer is a gift; we get to spend our days doing what we love, bringing our creative visions to life and sharing them with people who love literature. Readers are such a big part of being a writer, and they're huge motivations to me.

So, if you can, just take a moment to appreciate the joys of writing. For example, if you have any writing quirks, I personally have to wear bracelets on both of my wrists in order to produce some type of creativity when I write. I'm not sure why it's just something I noticed. I also really love writing my manuscripts physically. I tend to do this when I'm suffering from writer's block, and for some reason my writing style is a lot better.

And don't forget the many other joys of writing, like drafting, and the excitement of sharing your work with others. Having a new idea come to mind that fits perfectly in your plot. Or even a reader or beta reader sharing a comment on your work and giving you encouragement.

Also, please celebrate your wins; it makes writing all too fun, and it's a great way to integrate writing into the real world.

End Note

I wanted to write this post because I know a lot of us deal with feeling lonely; I’ve been feeling that way for quite some time, and I wanted to share it with Tumblr. I feel like each and every one of you all feel the same way. And that’s why I created my Tumblr community; that's the reason I created this blog, and that's the reason I strive to build this into an entire brand.

I want to bring more awareness to writers, we are the people behind the stories, movies, and media that we consume today, and we barely get any credit for our work. I want to make a brand where others who never thought writing to be their passion could actually for once consider “Is writing for me?”

I feel like it's such an underrated yet overrated passion. Yet it's not acknowledged as much. 

I hope this post can make you understand that writing is 90% lonely and you are not crazy for thinking so. But, we can use the resources we have today, like social media, to change that and make writing better for the present and the future. 

Thank you all for reading. And please, if you are considering joining a community if you haven't already, please join The Write Right Society. We recently met 100 members, and the community is continuing to grow.

[magpiesmemes]

|| Magpie's Tumblr RP guide ||

So it's been a while since I made one of these but with the shut down of omegle, more people are joining the site to rp, I figured I'd explain some of the basics.

Now none of these are necessary, you can just do as you do but these are some of the 'norms' here on tumblr currently. They may change and evolve over time, they've done so countless times in my time on tumblr but here's this for now for those who might find it useful!! Please feel free to offer feedback on this, I struggle with giving instructions so I've tried to make it as clear as possible but my brain isn't the best with this kind of thing. I will correct anything that needs correcting and add things as time goes on, so please do check back if you request an explanation/addition to something as I will try to add it asap.

Last updated: 29/11/23

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BASICS

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Basic Etiquette

Don't reblog roleplays that aren't yours, often this will mess up peoples thread trackers and it's a nightmare.

Rather than reblog asks to continue them as roleplays, make a new post and link the ask in that post. This avoids blog clutter for both parties.

ALWAYS read peoples rules and about pages. No exceptions.

No one is obliged to write their character purely as they are in canon. Canon divergence, au, or just additional headcanons for canon characters is very common. Do not make issue with someone just because their writing for a character doesn't fit with how you see them. It's their character, just don't write with them if you don't like how they write them. Simple as that.

Don't godmod. This means don't take control of a persons character unless otherwise instructed by the other writer, do not assume attacks immediately hit/injure/kill their character without prior planning for such a thing. You can write the attack, just don't assume it lands. This also applies to your character being aware of things - just because YOU know something, doesn't mean your character does.

Mun does not equal muse. Many people play villains because they're fun, don't assume that these people share the viewpoints of such characters just because they're writing them. The RPC would be painfully boring without some villain muses to stir the pot!!

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xkit rewritten

The absolute saviour of tumblr rp when you're on pc, unfortunately I don't believe it's available on the phone app but it's super useful for pc users. For chrome you can find it in the chrome extensions, I'm sure it's available similarly for other browsers. The functions on xkit that specifically benefit rp are: clean feed (for blacklisting any content you don't want to see), mutual checker, tag tracking+ and trim reblogs. Any others are entirely up to your discretion whether you want to use them or not. To use 'trim reblogs' the post must be in your drafts or posted, then you can use the little scissor tool at the bottom of the post to snip off older replies and avoid posts becoming excessively long.

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Settings

So if you're like me and want a chronological timeline for those you follow? Here's how to do that. Go into account settings. Not the blog settings to edit how that looks, you want the settings that has your account info, dashboard preferences, ect. Click 'Dashboard', which should be on the right hand side menu on your screen if you're using pc. Optional: Enable 'Show timestamps' so you can see how old posts are. I find this useful as it ensures I'm not responding to something that is 5 years old lmfao. Scroll down and turn off 'Best stuff first'. This should make your 'Following' tab chronological, ensuring you see whenever people you follow are posting.

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Blog Design

Try to make sure you have a header and an icon for your blog, you can set those using the 'blog settings' tab. Even if there's no picture of your character themselves, try to use an image that captures their vibe - this advice is for both the icon and the header tbh. While not having one isn't bad, it will make people less likely to follow back or perhaps even block you! Often iconless/headerless blogs are spam bots and everyone loathes those.

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Meanings of words commonly used by RP accounts:

Mutuals - Your mutuals or 'moots' are those following you that you follow back. Private - This means that the blog only interacts with Mutuals. Selective/semi-selective - Won't roleplay with everyone, they'll rp with people based on their own preference. Thread - A single rp storyline. Verses - Different timelines of characters. Eg. Kidverse, fantasyverse, ect. Mun/Mundane - You! The writer of the blog! Muse/Muses - Character/s you're writing. Faceclaim - The 'actor' of your muse, whether canon or otherwise. Who do you imagine playing them when writing or whose icons would you use for them.

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Tagging

When writing with someone it's a good idea to put their username in the tags at the very least, this allows them to find your threads easier. ie: '#magpiesmemes' would be used by others if they were to write with this blog.

Making tags for individual threads is also useful, meaning you can find specific rps far quicker. They don't have to be fancy but some people do like to make fancy ones. A nice simple one would be 'Thread: Threadname'.

Also having tags for specific verses is a good idea, indicating to your rp partner what timeline they're writing it. Something like '#kidverse' will do the job but you also can make those fancy.

Having a tag for rp memes you've reposted is a good idea also, meaning it's easier to find if someone wants to send you something. '#memes' does the job just fine.

Lastly, if you're a multimuse then having character tags is a good idea, indicating to people what character they're writing with. Something like '#charactername' is fine but again, any tag can be fancied up to your likings.

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Pinned Post

Having a pinned post at the top of your blog has become fairly standard practice in the rp scene these days. Usually this has your important links on it (rules/muse pages) and some explanation of what kind of blog yours is. For example: 'This is a Private, selective blog for charactername from fandom/an oc. Written by mun. [Ruleslink] - [Muselink]' This would work as a simple rudimentary introduction for people checking out your blog. You can pin a post by selecting the three dots in the top right on it after it is posted, ensuring it's the first thing people see when looking at your blog. This is mine, for example but it needn't be so indepth. I just have zero chill. If you're writing on a sideblog then it's best to also have a pinned post on your main account with a link leading to your roleplay account. That way people will know that you're a roleplayer looking to write if you follow them - and also they may follow the link to check out your stuff!

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Making Rules/Muse pages

These are important to indicate to people what you will or won't write, your personal writing preferences, ect. Many people won't rp with people who don't have these as it means they can't be sure of boundaries. People often use a post to do this, linking it in their pinned post to ensure people can find it. [Tutorial on how to link posts here]. That's the simplest way. You can also make a google doc or even make a carrd instead, linking them for people to refer to for this information. Alternatively you can use your pinned post and simply list it there - though there is risk of it cluttering your page if you have many muses. To avoid that, you can use a 'read more' such as the one this post was under. Make a new paragraph and various options come up, you want the one that looks like two straight lines with a squiggly line between them. [This icon].

Things to have on your rule page:

- Things you won't roleplay/triggers. - What is your stance on shipping (do you autoship with people who rp your muses partner or do you prefer chemistry first, ect.) - Writing length preference. Do you prefer short simple threads, paragraphs or more novella style? - Do you use icons? Do you prefer your partner would use/not use icons? Same questions with text formatting. - Tagging requests. Are there things you want to avoid on your dash using xkit's blacklist?

Things to have on your muse/about page:

- Basic description of who your character is, it's best to write it as if you're explaining them to someone who hasn't seen what they're from - even if they're a popular canon character. - If they're an oc with a universe of their own, a basic explanation of that universe would be useful but isn't really necessary if you can't/don't want to. - A picture reference of some kind is also useful, if possible. - A description of the verses you write them in. For example: 'Kidverse - This verse is set when my character is aged whatever and this is a short description of what they're like in that particular verse.'

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Advertising Your Blog

One of the many ways people advertise their blogs is by posting self promos. These are usually edited images with a little blog tagline, links to important pages and a short description of your blog. Here's an example of my own. Including tags of the fandoms you write in/write with is a good way to try and draw attention your way. Alternatively, if you're limited in your image making/editing skills you can make a simple post, perhaps with an icon or gif to draw attention. Explain your blog, what you write, who you're looking to write with, ect. Make sure to include tags so people can see it!

