#what fanfiction is) into my posts and writing

[sarahowritesostucky]

I hate to ever come across as entitled in my writing and posting, so I did hesitate to reblog this, but I'm 100% on board with OP's statements here and how heartbreaking, frustrating, and discouraging the utter lack of engagement is. My favorite thing about writing fanfiction is getting interactions and hearing from people who enjoyed it. On Ao3 that means comments, but on Tumblr that means reblogs (and a comment in a reblog is a truly rare gift and is what I desperately wish more people would take the time to do once in a while).

let’s talk, shall we?

it’s no secret that tumblr writers have been leaving or deactivating their blogs, especially in the last year or two. and i think the reason why is even less of a secret.

the fact that writers have to practically beg for feedback and interaction on a site where they post their works for FREE is ridiculous. the fact that most of the people who are reading and consuming these works don’t even spare 10 seconds to add a nice tag to their reblog (if they even bother to do that) is borderline enraging. this is tumblr, not instagram or twitter. likes on tumblr do nothing for the writer. i don’t care if you think that it helps them appear in the tags, or if you think that seeing yet another “___ liked your post” is encouraging to them, because it doesn’t and its not.

and speaking of likes, why is the ratio of likes to reblogs so fucking huge? and before you think i’m being dramatic, lets take a look at some of the notes from my own works.

at the time of me writing this, my one-shot, dream lover, has 821 notes. that’s pretty good right? but let’s see how many are empty likes and how many are reblogs.

769 likes.

52 reblogs.

out of those 52 reblogs, 35 of them are empty. no tag, no comment.

one of my reactions currently has 2,038 notes. you may be thinking that’s a lot, which it is and i’m incredibly thankful for how many notes i’ve gotten on it. but how many are likes and how many are reblogs?

1,924 likes.

113 reblogs.

out of those 113 reblogs, 81 of them are empty.

one of my headcanons currently has 1,110 notes.

1,069 likes.

41 reblogs.

28 of those 41 reblog are empty.

why is it so hard to reblog things and give feedback?

“oh but it won’t fit my blog theme!” if you’re so fucking concerned about what your precious tumblr blog looks like, then send an ask. they’re just as appreciated.

“i don’t know what to say tho!” we’re not asking you to be shakespeare. if you’re really that no thoughts head empty just put a keyboard smash, if nothing else.

“but i’m shy and embarrassed!” the anonymous option is there for a reason, and most writers have it turned on. being shy when you have the option of keeping your identity a secret is no excuse.

and yes, i’m aware that some writers don’t have the anon option on, which brings me to my final point.

stop. demanding.

if a writer has requests open, be a decent human being and use your manners. going into their inbox and saying “____’s reaction of this.” is no way to request something. saying please, thank you, or even “hey, could you do a reaction of _____?” is a thousand times better than just telling them what you want them to write.

writers spend hours of their time and energy to write things for you to read, and leaving an empty like is meaningless to them.

if your liked a writer’s works, reblog them and maybe add some nice fucking tags while you’re at or send an ask to them about it. because sooner or later, after so many likes and barely any interaction, more and more writers are going to leave.

stop making them desperate for any spare crumb of interaction and start leaving feedback if you love these writers so much.

[p0orbaby]

Request😍: y/n and alessia or leah (you decide! find your tumblr side and aaalll the stories of them. It leads to jealous alessia/leah bc of y/n being with other girls (like getting jealous when your partner cheats in your dream). Reader has to handle the situation and in the end manages to make less/leah focus on all the fluffy/spicy stuff there is about them. If you want to make it smutty (what we all love hehe): they eventually get inspired by tumblr and choose another story (you can decide which of all the good alessia/leah x reader smut on here) to reenact. Thank you!!! (If you dont want to write this feel free to repost for another writer, also you can switch the roles who is jealous, i dont care:)

i amended this a little, pls don’t hate me

it would be harsh to call this a crack fic but i honestly giggled the whole time writing it 🤭

-

You find Alessia on the sofa, her face illuminated by the blue glow of her phone screen. At first, you think she’s watching one of those oddly specific TikToks she loves—something about cats playing table tennis or an American teenager ranking their favourite crisps. But then you notice the furrow in her brow, the way her teeth tug at her bottom lip. Her expression is equal parts confusion, disbelief, and mild offence.

“Everything alright?” you ask, setting your keys on the counter.

She doesn’t answer immediately, which is a bad sign. Alessia always greets you the moment you walk through the door, even if it’s just to ask what you’ve brought for dinner. Instead, she tilts the phone slightly so you can see the screen.

“Do you know about this?” she asks, voice clipped.

You lean over, squinting at the screen. The webpage is clunky, its layout straight out of 2012, and the title reads something absurd like ‘Sunlit Smiles and Shadowed Hearts’. Your name is prominently featured in the summary, alongside a few other recognisable ones.

“It’s fanfiction,” she says, answering the question you haven’t asked yet. “About you”

You blink. “About me?”

“And other people,” she adds, her tone sharp now, like the edge of a too-clean knife.

The penny drops. “Wait—what?”

She sits up straighter, turning the phone to face you fully. “Look. This one has you with… God, Tooney. And this one—oh, this is just brilliant—you’re married to Ona. Married! Like we’re just some passing fling”

You bite the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing, which, given her expression, would be a tactical error. Alessia doesn’t do jealousy often, but when she does, it’s like an overdramatic romcom villain plotting their revenge.

“Well,” you say carefully, “at least they’ve got good taste?”

“Good taste?” she repeats, incredulous. “One of these has you sneaking off with Mary behind my back during a post-match interview!”

“Creative, though,” you offer.

She glares at you, tossing the phone onto the cushion beside her. “This isn’t funny”

“It’s a little funny,” you say, sitting down next to her.

“It’s not,” she insists, crossing her arms. “Do you know how many of these there are? And how many don’t have me in them at all? Like I’m just some side character in your life?”

You try to suppress the grin tugging at your lips, but it’s no use. “Less, you do realise this is all made up, right? None of it’s real”

She huffs, her cheeks pink now. “I know that. But still. It’s insulting”

You reach for her hand, gently uncrossing her arms. “Alright, let’s look at it this way. I’m obviously very popular. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Not when you’re popular with everyone except me”

“Oh, come on,” you tease, squeezing her hand. “I’m pretty sure there’s stuff about us too. The fluffy, romantic, borderline inappropriate kind”

Alessia hesitates, her gaze flicking to the phone. “You think so?”

