#witch the writer's paid fanfics

[witchthewriter]

𝑴𝒂𝒄𝑮𝒚𝒗𝒆𝒓 & 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒚: 𝑨 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

Paid story for @alohomorasomnium. Word Count: 3k Warnings: swears, implied past domestic violence/abuse (slight details), stalking

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

You stood there as he held your head in between his large, rough hands. Opie was being so soft and you realised just how safe you felt.

   “I don’t understand why you want to take care of me,” you whispered, tears forming in your closed eyes.

“Because you deserve it. And I – I like you.”

Opie could’ve hit himself in the head for saying those words. What a juvenile way of expressing himself. But he didn’t know how else to say it, other than, ‘I like you.’

It was a trial of words because what he wanted to say was, ‘I desire you, body, and soul. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of you. I never want to be apart. You make me feel like I’m home.’ But no, all he could say was, ”I like you.”

And while Opie was inwardly chastising himself, you were inwardly dying of happiness. Joy, fulfilment, love, would you get to receive them? Finally? After all this running, all this surviving.

  A laugh escaped your lips, small and full of ecstasy. It brought Opie out of his reverie.

“I like you too,” you whispered, a tear sliding down your cheek.

Opie moved your glasses to wipe your tear away. He took a moment to admire your beautiful hazel eyes, those freckles that danced across your nose. It was difficult for Opie to not trace them.

As if he had decided something within seconds, and still holding your face, Opie slowly leant down. In understanding, you moved yourself to stand taller and met him.

 Your lips touched his and you felt Opie sigh.

It had taken Opie a while to realise his feelings weren’t just based in friendship. He hadn’t planned it. That was for sure. It started with a stranger in need. And that stranger turned out to be someone he cherished. Someone he felt … at home with.

   If anyone asked, Opie wasn’t lonely. He most definitely wasn’t.

But real answer was yes.

After Donna’s death, he felt lost. Even though it was a year and a half ago. He started to heal. In his own way. Little by little. Bit by fucking bit. Opie had thrown himself into the club, and maybe helping you was his way of healing. Of doing things that he wished he could have done with Donna. Although, he never thought of her when you were together.

  And then his heart opened. Unintended.

But it was the flashes of your happiness when she opened her door and Opie was standing there. It was knowing that she felt safe whenever he was around. Or when he took her on his bike and she gripped him tightly.

Those little moments that Opie shared with you, made him more and more aware of his feelings. And now he was very aware.

Jax had been tracking Dalton by himself. The club wasn’t aware he was going rogue. His decision to do so was because there was something suspicious that Jax couldn’t quite comprehend. He felt like someone wasn’t being truthful here. Someone, besides Dalton, had something to hide.

  And so Jax was doing his best to figure out who could be feeding information to this douchebag. Because he wasn’t all that smart; not to break into homes and set up those fucking cameras. The creepy bastard.

   Day by day Jax was getting closer, but he was constantly being pulled in different directions. He couldn’t keep his focus on just one thing. He never could, but now … now he definitely didn’t have the time for pleasure. He was always on the go.

Tara was getting irritated, Jax could see that. All her worries at work and with helping the boys, he was lucky to have such a loyal and dedicated Old Lady.

  He wondered what you would be like as an Old Lady…she’d never been around a club, not knowing the culture and it’s rules.

Donna was a bit foreign to it at the beginning, but she learnt the ins and outs pretty well. But decided that the club wasn’t fit for her, her children or Opie.

  Fuck, Jax thought. Would you try and take him from the club, just like Donna?

On the flip side, how would she integrate into this life? Be obedient when needed, and badass when things went to shit? You had good connections with some of the guys, particularly Tig. And really, if Tig like you, then everyone will.

Your work friend, Georgie, was enjoying the sun that filtered through the building’s large windows as she sat at the front desk. Her hair had been hard to tame this morning, and she knew it would rain at some point today because of it.

   Taking a second to stop typing and bask in the sunlight, she felt the shift. From warm to cold, her eyes flung open as Dalton stood in front of her.

Dalton walked into your workplace and leaned on the counter. His top button undone, hair slicked back and neatly combed. That look had taken him about fifteen minutes every morning. And always hated when someone touched his hair.

With a flirtatious smile, he looked at Georgie. It was lost on her, although she pretended otherwise.

    “Hey there,” Dalton said with a honeyed voice. Smooth and sweet, it sent a shiver down Georgie’s spine, but not in a good way. She may have grown up in a small town, but that didn’t make her stupid. There was something about him that made her wary. Made her feel like something bad was going to happen.

 “Hello,” she said in that airy voice of hers, still typing on the computer, entering in a log for the morning. “Can I help you with anything?” She furthered, without looking up from the screen.

   When he realised his efforts in wooing weren’t going to work, Dalton slowly stood up. “I was wondering if you could tell me where Kaelie is? I’m a friend of hers and wanted to surprise her-“

Georgie looked up from her computer and bent her head to one side, as if to say, ‘I’m listening.’

Opie’s hands moved. One to the back of your neck and the other gripping your waist, pulling you towards him. A moment in time, that felt like the world had stopped. It was as if the clock on the wall stopped ticking, and was letting you have your moment.

   His warmth seeped into you, and you swore you could feel him in your bones. Where lip met lip, tongue met tongue. You were toying with each other, seeing where the line was. There wasn’t one.

Your blood felt hot, and your skin was on fire, with chills at the same time. How could that be? He was sending you wild. You had never had a kiss like this before. You’d never been held like this before, in your life. With so much devotion, with no hidden malice or motivation.

  His height was overwhelming, and Opie’s back was starting to hurt. So, in a fluid motion, he picked you up with ease, your legs entwining around his waist.

Things were progressing and you thought, were you ready?

  Then there was a knock at the door.

Slowly, he untangled himself from you, leaving you with a sudden cold feeling.

    Looking through the peep hole, Opie relaxed as he saw the cleaner.

“Ugh, we’re all good in here,” he said through the door, and turned around to face you. Who had been taking deep breaths, over and over again. You felt like you had lost your strength, or ability to stand.

   Opie wasn’t charming like Jax, he wasn’t suave, and he definitely wasn’t as bold as Tig. He didn't know if he should continue this... would it ruin whatever it was between you? Would you feel used? Did you want to keep going?

The thoughts were overwhelming, so Opie took the only way out.

“Ugh, you mind if I go take a shower?”

    Your cheeks reddened. Was that code for something? Should you know that? Yes, you should know that. It was adult shit.

  Did it mean he was coming back…with just a towel on? God, fuck, what were you okay with right now? You didn’t want to go all the way. No, no fucking. No grinding either, no head… just … PG 13. Keep it PG 13.

   You nodded and watched as Opie awkwardly made his way into the bathroom. When you heard the door close and the water turn on, you flopped on the bed.

“What the fuck.”

In the shower, letting the water run down his naked body, Opie thought the same thing. And now he had a whole night stuck in the same room with you. What the fuck was going to happen? He became truly anxious when he realised he had to talk... about his feelings.

Opie was in the shower and you were panicking. You didn’t know what to do, sit down and knit? No, fuck no. You couldn’t read right now…you couldn’t focus on anything but the warmth of Opie. He had made you feel so light, so cared for.

    So, you listened to yourself. Decided to do what you wanted to do. And you got up from leaning against the wall and went to work. Lowering the lights, (wishing there were candles), turning off the tv and fixing the bed. You tried your best to make it romantic. The radio was turned on to the best station you could find, and when you did all you could do, you stood back and sighed.

You hadn’t done anything romantic for a man since Dalton (and only Dalton). Whenever he made you feel guilty, you would clean the whole house, light candles, put on his favourite movie and make his favourite dinner.

   The thought popped into your head as you tucked in the edges of the bed and fixed yours and his pile of clothes. You weren’t doing this out of blame, but because you … wanted to. You wanted to make Opie smile, to see his face light up.

It was odd that Opie Winston was many inches taller and wider than your ex, he belonged to a club, a violent one at that, and knew of said violence like someone would know of a hug. He was hardened, and yet never made you feel like you were in the presence of danger.

He’d never raised his voice at you, never intimidated you or forced you. He was kind, thoughtful and … caring.

And society saw him as the bad person, while your ex; a narcissistic abuser was seen as the good person. As if he had everyone in a trance – under a spell.

In the bathroom, Opie’s phone was buzzing inside his pant’s pocket. Turning off the water, he wrapped a white towel around his waist and bent down.

    “Hello,” his voice was low, not wanting to disturb you. The big mirror had fogged over and he couldn’t see himself.

 His clothes were piled on the closed toilet lid, beanie on top. As Jax kept talking, he dried himself off.

   “Wait, wait, he’s fucking staying at her place?”

“Yeah, and I’m pretty sure he knows someone from the club,” Jax was at home, taking off his shirt and pants, getting ready to put on his pyjamas. He’d got home in time to bathe Abel, to take that responsibility off of Tara’s shoulders for the night.

   The baby was on the bed as Jax got ready, squirming and giggling at his father. His little feet free from booties or a blanket, the little man felt free. Jax’s heart bloomed, he wished Opie could feel this. Know what fatherhood meant, and how it felt to raise a child with the person you loved. Because Jax knew. He knew damn well that Opie loved you.

   “Who? Fucking who knows him?” Opie’s fists clenched, and he heard a crack. Luckily the Nokia phone was barely hurt.

 “A prospect maybe, not sure. But I’ve got everything covered down here. You just keep her away from Charming for a while. Think of it as … a vacation,” Jax said with a smile, but it was aimed straight at his son.

After Dalton had finished scoping out your work, he went to your place, keys, and all, and swung the take out on the table. He’d gotten your favourite. It was still hot, as he grabbed a bowl and spooned it into the ceramic. Moving, he kicked off his shoes and put on your favourite movie, lit your candles and sat down on your couch.

   I miss you, he thought. Wriggling into the couch to try and get your smell. But all he could sniff was biker. With a huff, he put his bowl on the table and went into your room, grabbed your shirt, and put it on.

  Now don’t go messing up my things, you said.

“Oh, honey I won’t!” He said with a beam and returned to the loungeroom.

Dalton decided that if you didn’t come back soon, then he would continue looking for you. He would always keep looking for his Kaelie, his bright-eyed and quick-witted love. The words you had said before leaving…you hadn’t truly meant them.

  And that’s why he was here, ready to win you back.

    When he was done, Dalton went into the bathroom and took of his clothes. Turning on the shower, he used every single one of your things: shampoo, conditioner, brush, razor, and when he was done. He went into your room, dripping naked and rummaged through your drawers.

  Soon he found a pair of matching pyjamas, they were blue, with purple hearts on them. And as he turned off the lights and laid down in your bed, he heard the pitter patter of raindrops outside.

  Opie’s lips were bright red, like he had been chewing on them over and over. What was he thinking about? You mused, worried that he was regretting the kiss.

  “Ope?”

“Hmm, yeah?” He was going through his pack, and finding his gun. He hadn’t noticed your work, his head too far into the future and its possibilities.

Opie was already thinking about routes and next stops, how much money you guys had and how long you would be away for.

  “Opie,” you said sternly, and his head whipped up, ready for danger. When he couldn’t find any, he looked at you and frowned. “What is it?”

   You cocked you head to the side and sat on the bed.

“Haven’t you noticed…” He looked around the room and that, there was an obvious change in ambience. It didn't hurt that he hadn't noticed, what did hurt was the obvious change in demeanour. Like he was trying to ignore you.

    “Oh, Oh!” He said, standing up, “yes, it’s very nice, very good.” And then he looked at you and you shook your head.

“Shit, I did too much, I went too far-“ You got up from the bed and grabbed at your chest. Your arms were entwined around your front and your hair was completely out – which was very odd, but you thought … never mind what you thought.

   ��No, no, you didn’t. I just,” and then you both started talking over the top of one another. Opie talking about what he was focused on, and you mumbling about what you thought was going to happen.

 And you thought he hadn’t heard your last comment, but out of everything, he fucking had.

     “You thought…we were, going to go further?” Opie coughed and you blushed. From head to fucking toe.

“Oh – I misread it. Forget it, forget it okay. God this is embarrassing.” You said underneath your breath and started to braid your hair. You turned off the radio and turned the tv back on, doing your best to eliminate any semblance of romance.

   “Kaelie-“ Opie said, an arm outstretched, almost as if that would halt you. But you just did your best not to cry. Fuck this stupid motel room. Fuck this town and fuck Dalton, you wanted to scream.

  “I’ll remember that I’m only a lost cause you’re trying to help,” you said curtly and got into bed, turning your back on him.

Opie felt like punching himself in the face. It’s probably what Jax would’ve done if he was here. Opie and feelings were an odd combination. He just couldn’t express himself perfectly all the time like some people.

   You stared at the pile of books and let a tear slip. Fucking yell, you teared up a mere hour ago out of happiness and now … fuck.

You heard Opie move around the room. Making sure the door was locked, turning off the tv, shutting the bathroom door and turning off the lights.

  Then you felt the bed move as Opie climbed in.

That’s that, then. You thought miserably and let a few more tears shed.

   But then you felt a warm hand touch your shoulder, and Opie started to speak.