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More To Do?

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Okay, so you've got the basics down, now what? Well, there's a lot you can do to make your blog more functional and/or appealing.

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Thread Tracking

So you've got a roleplay but you're scared you'll forget to reply? I recommend RPThreadTracker. There's a how-to use it on the site faq and it's a lifesaver in keeping track of your threads tbh.

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Icons

Though not necessary, you can find icons to use usually by searching the 'charactername icons' or 'faceclaim icons' right here on tumblr, be sure to follow peoples instructions for using them though. Some people will want a like/reblog for their use.

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Formatting

Many people, like myself, use some form of text formatting when writing. Some of the usual ones are small text, like the one I'm writing in now. That's done either by using 'ctrl+shift+-', 'ctrl+-' or you can use this:

while highlighting text. This tool also allows you to colour your text, italicise, ect. Play around with it in your own time to see what works for you. Some other useful keyboard shortcuts:

'Ctrl+b' - Bolds highlighted selection 'Ctrl+i' - Italicises highlighted selection 'Ctrl+z' - Undo, good for if you've accidentally erased text you didn't mean to erase.

[asksoldieron]

SO-16: And Here's the Action!!

If there's a lot of engagement on this, this post is liable to get real long, beware before you expand.

No art, and I'm pissed because I had a really cool idea for this one. Erik is playing with guns and guns are cool! I have played with some guns (in a controlled environment, don't get nervous) and I can confirm that they are very cool. Not cool enough for me to spend money spraying more lead indiscriminately around the environment, but if forty feral hogs habitually showed up on my lawn, I'd have me some fun. Well, I'll edit the art in later, at some point, hopefully.

*ahem*

Welcome to the Engagement Lounge, for The Chatterbox Massacre (SO-16) an instalment! Short comments can go in the replies, but there's a 475 character limit. Longer ones will need a reblog. Remember to @asksoldieron if you're reblogging someone else's reblog, so I can see it too!

😭Waaaaaah I wanted to draw St. George-in-Erik firing guns with magic but I just CAN'T yet! I mean, non-zero chance I'll screw up my first couple illustrations when I can draw again, so I probably shouldn't draw that one first anyway, but I wanna see it. Damn.

IRL, I'm not fond of violence as a solution, but as a writer I appreciate the expedience. BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG! Okay, and now we have a whole bunch of NEW problems. I suppose that's not really a solution at all, but it's still gonna look cool when you imagine it. That's how come they say it's not possible to make an anti-war movie. You script it and make it part of a narrative and put some good actors and effects in it, and it just looks cool. Can't help it, gotta roll with it.

On the other hand, while Erik certainly doesn't deserve to die for being who he is, you can see why the cops prefer to kill immies on sight. Look what they can do! But, on the third hand, look at what Maggie can do. Nobody's going to unload on her for being magical unless she does something and they see it.

Poor Maggie made a little error and punched Mordecai when she really didn't need to, but if you've been reading you may suspect who (or what) put their finger on the scale, and who helped her shrug off David's little god trick. But to tell you the truth, it's like that because I forgot how magic works when I wrote the first draft. I needed her to punch him in the face! Fortunately, their unseen observer needed her to punch him too. We'll get to that when they get home again.

I was surprised by how little time it took to actually kill everyone. (Ha-ha, there's another one of those things I can only say because I'm a writer.) I was worried it needed to be more epic. The spouse advised me that that's just how it is when only one guy has a working gun in a street fight. It's over. People are dead and that's forever. On to the next thing. Bleh. I don't like the idea of it, but it rings true enough.

John is... not doing well, is he? I'd been planning this scene for years but that caught me off guard. I didn't realize what the situation would look like to him until I got him back inside and George handed him a gun. Well, let's see, Erik's family are right there to help him and he knows that, and he's holding an object that will get him out of the way so Erik can go home. Uh, yeah, why wouldn't he? (Currently writing the next 6 and I've almost got him out of Prokovia, and the plot, for the time being. Jenny will put him back together and Rob will forgive him, but Billie might not...)

Next instalment goes up on Erik's birthday, and mine! It's not birthday-themed or anything, but after all this nonsense his family do finally have enough information to get him home. They just have to put it together!

[Back to site?]

[starmahgalaxies]

Addendum for my main blog as I am not going to write all that again and feel no need to copy and paste it. Some things about how I will run this blog specifically.

All of the above is true. Only logging in on weekends, ways of contact outside posts themselves (replies, reblogs, etc), closed off.

This blog may seem more active but that's because of the queue. *dramatic stinger* My drafts currently sit at over 70 as of time writing this, mostly reblogs I need to add tags of appreciation or whatever else too. Then they get added to the queue over the next week even if I don't login for the next several days.

I am not planning on changing this process. The rate of posts that I finish lining up to queue may change, and how quickly I post weekly depends on how many I get done. If I spend less time exploring tumblr during the week (the main thing I want to cut back on), the number will eventually dwindle. Again though, currently I have over 70 drafts. Only dedicating time to tagging them during the weekend it could be a few weeks until it dries up, without considering at least a few will be added within the time.

Art is very slow for me in general, but if I do ever finish stuff they will be added on a finished basis. No idea when/if that will be.

The same with Magi shipping gifsets or original fandom posts not dedicated to the beautiful blog above. My non-shipping Magi content will still go there.

Not the smartest decision but my new project for rewatching Digimon reactions will be worked during the weekend and scheduled to post during the week. Honestly I'll probably finish it within a month but will be paced over the next few at least. This will be mostly not to clog the tags as much as not coming on to work on them often. tag: aly's digimon rewatch adventure. Starting 2/24/25. Most likely.

That's basically it for this blog. May seem more active based on how I queue things but I won't respond or see any sort of activity during the week because I won't be logging in.

Woo, another nothing update post, lol.

I wrote this out and it became too long and unwieldy. So, this is my second attempt to try and summarize it XD. A while ago I posted an hiatus for the summer 2023 and this is about the same vibes but different at the same time. Before it was because moving and tumblr being addicting. This time is because tumblr is getting too addicting again but also I simply need a fuller wholesale break from social media. Here is the gist of it:

World has gone to shit. My security net is only my family. I need to form a better IRL and local community to have something more to fall back on if needed. Needed or not it will be nice either way.

If I cannot manage that before I can move (yay more moving >:( ) to a less conservative area then at least get my head in a better mental state. I'm not in a bad place, but I'm not in a good place either. If something doesn't go right this year then I can easily see things getting worse quickly.

tumblr is it's same addictive self I bemoaned before. The problem before was getting too caught up on the dopamine rush of seeing notes and working on things taking up too much of my free time. This time it's trying to put myself in a good mood and staying on until I find something that puts me in a better mood. If I don't I just waste over an hour and am in a worse mood at the failure. Not tumblr's fault, it is where my headspace is at currently though.

This is how I am planning to work through this hiatus. Tumblr is good for me in small doses. I may have to rip off the Band-Aid and not come on at all if this does not work out.

Give myself weekends only to whatever I want to work on or browse at the time. For this blog, work on drafts and analysis that have sat in there for months (a couple I think for over a year, eek). Post them when they are ready.

This is what I try to do already, but it is hard. I need to commit more so I am thinking limiting to my computer only and giving myself a timer. I only tried mobile for a grand total of a day or two before knowing that constantly in my face was a bad thing.

Asks have been off here for a while. They will remain such, and I will turn off most other ways to reach out. Replying to my posts and everything on the post side will be the same. I won't be able to consistently respond, so everything else is off.

It's very easy that there won't be a noticeable difference at first since I have been slow on posting here (maybe every few weeks), yet I have no idea if I will disappear online and if that will be best for me. Maybe I will have new gifs done if inspiration really hits me, but after the about half dozen posts I have drafted are done I do not see me coming up with more for a while. I have thoughts on Magi, I always do, but concentrating on them has been difficult for my favorite show </3.

This will be until late summer, maybe early fall. That is a long time. I hope I can manage it because social media (so for me, tumblr) has become a time sink and mood regulator. I adore you all, but I can do better for myself until I can properly manage my tumblr time again.

To everyone, take care of yourselves. You are amazing.

Now, I need to go touch grass /affectionate

[bonefall]

sorry I;m new and it's a lot to catch up on but can you briefly explain your better call mapleshade au?

Sure thing! As long as you don't mind that I'm gonna hijack your ask to answer a few other meta things at the same time! @katiek101 Rounding up your replies over here.

Btw never be afraid to just ask me questions about stuff, I need to update my Masterpost because I haven't added to it in a couple weeks but I'm always willing to just link people to stuff when asked!

What is the Better Call Mapleshade AU?

I summarized it in this reblog, which also contains @nightly-ruse design for BCM Mapleshade!

