#the toaster is so underappreciated

[ragequitezekielrants]

Let’s Not Turn Our Appliances into Dating Options

Alright, I’ve seen some weird stuff on the internet, but today we’re going down a rabbit hole I never wanted to crawl into: objectophilia—a.k.a., the strange obsession with being romantically involved with objects. Yeah, you heard me. I’m talking about people falling head over heels in love with their toasters, cars, and, apparently, anything with a shape and a surface. And don’t even get me started on this growing fascination with “sentient objects” in fiction. Why? Why is this a thing?

Let’s get one thing straight: objects aren’t people. They don’t have feelings, thoughts, or personalities. Your vacuum cleaner doesn’t dream of a better life, your favorite mug doesn’t get jealous when you drink from a different one, and—brace yourself—your gaming console isn’t secretly in love with you. It’s plastic, metal, and a bunch of circuits. No matter how much you want to imagine your phone as some adorable, loyal sidekick, at the end of the day, it’s just an inanimate object.

Yet, somehow, we’ve managed to reach a point where people are not only attracted to objects but are creating entire backstories for them as if they’re sentient beings. I mean, there’s a woman who married the Eiffel Tower. Yeah, the giant metal structure in Paris. I guess it’s got good… structure? Where does this end? Are we gonna start romanticizing our refrigerators? “Oh, I love the way it cools my food with such passion. It really understands my hunger on a deep, emotional level.” Please.

And then there’s this whole trend in fiction where objects become sentient, and we’re supposed to just roll with it. You’ve got talking swords, smart fridges with personalities, and don’t even get me started on AI assistants that are written like quirky side characters in a bad sitcom. I get it, it’s fun to imagine a world where your toaster can hold a conversation, but why are we encouraging this nonsense? Are we so desperate for meaningful interactions that we’re turning our household appliances into dating options? What’s next? People proposing to their Roombas because it “always cleans up after them” and “understands them like no one else”?

Look, I get it— I'm lonely as fuck too and human relationships are hard. But maybe, just maybe, the answer isn’t to start imagining that your favorite chair has feelings or that your car is in love with you. It’s one thing to anthropomorphize your belongings as a joke, but it’s another to genuinely start believing that the world of Beauty and the Beast is some kind of ideal future where every candlestick and clock is a potential soulmate.

The worst part is, this bizarre obsession is creeping into games now, too. There are whole game mechanics built around your weapons or equipment “liking” you or “being loyal” based on how you treat them. Like, great, now I not only have to manage my character’s relationships with NPCs, but I also have to worry about whether my sword feels underappreciated because I swapped it out for something better. Are we serious? I’m supposed to feel guilty about trading in a piece of gear that doesn’t actually exist? This is where we’re at now?

I’m all for escapism and imagination, but at some point, we have to draw the line. If we keep romanticizing objects and turning them into sentient beings in our heads, we’re just feeding into this weird fantasy where actual human connections become less important. You can’t date your coffee machine. And you definitely can’t get emotionally attached to a piece of metal that doesn’t have a brain.

So here’s a thought: let’s leave the objects as they are—just objects. Inanimate, unfeeling, and not candidates for romantic relationships. Trust me, your life will be better when your blender is just a blender and not your imaginary significant other.

Until next time, stop falling in love with your furniture.

– Ezekiel

[fangirlofyt]

Nanbaka Week: Day 6 Favorite Headcanon that Musashi literally did nothing wrong and didn't deserve what he got (idc if I get third degree burns, I want to hug this cutie so badly 🔥)

[macabrecabra]

Transformers (any universe) for the fandom thing

Ohhh! 83 For this one, I'm jumping around universes as...different idiots fill different niches for me! I put it all below the cut to keep it from getting long post = w =

blorbo (favorite character, character i think about the most) SHOCKWAVE (any universe, Shockwave is always the logical choice and you can pry that out of my cold dead servos) Favorite of the Shockwaves is TFA, Shockwave, the cryptid elk. That design was *chef kiss* and great personification of both logic and cold calculative nature = w = Close second is Knockout because who doesn't like a good pirma donna that decides the autobots are better for his finish?

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is so shaped) STARSCREAM of course. He is stinky bastard man but when he is on screen I just go "BABY STINKY BASTARD!" because he is WIle E Coyote with his schemes. But it is adorable! ....Armada Starscream is most adorable though. Trying not to act like he didn't enjoy being treated nicely when with Autobots. Tsunderescream.

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave) SWINDLE Ya'll don't appreciate this used car salesman that is actual car and he needs to appear in more properties, selling out to both sides his cheap useless crap. Slapping dangerous weapons like this thing is made of so many minicons. All designs of Swindle must all have a bolo tie. That is all.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and i won’t shut up about it for a week) SIDEWAYS I'm sure no one really heard of him as I'm sure most people do not speak of Transformers Armada, but Sideways was the scheming gremlin tiny former who had the coolest transformation of any motorcycle ever and I would love to see his matrix hacker bastard self show up.

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave) WRECK-GAR Not sure if he is problematic or controversial...but garbage man is not often a popular pick for things and he doesn't do much but dare to be stupid and swim in literal trash, but I love him all the same for it <3

horse plinko (character i would torment for fun, for whatever reason) SENTINEL PRIME he was mean to Optimus Dad in TFA and that is unforgivable. He created a stupid plot in the Bayformer universe and that is triple unforgivable. IDW Sentinel Prime did some redemption though so he will just get poked fun at and be the but of everyone's jokes.

eeby deeby (character i would send to superhell) ALL THE BAYFORMERS Every single one of them. There is not one that is redeemable because any character they could have had was butchered. It is like the alternate hell-verse where the original transformers would look upon it and scream. Optimus Prime and Galvatron would put aside differences to join forces to destroy these abominations. Not even Unicron would want to devour the Earth Universe where these squiggly pointy monstrosities wiggle around in their poorly CGI trash compactors designs. Let these devils be cast into deepest hell, the junkpits of the Brave Little Toaster to sing musicals to their death of being compacted smaller than Shockwave compacted Blur.

[fandom-necromancer]

Coffee, Crushes and Complications Part 4

This was prompted by an awesome anon! Enjoy!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 [Prequel]   [Part1]   [Part2]   [Part3]

Hey how is my favourite toaster doing?< >The interview already finished? Yeah, didn’t go as planned but it might be useful still.< >Got thrown out? Yes, asshole slipped up and when asked about it refused to answer any further questions.< But I can work with that, use it against him.< How’s work?< >Not a good day for both of us. >Tina’s in trouble. What? How?< >Her brother had connections to the Red Ice trade. She didn’t see him for years.< >I know. He tried to manipulate people into letting him go saying his sister was a cop too but in a way that raised suspicion. >I’m sure everything will be fine, but Tina can’t prove her innocence. At least suspension until everything is settled is possible. That’s real shitty. Should I come over? You didn’t have your break yet, did you?<

Gavin left it at that and entered a new address for the automated taxi. He knew the android always was on time, punctuality was something important to him. It could be annoying, but most of the time it was nice to know he was reliable. Gavin sat back and watched the city fly by. It was hard to acknowledge it had only been a few months of them dating. It definitely felt longer. It was both as if they had spent a lifetime together already and had met just yesterday. But Gavin liked it that way. It was comfortable to know the feelings were still there even when the thrill of discovering something new in his boyfriend had subsided. Once Gavin had been able to trust the android, all the difficulties of their beginning had been forgotten. As promised, he didn’t try to think ahead too much, but he wouldn’t mind this to last.