“I didn’t know how to tell you, I didn’t want you to feel pressured.” You still had your back to Opie as he spoke, and you slowly wiped your tears, not wanting him to know.

“When I said I liked you, it was the wrong word to use. I’ve only said it … romantically … to one person. My wife. Ex-wife. Ugh, deceased…wife,” you held your breath as Opie exhaled.

   “I love you, Kaelie. I’m not the best with words. Or, charm,” his words were like a physical pull. You rolled over, and laid face to face. Even in the dark you could see his eyes, and you found his hand, entwining it with your own.

   “I think I’ve loved you all these months but didn’t know it until … your ex came to town.” His hand was so much larger then your own, and you nearly cried at the feel of it. God you were crying so often.

    “Why didn’t you say anything before?” You replied, whispering. You moved his hand into your other and tucked it firmly against your chest. With your free hand, you stroked his bearded face, and felt … wetness. Tears, he had been crying too.

   “I didn’t know how,” he murmured. Resting his forehead against your hand.

[deviantlair24]

18+ ONLY

Hi, I’m a 24 year old Woman who loves all things Monster Kink and this is where I post all my Deviant writings. I’m a fanfic writer by day and a smut writer by night and I hope you enjoy my Work!

But before we go any further, the RULES of engagement

Must be +18 to be here! No acceptions!

Don’t like it, Don’t Read it!

Keep it positive, we are all deviants here and there's no reason to shame anyone (Unless it’s in a kinky way *Wink* *Wink* Lol).

My Most Used Kinks

- Monster (Obviously. lol)

- Breeding

- Dom/Sub

- Knotting

- Overstimulation

- Prey / Primal

- Praise

- Size difference

- Bondage

- NonCon (Only consensual NonCon on pateon)

MY HARD NO’s

- Skatt, Piss, and Vomit

- Incest

- Necrophilia

- Feederism

- Sadism 

- Hateful shit (De Trans, Mysogony, Deadname, Raceplay)

MY MASTER LIST

Vampires Bride (Fem Human x Vampire Baron)

Blood Drunk (Fem Human x Vampire)(PAID)

Naughty Nymph (Fem Nymph x Ogre)

Not the Deal You Expected (Fem Human x Demon), Part 2 (PAID)

The Farm (Fem Human x Minotaurs), Part 2 (PAID)

Alyx and the Beast (Gender Neutral Human x Minotaur)(Smashwords)

Kind Patron (Gender Neutral Human x Werewolf)

Hunted (Fem Human x Werewolf)

Monster Club (Fem Human x Tentacle Monster)

Careful what you purchase from a Witch (Fem Human x Magic Slime)

From the Shadows (Fem Human x Shadow Creature/Tentacles)(Tumbler)

Trading with a Naga (Fem Human x Naga)

Midnight Hotel (Dom Fem Vampire x Fem Human x Male Vampire)

PATREON INFO

Tier 1 - Deviant Lurker - 4$

Early Access to Free content

Access to 1 Exclusive Story a Month

Participation in Polls for future work

Tier 2 - A True Deviant - 8$

Access to at least 1 exclusive story a week. (At least 4 a month)

Priority Requests

Participation in Polls

Early access to Free content

Tier 2 - Deviant Menace - 12$

All previously mentioned perks

A commission every 2 months (1.5k - 2k Words)

Commission Rules / How it works

- I will send you a welcome message, with these rules attached, and ask for your first commission request. Once you respond with your request your 2-month timer starts for your next commission and I begin working on your Commission. It will most likely take a week or two before I finish it and send it to you. You can receive it over a message or through a pdf file. 

IF YOU NEVER MAKE A COMMISSION REQUEST I WILL ASSUME YOU CHOSE TO SUPPORT ME OUT OF GOOD WILL. 

- I have the right to politely decline a request and ask you to choose another or request to exclude a particular kink or action from the commission. (No Shame I just can’t write things I don’t somewhat vibe with. Well, I could write it but it wouldn’t be very good)

- You get to choose the What, Where, and Who. You can choose names, genders, sexual orientations, and things of that nature. You also chose the Monsters/creatures and kinks. I’m open to most things if you give me some time to research.

- You can request certain terms be used or excluded if you have a preference (Ie. Member, penis, folds, Slut, Whore, etc.)

-  I have the right to post commissions at my discretion but I will keep you anonymous unless requested otherwise. You do NOT have permission to profit off a commission but you can share it at your own discretion. 

- If you request a unique kink I will use google to figure it out so if you have something specific in mind please inform me. 

[themontess]

Author Ask Tag

@lavender-tea-fling - Thanks for the tag! Today has been A Day™️ so just getting round to this now. I have two fanfic series on the go atm, Feather and Scale (slowburn Rookanis) and Tales (of Lust and Love) from the Crypt (spicier EmmRook), but I thought I would focus on one of my original WIPs - Heart-Taker. Dropping below the cut due to length and cw historic attempts by an MC to take their own life.

What is the main lesson of your Story?

Heart-Taker is a paranormal romantic mystery, so it's all a bit hyperbolic lol. I guess the lesson is that you can be who you are, and be messy, and be loved still.

What did you use as inspiration for your world building?

One of my earliest concepts for it was “Scooby Doo, but if the monsters were real”. Then you can toss in the UK version of Being Human, The Good Place gets a nod too, and how fucked off I got with a Charlaine Harris book I read for research 😅 A few more niche inspos are The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Attack the Block, and Grease.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? So you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, or help them grow as a person?

The book is triple POV, so:

Day (human) - pay off a life debt she believes she owes the universe for a failed attempt to take her own life some years previously. Day is second chances, your messiness makes you etc. etc.

Jasper (demon-possessed human) - get rid of the damn demon; does not think his debt can ever be paid off. He is the fact it's never too late, and that you need to be open with yourself and others to make change.

Marnie (half human/half ??? witch) - have her magic unbound/legitimised. Marnie is the knowledge that sometimes things really do suck, but they don't have to suck alone.

Lol, I guess those ended up being 3 more lessons. Also, if you guessed "love triangle", you guessed right. And if you are familiar with Feather and Scale, let me introduce you to the Aradia Mercar to Day Rover scale of "Sure, I'll smooch your demon too" to "If I ever meet that mf I'm going to kick his ass back to hell".

How many chapters is your story going to have?

The rough draft had around 30, I think, but there were a few “gaps” in the outline, so possibly 32-33.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Original content, baby, and the plan this year is to use it to query and pursue traditional publication.

When did you start writing?

Around age 11/12, Beyblades and Teen Titans fanfic 🤣 This specific project, I'd say from when I was 20 or so? Originally planned it as a web serial and decided to make a novel out of it sometime after 2020 when I wanted to set my other WIP at the time on fire.

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of Writeblr?

“A page a day is a book a year” - from the college tutor of a former manager.

But seriously, butt in chair is how shit gets done. Slowly forwards is still forwards.

If you suffer from crippling perfectionism and hate seeing rough drafts because they're not good enough (who, me?) then may I suggest writing in all caps and/or a different font colour. Divorces the brain from expecting decent prose.

I have entirely lost track of who has been tagged in this, so knock yourself out if you want to take part!

[saiilorstars]

Ch. 1: Hypothesis

Characters: Draco, Pansy, Blaise, OFC

Story Masterlist

Also on Fanfic ○ AO3 ○ Wattpad

Summary: Years after the war, Draco, Blaise & Pansy find themselves at their last ministry-appointed summon to absolve their charges. MACUSA demands to see them before their probation starts to verify their intentions. Having no connections overseas, testimonial writer (and former Slytherin) Lana Adler “kindly” steps up as their temporary guardian…and to see for herself if they truly changed.

Taglist: @ocappreciationtag​​ @arrthurpendragon​​​ @anotherunreadblog​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​​ @stareyedplanet​​ @foxesandmagic @kmc1989

  He'd seen her come in a couple times, but never made actual contact with her. She would come in and occasionally speak to Hermione Granger when they crossed paths. Other than that, she typically went into just about any office that had an open door. American, judging by the sound of her voice — she was loud when she wanted to be. But the one place Draco never thought he'd see that woman was in the one room where no Witch or wizard stepped foot in unless it was required. The Wizengamot. He'd be honest and say that every single time he was there, he wasn't exactly scouring the crowds to see who had come and who hadn't. She may have always been there and he just didn't notice before.

The height of the war had finally come down, and it only took a short amount of four years. In those four years, Draco, along with many other former Death Eaters, were put through the ringer by the Ministry and that was just the lucky portion who managed to avoid Azkaban. Those who were immediately sentenced had no future pending whatsoever except for inevitable death. As terrible as the situation had been, Draco was aware that he had been very lucky to have been sentenced with those Death Eaters and other war criminals on trial because it meant that somewhere in the future, he would have a future.

Plus, he also got to be with some friends. Those without the mark but aligned with the purebloods. He, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson were somehow together through it all. Blaise for aiding him, and Pansy for — honestly, Draco didn't even know why the Ministry kept going after Pansy. He never bothered to ask.

The trio were summoned at whatever hour the Ministry wanted, expected, for reasons that usually went to interviews, questioning, interrogations and all that stuff. They were also given surprise home visits that usually followed the same line. At first, it was nonstop. There was no break ever. Now, apparently, they were reaching the end and although no one would admit it, there was a growing giddiness (something quite alarming to realize for these three). Today was one of those last summoning dates.

And that was where Draco would see the young woman again. He was just in too much of a shock to really notice her at first. The same went with Blaise and Pansy. They had just heard one of the worst news ever.

"What do you mean we have to visit MACUSA?" Pansy was the one who broke the silence after the news was delivered. "I'm sorry, last time I checked, I wasn't American."

None of the witches and wizards sitting on the stands paid the girl any attention. They merely went on to say that each of the accused would have a date with MACUSA to answer for crimes linked to some catastrophe in '97.

"This is insane," Blaise muttered, his glare sweeping over the lines of authority. "Nothing we did ever left the bloody continent."

"I did nothing," Draco said, plain and simple. "I am guilty of many things but here," he pointed. "In England. I never left the bloody place. What do I have to answer for at MACUSA?"

"They will explain," answered one of the witches, "But I will tell you all this. It is one of the last assignments of your sentence. MACUSA is demanding your presence for a couple days and you must answer."

"Where the hell are we even supposed to stay? It's multiple days!" Pansy's question brought up a series of chats amongst the witches and wizards. Apparently, no one had yet to think about that. "You froze most of our assets!"

Enter the unknown woman.

"I can do it." Her voice was clear, articulate, and certain. Heads turned in her direction. She had her hand raised in the air (that also held a quill) when she stood up from her seat. Her other hand held a parchment.

She had shoulder length brown hair and dark eyes. She was dressed pretty normally — muggleborn-ly — to be anywhere near the Ministry. Black pantsuit and nothing else. And she was American.

There were a bit more murmurs from the witches and wizards on the bleachers until one of them called upon her.

"Miss, uh, Adler?" The witch who had asked seemed to be checking a piece of parchment in front of him.

"Lana Adler," the woman nodded, clearing her throat as she gathered her hands together in front of her. "Testimonial writer of MACUSA. I've been here for a lot of your young offenders' cases?"

"Yes, yes," the witch motioned Lana to pause as she continued skimming her parchment of information. "And in all this time you've been a silent writer. What's changed?"

Lana seemed to expect the question and she supposed the trio in question were also wondering the same thing. Her eyes flickered down on them for a moment while she explained. "I attended Hogwarts with them. Same year. Same House."

'A fellow Slytherin!?' The same thought ran through Draco's, Blaise's and Pansy's heads as they glanced at each other. Not a single one could place the girl.

However, the streak of information did strike the interest of their superiors. Lana waited patiently as they broke into another set of murmurs and whispers.

"Miss Adler," the same witch as before called, "Did you ever cross paths with them?"

"No," Lana shook her head, "Uh, we…never really crossed paths. I started Hogwarts in my 5th year. You'll understand that by that point in a student's life, friends have already been made and it's very hard to get into an established group."

"Well then, why would you want to take this assignment? You understand they would be released under your custody, right?"

Lana nodded. "Two reasons, actually."

"Speak them."

"One, I am a researcher for our community. It's my job to research the impossible and I have a theory I'd like to try out. Oh, and second" — Lana smiled pretty smugly for the trio's taste — "because no one else will do this job for free." Her smile widened at the reactions of her three fellow Slytherins. Her eyes then shifted up at the stand towards the rest of the witches and wizards. "They have been accused of many things concerning the endangerment of muggles. I live well and comfortably but I do so around muggles. I would say that before releasing them completely, you find out whether or not they are capable of true change."

"And you would make yourself responsible for any liabilities?" The witch asked her directly.

"Mhm," Lana nodded. "I will be taking my own precautions of course so I will need some leeway to exercise that right."

"Miss Adler, you need to understand what you're asking here."

"Oh, I'm not 'asking'," Lana said, "As I have said before, nobody else will want to do this. Let the punishment fit the crime. One of their crimes, anyways."

It was uncanny the way that Draco, Blaise and Pansy could deadpan in the same way. They could see the Slytherin in her alright, but it didn't mean that they had to like her.

