#this is your chance to suck someone new into your fandom

[renshengs]

hmm i do think that danmei and dangai (censored danmei cdrama adaptations) being many non-chinese fandom people's first impression of chinese media has given them some misconceptions about mainstream chinese media, and it shows in a way that i find very frustrating when seeing discussions about cdramas on here. dangai dramas aside, even if government censorship didn't exist, the chances of your favorite cdrama gay ship becoming canon is about as high as the chances of any of those iconic homoerotic male friendships in a western TV show becoming canon. which is to say: extremely low.

what i think is that internationally huge danmei fandoms like mdzs and tgcf and drama adaptations like cql and shl have really fucked with people's conceptualization of danmei, in that they're using it as this reference point when analyzing relationships in all other forms of cn media, including cdramas and chinese games, which then manifests into people making very bold, very dubious claims about "queercoding" because 2 characters from a random cdrama reminds them of the one or two danmeis they'd encountered that shaped their entire perception of chinese media. basically it's this meme:

many people here need to understand that cdramas and chinese films are obviously mainstream forms of fictional media in china, just like how the mcu or the doctor who franchise is mainstream in the US and UK, or like shonen is mainstream in japan. not to burst your bubble of happy ignorance, but homoromantic relationships such as qingming/boya from the ying yang master are—for lack of a better term—fujobait. they are fujobait. bromances, because those sell well and everyone knows it. popular ships like bakudeku were not actually made canon in mha because shonen is mainstream, and in most industries geared toward maximizing capital, having full-on gay people front and center is considered a monetarily risky move. which sucks, of course, but china is absolutely no different. i promise you that if the govt removed their censorship laws for TV broadcasts, your favorite gay ship from mysterious lotus casebook or the blood of youth or fangs of fortune still wouldn't be canon. they might be allowed a bit more intimacy due to the lack of restrictive filtering, but they are not going to be sucking face for the same reason that gojo and geto from jjk didn't suck face.

danmei is still widely considered niche and risky in china, and if you haven't seen the recent news, authors are still getting arrested for writing it. assuming that chinese fiction, mainstream chinese fiction in particular, operate like dangais where the two guys with the most gay tension would be made explicitly canon were the censors to be lifted, is frankly pretty ridiculous. dangai dramas are adapted from danmeis, which are stories centered on a gay romance and narratively depend on the two guys falling in love. non-dangai dramas are very much... not that, hence why people shouldn't watch them expecting a censored danmei and then forcing assumptions of "my ship would be canon if only it weren't for censorship" on them.

it's very clear when someone who knows absolutely nothing about the actual situation with danmei and queer existence and mainstream TV censorship in china is trying to push their, if i put it crudely, "boss baby meme" perspective onto cmedia. fandom is all about poking at interactions between your favorite characters and giggling and speculating, but i think lots of fandom people (many of them safe in the pockets of their more progressive areas) view govt censorship as this big abstract dam that, if broken, would result in the canonization of all their favorite ships, which is not only an incredibly naive belief but also one that shows how much they view TV censorship as more of a personal inconvenience that's preventing their favorite ships from kissing on screen instead of the looming, deep-rooted issue depriving mainland chinese people of creative freedom it actually is. with cmedia fandoms there's a specific widely popularized "they're so gay omg how did censorship not notice" gag when there's any perceived homoromantic undertones in a story that's both rather insensitive and also ignorant, and many dangai and cdrama fandoms in particular (donghua fans too, link click shippers i'm looking directly at you) could really use some more education and sensitivity regarding this.

i've been in danmei & cdrama fandom spaces for years and post-pandemic this kind of nonsense has definitely gotten worse, especially when you compare shipping discussions here to shipping discussions in cn fandoms. here every 2 seconds someone makes an off-color censorship joke about tgcf donghua and over on douyin they are straight up commenting under the nezha sequel announcement post if there's going to be an oubing kissing scene. granted i obviously cannot see or know everything going on in cn fandom spaces because they are incomprehensibly enormous, but in all the spaces i've been in i've never seen a single censorship joke from anyone. why do people here absolutely insist on making them?

anyway. fandom be normal about chinese media challenge!

[kallypsowrites]

I feel like I've seen so many TV cancellation announcements for stuff that I might've watched but now might not. And it really just emphasizes how much the current system is eating itself.

Binge culture means that people are expected to consume a show right as it drops. Because so many shows are binged now, even weekly shows are held to the same standard. If they don't perform well during the initial release, they are written off because binge numbers are the numbers that matter.

So you get more and more people who are afraid to get invested in shows because it might get canceled on a cliffhanger. Because of that, they don't tune in to watch something until they're sure its going to continue. So the next bingeable show gets less viewers. It gets canceled. More people join the 'I'm not going to watch yet because I'm afraid to get invested' crowd. Less people watch TV.

And it sucks because people like this are often the most ardent fans of a work--the ones who will write fanfiction and make fanart and write long analytical posts convincing people to watch a show. The people who will make a new show their whole personality because that's how hyperfixation works. I am amongst that crowd. I can't let myself get invested in something anymore unless I know that I'm going to get emotional payoff.

TV execs have been continuously breaking trust with fandom spaces for the past several years. They don't give shows a chance to find their legs, to grow an audience, to gain a cult following. They kill something in it's cradle in service to the numbers.

And it's not just the fans who suffer because of this. It's writer's rooms. I'm going to school right now for screenwriting and its BAD out there. So many writers who pour their heart and soul into a concept only to never get to bring it to fruition. There's no room for slow burns. For thoughtful storytelling. For trusting the audience. There's no room for real creativity. So the shows that do get renewed are often competent but uninspired or sequel/franchise content. Cause that's what gets views.

I cannot imagine how disheartening it is as a writer to start so many projects and never get to finish them. Think about your own writing. If you were working on a fanfiction but knew at any moment someone could stop you updating because you aren't getting enough hits/kudos, would you find joy in that anymore? I sure wouldn't.

I believe that a lot of the best storytelling is going to come out of indie spaces in the next few years--writers and artists moving outside of Hollywood and making their own low budget stories. Because it's almost impossible to thrive within the current system.

It's not the writer's fault. It's not the fan's fault. It's the way TV has become. And its going to crash and burn and I'm sure execs will find a way to blame anything but the system they created.

[nights-at-crystarium]

As a twitter/tumblr user since 2010-2011, I believe I have sufficient grounds to say that currently we as a community are living through the scariest, shittiest time yet. This post isn’t trying to fearmonger, no I’m not leaving tumblr until it literally keels over, but I suggest that we don’t put all our eggs in one basket.

If twitter/tumblr stay usable, great! In the worse scenario, you’d have kept posting on a new platform and stayed ahead of the curve.

This post shares my personal experience with three potential “new”* fandom places, and is aimed to help fellow content creators. I’m an artist fully depending on internet to survive, my reasoning may not apply to you if you’re a hobbyist. Do your own research, it’s always healthy. * Pillowfort and mastodon have been around for 5+ years, bluesky is ~2 years old.

Discovering new people to follow kinda sucks on all three platforms, twitter and tumblr are eons ahead, but, given the recent chaos and uncertainty, I’m willing to be patient, keep posting on those, and feel safer than I would’ve otherwise been. More baskets good, one basket bad.

All three have poor visual customization, don’t expect custom tumblr themes.

This list starts with the least popular, but most human and easy to join, and what I personally trust the most. All three allow nsfw if labeled properly.

✦ Pillowfort is a barebones tumblr. Intuitive, cozy, but currently very, very small. Be patient with its clunkiness or lack of some features, it’s made by an AO3-like team. I’d personally love if the fandom crowd managed to redirect its attention to it instead of the sus bluesky.

Joining: is free, invite-only, but the waitlist is nearly instant.

Lurk around on their official tumblr: @/pillowfort-social

✦ Mastodon, for me personally, is impossible to explain directly. I’ll use several comparisons.

- Discord but all servers can interact. You’re still on a server curated by some human(s) that might tell you what you can and can’t post, BUT, if you don’t like that server’s policy, you can move to a new one while keeping your followers. - Email, users A and B may be registered on different domains, still they can talk. It’s a weird comparison, but fediverse (please I’m not explaining THAT but it’s a good thing) in general looks like another email story: unlike big sites that come and go, it might stand the test of time. - Someone compared mastodon’s structure to xiv’s dc and servers, if you look at its domain names that way, it might be easier to understand.

Depending on user, mastodon may feel gatekeepy/snowflakey. I haven’t spent enough time on there to form a proper opinion yet, but a warning’s due.

An actually good and hopeful thing about mastodon AND tumblr: the two might start interacting in future. Ever lamented that your fav asian artists don’t use tumblr? If they use misskey, or any other place on the fediverse, it might be possible to follow them directly from tumblr in future, and vice versa.

Joining: is free, however some servers close for new members sometimes, and have human moderators reviewing your request.

✦ Bluesky is a twitter without Musk: today’s average internet user reads this, drops everything and already looks to register there. It’s still sus, but people flock to it like crazy. Most likely to become the next big fandom place in my eyes, even if I’m not happy about that.