“I know so,” you say confidently. “Because we’re the superior couple. Clearly”

That earns a small smile, though she tries to hide it. “You’re an idiot”

“And yet, here I am, fully committed to proving my devotion,” you say, reaching for her phone. You type in a search, scrolling through pages until you find what you’re looking for. “See? Right here. This one’s about us”

She leans over, peering at the screen. Her eyes scan the words, and slowly, her frown starts to fade.

“This is… cute,” she admits reluctantly.

“Exactly,” you say, draping an arm around her shoulders. “So, no more being jealous of fictional versions of me, okay? They don’t get to go home with you. I do”

She turns to look at you, her expression softening further. “Fine. But I’m still not over the Mary thing”

You laugh, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Noted. I’ll make it up to you”

“You better,” she mumbles, but there’s no real bite to her words anymore.

It’s only later, as you’re cooking dinner together, that you catch her sneaking glances at her phone again, her lips twitching with the beginnings of a smile. If she’s reading more of those stories, you don’t mention it. Some battles are better left unpicked.

[spread-the-influence]

I love love LOVE your comic! it’s so good! It’s also really… inspiring, to say the least. By which I mean, of course, I would love to write fanfiction of course! What else were you thinking?

Anyways, my problem is that I’m not a very good artist, buuuuuut I am a pretty okay writer, so I was hoping I could just write fanfic and post it on, say, Ao3? Or would you prefer to keep any AUs/fanfic on tumblr? I don’t know why, but I feel kind of compelled to make fanfic!

yeah you can post it in ao3 and throw the link in my ask box , i'll read it ! even sending a google docs document is fine if that's preferred . i hope you are not in any grave danger and is being forced to write this fic because of a nefarious digital parasite anon :D

[platinumink]

Odys TLC Adventure Vol.2: Father Son Bonding

Soo I’ve decided to put my two shared headcanons (stealing clothes and curly hair), as well as some others that are not yet disclosed, together and make some art about it. Therefore I created this little father son bonding gem:

Basically Telemachus is definitely wearing something of his father’s because that blue robe would normally be the whole piece of clothing but instead, he uses it as a wrap, a belt and a small coat. :D Ody is definitely enamored with this and just happy to share time with his son. This is also post Ody teaching his son how to take care of his hair. I have also hidden 4 little details in this artwork, if anyone wants to find them i guess you can. :D 🩵

As always: Please leave some feedback if you have it, I am still learning how to use digital art software and am not very good at all of the functions yet. :’ )

Also to already answer some questions: If anyone wants to write fanfiction or anything of the kind, you are of course allowed to, just please notify, tag and credit me so I can pay my respect and appreciation. :D 🩵

Suggestions on what to draw next can be put into the ask function on my blog. ^^

[sir--crow]

this!!!

I've seen a lot of hate on Tiktok towards fanfictions to the point where thousands of people in the comment section will be making hateful jokes about the fanfic.

I'm like... that's weird. it's mean. it's rude.

there's one particular fanfiction in general within this fandom that gets a lot of hate, and the author is active within the community so I know that they see it. it makes my heart hurt for them. because they wrote a 400k+ fanfic FOR FREE. it might be ooc, but so what? it's fanfiction. it doesn't matter. ITS FREE. so I don't care.

I feel like a lot of people forget how lucky we are to have Ao3 and other fanfiction websites because it's a whole library we can access for free, and the authors don't get a dime for the hard work they put into it.

you wanna know what I do whenever I dislike a fanfic? I close the tab. I don't leave a hateful comment. I don't leave a bookmark saying "bad" or "wouldn't read again" because guess what? Ao3 isn't goodreads. that author WILL SEE WHAT U WRITE. as someone who published on Ao3, let me say that we can see everything people write in their bookmarks, and it always makes me happy to see loving comments or praise.

I couldn't imagine seeing a bookmark hating on my fanfic. it would break my heart.

so this post really resonated with me. if you see hate on any social media about a fanfiction. ignore it, or call them out!

fanfiction is free and the authors take time out of their day to write for YOU. so don't laugh at them when their writing isn't the best or the characters are a bit ooc and then act all shocked when they take the fanfic down for hate. they have no obligations to keep writing, and yet they still do it.

finally, I also see people say that fanfic authors of more serious topics are problematic because of what they write. for example, dead dove is a popular problematic genre on tik Tok that people bash. I'm sorry but what? once again YOU DONT HAVE TO READ IT and just because they write about it doesn't mean that they are that way/do those things themselves. just because someone writes about cannibalism doesn't mean that they're a cannibal. just because someone writes about murder doesn't make them a murderer.

I don't get it. is it a lack of media literacy? I feel like people get disconnected from reality whenever they write stuff on social media as if the person they're writing about isn't an actual person with feelings.

so please, don't hate on fanfiction. and let me say this YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DISLIKE STUFF. you're allowed to dislike a fanfiction! I'm not saying that you can't. I'm just saying that it's wrong to post hate.

be kind.

thanks for the insightful post OP.

Please stop publicly hating on fanfics. PLEASE!! Especially in a comment section of a video that’s about the fic or the fandom, because whether you’re aware of it or not, the author could have a social media account on that platform and see the hate. The hate on something they did for fun, for free. If you want more content then you have to stop hating. these authors aren’t celebrities they don’t have pr teams or people dealing with hate for them, they’re participants in fandom, and they’re real people.

Fanfics are not books, yes some are amazing enough to be, but you do not buy them, they’re provided to you for free. A fanfiction being popular is not like a book you bought sitting on your shelf, you should not feel obligated to read it because you spent money on it. Because you didn’t. it’s free. Fanfics no matter how popular should not be treated and reviewed like books, you do not get to publicly criticise or say “how are people buying this?!” Because they’re not. It’s free. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s overrated, it’s something someone did for fun, and you don’t get to criticise that, especially because it’s public for you to read!! Don’t be mad that something’s overrated, be glad that it was even up in the first place, someone could have easily just left it as a draft and never posted it, but they did. They decided to share this piece of themselves, to the fandom for anyone to read and that is a gift.