And they did not like her.

And yet, Lana Adler was granted her request.

~0~

It was the day of and they still couldn't believe it. Hell, they were in MACUSA, the real deal, and they still couldn't believe it. For the next 72 hours, they would be at the mercy of some—

"Well, it's about damn time."

They recognized her voice right away. Lana waited for the trio just a few doors down from the office they'd been kept in ever since they arrived. Just like before, Lana was dressed completely muggle — a black blouse, dark jeans and a gray and black plaid coat. Professional, sure, but definitely a muggle.

She smiled at the three, or rather smirked. "I've been waiting for you."

"More like we've been waiting for you," Pansy sneered, her brows furrowing.

Lana's smirk didn't wane. "Caught me. I was in another meeting. Jobs, you know…or do you?"

"Can we just get this over with?" Draco said, rolling his eyes. He didn't think he could take the squabbles of either woman. There was already too much to digest from the conference they just walked out from.

"Certainly," Lana nodded. "Follow me." She turned around and started leading the way down the hallway. "So, how are you liking MACUSA so far?"

"Bloody peachy, of course," Blaise couldn't wait to say.

Lana chuckled. "C'mon, it definitely beats the underground scheme the Ministry's got going on. Talk about unsanitary — eugh!" She shuddered. "At least MACUSA gets an entire building above the ground."

"Yeah, how do you keep the muggles out anyways?" Pansy asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Special doorman, of course. He recognizes most of us but those that are new have to know somebody in order to get in. But from outside, the building looks perfectly normal."

"And so what do you do about the strays?"

Lana snorted. "Muggles are not pets, Miss Parkinson."

"You better call me Pansy," the girl snapped. "Making me sound like my fucking mother..."

"Ooh, got it," Lana snickered. "Does that go for you two as well?" She looked over her shoulders towards Draco and Blaise. She translated their grunts as a 'yes' and moved on.

Lana spent the rest of the way to the entrance explaining the kinks of MACUSA as well as where they would be reporting when they were summoned. It appeared that each one had been summoned at a different date and hour, the latter still undefined until they got a proper letter later.

"That's fine. We can apparate the summoned and then the rest of us can go make a day of it or something."

Somebody scoffed behind her. Lana rolled her eyes at their weak attempt to mutter.

"If you're going to talk behind my back, at least have the decency to do it right." She turned around and met the three with a smile.

"Do you ever stop smiling?" Pansy looked more or less disgusted.

"Why? Is it bothering you?"

"Yes," all three of them had answered.

Lana's smile grew from ear to ear. They collectively groaned, and she laughed. "How you didn't see that coming gives you a terrible reputation as former Death Eaters."

"Do you think you're funny or something?" asked Draco.

"I don't know — sometimes," shrugged Lana. "Plus, I don't know if you've heard, but we're finally safe."

"Ish," Pansy didn't hesitate to say. "Nobody is safe forever."

"Very true words, Pansy, but that's a problem for the Aurors, not us. And now, here is how this is going to work," Lana stopped them at the top of the stairs leading down to the entrance. "Once we step outside this building, you are under my watch. I am responsible for anything you do so if you try to do anything rest assured I will drop kick your asses and before you tell me I can't do it" — she smiled tightly — "don't be fooled. I was at the battle of Hogwarts and I took down my fair share of Death Eaters."

"We get it, you're a badass," Blaise rolled his eyes.

"That's not the point I was making. I just meant I can put up a fight. Besides, it's in your best interest not to fuck this up, honestly. If you step out of line, I report it back to MACUSA and the Ministry and bye, bye future. That scary enough for you?"

"Honestly, a bit," Pansy said as she glanced at her friends to gauge their feelings towards the matter.

"Good. You wouldn't be humans if you weren't. So, here's how it's going to work. You're going to come live with me for a few days. Your magic is on a strict need basis. That means if you don't need to do magic, don't do it. I have full authorization to hold your wands if I even suspect that you're thinking of doing something. And if you try to apparate away from me, it's game over for your entire future."

"So we're tied to you like a bunch of dogs?" Draco was already scowling from ear to ear. "Thanks for clearing that up for us."

"It's either that or you get a comfy cell in MACUSA to rest for the next few days," Lana said, shrugging, "Sorry."

"But are you really?"

Lana's smile said it all.

"It's not that bad. I have cable." Lana turned and headed down the stairs.

"What the fuck is a that? A leash?" frowned Blaise. He and the others followed Lana down the steps.

Laughing, Lana looked back at them. "No. I'll show you when we get home. Are you guys hungry? There's a good restaurant we can stop by before heading home. I can send your things to my place so you don't have to carry it."

"We don't have any money," Pansy said, scowling even wider than Draco, if that were possible. She presumed Lana was taunting them considering everyone else typically did these days.

Lana just chuckled. "I know. It's on me. And it's really good, I swear. You guys like chocolate?"

The three looked at each other, simultaneously trying to decide what the hell Lana's game was.

Lana shook her head. "It's a genuine question! I'm a sweets kind of girl. If you guys like chocolate mousse for dessert, follow me." She motioned the trio to follow her and headed for the entrance doors. Slowly, the others walked after her, still mighty confused and wary.

~0~

Neither of the three would admit it, but the restaurant was actually really good. Their food was delicious and the atmosphere, although slightly louder than what they were used to, was nice as well. It was almost easy to forget that it was completely muggle. They ate nicely, silently.

Lana abhorred the silence, so she endeavored to end it. "If you guys hate it, you can say it," she said and reached for her glass of lemonade.

"We don't hate it," said Pansy rather flatly. "But you don't expect us to make conversation, right?"

"I wouldn't mind it."

"Look, Alana—"

"My name is Lana—"

"—we get what you're doing. Everyone's done this to us already. It's a kickback seeing us down like this. Have your fun, but don't expect us to pretend and play house."

"Um, okay," Lana's smile seemed on the verge of breaking into a laugh. The sight was not appealing to the other three.

"Is it too late to pick the cell?" Blaise asked his friends.

"Guys, I'm not — I'm not here to make fun of you," Lana said.

"Then why are you doing all this?" asked Draco. "You mentioned a research — about what exactly?"

"Not about you, don't you worry your pretty little blonde hair about it," Lana replied. "I said it in the beginning, I'm a researcher and a testimonial writer for MACUSA. I go to court hearings where we are involved and I report back about what I heard and saw. I also take some of the cases on."

"So you have two jobs?" Pansy nearly shuddered.

"Sort of, yeah," nodded Lana. "I also go to school — a muggle college. I want to be a lawyer for their world."

Draco was stuck on another detail rather than the 'two jobs' bit. "Why would you want to work for muggles?"

"Because they're fascinating," Lana said, shrugging. "I'm a half blood but my father insisted that my mother give up that muggle side of her so that I wouldn't, uh, get confused." She rolled her eyes.

"Confused about what?" Draco asked.

"About how to live, apparently," Lana said, scoffing. "Apparently, he thought that my brain was too little to comprehend that, yes, I can use electricity but I can also use candles to light my room. It's like he was afraid that me learning 2 different languages would confuse me and inhibit me."

"And did it?"

Lana smiled strangely at Draco. She didn't expect the series of questions from him, but if it meant keeping the silence away she'd take it. "No," she said, shaking her head. "All it did was separate my family. My parents divorced when I was ten and I ended up living with my dad. He didn't win, though. My mother always wrote to me, helping me out, giving me perspectives. And trust me, you need a lot of those to function the right way. You can't live in a bubble because sooner or later bubbles pop."

And just like that, silence fell over the group. Neither would admit it, but Lana's words struck a chord of the trio's reality. Draco, in particular, didn't like how close it was to his situation.

"You're not a Legilimens, are you?" He found himself asking. Seeing Lana's confusion brought a bit of relief to him.

"Um, no?"

"Okay," Pansy tucked some of her hair behind her ears, "if we're going to do this, then I gotta know how the hell do you know us?"

"Oh, I don't," Lana said, shrugging. "I mean — yes, we did sort of meet but you guys — we were never—"

"You ramble," Pansy said flatly, "It's annoying."

Lana lowered her head for a moment to keep herself from getting aggravated. You signed up for this, she reminded herself. After a few minutes, she looked back up with a smile. "Fine. Pansy, remember that time a Niffler bit your finger in our Care of Magical Creatures class?"

"Eugh, how could I forget?" Pansy frowned. "That thing nearly bit my finger off!" That was the last time she wore any kind of rings to that class.

"Remember the girl who ripped the Niffler off you?"

"I think so?" Pansy said as she thought back to the painful moment.

"Yeah, well, that was me," Lana pointed at herself. "You're welcome."

"Ooh…" Pansy was now remembering that a young brunette girl had come to her aid as none of her other friends had been brave enough to touch the biting Niffler. "Um, thanks…I guess…"

Lana chuckled lightly. "You're welcome. Blaise, I met you at Slughorn's club."

"You were in the club?" Blaise said incredulously.

"Mhm," nodded Lana. "He invited me because I was one of the foreign exchange students and my father worked for MACUSA. I'm also the one who shoved Cormac McLaggen down the stairs when Slughorn had his party."

"Ah…" A great big smirk spread across Blaise. Now he remembered Lana. McLaggen was the notorious player who had tried to entice a brunette Slytherin girl until she angrily pushed him down the stairs and caused him a concussion. "Didn't you get detention for that?"

"Totally worth it," Lana said automatically, and Blaise laughed. "And you know what? McLaggen didn't bother me again. So worth it."

Blaise seemed to laugh even more, a true sight for Pansy and Draco. They looked bewildered at him.

"And Draco, we met at the World Cup," Lana said afterwards.

"We did?" Draco couldn't place her, but he honestly wasn't trying that hard.

"Yes," Lana nodded. "My dad was invited by the Ministry — the Minister himself — and he brought me along. We sat behind you on the Top Box. We literally shook hands."

Draco looked at Lana blankly. "I don't—"

"You were insulting the Weasleys in front of you and I flicked you on the back."

Draco now remembered her perfectly. He felt that harsh finger scrape the back of his neck, and he remembered the brunette girl smiling innocently at him. "You owe me for that," he said with a frown.

"And I think you owe the Weasleys some therapy."

There was a mini stare-off between the two that lasted several minutes. Finally, Lana straightened in her seat and asked the group if they wanted to order anything else. No one wanted anything else so Lana got up to go pay for their dinner.

"She's fucking weird," Pansy said while the three waited for Lana outside the restaurant, "But I guess she's better than some of the other people we've had to speak with."

"I'm beginning to like her," Blaise said, "You should've seen her with McLaggen. She had no shame."

"Good," Pansy crossed her arms. "That guy was a nuisance. Tried to get anyone with a heartbeat in bed. Maybe she's not that bad at all." She glanced at Draco to hear his opinion but found hin staring after Lana with a strange look on his face. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Draco muttered. There was a slight marrow in his eyes that Pansy noticed, the kind he made when he was thinking about something.

Lana came back a few minutes later and told them they were going home — her home. They moved down to a lonely alleyway to apparate on her block.

"I thought you were all about the 'muggle way'," Blaise seemed to be poking fun at her. Lana had led them out of the new alley into her block.

Lana laughed lightly. "The beauty of living in both worlds is that I get to use each side's advantages. New York City is a filth city to drive in. I apparate most of the time if I'm not around muggles."

She brought them inside a tall building, straight into an elevator. She explained she liked to apparate a few buildings down and not directly inside her building to avoid being caught.

"I thought MACUSA enforced the idea of living away from muggles," Draco said. He distinctly remembered his father mentioning that rule various times. Lucius loved the idea and felt that the Ministry should follow in suit.

"Mm, they do," Lana muttered. "But it's not a law."

The elevator stopped at the 7th floor and the group walked out. The hallway was pretty empty but as they passed by apartment doors, they could hear some of the muggles inside. There was music, loud voices sounding like conversations and perhaps a radio somewhere?

Lana stopped them on a door marked 7H. She forewarned them not to expect a mansion by any means before letting them inside.

It was true that the place was no mansion, but the trio were surprised to find a decent apartment inside. There was a spacious living room with a balcony on its right side. They could see the kitchen tucked on the right side, towards the end. A hallway was set in the middle where three more doors stood.

Lana dumped her bag on the coffee table and then turned to her guests, hands on her hips. "Well, let me hear it. No mansion, no house elves by the way, and no ridiculously long garden."

"Not bad," Pansy was the first to speak, and her words left Lana a little bit dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Pansy was walking towards the balcony already. The view was enticing. "I said it's not bad. You could do with, like, one of those penthouses I've heard about."

Lana's brows raised but she honestly couldn't argue with that comment. She would love to live in a penthouse!

"What the hell is that?" Blaise asked suddenly. He and Draco were staring at the television set on the wall.

Lana laughed. "Oh, that's gonna be one of your favorites, boys. It's a television — TV? — and it's like your local radio except you can see who's talking and what's happening."

"How does it work?" Blaise asked, tilting his head as he scanned the television for any apparent buttons.

"It's pretty easy. All you have to do is—"

"Alana, there's someone at your door." Pansy stared at the owl fluttering on the other side of the balcony.

