#very much in my wheelhouse hahaha

[baylardian-1]

comm for somepony on DA :3

[tobiasdrake]

Guess I'll wrap things up in town and head to the re-sleepover.

Okay, last time I was here, I weirded out this child. This time, I'm gonna TRY. HARDER.

Jackpot. Children love puns about their favorite thing. Now this small child of no clear importance thinks I'm cool.

That is very important to me.

I don't know why.

FROG SPELL

Nyeh heh heh heh heh! I have discovered the cheat code to being popular with kids. It's frogs. The cheat code is frogs.

Now if only I could extend that popularity to adults.

And my teammates.

And now. We have. THE FLOWER. Aggggggggh the flower. So much pressure. Hmm. Maybe I can bribe Bonbon into not hating me.

HEY HALF-PINT, PRESENT FOR YOU

Because I'm trying to improve our team's cohesion and the friction that exists between you and me is basically our only interpersonal conflict. Consider this an olive branch.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and call this one "Mission Failed" since I'm pretty sure I just made things awkward and weird. There might not be a way to bury the hatchet with this kid. They're under a lot of stress.

I just want to know who keeps breaking the bread. I was specifically watching for it and it still crept up on me. I blinked for one second - Well, okay, I had a brief chat with my Lemonfriend about ignoring all of you but that's beside the point - and then there was just this hideous CRACK and the bread was ripped in half.

How!? WHEN!? WHO!?

You could just tell me now and then I'll know it so when I die and you've un-told it to me I can spare you the embarrassment of telling me.

Then again maybe we should keep it on the down-low to avoid making my Lemonfriend jealous. I'm sure they're listening in on every word we say. They're clingy and stalkerish like that.

Wow. We're back here again already. In my defense, I DID check for traps. I very briefly skimmed each pillar so I'm pretty sure there has to be some sort of complex--

Well. Okay then.

I now realize that the cause of my death was, in fact, that I suck at my job. Cool.

I would make a remark here about "going to crawl under a rock and die" but the boulder has a sense for ironic timing so it's best not to chance it. Let's just flick this stupid switch and move on.

Done. Mistake unmade. No longer have I died a clown. DO YOU HEAR THAT, LEMONFRIEND!? I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY NOT DIED.

BOOM, nothing to worry about now. It should be smooth sailing from here. Let's go commit regicide with extreme prejudice.

Cutlery is an interesting subject matter, actually. There's a lot of differentiation in individual sizes, shapes, and compositions of individual cutlery that contribute to a variety of different meal experiences. Even chopsticks come in many different forms.

But this would fall under the category of etiquette. I'm not quite sure if Madame Odile's field of expertise falls into that wheelhouse. Though I could see it....

Hey, give me some credit. You know how hard it is to cheat gratuitously under four different sets of watchful eyes?

You call it cheating. I call it speed practice. That's the kind of manual dexterity that lets me throw signs so fast.

Well that's fucking dangerous. THANKS FOR JUST BRINGING IT UP NOW, BONNIE. What if I slipped on that?

<.<

>.>

What... if I slipped on that....

Zero hesitation. FOR SCIENCE!

YES

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Okay. We have proven that my lemon drop powers will still bring me back in time even if I'm frozen in time. This is a very useful piece of information to establish, so it's good to get that out of the way before we meet the King while the risk is still....

...

...while the risk is still....

...

Oh. Wait. That could have been really bad for me. If that didn't work then--

LET'S NOT THINK ABOUT THAT HAHAHA I'm sure my Lemonfriend wouldn't have left me strander there. It's fine. The important thing is that I now know my ability to loop is immutable even by time.

This is what PROGRESS looks like. >:D

[panelshowsource]

i agree that the podcast really is so interesting — and imo it's a lot of plain gossip and tv criticism masked as "professional insight", which i live for lmao — but there are times she is really too much... she often mocks or eye-rolls things in a way that, again, doesn't feel constructive and comes off as very rude. mean girl energy. it also bothers me how she will talk at richard instead of engaging in a back and forth, and sometimes that turns into an episode in which she speaks 80% of the time. then again, as content cycles throughout the year, sometimes what's on/hot atm is just more in her wheelhouse than his, so we just have to wait for new taskmaster, new bbc comedies, new doctor who, whatever interests him, and then hopefully he'll have even more opportunities to shine... i do cherish when he gets a chance to speak lmao

but fr take a shot every time she says "a friend of mine who works at _______ told me blah blah"

i'll work on tracking that down!! it would be fun to watch more of them 😋

aren't they too much? i was just thinking how amazing would it be if they were a pair on pointless celebs ...........

you know how once you notice an actor then suddenly you start to see them everywhere? (especially on uk tv which is not as big a pool as you'd think it would be...) that was me and charlotte ritchie! it was like wow this girl is everywhere!

anyways, i'm not sure what her aims are atm... she's done quite a bit of comedy but am i the only one who thinks she would body a crime series? or something like broadchurch?

glad you got a chance to catch my response and watch some fun things! i was thinking a little more about what else to recommend, and i think if you enjoy the quirky nature of repertoire then you should check out huge davies, and if you enjoy the storytelling format like greg davies typically does then you should try out dara ó briain and russell howard (maybe the 2021 lubricant special to start) :) enjoy!!