Ao3 is an uncensored website for fanfics, you can write about literally anything. And yet I see “no don’t read that fic it’s problematic!!” In a comment section. Fanfiction is not censored, if you want morals and every character being perfect and making the ‘right’ choices, then get off ao3. Also reminder that an author can write characters making decisions that they don’t agree with, for depth of the story. Just because your favourite character, that you see as the pinnacle of righteousness, makes a bad decision or says something mean does not make the story bad or problematic. It also doesn’t make the author agree with that decision. All the time authors of published books write about morally grey characters or villains. But when an ao3 author does it all of a sudden they must have committed the war crimes that they wrote their villain to commit. Do you realise how stupid that sounds?? 😭

Also don’t post vague negative videos about something/someone even if you don’t say who or what it’s about, it leads the comment section to gossip about who they hate and that’s just not cool. And tagging the fandom that they’re in??? 90% of the time they’re going to see that.

Public hate is not cool, if you don’t like someone, talk to you friends about it if you’re craving other peoples validation so badly. You don’t need to post something publicly. And I know hate gets more popular then love in fandom, no matter if it’s headcanons or fics or creators, but that doesn’t make it good. I don’t know why people are so negative all the time, like I don’t care what headcanons you hate, why do you even spend that much time thinking about something you hate?? I want to hear what headcanons you like, I want to know you fav characters, your kins, literally anything.

Sorry this is so long, it just pisses me off to see a fun video about fandom and then I open the comments and it’s filled with hate. This is a fandom, have fun with it!!! Please. 😭

[shitpostingsapphic]

Hi folks.

So it's come to my attention that there's a user on here by the name of @identityflawed and usually I'm not one to tag a user outright to inadvertently encourage strangers seeking them out, but this particular user is fine with doing such with others after, frankly, HORRENDOUS and UNCALLED FOR insults and hatred for the work they put in towards a piece of fan material. And they also prefer to be called outright. So, sweetheart, this one's for you.

This user has directly targeted the author of the popular and successful Caitvi fantiction titled "cerulean eyes for the wounded soul", a WWII based AU on our favorite lesbians, with Vi being an American fighter pilot and Caitlyn being a french countryside widow. What it boils down to is a whole lot of nothing words that slander the writing, insult the author, and have the audacity to say they could have done it better. So much so that they TAKE THE IDEA and "revamp it" to their liking.

Not only is their criticism completely unwarranted and not even criticism but more outright degradation of the hard work the author put forth, but it's a complete disrespect of the fanfiction community at large. Fanfiction comes purely out of the creativity of random people like me and you. Fanfiction writers aren't paid for their work, and thus the dedication required to even put out works like Cerulean Eyes should be commended. Needless to say, the work has been commended, due to its success.

I can only pinpoint the behavior of @identityflawed as that of a jealous and vindictive sorry excuse of a human being who has nothing better to do than tear people down while lazily stealing their ideas to compensate for their lack of creativity and their desperation to feel something besides insecurity.

You pretend to be a respectful individual by slapping a "no hard feelings?" equivalent of a statement at the end of a dissertation length hate letter TO THE AUTHOR about a work they dedicated months of time and energy towards. No sane person could ever call that respect. And implying that it's okay to harass an author to their mental health's detriment because "they should be strong enough to take it if they want to be on the internet" is, in a word, vile.

Darling, if you didn't like the fic, that's fine. Your vocal opinion is not needed. The possession of an opinion is not an indication that it needs to be shared. Learn some humility and keep your fucking mouth shut before you waste precious brain cells and oxygen that would be better used by other more deserving individuals.

I encourage anyone who comes across this post to block the user, and/or not to use abusive and violent language, but to feel free to speak your mind otherwise to them. They invited such words be directed to them. I see no reason not to fulfill their wishes.

Though, blocking might do the trick. The amount of traffic they get is meager at best. Jealousy is truly a hell of a drug.

(Images below for the post they deleted on the issue, in relation to the original criticism of the fanfiction, which you can find on their profile)

[stayevildarling]

What is it with you bitches using Aggie??? Just stop writing fics

Honestly, lately I haven‘t responded to some of the anon asks I get but I really need to get this off my chest…

you are fully aware that the people who write on this app or in general take the time out of their days to put their creative thoughts into brilliant writing? most of them write in english which isn‘t even their first language. some of us write in countries where posting fanfiction is illegal. so what makes you think you have the right to take a moment out of your day to send someone hate?

I have really had it with tumblr lately. I started in the ahs community which was so nice but got so damn toxic when it came to „big writers“ and „small writers“. I then started to write for other fandoms including marvel/mcu and Agatha. Explain me exactly what is wrong with using Aggie? I personally like the nickname and in my headcanon that‘s what reader calls her.

I will never understand why someone would go about their day and feel the urge to send someone negativity based on fanfiction. If you don‘t like something then just ignore it and keep on scrolling. don‘t crush someone‘s hard work because they are probably insecure about it either way. This world is filled with enough cruelty, hate and negativity so why can‘t we just keep it positive for once and lift each other up rather than making someone‘s day awful.

I used to love tumblr but lately I have really had enough. It‘s one thing keeping the ahs fandom alive, despite all the lovely asks I get. But when you keep getting requests and write them for people or use your ideas to do your best and spend hours or days on something and it just gets hate that’s heartbreaking. Also a friendly reminder that if you enjoy a fic to let the person know, a reblog or a comment takes five more seconds than leaving a quick like. I‘m sick of this place.