Lana groaned. "My name is Lana." She walked over to the balcony and unlocked the door, sliding it open to let the owl in.

It dropped off a series of letters on her round kitchen table then landed next to the pile for a little break. Lana walked over to the kitchen and picked up a few treats off her counter. She dropped them next to the owl and started going through the mail.

She picked up the one sent directly from MACUSA and opened it up. "Hm, it's a summoning date and time." Her eyes flickered up at the trio, landing specifically on one of them. "Draco, you've been summoned first."

"That's not a sur—"

"Twice, actually."

Draco fell silent for a few minutes. He went through an initial anger as usual when he received one of those impromptu summons, but hearing that it was twice irritated him beyond belief.

Lana could tell as much how he felt about it. She cleared her throat and went further down the letter. "You'll go first, tomorrow at 8am. Don't worry, we can apparate there and then I'll head to class—"

"Oh, thanks, because I was so worried," Draco drawled with as much sarcasm as he could. Lana didn't bother with him.

"Pansy, you'll go the day after, at 10am. Blaise, you'll go in the afternoon tomorrow. Draco, you'll go again the day after tomorrow…" Lana bit on her bottom lip, meeting Draco's gaze once again, "At 8am."

Both Pansy and Blaise sniggered beside their friend. Draco seethed and with reasons that even Lana wouldn't deny were good ones. He was essentially going to be questioned for multiple hours on both days, no doubt longer than Pansy and Blaise combined. There was a clear target in MACUSA's eyes and it had to be frustrating.

"You don't even need to say it," Lana told him, pursing her lips together as she folded the letter in her hands. "But it's very fair to curse. I'd do it."

"Oh, he does it," Pansy said with a smirk. "Nonverbally too. Spells included."

Lana's eyes widened for a moment. "Okay, well…I would like to remind you that I am just the messenger and not the person who assigned this…schedule." She lowered the letter to the table, deciding to leave it at that.

Draco still said nothing, but his hard face spoke volumes. Lana wouldn't bother again but for different reasons this time.

"Well, there's a few more letters here for you guys."

"For us?" Pansy made a face. "Who would write to us all the way over here?"

"Judging by the same surnames, I'm gonna go with your parents," Lana said as she handed Pansy her letter. "They were let known of your location in case anything happened."

"Oh…" Pansy still didn't seem very excited.

Lana handed Blaise a letter addressed to him. "Don't bite my fingers off," she told Draco when she handed him his letter.

"I don't find you funny," he said, snatching the letter out of her hands.

"My friends think I'm hilarious," Lana replied. "Good luck Blaise. Your roommate is an absolute ray of sunshine." She then told them they would be taking the guest room which was the first door on the right of the hallway. "Pansy, you can have my room. But I will be sleeping there as well."

"Yay," Pansy said with a weak wave of her hand.

"Oh, Draco, you have another letter," Lana said when she saw another envelope under her pile.

"Is it from MACUSA?" He could already see it now. He would be summoned for a third day at an even earlier hour.

"Uh, nope," Lana said when she got a look on the cover. "But I do remember this name — well, her sister's name anyways." She held the envelope out to him. "It's from Astoria Greengrass."

For some other reason, that still didn't bring anything but a scowl from Draco. He snatched the envelope from Lana's hand, even harder than the last one. He stormed into the hallway, disappearing into the room she directed him and Blaise seconds prior.

"I didn't — this time, I really didn't mean to annoy," Lana said to Pansy and Blaise, her eyes wide. "I mean, I'll take credit when I'm intentionally trying to annoy the hell out of someone but this time I…"

"It's not you," Pansy said, shrugging. "Nobody really knows what goes through Draco's head half the time. Most of the time..." Her brows furrowed after putting more thought into it, "...all the time."

Lana looked over at Blaise who seemed to agree with Pansy. "Aren't you guys supposed to be friends or something?"

"It's complicated," Blaise said.

"I get 'complicated' but this feels like it's more. You guys were inseparable at school."

"It's custom more than friendship sometimes," Pansy said. "Our families have known each other since before we were born so naturally they were going to pair us up with each other."

"So…you guys aren't friends?" Lana tried following but her brain was hurting already.

"It's complicated, Alana. Good night."

"My name is Lana," groaned Lana as Pansy headed into the hallway.

"I wouldn't bother with that," Blaise advised her.

Lana's head whipped in his direction. "But it's my name!"

Blaise shrugged. "Not anymore."

Lana let out a growl. "You guys are so irritating!"

"And you let us into your house," Blaise smirked. "Now who's the crazy one?"

"Go to sleep!" Lana pointed at the hallway, frustrated. With a quiet laugh, Blaise bid her goodnight and disappeared into his room.

Lana shook her head. Maybe I was crazy for doing this. She wouldn't dwell on it; what was done was done. Instead, she focused on what she still had to do before going to sleep.

[mercurygray]

For the Fan Fic Writers Asks: 6, 12, 14, and 17

Are there any fics from others you reread all the time?

@basilone's spark the embers is 🔥🔥🔥 and I reread it more often than she's going to want me admit out loud becuase it's just that good.

@junojelli's Morning PT was on constant re-read for the first couple of months of the pandemic and is 100% responsible for any chemistry Dick and Joan have in TDS. (And, ahem, a certain AU that will not be named…)

Do you have a playlist for your current WIP(s)? Share it!

…this should probably be updated. Send suggestions via return of post.

If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, such as comic or film, which fan fic would you pick?

WHERE IS MY TDS MINISERIES, MISTER HANKS? WHERE IS IT?

After that I'd also love to see The Cross, The Crescent, and The Star as a Discovery of Witches spinoff.

What’s something you’ve learned about while doing research for a fic?

Friend, you may regret asking this - there are previously unexplored caverns of random things I've learned in the course of writing fic.

We often think of the Western monastic tradition as having this very strong division between male and female spaces for monks and nuns. While I was researching for Where I Arise, a short-lived Vikings fanfic, I learned that there was actually a special class of divided houses, where monks and nuns lived in the same community.

I also learned a lot for that fic about ancient Anglo-Saxon law, which has a lot of extremely specific and interesting provisions around weregild, money paid as a fine/punishment for personal injury. A lot of times this was manslaughter, but there's also a section for rape, too.

[fandom fic writer asks!]

[tonysaintborgi]

God I really wish tumblr users could collectively buy the CW lmao. There was only one CW show I actually liked (Arrow, not Supernatural) so I'm perfectly fine with wrecking it harder than it already is

so imagine we did tho, and they just picked users at random to write episodes like that post said and

SUPERNATURAL SEASON 16

Ep. 1: Escape From Superhell

Clearly written by a long time supernatural fanfic author upset by the finale. Soft-retcons most of it. The one guy and the angel kiss on screen.

Ep. 2: Dawn Of The Doodle

The main heroes get trapped in a picture book by a witch who has a day job as a preschool teacher. The majority of it is badly animated and full of whedonisms. Regarded by future fans as "the most unique filler episode."

Ep. 3: A New Hero

A story featuring a new character who's clearly the writer's overpowered original character. Most pre-established characters have few lines, if any. This character is never really seen from again because none of the other writers really gave a shit but they become a minor fan favorite.

Ep. 4: Power Crystals

Inexplicably, a single episode Breaking Bad crossover where the boys help a haunted meth lab. The episode is framed to be in the middle of a lull in the breaking bad story and doesn't contradict either BB or SPN canon, somehow. This episode caused a large spike of people streaming breaking bad.

Ep. 5: The Lock

Written by a frustrated SPN nerd specifically to fix a minor plot hole that most people didn't even notice. The pacing is horrible and the writing is stiff and it's as if the writer was being paid per callback because it's PACKED with them. But it's def by someone who knows their shit about the series.

Ep. 6: Bingo Bongo

This person who wrote this entered the draft as a joke. The word "poop" is said at least 150 times, 50 of those back to back back and forth between the main characters. angel dude blows a raspberry and anyone who follows a supernatural fan sees that gif nonstop for weeks. Everyone comically kills each other at the end in a way you could tell it was just the writer being petty at SPN fans.

Ep. 7: Cas' Day Out

Despite the last episode, everyone is alive. The characters who aren't the angel guy discuss what they think angel guy does when he's alone. One theorizes he tries to live a normal life. Another says he must be the Ultimate Hero of Heaven or something. These ideas are explored. The end of the episode shows angel guy just reading a book.

Ep. 8: Nature of Reality

In a dramatic tension shift this edgy episode begins with learning god is dead. however they all go to heaven and learn god wasn't actually god, they were only third in command. the repercussions on the series are grand, perhaps shaking everything down to the foundation, but is not really explored.

Ep. 9: Fun In The Sun

Beach episode :)

would i watch any of these? probably not. but the entertainment I'd get from watching spn fans watch these? beautiful

[shirlleycoyle]

How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon

Every fictional character you can think of has experienced 9/11 in fanfiction.

A Clone Wars veteran with two lightsabers is on United Airlines Flight 93 and prevents it from crashing. Ron and Hermione get caught up in the chaos as the towers fall. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friends watch the attacks unfold on TV from Sunnydale. We have spent 20 years trying to process what happened on 9/11 and its fallout, and that messy process can be tracked through the countless, sad, disturbing, and sometimes very funny fanfiction left across the internet.

Many of the fanfics written in the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks seemed to directly respond to the news as it happened, processing the tragedy in real-time through the eyes of characters they loved. In the absence of a canon episode where Daria Morgendorffer paid respects to those lost, writing fanfic about these characters also experiencing trauma helped fans cope.

One YuGiOh fanfic published on fanfiction.net in May 2002 could have been ripped exactly from what this writer experienced that Tuesday morning. “It started as a normal day,” user Gijinka Renamon wrote. Yugi and his friends were in school, where their teacher informed them of the attacks and sent everyone home from school.

“After reading people’s 9/11 fics, I decided to write my own, and put a certain character in it. And Yugi and his pals were my first choice,” the author's note reads, explaining the connection they felt to United flight 93 and the World Trade Center attacks. Given that they lived in Pennsylvania, and “it’s close to New York, I felt really sad about it.”

Stitch, a fandom journalist for Teen Vogue, told Motherboard that this reaction to 9/11 is not at all uncommon in fandom.

"Fandom has always been a place that positions nothing as 'off limits,'" she said. "Historical tragedies like the Titanic sinking and atrocities like… all of World War 2 show up regularly across the past 30 years of people creating stories and art about the characters they love. So, on some level, it makes sense that 9/11 and the following 20-year military installation in the Middle East has joined the ranks of things people in different fandoms turn into settings for their fan fiction."

Reactions depicted in a handful of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfics published in the weeks after the attacks ring a little truer to the characters. “Tuesday, 11th September 2001,” written by Anna K, almost echoes the lyrics from “I’ve Got a Theory,” one of the songs in the musical episode that aired in November 2001. “We have seen the apocalypse. We have prevented it. Actually, we’ve prevented quite a few. So we know what they look like,” they write, before taking a darker turn. “They look a lot like…New York today.”

Killing demons and vampires doesn’t phase the Scooby Gang, but when preventable human death is brought into the picture, it’s gut wrenching.

“What am I supposed to do…When I can’t do anything to save the world?” Buffy cries  into Spike’s chest, watching the attacks unfold on TV in a fanfic the author described as being “about feeling numb and helpless.”

In “Blood Drive,” Kirayoshi writes about Buffy and her friends saving a van full of donated blood meant for victims of the attacks from a group of thirsty vampires. One Buffy the Vampire Slayer fic even takes a blindly patriotic turn, where noted lesbian witch Tara McClay helps Xander hang an American flag from the window of the magic shop to make Anya feel better.

Experiencing 9/11 as a young teenager was overwhelming not just because of the loss of life. Almost immediately after the event itself, it was as if the entirety of American culture re-oriented itself towards an overtly jingoistic stance. As we get distance from the attacks, seeing the tone of television and movies from the early 2000s is jarring, and some have gone viral on Twitter. In the world of pop music, mainstream musicians like the Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, were blacklisted from the radio while Toby Keith sang about putting a boot up the ass of terrorists. On the Disney Channel, a young Shia Labeouf reading a poem he supposedly wrote about the events. The poem concludes with the line, "it's awesome to be an American citizen."

In a world so completely saturated with this messaging, it is not surprising that fanfic authors started including 9/11 in their work so soon after the event. Even The West Wing had a strange, out of continuity, fanfic-esque episode where the characters reacted to 9/11. In some cases, it made sense that the characters in the stories would be close to or a part of the events themselves.

"For characters like John Watson or Captain America, the idea works to an extent," Stitch told Motherboard. "In the original Sherlock Holmes works and the 2011 BBC series, Watson had just returned from Afghanistan. For Captain America and other Marvel heroes, 9/11 was something that was addressed in-universe in The Amazing Spider-Man volume 2 #36. Technically, 9/11 is 'canon' to the Marvel universe."

In “Early Warning: Terrorism,” a fanfiction for the TV show Early Edition in which a man who mysteriously receives tomorrow's newspaper, predicting the future, avoids jingoism, but tries to precent 9/11 from happening. This fanfic remains unfinished; it’s unclear if the characters successfully prevent 9/11 in this retelling.