I personally have no good feelings about bluesky. Same as twitter, which I hated even before the 2018 tumblr exodus, yet the crowd decided to make it The New Fandom Place, and, grudgingly, I had to give up and also join them in 2022. During the year I haven’t stopped despising twitter, yet, I can’t deny that it helped me survive. I estimate half of my patrons, and, hell, even tumblr audience, comes from twitter. So, if bluesky ends up being the next hot shit, I’ll have to keep up because internet pays for my living.

Joining: is free but hell, invite-only, the waitlist is a lie, your best chance to join is a direct invite.

This’s all I’ve got to say for now. If you have a correction or an addition, replies/reblogs are welcome!

Screenshots of the current interfaces under the cut, you may spy on my profiles o/

Pillowfort

Mastodon.art

Bluesky

[sleepingdeath-light]

ranpo edogawa smut hcs ; 18+

requested by ; nobody / self indulgent

fandom(s) ; bungo stray dogs

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; ranpo edogawa

outline ; “smut hcs for ranpo”

note ; may be a bit shaky in terms of characterisation as i haven’t written for this character before, may come back and tweak this in the future…

warning(s) ; sexually explicit content, dominant-leaning!ranpo, mean dom!ranpo, brat!ranpo, food play, somnophilia, praise kink, edging, overstimulation

minors and ageless blogs will be blocked

ranpo is a switch by nature but it’s not often that you’ll get the chance to truly dominate him in the bedroom — of course there are times where he wants nothing more than to sit back and be pampered by his adoring dom/domme after a long day of solving cases that everyone else is too stupid to crack themselves, and there are certainly times where he’ll get all whiny and bratty in an effort to get your attention back on him when he feels like you’re neglecting him, but nine times out of ten when you two are being intimate its the world’s greatest detective that’s holding the reins

a lazy lover by nature, ranpo prefers to have sex with you on top doing most (or even all) of the work — ideally this means you riding him in the ‘cowgirl’ or ‘reverse cowgirl’ position while he gets to sit back and take in the view, but if you ask him nicely enough then he can be convinced to spread his legs and let you fuck him with your strap/cock (just don’t expect him to get any more active now that you’re inside of him, if anything he becomes even more of a pillow prince when you do this)

as a dom he can get rather mean, putting his powers of observation to good use by ensuring you never have a moment’s peace when you’re in his vicinity (unless you use a safe word, of course; he may be cruel, but he’s not a monster!) — this usually translates to him teasing the hell out of you in public in ways that are subtle enough to not tip anyone else off about what he’s really saying and doing, but he also uses his intense familiarity with you and your body to edge and deny you in the bedroom until he gets whatever it is he wants from you

as touched upon earlier, when he’s in a more submissive mood ranpo gets extremely needy and demanding of your attention and affection — and if you happen to be distracted by something (or someone) else and he feels at all neglected by you as a result then he’ll turn into a complete and utter brat who can and will make your life a whole lot more difficult than it needs to be until you either give into his demands (ideal for him) or put him in his place (not ideal but still enjoyable enough for him)

he’s a big fan of food play and often goes out of his way to bring home sweet foods that he knows are completely safe for you both to play with — of course there are the standard items like whipped cream or chocolate sauce, but ranpo is much more adventurous than that and is always eager to branch out and test out which new flavour and texture combinations work best with the taste of your release (frankly this is one of the only times where ranpo will be active and engaged in the bedroom, so enjoy it while it lasts!)

ranpo excels at dirty talk because he’s quick to pick up on what gets you hot and bothered — whether you’re more into degradation or praise or if you prefer him to mix them together, whether you get harder/wetter from his voice when he’s whispering his words against the shell of your ear or when he’s teasing you in his normal speaking voice, what you like him to call you and what tone he should use when he’s saying it, what phrases get the best reactions out of you, and so on… all things that he picks up on pretty much the first time you two sleep together and that he continues to make use of for the rest of your relationship

he loves being woken up by you either fucking yourself on his cock or sucking him off after he’s had a wet dream — nothing beats it in his eyes and he swears waking up like that gives him much more energy to deal with the day ahead of him

he can enjoy giving and receiving mild amounts of pain (e.g. playful spanking, leaving hickeys on each other, and some light hair pulling), but refuses to engage in anything more extreme (such as knife play or breath play) — yes he knows how to participate in those kinks safely, and yes he can understand the appeal of those kinks on paper, but he refuses to engage in anything that runs a risk of causing either of you real harm and that’s one limit of his that will never change

ranpo has a massive praise kink and loves hearing you tell him how good he’s making you feel, how amazing he is, how much you love him, and so on — and if you happen to combine it with some begging for his touch (bonus points if it’s for his frustratingly talented tongue or his cock) then you’re all but guaranteed to have an eventful evening ahead of you

because of his intimate familiarity with your body ranpo is extremely good at both edging and overstimulating you, skills that he takes full advantage of when he’s dominating you — e.g. edging you until you say what he wants you to or until he’s bored of doing so, and then overstimulating you until you’re in tears and either clearly too far gone to continue or lucid enough to call the safe word before you get to that point

his approach to aftercare varies depending on what role he was in and how intense your session together was — e.g. if he was submitting to you then he expects to be pampered and will act rather childish and entitled to the ‘princess treatment’ from you, whereas if he was dominating you he’ll remain lighthearted and teasing while also subtly checking you over for any injuries and just generally making sure you’re okay (he might even share some of his snacks with you if he’s feeling nice enough… might being the key word there)

[chaggiehearts]

I'm gonna be brutally honest: I think it'd be far more satisfying to watch Lute redeeming herself than dying as a villain.

I know a large part of the fandom hates her (although thankfully most people here on Tumblr don't) and I'm not gonna act like I don't understand why. She's a sadistic genocidal woman who won't hesitate to hurt everyone that goes against her corrupted morality. Even outside the series, her words and beliefs might remind a lot of viewers of extremist Christians, and since a lot of us are LGBT we might be reminded of ugly things we've been told in the past (I'll admit that even though I don't interpret that scene as her being homophobic, the "Their love is vile and blasphemous" comment might hurt me if I watch that scene when I'm feeling too sensitive). Lute is clearly not a good person and the series doesn't try to hide this fact at all, specially given her fixation with hurting/mutilating/killing Vaggie. Even though she's my 3rd fave character, I admit that she kinda sucks as a person.

However, I think that all the arguments on why she's irredeemable fail to be convincing once you take something into account: Lute is the Vaggie that never left her Exorcist position.

Their characters are clearly parallels and meant to be narrative foils. Vaggie is what Lute could turn out to be if she admitted she's wrong. Vaggie is my favorite character but I can't deny that before her fall she was despicable too. We know that at the very least she killed 2,000 sinners (going by the "thousandS of Sinners" comment) and I highly doubt the actual amount is that low given the number of Sinners killed by Lute during last Extermination. My personal headcanon is that it's around 10,000-15,000, but we don't know, at least not yet. Vaggie WASN'T a good person, even if she had doubts from the very beginning (which we don't even know if it's true, let's be real here) she still did horrible things. She took part in the Exterminations and, according to Adam, she was one of the most efficient Exorcists (perhaps second only to Lute herself). This is why I adore the dynamic between them, because the mutual hatred comes from the rejection of certain ideals: Vaggie hates what she used to be in the past, which is represented by Lute, a perfect reflection of who she used to be, and Lute hates the idea that Exterminations might be wrong, that she might be wrong, that her entire worldview might be flawed, which is represented by Vaggie.

If Vaggie was able to redeem herself, if we can collectively agree that she regretted her actions and improved as a person, if we can understand that Hazbin's concept is that EVERYONE can be redeemed, even the worst villains, even the nastiest individuals, if we can see that the structure of the Exorcists greatly resembles a sect (I will analyze this better another day, but they're literally a patriarchal sect in which one has to adhere to all of their leader's beliefs and not doing so will result in abandonment, punishment and isolation from your entire circle), isn't it logical to think that Lute might reach the same conclusions as Vaggie one day? Why would Vaggie deserve compassion and forgiveness and a new life and not someone who's overall very similar to her? As I said before, yes, I do understand why people hate Lute more than Vaggie, specially given what she did to her, one of the protagonists, but they're not that different at all. The issue is that we've only seen evil Lute and good Vaggie so far, but the series might explore other aspects of their characters. Hazbin Hotel criticizes the black-and-white mentality of Heaven, Lute's very mentality that has led to what she is right now. Putting Vaggie in one end of a morality scale and Lute in the other is imho a flawed interpretation. They're both in a gray place, they're both complex people.