"Mapleshade is able to get into StarClan through a very slim ruling out of sympathy for the loss of her kits. She’s a prosecutor/defense attorney motivated by her own desire to be highly revered, playing as a literal “devil’s advocate“ against the awful choices we see StarClan make in canon.

In contrast to StarClan being the ‘council of well-meaning angels‘ who cause bad outcomes, Mapleshade is a self-concerned demon who makes good ones. Because of that, she looks somewhat out of place. An opposer for StarClan, a devil for a good cause.

The AU was born out of some joking with “Snowbird Anon” (hence the name #Better Call Mapleshade AU) and then evolved into an actual premise because my followers are literally the coolest"

It is separate from the #Bonefall Rewrite, but was inspired by aspects of it, namely a trial scene that is going to happen in Darkstar's Commandment.

though to be fair, I am considering just absorbing it into the rewrite. but for now they are still two separate, but related concepts

Do you plan to write/publish any aspects of the Bonefall Rewrite? Where would it be posted if so?

I WISH. Unfortunately I'm chronically unable to finish anything and only motivated by talking directly to people (I actually write first drafts of college essays in discord DMs). In a perfect world I would love to make full multi-chapter fics of the Super Edition rewrites such as Darkstar's Commandment and Firestar's Quietus, though.

Maybe one day, if I can speak to a psychiatrist! **laughs in undiagnosed neurodivergence**.

SO for now, everything is notes! Notes notes notes and rough drafts. The things I AM able to finish. If I ever wrote out anything, I would upload it to AO3. I promise I would make a post if that ever happens.

THE CURRENT NOTES I'M EDITING: Darkstar's Commandment, a follow-up story to Mapleshade's Vengeance, following Darkstar as she establishes the law about protecting kittens.

Blackstar, Russetfur, Rowanclaw

I powered through all of the "History Has Its Eyes On You" series in like 3 days between bus rides! I really like the take on them being a complicated couple (I keep thinking of that line, "their nests were as close as could be without being close at all") and my favorite story was the one where Russetfur went to bury Smokepaw.

Things are really different in my take, though! I see Blackstar as exclusively MLM and Russetfur is his WLW bestie. If Russet has children, they'll be honor dammed and raised by someone else.

I think you will quite like what I'm planning for Russetfur's death. It's a moment of deep pain for Blackstar that makes him relapse into some old, bad habits, leaving him wide open for Sol's influence.

Blackstar's sister Fernshade is going to have surviving children with Wolfstep (Ivytail is one of them, who eventually has Gullswoop), and I'm considering giving Flintfang a kitten or two as well. So there won't be a need for Blackstar to have kids anyway, besides, I like the idea that he's sort of Ivytail's embarrassing uncle, in a ShadowClan way where he's super intimidating to other clans.

And so Rowanclaw won't be part of that family... he is a son of Brokenstar. Same litter as Littlecloud, from Newtspeck. He will be bonding heavily with Tawnypelt over a shared experience of inheriting something VERY heavy.

Firestar's Quest with Brokenstar Details

The good deets are in this ask over here, but I really need to sit down and make a draft of it sometime soon. I'm held up on Darkstar's Commandment first, lmao

In a nutshell, Brokenstar was actually a nature spirit the whole time, the ghost of the 5th tree at Fourtrees. After the exile, the oak tree was blighted, fell over, and cracked on the highstone. It broke in the shape of Broken's tail; an omen of the curse that would befall them, revenge for the greatest sin of the clans.

This is (Brokenstar's Cataclysm)

After his death, he reconnects to these memories. In order for his restless spirit to finally be given peace, SkyClan must be resurrected. Runningnose enlists Firestar to help because he's such a little goody-goody two shoes and could never let an ancient wrong go unrighted. Hilarity ensues.

This is (Firestar's Quietus)

[thesaltminesrph]

PSA: Be Upfront

Communication is important in RP.

Now, to preface, I am not going to use the really awful phrase "it's a hobby not a jobby" because this is a really sketch take on what is important to people. You can have a hobby mean a lot to you, be you a collector, a gardener, someone that builds model airplanes, a writer, an artist, etc. Those are all hobbies, and the fruits of your labor are NOT only valuable to you and others if you are paid for them. This saying implies that should you never be a published author, never have a painting sell, never do something that can be sold or have a time clock punched, it doesn’t at all matter. It’s a really discouraging thing to be telling people, quite honestly. I have multiple hobbies outside of RP. Kind of really sucks to see constantly they don’t matter because nobody pays me for what I do. I know I’m not the only one who has said this, but the majority aren’t willing to say it amongst the clamoring of ‘rp isn’t a job’ because then you get people jumping down your throat. Hear me out though! I’m not done.

“BUT I HAVE REAL LIFE!”

Yes! So do we all! We all have problems, and things to take care of. The RPC is littered with people with mental illness, neurodivergence, chronic physical illness (I hit all three categories multiple times, LUCKY ME!). Do not, I repeat, do not ever feel like you need to put RP before: bills, marriage/children/other relationships, your health. Literally, do not have your takeaway from this post be these are secondary to your hobby. They are not. Do not get evicted because you were too busy doing RP at your desk at work, that’s just plain dumb af.

You owe people decency means:

-if you can only do aesthetic posts this week because you are low on writing spoons, that’s fine

-if you had work/health/mother-in-law take over you life this week and you literally didn’t have time to log-in even though you wanted to, that’s fine

-if you are sick in bed and can’t bother to write, that’s fine

What it also means:

-dropping what was supposedly a years long ooc friendship because the other mun isn’t dropping their current muse for you and following you into a different fandom ‘because they’re now boring’ and telling them as much in a message...is shitty behavior.

-daily reblogging multiple memes that people are sending in to you, your wire, your discord, ignoring both those and messages to plot, then whining on the dash that no one wants to write with you (also known as trying to guilt trip interaction, obviously you only wanted it from one specific person not the people actively engaging you)...is shitty behavior.

-claiming you’re open for plots and memes, then only replying to the one or two people consistently for 6 months...is shitty behavior.

Again, in case it wasn’t clear- it’s your blog, it’s your life, it’s your health. That’s not in question.

HOWEVER- be upfront and give people some honesty! What do I mean by that?

If it’s feasible, post that you need a writing break, even if it’s going to be indefinite. Take as many fucking breaks as you need to for your physical and mental health to be the best they can be (I’m not going to say great, as I know what it’s like to just have a ‘good’ health day mean ‘it’s less shit than it could be’).

But if the situation is really you only want to write with these one or two people, just say so! It’s your blog, you’re allowed to decide you’re closed for plots, asks, etc. Just don’t lead people on. Don’t say something and mean something else. Don’t keep reblogging your promo and really you don’t want to write,  and you don’t plan on taking on new mutuals, and don’t plan on replying to dms or threads from anyone else.

I’ll repeat it a little differently to be sure it’s clear- you dictate your activity level and number of mutuals, when you answer asks, threads, etc. This should be at a level that is suited for you and your life, health, etc.

BUT when you engage in RP you are involving someone else’s free time with yours, and it is not fair to them to act like they do not matter. You have involved someone else. Until you disengage from them, be courteous.

I’ll give you an example. When you ask for that starter on both your dash, then DMs, and act super hyped, getting the other mun excited for it, and then they put the time and effort into writing it up and posting it for you, expecting a reply? Only for you to go and make new blogs and immediately ditch that muse without a heads-up? That’s not really fair to the other mun. You communicated you wanted to write this, you hyped them up, they spent their time and writing spoons on your starter...and then you told them other people were more exciting and a better use of your time.

“BUT I DIDN’T TELL THEM THAT!”

Okay, so you didn’t message them ‘Hey loser, your starter sucked, your muse is boring, and honestly, a different fandom is better! Bye!’ But your actions sure give that impression, and unless you communicate otherwise, it’s a shitty move.

Now yes, sometimes you genuinely forget a starter was written because you thought it was drafted and it wasn’t, dumblr is an ass and loses your draft and then you forgot it, something came up that day and bumped it from your mind, etc. NONE OF THESE ARE WHAT I AM REFERRING TO. I have ADHD, object permanence is the thing my brain does where often unless it’s directly in front of my face, it doesn’t exist, until I find it again. I’m aware these things happen, as are most muns, and we don’t mind! Hell, we usually have in our rules “hey if it’s been a hot minute and we haven’t replied to this, feel free to give us a little nudge to see if it’s been lost” because we all know between brains and dumblr’s everlasting fuckery...shit gets lost.

I’m talking about those times where you just up and leave someone hanging without communication. I’m also not saying it might even be on purpose. What I’m saying is you should consider how other muns feel when you do this, and if you cannot avoid it, at least communicate with them.

“Hey, I’m just no longer going to be writing this muse. Sorry I had you write that starter. Do you want to try something with this new one? This is where my brain is at right now.” “Hey I really can’t be online this month thanks to fill-in-the-blank but I do still want to write when I am able.” “Hey, I see you sent in that ask. I’m only interested in this one ship, and I won’t be taking on new threads, but you’re welcome to follow and maybe I’ll take on new threads later. I’m just writing with these two people right now.”