hahaha this is funny... it's a good question 😅 there are a few reasons... he's good bantz! he doesn't take himself too seriously, laughs at himself, can be teased, isn't mean spirited. people really appreciate that. plus, he represents a lot of people who aren't otherwise on tv — not primetime bbc, at least. there starts to be an issue when he just...doesn't try, doesn't contribute. he's fallen asleep on like three different shows? didn't he just...not show up to the second-half of his bakeoff special? often he's got nothing to say? mo really carried the convos on his talk show, his teammates carried him on bfq, and so on. he just doesn't seem to have the interest or perhaps the stamina (orrr perhaps the respect) for long records 😅

anyways, he was being pushed for a little while, but that appears to have stopped. he's hasn't been around too much lately 🤔 (tho ngl idk what he's up to!)

yesss this is a great video and i'll link it here in case anyone wants to check it out! it reminded me that i really need to seek out his celeb hunted episodes hahaha

when the news came out he would be playing an 'egon spengler type' i was like yep lmao

he and ed mention quite often how many auditions they go to, especially james, for big movies like wonka and ghostbusters — no surprise to me imo! especially since it seems he's focused on films over tv 🤔

can't say i saw ghostbusters tho i'm sorry 😭

WELLLL now that it's out how have you been enjoying it? 😊🥰 where is your review, anon !!

susie dent gifs are high on my list, working on those for this week for sure!!! it's just...how to choose...she's just too pretty....

but i love ALL of your suggestions, duly noted 😍

—

PANEL SHOW WATCH LINKS / NON-PANEL SHOW WATCH LINKS FAQ / TAGS / ASK

[castlebyersafterdark]

you are never too sappy! (congrats btw! + big love to the mike to your will... i see that blue heart and height difference mention 😉) the balance works so well so far. like a little glimmer of you. especially as its always relevant through a byler prism, so youre not making it all about you at all. i cant believe how cosy it is here. i genuinely await your writing like i would a new published novel hahaa. i also was going through my likes and saw an anon post on spicybylerpolls from february. it mentioned the sears catalogue and byler's fantasies and i had adored it at the time. rereading now, i'm like... VINNY?!?!? hahaha maybe it's not you but it's textbook and the style of writing and openminded humbleness felt very you. love.

especially love the self-acceptance journey you seem to be on here, allowing yourself nerdery, allowing yourself spice in byler forums, keeping a healthy eye on your online habits! + growing to love yourself more through will perhaps, keeping up with your writing, learning you kind of love cringe roleplay sex in fic?!?!? hehehehehe and also realisations that you may or may not want to share! its all gold dust - and honestly, this feels like blogs as i knew them growing up, like wordpress, blogspot, etc. proper old blogs where it's just right mix of artistic and personal.

x

Thanks, I feel so happy being here, everyone is so sweet 😘 Saving the dash from my personal rambles:

I didn't want to ruin it by changing things up too much. But, I do kinda want to talk about whatever here and post the occasional non-Byler stuff, still mostly the normal fandoming and spicy posting like I've been doing. Keeping the chill vibes. This does feel very much like a different type of blogging than I'm used to. It's cool. Even if people get sick of me or lose interest, I'll pretend that's not the case hahaha. Corny as hell, but it feels safe here.

Incredibly flattered that you look forward to my writing! I've always wrote fic and original pieces and scripts and loved it but had zero confidence. Did it anyway. I still have a lot of growth to work through with my writing when I decide to post polished fics, but that's fun now, feels different. I have so much in the wheelhouse. It'll fuel me to season 5 and beyond, I'm pretty sure.

That's funny you mention the spicypolls account, because I HAD to go searching through their archive and I found that post - wow, I see what you mean. The typing style certainly could make you think it's me, and it was an excellent post but full disclosure - I've never sent anything into that blog before! I only started this blog in May (whoa! 2 months?? Feels a lot longer!) and I genuinely only lurked and never interacted anywhere on the spicy corner before I converted this account, even on anon.

And I never thought I'd learn things about myself through something as genuinely kind of silly as what is, at its core, an explicit head-canon and writing blog for a fictional fandom ship. Hahahaha. But here I am. Feeling a little more confident in embracing my vulnerabilities and weirdness. Weirdness isn't bad! It's stuff I've known but it's different when you just live your life, instead of actually talking about it outside of your brain. Helps me feel less embarrassed after posting here sometimes - I look back over what I post and just cringe on occasion but power through a little easier lately!!

And ohhh it always comes back to the cringe roleplay, doesn't it 😏 Which has been a fun exercise in letting myself play around and try new things in general, with writing. With real life. Be a little weirdo. Find your people. Stay authentic.

Thanks for this one, it's a little self-indulgent, rambling about myself, but it made me smile. ❤️ Incredibly corny, but this is the kind of environment I think I've always been searching for online, but looked in all the wrong places. So, ughhhh. Finally.

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Funny thing happened while watching Ashoka series tonight

[SPOILER FREE]

We had to split watching the first episodes of the Ashoka series over two nights for [reasons] and I've accepted there are three very different levels of Star Wars knowledge in my family.

There's my dad who's been a fan of the franchise for "a million years" (to keep in line with how my family jokes about his age even though he'll never see this post hahaha). I've asked him a lot of questions about the comic issues he's read over the years. He's even bought issues of comics for some of my favorite characters just so I could read them. (Thanks Dad🥺🩷)

There's me, who's fairly/more knowledgeable about stuff now compared to nine years ago, at the very least, but I still see my dad as some kind of Knowledgeable Star Wars Authority™. Though at this point, stuff centered around the Clone Wars has become my wheelhouse.