Lute is going to do horrible things in the future and, if I'm allowed to speculate, I heavily believe she's going to be worse than what Adam ever had the chance to be, way worse than Vaggie ever was. After losing Adam, revenge will probably make her go from evil to downright monster. And honestly, I want to see that fall, that corruption arc (does it count as a corruption arc when the character was already corrupted from the beginning?). I want Lute to metaphorically fall into the darkest pits of Hell. And you know what? I want her to get up after that, start a new life just like what Vaggie did. I think Lute searching for redemption would be a great test on Charlie's ideals, because she probably wouldn't be too enthusiastic about this idea (since her body language in Episode 8 clearly shows that she knows about what Lute did to Vaggie, her role in Vaggie's fall). I think something beautiful might come out of something like this happening. Charlie realizing that she doesn't have to personally empathize with someone to help them become a better person (and the whole concept of redemption being proven right because if someone like Lute can do it then literally anyone can), Lute seeing the error of her ways, growing and searching for the light she lost in the shadows and Vaggie empathizing with one of the residents in a deeper level. Even though Lute doesn't deserve Vaggie's forgiveness, I'd love to see Vaggie extending that forgiveness to her and seeing her past self in Lute, but this time not the merciless Exorcist Vaggie that she hates, but the hurt, lost and scared Vaggie that had just arrived in Hell after her worldview had been flipped entirely. If these two made amends, I think we would be able to see a very sweet new side of Vaggie, because even though she'd love to help Angel Dust, Husk, Cherri Bomb... She'll never fully get how they ended up down there. But she would get Lute, she'd understand how addictive bad actions can be for an Exorcist, the search for purpose and acknowledgement from Adam, the self-righteousness. If there's anyone in that hotel that would know what it's like to be an Exorcist that regrets her actions, that's Vaggie.

In the end, the only thing I'm sure of at the moment is that Lute's story is far from over. Things could go either way and redemption is a viable path for her. Who knows, maybe she'll do something so extremely evil in the future that I lose my faith in her ability to change after that, but for now I'm still holding onto that hope :)

[satari-raine]

With that line, "tell me what you meant by living past your half-life", it sounds like either he, Vessel, as the singer or someone else - maybe Sleep or whoever you might picture if there's a difference between the singing, rapping, and distorted voices - is speaking about the concept of living beyond a time where you were expecting to not know. (CW for: suicidal idealization, depression, and the like.)

It hit me instantly when I heard that line to the point where I cried right after hearing it for the second time. It made me think of someone who maybe is wanting to not live anymore for whatever reason, and how feeling so weighed down by one's mental state and that idealization can make it to where your life isn't as important as it maybe should be, or it's easy to get lost in the white noise of existing and not wanting to exist that it's hard to grasp onto chances or make the most of reality. Speaking (hopefully respectfully!) as someone who has/had those thoughts before.

It's almost like the act of the singer asking them to talk to or show them this something beyond a "half-life" that it almost seems like an affirmation, of sorts. Especially with the "come out from underneath of who you were" section that's before and that follows, that's so gentle and sounds patient, and a little curious. To me, I keep thinking of it almost like a kind of victory question or demand. Like a way to express that, well: "life has sucked, and it will suck again, but I'm glad you're still here despite everything."

It's interesting, too, I think. Um, like obviously the song's a bit polarizing with the rhythm among the fandom, with how it feels offbeat and makes you almost feel uneasy, or at least that's how it was for me? But I've been thinking about it and maybe that mimics the difficulty of emerging (no pun intended) from a difficult situation - you have to be uncomfortable with your status quo or with what's happening, and change is and can be uncomfortable but hopefully, in the end, it's worth it. It's worth it to shed who you were and find comfort in who you are now, in making it to a time in your life that you didn't expect.

I'm not too sure if I'm wording this right, it's just what's been sticking out to me, those two parts combined. And also in relation to a lot of the metaphors and references in the entire song, it seems to maybe reflect on overcoming something, getting a clearer picture, finding solace in the new. This might change as more songs get released since I tend to see them often as building on one another or connected somehow, but I hope that was a respectful way to word that silly train of thought.

[captainsophiestark]

Epiphany

Javi Rivera x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: Twisters

Day Two Prompt: "It's been a long time."

Summary: Javi's job bring him back into the same town as a sort-of-ex, but if he wants a chance at rekindling anything, he's going to have to answer for his decision to work for Riggs.

Word Count: 3,189

Category: Angst, Fluff

A/N: Happy spooky season everyone!

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I grinned as I lined up my shot on the dartboard ahead of me, ignoring the heckling of my friends and a few new competitors we'd met at the bar. I was the undefeated champ at darts, both tonight and in general, and I hadn't gotten here by letting people get in my head.

I let out a breath, completely focused on the center ring, and sent the dart flying in one smooth motion.

Bullseye. As planned.

I turned to my friends with a grin, enjoying their chorus of groans. While I wasn't completely undefeated for all time, I was undefeated tonight, and I was frankly having the time of my life.

"Okay, there's got to be somebody in this bar who can beat you," teased one of my friends, throwing an arm over my shoulder and turning to scan the rest of the patrons who hadn't been roped into our competition yet.

"I bet I could give it a shot."

I turned at the sound of the voice to see a man I hadn't seen in years.

Javi Rivera and I had met while we were both studying at Muskogee State College almost six years ago. We'd hit it off, going quickly from friends to dating, and after only a couple months, I'd started to be able to see a future with him. And then, three of his friends died in a tornado while they were trying to test their PhD project and secure grant funding.

I'd done my best to be there for Javi, but we'd pretty quickly realized he needed some space--from chasing, from school, from Oklahoma. From everything. Including me.

It sucked to say goodbye to someone I loved, but at the same time, I got it. We'd parted on pretty good terms, deciding for both our hearts it would be best for the break to be clean. I'd thought about him a thousand times since then, clean break or no, but I hadn't seen him once. Now, he was standing before me in the dive bar just outside my hometown, apparently challenging me to darts.

"...Javi?" I managed, a smile tugging at my face despite the shock and disbelief. He grinned back at me, holding his arms out but not making any move to close the distance.

"Hey. It's good to see you."

I grinned, quickly closing the rest of the space between us to wrap Javi in a hug.

"It's good to see you too! What are you doing here? ...How are you doing?"

He stepped back with a smaller smile on his own face, running a hand through his hair before he met my eyes again.

"Better. A lot better than the last time you saw me, actually. I'm working with a team that's researching tornados, trying to get better data to better understand them and hopefully make everybody safer as a result. My team's just passing through the area on our way to chase a some big cells developing further West, and we're staying in town for the night. I was really hoping I'd find you here."

"You know, I do have a phone. And I haven't changed my number."

He grinned. "That was going to be Plan C, if Plan A of finding you here and Plan B of finding you at another bar didn't work out."

I just shook my head and laughed.

"You know, there's a lot I could say about that, but I think instead I'm gonna settle for kicking your ass in darts."

"Oh, bring it on. I was watching you, I think you've lost your edge since the last time I saw you. And I can tell you right now, I haven't. I've only gotten better."

"Sure you have, Rivera. Come on, put your money where your mouth is. You start us off."

"If you insist."

Javi leaned in close, hitting me with a charming smile as he took his half of the darts out of my hand, taking his time and letting his fingers linger over mine. For a split second, it was like I was back in grad school again, spending weekends blowing off steam and occasionally working on our project from the back table of a bar. Then, he pulled back, turning his attention to the dartboard again.

"Loser buys drinks," he called as he drew his arm back, then let the dart fly. He hit an 18, but not on any of the score-multiplying rings. I grinned.

"You're on."

****************

Javi and I spent most of the rest of the night together, trading blows in darts and just catching up with each other again. To my delight, it had been like no time had passed since we'd last seen each other. We immediately fell back into the same happy, comfortable routine we'd had for years, and my heart did a happy little flip in my chest every time Javi leaned into me with the smile I loved so much.

We stayed out at the bar together long after my friends had left, hovering at a back table together until they kicked us out. Javi had walked to the bar from his hotel, so I gave him a ride back, the two of us lingering as clearly neither of us wanted to leave. When Javi finally hopped out of the car, it was only after we'd made plans to get together the next day, depending on the tornado situation.

Luckily for Javi and I, the forecast the following morning looked very calm. Javi texted me early, and we made plans to get together for lunch. I was practically walking on air as I drove into town, parking and hopping out to wait for Javi before heading inside. I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself, but having Javi back in my life even for these twelve hours or so had been amazing. I couldn't stop thinking about him, and frankly, I didn't want to.

Unfortunately, my happy little bubble got momentarily popped by a Storm Par truck pulling into the lot. I frowned and narrowed my eyes. They'd shown up in the area recently, swooping in like vultures and taking advantage of tragedy in the community to make a profit. If they were heading into the restaurant for lunch, Javi and I might need to find somewhere more peaceful to hang out.

I glowered at the truck, trying to project as much malice and disapproval as possible. Then the door popped open, and my heart stopped in my chest.

Javi climbed out of the driver's seat. He had on a Storm Par button down. He grinned and waved at me as soon as he saw me, but I couldn't do more than stare back. What the fuck was he doing?

"Hey! Sorry I'm a little late, I had a meeting this morning-"

"With Riggs?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. Javi stuttered a step, the smile on his face dimming a little as I crossed my arms. He came to a stop in front of me.

"I... what?"

"I think that's my line, Javi. What the hell are you doing? Why are you showing up here in Storm Par shit?"

"I told you I was chasing again-"

"You told me you were here researching tornados! Not conning grieving people out of their family homes!"

Javi took a step back, blinking like I'd physically slapped him across the face. I huffed, trying to get a hold of myself. I'd been almost shouting by the end of my speech, and I really didn't want to throw a scene in front of the restaurant.

"Listen, I get why you're mad," Javi started, holding up his hands like a peace offering. "But Riggs is funding research that's going to allow us to better understand how, why, and when tornados form, which will save lives. We're on our way to the most complete understanding of a tornado ever, and we never would've gotten here without Riggs investing and getting us this tech."