Communication is something that is a requirement in a collaborative hobby.

I know it can be scary. I know the mentality ‘well they reblogged that meme but it’s not for me, I know they said they want to plot but they don’t mean me’, but you really have to get past that when you roleplay to be fair to other people.

Spoiler alert: the examples of shitty behavior further above are what help feed this ‘that post/meme isn’t for me’ mentality, when you do those things you’re fostering people’s anxiety and rejection sensitivity...just saying.

If someone gets mad at you for communicating with them, they’re a shitty person and block them. Literally if someone has a problem with you for trying to start something, especially as mutuals, you’re losing nothing by not writing with them. Find nicer people. So don’t  be afraid to communicate you can’t write currently, you need a break, you’re only writing with these certain people. And don’t be afraid to send in the meme. I promise you, the right people appreciate courteous communication. The ones that don’t...

Again, no one is saying put your life on hold for RP, you’re never allowed to narrow your scope, you’re supposed to always have writing spoons, you need to produce five replies a day or you’re wrong, you always need to log-in to communicate you had a family emergency/depressive episode/etc.

What I am saying, is if you are capable of communicating, respect the time and energy of your fellow muns who may also be very low on spoons and free time themselves, and be honest about where you are at when it comes to taking on new threads, new asks, new partners, etc. Treat others how you want to be treated, and consider you probably wouldn’t like being on the receiving end of the behaviors I’ve described. If you need to be on the clock being paid to be a nice person...please re-evaluate.

[cantillat-moved]

@more-than-a-princess​ 6. What are some tips you'd like to give to new muns in the RPC? (It's tip munday. It's a thing I just came up with. Here's me shaking my proverbial tip can to drop in those RP tips)

The rpc in general or just the Fate rpc? In any case, I do have a few things to say to newcomers.

Don’t be afraid of asking things to another muns. It could be something about their muses, or RP etiquette in general, or a term you don’t know. Make sure to ask to multiple individuals, as no experience is a monolith and you might find diverging opinions, especially if you stumble upon some more controversial subjects like for example the proshipper and antis discourse. Ask around, read and make up your own opinions about things.

Speaking of own opinions, a very common practice is making a rules/guideline session. It makes things easier for others to know what you are looking for in a partner, and also a good way to set up your boundaries – you might find people that will cross them, either maliciously or by accident, so don’t be afraid of enforcing them. You are responsible for your own safespace.

Another thing that people do out of courtesy is tagging things like NSFW stuff or things that might bother them. The tl;dr is try to treat others with the courtesy you’d like people treat you.

On the subject of courtesy, don’t ever EVER reblog headcanons or copy them. It is understandable that duplicates might have similar headcanons, as they come from the same source, but everyone have their own interpretation of their muse. It is considered rude when personals reblog rp stuff, but when another roleplayer do is considered theft.

Talk to your rp partners. On the other side of the screen there are people. I know, it sounds obvious, but don’t assume things. Don’t give them “hints”. Try to communicate with them as clearly as possible, ask things, tell them if anything troubles you or if you have some plans for the current thread or where to take the relationship between the muses. RP is a collaborative activity, like any friendship. It takes two to tango. Knowing your partner can also give you some ideas on where to take the plot next, and if you are stuck you can always brainstorm together! It is also ok to feel intimidated, but I assure you: many muns are insecure. They won’t be upset if you ask something or say “no” – and in some times, if they do take things personally maybe it could be a good idea to take a step back in the relationship and reevaluate.

Another relevant point is that nobody is perfect: you will improve your writing as you keep practicing. There is this piece of art going on that is also valid for writers as well: there are two cakes, one very fancy and another simpler – but in the end they are both cakes and the people consuming will be delighted either way! As long you are having fun, it is all that matters. Write as much as you can, read whenever you are able. A published book or movie usually has many drafts before being consumed by us, and earlier works from our favorite authors can be considered not as good as their later work so the same also applies to RPing: every time you write, you will get better! I’m a ESL (English Second Language) so I’m usually very insecure, adding to my perfectionism I struggle sometimes, but I do have a few tricks that helps me out besides the ones already mentioned. One of them is having targets and slowly evolving them. For example, try having a reply from 150 to 200 words minimum. Talk about the situation, how your muse is reacting to it, their feelings about it. The thought process and then the reaction – your muse’s action or words will flow naturally with that. And don’t forget to give your partner something to reply to! With practice it will become second nature.

Ah! And tumblr can also be a bit buggy, so if you don’t see notifications on replies don’t be afraid of asking your partner about it. There are a few tools to help rpers, like the new reblog activities on the post or external sites like the rp tracker, but it is usually a good idea to double check with your partner.

Tools that everyone should have: xkit (both on chrome and firefox) and grammarly. I also recommend writing your drafts either on google docs or another program like Word of Open Office. Once you lose a long draft you’ll be scared for life.

And finally… Sometimes people don’t mesh. Some people like writing long replies, some like shorter ones. One are into coffee shops AU and some are into angst. You might also find people whose headcanons you might disagree on, and some people might disagree on yours. Some people look for different things in their RP partners that you have to offer. Or simply won’t work together. It isn’t anyone’s fault, you aren’t a lesser roleplayer or a bad partner because someone just didn’t jive with you. By the same token, don’t you ever feel pressured into doing something you don’t like or don’t feel comfortable to make someone happy. Your worth as a writer isn’t correlated by being “popular”, but the fun you have and the friends you make along the way that you can rely on. I have rp partners of more than five years (some close to ten!) and I love them to bits.

btw Rae is queen and you should follow her if you don’t

In any case, this blog is a chill space. No judgment, no drama, no BS.  Remember to stay hydrated, take your meds and have at least one meal today!

[normallyxstrange]

Update: Activity

//Hi everyone

I am back from my hiatus and I am writing, writing, writing! Blood Ties (the second book of The New Ashton Chronicles) is undergoing 3rd draft edits, and I am doing RP replies slowly but steadily. There are currently 70+, so it may take a while.

My plan? To finish them all before the end of October then set them all in the queue for November. I intended to start releasing them in mid-October but that’s not going to work for me. See, I’ll be doing NaNoWriMo this year, so my queue will be set for all of November as I take another hiatus to write another book. 

I do hope you all will understand and be patient with me. Things are coming! I’m just very slow.

This notice will be reblogged several times over the month. Please block the tag self reblog; activity update if you don’t wish to see it repeated.

Thank you!

Write On, F.R. (Rose)

[thesoulbound]

how about all those munday symbols?

Munday Meme

🍐 - How many ships have you considered but rejected for your muse?

Eh. I reject most ships for Sam at the same time as I want him to get laid. It's really contradicting lmao. I've considered maybe 2 or 3 ships? Ruby being the most natural one even though I don't ship it in canon.

🍊 - What are your favourite genres of threads? Fluff? Angst? Etc

Oh fluffy angst maybe lol. Hurt and comfort. I like to hurt my muses, but I also like to comfort them.

🍎 - If you had to chose a new faceclaim for your muse, who would you pick?

No one. Jared Padalecki is Sam Winchester. End of the discussion this hasn't even been...

🍋 - Does your muse complain about things to you? If so, what?

No because my muse isn't real. *snorts* sorry. But yeah that's my answer :P

🍌 - What drew you into the fandom in the first place?

Screw the fandom, I watched "In My Time of Dying" (2x01) on TV way back in 2007 and it got me hooked enough to start watching the show from season 1 and 2 just in time for season 3 to start airing. Ironically it was partly the fandom that pushed me away from the show after season 7 (before returning once the show was over in 2020). This fandom is a sickness. Anyway off topic sorta. What drew me in was Sam and Dean's relationship and then my growing love for Sam.

🍉 - If you considered a time travel thread, when would your muse go?

Hmmm. Ironically this is one of the things that annoyed me in the show. That most of the time it was Dean that always time travelled. Pissed me off lmao. Anyway I would have loved Sam (and Dean) to time travel to the 1920s or 1940s.

🍓 - What’s your sweetest rp experience so far?

Befriending people.

🍇 - Have you even encountered any partners that threw a tantrum at you?

I wouldn't say tantrum, but I've certainly come across partners that went nuts whenever they did a reply and kept telling me they had replied for me to hurry. Let's just say that partnership didn't last long.

🍒 - How many friends do you have on here?

Answered before this.

🍍 - How many drafts are you stalling with this meme?

6 on Sam and 3 on Cordell.

🥝 - If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

New Zealand and back to Vancouver, Canada.

🍅 - Have you ever had a case of mistaken identity for your muse or another?

Like, in-character or with someone who wanted to rp? I don't quite understand the question so I'm just gonna say... none?

🍆 - How much sin appears on your dash every day?