And then there's my mom who has two nerds at her disposal for her SW questions lmao.

So when she asked us "Who's Thrawn?" and my dad started to answer with what he knows, he then looked at ME for more information.

I should have realized much sooner that I needed to do the Rebels series homework not just for answering my mom's questions, but apparently both my parents for once.

[immortalled]

I just started watching The Mentalist and I thought of you! I can see some connections in Patrick's and Nathan's behavior and I wonder if that's why you write them both? Also if they were to interact together, perhaps Nathan as a suspect, how do you think that would go down?

Aw man, this is so sweet! ♥ I've actually written Patrick much, much longer than Nathan, and before that I wrote Grace! But you're right, now that you mention it, Nathan and Patrick do have some hilarious similarities. Poking the hornet's nest despite not being fighters, then running behind their nearest friend is one big one hahaha!

I don't think I write them for their similarities, though, no. That's just a bonus, or maybe just the continuing trend I have for loving charming mischief-makers who toe the line between being barrels of sunshine and arrogant assholes. What drove me to Patrick was a want to expand on his life pre and post Red John murders because I thought there was a lot to build from there, and Nathan's draw was initially just a desire to write a character further out of my wheelhouse that was just crazy and free. It just so happened that he also had a lot more to unpack than I initially realized, and both him and Patrick are deeply damaged individuals who hide that damage very well lol

But ohhhh, man, onto the next question, I think that depends on what Nathan's a suspect for. If we're playing with an AU where Patrick investigates the probation worker murders, he'd figure them out in nothing flat. I'm unsure if he'd be able to figure out that Tony was going to kill any of them and that it was done in self-defense considering that was wildly out of character for him and spurred on by the Storm, but it wouldn't matter. He'd figure them all out, and Nathan is the one who'd crack first because he's a crap liar and prone to getting messy under pressure. He'd crack like an egg.

If Patrick did learn that it was self-defense, though, I think... he might let them go. Or, in the very least, he'd make sure the police knew he also believed it was self-defense and that Tony killed Gary. Patrick has little sympathy for murderers, and in his eyes, the real murderer would be Gary. The only murder he wouldn't let off so easily would be Simon's accidental murder of Sally. So... unfortunately, I think Simon would probably get punished, if no one else. :(

[ghoulangerlee]

ssooo tell me about this 'you share not the blood of our, our, ours' fic of yours (does not go to Ghost school but will happily listen to her friend tell her about their story :3)

you've activated my trap card bwhahaha ily you're the best <3

SO. it is 99% self indulgent and 1% true to real life Ghost lore, starting from the moment that Papa III is killed and Cardinal Copia takes over as the lead singer of the Ghost project. the title comes from Ghost's La Mantra Mori which i listen to entirely too much for a song that repeats the same thing over and over. there is something haunting about the cadence of him singing we focus on your death, we focus on your death, you share not the blood of our, our, ours, thus we focus on your death

It is arguably very self indulgent because I've marketed this fic as the slowburn polyghouls/Copia AU that I wanted to see in the world and it's somehow turn more into (currently 40k) of internal feelings about doing the right thing and corruption in the Satanic church.

Also including: bonding with your ghouls and trying to summon more so you have a full band to play instruments before you have to go out on tour all while writing an album so you have music to play on tour otherwise you've got to just sing all the songs from the dead Papas who were all beloved :) and like what if you mess up? will people like you as much as they liked the others? there might be some underhandedness afoot with the Clergy making it very clear that if you toe out of line you will be Dealt With (read: killed just like the predecessors)

here is a snip of the meat and bones plan of the current chapter im writing:

other stuff happens in the chapter but this one is v plot forward because I really need to get this man and his band out of the church and on the road jfc.

tiny lil preview even tho it's not ur wheelhouse and is most likely v confusing hahaha.

Dew stares at him for a long moment, his head tilted upwards a bit, a curious expression on his face, “You’re so quick to give the knife to me,” he says slowly, “With no worry about what I might do with it beyond a little cut on your hand.”   “You wouldn’t hurt me, Dewdrop,” Copia says, “I’d give you the knife and let you put it to my throat if that’s what was required.” he glances down at the dagger in his hand, “Do you want this?” he asks, “A bond with me, like I have with Aether and Rain, like you have with them?"   For a moment, Dew’s expression flickers a bit, self-consciousness leaking into it as he stares at Copia; and then, all at once, he drops the dagger and dives forward, nearly tackling Copia to the bed in his haste to try and fold himself into his arms. “I would never put a knife to your throat,” he says, resolute and firm, though his voice is muffled by Copia’s shirt. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me right now. I want to do this, I want this, I want to be a part of it, but I keep getting stuck on the what ifs.”

ANYWAY thank you for coming to my ted talk on this fic that i joked about being 100k but is going to be at least 100k with at least 2 arcs lmaoooo. we're really basking in the self indulgence here.