[marzipanlvr]

i have a toxic trait i literally check every 30 min to see if the writers that i follow on tumblr have updated anything and if they do i eat it up every time.. IT'S GETTING OBSESSIVE YALL DONT EVEN..SECOND TOXIC TRAIT...now this one is ACTUALLY toxic..i spam as anon. IM SO SORRY i spam as different types of people but it's actually me because i have a lot of ideas and they have a lot of potential but im scared to say "hey everything is from me!" so i change my typings and wordings and act as different type of anons... call me phantom but pLEASE DONT HATE ON ME A GIRL IS DESPERATE PLEASE IM SORRY im not weird i swear..

btw here's a list of good writers i recommend bcoz im a team player and i will NOT gatekeep and hopefully if u read these writers u can be inspired to put urself out there hehe becoz the same thing happened to me!! i love people's minds YALL ARE TOO CREATIVE 3EWYDUSDHSB

@taelophone - absolute SWEETHEART, tae was my FIRST LUIGI FANFIC WRITER ON TUMBLR THAT I ACTUALLY LOVED AND THOUGHT ABOUT. OMG SO YES MAYBE I AM BIASED AND IF TAE ACCIDENTALLY ALLEGEDLY SETS A HOSPITAL ON FIRE THEN I WILL STAY BY HER SIDE AT ALL TIMES AND TAKE THE BLAME MYSELF AND GET THE DEATH PENALTY WITHOUT QUALMS !!, but in all seriousness tae's writing and how every word is completely tailored to humanize luigi is amazing. the way that i literally get sucked in a time warp whenever tae tries to put luigi's character into perspective. by the way, there was this one anon that typed a rlly long paragraph about how fanfiction is a great way to show light unto all the morals and lessons that luigi is trying to teach us and tae was so sweet about it. literally produced one of most educated response ive ever seen and even encouraged anon to keep sharing??!! like what. PLEASE. id die for tae ID LIVE FOR TAE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ID GIVE U MY LEFT LUNG RIGHT KIDNEY WTV U NEED

@mrsmangi - MRSMANGI IS THE REASON I STILL BREATHE OKAY. mrsmangi is the deny to my defend to my DEPOSE YALL DONT EVEN GET IT. did yall see the pinned post it's literally a link to signing the petition for luigi btw here's the link u guys should check it out

mrs mangi does a GREAT JOB on again, humanizing luigi!! i repeat the word humanizing so much because good writers don't worry about being agreed or disagreed with, good writers worry for the need to HAUNT. i mean this because a good piece of art or literature must impact you in ALL aspects of your life to the point that you think about it even in the little things and mrs mangi does ALL THATT not to mention the fact that the community in the blog is oh so sacred because of mrs mangi's direct hospitality and open-mindedness !! literally using an already existing platform to raise awareness and shed light. and the most popular fics Past Life and Found are just amazing pieces of art im so glad i clicked on it no bcoz WTF.?? WHAT INSTANCE MADE U THINK OF THESE MASTERPIECES? that's insane. you're insane. you're mind makes me go kaboom. I LOVE YOU

@mangionebabymama yall THIS BLOG is literally HEAVEN SENT. 1) the anons are soooo creative 2) mangionebabymama literally matches the anon's freak and ALWAYS GIVES BACK WHAT IS RECEIVED. now that is a TRUE diva. 3) yall seen the recent post? literally saying THANK YOU for being apart of this community ??? excuse me?? no maam THANK YOU for being apart of this community. mangionebabymama is INCREDIBLE. and PHENOMENAL. i would pay real money and give up a piece of my brain to know what's going on in mangionebabymama's head. STOP IT. IM SO OBSESSED WITH THIS SPECIFIC BLOG. MANGIONEBABYMAMA WAS A COMPLETE GAME CHANGER. there is so much CREATIVITY that bleeds out and so much love!! it's a safe haven for all us heathens and sisterwives to be ourselves, most importantly mangionebabymama really moves and inspires people on the DAILYY the writing is top tier, the headcannons or random thoughts are SERVINGGG YALLLL MANGIONEBABYMAMA PLEASE ADOPT ME. mangionebabymama was a late find of mine but oh so precious oh my goooooooodnesssssss !! im so lucky to even be apart of this community and discover the random thoughts or words that mangionebabymama wants to say. i want to say thank you and give a MASSIVE hug but i know that thank yous and massive hugs will never EVER EVER be able to justify how much freedom i feel when i go through that blog. I CANT. if i die soon then the cause of death will be "died thinking of mangionebabymama's sheer greatness." THANK YOUS CANT SURPASS WHAT I WANT TO SAY SO I HAVE TO SETTLE WITH I LOVE YOU. shshwduyshjbsjdk

that's it. :) anw love luigi breathe luigi free luigi!!

[angst-and-fajitas]

Sorry if ur not doing request anymore but can you please write something for Maddie and caspian and their son I beg of you. There’s no fanfiction in this fandom 🥺 and ur writing is so good

I should probably make it clear real quick that I don't do writing requests, BUT anon you are in LUCK, because I will gladly use this as an opportunity to PLUG MY LONGFIC WIP!!

May I introduce you to...."The Miracle of Backups"!!!

It has exactly what you're asking for: lots of Maddie and Caspian and Dave!! Lots of Maddspian, Kim-Keyes family fluff, and...some crushing angst too. Because that's how I roll 💖

Here's the summary:

"Unbeknownst to Caspian, Maddie makes a backup of his upload just before his fight with Holstrom. After he dies in the battle, she resurrects him. This does not solve their problems." "A chronicling of twenty years of love and loss shared by one small, damaged family amid a changing world."

So basically, this is a canon-divergence plot where nothing changes aside from the fact that Caspian gets resurrected from backup immediately following the end of episode 6. This immediately sparks another massive existential crisis for our boy, but ultimately means that he gets to live through that whole 20 years he would've otherwise missed. The fic will follow the entire 20 years of this AU, and will probably be around 45 chapters long. I have the whole thing outlined!

Features: digital first dates! the utter chaos of surprise teen pregnancy! A more focused and thorough exploration of human-UI politics! Maddie and Caspian being loving parents!! No one going to therapy even though they really need it! (eventually) Maddspian Marriage! Cool aunt Justine!

Anyways, I'm being silly here, but I'm intending this to be a very serious fic, and my approach to it is staunchly to keep it grounded in Pantheon's themes and Ken Liu's ideas, and in how the characters would realistically handle such a situation, with all the messiness that entails. Lots of love, lots of loss, and lots of messy relationships. It's pretty important that people be aware that this is not a fix-it fic at all.

Anyways again! Dave himself doesn't show up for several chapters, but what I have here for YOU, anon, who is so very kind, is an excerpt from a chapter in the middle of the fic, at around the 10 year mark.

Context: Maddie and her engineering team have just completed the first full version of the upload androids we see in s2 ep7 and 8. Now that they have to beta test it, Caspian is, inevitably, her first choice for this. The Kim family heads to the Logorythms HQ to go see Caspian in the flesh for the first time in 10 years.