Not that much actually. A little more on sundays naturally, but eh. Jared is insanely gorgeous though so I'd say whenever I reblog something with his face on it's a sin ;D lololol Anyway seriously though not as much as I'd hoped for? lol. I'm not even one that likes to write smut, but I do crave Sam get laid more XD He deserves the sex ok?!

🥒 - Are you thinking about reviving old muses? Who?

Not at the moment. The only other non-active, but not-deleted old muse I have is Newt Scamander and I don't know if I ever go back to him. Depends on whether I like the next movie or not. I love Newt so much - he's my all time favorite character along with Sam. I just need inspiration and rp partners you know? lol

🥕 - What do you think about the current theme trends?

Nothing at all? lol

🌽 - Is there a fandom you’re too intimidated to join?

I never plan on joining fandoms. I tumble into them whether I like it or not. If I had any control I'd stay the fudge out of the Supernatural one because it's bloody nasty (though the rp community of the show is amazing).

🌶 - Do you find your muse attractive?

Oh my god I've had a crush on Jared since way way way back since he was a wee beanstalk lol. He's gorgeous. So naturally so is Sam Winchester ;D

🥔 - What’s the dumbest mistake you’ve made in rp?

Oh I don't even know where to begin.... Ignoring signals of bad rp partners I guess and is hit face first with crappy behavior?

🥜 - What’s the nuttiest thread you’ve ever had?

I have no idea. I had a crack one on here when my Sam blog was still quite new where my Sam told a Cas that Dean slept around a LOT and it lead to a hilarious thread of whether or not Dean was "loose" or not.

[janedrakey131]

zukka hp au part 6

Thank you so much, everyone! I hope you continue to enjoy this au. I had a few minutes last night, so I wrote up a couple scenes for all of you. 

I haven’t written anything in so long though, so I’m sorry about the quality. Also, if someone is OOC, I’m sorry, I really tried. I need to rewatch atla at this rate. But feedback is always appreciated! I’m tagging anyone currently on the tag list, but if you missed it or just saw it, please let me know on the tag list post and I’ll add you in for future posts. (If you’d like me to reblog and tag you on this one, that’s also an option, but please comment or DM me so I know exactly who would like that.)

Also, if you couldn’t tell, I have no idea what I’m doing. So if I left someone off the tag list by accident or put it in a weird spot, I’m sorry! It’s possibly because I had to google how to make one yesterday XD But if I missed you, please tell me! I swear it wasn’t intentional. If you have any other suggestions or questions, let me know!

If you’d like to catch up:

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7 part 8 part 9 part 10 part 11 part 12 part 13

If you would like to join the tag list

And with that, hope you enjoy :)

October 31 1981

There’s a suspicious bump.

The minister really does not like suspicious bumps.

But working in the Ministry of Magic for as long as he has, eventually he stopped jumping at every single one. He calls that progress. His wife says he’s finally lost whatever survival instincts he used to possess.

The minister doesn’t care overly much though. Today’s a happy day! The Avatar defeated Lord Sozin! He should be drafting congratulatory letters for the poor kid. Speaking of the child, he needs to find out where they are. And also who they are. There’s an astounding lack of information on this baby.

There’s a suspicious fwoosh and two masked wizards stand before him.

The minister is a calm and collected man. So, of course, he screams.

“None of that now,” says the older man with absolutely wild grey hair. “Stop screaming, Minister. We’re not here to hurt you.”

The minister wasn’t born yesterday, and his mother has reliably informed him that he isn’t a complete imbecile. He continues screaming.

The other intruder nudges the other and sighs. “You’re scaring him.”

“No, really?” Lunatic One groans. “I didn’t notice over all the screaming. Silencio. Honestly, he supposedly went toe to toe with Sozin in the Wizengamot for years. You’d think he’d have more guts than this.”

The nicer interloper (but still Lunatic Two) sighs again. “One who knows when to retreat will live longer than those who stay to fight past their abilities.”

“No, no, nope, we are not having your little philosophical riddles today. They just make my head hurt. You’re only here to make sure I don’t get bored and decide I want to wear his spine as a necklace.”

The minister’s eyes must pop out of his skull a bit.

“Just get to the point, my friend, so we can let this nice man enjoy his evening.”

“Nice man? He’s a politician. They’re all crackpots,” necklace man says.

The minister privately wonders why his friend bothers to sigh again when he clearly isn’t surprised.

“You’re a politician, too.”

“Yes,” the crazy one replies sagely. “I’m a crackpot. It means I wear the stench of insanity with pride and can identify it elsewhere.”

“Anyway,” the same man continues, but this time clearly directed towards the minister. “Simple request. Don’t look for the Avatar. No, no, no, I see you shaking your head at me. Just don’t look for them, or I’ll be back for my new bony accessories.”

His calmer friend looks the minister in the eyes. “We will keep the Avatar safe. But if Sozin’s followers find out where the child is, they’ll be dead before their next birthday. Do you understand, Minister?”

The minister likes to think he’s good at reading the room, so he nods a bit frantically. With them taking care of the child, that’s one less thing for him to worry about. And he gets to keep his spine. He’s rather partial to it now that he thinks about it. Anyway, it’s a win for everyone.

“Excellent.”

And then the two men are gone. 

Hurray for delegating responsibilities.

Today was enitrely too exciting for his delicate sensibilites. The minister pulls out the biggest bottle of Firewhiskey he owns and Floos home. Maybe he’ll get that takeout his wife likes today. She always deserves nice things, but especially today in exchange for all the blubbering he’s about to do.

oOo

“Did you really have to scare him so thoroughly, Headmaster?” Iroh asks once they’re safely back in the Headmaster’s office.

Headmaster Bumi throws his head back and laughs. “Fear is healthy! It keeps the blood pumping. The masks just added to the overall effect. And it’s not like I’d actually follow through. He just needs some character building. But at least that’s done. The kid’s with a friend of mine tonight. You’ll take the child to the orphanage tomorrow then?”

Iroh nods. “We’ll check in on him sometimes?”

“Of course,” Bumi says, looking scandalized. “What do you take me for? If he isn’t being treated well, prophecy or no prophecy, I’ll raise him myself. We don’t tolerate child abuse in this house.”

Iroh is extremely alarmed by the idea of Bumi raising any child, let alone the Avatar. But he is relieved they’re on the same page. At least now he doesn’t have to plan a kidnapping. Finally, after a long, but successful, night, Iroh leans back and enjoys his freshly brewed tea in peace.

Bumi’s chewing breaks the comfortable silence.

“Want a biscuit? They’re lemon poppy seed.”

Moderate peace then, but he thanks the Headmaster and enjoys his biscuit.

oOo

September 1, 1990

Sokka kind of assumes that he’ll be extremely bored during his first year of Hogwarts. He isn’t friends with anyone in his year yet, and Katara is a year younger.

Out of the limited number of other wizarding families he’s met, he hasn’t gotten along with many of the other kids. They were all either too dull, too old, or too annoying.

So Sokka has to admit he didn’t see this coming.

The boy in front of him is cool.

He’s already changed into pressed black Hogwarts robes with a red tie, so Sokka assumes the boy is maybe a second year Gryffindor. His black hair is neatly pulled out of his face, and there’s just a hint of the hair piece holding it up. Sokka’s busy staring at the rings on the boy’s fingers, a clear sign of an elemental magic user. But he’s too far away to figure out which element.

Sokka doesn’t really care though. People are people. It can’t hurt to ask if he can sit there.

So he screws up his courage and opens the door to the train compartment.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Sokka blinks. This boy isn’t very friendly, but he presses on.

“Everywhere else is full,” he says, lying through his teeth. “Mind if I join you?”

Five full compartments can be rounded up to all of them. Sokka’s a man of science. He would know.

The boy doesn’t answer for a beat, looking him up and down. Then he sneers. “Wolf’s tail, all that blue? You must be another Water Tribe peasant.”

Sokka can feel the blood rushing in his ears. Of all the compartments he had to walk into, it had to be a Fire Nation one.

“And you must be half troll with manners like that,” he bites out, before slamming the compartment door shut and walking away.

That was terrible. But it’s too late to go back and properly insult the other boy, so Sokka angrily walks away.

oOo

That’s all for now!

A few more things: 

I’m trying to make my life easier with dates for this au, so Halloween 1981 is when Sozin tried to kill the Avatar. Aang’s birthday is just going to be so late in the year that he got bumped to the year below. So we’re going based on Sokka’s years in school, first year starting in 1990. If something I’m doing doesn’t make sense or I’m completely contraindicating something, please ask! There’s a really good chance I’ve missed something. 

Also, any and all commentary or jokes made by characters about being insane and so on will not extend to actually poking fun at a character’s mental health. If they’ve got an issue that’s bothering them, that’s that. In this case, I think random people appearing in your office would scare you. And Bumi just sounds like someone who assumes everyone is as sane as he is. 

Lastly, say hello to one of the few straight characters we have. The minister was just a fun OC I made up, so I don’t have any corresponding atla character in mind for him. I was going to give him a name, but it just felt better having him be this random competent leader with a badass wife. 