The taxi stopped in front of the fifth precinct and Gavin stepped out onto the pavement. It still felt weird seeing it like this. This building had been his second home for more than half of his life and now it was just another concrete block in Detroit. Since being thrown out he hadn’t actually set a foot into it, only driven the RK900 to and from work sometimes. >No, I haven’t yet, you can come inside. I told the reception you were coming. Well, now he had to. He opened the door and entered the lobby. It was interesting how little had changed. The walls had been repainted, otherwise it looked just like his memory of the place. ‘Hello Mr. Reed!’ ‘Hey, Steph. Long time no see.’ The ST300 smiled at him as she always had, only that now it only deepened the feeling of being out of place. ‘Richard told me you would visit. Go on, head in. I don’t think anyone would mind.’ ‘Thanks.’ He was already on his way to the security gates as she called after him: ‘Good to see you are well!’

He didn’t let his thoughts linger on that comment. He was sure it was just a sentence said to be polite. Tina and Rich were the only people knowing of his breakdown, they wouldn’t have told anyone. The precinct was busy as it had always been. Phones ringing and the low mumble of conversations created a pleasant background noise of hard work. He didn’t have to look for long until his eyes found his old desk, now Detective Richard’s as the plate announced. ‘Hey, Nines, I’m here.’ He took the freedom to sit on the edge of his desk. The android looked up and smiled, retracting his hand, still white from the interface, from a small platform. ‘It’s good to see you.’ The hand found its way over to Gavin’s knee and rested there. Gavin laid his own on top and squeezed it. ‘You look tired, darling.’ ‘I am’, he sighed.

But before the RK900 could continue, someone else interrupted them. ‘Wait. “Nines”? “Darling”? What’s going on here.’ ‘Oh, hey Connor.’ ‘What are you doing here?’, the other RK asked. ‘I thought you’d been fired.’ ‘Oh, I’ve been’, Gavin shrugged. ‘I’m just visiting Richard during his break, don’t worry. And Nines is my nickname for him.’ ‘Nickname?‘ ‘You didn’t tell him?’, Gavin wondered and the android just groaned: ‘Didn’t think it would concern him. Connor, Gavin works as an investigative journalist now. We met after we were at the café with Hank, remember?’ ‘Oh. Okay. Hope he treats you good.’

Gavin huffed. ‘That I hope, too. How’s life for you? You made it Lieutenant, right? Congrats to that.’ Connor just stared at him disbelievingly. ‘So I’m not the stupid tin-can anymore?’ ‘Oh, no you still are. But I’m not the asshole human that cares anymore.’ Connor lifted his brows but didn’t get to answer as the trio was already gathering attention: People all around where whispering. Gavin grimaced at the attention. ‘Hey, Nines, do you mind spending your break outside? I could treat you to a coffee?’ ‘Normally I’d gladly take the offer, but I think we are too late for that.’ He subtly pointed into the direction of Fowler’s office where the Captain was already heading their way. ‘Oh, hell no…’

‘Gavin!’ Fowler had stopped in front of him, arms outstretched with a grin as if seeing him had made him the happiest he had been in years. ‘Fowler’, Gavin nodded, trying to keep his voice as neutral and level as possible. ‘Hey, is that how you greet an old friend?’ ‘Friend?’, Gavin asked. ‘What happened to me being the worst humanity has to offer?’ ‘What? I never said that.’ Gavin shrugged, inspecting his nails. ‘Maybe not, but I know to read between the lines.’ ‘Well anyways, it’s good to see you! I watch your show every time it’s on TV. You really have talent!’ ‘Thanks’, Gavin commented, side-eying Nines to make it stop. ‘You are underappreciated where you work right now, so I thought you might like what I am offering you: You can come back! You could be a detective again, where your abilities are needed. How about that, hm?’

Gavin looked at him wide-eyed, Nines turned around and Connor took a step back. Fowler was oblivious to the change in atmosphere though and laughed, clapping Gavin on the shoulder. ‘I knew you would like it!’ Gavin stood up. He wasn’t the tallest man, he would never be able to tower over someone like the Captain, but his stance alone made the man reconsider. ‘Like it? Are you phcking kidding me?’ Gavin couldn’t believe what he had heard, but the fury inside him was quick to change that. ‘You dare to offer me a job? After throwing me out like a phcking dog? I poured my everything into this job until there wasn’t much left inside me and then you fired me from one day to the next! You don’t want to know what that did to me. And it doesn’t have to plaque you, in the end it was the best to ever happen to me. But I want to know: do you really mean it? Do you really think you can lure me back in? Do you really think I want to come back?’

Fowler thought about it. ‘Err… Yes?’ Gavin laughed loudly and humourlessly. It bordered on hysterical. ‘Fowler. You goddamn phcking asshole. Who are you throwing under the bus to get me back now that you realised that maybe getting rid your cheating card wasn’t your best idea? Tina?’ The Captain swallowed, Gavin’s trained eyes immediately picking up on the admission. ‘Ah, so you are really trying to boot her out next. I can’t phcking believe it.’ He shook his head. ‘So, a no?’ Gavin smiled mad. ‘Oh, this is a no, alright.’ His smile faltered, as he shouted his next words: ‘I’m never coming back! I’m living a happy life. I have a job that captures my passion, co-workers that like me, I changed my way of living, I have friends and I have the most amazing person at my side. I would never ever come back to work under your lead. Not after what you said to me and not after what I now know you are playing. Because who knows when I might be inconvenient again and land on the street. Who knows when I may have to throw my friends under the bus to keep on your good side. No. I’m out and I’m happy that way. I was just visiting to spend Richard’s break with him, nothing more.’ He took a deep breath before continuing with a more level voice: ‘One thing I can promise you though.’ He smirked, as Fowler had finally understood he lost. ‘If you indeed use the word of some minor criminal, that could make up the whole story anyways, to kick out Tina, the topic of my next show will be police brutality, corruption and harassment in the workplace. I think I have enough first-hand experience to at least fill one evening and I can think of quite a few people willing to be interviewed.’

He threw the Captain a winning smile, before asking without breaking eye contact: ‘Alright Nines, how about that coffee break right now?’ The android grinned, standing up ignoring Fowler completely. ‘Gladly, my love.’

[helaenatargaryens]

OTP PROFILE GAME!

rules: answer the questions about your favourite ship (all time or current) then tag 10 people to do it too!

tagged by @tinanewt (thanks arwen, ily!)

SHIP AND FANDOM: rick and evie/the mummy (they're my babies and they're also incredibly underappreciated)

MOMENTS

what were their first impressions of each other?

interesting, to say the least. evie flat-out says that she thought rick was basically an idiot and a scoundrel before she really knew him, and considering the insane circumstances, i really don't blame her lmao.

a moment you think that both/one of them will remember forever about each other.

i would probably say the night where rick teaches evie to fight is a pretty memorable one, since it's almost their first kiss, and the first fime that he really gets a glimpse of evie's motivations to go after a city everyone thinks is lost.

what is their moment for you?

literally just the entirety of the mummy returns tbh. if i had to pick one moment to sum them up, it would probably be the conversation they have near the beginning of that movie: evie intent on yet another insane adventure and rick willing to follow her anywhere with only mild complaining 😂

LIFE QUESTIONS

marriage? if yes, who proposes?

it's canon that they get married, and fairly quickly, too. i always imagined rick as the one who proposed, partially due to the fact that the movie is set in 1928, and partially because i think he would agonize over getting it right just to end up blurting out the question accidently.

children? if yes, if one had to stay at home with them, who would do it?

it's also canon that they have a son who's just as sassy and chaotic as they are, and it's basically canon that rick is a stay at home dad while evie kicks ass at the british museum.

housing? where do they live together?

when they're not on an expedition, they have a pretty freaking giant house in london, which i'm guessing was inherited from evie's parents after they died.

pets? do they get a pet together?

it's canon that evie has a cat in the first movie, and i can also see them having a cat or two around to ward off possible mummies. considering their luck, better safe than sorry!!