I'd started shaking my head after the second sentence, getting faster and faster until Javi finished speaking. I huffed a disbelieving laugh and took a half-step back towards my car.

"There are other ways to get grant money, Javi. Ways that don't include Riggs."

"Yeah, just ways that include risking everything going into an EF5 that got almost all of my best friends killed."

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. It had been a dream come true when Javi walked into the bar last night, but this was quickly turning into a nightmare. Hurt, anger, saddness, and disappointment formed their own little tornado in my chest, and I barely managed to keep my voice level as I met Javi's eyes again.

"I know what you went through when you lost your friends. I understand why you're making the choices you're making. But you know as well as I do that Riggs is taking advantage of people, actively hurting people in this community, and that all the data you bring him with your research is just going to make it easier for him to swoop in looking to make a profit after disasters, not bringing help before them."

"That's not what we're doing-"

"You might be able to convince yourself of that while you're riding around in your stupid trucks, but unlike you, I was born and raised here, and I never left. I know what's happening, I know the reputation your sponsor has earned for you, and frankly Javi? I want nothing to do with it. Any of it."

Javi huffed in surprise, then scowled.

"I take it to mean that includes me?"

I nodded, slowly at first, then faster and more confidently as I took a few more steps back.

"As long as you're going to keep enabling the vultures? Yeah, that does include you."

He huffed again, a humorless laugh, as he shook his head and shuffled around like he couldn't figure out how to react. It felt like a knife to my heart, but I didn't let myself hesitate before turning around and heading back to my car. I'd sat and cried with neighbors in the wake of tornados, trying to salvage anything we could in the wreckage, before polished looking guys in suits came in and way underpaid for properties, then left without lifting a finger to help a single living thing in the devastated area. If Javi was willing to be a part of that, then he was nothing like the man I'd known and loved before.

****************

I sighed, dropping an armful of books on the kitchen table. I still had a few things to bring up from the storm shelter, but I couldn't stop myself from sinking into the nearest chair. It had been a long few days.

Less than 48 hours after Javi and I had our fight, one of the worst tornados of the year had touched down much too close for comfort. It had done some significant damage to the next town over, although not nearly as bad as it could've been. Exactly what had happened was still a little unclear, but it had been a long time since one had come that close to me. I hadn't been expecting it to affect me, but my knees were actually feeling a little weak.

I took a few moment to focus on breathing deeply, then rallied myself to move the last of my supplies out of the storm shelter. I'd just made it to my feet again when a knock came at the door.

I sighed and honestly debated pretending I wasn't home. But, most likely, it was a neighbor coming to check in or share news from the tornado. I didn't want them to worry, and I probably wouldn't get away with pretending not to be here.

I made it to the door just after another knock came, slightly louder this time. I swung open the door without looking outside first, then froze halfway through the motion when I found Javi staring at me, standing on my doorstep with a six pack of beer held loosely in one hand.

"Thank god you answered. Listen, I'm sorry. You were right. Kate was right. Storm Par... Riggs..." he shook his head, apparently at a loss for words. His hair and clothes were a mess, back to the Javi I'd known in grad school instead of the perfectly-pressed Storm Par rep I'd seen a few days ago. More than just that, though, he looked frazzled. Offbalance, in a way I'd never seen before.

"Javi... are you okay?"

He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

"Did you hear about the big one?"

"...The tornado that just hit?" He nodded. "Yeah. I've only heard bits and pieces outside of the siren, but yeah. What happened? Is everybody... you said Kate's name earlier."

He quickly reassured me, getting halfway through reaching for my hand before pulling himself back.

"Kate's fine. I convinced her to come out here and help with research, but she almost-" Javi stopped short, closing his eyes for a long, long moment. I frowned, briefly considering what to do next, but it didn't take me long to reach a decision. Javi seemed to be implying he'd ditched Storm Par, but even if he hadn't, I still cared about him. And he clearly needed somebody right now.

"Javi. Why don't you come inside and sit down? Take a breath for a minute?"

He nodded, opening his eyes again and taking a slow, deep breath.

"Thanks."

"Sure thing."

I held the door open, and Javi didn't need me to show him where to go. We'd spent a good part of our relationship hanging out in this house, and it hadn't changed much since then. I followed Javi, letting him decide where he wanted to settle. Eventually, we ended up on the back porch, Javi settling into the bench swing where we'd watched more sunsets than I could count. He set the six pack down by his feet, and after a moment's consideration, I sat down next to him.

Javi didn't look at me as I joined him, his stare still a thousand yards out on the sun that had just started to approach the horizon. I gave him a few moments, then gently reached out to take his hand. His attention immediately snapped to me, his eyes wide with surprise. I gave him a soft smile.

"How long as it been since we spent an evening sitting out here?"

He huffed a laugh. "It's been a long time."

We shared a little smile, then after a moment, I sighed. Javi seemed calmer, at least slightly, and now I needed some answers.

"So... you wanna tell me what brought you here?"

"I came to apologize. You were right about Riggs, and about what's important. I want to be helping people, and it's a long story, but it became clear in the last few hours that I can't do that as long as I'm working with Riggs. I just wish I'd been able to figure it out earlier."

Javi shifted, taking my hand in his and shuffling a little closer to me. The apology was sweet, and I'd missed having moments like this with Javi, but his answer still had a lot of holes.

"I'm glad to hear you're done with Riggs- I mean, I'm assuming that's what you're saying?"

"Yes. Very much yes."

I smiled. "Okay. But maybe you should start a little further back on explaining what happened between now and the last time I saw you. Starting with why you failed to tell me Kate was in town."

"...In my defense, I was planning to tell you at lunch."

I couldn't hold back a snort.

"Fine. Depending on how good the rest of your explanation is, you get a pass on that."

Javi laughed. "Good. Alright, let me think about this..."

It took a while, but eventually Javi managed to walk me through his whole story. It was the serious catchup we'd been planning to have over lunch, but with the added beneift of a private moment together in one of our old favorite places. A lot had happened since Kate had come to town, and she'd had the same kind of fight with Javi as I had, but he'd come around and stepped up when it mattered.

"So, now we're done with Riggs. We're working on a pitch for investors back East right now, actually. Kate's going to present what we've got so far, and hopefully we'll have ethical funding for helping people and nothing else by the end of next month."

I smiled, leaning into Javi. The sky was red from the sunset now, and we'd been holding hands the whole time. Even though we'd gone years without really talking, right now, it felt like nothing had changed.

"I'm glad to hear it, Javi. And I'm so, so glad you're okay."

"Yeah, me too. It was dicey there for a minute, but we're on the other side now."

I leaned a little further into Javi, and after a moment, he raised one arm and stretched it around my shoulders. I sighed.

"You know..." Javi started. He paused and cleared his throat, then shifted a little on the bench before continuing. "Kate and I could actually use some help working on those grant proposals, and maybe some of our future presentations. I know you've always been happy to do your own thing, but... we'd love to have your help if you want to come back to spending more time with us. I would love that."

I leaned back to look Javi in the eye, and I couldn't keep a gigantic smile off my face for even a second.

"Honestly Javi? I would love that. Both to be part of helping you guys finish what you started, helping our community, and... for you. I missed you a lot."

"I missed you too. So much. And I know I'm the one who left, but if you'd be willing to give us another shot... I'll be around for the long haul."

 My heart did a backflip in my chest, and the beaming smile on my face mirrored the feeling.

"I would really love that Javi."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, good." He smiled back at me, then started leaning in before stopping short. "Can I kiss you?"

"Absolutely you can."

He grinned, then the two of us closed the distance as one, Javi's hand going to my waist as I tangled one in his hair. It felt right, and we both smiled into the kiss.

"No pressure if this is a little fast," I said, pulling back from Javi just enough to speak, "but... would you like to stay the night tonight?"

"You know I've stayed the night before, right? Regularly. I don't know if it can count as too fast if we've already done it a million times."

"Fair point. So what do you say?"

"I'd love to." He leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on my neck and then moving slowly up towards my ear. One of his hands moved to my thigh as he whispered: "I've got a lot to catch you up on if you're going to start writing grant proposals for us. I think we've got an all-nighter coming on."

I laughed, pulling back and swatting at Javi's arm. He just grinned.

"Okay, I'm officially banning work talk until tomorrow morning."

"Honestly, you don't have to tell me twice."

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

Twisters Taglist: @turtlee-says-rawr

[dissociativedollcherry]

₊⊹ HIGHSCHOOL SWEETHEARTS 𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖

⋆˚ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ EDDSWORLD WITH A HYPER FEMININE S/O

ᯓ★ Pst! Cherry says: YIPPEE, EDDSWORLD CONTENT! i've been hyper fixating on eddsworld lately so decided to work on some hcs about them for the fandom, eat up children!! and also... I'm FREE!!! i finally solved what i had to solve so i have more time now, reader is gn :) THERE'S NO TORD IN THIS.

✧₊⁺ Type: Headcanons, Romantic/platonic(?), Fluff.