[blixabargelds]

What’s a trope you love to read but never feel compelled to write? 💕

ooh fun question hmmm honestly mostly sex stuff hahaha like general tropes if i like them i’ll give them a go but there’s a fair few sex tropes that i like to read but not enough to write. sex pollen, piss kink, wound fucking are ones i can think of rn. oooh and actually the main one is probably safe BDSM hahaha very much enjoy reading it but safe and sane are not in my wheelhouse when it comes to writing BDSM. no safewords here they’re not hydrated they don’t know where to press to choke without killing brain cells loll

[blog-nstuff2]

At Home with Niall Horan Zane Lowe playlist interview april 8 2020:

Niall talked to Ed Sheeran during the beginning of covid lockdown

Slow Burn Kasey musgraves

Hozier is the nicest guy in the world. Take me to church is in top ten songs of past 20 years. From bray or wicklow Ireland. Touches on serious subjects.

Almost by Hozier

Mentioned working with someone who worked with kings of leon only by the night record, talihina sky documentary.

Be Somebody by Kings of Leon

Zane: if you weren't internationally successful, are you comfortable in your own company

Niall: I'm fine on my own but I've been calling people, parents 89 yr old grandma using facetime and the TMS writing and production crew that Lewis capaldi uses too. Might write with them soon. Spoke to shawn Mendes but he's madly in love elsewhere. So much time alone with your thoughts during this lockdown time. Lots more to write abt and good songs will come out of this

Jolene by ray lamontagne

Z: hozier, damien rice, Kasey, ray lamontagne are all monster writers. How do you critique your own words enough to feel good about letting it go to share it esp when measuring yourself against these great writers?

N: I don't know when to let it go so that's why it takes me so long to do stuff. Overthink a chorus but that happens when you've given yourself a timeline. What's good abt lockdown is there is no timeline. When I'm sitting here I'll just strum around and leave it as a melody voice note and come back to it later on

Z: who do you play stuff to when it's ready? Who's the first person

N: depends on the vibe. TMS, Jamie Scott, up tempo I'll play to julian ryan tedder Greg kurstin. Something acoustic might turn into more. Something different on the ear cuz in pop we tend to be very straight but playing around with groups

In your atmosphere john mayer

Z: your message abt canceling tour cuz o covid was very thoughtful. You have crew to be affected

N: fans bought tickets which is amazing feeling that ppl wanted to come to the shows. I figured I'd pause it and refund ppl but hardest part was email to the crew and band. They live tour by tour and live on a bus to make money so that was hard decision

Z: you talk abt bands like kings of leon, john mayer, stevie nicks, there's a musical connectivity there between you and harry. He made a playlist for us and was diving into old soul bill withers shuggie Otis but I know he's a fan of these kinds of artists cuz his music reflects that. Is that something you guys bonded over during time in 1d? It's like your musical taste is align more than ppl would have recognized in those 5ish years

N: we were both heavily into 70s rock. He more into the british end of things. I was more into the eagles, what was happening in laurel canyon. He into that too but more of a stones guy

Z: the irony of that is harry is now managed by irving azoff and is best friends with stevie nicks. He totally jacked your shit. Hahaha

N: to be fair to him he absolutely loves Fleetwood mac. He got me into things like shuggie Otis. We would pass things back and forth to each other but yeah it's funny that he's like you said.

Edge of seventeen could have been on rumors. Lots of that stuff in laurel canyon era. Joe Walsh said every song should be written around a riff like edge of seventeen catches your attention

Z: what's your go to chord?

N: I play a lot in DADGAG. Had two guitars delivered from my freight and they were in dadgad, or simple stuff based on a C. Fast picky stuff cuz I tend to stick to straighter grooves so I've been trying to do different sounding kicks and pulses.

Zane: congrats on heartbreak weather it's your best body of work and production wise and feel wise it's super cohesive songs are fantastic but you've picked songs with 70s aesthetic and laurel canyon like slow burn like la is rubbing off on you. Quite folky. Is that in your wheelhouse for future?

N: yeah what's probly coming is simple stuff cuz I have just acoustic guitars around right now. I listened to damien rice when I was 10 and never wrote a song the same again. Ed sheeran was raised on damien rice too. What is beautiful is that Ed leaves in little mistakes like damien rice does like vocal scratches. Doesn't have to be perfect

The blowers daughter damien rice

Z: you picked billie eilish and it must've been fascinating watching these past 18 months someone get that kind of attention cuz last time someone got that kind of attention it was 1d so she's the first artist to be out on the world stage with that level of attention including weird pressure. Must've been oddly familiar

N: when I see phenoms like that I just hope she's ok. We see horror stories all the time like justin bieber falking abt his experiences recently which I understood his experiences but I had the other boys in 1d to keep me same. Justin and I talk a lot and have a lot in common with fandemonium. Things can go wrong still even if you have tons of money. Billie and her family seem great I met them st the brits 2020.

Everything I wanted billie eilish the pulse kick and reverb on snare is beautiful

Z: taylor swift with lover shows that she refuses to be boxed in even when ppl want her to do one thing but she did give us what we wanted with lover

N: cant tell ya how much I love this song it's unbelievable. Genius. She's so honest. Ed sheeran Sara aarons Amy Allen Julia Michaels just spit chorus and everything in one go. She's always had a knack for honesty and sweet, but bad side too like bad blood. She's just one of greatest songwriters of her generation. When I'm sitting here writing/playing some chords I think to myself what would taylor do and I've told her that. Few artists here you can think about like that like would she go minor or go major. She deserves everything she gets.