Largely in fanfic from the era just after 9/11, when many young authors were trying to emotionally grapple with it, the characters don't re-write or undo the events themselves. It's this emphasis on the reaction to tragedy that colors the fanfiction that features 9/11 going forward.

Although fanfiction authors have been writing about 9/11 consistently since soon after the event, whenever that fanfiction reaches outside of its intended audience, it looks bizarre.

A screenshot of a Naruto 9/11 fanfic on the Tumblr subreddit comes without any context, or even more than two lines and an author's note. It’s impossible to suss out if this falls into the category of sincere fanfic without the rest of the piece or a publication date, but modern-day commenters on the Reddit thread see it as classic Tumblr trash.

Screenshot from r/Tumblr

“Bin Laden/Dick Cheney, enemies to lovers, 10k words, slow burn,” one user joked in the replies, underscoring the weirdness of Naruto being in the Twin Towers by comparing it to a What If story about Cheney and Bin Laden slowly falling deeply in love.

It’s hard to tell how much of the 9/11 fanfic and fanart starting a few years after the attacks is sincere, and how much of it is ironic, and trying to make fun of the very concept of writing fanfiction about 9/11.

A 2007 anime music video (in which various clips, usually from anime, are cut together to music) that combines scenes from The Lion King with Linkin Park’s “Crawling” and clips from George Bush’s speeches immediately after the attacks feels like the perfect example of this. Even the commenters can’t seem to suss out if this person is a troll or not.

There’s no way that My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 9/11 fanart could be serious, right? Especially if the description pays tribute to “some of the nation's most memorable buildings,” and features five of the main characters as child versions of themselves. The comments again are split between users thanking the artist for a thoughtful remembrance post, and people making their own headcanon for why Twilight Sparkle is surreptitiously absent from the scene.

Screengrab via DeviantArt

There’s Phineas and Ferb fanfic that combines a 9/11 tribute concert with flashbacks to Ferb being rescued from the towers as a baby, written on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It jumps from introspection to lines like, “‘Quiet Perry the Platypus. I’m trying to listen to these kids singing a 9/11 tribute.’”

The author's notes make it more likely that they meant for this to be a tribute piece, but it doesn’t quite make sense until watching a YouTube dramatic reading of it from 2020, fully embracing the absurdity of it all.

“For me, 9/11 is synonymous with war. It completely changed the course of my life," Dreadnought, the author of a Captain America fanfic Baghdad Waltz that sees Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes fall in love over the course of the war on terror, told Motherboard. "It’s the reason I joined the military, and I developed deep connections with people who would go on to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. These very much felt like my generation’s wars, perhaps because people I graduated high school with were the youngest folks eligible to serve at the time.”

Dreadnought told Motherboard that although they didn't deploy, their career has kept 9/11 and the trauma from it in their mind. After seeing that people who fantasize about Steve and Bucky getting together seemed particularly interested in reading fanfiction that related to 9/11, they decided to try their hand at it.

"I had to do something with all of that emotionally, and I’m admittedly a bit emotionally avoidant. So I learned through fic that it’s easier for me to process those feelings and the knowledge of all the awful stuff that can happen in war if I can turn it into something creative," Dreadnought said. "Give the feelings to fake people and then have those fake people give the feelings to readers!"

To Dreadnought, who is a queer man, the experience of researching and writing this was more cathartic than they first expected, especially as a way to navigate feelings about masculinity, military culture, and queer identity. But they said the research they did, which included watching footage of first responders at ground zero, was what helped them finally process the event itself.

"It was like a delayed horror, and it was more powerful than I expected it would be." Dreadnought said. "When I was eighteen, I was pretty emotionally divorced from 9/11; I just knew I wanted to do something about it. So coming back to it in my 30s while writing this fic, it was a very different experience. Even the research for this story ended up being an extraordinarily valuable exercise in cognitively and emotionally processing 9/11 and all of its second and third order effects."

Fanfiction that features 9/11 provides an outlet for people who still grapple with the trauma from that day. But Stitch warns that the dynamics of fandom and how it relates to politics can also create fiction that's less respectful and more grotesque.

"With years of distance between the stories written and the original events of 9/11, there seems to be some sort of cushion for fans who choose to use those events as a catalyst for relationships—and Iraq and Afghanistan for settings," Stitch said. "The cushion allows them room to fictionalize real world events that changed the shape of the world as we know it, but it also insulates them from having to think about what they may be putting into the world."

The tendency of turning these events into settings or backgrounds for mostly white, male characters to fall in love has the unintended effect of displacing the effects that the war on terror has had on the world over. Steve and Bucky might fall in love during the war on terror, but they would also be acting as a part of the American military in a war that has been criticized since it started. Fanfic writers in other fandoms have come under fire for using real world tragedy as settings for fic before. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake Supernatural fanfiction about the actors Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki going to the island to do aid became controversial within the fandom. There have also been fics where characters grapple with the death of George Floyd that is written in a way that displaces the event from the broader cultural context of race in America.

"A Captain America story where Steve Rogers is a 'regular' man who joins the US Army and 'fights for our freedom' post-9/11 is unlikely to deal with the war’s effect on locals who are subject to US military intervention," Stitch said. "It’s unlikely to sit with what Captain America has always meant and what a writer is doing by dropping Steve Rogers into a then-ongoing conflict in any capacity."

After enough time, “never forget” can even morph into “but what if it never happened?” A 19k+ word Star Wars alternate universe fanfic asks this question, wondering what would have unfolded if someone with two lightsabers was on United Flight 93. This fic, part of a larger fanfic series with its own Wikia, considers what would have happened if Earth was a military front in the Clone Wars.

In this version of events, a decorated general who served in the Clone Wars is able to take back control of Flight 93 before it crashes, landing safely and preventing even more tragedy from happening that day. In the end, all of the passengers who made harrowing last calls to their loved ones before perishing in a Pennsylvania field survive thanks to the power of the Force, and are awarded medals of honor by President Bush.

Twenty years after the attacks, it’s painful to think about what would have happened if people got to work 15 minutes later, or missed their trains that morning. There weren’t Jedi masters deployed to save people in real life, but for some of the fanfic writers working today, the world of Star Wars might feel just as removed as the world before September 11, 2001.

Fiction serves as a powerful playground for processing cultural events, especially generational trauma. The act isn't neutral though; a decade's worth of fanfiction that takes place on or around 9/11 shows how our own understanding of a traumatic event can shift with time.

How 9/11 Became Fan Fiction Canon syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[quillyfied]

Omenstuck Act 2 Bonus Content

Hello! Here’s just some extra bonus content from the pretty weighty upd8 I posted to my fanfic Omenstuck today (for Chapter 4: Act 2 specifically). A lot of background info went into it that I’m not going to get much occasion to use, so I’m doing what any self-respecting writer would do and dumping it here instead. Obviously has huge spoilers for Omenstuck so if you haven’t read the upd8s from today, don’t look. Hope the readmore holds on mobile, and there are some images below, too. Enjoy!

So for starters, I’m going to post the little cheat sheet that I had on hand for remembering all the characters’ assigned blood colors, Trollian handles, god tier titles, and quadrants (both filled and experimented with):

In order, here’s what we’ve got:

Crowley. Blood: burgundy. UN: anthomanicCaduceus. GT: Rogue of Life. Quadrants: Aziraphale (matesprit), Eric (auspistice, unwitting) and Hastur (other leaf of auspisticism quadrant, unwitting). Lusus: snake

Eric. Blood: brown. UN: coneyCloning. GT: Heir of Time. Quadrants: Auspistice to Crowley and Hastur (unwitting); Uriel (auspistice between arguing Erics, short-lived). Lusus: rabbit

Beelzebub. Blood: yellow. UN: carrionTyrant. GT: Prince of Rage. Quadrants: Dagon (moirail), Gabriel (kismesis). Lusus: giant fly

Ligur. Blood: lime/red (vacillating glitch). UN: guanineChameleon. GT: Sylph of Space. Quadrants: Hastur (moirail), Michael (kismesis). Lusus: chameleon

Hastur. Blood: olive. UN: amphibiousGrunt. GT: Knight of Breath. Quadrants: Ligur (moirail), Eric (auspistice, unwitting) and Crowley (other leaf of auspisticism quadrant, unwitting). Lusus: frog

Dagon. Blood: jade. UN: aquaticTaskmaster. GT: Witch of Mind. Quadrants: Beelzebub (moirail), Sandalphon (matesprit, short-lived), Metatron (kismesis, one-sided crush). Lusus: lungfish

Aziraphale. Blood: teal. UN: aetherialAntiquarian. GT: Thief of Doom. Quadrants: Crowley (matesprit), Michael (auspistice, coercing) and Sandalphon (other leaf of auspisticism quadrant, coercing). Lusus: ??? (dragon, owl?)

Michael. Blood: cerulean. UN: tenebrousAgent. GT: Seer of Void. Quadrants: Uriel (moirail), Aziraphale (one leaf of auspisticism quadrant, coerced) and Sandalphon (other leaf of auspisticism quadrant, co-conspirator), Ligur (kismesis). Lusus: ??? (tbh spider would still fit here)

Sandalphon. Blood: indigo. UN: toughenedCrusader. GT: Page of Blood. Quadrants: Michael (auspistice, co-conspirator) and Aziraphale (other leaf of auspisticism quadrant, coerced), Gabriel (moirail), Dagon (matesprit, short-lived). Lusus: ??? (Possibly musclebeast)

Uriel. Blood: purple. UN: celestialAureate. GT: Maid of Heart. Quadrants: Michael (moirail), Eric (mediated between two of his arguing selves, short-lived). Lusus: ??? (sea-goat still viable)

Gabriel. Blood: violet. UN: gregariousArchangel. GT: Bard of Hope. Quadrants: Sandalphon (moirail), Beelzebub (kismesis). Lusus: ??? (seahorse or shark)

Metatron. Blood: fuchsia. UN: communicantGodhead. GT: Mage of Light. Quadrants: object of one-sided pitch crush from Dagon. Lusus: Horrorterror from Beyond (Gl’bgol’yb, probably)

Here’s the shipping chart of what this madness looked like:

Solid lines for established or longer-lasting relationships, dotted lines for either crushes or experiments that didn’t pan out. Crowley, Eric, and Hastur’s auspisticism is dotted because it’s not a consciously-thought out relationship that’s actually been defined so much as a convenient social contract that keeps Hastur from killing Crowley by distracting him with a multitude of Erics, which makes it a pretty functional auspisticism, actually.

Some notes:

- If you’re thinking that the blood colors and god tier titles don’t exactly fit, you’re right, but there’s a reason, and we’ll get to it in future chapters of Omenstuck. Maybe one day I’ll do the thing proper and give them all more accurate classpects and blood colors, but I think I did pretty well, given everything.

- This means that it was Hastur and Ligur’s jobs, as the Knight and Space players, to breed the Genesis Frog, which creates each new universe, and that tickles me to the bone.

- Ligur’s whole situation is a nod to both Good Omens and to Homestuck; for a bit I entertained making Crowley the hemo-mutant that Karkat is, but thought he fit best lower on the totem pole (on his belly he shall crawl and all that). Canonically, Karkat’s bright red human-like blood is a mutation off of an old hemospectrum caste, the limebloods, and it tickled me to think of Ligur occupying both the limebloods and the red mutation that spawned from it, as a nod to his color-changing in Good Omens and his affiliation with chameleons. Also, apparently it’s the guanine in their skin that makes chameleons change color, which is what the G in Homestuck pesterchum handles stands for (bc the chats are all supposed to represent DNA strands that make up each Genesis Frog that creates each new universe), so it came together kinda perfectly. If Ligur ever was in a pesterlog, I was going to code it so his lines would alternate colors, but it didn’t pan out that way.

- Was it overly simplistic to cast Hell as the lowbloods and Heaven as the highbloods? Yes. But there are two reasons for this, one of which I can’t say because spoilers, one of which I will freely admit, which is that I got tired and just simplified where I could because I was already putting more effort into backstory that turned out to be less relevant than I thought once I finally got the dang thing written.

- In the bowels of my Instagram there is a doodle of Gabriel with the traditional Bardic codpiece and an expression to match, but I didn’t keep it in canon. It is definitely there in spirit and more loving detail will be paid attention to it if I ever go back and do a proper Homestuck troll AU.

- There was a subplot I discarded when thinking of the quadrant entanglements that involved Dagon hooking up with both Sandalphon and Michael in a redrom way and that being one of the catalysts for the bloodbath at the end, because I adore Dagon/Michael and wanted to go there first but she was already appearing so much, and I remember reading about Dagon/Sandalphon once in a fic I wish I could remember off the top of my head and it was so bizarre I adored it. Ultimately I stuck with Dagon and Sandalphon having a redrom fling, because why not.

- Dagon was also going to have a whole Thing against Metatron that boiled down to her having vestigial seadweller traits and being jealous of an actual seadweller that didn’t do his heritage credit, but Metatron was such a non-entity that it didn’t feel relevant to bring up, with so much already getting crammed into this upd8.