꩜.ᐟ Music: Highschool sweethearts

𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖ EDD

۶ৎ He thinks you're adorable, really! the first time he met you, you were wearing a white soft dress that had black details on the garment neckline along with black heels and white socks, your hair was tied up on a ponytail with a big white scrunchie that had a bow attached to it and Edd was fond of the style the moment he saw you.

۶ৎ Edd is very chill about it, he doesn't care about how you dress and how much you use makeup and bows, as long as you're happy, he's happy!

۶ৎ The only thing he's not really happy with is the shopping sprees you drag him into, don't get him wrong, he's happy that you know your style but, shopping for it almost every week and dragging him along with it kinda bugs him out because you always make him carry the hundreds of bags.

۶ৎ Edd tried to voice his annoyance to you many times, but everytime he sees the happy look on your face, he just sorta sucks it up and be your bag holder for the rest of the shopping spree, Edd has a weak spot for your smile.

۶ৎ And of course you use that weak spot to your advantage when you ask him if you could do your makeup, he may try to play tough and reject it at first but like i said, just use his weak spot that he'll eventually give in.

۶ৎ Edd doesn't really do skincare but wouldn't mind doing it, i think he would be chill about it honestly.

۶ৎ Everytime he's going to gift you, 50% of the chances is that he's giving you dress or heels, the other 50% is either makeup or accessories, because he's that supportive of your style. 🫶🏼 (and he doesn't really know what else to gift you)

۶ৎ Edd thinks this style of clothing really fits you, you look very delicate and pretty with it, so expect him to compliment every time you put together a new outfit.

۶ৎ If someone judges you for the way you dress, he would defend you but wouldn't try to make a scene, it would be more in a chill way, saying things like "hey man, that's not cool" and etc, if the person still try to be rude Edd would just distance you both from them.

۶ৎ overall very chill but supportive :)

꩜.ᐟ MATT

۶ৎ You guys are twinning.

۶ৎ Matt is not a hyper feminine person like you, but he is quite the feminine guy, so he may borrow a shirt or a bow from time to time, just don't forget to ask for him to give it back. (or he may legit steal it from you 👀)

۶ৎ When he first saw you, he was in the mall with Matilda and oh boy when he set his eyes on you, he gave one of those dramatic loud gasps that you could hear it from across the mall, like Matt chill it's just a person wearing a pink shirt from your favorite brand.

۶ৎ He wouldn't really wear makeup but if you ask to do his makeup Matt will gladly accept it!! if you do something more pinkish he'll adore it!! i like to hc that one of his main favorite colors out of the many he has is pink, so he'll be really satisfied with it.

۶ৎ He'll gladly go on shopping sprees with you, you two would be full of shopping bags in under 2 hours, you guys would be walking with a whole new wardrobe in your arms.

۶ৎ Selfies, LOTS of manicure and/or pedicure selfies, skincare nights EVERY NIGHT, you guys would have a whole new album of photos!! 99% of these photos are written "Besties 4ever" or something between these lines in them.

۶ৎ This man is like your fucking soulmate, if you offer him to wear a skirt he would honestly.

۶ৎ Just a silly duo.

⋆.˚ TOM

۶ৎ He has a love hate relationship with it, same reasons as Edd its just hes more passive-aggressive with it.

۶ৎ not that he really cares what you wear, its just the way you drag people in it that kinda pisses him off but, he tries his best to be supportive of it.

۶ৎ Everytime you guys are one of your hundreds of shopping sprees and you make him carry something, he'll grumble under his breath and begrudgingly take one of the bags for you, because, well, its you.

۶ৎ If you ask him to let you do his makeup, he'll instantly say no, like stop asking and scram off.

۶ৎ But if you really insist on it, like really annoy him about it, he'll eventually give in out of irritation, only to regret it moments later when he sees the "pink mess" (in his words) you did on his face.

۶ৎ Man walked out of your room looking like a drag queen.

۶ৎ Tom is also the type of man to not do skincare but wouldn't mind doing it, so if you offer him to do it for him, he'll accept it and thank you for taking care of him. (cutie)

۶ৎ Sometimes he doesn't understand why you wear so much pink, honestly, but he isn't the best one to complain anyways, since he (like the others) mainly wears one color.

۶ৎ Grumpy cat.

[skyrislunaflower]

I Love Us

Honestly, I'm so, so very glad AvA is the first fandom I've actually been an active participant in.

LONG RANT INCOMING

Throughout the years, I have "been in fandoms", but I never felt like posting my own art or works, commenting on vids (i didn't have a youtube account back then, still don't), or being anything other than a silent observer.

Back in March, when I came home from that math competition, and found AvMath in my recommendeds, and just clicked on it, I did not expect to get dragged into a fandom about stick figures, of all things. I remember watching AvPhysics directly after, then finding "Wanted", and watching it with no context. I remember going to the wiki, seeing all of the content that was made, and and binging AvM and the actual shorts and literally everything else.

And most of all, I remember thinking, "I wish I could just erase all of this from my mind and experience the magic all over again."

-

In May, I took a chance and went to Ao3. I knew it was a site to post fanfiction, but it had never been something I was interested in. But I was just curious, to see if fanfiction about this amazing fandom really existed. I didn't have an account, no; I think I just wanted to see.

There were about 1600-1700 fics on there about AvA, during that time. I didn't know how hits worked or kudos worked, but I just remember scrolling down until I could find something that looked like a lot of people had liked it.

And even then, I clearly remember the first fic I touched. "Identity", by LeenaFreeBird (I'll link it at the bottom). I absolutely loved it. I spent the rest of the month simply reading, and consuming all of the cool hcs, learning what fan terms meant, having an idea for my own fic that I thought, back then, I could never write.

Because I didn't.

I never made an account or wrote. I never left comments because part of me though people without an account wouldn't be able to, and that was just habit, at this point.

And even though I stepped slightly away from there in the months of June and July (we were in the process of moving halfway across the country, I had just watched the new Demon Slayer season, and upon recommendation had binged all of Haikyuu in a week), I always made sure to keep updated on whatever new AvA/M videos had been posted.

In August, I went back on Ao3.

SO MANY AMAZING FICS HAD BEEN WRITTEN IN THE SPAN I WAS AWAY.

I remember binging all of them for the month. I sat alone at lunch (as I was new I didn't have any friends), just reading them on my phone and getting sucked back into there.

In September AvI began. On a whim I logged back into my tumblr account that I had made like 5 years ago in 4th grade to post random rambling stuff about my life (I tagged nothing but my username wth), and redid my entire blog. I was sooo happy when one of my posts reached 100 notes.

I felt way stronger, and way braver. I joined the invite queue for Ao3, because I decided I DID want an account, and I DID want to post my own fics.

And everyone was (and is) SO NICE about it. They love my fics and posts (which I still consider really crappy, btw) to pieces, and always give me good comments. Even my bad fanart (another thing I got the courage to post during this time). Shipping wars never happen here (if they did, I wouldn't know about it). Rarepairs are appreciated, and we unanimously know the ships that should be completely illegal (not naming ship names here).

Everything and everyone is loved, and this is like the one little corner of the Internet where mostly all is safe and your opinion is valued. Sure, your fan theory may be wrong, but people here don't go and tell you "that's so stupid lol, no way that's true". They'll give you actual feedback, explain the evidence that falsifies it, or add to it because they like it.

Even on YouTube, if someone posts a yellue ship video, for example, they'll get hate, or "the color quad are just siblings lol", or "they r stickmen why are u shipping them". If someone HCs Blue as a girl (ik that's been debunked where we are at rn), they'll get a comment saying "it's stickman for a reason".

Like, let people have their opinions. Alan has never confirmed the color quad as siblings, or their origin story. I know he has said that he would like to avoid romance by not making female characters, but it's not like the people who ship yellue or grapeduo barge up to his door and demand he makes it canon. They're just peaceful, and everything that you're saying is fanon. For all we know, four different animators could have collabed on the sticksfight website and each animated a different character (not saying that's true, but we don't know).

And even with hollowhead pairs. Alan created them, yes, but how does Creator transfer to father in this scenario? We don't know, because he hasn't confirmed the hollowheads as siblings either. They still get hate on YouTube.

But Tumblr just loves everyone. The AvA community, for example, will always make you feel like you posted something good. They lift you up, not put you down. They appreciate your headcanons because it provides a new way of looking at things.

They appreciate you.

I feel so much better about putting myself out there, and I know I will do so more in the future. I now cannot comprehend how someone can see all of this content and think "they are just stick figures". No they aren't. They are stick figures with trauma, feelings, pain, heroic qualities, fatal flaws.

You, tumblr, makes me feel this way.

Thank you so much.