Z: you talked abt taylor in a wonderful way she'll sit on the piano and observe natural human experience and paint that picture. You can imagine what's going on when she writes like capturing a moment forever

N: most successful ppl have been the no beating around the bush ppl like paul Simon, stevie, don Henley, ed taylor swift. Straight down the middle. She just paints the pic and I'm jealous of it sometimes

Z: what happens when you're the subject matter of no holds back writing? Knowing you've been apart of some experience that inspired someone's song and could've been just with your buddies in the band perspective or a relationship. Howard it feel when you're on receiving end of that kind of subject matter when you're a writer too?

N: laughs. You can develop a song based on a story. It can be truthful or you can develop it to make it sexier if original story isn't that interesting. So sometimes I know the truth but I know that that person is a song writer and they can change the narrative. Artistic liscence lol.

Z: without artistic liscence we wouldn't have rumors but we would have teenage dream cuz it's a perfectly constructed robot of a song.

N: I looked up max martin and saw all of what he's worked on. Teenage dream is best pop song of last 20 years. Its genius from the riff to pre chorus middle late double chorus etc. Ahe reminds me that she was the one who put me through on x factor

Z: do you think into future?

N: I do worry that being a musician for the rest of my life won't work out but you can't do that cuz then you've already dug yourself a whole. I'm 26. I've had success with the boys and on my own. I've never been so driven. Idc how much money I get I'll always have that drive. Ed still wants the biggest songs in the world and he'll tell you that. I asked him for a drink recipe that Russell crow gave to him and he replied.

Dancing on my own by Robin is off the charts. This is dream as far as writing pop songs goes.

[anotherghoul666]

Secret Garden

This is my entry for @ghostbcfandomevents 2022 Ghost Gift Exchange! I was matched with @bunnielav and their request was old Sister Imperator / Papa Nihil being sweet together and doing old people in love shit! I saw this as a great opportunity to draw attention to old age and all the great things that can still happen at that age, because old bodies are so often overlooked and ignored in fandoms and they deserve better. This was a great opportunity to write something that’s very much outside of my usual wheelhouse. I thank everyone involved in this secret santa / gift exchange! ❤️

Pairing: Sister Imperator/Papa Nihil

Rating: Teen and up audiences I suppose because of the D/s undertones and hints at intimate activities

Tags / contains: old people in love; straight presenting queer ship; fluff to the extent that Sister can be fluffy hahaha; “it’s complicated” relationship; “unfortunately I love him” vibes from Sister; Nihil is down bad for Sister’s delusion of grandeur; old bodies appreciation; old bodies in a positive light; blind / semi-blind character; disability and support representation; domesticity; me taking this as an opportunity to study and develop Imperator’s character for future fics; power exchange dynamics; love languages; the language of flowers; a car trip; a beach date; old people’s libido doesn’t magically disappear with age.

Summary: A collection of snapshots of Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil’s relationship today. Sister’s daily life and responsibilities at the abbey and how Nihil never fails to brighten it up. An invitation on a date at the beach and the trip that follows. An evening at the beach house, to partake in sin for old time’s sake.

Merry christmas / happy holidays bunnielav, I hope you’ll find something you like in this gift of mine, enjoy and best wishes! :D

[theoraeeken]

book recs?

sleepover asks!

dermaphoria by craig clevenger is my all time favourite book. i have a tattoo of a firefly because of it. it absolutely ruined me emotionally, and i couldn't read another book after it for about a year because it just wrecked other stories for me. life changing read.

my favourite book series as a kid was the vampirate series, which i was still flicking through when i was about 20! the writing really holds up, i think. it's been a few years asdfggjjkl. but i really enjoyed the characters, and the story itself is actually very engaging. if you like YA fiction it's a pretty good shout.

seven daughters of eve is one of my favourite nonfiction books ever. it's about tracing the genetic lineage of modern humans to their earliest ancestors by linking the mitochondrial DNA of modern individuals to that of seven ancient female skeletons. it's very science heavy because its about genetics but it's actually quite accessible - im an archaeologist so i understand the very very basic principles of the study but my focus really is early modern material assemblages, so this is very far out of my wheelhouse, but i didn't struggle too much with the science! it was very well explained - if anyone wants a brief explanation of it im happy to try! there are a lot of issues with ancient DNA ethically, and historiographical problems with this kind of study which cannot be overlooked, and again i will go into if anyone is actually interested hahaha but i do still think it's a fascinating study. he also dedicated the last chapter to entirely fictional narratives about the last days of each of the women based on where their bodies were found. it's jarring at the end of such a science-y text but it's strangely quaint, if bizarre.

[stinastar]

End of Year Questions for Writers and Artists

1. What project are you most proud of and why?

Probably Green & Gold? It felt hard, often, but I finished it. Pretty sure it’s my longest fic. It came from angsty little snippets I was telling myself with no plans to write them, but I did, and I managed to, you know, actually make a story of them, and write the in-between bits, and I finished it. LOL. It’s very outside of my usual one-shot wheelhouse.

2. Which project did you have the most fun making?

Probably 5 times Aiden angles for a pet, and 1 time he gets his wish. I wrote it pretty quickly and snickered to myself most of the way.