If you’d like to catch up:

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7 part 8 part 9 part 10 part 11 part 12 part 13

If you would like to join the tag list

@delievia @assyouwishh @aphrcditeee @theoneandonlyredrobin @dongdingheresthething @bring-back-wally @zuko-just-wants-his-honor @youcant-escapefate @iwillgodownwiththisship27 @animegeneral17 @uglybutuwu @cocoa-hooves @errvaaa

[antihero-writings]

Survey for Ch2 of What They Want to Believe! (Varian fic)

Hello! I’ve never done something like this before, but I thought I’d try it out!

I’m working on chapter 2 of my Varian fic “What They Want to Believe” (I’ll put a link to the first chapter in the replies or a reblog!). The first part of it is a memory scene of when Varian and the Saporians erased the king and queen’s memories. But I’m super torn on how that part of the memory scene should/would go. This fic is supposed to be as accurate to canon as I can make it.

I’ve written three options for the first few pages so far, and am trying to figure out which of them would be most accurate, if any. And, regardless of what’s most accurate/if they’re all accurate, I’d just love to know which one people generally like the most and would like to see in the final version of the fic.

If you have a moment, I’d really appreciate if you could read through the three options and give me feedback on which one you think is most accurate, and/or which one like the most, and why. Or if you have a totally different idea for how this scene should/would go, or you think I should add something specific to any of these, please don’t hesitate to say so!

Please also feel free to give me any other feedback, like on what smaller lines or phrases you liked, or didn’t like, or if there’s a line of dialogue you don’t think is accurate to how a character talks, or if you have ideas for the parts that I put in […]. (But please always try to be as kind as you can) <3

I wrote them in the order that you see them. Before re-watching S3 E1 I forgot that erasing their memories was Varian’s idea, so that’s why the first one is how it is. I think it’s actually my favorite of the three, but I’m not sure it’s accurate, as they make it seem like making everyone forget was Varian’s idea and the Saporians springboarded off of it (hence why I started writing other versions). I might be able to add to it to make it more accurate if you guys like it the most, I’ll just have to finagle it more. The last version is the one I’ve worked on the most, as I think it’s the most accurate. But I think its concept is probably my least favorite XD

Please note that all three of them are rough drafts and will be added to and polished before the final draft. I even left some of my notes to myself or blanks it [ ]. I’m super unsure how their dialogue would go in the second two.

Also please note that any/all of them would have the level of internal monologue closer to what’s in the third one in the final draft. And they would all have that last scene where Varian says he needs to go back to his house, but as that scene doesn’t change I only put it in the last one.

I could probably put these in a google doc if you'd like to comment more thourougly on them, but I thought I'd start with just posting them to tumblr and seeing what people liked more generally.

Thank you for your time!!

OPTION 1:

“What did you do to them?!” Varian tried and failed to keep his voice calm, his eyes ping ponging from the king to the queen.

Frederic and Arianna’s countenances were unchanging, their eyes hazy. He waved his hand in front of their faces and their expressions stayed the same [make this more descriptive]. Varian turned and looked at each of the Saporians in turn.

The girl with the white hair and gravelly voice gave a dark laugh. “Oh didn’t you know? I’m their fairy godmother!” She pulled a wand from her pocket with a flourish and twirled around. “Though, I’ll admit, I may have gone a teensy bit overboard,” she said like that was something to be proud of.

Varian’s eyes widened. He rushed up to her, examining the wand. “That’s a Saporian wand of Oblivium! You erased their memories?!”

“Relax Varian.” Andrew leaned against the wall. “It’s better this way. For us…” he lowered his gaze, “and for you.” He stepped forward and walked around Varian. “You think the King and Queen would be happy to see the kid who tried to overthrow their kingdom running free? I’m gonna save you the brainpower on this one; uh”—he leaned forward and poked Varian’s nose—“no, they wouldn’t. They’d throw you right back in jail, where you belong.”

“But…erasing their memories—” the alchemist jerked back to look at the vacant expressions of the once majesties. “I mean what if they can’t get them back?! What if—?”

Andrew gripped his arms, making Varian turn back to him. “Trust me, making them forget is the only way to accomplish our goals.” he lowered his head and voice, “The only way to fix what you’ve done.”

Varian bit his lip, glancing between them. [add internal monologue]

“But I…”

Andrew leaned back and folded his arms. “You don’t want to go back to prison, do you?”

“No! no! I just—!”

“Good.” Andrew began walking away with the other Saporians. Varian was about to follow them, when the king and queen stirred.

The alchemist froze, his eyes ticking up to the them, then to the Saporians, who were now all hidden in the wings, safe from view.

“Tell them you’re their most trusted advisor!” Clementine shout-whispered. The other Saporian’s sniggered like schoolchildren.

Varian turned again to the king and queen, who were opening their eyes.

He didn’t want to do this. It wasn’t his fault. [add more]

“Who…are you?” Frederic’s voice was distant.

Varian looked up at them, his eyes softening. They didn’t remember who he was. That had its benefits, to be sure. Still, he couldn’t help but feel bad, seeing his king and queen, Rapunzel’s parents, like this, so helpless. He cleared his throat.

“I-I’m Varian…your majesty.” He stepped closer. “You…really don’t remember me?”

He stirred, as if trying to dislodged the memory, then stilled. “I’m afraid not, young man.”

“‘Your most trusted advisor!’” Andrew mouthed.

The alchemist sighed. “I-I’m your most trusted advisor.”

Frederic stirred again, as if in a trance. “Yes…Varian…my most trusted…advisor…”

OPTION 2:

“Are you sure you can erase their memories?” Varian breathed.

The alchemist stared from the wing at the king and queen on their thrones, his heart hammering in his chest. What if they saw them? What if the spell didn’t work? What if they stopped them? Then their whole operation was over, he’d get thrown back in jail…

There was currently a long line of people preparing to make their requests to the king. If they failed, their whole plan fall apart, and everyone would see it crumble.

“Don’t tell me your wussing out on us now,” Andrew groaned.

“No, no! I’m just…I’m a scientist, its only natural that I’m skeptical.”

“You told me you were going to analyze that mineral. Our whole plan is kinda based on it.”

“Yeah but still, erasing people’s memories…”

“Relax, science boy,” Clementine stepped in front of him, walking backwards, “let ol’ [a name for her wand] here do the talking.”

She walked backwards into the throne room, then turned and marched straight up to the king and queen. Andrew put his hand over Varian’s mouth to keep him quiet, and against the wall.

Frederic looked perplexed by this visitor, and slightly affronted. “Excuse me, mam,” Frederic cleared his throat, “But I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait in line like the rest of these good people.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. No, you’ll be glad I didn’t wait, after you hear what I have to say.” She pulled out her wand.

“…What you have to say may be very pressing,” his eyes darted from her face to the wand, “but these good people have been waiting for a very long time, and have equally important requests. You must honor their—”

She rolled her eyes and flicked the wand. The gem at the base started to vibrate, pink smoke swirling in the air—the crowd was starting to mumble with unease, shout in warning and fear—then there was a flash of pink light.

Varian resisted against Andrew’s grip to get a better look at what was going on.

The king and queen blinked, and collapsed in their chairs. The crowd started to scream and run around through the haze, run for the doors.

Andrew let go of Varian and walked out into the room.

“People of Corona!” he bellowed, and people quieted. His cronies moved from the wings to support him. “There’s been a new edict! From now on this land shall be called New Saporia!” They all raised their weapons. “You will henceforth obey our orders!” [add more]

The screaming restarted, this time peppered with spitting and protest. [add more]

Varian looked at Andrew.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to do this anymore. [add more]

The king and queen stirred, then opened their eyes.

“Wh-What’s going on?” Frederic looked around, horrorstruck at all the screaming people. “What is this place? Where am I?” he paused blinked again, “Who am I?”

“Your majesties,” Clementine said with a certain mocking air, bowing low, “I am afraid to say you have suffered a recent incident that has cost you your memories.

“Nevertheless, Clementine here will explain everything. You are the king and queen of a quaint little kingdom called New Saporia. We are here to […]. The people of your kingdom are […] and we must ask you to stop all […] until we can get enough […]. These people just […]”

[“Funny, you’d think I’d remember ruling a kingdom,” Frederic chuckled at his wife.

Andrew stepped forward, putting his arm around Clementine. “Ehh, the memory can do funny things sometimes. Anyways], we are here to […]. Your kingdom [something about the minerals—you need to issue an order]. Your most trusted advisor...” he paused, glancing at Varian. When Varian didn’t come out he cleared his throat, loudly and fakely. “I said,” he enunciated like he was speaking to a five-year-old, “your most trusted advisor.”

Varian stepped back, a shadow coming across his face, his breath tempered.

He didn’t want to go out there. Yeah, he just had that epiphany. He didn’t want to do this. This wasn’t right. They shouldn’t—

Kai walked up and pulled him, stumbling into the room.