(I did not expect to rant about my entire journey when I was supposed to be talking about how amazing the AvA tumblr fandom is, but now that I have I'll just keep it. Here's the fic I was talking about)

[lmkobsessedmoth]

LGBTQ hot line

Welcome to the woods of the moth man. This post shall be an introduction ish thing for new people and for people who need a refresher (please note I’ll be adding more to this post as time goes on and I reveal more about my au and introduce new characters)

🌙About me💫

Hi I’m Loyd/the moth man

I’m a nonbinary trans man (pronouns they/him) and I would appreciate that you use my preferred pronouns when talking to me

I love answering questions so don’t be afraid to send me asks (unless you’re going to ask me something invasive or to draw your oc) 

I love interacting with people and answering their questions but please do not message unless I talk to you a lot. I have social anxiety so I would appreciate it if you sent your messages to my ask box

I’m not in a lot of fandoms but I do like monkey kid, arcane, murder drones, fnaf, gacha life/club and avatar the last air bender

Here’s what my sona looks like (I haven’t drawn a full reference for them yet)

About my art

I’m an artist and storyteller who loves to share ideas and random scenarios through their artwork

I’ve been drawing for almost 5 years and have been an lmk fan artist for half of that time which my style makes obvious 

The only social media I post my art on is tumblr and discord (I use it post my art and twitter and koo but I stopped for a few reasons). If you see my art on any other platforms please report the account as that’s not me 

I do requests but only regarding the lmk show and my fan au. Please do not ask me to draw your ocs as I can’t do that with how my mind works

If you want to make fan art of my oc’s or au that is completely fine just credit and ping me, I would love to see it

I do not do art trades so don’t ask me about those

Do not trace or repost my art on other platforms. I’ve spent years working on my art skills and would rather people see my art through reblogs and links to my posts rather then someone taking my work and putting it on their social media with credit or not 

People who I don’t want to interact with (tw, mention of problematic shipping and bigotry)

Pro shippers and people who support problematic ships that contain things like incest or pedophilia will not be supported on my account or in my community

Racists, homophobs and general bigotry. Reality Can suck and I want this blog to be a break from that so if you think that people who are just living their lives as who they are is bad then this isn’t the community for you

Ai bros. Ai is cool for something’s but not for replacing people like artists and writers. I do not consent to having my work be used in ai at any point in time

Art “fixers” and people who generally change a characters design, race or body type to “fix” them aren’t supported here as it only hurts the artist who made the original art that gets changed to fit an agenda (redesigning a character for fun is fine)

You’re under the age of 12 to 13. My art and scenarios can deal with some serious topics that aren’t suitable for young children and personally I don’t feel comfortable talking to very young children

✨Information of my lmk au🌙

The death au (place holder name) is about mk and the gang finally getting a chance to breathe and get used to the new world after the events of seasons 3 through 5, that is until spirits and humanoid monsters start seeping into the 3 realms and mk starts getting dreams about past events. Mk being the hero he is try’s to deal with the spirits alone but his efforts (and nightmares) don’t go unnoticed for long as macaque agreed to teach him more about spirits and how to not summon 1 that will destroy the city

(This may change in the future)

✨Oc’s included in the death au🌙

Ren Yu ling

Diedie

Bendy

Hou lin wel

The mystery maiden

The lady

✨Bonus Oc’s🌙

The assistant

[alexandra-emerson]

Some Thoughts

(For readers horrified by what’s been going on in fandom who want to help)

Twats

I’m sad that some authors have been pulling their works from AO3, though I totally get it. But I’m not going to add to the “don’t sell fanfics” commentary much. I’m working with a lawyer to get mine taken down from Etsy, and it sucks, but I think this is an opportunity to talk about the fandom community as a whole. Specifically, what you can do to keep it alive and healthy.

I think it’s easy to sit at home, read about this illegal fanbinding drama with interest, run to AO3 to mass download your favorite fics, pat yourself on the back for not buying or selling fics illegally or not adding them to Goodreads, then move on with your life. But I would argue this passive attitude is just as harmful to the community, in some ways.

The Criticism Ratio

You all have probably heard that you’re supposed to deliver compliments and criticism with a ratio of 5:1. This is because negative comments stick in our heads more, so even if you were balancing the good and bad, or giving twice as many good comments as bad ones, the bad ones carry so much weight, they still seem to be winning.

With writing, I would argue this ratio is probably more like 10:1. Because it’s so personal. And most of us are so new to it. And it’s so much freaking work. I timed it once, and one chapter typically takes me 12 hours to write. That doesn’t include editing, or the hours my beta puts into editing. Then, to float all that work out into the world and get negativity back … oof, it makes embarking on the next 12 hours, and the next and the next VERY difficult.

My Experience

I’ve been an author of some popular fics in both the Harmony and Dramione spaces. On the Harmony side, I’ve dealt with personalized attacks, not just against my stories but against me as a person. And when that was going down, there weren’t a ton of fans speaking up on my behalf. I got a lot of DMs telling me those bullies were just the “loud minority” but from my point of view, with my supporters sounding like crickets, they felt like a majority. 

(Quick note to my Harmony readers: No I’m never writing Harmony again, get over it, and stop following me to every work I write next to ask me when I’m writing Harmony again. You had your chance to support me, and you fucking missed the boat.)

On the Dramione side, the public spaces are more moderated (thank God) so I’m less likely to stumble upon downright bullying. But this space is overwhelming in how BIG it is and how much conversation goes on about my fics. I always feel like the last to know when there’s some big Tik-Tok boom happening with one of my stories, when a story gets added to Goodreads, when there’s a reddit thread discussing the flaws in ‘Timeless’, when it gets posted for sale on Etsy, when someone popular binds it. It’s very hard to keep up with this giant fandom and it’s too much to handle at times. Which means if people don't send us things directly, we don't see it.

I also get this thing in Dramione that I didn’t get as much in Harmony where people act afraid or embarrassed to reach out to me. They’ll say things like, “I’m so sorry to bother you…” or “I’m sure you hear this all the time, and I know you don’t need to hear it from me too, but your works are great…” I think in Dramione people assume because it’s so big, other people are taking care of things, but that’s not the case. There is a lot of activity, for sure, but not much of that is making it back to the author.

My Ask

So anyway, think about the role you play in fandom. Are you contributing to the compliment bank, or the criticism one? (Remember, abstentions go with the majority. And in this case, every negative experience holds x10 weight).

Good things can be as simple as sending a quick note like, “Just letting you know I thought about your story today” or “Here’s another kudos because I just reread this gem!” It can be correcting a negative comment or review you see out in the wild, so that if the author ever stumbles across it, they see that their people are out there, sticking up for them. Ten people can instantly negate a bad comment with ten positive ones. Then if the author ever finds it, no harm done.

We all know the bad things that harm fandom, so there’s no need for me to rehash them here. But don’t forget that the passive things can be just as harmful. Things like: Rating a fanfic on Goodreads, because it’s already there, and you really want it to count towards your goal. Downloading a story, loving it, and never letting the author know. Reading rude comments online, complimenting yourself for not being that mean, then scrolling to the next thing.

My challenge to fandom is this: Let’s fill that compliment and support bucket so full that when an author does encounter a negative experience with one of their fanfics, they have a giant, fluffy pillow of endless love to fall back on. Let’s make those rare moments of nastiness truly feel like a minority to our creators. It’s not a ton of work. Our fandom is so flipping large, it just takes a tiny comment from each person to keep our community feeling like a fun, positive place to play.

[roadkillxd]

I know I haven't posted in a while and suddenly I'm posting a new (to this blog) fandom but... woe, Far Cry 5 smut be upon ye.

Jacob Seed x M!Deputy (Isaac) x Joseph Seed ↪ 1031 words — 18+ / SMUT.

Content tags — cis male dominant top Jacob, cis male submissive switch Deputy, cis male dominant bottom Joseph, mention of John Seed x Deputy, mention of drugging, mention of suicide, dubious consent, pseudo-inc*st (only because Joseph's making it weird), Christian cults, unsafe sex, oral sex, rimming, claiming, anal fingering, and anal sex.

Joseph lay beneath him, hair loosened from its usual knot and spread out on the pillow like the facsimile of a halo. Isaac knelt above him, hands braced on either side of the Father’s head, nails digging into the bed sheets as Jacob’s thick weight pressed to his back, too wet mouth sucking and biting marks along his spine as the older Seed ground his denim clad cock against Isaac’s bare ass. 

Isaac thought, briefly, if someone had told him this would be the result of killing John Seed, he’d have eaten a bullet before he was given the chance to try, Hope County be damned. He barely remembers the words Joseph spoke to him as he came out of the bliss haze, knelt between the Father’s legs.

"You are so much like him, in more than just your sin,” Joseph speaks softly, petting through matted hair as Isaac rests his head against the Father's knee, "John was steeped in sin, and while I sought to save him, to bring him unto New Eden, as Jesus had vouched for the thief, perhaps this was God's plan all along. To have my brother return to me in a new vessel, to live through you after his death, with a soul, not free of sin, but with still the hope of cleansing it." 

Joseph's arm was reached down beneath Isaac, his thin bicep flexing with the movement of his arm. Isaac could feel his hard cock rubbing against Joseph's forearm, and though he couldn't see it, he knew he was smearing his precum across the tattooed visage of Joseph's dead wife. The thought made him whine pathetically just as Jacob, now kneeling further down the bed behind Isaac, licked a wet line across Isaac's hole, his large calloused hands squeezing the supple meat of his ass.

"Ssshh," Joseph cooed quietly, his free hand reaching up to cup Isaac's cheek, guiding him down into a chaste kiss, murmuring against his lips, "my sweet baby brother."

Isaac gasped, his cock pulsing, feeling like he could choke on nothing, feeling the vibrations of Jacob's rumbling laugh against his hole as the eldest Seed continued his oral assault, sloppy with spit but precise, almost practiced, in the movements. 