- Gabriel and Eridan have some eerie synergy and that’s a hill I’ll die on.

- Uriel was supposed to have a bigger part, too, delving into how they fit into the whole purpleblood Mirthful Messiahs cult and how they use their paint to emphasize their vitiligo (inspired by their canonical pretty gold face markings), but once again...not enough room, not enough interaction with Crowley or Aziraphale. They were either going to be a huge part of it, or eschew it entirely in favor of worshipping Metatron and possibly Metatron’s eldritch lusus instead, but eh. Roads untraveled. I also didn’t doodle their facepaint while I was doing my concept sketches/brainstorming activities so I just let it be.

- The whole Michael and Sandalphon using a heavily manipulative auspisticism to blackmail and control Aziraphale was a concept I had from the beginning, but when I wrote the scene, it actually shook me up a lot; Auspisticism is one of the platonic and weirder quadrants in Homestuck, but it didn’t hit me until I had written it how that particular dynamic could be exploited and turned into something kinda borderline abusive, if not outright abusive (I’m trying to be more careful in how I apply the word so I don’t know for sure if what I wrote counts as fully abusive, or just a super bad time). To be honest, in all the Homestuck fics that ever were, I don’t think I ever read a single one that described what I did in this fic (and RAPE MENTION TW a part of me that is forever struck by my friend’s fic that described a brutal pale rape, as in forcing the usual nonsexual markers of the pale quadrant on an unwilling victim, was worried that I had written ashen rape, which was NOT where I wanted to go; after worrying about it to friends and sleeping on it, I don’t think I quite went there, but the implication that it COULD happen is going to haunt me for a while).

- I did want to get more detailed with a lot of things, like Crowley and Aziraphale’s influencing and talking with humans, and how it was affecting things like their vocabulary and how they saw the world, but it was just too much to tackle in any great detail.

- the whole thing where Crowley uses his god tier powers to steal Life energy from his fellow stranded trolls and makes plants that could potentially feed them one day? Totally unexpected. I did a LOT of refreshing myself on the classes and aspects of god tiers when I was doing the groundwork for this part of the fic, but it didn’t strike me that that was a thing Crowley could do until I was already writing it. And maybe Aziraphale should’ve been a little more horrified by it, but Crowley’s right, they ARE immortal now. Also the whole “taking Life energy and redistributing it among allies” thing probably wasn’t meant to be interpreted as “puts the other trolls in the Mood for quadrant hookups” but it was too hilarious a coincidence to ignore. Life needs things to live, as a wise internet dnd player once said, and when you’re the last of your species, you’ve gotta do what you can to propagate (even if it’s functionally impossible to restore your species, since there’s no Mother Grub to donate slurry to and no ectobiological lab to make ectobabies from. God loves a trier). Does that make all the hookups dubious consent, since weird Life magic was involved? I don’t think so, I think it just accelerated what was already present, but I’ll leave that to y’all to judge.

- Crowley was actually supposed to be the one to die. It said so in my notes. It was a whole Thing, Crowley getting speared or shot or whatever and looking at Aziraphale like “ha I got this one better luck next time”. But then I made Aziraphale a Thief of Doom, which was originally a joke to myself about how he hoards books (Thief players are hoarders and Doom can represent rules or systems), and then he got all contemplative and hit ME back with “no, no, sister, you made me a Thief of Doom, I’m gonna steal this death meant for Crowley and keep it all to myself, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” And he was RIGHT. I can’t believe I’ve killed Aziraphale THREE TIMES now. And I completely forgot about how god tier players are also immortal from being killed unless the death is Heroic or Just until, again Aziraphale reminded me by pushing Crowley out of the way--therefore making his death to sacrifice himself for his friend and beloved Heroic. I played myself in every possible way. Checkmate, brain. (As for what that means in future chapters, stick around, it’s only gonna get weirder, but Homestucks who are puzzled at the inclusion of Dream Shards rather than Dream Bubbles are encouraged to draw some conclusions of their own.)

I think that’s all I wanted to talk about, so have a doodle of Michael with her Seer hood drawn for funsies.

See y’all later! Feel free to send me an ask or a comment or whatever if you have any questions or just wanna talk about this madness I’m creating!

[caw4brandon]

Passion of The Fandom

It would be easy for anyone to become a Multi Fandom Chameleon these days. Just look up on any #somethingsomething tag and you will be lost in the piles of love and effort put into an Intellectual property (IP) by the adoring fans. I talked about Fandoms in general not too long ago. About what makes a fandom and what is “fandom toxicity” [Link]

This post however, I want to talk about the other side of the fandom. The ones who use their amateur/expert skills in writing or drawing or video editing to breath new life into their fandoms.

- For the Writers -

So, trade secret. I’ve been going on a crazy phase recently reading Penny Haywood x Main Character fanfics. Not too long ago, I used to play the mobile game, <Hogwarts Mystery> and created a Ravenclaw girl named; Sadie mac Lir (girl as my profile picture). I didn’t get too far but I instantly fell in love with the young blonde Hufflepuff and went straight to shipping Sadie x Penny as a sweet couple right after the first year. 

For context, the game is a “make a choice” game, thinly disguised as a dating sim with different wizards and witches under the backdrop of a beloved franchise. In case if you want to know, [This is my favorite.]

[This is Sadie. At least, the look that I used the most and as you can see. She’s shy around Penny.]

Aside from <Hogwarts Mystery>. I also dabble into other random fanfics of characters in existing medias getting into various situations. (mostly with popular shows) Wholesome or otherwise. What I love about fanfiction is the creative weaving placed in the story itself. As a secondhand non-cannon story, it requires a certain hook to get people to read which is often relied on by tragedy or complication. 

You can find a lot of good one shots or a multi-parts series on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own and of course, right here on Tumblr. It’s a good training ground for young writers or experienced writers to try early concept ideas while using established set pieces to play with. Some fanfic writers eventually develop their craft and become acclaimed authors themselves. (if you know who I mean)

Its a community that works with a type of circular system where writers inspire and get inspired by others to build this mildly old medium to be enjoyed by its fans and creators. Even the most respected writers in the past or present started off as copycats of their respective heroes which eventually lead to discovering their own style. Words have power and the power of fanfiction is to make non-cannon stories feel real like the actual work without corporate interference.

- Credits to the Artist -

From the writers to artists, these talented creators bring different styles to existing properties with various rule numbers and fun trends. The most recent example for me is, Hololive EN fanart. Where creators illustrate moments or interactions between the characters such as; Mori and Kiara’s relationship, Gura’s cute moments, Ina’s hilarious gags and Amelia’s personal and in-world stories.

Fanarts range from alternative versions of characters based on other IPs to fan comic sub-plot developments. Some examples would be, <RWBY>’s rushed ship of #bumbleby and the sudden appearance of <The Legend of Korra>’s #korrasami which was given additional comics to develop the relationship in depth after the show ended.

This may feel like not too long ago but back in 2012 or so, animated queer characters were not given much room to be allowed on television so, fans of the show took it upon themselves to write and create their own comics to develop the sub-plot much further. 

Similarly, heteronormative ships were used as the “conclusion” for how the series ends with so much more that is yet to be uncovered between the characters and the relationship itself. (I see you Miraculous Ladybug fans out there...) To do it justice, fans will take it to their drawing materials and the internet to create scenes for other fans to gush over. 

In my opinion though, fan artists should not be paid to make fan arts of existing IPs but when these aspiring writers/artists placed so much talent and passion into their work. You have to make some exceptions.

I am however, against people who attempt to “fix” a character’s design such as giving characters more “appropriate” clothing or correcting body proportions. Some people may find it uncomfortable but I think, NSFW art has its market and deserves every right to exist with everyone else. Every style and piece has its place and part of the fun is to find your favorite style and admire the effort placed into the work. 

The internet is a free place for people to speak their minds and share their ideas which is for wholesome and good people including, toxic and terrible people. Again, if you want to know, my favorite work so far is [Hellrud’s] work on the Powerpuff Girls, and [Picolo’s] work on the Teen Titians.

- Thanks For Watching -

Other than talented writers and artists making fanfiction and fan art of our favorite characters in shows, there is also the third type of fan that takes things a little further. These fans cosplay (or dress up for uncultured folks out there) as their favorite character or make videos about said property. 

For cosplayers, it takes high confidence to pull off a fictional character’s look. Someone with that much spunk and attention to detail makes a big difference when they walk down the convention hall looking like someone from the pages of a manga/comic or...from a video game.

We still live in a world where people gatekeep how the live portrayal of a fictional character “should” be done right but I see it as lunacy. The cosplayer is doing it as a hobby, an escape or as a type of craft. Not to satisfy some fan’s twisted dream.  

Moving on, while I am not much of a fan of AMVs (Animated Music Video). I do see it as a way to express creativity. Some of us are too aware that we don’t look the part as cosplayers and that we are not as talented in writing or drawing. So, we edit, make effects and turn them into fun videos. A good friend of mine who loves Yuri stories, particularly with Bloom Into You sent me this video that introduced me to AMVs. [Ref: rain].

For fans to take steps further to make additional content about existing IPs. They are on a completely different level on its own. Their sense of enthusiasm can be infectious as it is a balance of exploiting fandoms while also crafting projects for fun exploration and craft improvement.

In conclusion, I implore aspiring creators to pick a medium and do it! Use it to develop or improve your skills. The Creators are often restricted by studio laws and runtime limitations. Its other way of gaining notoriety is from its enthusiastic fans. (even though I previously said that its unrelated) While it might take a while, and there will be gatekeepers. I encourage you to keep at it.

The Fandom is waiting and ready to cheer you on!

On one final note, WE FUCKING DID IT GUYS! WEDNESDAY POST RIGHT ON TIME! I hope you enjoy this love letter post to all the fanfiction writers, fan artists, cosplayers and video editors out there. Tumblr has been a fun platform so far to just, write my thoughts out despite the lackluster response. Here’s to having more!

Thanks for Reading

- B -

[thevikingwoman]

🌼14, 1, and 7 for the ask 🌼

thank you!

14. what trope would you refuse to write even if you were paid to do it?

Firstly, I’m not sure I’d write for money in general. That feels like a lot of pressure? But if the price and terms were right maybe...

Now, for tropes - tropes are hard to reject outright, because most tropes are just standard narrative devices. How you use them can matter a great deal. I think most tropes are too broad for me to reject them? 

There would be plotlines I wouldn’t write for all the money in the world, but it would be much narrower than a trope. Something that I felt could harm people, disempower people -- if someone asked me to write something outright transphobic or racist or similar I would reject it. 

Now as I’m examining this - I think there is a higher bar when you get paid? If I, on my own, wrote a subject or story that I might not be the right person to write, well, if its just my own fanfic, on my own time, no one has to read it, and it’s only my time that is lost. But if I take money away from someone who is more appropriate to write it, that’s a higher bar? A simple example would be if I wanted to write about Krem’s experiences as a trans man, it would be my own business; but if someone wanted to pay me for a story of a trans mans experiences, wouldn’t it be better to find an actual trans man to write it? 

(if this is about a kink - well, I would probably write most things, if nothing else as an experiment, but I think getting payed would make me more picky, not less?)

1. has a comment someone left on a fic of yours ever made you laugh out loud?

answered here!

7.  what is you favourite sentence/paragraph? read it to us! (asker can choose what fic)

you didn’t pick a fic! ahh that is hard. It’s hard to pick! I think some of my best is the opening of Home, a fanfic for Uprooted:

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

Agnieszka has only just woken, halfway out of her bed. He is standing in the doorway, impeccably dressed. The deep green brocade coat is out of place in her cabin, but the color matches her bedspread. She snorts, and runs her hand though her hair. It only seems to tangle it further.

“I – I only came to collect the taxes. I need to head back.”

He stares out the door, his back rigid. She comes to stand beside him. The grass in front of them is covered with wildflowers, tiny stars in yellow, white and purple. They weren’t there yesterday, before their lovemaking.

“Sarkan,” she says, all fire and smoke and scales in her mouth.

“I apologize. This… I’m not… You should find another lover. Someone more appropriate.”

He still isn’t looking at her.

“More appropriate. What did you have in mind? Some village boy who wants to marry a witch? Maybe a farmer? A baker? I’ll fix the Wood and cook his meals? Is that what you want me to do?”

“No,” he says, fiercely.

She wants to shake him. She knows why he isn’t staying, why he is running away. He is not going to say it, though. She dresses in her homespun dress and smock, and she picks up her basket.

“You could have sent me a letter, you know.”

She walks past him.

“Agnieszka.”

or something else? But I often think of this ficlet, and I just think I captured them so well. 

fanfic writers asks

[witchthewriter]

𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑾𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝑰𝒕 𝑻𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓

Paid story for @sardonic-the-writer.  Word Count: 1k Warnings: walkers, killing, killing walkers... mentions of violence, otherwise it’s pretty fluffy

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ        

The air was warm outside, Rick and the others were hard at work, sweating and grunting. They were building traps for Walkers. Animal traps really, but it was better than wasting bullets or having them get too close.