When he regained his balance he found said room was staring at him.

Some people were silently staring, others started to mumble to each other: “Isn’t that Varian?” “Yeah, the kid who kidnapped the queen!” “He’s a traitor!” [add more]

“R-Right!” he tried to ignore their mutterings and pushed his too-long hair out of his eyes, “Yes! I’m Varian, y-your majesties.” He bowed. “And… You see the people of Corona have been […] and […].”

OR

“Your majesties,” he said darkly. “That’s right. My name is Varian, and I’m […]”

OPTION 3:

“Are you sure you can erase their memories?” Varian breathed.

The alchemist stared at the king and queen on their thrones from the wing, his heart hammering in his chest.

“Don’t tell me your chickening out on us now,” Andrew groaned.

“No, no! It’s just—I’m a man of science…I-I’m skeptical by nature.” Varian bit his lip.

“You told me you were gonna analyze that mineral.” He folded his arms over his chest, “We kinda based our whole plan on it, you know.”

“Yeah, I know, I know, but still, erasing people’s memories…”

“Relax alchemy boy,” Clementine stepped in front of him, walking backwards, “let ol’ [a name for her wand]—” apparently that was her name for her wand…and not a good one—“here do the talking.”

She walked backwards into the throne room, then turned and marched straight up to the king and queen, holding the wand behind her back.

Frederic offered a very confused look, considering he didn’t recognize her, but spoke kindly all the same, “Excuse me, mam,” he cleared his throat, “But the time to make your requests has passed…I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow to—”

“Oh, I don’t think there’ll be any need for waiting after you hear what I have to say.”

He looked indignant at the fact that she had just interrupted him, but continued in the same genial tone, if a little sterner. “…I understand what you have to say may be very important, but you must—”

Clementine flourished out her wand, and the gem at the bottom of the wand vibrated, pink sparks flying off of it, pink smoke circling it ominously.

Varian stretched to get a better look.

“What’s going on?!” Frederic barked from the haze.

Its power burst across the room in a sphere. Varian shut his eyes against the blast, before looking up at Andrew, who gave him a smug, what-did-I-tell-you? look.

When he turned back, Clementine had seemingly materialized back in the wing. “You’re up, kid.”

“Wh-Me? Why me?”

“You’re the one who wanted to erase their memories aren’t you?” Andrew sneered.

“Yeah, I did but—”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Andrew shoved Varian into the room.

He stared incredulously at him from the room. “How do we know it even worked?”

Andrew made a go on motion.

As the pink mist cleared, the king and queen stirred, their brows furrowed, and opened their eyes.

They looked around the room, confusion lining their gazes.

“Wh-What’s going on?” Frederic looked around. “What is this place? Where am I?” he paused, blinked, “Who am I?”

Varian’s eyes widened.

So it had worked, after all. They weren’t crazy. That was…unexpected.

He’d love to figure out how it worked, but that was a question for later.

He looked up at the king and queen, whose eyes were unknowing and as they fell upon him.

They no longer knew who he was, or what he did, the fact that he had kidnapped the queen and tried to kill their daughter, nor that they had put him in prison for it all.

….or who they were, for that matter.

“Excuse me, young man, could you tell us what’s going on?” Frederic looked from him to the room, to his wife.

They weren’t going to throw him back in that dungeon. They weren’t going to scold him, or else try to save his soul. They didn’t even suspect something sinister was going on. It was freeing; he was untouchable. As long as the king and queen didn’t know who he was, no one else could throw him back in jail, right? He could start anew…

This was unsettling. Seeing his king and queen, no, Rapunzel’s parents like this made him feel guilty. Wasn’t he just committing more treason? A crime for a crime. They always say two wrongs don’t make a right. Even without taking the treason into account, he had already hurt these people enough a year previously. Ripping them apart just to put his own family back together. It didn’t have to be this way…did it?

Varian cleared his throat. “Your majesties. I’m afraid you’ve suffered a recent incident which has cost you your memories,” he walked in front of the throne. “You are King Frederic and Queen Arianna of—”

—Andrew waved vigorously at him to get his attention, and pointed emphatically at the medallion on his chest bearing the Saporian logo. Varian sighed.

—“New Saporia.

“My name is Varian and I am…your most trusted advisor.” He paused for a moment. They didn’t even question it. He continued, “You rule with kindness and fairness, and treat every citizen with respect and dignity.” He bit his lip and looked away, thinking of his own punishment, his own unkindness. “But you see, the people…they too are in dire straights. I think I may have found a mineral which can save your people, and return you your memories. I just need to analyze it. It resides in […] once I do analyze it I suggest that you stop all [trade/commerce/…] and gather/call everyone to mine it, until we have enough to solve the situation.” [this might change a lot]

The king looked at the queen, and for a second Varian feared they were only playing along until now, that he’d bellow for the guards to grab him and to send him back to prison.

“If it’s for the good of the people…I suppose I will…make a decree! That’s what kings do, right? I will make a decree right away.”

“…Thank you,” Varian bowed, folding his arms and walking back.

On his way back to the wing, memories floated up, pieced themselves together, and pierced through his brain.

“What?How?! How can I trust anything when my own father just lied to the king’s face!”

Varian grimaced at the memory.

What would Quirin think of him now? Varian had been appalled to know his own father would lie to the king back then…but what would Quirin think if he knew what Varian had done to the king? Last year, and now? Even if he’d lie—(which Varian had come to understand wasn’t actually a lie, but a code)—Quirin would never do anything like this. He’d never use science and magic on his king and queen just to get what he wanted. He’d never release monsters and automatons on the citizens. No, he’d help people. He’d admit where he was wrong and…He wouldn’t run. He’d try to fix what he’d broken…or better yet not break it in the first place.

“A little stale on the delivery but I give you a solid five.” Clementine commented as he returned.

“I give him ten outta ten” Kai said with his hands over his heart, looking up with tears in his eyes, “His performance was from the heart.”

“That all the proof you needed?” Andrew demanded, folding his arms. “You said you could synthesize the memory formula into a serum.”

“Yeah, I did, but…” Varian looked away.

Andrew folded his arms. “…What?”

“Well…in order to know what exactly we’re dealing with, and to actually make the serum…I kinda need my lab equipment.”

“They don’t have lab equipment here?”

“…Not unless you count cooking pans and […]”

Andrew groaned. “So we need to go all the way to your house in the boonies just to grab a couple of your stupid little science tools?”

Varian winced. “…Yees?” He paused. “I can go by myself—”

“I’m no [something that’s not a job—it’s basically “I’m no doctor” but he’s making up a word] but I don’t think someone of your…uhh…stature can carry a whole serum’s worth of lab equipment all the way from your house to the castle. I’ll go get a horse.” He waved him off, “Clementine, you keep an eye on the king and queen, fill them in on anything else they need to know, and make sure they don’t wander off.”

“With pleasure!” she said in a way that made Varian not want to hear the list of things she found pleasurable.

[kirkwallgremlin]

Author interview

I was tagged by @andrew-blackthorn, and I mostly completely this and saved it in my drafts only to forget about it until I was tagged again by @rpgwarrior4824 💕 thank you both!

Name: Emily

Fandoms: literally just Dragon Age, I’ve enjoyed a bunch of stuff but never really been involved in fandom?

Where You Post: Ao3 if it’s something longer, with lots of tumblr prompts posted on tumblr. I don’t tend to put short things on Ao3 unless I have a bunch of connected ones, e.g. I started collecting Frankie x Alistair ones on Ao3, and modern au Handers

Most Popular One-Shot: I’m linking 2 bc there’s only 2 notes difference but based on the number of likes/reblogs/replies!

You make me want things I can’t have (handers)

We’re out of time, the Kanders prompt that stomped on my heart and also on some other people’s I think

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: A New Thing to Figure Out, the Handers modern AU. Of course, it’s also the longest multi story thing, and really the only one, most of the rest of my work is oneshots ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Story You Were Nervous to Post: the Kirkwall Medic because it was kinda the first long thing I’d posted? Prior to that I’d only shared 2 little ficlets on tumblr (ever). It’s n I’m only like 4000 words but that was A Lot. And then A New Thing bc I had no idea if anyone would be interested or if I’d even get it finished.

Complete: I have 3 “complete” stories on Ao3 but the incomplete ones aren’t really stories that have an ending? They’re just collections of ficlets and oneshots so...

Incomplete: see above

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: oh boy I have a List that just Wont Stop Growing

Multiwarden AU

The Fenders fic

Inquisitor in Ostwick, where Avery confronts her family while also dealing with some kind of blood magic Venatori plot (this one is my current nano project, currently on track for my 20k goal 💪)

Templar!Carver and Hawke argument

Anders before Awakening (feat. Karl)

DA2 Anders romance from Anders (and justice) perspective

Fenris gardening as a way of positive growth

I have like 4 more Darktown Days ideas I wanna write about Anders being loved and adored

A whole bunch of Frankie x Alistair ficlets

Like 9 various angst and/or kiss prompts in my inbox

More modern AU handers ficlets bc I love these boys so much?