“Do you wish to penetrate me, Isaac?” Joseph murmured, lips soft against Isaac’s jawline. 

“Fuc–mngh,” Isaac groaned as Joseph bit down hard on the hinge of his jaw, just as Jacob pushed two thick fingers into his dripping hole, “anything—whatever you want, just—please.”

Isaac gasped at the lube wet hand that grasped his cock, moaning weakly at the realization Joseph had been fingering himself open this entire time, voice catching in his throat as Joseph led his cock downward, lifting his hips ever so slightly to tease the tip against his twitching heat. Isaac couldn’t help how his hips humped forward like a feral dog at the first sign of a wet hole to fuck, Jacob simultaneously brutalizing his prostate with the rough pads of his fingers. 

Joseph’s mouth fell open, baring his neck as he pressed his head back into the pillow. 

“Joseph—” Isaac moans, collapsing onto his elbows to mouth at the pale expanse of the man’s throat, his thrusts shallow and sharp, Joseph’s hand coming up to tangle in the younger’s hair.

“We’ve got you,” Jacob rumbles as his fingers slip free with a wet squelch, once again blanketing Isaac’s back with his weight, the rough shock of his voice making Isaac shudder, “gonna take good care of you.”

Jacob all but shoves his thick cock into Isaac, causing him to keen at the stretch, knocking him forward and pushing the length of his own prick deeper into Joseph. 

“That’s it,” Joseph breathes, voice steady even in this moment, his hand painfully tight in Isaac’s hair as their eyes meet, “you are perfect for us.”

Isaac whines, nodding as he presses sloppy, open mouthed kisses to Joseph’s lips, licking desperately into the other man’s mouth like a sick mutt as Jacob begins a steady pace, hips slapping loudly against Isaac’s ass.

Joseph turns his head away, teeth gritted to try and escape the mess of Isaac’s tongue. When Isaac tries to follow the movement, Joseph slaps him, gripping painfully tight at Isaac’s chin to glare at the younger. 

“Filthy,” he growls before locking eyes with his older brother over Isaac’s shoulder, “take him.”

Jacob grunts, wrapping one arm over Isaac’s torso to haul him back, his cock somehow reaching even deeper in this position. Jacob’s other hand grabs Isaac’s jaw, turning the younger’s head to meet him in a messy kiss, rumbling pleasantly when Isaac sucks on his tongue needily. 

“How does he feel?” Joseph asks, breathlessly, ever so gently rolling his hips down to meet the jostling thrusts of Jacob pumping into Isaac. 

“Fuck,” Jacob groans as Isaac clenches tight around him, giving a low chuckle when Joseph chides him for his language, “feels like heaven.”

“Blasphemous…” Joseph grumbles with narrowed eyes, earning a raspy laugh from Jacob that cuts off into a gravelly groan as Jacob suddenly goes from slow and deep to fast and shallow thrusts, pumping his hips like a jack rabbit. 

Isaac cries out, clawing at Jacob’s arms as his hips stutter forward and back, caught between pressing back onto the fat cock penetrating him, or pushing forward into the wet heat engulfing his own weeping prick. 

Isaac fumbles to wrap a hand around Joseph’s cock as his own orgasm draws close, but is stopped by a hand to his wrist, rosary beads digging into the jutting bone. 

“Take your own pleasure first,” Joseph murmurs.

Jacob rumbles against Isaac’s spine, nibbling at the lobe of his ear.

“I’m gonna fill you up, and then he’s gonna take his turn. Mark you from the inside,” Jacob rasps, “make you ours.”

“We’ll fill you with our essence,” Joseph whispers, grip firm on the nape of Isaac’s neck as he hauls him back down, foreheads pressed together, “as you did to John… as you let him do to you.”

Memories wash over him, and Isaac feels sick as his orgasm hits him like a wave, eyes rolling back as he pants into Joseph’s mouth.

[obsidianpen]

Are you on TikTok, pen? U should promote ur stories on TikTok and make it viral. Ppl will absolutely go crazy over ur stories! 🤯

hrrr. Okay, I know you didn’t ask for a rant, but you’re getting one!

I have a lot of feelings about fanfic writers relentlessly promoting their own fics on TikTok. I used to think it irked me because of the whole potential monetization part of TikTok, which is an potential problem for sure, but recently I’ve come to realize that’s not the biggest issue I have with it. It’s more about what fandom is supposed to be, and the best way I’ve heard this described is that it’s a gift economy (as spoken about by tinawithana, who I really think nails all things re: fandom culture).

Fandom, when we’re talking about fanfiction, should ideally work like this: Writer makes and posts fanfiction. Reader reads and comments on fanfiction (and on ao3, gives a kudos and maybe a bookmark if they so inclined to bookmark). that’s it. That’s the whole exchange. at least, as far as it should be expected to go. Now, if you read a fanfic and you adore it so much that you feel compelled to do something more, such as make fanart, translate it into another language, etc., that’s amazing. It’s also another gift. nowadays, that can also translate into things such as edits, YouTube trailers (so wild to me!!! How cool that people do this), TikTok’s, etc. Gift economy.

so really what I think gets me about writers who make TikTok accounts solely to promote their own work and ‘go viral’ is that it disrupts the way things should (imo) be. Writing long and complicated stories is a fuck ton of work, damn it! Spending hours and hours and HOURS writing this stuff and sharing it IS my contribution. Making fanart or anything else to promote it shouldn’t be on me, too. Besides, someone incessantly and constantly shoving their own fics in people’s faces via funny catchy TikTok’s kind of ruins the legitimacy of it. It’s also not a cute look. That’s why that one writer (and I’m sure many others have done this, too) used a shit ton of alternate accounts and paid for bots to promote their (partially ai generated) bullshit. Hype can be manufactured. And TikTok is all about hype.

all that to say: I love the TikToker’s! The fans out there who share the stories they love are doing the lords work, truly - Styxxa and ohsadderdaze immediately come to mind (you should all check them out; dare you to comment on one of their posts saying I sent you 🙃), but there are a ton of people who make videos promoting other people’s writing. That’s real fandom etiquette right there. Gift economy!

Some counter arguments I can already understand: if you’re a new writer and you’re just trying to get someone to give your fic a chance… I get it. I’m not saying self-reccing your work is bad by any means; I think it’s super valid and maybe even necessary if you’re having a hard time getting people to read initially. No shame in that! If I had started writing in more recent years I might have done this as well (idk probably not though; I would have gotten flogged for posting about harrymort anywhere else back then). But I too once had like maybe five fans lmao. It sucks. I get it.

But it’s iffy once it passes a certain threshold. That’s all I’m really saying here.

Oh, and I do have a TikTok, I just haven’t posted on it! Yet. I might make something stupid someday just for fun, because I do recognize that TikTok IS a fun platform and can be an entertaining way to connect with people. So follow me if you want, and tag me in stuff about my fics if you see them! I like to repost them.

I’m also super open to hearing other people’s opinions on this topic! I’d love to hear different takes and am (usually) willing to admit I was wrong and have a change of heart when warranted. 💖

[neodreamgirl]

Manifesting Seunghan's Return PART 2

Idk what else to say here but I'm just manifesting. He keeps posting cute pictures on his Instagram and it upsets me that he's not making music. Apparently RIIZE is in a hiatus? I knew this would happen at some point because the controversy was too big and no one was truly happy. I mean, most fans wanted Seunghan to return but there were some psychopaths who wanted him out of the group because they swore he would bring a negative touch to RIIZE's image. Meanwhile, the only people that were talking negatively and recirculating that image were OT6 any time his name was mentioned. Anyway, I can't say I have a gut feeling our baby will return but I do have hope that he can one day share a stage, song, and choreography with his six friends. I seriously hope he can return to RIIZE. Sometimes, I do think it is pointless to even hope for this because of the way things have played out. Quite frankly, I want RIIZE out of SM Ent. but that's another conversation.

I hope whoever is in charge of RIIZE and Seunghan gets fired or dies and then someone new comes in and leads them in the right direction.

I truly hope that something is happening behind closed doors and we get a huge surprise (a positive one). I saw that Seunghan fans (are we called bubbles or something?) and OT7 sent a whole lotta banners and stuff to SM Ent building which I think is a wonderful thing. International fans are demanding respect and I'm honestly very happy that they organized this even if it gets ignored. The truth is, SM gets away with treating international fans like shit. Not only that, but the banners were also demanding that Seunghan and RIIZE get treated with respect and dignity, seeing as they haven't been treated as such since their debut. LIke I just don't get it. I think that these events do affect management's thinking a little bit. Especially since this is all going on while the group is on a hiatus and Seunghan was announced to have a solo debut sometime this year.

I'll say that the reason behind my hope that Seunghan returns comes from the fact that the second I saw that he "chose" to leave, I immediately got a feeling that something is unfinished. Something didn't feel complete to me and I couldn't put my finger on it. Then, I mentioned to expect the group to be put on a hiatus because of how insane all of this is. If international fans make enough noise, something could work in our favor.

But, for now, don't hold your breath. Keep loving Seunghan and RIIZE. Keep praying and hoping that they're all in good health and do not see negative comments about themselves. If you are part of the fandom that is actively protesting for his return and respect, keep doing so! I don't see why you should stop! I don't see why projects should stop happening. I think it's important that during times like this artists/idols should be shown that people love them...