PERSON A&B

who would kill/remove the spider and who would leave it under a cup and leave the room?

considering all the time that evie spends in tombs and libraries, i would say she'd be pretty immune to spiders by now. that, and the image of rick o'connell terrified of a spider is really funny to me lmao

who sings all day long and who gets so used to it they don't even hear it anymore?

evie, definitely. i'm not sure whether i think she would be very good at singing, but i feel like she would sing/hum all the time as she works without even realising. i also think rick would find it adorable, even if it isn't the most in tune.

who can cook a gourmet meal for two and who can maybe use the toaster?

considering rick grew up fending for himself, i would say he's probably picked up a few recipes in his time. evie probably grew up with people who could cook for her, so while she's probably not useless, i doubt she really ever had cause to learn to cook properly.

who wakes up before the sun rises and who would sleep in until 2pm if they didn't have an alarm?

i don't really think either of them sleep in for a long time, but rick would probably be up first considering he used to be in the army and is probably programmed to get up early.

who is more affectionate/touchy?

both of them, honestly. the entirety of the mummy returns is just them grossing oit their family members with their excessive pda 😂

who wears the other's hoodies/shirts?

i doubt they do this a lot, but i can see evie stealing a shirt or two from time to time. after all, she needs comfortable clothes when she's exploring ancient burial grounds.

who said "i love you" first?

i would say it was probably rick, sometime after they got back from their first expedition. i can see evie in the middle of one of her long-winded rants and when she finishes he just looks at her and tells her, causing her to grin and forget what she was saying completely.

this got a bit long, sorry!! i'm just full of feels about these two

tagging: @trashwars @vespereveninglynd @lauraderns @natasha-lightwood @deanerys and anyone else who wants to!

[chowtrolls]

🏀, 🐍 and 💜 for Ryosar, Ziolah and a troll you feel is underappreciated!

🏀 Does your OC have any skills that people wouldn’t expect them to have? Do they have a hobby or pass time that others would consider strange or weird? How did they learn this particular skill or pick up this hobby

Ryosar is excellent at carving bones! That’s probably the weirdest hobby he has. He likes to carve bones and horns in intricate patterns, usually pertaining to eyes. He kinda did it when he was blind, and got better when he gained vision. Since he doesn’t do much outside of hunting, it helps him pass the time. And makes good gifts! 

Ziolah’s mostly too busy with her work to do much outside of it, but she does like to knit! She has made some scarves before and loves it. She thinks its a bit silly but she loves to work on a scarf for a loved one and give it to them as a gift. 

Ithida’s “weird” hobby would be bird watching, probably. Skills they have that nobody expects them to would be the ability to fix things! They aren’t inherently an engineer but they ARE good at solving problems and are an incredibly quick learner. It makes it very easy to fix broken things like toasters. 

🐍 Is your OC a good liar? How easy is it for them to tell lies? What is the biggest lie they’ve ever told and did they ever get found out? On the other hand, what is the biggest lie someone has told your OC and did they believe them?

Ryo is a TERRIBLE liar. Like he’s awful at it. He doesn’t even try. He doesn’t care to try anymore, he’ll just be blunt and flatout tell you what he thinks. He is, however, very gullible! He believes people run on the same thought that lying is bullshit. The biggest lie someone ever told him that he believed was when Bruuno told him he didn’t love Ziolah which turned into a lie because then Bruuno dated her so :/ 

Ziolah is okay at lying! She does it daily with her bloodcolor. It doesn’t bother her much. The biggest lie she’s told was to Bruuno, when she told him that her previous moirail died in the explosion that took her leg. In reality, she thinks Bruuno killed him. The biggets lie she believed was that her last moirail is actually dead...he’s not dead, he’s just fucked off elsewhere. 

Ithida is alright at lying. They  lied to their lusus a lot. But now they don’t really care to? Sometimes they might be seen as cold or blunt because they just say whats on their mind. They don’t super care about other’s opinions. 

💜 Do you enjoy working on your OC or are they a bit of a chore? We all have that one character who is hard to develop!

RYOSAR IS SUCH A CHORE AHAHA i hate TWO of my own ocs. Ryosar and David. Ryo SUCKS he’s so awful to write and work with I genuinely hate him he makes me so MAD. “Why do you keep him then?” Because I love him :( He’s so morally grey and doesn’t give a FUCK and i wish to be as carefree as him. Plus he and his boyfriend are so cute :’(((

Ziolah is a delight but she’s such an old and tired muse that sometimes she feels like a chore. She’s also developed a lot since I first made her! Using or writing for her tends to fill me w like.....pride? confidence? Like her muse just channels her feel-good vibes into me and then i feel good too u_u

Ithida is one I haven’tr eally used outside some plotting for their future mate! But they’re fun to write for, and they tend to be a little distant of a muse? It’s kinda like trying to get a cat to come out from under the dresser. When they do get goin they don’t stop and its fun u_u They’re a little grey morally and can be a little evil. as a treat. 

[velkynkarma]

End of Year Meme 2018

@bosstoaster tagged me a while ago for this here so here I am late to the party as always.  (Note: Failsafe was posted in 2018 but I counted it towards 2017 because it was written fully in that time period, so it doesn’t count this year). The Greatest Challenge ~ 49663 words (Shiro and Ryou centric, exchange fic with @bosstoaster ) A Long Night ~ 2359 words (Shiro and Ryou centric) The Red Bayard ~ 6914 words (Lance and Keith centric, for @platonicvldweek ) Color Theory ~ 7574 words (Ryou centric, for @platonicvldweek ) Innervate ~ 18503 words (Shiro and Ryou centric, for @platonicvldweek ) Break Even ~ 4312 words (Matt and Shiro centric) Window Shopping ~ 3391 words (Ryou, Lance and Hunk centric) Genesis ~ 32545 words (AU, ensemble, for @platonicvldweek ) Patience is a Virtue ~ 7349 words (Ryou and Slav centric) Paying Respects ~ 4967 words (Shiro centric, about Kuron)  Talking in Tandem ~ 11559 words (Shiro and Ryou centric) 149136 The Best Lies ~ 13814 words (Shiro and Ryou centric)  Need a Hand ~ 2923 words (Shiro centric) Target Practice ~ 3834 words (Ryou and Lance centric)  Little Crystals ~ 24515 - 19627 = 4888 additional words (Assorted prompts & characters) Familiar Faces ~ 72730 words total written with @bosstoaster (Shiro and Ryou centric....times two lol). Of that, about 38,172 is mine. This thing that still doesn’t have a title ~ 3952 words (Keith-centric, set in Parallel by Proxy universe) Total Fics: 17 (counting Little Crystals prompts as 1) Total Words: 216,719 Ship/character breakdown: Ship breakdown: You’ve come to the wrong writer if you’re expecting anything here Character breakdown (all counts based on -centric or focus for a character, with or without the inclusion of other chars):  10 Ryou-centric or Ryou-focus 9 Shiro-centric or Shiro-focus 3 Lance-centric or Lance-focus 2 Keith-centric or Keith focus 1 Hunk-centric or Hunk-focus 1 Slav-centric or Slav-focus 1 Matt-centric or Mat-focus Plus 1 Ensemble fic and assorted prompts & characters

Characters that had the main focus: Shockingly Ryou actually pulled ahead of even Shiro in this....but only by 1, and only because Color Theory is really just about him, and not both of them. 