Final disclaimer: things will be edited as I start posting the story (SOON...), and the final version may end up different from this one! this is just a fun sneak peak :)

[tadpolesonalgae]

So, I saw @acoazlove do this, and I thought it would be fun way of recapping this year of fanfiction! Also maybe a fun thing to come back to at the beginning of 2026!

These are the questions in an easily copy-able format if anyone else wants to join in!

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024? 2. How many fics did you complete this year? 3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year? 4. What was your favourite thing you wrote? 5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style? 6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or reception? 7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved and went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!) 8. Who is an artist that inspired you? 9. Who is an author that inspired you? 10. Who is a new author you discovered? 11. Did you start any collaborations? How did you start it? 12. What accomplishments are you proudest of? 13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year? 14. What is your advice? 15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

Absolutely zero. I don't know how it works but I will eventually learn. Just not today.

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

Around 80 I think! But that's including all those cbmthy chapters and additional parts to series, none of which are technically completed :')

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

If we're only counting the ones from this year, then I'm pretty sure it's only The Other Woman! (Maybe The Painter and The Prostitute, The Wrong Side of History, and The High Lord's Whore? Idk if those are going to be ongoing things or not though!) I think all my other ongoing fics were started either in '22 or '23! So not that bad!

4. What was your favourite thing you wrote?

This is such a difficult question </3 The Other Woman was a big piece for me in terms of the emotion that fuelled it, but I also loved cbmthy chapter 24, and Stalking Through The Underbrush! (But also Degraded for Nesta, and Shared Camomile for Elain)

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

I think maybe Blood-borne for Az, or To Old Gods for Tamlin? Blood-borne is a fic where I was really trying for atmosphere, and trying to build a scene to set up the story, and it was a similar case with To Old Gods with kind of writing fanfiction in a way I haven't tried before? I generally imagine Prythian to be a lovely place because of all the wonder magic can bring about, but Blood-borne was a little on the sinister side, and To Old Gods felt more Celtic/medieval than the kind of magic I generally think of being most prevalent throughout Prythian?

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or reception?

I think the Dark!Feysand, Tag, You're It series startled me since it's getting some plot? When it began as almost entirely smut. Also chapter 16 of cbmthy - I thought it was the worst chapter I'd written when I posted it but then some people were so kind about it and it's now one of my favourite chapters of the whole series! And as usual The Other Woman - that fic was definitely a step out of my comfort zone so hearing some people want more of her (the reader, her life, and her revenge), and being able to relate to some aspects of her anger, and hatred, was very personal and soothing to me.

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved and went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

I find this a hard question to answer because I'm not sure how to gauge it? I'm always happy that anyone is reading my writing and enjoying it, so in that sense there isn't a single piece I've written that I felt 'went under the radar'. That being said, if there was a fic I'd be particularly giddy if someone took interest in, it would probably be Messy Breakups and Messier Bedsheets for Cassian's day of acotar-omegaverse-week! Since there's only one part out currently there's not much to go on, but I'm planning for it to be a very fun and messy series, with some light-hearted angst that's more appropriate for a TV drama or something! :)

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

A music artist would probably be Sofia Isella? I've been listening to her since before 2024 so I'm not sure if she counts but she's definitely put some ideas in my head for fic writing! Also Enya. And electronic music.

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

For fanfiction and general writing style: @azrielhours , @whisperingmidnights , and @throneofsapphics

Rags has a way of writing like she's sticking her hand right into my chest and soothing my heart. The way she captures softness and intimacy always blows me away and if I'm ever in a bit of a foul mood, or feeling generally disappointed in the world, her writing will always cheer me up without fail. It's genuinely so impressive just how intense her stories make me feel (pleasantly), and how perfectly she articulates special feelings relating to tenderness (Take Care; Lessons on Relief), and love of one's home. (Captured; Domestic) August has an incredibly vivid way of writing. I adore how she writes Rhysand in Heart of Velaris, and also how she writes Feysand, both in her Sunday Morning series and in Something Wicked <3 She also has some relatively niche interests (like her Helion x reader x Azriel fics - Sunlight & Shadow) but she writes them SO PASSIONATELY. Seriously, something just being kind of niche doesn't stop August from enjoying it which is lovely to see, both in her enjoyment of Gwynlain, and the pieces she's written for Gwyn and Rhys <3 Irene has written so much it's astonishing (I was so excited and overwhelmed when I first saw how much I'd get to read from her). I have such lovely memories of reading through Have Your Little Girlfriend, and Old Faces, over the summer when having breakfast, and I'm fairly confident I've devoured ever single smutty piece of hers that I can get my hands on (Pretty Girl? Passed out. Against The Contract? Jaw-dropping). I also usually despise angst but Irene does it too well. I can't resist. And it's also so cathartic in getting to read her angsty pieces then expressing sorrow either in the comments, or through an ask. <3

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

@secret-third-thing

STT I only found earlier this year (2024) but her writing style is so impressive. I'm frequently left feeling deeply anguished after reading her writing - she has a way of expression/articulation that has you understanding the environment she's writing in. She uses words I either don't know or have never heard of (yay, vocabulary expansion!), and creates settings and sceneries that are so incredibly immersive straight from the get go in a way I haven't read before. I'm sometimes left feeling a little disgruntled because her work feels so much further developed than my own writing style, but I think she's studied a lot more, read more, and worked to become a better writer. I find I admire how serious and meticulous she is about continuing to improve.

11. Did you start any collaborations? How did you start it?

Umm, I didn't initiate it, but @readychilledwine has been astonishing with organising the @thehouseofvanserra collaboration. She's the one who offered up dates for when to have fics ready by, checking with the writers involved whether the times would suit us, and has also been so understanding with writers who were unsure of whether they'll be able to overcome a block by then. She organised the majority of the collab, put the blog together, came up with cool designs (tested different fonts, different backgrounds, offered ideas on how to make the collaboration as fun for the writers and as many readers as possible, and has taken on the role of managing the blog), and has made the whole process run so smoothly - so I wanted to say a thank you for all the work she's put in so far for the sake of the collaboration <3

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

They're not really my accomplishments since I didn’t do the reaching out (The Scary Part), but I feel like I’ve made some more friends within the fandom, which is very nice.