FUCK. I JUST WISH HE WAS STILL IN THAT DAMN GROUP. I WISH THEY WERE TOGETHER AND MAKING MUSIC. IT PISSES ME OFF. LIKE WHAT THE FUCK. SEUNGHAN NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED IN THAT GROUP AGAIN IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS. HE'S AN ANGEL AND RIIZE IS FULL OF ANGELS, TOO. OT6 RUIN EVERYTHING AND SM ENT. IS A CUCK. FUCK YOUUUU SM!!!! SEUNGHAN PLEASE I HOPE YOU GET EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED FROM THIS LIFE. I HOPE YOU GET INTEGRATED BACK INTO RIIZE. YOU WORKED SO HARD TO DEBUT IN THAT GROUP. I'M SORRY IT WAS TAKEN FROM YOU

SEUNGHAN RETURN TO RIIZE PLEASE PLEASEEEE I NEED HIGHER POWERS TO GRANT ME THIS ONE THING PLEASEEEE I AM BEGGING YALL TO WORK SOME STUFF OUT YANNO LIKE MOVE SOME STUFF AROUND AND ALIGN THE STARS SO THAT RIIZE CAN BE COMPLETE AGAIN! CHANGE WHOEVER THEIR DIRECTOR/MANAGER IS. I HATE WHOEVER IS MANAGING THEIR SHIT RIGHT NOW THEY SUCK DICK. PLEASE BRING HIM BACK HOME!!!!

SEUNGHAN SWEETHEART YOU WILL MEET YOUR BOYS ONCE AGAIN. EVEN IF IT WON'T HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. EVEN IF AS I TYPE THIS, I FEEL SOME SENSE OF DOUBT, I STILL BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE A CHANCE!

[traceytries]

I don't know what made you think that everybody in fandom has to worship you now. You used to be someone I look up to but meanwhile it's only annoying to watch you whoring for attention and literally making everything about you and only you. Yes, your INAP fic was successful. Many people used to love it, me included. But the last 2 chapters were so bad, the quality deteriorated drastically. Same with your new fics. A mere one shot posted in 5 million tiny parts? PLEASE! You wonder why nobody really gives a shit about those fics? Well, it's because the writing just ain't it. You think you can just write anything, just sneeze onto the paper, and people will worship you. You think you deserve praise and admiration for works that most people think just suck because they are neither well written nor well thought-out with all those plot holes and things that don't make sense. You ask for people's opinion on something, making polls, only to do what you prefer yourself anyway. What's the point of asking then? You ask people for recommendations but if they don't say that your stuff is the best, you ignore it. You go on other people's posts only to make things about yourself. You CONSTANTLY ask for feedback, begging for comments on your fanfics, yet you don't even reply to them. You are not the least bit thankful. You are just a huge bitch who craves attention and it's high time you need to learn how to humble yourself. Go outside and touch some grass. You take a shit in the toilet just like the rest of us. But you act like you're a celebrity, saying you will answer the comments on the last chapter as if that's such a generous graceful thing for you to do. FUCK OFF! Other authors are always happy to engage with their readers and fans, yet you act like some queen who's above us peasants and sooo much better than everyone else. You constantly yap and bitch about not receiving as much attention as you think you deserve, yet you never even support other writers. Never leaving comments yourself, hardly reblogging anything - no. This is a one-woman show. The Tracey-show. Where everything else is insignificant. And then you have your 3 clowns who always come to your aid when you cry about lack of attention again, spouting ridiculous nonsense like 'you hold the fandom together' while there are literally hundreds of others, posting fanarts and fanfics daily. What a joke. You and your 3 devoted cult-followers insult the whole fandom by acting like you are the only one contributing. And then you have the audacity to post these fake anon-asks, just as a way to get attention from your followers again, hoping to gain pity and that everyone will tell you how amazing you are. Well, here is a real one. I wonder if you dare to post it. But you probably will, since this will be the perfect chance for you to play the victim-card again.

What the fuck man. This is the meanest message I have ever received, are you the same anon as before? I don't know what to say to this, you obviously have been wanting to say this to me for some time. I'm sorry if maybe I've hurt you somehow?

I'll try to get through everything.

Yes, you're right, I guess I am a bit shameless in promoting my work. But I think I yap about my fics as much as the next writer. I'm proud of what I've made/am making and I want to talk about it. I sometimes tag #tianshan when talking about my fics, but oftentimes it's just #inap or #ddd because I don't want to bombard the tianshan tag with my silly posts.

And what sucks is what you're seeing as attention-seeking is half true (everyone makes posts to get attention, that's neutral fact), the other part of it is: I'm trying to make a connection. The way I wish someone would just DM me and talk to me directly about tianshan, or the latest ox chapters or hell, my fics - that would make me so happy!! Not many people do, and so I continue making posts about tianshan, making polls, asking for engagement from the fandom because bruh I've been into tianshan for practically a decade - I want to talk about them!

That bit about replying to every comment on the last chapter of inap is a weird thing to criticise. Over the years, I've struggled with replying to comments, and though I know it's not a requirement to do so, I've always felt bad about that. But by leaving that end note, I was holding myself accountable, making sure that I appreciate everyone who got to the end of my fic and left a lovely message for me. That's all man. There wasn't some superior mindset behind it. Someone leaves a message, I'm going to say thank you!

I answered that previous anon message because I know it's true, I'm not a good writer. I get stuck describing scenes very literally, I'm not good at metaphors or romantic wording, and I use italized words as a crutch to illustrate internal thoughts. When I was replying to the anon I was agreeing with them, to like idk, take the wind out of their sails?

I suppose I should've just deleted the message but idk, I didn't think much of it. And just so you realise, I didn't tag anything in that other message, so the only people that should see it are people that follow me? Unless Tumblr put it in like your For You tab or something? That'd suck, I hope Tumblr doesn't do that.

Also I do comment on fics wtf? When I love a fic, I make sure to leave comments. Especially because I know how good they feel to receive them. And I do reblog and promote other people's fics and fanart too! Go back to my teanshan blog and search the #fanart #fanfic #fic #toread tags! Also do you guys remember when I literally commissioned powerandpathos a few times?? They're the best! And everyone knows it!

I have never said I'm 'holding the fandom together', and I don't think anyone has ever told me that either. I just post about tianshan dude.

With your last lines of your message, you're putting me in a shitty position. Either I don't post this and you're leaving me to feel shitty by myself. Or I post it to respond to your accusations and you make me feel like I'm only doing it for attention! Well, I think this message is really fucking shitty and I need to tell you that this sucks. I hope you work on yourself in 2025.

I've turned off 'reblog control' so no one can reblog and defend me. I'm not sure about replies tho. I'll just say no one has to reply to this either. I don't need defending. I'm going to ignore future anon hate. and I'm going to carry on making posts about tianshan, talking about my fics, self-reblogging my work, and engaging in the fandom as I normally fucking do.

[kavalyera]

What the FUCK did I just Read (On Eternal Hearts)

tw: sexual assault, rape, necrophilia

Eternal Hearts—ah yes, the most horrible piece of literature that has cursed this already edgy fandom of Vampire: The Masquerade. As they say, old and new players alike: “Do not read Eternal Hearts”. And guess what I did? I read it of course. How incredibly stupid of me. How foolish I was. I heeded the warnings, I saw them clear as day and yet I traveled into hell and expected heaven waiting for me on the other side. I hoped, that in some part, this book was actually okay and that people were just dramatic.

I was wrong. So dreadfully wrong.

It’s horrible with all the violence, the rape, the gore, the amount of fucking flames these kine and kindred need to put out but to be fair, it’s World of Darkness and who would have though that World of Darkness would be dark? Truly, a mystery even to this day.

No, Eternal Hearts is bad simply because it’s just shitty writing case and point. I wanted to give this book a chance as someone who likes gorey sort of horror and disgustingly grotesque literature but all I got was a hundred and sixty pages worth of brain mush made up of half-assed sex scenes and a vague idea of the SI and the Camarilla and some parts of the Sabbat through Sascha Vykos.

I love Sascha Vykos.

But what the fuck was that?

Not even non-binary/genderfluid baddie and Tzimisce icon, Sascha Vykos could even save this book. I hoped they would. I actually prayed they would. Alas. I am left disappointed more than my birthday every year. I think it hurts even more because I fully expected the reason why it’s so frowned upon is because the book is too grotesque. No. It’s just fucked writing.

In my honest opinion, if you want to read it for fun, sure go ahead. Who am I to stop you? But don’t waste your time on it. It’s so incredibly boring once you reach chapter five and above. Yes, there’s the horrible things like rape and necrophilia and incest but to be fair, we already can expect that from VTM right?

What makes this book so bad I wish I didn’t read it just so I could still have the three-four hours of my life I spent wasted on this shit show of a book, is that it’s terribly written. I’m no Dostovesky, but seriously. Meat curtains? For the labia? Not to mention breasts are repeated in four paragraphs over and over again. I feel like my time was violated

Anyways, the warnings are real. Don’t read Eternal Hearts but if you do, pirate it. Because the author sucked at writing this