Specifics:

Best/worst title? Best title:  Break Even happened on a whim but I actually like that it works on multiple levels. To break even colloquially means to come out without gains or losses (which happens in the course of the fic when Shiro and Matt come to terms with each others’ part in their capture and escape, or lack of rescue). But it can also more literally mean to have been broken, but as cleanly as possible, meaning they may be damaged but it can be fixed if handled well. Worst title:  The Greatest Challenge is kind of bland but I really struggled to find anything that would work. It ended up being too similar to its inspiration, The Most Dangerous Game, though.

Best/worst first line? Best first line: From Paying Respects, “Adjusting to being alive again is…difficult.” Because what a way to open (and also I feel a lot of people didn’t really give this part of Shiro-being-brought-back-to-life much consideration). Worst first line: From Color Theory: “Hey. Ryou. Got a second?” Because I just realized while looking for this that literally the fic prior to it I used the exact same opening line and now I’m kicking myself.

Best/worst last line? Best Last Line: Ooooh this is tough because there are a LOT of good last lines this year with some gut-punching impact. Here’s my faves: Need a Hand:  “Excellent,” Commander Holt says, shaking his hand gently but firmly, sealing the deal. “I stand by what I said last year, Cadet Shirogane. You are going to be the greatest pilot this world has ever seen.” Paying Respects: But he was free. He was home. And Shiro, at least, will respect him and remember him for what he was and what he’d wanted to be. Because he’d known. And because nobody else will. A Long Night: He never does sleep again, that night. Worst Last Line: From Color Theory again (I swear I like this fic): “And they spar.” Just a generally weak ending. The good stuff was all in the middle and I wasn’t really sure how to close it, and it shows.

General questions:

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted? More than I anticipated, considering. 2018 was a very stressful, very bad year for me for personal reasons. Stress means no writing. I’m genuinely shocked I kicked out even half as much as I did.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year? I don’t think I intended for Parallel by Proxy to get as big as it did, so I guess ‘AU’ in a way? Or just...a series? What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest. I’m with @bosstoaster on this one, my favorite was our collab fic Familiar Faces. It was super fun to figure it out together as well as a great challenge. Plus it was really nice to actually fic-ify the goofy chat ideas we’d talked about for ages if our respective renditions of Ryou and Shiro actually met. Plus we’d been working on it since June 2018 so it took up a great deal of the year, a lot of work, and a lot of focus, but it had a lot of reward.

Okay, NOW your most popular story. By kudos this is technically Failsafe and Little Crystals, but both counted for last year so I don’t think they qualify here. Sooo....looks like it’s Familiar Faces lol.

However if we’re going by bookmarks, Paying Respects took the unquestionable lead. Story most underappreciated by the universe? Genesis. Hands down. Something I completely expected, since it’s a self-indulgent AU/Crossover fic regarding one of my favorite Playstation 1 era games Legend of Legaia, which virtually nobody has heard of. I wrote it to be accessible to people even if they didn’t know the source material, but people generally aren’t willing to step into a crossover like that unless they A) know the source material already or B) really trust the author.  Story that could have been better? I see a lot of edits that should be made or errors when I go back to every single one of these stories on the list, but none of them stand out as ‘I fucked up somewhere.’ Sexiest story?

Saddest story? Ahahaha there were....a lot. Probably Paying Respects since it was a response to Kuron essentially being murdered at the end of season 6 and nobody seemed to care. But A Long Night is also painfully bitter (only fixed somewhat by the fact that the reader knows by then Ryou will get better). Most fun? Familiar Faces was the most fun technically along all stages of the writing process since I was working with @bosstoaster for that. I was also in a no-motivation phase at the time we were actively writing this, but the fact that I was working on it with another person and I knew toaster was relying on me to finish my part really kept me excited about writing my parts. So I had a lot of fun just trading off and sharing pieces as we went. Without other people being involved, probably Genesis. Again, completely self-indulgent based on a favorite game. I had a lot of fun replaying the game to get details and a lot of fun playing with the universe. It practically wrote itself. I still want to go back to it. Story with single sweetest moment? This question is tricky because I do bittersweet more than actual sweet haha. I’m not really a cute/fluff writer.  If going for pure good feels/charm though, I guess the scene in Color Theory when Allura gives Ryou (actual, decent) advice on how to choose his color (and subsequently, how to identify what he considers important about himself) was pretty sweet. It’s too long to post here though.

Hardest story to write? Target Practice. Guns scare the ever loving shit out of me, I know nothing about them, and I want nothing to do with them. But I wanted to write things accurately, which meant research. Research was watching police training and instructional videos for hours to try and get the accuracy right. I can only hope I did it justice.

Easiest/most fun story to write? Paying Respects. Not ‘fun’ exactly but it just...happened. It’s the only fic I’ve ever did as a ‘reaction’ fic within 24 hours of the source material posting, I never get things planned and worked out that fast. Kuron’s death hurt me and he needed justice ASAP, and a lot of friends out there needed some closure for him.

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters? Not really. If I had to give an answer I guess I’d say Familiar Faces helped me learn @bosstoaster ‘s Ryou a little better, but he’s not a canon character.

Most overdue story? Parasite Knight sequel Also a fic I’m working on right now that I’d been working on since season...4? This one actually is guaranteed to make it though.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? Yes, with Familiar Faces. Working with another writer is tough but rewarding! I also stepped outside my area of expertise by tackling Parallel by Proxy to keep an ongoing series maintained. 

What are your fic writing goals for next year? I have a lot of scattered ideas I’d like to hit. I definitely want to explore some little-used characters or side characters in actual plots. I also have a couple AU’s or more ambitious ideas that I’d like to try and buckle down to tackle, in part thanks to encouragement by @bosstoaster and @butteredonions

Whew! Okay. That was long. I won’t tag anyone but feel free to do this if you like :)

[rileyomalley]

name / nickname(s): Riley

pronouns: she/her

active blogs: this blog @rileyomalley (art, writings and reblogs), and my various rp blogs I suppose :v???

watching and / or reading rn:

Watching: Nothing until new shows come back mid month or October lol

Reading: Call of Cthulhu and other Weird Stories

animal you would want to be turned into: domestic cat, tiger, or owl

fictional character you would most like to meet irl: There are so....many uh LOL. Samus Aran, Majima Goro(yakuza 0), Kiryu Kazuma, Hellboy, my friends OCs....

book/show/movie you loved as a kid and still love today:

Book: Dragon’s Milk (or any fantasy novel really)

Show: Xena Warrior Princess and a LOT of different cartoons, Simpsons was a big one for me

Movie: The Brave Little Toaster, Jumanji or The Neverending Story

book/show/movie you think is underappreciated: book: Death Trance (manga); show: Beautiful People; movie: Battlefield Baseball, everybody should watch this movie.

favorite season: Summer (when it isn’t killing me)

favorite holiday: Spoopy Halloweeeeen

star wars or star trek: Lean more Trek but I also love both :v

marvel or dc: A little bit of A…a little bit of B....

parks and rec or the office: Parks and Rec (though I watched very little of it)

favorite superhero: There is TOO MANY. But some tops is Wolverine, Deadpool, Nightcrawler, Gambit, and The Punisher :o

favorite disney princess: Pocahantas or Belle

tagged by: @sketchvicious

tagging: whoever wants to do thiiiis (cuz im too lazy to tag lol)

[incorrecttendershippingquotes]

Sorry I just need to say again how much I fucking LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog. Like my god. I read these things and literally hyperventilate because I'm so excited and fangirl so much. Especially from posts like the one where bakura burnt a toaster and covered by saying that his desire for ryou was burning. I literally want to cry from how much this blog makes me happy. I love it. Bakura and Ryou are just. Ultimate. Underappreciated. You are my favourite person right now. Actually bless you

[squeals in glee] you’ve no idea how much this means to me. Thank you for being so sweet. ♡ I’m glad you’re having a good time while being here!!