@sarawritestories has been so kind and welcoming. She’s always so sweet and such a great listener, and seems to genuinely care about people and want the best for them! Not to mention I love Come Here, Sweetheart! 🧡💛 @ninthcircleofprythian is someone I look up to in how steadfast she is. I really admire her humour, even if I’m initially startled for a few moments 🤨 I think she’s strong willed and an amazing writer 🧡💛 (Stuck In The Middle With You? So sweet; so quintessentially Ninth) @pit-and-the-pen I love your music taste and your Az fics, and how encouraging you are whenever new ideas for fics are mentioned 🧡💛. (Please go to sleep. was so heartwarming—it’s such a comfort!) @daycourtofficial you’re always there to hype people up and you have such a charming sense of humour, not to mention I love all the bug facts! (And getting to talk about knitting. I love getting to talk about knitting) (And Falling In Love On The Fourth Floor - I love that fic!) 🧡💛 @readychilledwine I love your fluffy pieces, I love your smutty pieces, and you're such a kind, caring person to be around and talk to - there's nothing not to love! (Size kink with Az frequently sends me to heaven - amazing) 🧡💛 @dawneternal not only can you draw beautifully, but you’re also a wonderfully compelling writer! I love your characterisation of LoA/Edana in The Benevolent, and you’re such a joy to talk to 🧡💛 @nocasdatsgay you’re so sweet and so supportive 🧡💛 (I also started reading Neapolitan Bonds after you mentioned it maybe a week or so ago and it has sunk its CLAWS into my brain.) (cannot wait to read more you don’t understand!!) (thank you for writing it) @lady-of-tearshed you're the sweetest ball of fire I've ever met. I can always count on you to have some witty retort queued and at the ready <3 Also the beginning lines in Temporary made me so emotional. Stop. I'm not usually an Azris girlie but my horizons are being begrudgingly expanded 🧡💛 @tsunami-of-tears I LOVE YOUR DIVIDERS (obviously). The Seasonal and Solar Court ones in particular are so handy for specific acotar themes, and the halloween dividers you did were so cute (the pink ones specifically made me squeal) 🧡💛

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

Sometimes I just don’t feel like writing. I don’t yet know what causes it because honestly there could be so many reasons, and so many variables that I’m not - at this stage - interested in trying to figure out what they are.

14. What is your advice?

Just try and be happy with what you have. You can aim for more, you can be overwhelmed with how much you’ve achieved, but I think if you’re unhappy with where you are (in the context of sharing fanfiction specifically 😅) then it’s more difficult to enjoy the process. But I think that might be something you just have to learn through experience and not something that one can really have told to them.

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

I want to tie up a few loose ends. I’ve accumulated quite a few short series for a few characters, and I would like to experience the satisfaction of finishing one off 🫠

[nanawaffles]

... so I'm pretty sure this is likely going to fall on deaf ears, but this crossed my dash, and I have to add some thoughts. So on one hand I agree with you, Aredhel has so little representation in this fandom apart from romanticizing her clearly abusive relationship compared to Galadriel who is pretty much everywhere; aaand there's a lot of uncanon gender roles pushed not just on elven society, but Arda as a whole.

However, there are no "obviously gay characters" in Tolkien, there's a lot of friendships which are so lacking in fandom consumption of media. And the fandom has characterized a lot of characters who are gay, including ones who are not gay, regularly. Samwise Gamgee, not gay, marries Rosie Cotton, canonically loves her to bits-- on AO3 2,500 fics are of him and Frodo. Him and Rosie? 338. A character that's canonically straight. How about Aragorn, again, another canonically straight character... on AO3 his main ship is Legolas with well over 2,000, while his canonical ship with Arwen has 1,380. A little more balanced. How about Thranduil, y'know the guy who had a wife and was still so devastated about her death centuries later that he couldn't even talk about her to his son? Naturally we'll have to come up with OCs for that, right? Okay. According to AO3, thranduil/his wife tag has 485 and thranduil/ original female character has 588, together that's 1,073. However, thranduil/bard is 1,375, thranduil/ thorin is 648, thranduil/elrond is 336. All told that's 2,359. Canonically straight. But then again fandom has painted him as a pretty boy who likes to drink wine, be sassy, and be very flamboyantly gay.

In other words... the fandom has collectively made all these characters gay when they weren't. And I'm not talking Bisexual, there's so much bi-erasure it's kinda ridiculous. But I digress.

Now, Maedhros and Fingon. After reading this post I did a little breakdown on AO3, to see if you're right about women creating ocs. So i found there's 85 maedhros/ofc. There are 20 fingon/ofc and 39 of fingon/fingons wife (I'll touch on that in a second). There's even 7 brave souls who do fingon/maedhros/ofc. All told that is 144. Fingon/Maedhros however? 2,754. In other words, not even close. The fandom seems unanimous, the tag is full of it, and it's actually pretty hard to even find either of them in a heterosexual ship. Especially given there isn't actually any canonical base for it. You can reference Tolkien aaand WH Auden all day, but that doesn't change that at a core level he didn't write it. It isn't there. And yes, Christopher Tolkien has stated he mistakenly made Gil-Galad to be Fingons son instead of Orodreths when he published Silmarillion, but he still got that from an original idea. In fact there's actually more children in the old ideas, meaning that Tolkien had a wife in mind for Fingon. Now he changed it it would seem, but that doesn't negate that with that baseline... that kinda points to Fingon being straight.

I believe you mentioned "uncanon gender roles... for no reason". Define for me the difference? Russingon is, in the end, fanfiction. They are friends in canon. They're ride or die friends. And what's wrong with that? What's wrong with loving a friend so much you'll walk literally into hell for them? Now you could say "what about Beleg and Turin?" To which I would have to concede. Turin kissed him on the mouth. Plain and simple.

"But it's implied" ... implication isn't canon. You can build headcanons off implication, but at the end it's still not canon. For instance, earlier I said Aredhel/Eöl is clearly abusive. However, there's lots of people who see it as full of possibilities and half her numbers on AO3 are with Eöl. Now I may not agree with a loving relationship, but it's not un-canon, it's just interpretation. On that same note, ship what you want, it's not illegal. Whatever floats your boat.