  You had just come back from helping Glenn on a run. Supplies had been low for a while, so it was time for you him to go back out. However, you had gotten close to the soft-hearted man. His friendliness wasn’t a ploy, or a mask. Glenn was genuine.

   So, it was hard to leave his side. Because everyone else seemed too … off … or rather, mysterious. Like they had shadows and deep regrets that didn’t make them trustworthy in their core. Except for Glenn and … Daryl.

  You had a crush on the red neck ever since you came with Rick’s group to Hershel’s farm.

 Your fondness started when you realised just how much passion he had for trying to find Sophia. It was admirable.

  But your beginnings weren’t kind.

Eight, your German Shephard ran the dirt road back to the farm, barking happily as he saw Daryl. They too didn’t have a very good beginning.

   The old factory had been run down for years before the time of the Walkers. And being homeless before that made it easy to survive in this new world. It had been your home for a year; sleeping in a hammock, eating out of canned soup and at times, stealing from venders. Eight had always been a good companion. A good look out, and an even better fighter.

   When Rick’s group had found you, it was his decision to take you with them. Shane and Daryl were firmly against it, while Glenn, T-Dogg and the rest were in the green.

  And that’s how you came to be here. The farm wasn’t a bad place to be, a hundred times better than the factory. One of your favourite things was watching Eight run around the open fields, his tongue flapping, tail wagging. It was one of the things that made both you and Daryl smile. Although, whenever someone noticed Daryl smiling his instant response was to drop it.

     “Find anything good?” Maggie came up beside you, throwing the pack over her shoulder and lugging it into the house. You and Glenn followed, each carrying your own bags of plunder.

  “We found a few knives, a packet of cigarettes, dog food, for Shane –�� You interjected, and Glenn snorted in response.

 The floorboards creaked as you walked up the steps, and the front door squeaked in greeting. These were one of the few noises you had gotten used to; everything else made you jump.

    Unloading on the wooden kitchen table, you put everything into piles. Important, and then the rest. And then subcategories because you couldn’t help yourself. It was one of your autistic traits. The others didn’t mind, not one bit.

 Maggie started putting the cans away, while Glenn put the bags back where they usually went. Everything had to go back to its usual place. In case of emergencies – and just plain curtesy.

  You sat back and started taking inventory when the door swung open.

   “Hey Glenn we got a lot more than wha-“

You stopped talking as soon as you saw who it was. Not Glenn. But your greasy-haired crush, Mr Dixon.

  “Good run,” he stated, filing through the packets of bandages, bottles of pills and rubbing alcohol. 

“Sure was,” you said in a casual voice, pretending that your heart wasn’t thumping erratically.

   “Any Walkers?” you stole a glance at Daryl and his eyes flickered towards you, but only for a second.

“A few,” you answered remembering that you hadn’t looked in the mirror after coming back. There had been three of them; strays that were caught in different parts of the pharmacy. But with your knife and Glenn’s own weapon, you were fine.

  “You got some…here-“ Daryl went and wet a tea towel and came back over to you. Suspiciously, Maggie and Glenn hadn’t come back inside.

He knelt down beside you and wiped away dark Walker blood from your neck and face, making sure not to be too rough.

   “Must’a caught your cheek on something, It’s pretty scratched up.” You couldn’t make eye contact with him, especially not with the proximity. Being so close, you could smell the dirt, earth and sweat that emanated from Daryl. You didn’t mind it.

“Didn’t feel anything,” you replied lightly, shocked at his tenderness.

 Daryl had been slowly getting used to you, and after five months he had accepted you were part of the group, as well as Eight. His prior impressions had faded away until new ones emerged; you weren’t uptight like he thought you were, just quiet. Reserved. You kept to yourself. And he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like your sarcastic remarks.

 The dining room was quiet as Daryl wiped away the remaining blood and fixed up your cut. He’d been listening to Hershel talk to Lori about how to heal and had started to know his way around mending bodies. 

  “Thank you,” your words came out barely above a whisper.

In a gruff voice he replied, “you’re ah, welcome.”

  Getting up, he threw the tea towel in the dirty laundry and left the house, you could hear the front door swing shut.

 You shook your head in confusion, mere months ago he wanted you dead. He had been adamant that you weren’t an asset. That taking you on would be a liability. And now his hands were so tender as they cleaned your face. You could still feel the warm pressure, easing the headache that you didn’t know was coming on.

  Then you heard a voice whistled from behind you, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Daryl … be so nice,” Glenn’s smirk made you blush. Well, blush even harder. Your cheeks already felt hot to the touch.

   “He was just…I-“ You couldn’t explain it because you didn’t really understand it fully yourself. Was it just politeness? Friendship? An olive branch?  

 Or was it something…more?

[yoon-kooks]

fic hiatus

well guys,,,,, i have good news and bad news,,,,, 

just like the y/n in The Devil Writes Romance, my dream has been to become an editor. after working as a freelance writer for about a year, i was finally offered an editing position a few days ago. you could say this was all according to keikaku as the next step in my career path, but i didnt realize it would come so soon;;;;;; although ive had my eye on this specific job, i didnt feel as tho i was qualified for it yet. i thought it would take at least another year of writing experience before anyone would consider me for an editor’s position.

BUT. tbh i know i owe A LOT to this blog and its kind readers. this blog gave me most of my writing experience. four years of it. it might not be professional writing that i ever got paid for, but believe me when i say i gained enough confidence and clarity to strive for a career with the hobby that i loved so much. and i wouldnt have had any of that confidence without you guys, the readers, the ones who supported my fics despite it taking me 47381490 years to continue/finish certain series. 

im just sorry for the lack of fics as of late. im sorry for hyping up a new series and not touching it for 3 months. im sorry for basically abandoning this blog and its fics. 

a lot of this is due to my barista job that i picked up back in june. my mind has also been occupied by a certain tall man (see my #coworker chronicles tag lmfao). i just havent had the time or inspiration to write fanfic ever since. 

and between editing, barista-ing, and tall man, i need to let go of something. as much as i wish to complete Witch Hazel and The Devil Writes Romance, i dont know if it’s possible anymore. if for whatever reason i happen to have time/inspiration to go back to them, i will! but i dont want to keep you guys waiting any longer for updates that may or may not happen :/ 

so for now, all of my fics will be on indefinite hiatus. ill still be scrolling thru tumblr and reblogging stuff that i like, but other than that, ill be taking a step back to focus on my jobs and real life stuff. 

again, im sorry. im sorry, but im also eternally grateful to anyone and everyone who ever gave my fics a chance, enjoyed them, left sweet feedback on them, or even recommended them. it means the world and so much more✨ 

thank you for everything🥺💕 -karls

[everything-y-nothing]

someone please write this fic

being on lockdown during this pandemic resurrected some major bamon feels. my brain started to obsessively develop the plot for a bamon fanfic and since I do not consider myself a writer, I’m surrendering it to the void.

For your consideration, Bonnie and Damon’s lives after the TVD series finale starts something like this:

Bonnie needs a fresh start after the shitstorm of the last 8 years. Her friends are safe and moving forward with their lives, so she decides to go back and finish up college...far away from Mystic Falls. The idea of exploring anything supernatural is lost on her, so instead of following in Grams’ footsteps as an Occult Studies professor, she takes a different path. Bonnie discovers her passion for Human Rights and Global Health, earning a PhD in Social Epidemiology. Working for a nonprofit jumpstarts her solo trip around the world, traveling through various parts of Africa and southeast Asia.

Her love of travel and social justice advocacy inspires Bonnie to create a digital media publication to share her unique perspective. Self proclaimed anti-influencer, Bonnie creates Currently: Conquering the World with Dr. Bonnie which delivers education through travel – simultaneously offering honest first-hand travel insights, educating followers on important issues faced by the highlighted destinations and checking privilege. The platform uplifts the voices of WOC, POC and marginalized people. It has been featured in a couple of major publications, donates to local nonprofits, hosts a podcast and has a sizable social media following. Bonnie posts a booty shot for every 1,000 new followers to her instagram account to show that there’s no correlation between a badass bitch in a bikini and intelligence.

Magic takes a backseat to Bonnie’s career and she’s okay with it. She still practices and befriends a handful of witches and warlocks through her travels. However, she keeps the magnitude of her abilities mostly under wraps. There’s not a snowflake’s chance in hell that she will let the power of her lineage be taken advantage of again. Bonnie Bennett - joyful, unapologetic BAMF, brainiac and humanitarian - finally found her inner goddess and is making good on her promise to live her very best life.

Bonnie keeps in touch with the remaining members of the Mystic Falls Scooby gang, though marginally - FaceTime sessions with Caroline and Elena when they can fit into each other’s schedules and time zones, long conversations with Matt, and random texts from Damon complaining about anything and everything. In time, the calls become fewer and no news is good news in her mind. Plus, she has a business to run, places to be, people to educate and a patriarchy to dismantle.

At first, Damon struggles acclimating to his new human life. He’s not pleased to have to take up exercising to in order to maintain his physique and misses the strength and agility he once had as a vampire. The lack of bloodlust is a plus. Cooking and eating real food is way more rewarding and enjoyable, another plus. Although, he gets mildly depressed that his body needs to build up an alcohol tolerance and can actually now die from overdrinking. He finally has Elena all to himself which is all he ever wanted and he should be walking on cloud nine, but it’s all so overwhelming. Time is fleeting and he realizes how much he had taken it for granted. He misses Stefan so goddamn much and it doesn’t help that his best friend/favorite drinking buddy skipped town on him. He spends one whole year mourning his brother, wallowing in self-pity, and being the domesticated boyfriend to his Pre Med fiancé before he gets his shit together.

Inspired after binge watching Tidying Up on Netflix, Damon starts applying the Konmari method to the Boarding House. In the attic, he finds his bachelors of architecture along with a set of licenses he got for ‘shits and gigs’ back in the 80s and it sparks something in him. He was productive as a vampire, after all. Damon convinces Caroline to compel NCARB and the State Board of Contractors into reinstating his architect and contractor licenses – because that’s what family is for – and starts a design and contracting firm, working mostly on small tenant improvement projects in and around Mystic Falls. His first project is to renovate the Boarding House which he later hands over to Alaric to run the Salvatore School.

Damon and Elena get married in between the time she ends Pre Med and starts Med School. It’s a spontaneous ceremony at City Hall which Matt documents via Facebook Live. They make it through one year of marriage before things start to go south. With Elena now further away for Med School and Damon running his business in Mystic Falls, they barely make it work to see each other on weekends. Damon falls in love with a dilapidated old bar in the heart of town and purchases it, throwing himself into a major renovation. It serves as a nice distraction from the growing divide between him and the “love of his life.” Year two is the tipping point – Elena wants him to relocate closer her, Damon wants to continue growing his business in Mystic Falls and neither wants to compromise. They see each other even less and argue more until Elena admits she has been cheating on Damon with a colleague, and their decision to part ways is mutual. Not so epic love, after all.

The breakup isn’t as painful as he thought it would be since Elena and him were living separate lives already. He sells the property for which he planned to surprise his ex-wife with a family home and readjusts his plans for the bar to incorporate a second floor loft for himself. It takes Damon almost a full year to finish renovations on his pride and joy, Savior. Blood, sweat and tears went into preserving and restoring original, historic architectural features. He took great care in curating every single detail and it paid off because his bar was voted best in the county and has become the go-to place for intimate date nights and an impeccable drink selection.

Nine years after Bonnie hightailed it out of Mystic Falls for good, three years after founding Currently: Conquering and two-ish years after the grand opening of Savior, the former besties run into each other on the streets of Havana. The run and jump hug from when Bonnie resurrected herself from 90s Hell is relived and they play catch-up over medianoches. Bonnie is leading a group of travelers through Cuba for the next 10 days while Damon is on sabbatical to celebrate his thriving business ventures and divorce. He critiques the photo composition her latest ass shot posted to IG and she points out his new frown lines that would put Stefan’s to shame – and just like that, they’re besties all over again.

Bonnie invites him to join her tour group and having no set itinerary, Damon agrees. It’s truly refreshing to see Bonnie in her element. Bearing witness to the person she has grown into after the supernatural drama of yesteryear only reinforces Damon’s admiration of her. Having no real destination after Cuba, Damon piggybacks onto her next guided tour, leaning into the local culture that his best friend has grown to love so much. He even follows her to Costa Rica before he has to return home.

(Annnnnd that’s where it stopped)

Comments:

Does a similar fic already exist and I just don’t remember haven’t read it?

Would it be too much to ask for accurate characterization and spot-on snarky dialogue, and like, not written in first-person narrative?

Timing - I’ve estimated approx 9 years until Bamon meet up Cuba. Not sure if it makes logical sense with everything that happens in between.

Damon and Elena’s child(ren?) - didn’t consider them...the Gilbert’s shouldn’t procreate, IMO. I don’t plan on watching Legacies and not sure what is canon. The plot would need to be adjusted if included. Regarding the origins of Stefanie Salvatore - I’d say keep this character as DE’s spawn instead of rewriting as Bamon’s kid. Since Stefan killed Enzo, the name would be a sore spot for Bonnie.