[thejamcap-blog]

HARMONY IN MUSIC.

Just reading the title, you probably thought that this blog post is going to be a 5-paragraph textbook course about the complex harmonies of music. But you thought wrong. Besides, music, as pleasant and as groovy as each melody may sound as they playfully hit your ears, learning the theory behind the melody can be tedious and boring. And those words to describe music theory are an understatement. I am here to write about why music is such a huge part of my everyday life. I have always had so much to say in my mind about the personal impact of music in my everyday life and realized that I have not dedicated a post about it. So here it is.

One way I can describe the impact of music in my everyday life is that it breathes life into everything and anything that I do. For example, imagine waking up in the morning to make breakfast. Turn the stove on, whisk some eggs, fry some bacon, and maybe put on two slices of bread in the toaster. You know what will make it better? Not coffee! MUSIC. Yes, music in the morning. Music will transform your everyday typical morning breakfast-making chore into a whole new broadway musical. Singing, dancing, grooving along with the songs that you queued on your playlist, it adds a whole new dimension to the whole experience. To extend my point, any chore like cleaning your house, by itself, is long, boring, tiring and frustrating. But with music, either with your AirPods on or blasting on your JBL speakers, those chores become a dance practice at a hip-hop dance studio. In the middle of listening to music while doing chores, you realize those chores don’t seem as long and frustrating after all because of MUSIC. Music, in general, enhances life. It turns a busy commute to work into a carpool karaoke like you’re on the late-night show with James Corden. A cloudy day into a dramatic movie scene or your own slow-song music video.

The best part about music, especially on Spotify, if you’re a premium member, is that you can make your own playlists and be able to freely skip through songs, albums, artists to discover new musical content. I’d say, with this feature, I have been able to expand and diversify my taste of music. My music on Spotify turned from hip-hop and r&b to soul, indie surf rock, indie pop, pop, and electronic. And these genres made love together and produced new unique mixed genres that hit the weak spots of my soul just because they are right in the middle of two genres that I listen to. Thumbs up for inter-genre babies! Spotify also just made a decade and annual recap of the songs, artists you listen to. I must say I am proud that I was able to discover more than 500 new artists in 2019 alone and listened to music without borders by exploring music in 52 different countries. Those numbers are accolades in my eyes and I am proud of them.

Music is everything to me. I could write so much about music that I might even write a second part to this post. I have met and connected with different types of personalities (especially in college) through music. Music can definitely build bridges between people of different backgrounds. Rich, poor, Asian, White, Black, Hispanic, etc., anyone can enjoy music. You’d be surprised about other people and their taste of music. It’s even more exciting when you meet people with the same taste of music as yourself. Music can also define a whole new generation but that is a topic for another day of blog discussion. Overall, music, in itself, is an experience. A peaceful, undisrupted experience where you can be alone in your thoughts but also be able to enjoy the company of others. A peaceful, undisrupted experience that can turn any dreadful chore or work to a music video fantasy or a Broadway musical. In music, there is harmony. No, not the harmony that you hear from a song sung by a church choir or a quartet. I meant the harmony that you will find and suddenly realize in your everyday life, all thanks to the power of music. At times, music can be overlooked and underappreciated. I hope future generations will continue to keep the spirit of good music alive and genuinely take a moment to observe and appreciate the influence of music from the past but more importantly, the peace, harmony, joy, and unity that music brings to our lives and humankind. Thank you God for creating such an incredible work of art called MUSIC!

[seanpgilroy]

trying to clear some things up

@beatyourwings replied to your post “just a quick reminder that a black man invented heavy metal”

He's certainly an integral and underappreciated part of heavy metal's creation, at the very least.

That’s essentially what I was trying to say. I know it’s a little ridiculous to speak of “inventing” a genre of music, like it’s a new kind of toaster or something. If I’d had any fucking idea how many people were going to see that post, I would have chosen my words far more carefully. It’s not a problem I often encounter here at my little incoherent mess of a blog. I ordinarily get excited if a post makes it to double digits in notes.

@ungoliantschilde replied to your post “just a quick reminder that a black man invented heavy metal”

Jimi was defined by his innovations more than anything else. I think the sound you're talking about definitely became an integral part of the Heavy Metal framework, but it is not the only part. It was a lot of factors. Read the Wikipedia article on Heavy Metal sometime. It's fascinating.

That sound isn’t the only element of metal. It is, however, the most essential element, and if this is the hill I die on, so be it. Whatever criteria you use to determine whether a song is metal or not, if the heavily distorted guitar sound is not present, the rest is irrelevant. You wouldn’t even bother asking “is it metal?’ about a song that didn’t have it. Without that sound, power chords sound like shit. They don’t sound like anything at all. Go play “For Whom the Bell Tolls” with that jangly, buzzing fuzz-tone that passed for distortion prior to Hendrix and tell me I’m wrong. Play “War Pigs” on an acoustic guitar.  Hendrix was not a metal musician, but he created the sound that is the linchpin, the foundation of metal. It’s probable that someone would have produced it if he hadn’t--eventually--but that doesn’t matter. Jimi is the one who did it.

Now, to harp on “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” a little more. Obviously, this is all subjective; there isn’t some equation you can plug a song into and determine with scientific accuracy whether it is or is not metal. But to my ear, this song hits the exact right combination of sound and attitude that forms my personal definition of metal. Nothing before it ever had. 

(sorry if I come off all ranty here. I really do love debating this shit)

[howellrichard]

How to Stock Your Freezer for Easy Vegan Meals

Hiya Gorgeous!

Ahhh, the fabulous freezer. It’s one of the most misused and underappreciated tools in our kitchens. If your freezer could talk, it would tell you that it is has bigger aspirations than being the land of ice cream, TV dinners and forgotten mystery food.

Your freezer can be a haven for the healthy, long-lasting goodies you need to create easy vegan meals—meals that nourish your body and delight your taste buds. Learning what kinds of foods to freeze, as well as how to properly prep and store them, completely transformed how I use my freezer. And today I’m gonna help you do the same!

But first, grab your Ultimate Vegan Pantry Staples Checklist!

We’re about to talk all things frozen food, but a well-stocked pantry is another key ingredient for easy vegan meals. Grab this free checklist to start building your dream pantry today!

Now, without further ado, let’s take a peek inside my freezer!

7 Freezer Staples for Easy Vegan Meals

1. Fruit

Berries, mango, bananas, pineapple… oh my! Frozen fruit is a staple for me because it’s easy to keep on hand and has lots of different uses. Plus, it’s a great way to eat more in-season fruit. For example, I like to freeze a bunch of fresh blueberries in the summer to have at-the-ready when the colder months roll around.

Here are a few frozen fruit pointers:

Save money at the grocery store by buying the larger bags of frozen fruit, which are often cheaper per ounce. Since fruit lasts so long in the freezer, stocking up is a no-brainer!