Hawke singing to Merrill

Do You Accept Prompts? Always! I actually have a bunch in my inbox already that I kept not getting too bc I was focusing on other non prompt projects but I love prompts. Especially Anders ones because oh no what if I have to write about Anders more 🥰

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: definitely the multiwarden au!! I’m so sorry to everyone who I’ve been talking at about it for like 2 months straight now but it’s definitely going to happen! I just...need to finish sorting out my planning so I don’t get lost and give up the planning doc is currently 12 pages rip me

I haven’t tagged anyone bc anxiety brain but also I know I’ve seen a bunch of people do this? So idk who’s already done it?

[grandzealot]

SHIPPING INFO // Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog. REPOST. Don’t reblog.

WHAT’S YOUR OTP FOR YOUR MUSE?:   atticus (starling) and richter ( #atticus and richter )

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RP WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?:  i cant rly do any new deep authentic romance here so im mostly here for all other things? lighter or more superficial or disastrous etc. richters more sexually driven than romantically driven but im not generally into smut  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i do like writing him navigating relationships horribly tho and its natural to hint at his lustful thoughts if hes with someone he desires

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?: i start disliking it at about ten years. at fifteen or so ill usually refuse. within five years of one another is ideal. i do make exceptions if im comfy writing w someone but its genuinely not a thing i just lightly step into for tmi irl personal history lmao

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?:   yes but richter is a canon character so honestly anyone can have at him in their characters own canon— im just not necessarily interested in writing this richter in that role. i care about both writing and character chemistry  

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY’RE CONSIDERED NS.FW?: i think before id fade to black before bathing suit areas were touched but honestly these days i dont think id do even heavy kissing here lmao ( i actually have an easier time drawing those things tho bc its more of an aesthetic exercise then )

WHO ARE OTHER MUSES YOU SHIP YOUR MUSE WITH?: ahhhh so many great combinations (and some going no deeper than almost kisses necessarily.) ive written lots over the last 4 years but as far as who ive had inbox interactions with these last couple weeks or whatever being back: @america-redefined @atomsandnothingness @glowfelt @griimreaping @hellbentwidow ...& @beenpole is a special one bc marcie and richter interactions have been around since i started this blog and shes one of the characters richter always feels deeply about c: <3 theres honestly a lot more and the potential for a lot more i just went through my drafts and inbox to see whos around recently who i have shippy stuff to answer for lmao

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?:   idk honestly. usually if it feels like theres a spark there ill mention it eventually but i think i have been too intimidated to say things sometimes lmao. i do need our characters to interact first to get a feel for it i think unless im comfortable w the other mun and we just plan a no pressure character fling lmao

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP?:  its hard to say because it is easy to write for when that interest is there but i do get worn out feeling like my blog is full of shipping after a few replies in a row lmao

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?: yes and by default richters super monogamous so he usually has to be multiverse ( tho some of his incarnations are not like that )

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?: i think this was answered two questions up... but i am sorta obsessed w my best friends character and our ship but that feels more like it mixes into personal writing and development more than tumblr rp at this point. i post a lot of inspo for it here where i can access it easily with tags but im interacting w other people here to grow in my writing and maybe learn and experiment with new things    

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?:  lady maria of the astral clocktower extending her hand into the heartspace of player character i, tenderly visceralling me into deaths equally sweet embrace as her elegant boss theme leads us into the YOU DIED overlay 

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?:  by default just rp w me platonically and ill probably bring it up if it feels like theres something? alternatively you could directly ask and ill say what i think at that time but if i dont know you or your character that well probably dont ask bc ppl being directly after ships is offputting to someone like me? theres nothing wrong with being really into ships and being down to just dive into one – youre probably just better matched w someone whose writing is inspired in the same way? 

tagged by: @beenpole​ * ( sorta lol ) tagging: anyone interested c:

[otayuriweek]

What hard work? Nothing has been done since 2017 and that was nothing but a lot of reblogging. Seriously how is that hard? A lot of people would like to participate in an OtaYuri week, if you're not willing to do something with this blog, delete it and let someone else pick it up. As of right now, you're just being selfish and petty for not allowing someone else to host the week. That's all it boils down too.

Did you even read the post? I will repeat what I said here: anyone is free to host their own Otayuri Week, and we would be happy to support them by reblogging their announcements on our blog provided that they’re being inclusive of all fans. 

Otayuri Week doesn’t have to be on this blog. In fact, anon, you’re the one being fairly selfish in telling me to delete it after I explained that the blog is currently serving as an archive for the works submitted to past events. The fact that you think that hosting an event is just “a lot of reblogging” really speaks volumes on how well such a theme week would go if hosted by someone like you.

Detailing it further for others that might be curious on how to host this sort of thing, this implies:

checking if there’s enough interest for the event to be viable through fandom contact, polls, fandom/ship activity in general, amount of creators active, while being aware that only a very small portion of the people claiming to be interested will actually participate

planning out a viable schedule while juggling together: 1) the availability of several mods, 2) the dates for all other fandom events, often gathered by hand and by asking people because most fandoms don’t have a comprehensive event calendar, 3) several other factors such as busy holiday/school/business times for participating fans, time needed to go through each phase with a good response without the fandom losing interest, etc

setting up the blog, themes, etc, involving code and graphic design and image editing, all of which can take a considerable amount of time (also applicable to the steps below)

drafting up banners and other initial graphics for the blog and announcement posts

drafting up the rules for the event as well as coherency rules for the mods, this not to mention extra information pages/posts such as faqs

drafting up an announcement post in a way that will be both informative and engaging

contacting other event blogs for affiliation advertising, spreading the word, answering asks, sending requests to be included on event calendars if they exist, etc, basically PR

setting up necessary media for themes submissions, several rounds of voting for themes, etc, and draft up graphics and announcement posts for ALL those things

process all the data between each phase, often manually, i.e.: go through each and every submitted theme, sort through them to make sure there are no duplicates, discuss with other mods how to handle similar themes, individually input them on the forms to be used for the voting rounds, etc

spread the word AGAIN for every new announcement that is made

create the final theme masterpost including graphics and announcement text, discuss theme placement within the timeframe according to how tired the fandom will be versus how versatile the themes are versus what will work well, etc etc etc

spread the word AGAIN, contact affiliates, more PR effort

figure out all the tags you’re going to use for the event, which can list all the characters involved, pairings present, themes, days, type of media, event date/year, etc so that fans can filter the participating works more easily, set up page on blog sorted by all these, make sure all mods are on the same page regarding tags to use

set up AO3 collection, figure out how that works for a multi-year event, make sure all mods know how to use it

THIS IS ALL BEFORE THE EVENT BEGINS. note that pretty much all of the steps described until now have to be cross-checked with the other mods, which might have conflicting opinions or low availability to confirm everything is up to standard and that we can continue with everyone’s agreement

event begins. there are hundreds of entries every day. you must keep track of which ones have already been reblogged, which ones have not, make sure all of them are tagged properly on the blog with all the tags I described above, cross-check with several other tags for the event because people will put their works even on tags that we supposedly aren’t tracking, or even not tag them at all and expect us to find them anyway. this takes HOURS, even if everything is in its proper place.

find all the works on AO3 for the event, most of which aren’t linked or tagged so that we can find them easily. add them to collection.

post all the submissions that have been sent anonymously for us to post, make sure to tag properly and check they show up on the tag.

if a mod doesn’t show up or doesn’t do their work? you need to go back and do it and have triple the work because you can’t be sure of what has been taken care of or what hasn’t, often by individually checking the notes of each post to make sure it has/hasn’t been reblogged because there are too many entries on our blog to find a single post easily. once again, this for HUNDREDS of posts every day. 

keep checking the tags and AO3 several weeks after the event is over for late entries.

Note that this is the condensed version! All this while juggling several mods with probably conflicting opinions on everything, a busy schedule and daily life for everyone, all the time it takes to draft up the posts and do the graphics and process the data, and then dealing with the hundreds of daily entries once the event itself arrives while keeping every single one of those steps on schedule? You can bet it’s hard work. 

Yes, we have not hosted Otayuri Week since 2017. You’ll be surprised to find that people with a large amount of responsibilities often don’t have the time and mental availability for this sort of workload, even without any added complications, and neither of the remaining mods is able to keep it up at the moment. I’ve already expressed my thoughts on adding new mods or handing over the event in my other post.

I will not answer anymore asks in the tone of anon above. I have already explained the reasons for this decision and stated my full support for anyone who wishes to host Otayuri Week in the future, and I’m more than happy to explain things further if anyone has more questions. However, I will not stand for the childish sort of personal attacks and disregard for people’s work as were used by anon in this ask, especially since anon chose to completely ignore what I actually said in my original reply.

–Mod Howl