3. Which project was the most unexpected and/or challenging and why?

Hmm. Unexpected I would say Distraction. The idea struck me out of nowhere one day and I said to my friends “someone should really write...” because suddenly I very much wanted it, but did not want another WIP, lol. Anyhow, things happened, as they do, and I wrote it, and I love it.

For challenging I’m going to go back to Green & Gold. The stupid details I agonized over that you would never notice while reading it, hahaha. The plot and story holes I had to fill...

4. Which project would you like to receive more attention?

Shut Me Up, Safe and Sound, Peacock & Is Love Alive? were quiet... the last three more than I expected, at least. Is Love Alive? I definitely had higher hopes for, in terms of reception/attention 😅😅 ALAS.

5. Is there a project you intended to work on but couldn’t find the time? If so, what is it?

I think anything I didn’t work on or finish was less a matter of time, more a matter of getting derailed by new ideas, or things souring projects for me... I started a lambden angst fic but uh - things happened. Maybe I’ll finish it this year lol. And I have a geraskier mod au fic I started w/ @ahh-fxck, but we’re passing it back and forth, and lots of life & stuff has happened, so it’s been been stop and go. It’s on the docket.

6. Have you noticed an improvement in your skill this year? Did a specific project help?

Yeah! I definitely feel like my writing has improved, in various ways. And @lohrendrell says it has, which means I’ve left less messes behind for her to clean up, lol.

Oops, meant to say that I think Green & Gold definitely helped me grow as a writer, I think.

7. If you could remake any project you’ve created this year, which one would it be and why?

Hahahahaha. Of Dragons and Heartbreak. For sure. It isn’t terrible, but it definitely isn’t what I had in mind. Probably some of my sour feelings towards it have more to do with other ppl’s bullshit than anything actually in it, but. Anyhow. Yeah. I had this idea I wanted to try, and then the flashfic prompt fit really well, so I attempted it, but I was so rushed, so it isn’t what I had in mind. I wanted a different flavour and more angst. Lots more. I somewhat regret writing it for the prompt. Oh well. Womp womp.

8. What project would you like to make next year?

Hmm. I mean. I plan to/hope to finish a lot of my WIP? I’m just about done (I think) with another Eskel/OC fic, which I quite like. I’m halfway through a silly Jaskier & Ciri/geraskier mod au fic, then probably a cute lambden fic for @jlyarts. I think after that I might try to do the lambden Hanahaki fic I have 3 half-baked thoughts on, lol. Tasty. Could also go for some geraskier angst, I have a tiny single thought to whump the bard. I also want to try to clean up my original story I worked on for Nanowrimo. It’s a half-baked mess.

I was sort of sideways tagged by @lohrendrell​ lol. If I tagged you in this, that’s your tag. If you see this and want to do it, that is also your tag lol. Everyone is tagged <3 @glittering-git @westmoor @major-trouble @kushielsmercy @contemplativepancakes @soundslikepenance @fangirleaconmigo @childoffantasy @brothebro @alllthequeenshorses @itsrapsodia @spielzeugkaiser I’m also gonna draw your attention here, if you haven’t done this yet and feel so inclined <3

[albatrossisland]

Ficiversary!

On Aug 19, 2019, I published the first two chapters of my first fic since I was a teenager, and I’ve mostly been writing fic steadily since then (notwithstanding some winter doldrums). 

So here’s a rundown of year two in fic.

Total Fics: 17

Fics written in the past year: 9

Worthy The Love I’ll Never Recover From A Love in Song The Stoneheart Protocol Valyria The Last Dragon The Things We Do For Love Those Who Favor Fire Safehouse

Total Word Count: 189412 

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted at the beginning of the year? Robert/Jaime. That idea wouldn’t leave me alone, and wow, there they are, in a plausible but utterly ridiculous setting.

What's your favorite story of the year? I’m partial to Valyria. In the notes, I had a lot to say about the faults of the original source for the story, but I love it dearly, with all its faults, and I’d like to think I did justice to both properties.

My best story of this year: I can’t pick just one, so I’m picking my space trilogy of The Stoneheart Protocol, Valyria and Those Who Favor Fire. I have been in that mood, and didn’t even know it, hahaha.

My most popular story of this year: By kudos, it’s The Love I’ll Never Recover From, my autumnal ghost story. By hits, it’s The Stoneheart Protocol, where JB are space bounty hunters.

Most fun story to write: The Love I’ll Never Recover From. I really wanted to try something experimental, and with ghosts because it was October, and it worked. 

Story with the single sexiest moment: The memory merge scene in The Love I’ll Never Recover From. I stepped out of my wheelhouse to try to write something sensual and intimate, and I was very pleased with the results. 

Most "holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story: The Things We Do For Love, no question. It could have been worse, I suppose. ;)

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters: With The Stoneheart Protocol, I had to try to think about what they would like as a couple, and it was a stretch, but in a good way. I was more used to writing them before they’re together, and this one had to be about afterward, and  about what they are like as a couple who are separated.

Hardest story to write: The Stoneheart Protocol. It’s harder for me to craft original fic, rather than an adaptation, and it was a struggle to keep the story from spiraling away from me (something that kept happening during my spring attempts to write something).   

Favorite Opening Line(s): It’s over from Valyria. I just love the story starting from the end, but of course it’s not the end.

Along those same lines, We can't win from Worthy hits the same notes for me.

Favorite Closing Line(s): The last line from Those Who Favor Fire. I won’t spoil it, but I liked that entire last section so much that it convinced me to end the story there. 