If you have fresh fruit that’s about to go bad, wash and prep it before putting it in a reusable baggie in the freezer. Chop all bigger fruit (mango, bananas, etc.) for easier blending or defrosting. Make sure to peel your bananas before freezing.

Green smoothies are one of my go-to easy vegan meals. Toss frozen fruit right in the blender with seeds, nut butters, greens and plant-based milk, then blend to creamy perfection! This Peachy Green smoothie is one of my personal faves from Crazy Sexy Juice.

Plan ahead for breakfast by moving a portion of frozen berries from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Use it as a sweet topping for your morning oatmeal or nondairy yogurt.

You can use frozen fruit in baking, too! Try this Mixed Berry Crisp from my Test Kitchen Tuesday series—just give the blueberries and raspberries some time to defrost before you start cooking.

Most fruit can be frozen for 2-6 months, depending on the variety. If you see freezer burn, that’s usually sign it’s time to discard!

2. Leafy greens

You know I’ve got dark leafies squirreled away wherever I can keep ‘em! Pick up pre-chopped and frozen spinach, kale and collards at the store for tossing in sauces, soups, stews, casseroles and grain/pasta bowls. Or make this delish plant-based Spinach Artichoke Dip for your next movie night… YUM!

And those fresh greens languishing in your veggie drawer in the fridge? Give them new life by washing and chopping them, throwing them in a reusable bag, then tossing them in the freezer to be used later for green smoothies. I’d steer clear of freezing lettuce for salads, though, because the thawed greens won’t be crisp anymore. You can keep most greens in the freezer for 10-12 months.

3. Sprouted whole grain bread

I know that just seeing the word “bread” might make you break into a cold sweat because of all the mixed messages out there about carbs. But I’m here to tell you that it can be part of a healthy, gut-friendly diet (read more about why I love grains here). I usually stick with sprouted, whole grain bread because it contains more vitamins and minerals than your standard processed white bread. Plus, it’s easier to digest and a lot more satisfying!

My favorite sprouted whole grain bread is Ezekiel, which you can find already frozen in many stores. You can make easy vegan meals in a snap by grabbing a couple slices from the freezer and popping them in the toaster. Top ‘em with avocado, crushed red pepper and hemp seeds for breakfast. Or make a hearty sandwich for lunch with Save the Tuna Salad, tomatoes, lettuce and mustard.

Most store-bought bread stays good in the freezer for 3-5 months, and I use the same guidelines for homemade bread. Just make sure to label it so you can check the date when in doubt!

4. Veggie burgers

I always keep veggie burgers in my freezer because they’re so versatile. Top a salad or grain bowl, roll into a burrito, press on a panini or pile high on a bun with all the fixins—so many scrumptious (and simple!) possibilities.

If you’re buying burgers at the store, look for options with minimal ingredients. Also keep an eye on the salt, saturated fat and additives, which can be high in prepared foods. I love the frozen veggie burgers from Hilary’s and Sunshine Burgers!

Or make your own, like these Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Burgers from Crazy Sexy Kitchen. Freeze them in a single layer or stack with parchment paper between each patty to prevent them from sticking together. Homemade burgers are usually good in the freezer for up to 2 months!

5. Cooked whole grains and beans

Whole grains and beans are staples in a healthy, plant-based diet. And while you can usually find that stuff pre-made (canned beans for example), the homemade varieties are extra delicious. But you might not always have the time to cook up a batch of chickpeas or brown rice for dinner at the end of a long day. Luckily, they can be cooked in bulk and stored in the freezer for next week’s (or month’s!) easy vegan meals.

Try these pro tips for freezing grains and beans:

Spoon single portions (or however many you’ll use for a meal if you’re cooking for others) of grains and beans into silicone or other eco-friendly baggies.

Stack bags on top of each other in the freezer to save space. If you’re putting them on a wire shelf, lay down a piece of parchment paper first to keep your grains and beans from settling in the cracks.

Grains and beans keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

6. Mixed veggies

Some days, you just don’t wanna chop. Ya feel me? And those are often the same days when you really need a hearty, comforting meal that would normally require a lot of prep. That’s when frozen veggie mixes really shine!

You can usually find good combos in the freezer section of the grocery store. I always keep some mixes with mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, onions and broccoli on hand for stir fries. Just sauté them with some organic, non-GMO tofu and sauce, and you’re good to go! You can even use a pre-made sauce in a pinch. Just avoid anything with artificial ingredients, added sugars or animal products, and keep an eye on the amount of sodium per serving (anything greater than 400 mg per serving is considered a high-sodium food).

Sure, frozen veggies probably aren’t as cost-effective as buying and chopping fresh produce, but shortcuts like these can be life-savers on nutty days. And it’s ok to take shortcuts sometimes, toots. Knowing when and how to do that is part of taking care of your sweet self!

7. Complete meals

Is it just me, or is the best kind of meal one that’s already done?! When I have extra time or am feeling inspired in the kitchen, I seize the opportunity and make big batches of soups, stews, casseroles, etc. to freeze and eat later.

For example, one of my favorite easy vegan meals is this 1-Pot Lentil, Potato and Spinach Soup from my Test Kitchen Tuesday series. It’s filling, loaded with plant-powered nutrition and super simple to make. I usually make a double batch and freeze the second half in individual portions for up to 2 months. Easy peasy!

Here are some more ideas for cooking and storing complete vegan freezer meals:

Before making a lasagna or casserole that you intend to freeze, line the baking pan with parchment paper. Once it’s frozen, you can simply lift the food out of the pan and transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag.

Pour individual portions of soups and stews into muffin tins and put them in the freezer for several hours. Once frozen, pop ‘em out of the tins and store in freezer-safe containers or bags. They’ll defrost much faster that way!

A few days before you’re ready to eat your homemade frozen meals, move them to the refrigerator to defrost. If you don’t remember to do that in advance, you can also defrost on low heat in the oven or on the stovetop.

Mmmm… I’m over here drooling just thinking about all the delicious, easy vegan meals you’re gonna create with your fully stocked freezer. And if you want to take your kitchen game to a new level, don’t forget to grab your free pantry checklist here!

Your turn: What’s your favorite freezer staple? Let me know in the comments below!

Peace & freezer foodies,

The post How to Stock Your Freezer for Easy Vegan Meals appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

[woolfoot-blog]

How to Tell if it’s Time for a New Boiler

If you suspect that your boiler may by on the blink, or about to shut its eyes completely, then it’s time to start considering investing in a new one. You should also ensure it is fitted by a reputable boiler installation company. For services specialising in boiler installation Leeds has a range of approved installers, but it is first worth identifying the key signs that suggest that your boiler is reaching its retirement age.

The Often-Underappreciated Home Appliance

Boilers are perhaps the most underappreciated home appliance and readily taken for granted. Just think about it. A wonder of engineering; a provider of warmth and hot water; in short – a deity amongst home appliances.

A boiler works hard all of its life, locked away in a darkened cupboard with no one to socialise with. Not like your lazy kitchen appliances, such as Mrs. Toaster, Mr. Kettle and Mr. Microwave – who stand around chatting and doing nothing for the majority of the day.

These other lazy home appliances will simply stop working when they can’t be bothered anymore. The loyal boiler, however, will continue chugging along bravely until he can chug along no more.

How Will My Boiler Let Me Know That He’s Getting Too Old to Work?