However, calling anyone who doesn't agree with you homophobic because when they read the Silmarillion they saw a deep and beautiful friendship, and wish to ship either Maedhros,Fingon, Glorfindel, Ecthelion, Etc,etc,etc.... with women... that's pretty messed up. It would be like if I took Achilles and shipped him exclusively with Briseis, got everyone to agree and then called those who shipped him with Patroclus or other men, names. As a matter of fact, isn't that what most of the academic community has done for ages? What's the difference? You're saying any woman who writes a fiction with these characters in a ship with a woman they're in the wrong because of the "obviously gay characters".

Additionally the female characters in this fandom don't get the same treatment. Somehow they're all straight, they're all there for only their ships, no one ever crossovers the men around them. Oh sure there's Aredhel/ Celegorm, but fyi that's it for her apart from Eöl. Women are treated as wingmen for all the gays, which I don't have an issue with overall, but it's everywhere. Aredhel I know mostly because she's my favourite character, Aredhel who out of the 1,541 works on AO3, 315 of those are her playing wingman or being otherwise in the background for Fingon and Maedhros. Out of the leftover 1,226 Celegorm is her main ship with 295. 172 are her and Eöl. Also, you know how Fingon and Maedhros have 2,754 fics? Comparably we should have as much f/f fic for the other two cousins, Aredhel/ Galadriel---21. Okay okay maybe not Galadriel, maybe Elenw��? 13. This is from a character who a lot of people see as bisexual.

Okay but she's not as popular. What about Galadriel? ....Halbrand/Sauron+Galadriel is 2,130. Celeborn follows with 633. She has a total count of f/f : 348.

Wait what was Maedhros' count on m/m? 3,036.

... in other words this fandom has zero balance. M/M ships are the top ones in spite of them having zero canonical support (Turin/beleg & morgoth/sauron excluded) actually hold on lemme get the silmarillion numbers.

Out of 31,498 fanfics on AO3 of only the Silmarillion. 10,718 are M/M. 5,919 are M/F. 1,289 are F/F.

The ship orders are these.

1. Russingon

2. Angbang

3. Feanor/nerdanel

4. Maedhros/Maglor

5. Celebrian/Elrond

6. Silvergifting

7. Feanor/Fingolfin

8. Erestor/Glorfindel

... in conclusion this fandom is primarily gay, with only two main ships that are heterosexual, and females are supposed to stay in their lane with only the canon ships where the men have wives... in spite of the fact that theres no canon evidence except conjecture that 95% of the men are gay. Even though when you stay in your lane, even the heterosexual men are still categorized as in the closet. Aka everyone. In truth. And if anyone complains about the imbalance they're homophobic.

Is that what you're telling me??

I know we all talk about homophobic straight boy Tolkien nerds, but what about homophobic straight girl Tolkien nerds, the ones who write fanfic of obviously gay characters x f! Readers, the ones who have no grasp that sindarin is not the only elvish language, the ones who idealize aragorn, and love Galadriel for being a girl boss but not Aredhel, the ones who make up fictional, completely canonically unsupported wives for Maedhros and Fingon, the ones who love the women of Tolkien but put tons of uncanon gender roles into elvish society for no reason.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

personal happiness or what the fuck ever

bonus:

[carolinanadeau]

"this female character is underdeveloped" TO YOU. I can read subtext and I know all about her backstory and her rich inner life. also she told me personally

[wandaverse]

playing with fire.

— buff firefighter!wanda x college student!reader

— summary: the 5 times you meet and the 1 time wanda lights a different kind of fire

— tags: pure fluff, major horniness, implied smut

— word count: 1,252 words

1. the first time you meet is late at night when there’s a fire in your dorm.

someone down the hall sets fire to their microwave trying to heat up a burrito. deeply asleep with fatigue from the week’s intense assessments, you don’t hear the screeching alarms.

without hesitation, a chilvarous wanda arrives at the scene and kicks down your door, carrying you out bridal style. wanda’s not complaining, not with the way you sleepily nuzzle into the safety of her neck.

through your sleepy haze you wonder who the buff woman carrying you out the building is, she smells like smoked cedar with faint hints of sea salt. you decide that you like this scent and the warmth that accompanies it.

2. you next meet at a sorority party gone wrong.

your friends get the stupid idea of trying fire breathing. the only thing you end up breathing though is clouds of smoke when your sorority house almost burns down. wanda arrives in the nick of time in her blaring red truck and douses the flames.

something else ignites within you though when you meet her properly for the first time, awake and certainly alert. you take in the sight of her breathless figure after rushing to fight the flames. so this is who saved you that night in your dorm… oh.

wanda is not particularly amused at you and your friends’ irresponsible antics. you shrink under the weight of her disapproving gaze, but also can’t help but cheekily grin. wanda can’t stay upset, she has to admit you look cute with ash all over your face.

3. your paths cross again when you notice a kitten stuck in a tree while studying on your campus’ lawn.

after many futile rescue attempts, you call emergency services and once again your knight in shining armour (or rather, reflective PPE) arrives. she gallantly climbs her ladder and saves the kitten. you don’t deny enjoying the view of her sunkissed skin when she takes off her jacket to swaddle the kitten.

afterwards, wanting to prolong the encounter, wanda asks if you want to ride with her in her fire truck to drop the kitten off at the nearest vet. you excitedly accept her offer and enjoy the trip around the city. wanda secretly steals fond glances at you, looking adorable with the kitten in your lap.

4. the next time you meet is not in the face of life threatening danger, but rather danger to your self-composure.

on a regular trip to the supermarket, you pass the row of calendars and your eyes land on a familiar face on the annual westview firefighters calendar sold for charity. you can’t ignore the curiosity that compels you to take a sneaky peak at its contents.

your cheeks instantly burn red when you turn to february’s page and find your favourite firefighter scantily clad and leaving little to the imagination. standing in a shallow pool of water with flames raging around her, wanda poses with an axe slung across her shoulders, wearing only a black training bra and her firefighter pants. her buff arms and unsurprisingly toned abs are on show as she stares directly at you the camera. you fight the urge to bite your lip at her flexed muscles, her sunkissed skin, the shine of her sweat mixing with ash. you’ve never felt so taken before, you forget your bearings for a second.

that is, until you hear a familiar voice call out your name.

your ears register her presence before your eyes and you quickly shut the calendar, throwing it back on the shelf as if its touch has burned you. you ready to make an excuse until you finally look up and find the firefighter just as scantily clad as, if not more than, her outfit in the calendar’s photoshoot.

wanda approaches you, seemingly in her post-workout fit and you have to stop yourself from drooling at the sight of her sweaty and taut arms and abs, only this time in real life. god, the photo doesn’t even do her justice. wanda calls out your name again with a husky laugh and your blush profusely, realising you’ve been caught ogling her not once but twice.