And the last line of The Stoneheart Protocol is also pretty cool too.

Fic-writing goal for the next year: Nothing really on the horizon, and that’s fine. It’s been a weird year.  I’m in a writing experiment right now. It’s not a real story, more like an extended outline for a fix-it, and I’m just writing it like that. I like just letting the story plot just play out without having to bother with any writing mechanics. It’s freeing, and I’m not sure if I’d want to share it, but I’m curious to see where it goes.

[bigskydreaming]

About all the stuff you were talking about, do you know any fics that handle those things well? It is exhausting trying to go through the Dick Grayson tag to try and find ones that handle even one of those remotely well so any you can tell me would be wonderful.

I use my Bookmarks page as a go-to for people looking for that sorta thing. I haven’t added to it in awhlie which is like, a useful reminder for myself to rectify that.

I’m not sure off the top of my head what fics on there address these particular areas of canon or fanon issues, but they’re in there, and I don’t bookmark anything I wouldn’t reread since that’s....the only reason I bookmark stuff lol. Aka nothing that contains elements or fanon tropes/issues that would’ve pulled me out of the read on the first go-through.

Specific authors who I consistently like for their takes on all of that, hmmm....off the top of my head, @dustorange only deals in Quality Stuff and her Hierarchy of Needs for Dick’s characterization has similar enough rankings to my own personal one, that I’m always like, yes, this hit all the beats I was hoping for from this summary, I am full, I could not eat another bite. But maybe a dessert course later. I guess. If you insist.

In terms of specific takes and tropes I’ve been talking about tonight, @themessofthecentury has a fic that delves into all the Spyral aftermath in a really satisfying way. Y’ever been like, ugh can someone please write a lengthy beast of a multi-chapter that takes all of that and says ‘Lo, there is Gold in these hills” and has a range of POVs but that all consistently prioritize and center Dick in the areas and matters he should be the one prioritized? That’s the one, that’s Fault Lines, its a WIP but its alive and kicking and very much what you’re looking for to read something actually catharctic after the way all of that was handled in canon and most related fics.

Umm, lessee.... @hood-ex is all about Top Notch Tropes, especially for great scenes where Dick’s with a wide range of characters, and its like, casual slice-of-life stuff, but delivered in a way that Just Says No to fanon and even when writing Dick as light-hearted and having a good day, its like...actually in character for him and he’s not Dick Grayson, The Balloon Animal That Walks Like A Man (but is actually 70% sugary cereal). You gotta follow her on tumblr though to get all the fics, cuz she’s like me in that she writes a lot of done-in-one scenes that never get moved over to Ao3 because eh, we’ll do it tomorrow but also we’ll forget about it by tonight so no actually we won’t. And thus there’s a lot of hidden gems to be found there.

@ckbookish writes a lot of stuff set in the early Nightwing days when Jason was Robin, and from what I’ve read there’s a lot of focus on Dick and Jason bonding and also exploration of Dick’s thoughts and reactions to Bruce’s “Bruce NO” behavior of that era that’s very much in character and IMO hits all the right notes in the complicated arrangement of allowing Dick his Feels there and placing the appropriate blame where appropriate but without demonizing Bruce and over-embellishing the more than enough to work with fuck-ups canon helpfully provided for that era. 

In fact, in general I’m inclined to say the author sticks as closely to canon as possible while just....making it better by just adding the little ingredient that is ‘Actual Exploration of Dick’s Feelings and Choices As Viewed Through Empathy-Colored Glasses By Someone Who I Feel Actually HAS Met or Been A Teenager At Some Point in Their Life and Thus Is Aware They’re Not Actually Unreasonable Wild Animals Whose Behavior Even When Rational Is Actually Irrational Cuz Hormones Yeah I Know I Was Surprised Too’. So I’d say their work consistenly delivers the story and emotional beats I look for from Bruce, Dick and Jason in that era, actually humanizing all three of them without going overboard with adding flaws all willy-nilly just cuz.

The only reason its not on my bookmarks page is cuz unfortunately, the sticking close to canon means Dick joining the Bludhaven police force to try and clean it up from the inside, and like.....not a criticism or condemnation of the execution of that premise at all, like, Dick’s clear in his reasons and from what I read goes about it in a way that actually fits if Dick had criticisms of the institution as a whole and an earnest belief he can effect change to it from the inside, its just like, purely as a personal subjectivity thing, Dick Grayson and Being a Cop is like my ultimate NOTP, I see it and I reflexively hiss like a vampire who forgot the sun was a thing. Its just not for me in any execution, but if that’s not true for you then its got everything else I’d look for in fic and thus while I can’t vouch for his characterization or the dynamics in later stories, like, I’m pretty sure you’d still be in Primo Characterization territory. 

There’s stuff on my bookmarks page from an author named discowing(amelia from a fairytale) - something like that. I can’t recall their tumblr off the top of my head but I know she says it somewhere in some of her author’s notes. Anyway, her stuff runs the gamut but consistently delivers on moments I really wish we could see in canon, so def worth a read. And I know her views on the Spyral aftermath and what’s needed for actual catharsis there are right in my wheelhouse, just in general, so if that’s the barometer you’re going by, then like.....idk whatever a barometer says or does when it gets the readings its supposed to, look its late, that’s the metaphor I’m going with, just pretend it was solid.