Similar to the manner in which people nearing retirement age will complain about aches and pains and grumble about having had enough of work, a boiler’s pipes will start to rumble and its outer casing will start to shake. This is a sure sign that it is time to book your boiler or Oil Boiler Repair Leeds on to a well-deserved, first-class coach trip to a retirement home in used-boiler-land!

Along with these signs of Boiler Old Age, here are some of the other key signs to look out for:

Not So Hot to Trot

If you notice that your radiators are taking longer than usual to heat up, then this is an indicator that your boiler is nearing the end of its working life. Indeed, older boilers risk a drop in efficiency levels of 50% to 70%.

Similarly, if you have to increase the temperature on your thermostat to a level higher than usual to get hot running water, then this is another sign of reduced performance from your boiler.

Decreased Performance = Increased Bills

This drop in efficiency will affect your energy bills. Not only will your boiler release energy to your radiators at a slower rate but the boiler will also have to work much harder and use more energy to achieve higher temperatures in the first place.

Boiler Incontinence

Another key sign of Boiler Old Age is if your boiler is leaking. This wastes water and energy, causes structural damage to your property and poses an increased danger if any electrical outlets/products are within close proximity to the boiler.

When Should I Get a New Boiler

It is recommended that you replace your boiler every ten years. Whilst the outlay for a new boiler is expensive it can help you to make savings in the long-term. These savings come in the form of optimum performance and efficiency levels, in addition to the big savings that can be made on boiler insurance.

Optimum Performance

A new boiler with an efficiency rating of ‘A’ will provide you with a performance level of 90%. In contrast, older boilers with an efficiency rating of ‘G’ operate at 70%.

In terms of savings, an ‘A’ rated boiler saves an average of £320 per year more than a ‘G’ rated boiler. So, over the course of ten years, a correctly installed and serviced boiler can save you in the region of £3000 on energy bills.

Reputable Installers

The importance of boiler installation or Boiler Repair Leeds should not be overlooked. A professional boiler installation service and care plan can make a big difference in providing you with an optimum service from your boiler in the long run. Reputable boiler installation companies will offer you a ten-year guarantee on their products, fit your new boiler safely and offer you both advice and servicing so as to maintain a healthy and happy boiler.

Boiler Installation Leeds

If you have identified any of the previously noted problems with your boiler and it is over ten years old, then it may be time to start considering getting a new boiler and finding a reputable installer. If you are looking for businesses specialising in boiler installation Leeds has a selection of professionals based in the centre and the surrounding area.

[ineedthislikeaholeinthehead]

2016 Year in Fic

I did this last here (here it is) and it was fun, so I did it again.  I’m not gonna tag anyone, but you should do it, too!

Fic List

(For me, I’m only counting finished works, but if you end up doing it, decide for yourself what counts.)

1. “...why would I care?” (Jon/Lin) This was a test the waters fic-  at the time there were less than 30 fics on AO3 for this obviously wonderful pairing, so the community was still pretty tiny.  I got butt hurt about the way they demanded my compliance on an intentional publishing choice, so even though I really like this pairing, I’m never gonna publish in it again. (I don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse for the fandom- probably doesn’t make much of a difference at all)  Cute fic though.  I stand by the fact that it’s adorable. (2,167 words)

2. A Captain meets a Pilot (Chris Pine/Oscar Isaac)  Pictures of Chris Pine and Oscar Isaac at D23 together surfaced.   I will (and do) ship Chris Pine with anything, so this just seemed like a no brainer. (1,461 words)

3. A Study in Backlit Light (Pinto) Zach lives in New York and instagrammed a picture of him looking lonely at the same time that Chris was in NYC.  Why not? (448 words)

4. I have a type (Richlee and Rich/Lee/Raul Esparza) Raul Esparza looks a little like Richard Armitage.  And Lee and he were on Pushing Daisies together.  Then he and Richard were on Hannibal together.  It really makes perfect sense to me, Bryan Fuller was obviously creating a situation for Lee (and my) dreams to come true (6,221 words)

5. Legendary Weapons (RichLee) What the fuck did Richard name his penis? (197 words)

6. To Try for the Sun (Stucky) My first (and currently only) Stucky!  Based on the song of the same title. (1,946 words)

7. Five times Zach said “Goddamnit, Pine!” (And one time Chris did) (Pinto) I just re read this.  Zach’s such a dick to my poor Princess Whitelaw.  From the kink meme. (1,230 words)

8. Knights of Desire (Merthur- but really Merlin/Everyone) I actually haven’t finished this one yet.  But I will get that Merlin/Arthur ending scene done eventually. (9391 words)

9. Very Man-Crushy (Michael Fassbender/Chris Pine) My beloved Pie said he had a man crush (terrible phrase) on Fassy, so of course someone needed to write them fucking (of course!) (2,358 words)

10. Supporting Actor (Richlee)  This was a prompt!  Richard and Lee make a bet that if they win an Emmy they have to come out. I love coming out stories! (6,390 words)

11. I don’t know if I see it ~or~ 5 times Chris broke his glasses (and the one time Zach did) (Pinto) Another kink meme prompt. Are the 5:1 stories supposed to be snippets or are they supposed to be like mini chapters?  I can only make the mini chapters kind. (3,433 words)

12. Just a little more (RichLee)  Awesome tumblr fanart is awesome.  So I wrote something to go with it. (385 words)

13. Exactly the Right Mistake (RichLee)  This was supposed to be a short little thing for “take your fandom to work” day.  It kinda morphed. (21,121 words)

14. Cracked Love (Crack) My wife gave me a crack ship prompt (VCR/VHS) and I thought up some (Marble/Vacuum, Fork/Toaster) to see if I could do it. She says I did. (711 words)

15. Princess, Prisoner, Priceless (Greek Mythology) There was a writing contest- a really weird one that said “No fan fic need apply- just write about your favorite fairytales reimagined with smut.” and like… isn’t that exactly what fan fiction is?  I think they were looking for like, The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast (But they also said not beastiality, so wtf?)  but I went with the tale of Danae, Mother of Perseus (slayer of Medusa) because I’m a fucking dork. (4,924 words)

16. You’re Never Really Alone (Charles Xavier/Erik Lensherr) I started to get into Cherik when Apocalypse came out. That is all. (2,113 words)

17. Teacher’s Pet (Peter Maximoff/Mystique) I started getting into Quicksilver when Apocalypse came out, too. (768 Words)

18. Prosciutto and Cheese (Hank McCoy/Peter Maximoff) There is not nearly enough fic in this pairing. (991 words)

19. How Peter Got His Groove Back (Hank McCoy/Mystique, Charles Xavier/Erik Lensherr, Peter is all alone) That Father/Son dynamic between Erik and Peter is just too much.  I had to explore it somehow. (3,979 words)

20. Traveling Soldier (RichLee) *Le Sigh*  I try to rein myself in, I try to keep my stuff interesting, but just like Sex, Love and Rock’n’Roll the year before, I can’t seem to keep it interesting enough for an audience.  Oh well.  I’m still really proud of this Vietnam Era AU- and if everything I’m proud of isn’t popular, who cares, as long as I enjoy it- that’s what fic is really about, right? (10,621 words)

21. Daphne (Richlee) There really isn’t enough Richard and Lee kid fic, IMHO.  (1,641 words)

22. Blueberry Yum Yum (Peter Maximoff/Kurt Wagner, Jean Grey/Scott Summers/Jubilation Lee) Have you ever heard that song? I’m kinda in love with Nightsilver, I can’t believe I haven’t written more of it.  (751 words)

Total Word Count: 85,387 words

Overall Thoughts: Well, I’ve drastically reduced my word count for this year. But I also seem to have stopped writing at the same time that I’d gone prolific in 2015.  And we all know what a terrible year this was.  I’m going to try not to beat myself up for the word count.  If I’m counting this right, I wrote for 11 different fandoms and a lot more pairings, compared to 7 fandoms last year. And I did do a little original fic- though definitely not enough finished!  I even managed to write a little poetry (which is always a yay-but-ugh sort of feeling) So I’m maybe not doing as much, but I’m stretching myself in some new ways, and that’s always nice.