5. you meet once again when you move out to an apartment near campus and decide to cook dinner for yourself.

you quickly realise that you actually have no idea how to cook when your entire kitchen ends up in flames. wanda arrives just in time and puts out the grease fire. for a second, you can’t help but question fate. it’s as if there’s only one firefighter in all of westview with the way wanda always finds her way back to you. you’re not complaining though.

she turns to you and scolds you for your carelessness, but not before checking that you’re okay and not hurt by the wild fire. your heart secretly skips a beat at the continued display of care. ever the prince charming, isn’t she?

before she leaves for the next emergency, though, she asks you out for dinner instead. unsurprisingly, you say yes.

+1. the evening of your first date arrives.

you’re lounging on the couch in your apartment watching a sitcom when you hear a knock on your window. wanda has climbed up the fire escape and asks to be let in like a lost kitten. you lift open the window with a laugh and she tells you that she’s set up a picnic under the stars on the rooftop. she escorts you back out the window and up the fire escape. you giggle adoringly at her antics.

the evening goes well as you two happily find that the spark between you wasn’t imagined and isn’t going to fizzle out anytime soon. conversation flows naturally and you enjoy the food wanda has cooked for you. she jokes that at least one of you can cook, which earns her a playful slap. but when you reach over to do so, you accidentally knock over a candle and almost burn the entire picnic blanket. the fire is quickly avoided though thanks to wanda’s quick reflexes. she gives you a humuored tsk, but you secretly revel in her display of protection.

the evening comes to an end as the city around you calms down and the stars settle in for the night. wanda escorts you down the fire escape once again and the butterflies in your stomach continue to take flight. when you reach your window, you turn to wanda and thank her for the evening, for thinking of such a lovely idea and packing such a delightful picnic. when you place a goodbye kiss on her lips though and she takes you in her arms, you quickly realise that that’s not the only thing she’s packed.

wanda pulls back and blushes sheepishly at your realisation, but it’s enough to set you off. all night you’ve been teased with the sight of her shirt lifting and showing the slightest glimpse of her abs, the tight fit of her t-shirt’s sleeve around her arms, the simple yet alluringly attractive way she runs her fingers through her hair. she’s been teasing you all night and you decide that you’ve had enough. you quickly engulf her in kisses and pull her boldly through your window.

your night rages on and as the flaming sun begins to rise, wanda pleasantly learns that there’s one particular fire that she just can’t put out.

the end.

[katiefrog217]

Crowley wasn't good at doing it himself, but Aziraphale was more than happy to preen his wings for him.

-----------------------------------------------------

Crowley wasn't very good at taking care of his feathers.

Aziraphale's were always so immaculately groomed. Rarely was a feather out of place, unless he was going through a particularly ill-timed molt. Some called it vanity, Aziraphale called it "looking presentable".

He could hardly blame Crowley for his lack of self-care though; his serpentine physique was hardly equipped with the tools to care for them. If it really got bad, he could always miracle them into shape, though he hardly even bothered to do that.

It had gotten to Aziraphale one day and he had set about fussing with the demon's wings, plucking out every errant feather and straightening the remaining ones. By the time he finished his task, the black feathers shone glossy and pristine in the lamp light. He puffed up with pride as he examined his handiwork, only to wither as realization doused him like a bucket of ice water.

He glanced nervously at the owner of the wings, realizing with a start just how many feathers lay strewn about them. He could make an entire second pair of wings with them, and just as well since he had dug deep and found feathers that should have fallen out 2 molts ago (really, how had Crowley managed to stand it? It must have itched like anything)! Crowley, for his part, lay beneath the carnage, coiled tightly around Aziraphale unmoving. His glasses had long been set side, and Aziraphale turned to find himself being watched by those beautiful golden orbs. He pondered for a moment if Crowley was asleep (hard to tell since serpents couldn't blink), but a small flick of a tongue when their gazes met proved him wrong. He wished he'd been right.

Aziraphale cleared his throat. "Apologies my dear, i-it seems I got quite carried away..." He mumbled awkwardly, embarrassment evident in his tone, his feathers puffing reflexively. It was practically the understatement of the century. 'Carried away'. Preening one's feathers was an inherently personal, bordering on intimate, thing. Crowley especially didn't seem to like anyone touching his wings and here he had spent Heaven only knew how long preening them himself, WITHOUT SO MUCH AS ASKING HIM FIRST--

He shifted uncomfortably when Crowley didn't reply immediately, choosing instead to leisurely inspect the angelic dove's handiwork. The silence was deafening, and Crowley seemed determined to stretch it out indefinitely as his slit pupils raked over each feather individually. Aziraphale desperately searched his gaze for anything he could discern, but only found concentrated scrutiny.

Then finally, finally Crowley turned his golden gaze back to him, his tongue flickering thoughtfully. Aziraphale's heart hammered with anxiety as he unknowingly held his breath, his wings shuffling awkwardly at his side. His fluttering heart nearly took off itself when he finally heard Crowley's low drawl.

"Mhm, thanks. They look... Better. Clean. Neat. It felt... Nice," Crowley said slowly, his s's elongating as he eeked out the rare compliment, the last part mumbled so quietly Aziraphale nearly thought he imagined it. Before he could muster a reply, Crowley dipped his head, laying it firmly beneath Aziraphale's feathery breast. His coils tightened as one came up to cover his face, shielding his eyes from view. Evidently, he was done talking.

Aziraphale stood there silently for a moment, letting his racing heart slow to a more normal rhythm before he thought of trying to extract himself from the demon's coils. He had bothered Crowley enough for one night, he thought. However, the moment he made to move, those newly preened wings stretched out on either side, trapping him in, he quietly resigned himself instead.

He would find later that preening Crowley's feathers would, as many other things between them had, become part of their routine. On nights when they look particularly egregious or found themselves with nothing better to do, they would settle in a warm corner of Aziraphale's bookshop, and allow themselves this quiet, yet delicate moment between them.

[courfee]

look at that!! i've talked about it so much and now chapter 1 actually exists in real life!!