Those are just some of the authors where I’m familiar with more than one of their works off the top of my head and tend to like their focus and narrative/character choices across the board. I don’t know the full extent of work of every author linked on my Bookmarks page, like a lot of people write a lot of fic in a lot of fandom and I see a long list of fandoms and fics all organized by date posted so its more like one DC fic per page, and my ADHD self is like hahaha what if it was naptime tho zzzz.

But yeah, that’s not nearly enough to sate my greed and want for Good Dick Grayson Takes but it should get you started. There’s some good stuff out there, that’s never been in question, its just that like you said, it can be exhausting trying to wade through fics that you can’t tell at a glance if they’d be to your liking or not because the tags are all complimentary of Dick but two chapters in you’re like wait is this the other kids’ brother or is this their nanny, I feel like I’m reading about what if Fran Drescher wore tights and fought crime with flippity-flips. Which I mean, that’s a Premise right there, alright, its just not remotely the premise I look for out of fic where I have the weird expectation that Dick should be treated and regarded more like equal family to his siblings than like, okay what if he was actually just an au pair that was mostly hired to be eye candy.

[spockandawe]

6, 10, 11, 28

6. Have you ever deleted a published fic?

Nope! I try to make a point of not deleting any of my older stuff, no matter how much I’m embarrassed by it now. It could be better, but I like having a clear record of how much I’ve improved, and over the last week, I’ve gotten some lovely comments on ancient LoK fic, where, I’m definitely never going to reread it, but it’s nice that it can still make other people happy, haha

10. How many WIPs do you have right now?

Ooh, lemme see. My open google docs tabs say... six. Though there are definitely long-buried wips from older fandoms that I may never return to (not out of the question! but i know my attention span is not reliable), and I have a few other tabs with ideas that could be fics, but I haven’t even opened a working document yet. And one of the wips has like, two paragraphs, which need to be deleted and rewritten from hua cheng’s perspective instead of xie lian’s, so it’s not always SUBSTANTIAL, but that’s what I have! (mdzs x1, tgcf x2, and svsss x3)

11. Story you are most proud of?

HM. Of all time? It almost definitely has to be Blank Page Waiting. I’ve done this to myself... regularly, where my favorite fics are ones that are riffing on ideas by other creators, where the source material sometimes goes missing in action, and what I’m left with is a weird au without any context. And transformers itself doesn’t make that any easier by its very nature, hahaha. But that’s a story where I am honestly delighted with how well I did pulling together a longform plot, which I do not think is one of my strengths, and how well I did at selling a weird-ass rarepair, which is one of my strengths, and something I’m generally very proud of. And it stars one of my favorite types of character (Prowl), a cold, unpleasant person, who has made some bad decisions, but is trying, and is being perceived and Known by someone who wants to appreciate and value him. 

Haha, gonna cut myself off there. If we’re talking this year, then... hm. That’s a lot harder! It has not been a ~productive~ year. I’m very proud of Wuxian The Ninth, just because it was a crossover that needed to happen, and crossovers are not my wheelhouse, but I did it. Before Harrow The Ninth came out to joss everything I did and everything XD And I am very proud of the three (3) fics I’ve done riffing on NHS+sacrificial ritual, because that’s an idea I adore, and it hit when I had ground to a complete halt. But am I allowed to say that the diet bingge verse is what I’m proudest of this year? It’s not done, and only like two people have seen anything of what’s in it, but it’s 24k so far, which is Substantial for me, and I think it’s going to be delightful once it’s finished, and it’s yet again a long story that riffs on someone else’s ideas to generate a difficult-to-access au that I am personally horribly invested in. Very on-brand!!!

28. Best part of writing fanfic?

Ohhhhh, this. It’s part of why I’m so disinterested in being professionally published. The best part of writing fanfic is being able to reach out to a stranger via a story we both love, and either make them Feel things or Think things about that shared story-knowing experience. What with this year being what it is, I’ve written a lot of musing and/or meta posts about things that, once upon a time, I would have written fics for instead. Usually when I go to write a story, there’s some kind of mental/emotional core to it for me, that gets me, personally, invested, and that I want to share with other people.

A lot of times, it’s as simple as ‘hey what if I were to tell you that this weird, weird ship is actually interesting’, or it’s about reaching into someone’s heart by reaching into their pants. But also, I find it incredibly rewarding, for example, if instead of writing a tumblr post about what Luo Binghe might have been feeling after being thrown into the Abyss, if I wrote a fic about his feelings after being thrown into the Abyss. I’m confident in my ability to write about things well, and I do like making meta posts, but I think it’s so much more powerful when I can manage to write it into a story instead, and still make my point very clearly. I really, really, really love that part of the author+reader relationship.

[sdktrs12]

I love all your fics, but my favorite fic of yours is The Nanny! The build up between Beth and Rio was so good and the ending was perfect!

Thank you so much!

"The Nanny" was super fun to explore, writing wise, with Beth and Dean's messy marriage as an added obstacle for Beth and Rio's building tension.

And I was actually super nervous about the last chapter because it was like, kinda super fluffy at the very end there and writing fluffy Brio is so out of my wheelhouse hahaha. So I'm very happy you enjoyed it so much!

Thanks for sending this in ❤️

Do you have a favorite fic? I'd love to hear it!