Personal Best Story: Princess, Prisoner, Priceless.  It’s almost an original fic.  I’m getting there.  Plus, it was a lot of fun to research.  I’m sad that it’s not going to go anywhere, and there’s not much of a fandom to find it, but I still think it was pretty well done- and there was straight (ish- I’m not gonna claim Zeus is straight because that fucker is the most pansexual deity in existence) sex, which I’m always worried about getting wrong.

Personal Favorite Story: Traveling Soldier I just really, really loved this whole idea.  I don’t know why I wanted to write it- We were doing a challenge for Richard’s birthday and it was a lot of fun in that respect, but I have no idea what drove me to write about Army doctors and their teen-aged boyfriends.

Most Underappreciated Story: Cracked Love This is a story about a VCR and a VHS Tape.  I can’t actually expect anyone to find that, can I?  Do people even know what those are anymore? I’m not as tore up this year about not getting any attention.  Hopefully, that means I’m growing up a little, lol.

Most Popular Story: So, Apparently it’s Knights of Desire (?) Which I guess makes sense, most of my pairings are so much more random and rare, where as Merthur is much more popular ship.  Yay for that- though I’m sure my story gets lost in the mix of everyone else’s, comparatively.  There’s a lot of good stuff out there for them.

Story with the Sexiest Moment: I feel like I wrote a lot of smut this year, but apparently none of it published (yet)  There’s some car stuff that happens in Exactly the Right Mistake that really worked on me.

Most “Holy Crap That’s Wrong Even for Me” Moment: I wrote about a fork and a toaster falling in love.  I don’t know how I’m ever gonna beat that.

Story That Shifted My Perceptions of a Character: How Peter Got his Groove Back is really just a character study between Peter and Erik, and I really enjoyed allowing myself to do that with those two.

Most Fun to Write: Cracked Love. Definitely.  I mean, once you just throw your inhibitions and your sanity to the winds and just start writing to see if you can, you’d be amazed at what can happen.  It’s fucking fantastic.

Hardest Story to Write: “...why would I care?”  It’s not that the story was so hard to write- Jon and Lin fic basically write itself.  It was the reaction I got to the fact that I had left it unlocked. This year not as much, but my primary interest is and always has been writing RPF.  And I almost always keep it unlocked for a very specific reason- people are nervous about RPF, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to read it.  So I want to make sure that anyone who doesn’t have an account and still wants to read about anyone I happen to write can still get to it.  It’s never been a problem in the other two fandoms that I’ve been in- Pinto and RichLee.  Some people might lock their work, but no one has ever come onto one of my stories and demanded that I change mine, and here I was within days of posting in this very tiny community, getting told by numerous people that I HAD to lock it, and that I was being over dramatic- not by making a big fuss over it (which I hadn’t even gotten a chance to do) but by not automatically locking the work.  The irony, of course, of a fandom getting nervous about RPF about LIN MANUEL MIRANDA, whose current success is 100% DUE to his SONG FIC RPF, and who has literally posted VIDEO of him doing the exact same thing as the “naughtiest” thing I wrote them doing (kissing, I wrote Jon and Lin kissing and apparently that needed to be hidden, lest either of them find it) is not lost on me. I know it’s been almost a year, and I should totally be over this, but I’m not.  Because it reminds me how hypocritical people can be about RPF, which is just plain stupid.

Favorite OC: Elpis from Princess, Prisoner, Priceless. I’m not really much for original characters in fic (I say that, but I honestly have no clue if my stats back that up) but Elpis is super cute and I love her.

Biggest Surprise: Honestly? Finding out that  Knights of Desire  was my most popular story right now just surprised me.  I didn’t expect that at all!

Most Unintentionally Personal Story: Well, this doesn’t count as “unintentional” because it was for the “Take Your Fandom to Work” Challenge, but Exactly the Right Mistake put Lee in a very similar situation to mine- alcoholic non-profit office drone with not a lot of prospects.  And while HE gets to go off with amazing billionaire Richard, I’m still stuck here for the rest of my life.  Kinda a downer, really.  Still, a lot of fun to write.  

Favorite Lines/Scenes:

Just a little more  The fan art this was based on was ~amazing~

Sir Mordred in Knights of Desire I really love Alexander Vlahos, but I also really, really love hate-fucking.

This is so cheesy, but I really love it: “A M67 hand grenade has a fatality radius of 16 feet.  Richard could throw one 100 feet.  The feeling of hearing a M67 go off, hoping it’s far enough, secretly hoping it hits nothing at all.  Kissing Joe was exactly the opposite of that feeling.”  (From  Traveling Soldier )

Lines/Scenes I’d Like to Change: I dunno.  I tend not to go back with fic.  Just forward and hopefully upwards in terms of writing.  But who really knows?  I’d like to go further with some stories.  There’s a whole second half to Exactly the Right Mistake that I’ll never write. And I’d love to do a whole series of sexy myths a la Princess, Prisoner, Priceless but time wise, I just don’t know that I’ll ever have it in me.

Top Five Scenes I Wish Could Be Illustrated:

Everyone laying around getting high in Blueberry Yum Yum

Richard and Lee holding their baby in Daphne

Depressed Chris in Five times Zach said “Goddamnit, Pine!” (And one time Chris did)

Bucky and Steve hiding from trouble Steve caused in To Try for the Sun

Peter and Erik playing basketball in How Peter Got His Groove Back

2016 Writing Ambitions:

O-Fic would be nice  Did some (but need to do more!)

Finishing those Pintos I worked on them, but I didn’t finish any of them.  

Finishing that RichLee threesome that’s staring at me angrily Done!

RichLee Divers AU I opened this up a few times, the ideas are still solid, but I don’t know if I’ll ever sit down and do anything other than fiddle with my outline.

RichLee 60′s NYC AU As god as my witness, this WILL happen… some day.  I just don’t know when.

Jon/Lin Fics (They practically fic themselves) Did one.  Never again.

Hamilton Fic I still kinda want to, but I’m not sure now if I feel comfortable.

Star Wars TFA Fic (Poe/Finn/Rey)  UGHHHH!  I am so mad I missed this.  I didn’t know I was going to get obsessed with X-men, that’s what really fucked me over!!!

I dunno, tie up all the rest of the shit I’ve been working on  God, I got barely anywhere with this.

2017 Writing Ambitions:

More O-fic

Finishing those Pintos  (a girl can dream, huh?)

RichLee 60′s NYC AU

The sequel to According to Plan is still sitting halfway done in my drafts…

Star Wars TFA Fic (Poe/Finn/Rey)

I’d really like to work on the Cary Grant/Randy Scott story in my head

Or that story about Mary Shelley’s half sister, Fanny Imlay.

And maybe one or two of the screenplays stuck in my notes folders?  It would be amazing to complete a screenplay this year.

I’m still really into Peter Maximoff, too.  I’d love to write a real full story about him- though I’d have to stop shipping him with literally everyone first.  (Or maybe not.  Hmmmm….)