Bonnie’s career - mimics that of Dr. Kiona who runs hownottotravellikeabasicbitch on IG - follow her! She’s awesome.

[itsclydebitches]

How do you feel about derivative art? I'm guessing you approve since you're big into fanfics. Is art that's derivative as good as original art? Could a well made video critique of a film be better then the film? Or a fanmade rewrite be better then the original book? And yes I know nothing "original" exist, but that's not the same thing as art that is obviously derivative. And the big question. Should artist be allowed to make money off derivative art?

For me it’s an all around “Yes.” I’ve read fics leagues better than published novels. I’ve seen fanvids far better than films. Granted, when you get into the subject of visual media you run into things like finances and access to technology. Anyone can craft a story with words, but only a few have the budget and tools required to re-create the sort of Blockbuster films we’ve grown used to. But why in the world would that very specific style be the only “good” art out there? Obviously it’s not. If anything, we value limitations in our art. Six second vines shot on cell phones are adored and can lead to lucrative careers. Films like the Blair Witch Project want to mimic an armature cinematography, like these people really were just shooting what they could while running for their lives. Amateur does not in any way equal lesser. To say nothing of the fact that fans have shown time and time again that a passion for the material and a huge amount of work ethic is more than enough. As the recent Loki logo abomination attests, all the money and resources in the world doesn’t guarantee taste---or success. Outsiders to fandom love to criticize the “horrible” fics they found when they dove into AO3 for all of ten minutes, but fail to acknowledge that you’re just as likely to find a terrible book when you pull one randomly off of B&N’s shelves. If derivative art is somehow lesser than we need to re-evaluate the comics industry. And every formulaic western, rom-com, police procedural. And every great author (there are a LOT) who wrote “classics” based off of other’s characters and worlds. Art is art. Mainstream art is in no way superior to fan art, no matter how much people still want to convince us of that. 

The money question is, admittedly, waaaaaay more complicated. For me though it’s still a “Yes” simply because of how fandom functions. That is, we need the canon. Even if it becomes outdated, or is considered offensive, or is absolutely terrible compared to what the fandom has now produced, people will STILL consume that material (and more importantly buy it) in order to get access to all the good fan stuff. I’ve simply never bought into the argument that derivative works are a threat to the livelihood of the original piece because they depend on that piece. All my friends are in a fun discord for TV Show X. They’re producing all these fics I want to read. I’ve heard that Show X is actually pretty bad, but I’m going to watch it anyway because that provides me with the context that produced all this other stuff. It’s the foundation, the blueprints, the golden ticket to get inside the fandom. Will every fan do this? No, some do bypass the canon and just dive right in, but the majority of them will. Meaning that rather than posing a threat to the original author’s livelihood as most people assume, fanworks help keep mainstream content alive. Adding a price to that doesn’t change anything. If someone offers me a fic for free I’m gonna tackle the canon book first. If someone offers me a fic for $10... I’m still gonna tackle the canon book first. Either way the author gets paid and are likely to get more if fans use their work as an entry point into the fandom. “I wouldn’t have read/watched your stuff at all, if it weren’t for the fact that I want to read the stories my friend is now producing.” Giving that friend some rent money is the least we can do. 

(There are obviously other arguments against making money off of derivative works, two of which boil down to “It’s against the law”---which funnily enough we create and control and can change if perspectives change---and “They’re my creations and I don’t want you messing with them, let alone making money off them.” I’ve got a lot of feelings regarding that one and in an effort to save a bit of space I’ll boil it down to a very unkind response: Too bad. Transformation is at the heart of human interaction with art. If you didn’t want that you shouldn’t have given it to the public in the first place. Authors don’t get to police how fans interact with their work: “I love it when you take the time to write me glowing reviews! .... oh, but not when you write another story. Please continue making awesome fan posters that promote my work! ... but not one with those two characters kissing ew.” Authors don’t get to dictate how fans interact with the art they’ve put out there; how much of it is active and in what ways.) 

We also have to consider that we’re already in a world where those lines are irrevocably blurred. Why does E.L. James or Anna Todd get to make a fortune off of their barely changed fics? Why do artists get to sell their fanart but fic writers are still largely terrified of lawsuits? Fans are already making money off their work---always have, really---and I doubt that’s something we can reverse. Whether or not it continues to grow is the real question. 

Personally, I wouldn’t want to see derivative works commercialized, not because fans don’t deserve to earn money for their labor (we do), but just because that would irrevocably change fandom dynamics. We’re a gift economy and we’re built on that. Fandom has always been about progressive acts: be it writing about queer identities, providing accessibility accommodations decades before mainstream art did, or (and this is the kicker) helping to level out class differences. Meaning, mainstream art is often for the rich and the elite. Broadway shows are insanely expensive and impossible for most to get to. Movies prices have skyrocketed. Every company is creating their own streaming service, requiring that you pay three or four $20+ monthly subscriptions instead of just the one. It’s all about money and fandom is one of the few places where we still exchange art for praise and more art, rather than a paycheck. Fic is free. Fanvids are free. You guys want a cute drawing of this couple? All you have to do is send in a prompt ask and I’ll draw it! Sure, I’d also love it if you paid for a commission, but I’m going to keep creating free drawings on the side. When was the last time we saw a mainstream author go, “Please continue to buy my last story, but in the meantime here’s a free novel I’m putting up on my website. Hope you enjoy!” I mean yes, we do get things for free (especially when it comes to many games, apps, and some short stories), but not like in fandom. There’s a culture of giving that I never want to lose. Are we already doing commissions and con sales? Yes. Do we often ask for donations and payment? Yes. Should we be able to continue doing so without fear of legal action? I think so. But I don’t want a general sense of “I should be allowed to earn money off of this” get turned into “Well if I can earn money off of this why wouldn’t I?” I never want our work to exist fully behind a wall where the key in is your credit card number. Fandom is unique in its, “I made this thing because I wanted to and I shared it with you because I wanted to do that too, no strings attached” and that, I think, is worth protecting. 

[sasslightertm-a]

a list of little canon things from the tie-in novels

All little bits of information from the original Charmed tie-in novels that I think are interesting and could be useful for roleplayers/fanfic writers:

Paige is obsessed with Twizzlers and keeps a stash in her bedside table (“Old Friend”, The Warren Witches)

Melinda Warren’s daughter Prudence married a mortal named Michael, and was considering giving up her powers—Melinda had bound them before her death, and it was a surprise to Prudence when they began manifesting in adulthood (“Something Old, Something New”, The Warren Witches)

Patty had her awakening as a witch at age sixteen, where she vanquished her first demon and wrote her first spell in the Warren Book of Shadows (”Patty’s Awakening”, The Warren Witches)

P. Bowen  and P. Baxter  (Great-Grams) had suspected for a while that P. Russell had turned evil before she was in a relationship with Anton and they had to kill her (“Old Friend”, The Warren Witches)

Magical witches (the Charmed Ones, Billie, etc.) have an internal spring from which they access their magic; mortal witchcraft practitioners have to draw on outside sources of magic in order to cast spells (The Mystic Knoll)

Clan-goids are demons that swap babies at birth and take one of the swapped babies for their own to feed on its energy (Inherit the Witch)

Piper once accidentally blew up a whole shelf of Leo’s paperbacks, and they were looking to replace them in a later book (Mist and Stone and Mystic Knoll)

Once a century the planets align in such a way that the tides shift and the climates changes, causing unpredictable weather and earthquakes. With the world out of balance, the Firestarter is charged with gathering the other Elementals on the Night of Aeolus to perform a sacred ritual. Without this ritual the weather will eventually tear the world apart. (The Brewing Storm)

Firestarters are only one type of Elemental, with Earthshakers, Waterbearers, and Windwalkers controlling the other three elements. Spirit, the fifth element, is represented by the human spirit, the only one who is mortal and non-magical—in this particular case, a certain Darryl Morris (The Brewing Storm)

Even without their active powers if they’re in the past, the Charmed Ones are still witches and can rely on other forms of folk magic: spells, potions, blood magic, etc. (The Warren Witches)

Good and/or evil forces can send premonitions to a witch, whether that is that witch’s active power or not (“Patty’s Awakening”, The Warren Witches)

In high school, Patty’s best friend was named Mandy—this being 1966, Mandy was against the Vietnam War and Patty wasn’t entirely for it, but she didn’t think it was right to be saying terrible things about it when people were risking their lives ( “Patty’s Awakening”, The Warren Witches)

The Angus family of warlocks has the power to resurrect a previous ancestor in that ancestor’s own time by saying a spell in Latin while the descendant is being vanquished (“Preconceved”, The Warren Witches)

P. Russell’s former best friend was a mortal named Emmeline Graydon (“Old Friend”, The Warren Witches)

P. Baxter, P. Bowen, and P. Russell made so much money from the speakeasy during Prohibition that they paid off their mortgage before the Great Depression hit and were able to keep the Manor that way. (“Old Friend”, The Warren Witches)

At one point, Phoebe had a high school intern on her column named Marissa (“The Crucible”, The Warren Witches)

P. Russell had concocted a cursed apple pie when a lover jilted her for a mortal woman—the enchantment causes whoever ate the pie to become obsessed with whatever activity they’re doing immediately afterwards. P. Baxter put the antidote on the cupboard door to protect any innocent descendants who might stumble upon the recipe and accidentally bake an enchanted pie. (“Old Family Recipe”, The Warren Witches)

One of Paige’s daughters is named Pandora, and Pandora eventually has a daughter (Paige’s granddaughter) named Posie, who starts her training in the Craft when she’s seventeen (“Family History”, The Warren Witches)

Phoebe’s grandkids call her Gigi for “Gorgeous Grandma” (“Family History”, The Warren Witches)

The “mist-and-stone” effect in premonitions, where there is fog within a vision, notes that an event is not set in stone but the fewer mist there is in each successive vision, the less chance there is to change the outcome of the premonition (Mist and Stone)

Future Darklighters are recruited from mortals, just as future Whitelighters are (Mist and Stone)

[themiscyra1983]

The Elephant In The Room

Let me preface all this by saying I do not have time for assholes. If you come at me with insults and contempt, I will block you.

The other day on Twitter I said the Harry Potter books aren’t good. I said this to a friend but I guess some people just keep an eye out for whatever Harry Potter shit pops up on Twitter and/or the algorithm just likes to spit in people’s eyes because hoooo boy people saw and lost their minds. I blocked two people over it because they decided to be assholes, and had a somewhat terse conversation with someone who was more politely insistent before going, finally, “I’m glad you find joy in something I no longer care for” and putting an end to the conversation.

It’s no particular secret that I’m in the fandom, and prior to J.K. Rowling going full, ‘no plausible deniability here’ transphobe, I’d bought my share of official merch. Frankly I should have stopped that sooner, but it took getting figuratively slapped in the face multiple times before I finally admitted Rowling’s ignorance carried a distinct air of willfulness and malice. Anyway I still HAVE the stuff I bought before, the Ravenclaw crap, the wands I was collecting (no more of that, I fear, though I’d hoped to pick up Tonks and Ginny’s wands at least before I brought an end to it), the Ravenclaw goblet I was gifted from a friend who bought it before JKR passed the plausibly just clueless horizon. There is still much in the world that I love, but much of that love comes now from the creations of others, and I cannot in good conscience spend money in ways that directly benefit Rowling’s financial empire.

And the Harry Potter books are not, in my view, good books. I’ve felt that for a while now. I’ll go a step further: I think they’re dangerous stories to tell children; I think I would be uncomfortable reading them to any children I might have. They are not stories that should be viewed without a critical eye. I loved them as a teenager. I’ve grown more uncomfortable with them - and, as with Twilight, far more comfortable with how critically thinking fans have transformed the work - as time has passed.

This actually has very little to do with the fact that, well...Rowling is not the best writer. Listen. I’m a Power Rangers fan. I’ve watched every incarnation of Star Trek, and every single movie. I have no problem with trashy fiction. You will find me rooting around in the garbage with the finest raccoons. But that is part of it, yes; there are flaws in the craft of it, and I don’t feel that, inherently, we needn’t judge children’s fiction by adult standards. I would argue that the very BEST children’s fiction is also excellent by adult standards. But this is the least of my concerns.

Here are my actual concerns.

Rowling wants credit for declaring Dumbledore gay after the fact, for saying Hogwarts is a safe space for all students in ways not reinforced (and in fact actively contradicted) by the text, for cheering the fan-created same-sex marriage of Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, but she doesn’t want to take the creative risks that go along with that. When she had the opportunity, with the Fantastic Beasts movies, to make that subtext text, she and her cronies outright declined it. At every opportunity she has shied away from actually putting her high-minded ideas to the page. This is a cowardly choice at best.

Further, Dumbledore’s only canonical love interest (and it is not clear whether the love was requited) was a pretty fascist with whom he fell in, politically, for a time. I get it, we’ve all had crushes on terrible people. But this is literally his one and only love, requited or not, and after he defeats Grindelwald he is left to pine away for the remainder of his days. The one gay love story in the books - if you tilt your head, and squint, and accept Rowling’s word for it - is a tragic one that leaves one man in prison and another celibate and alone and, increasingly, a manipulative bastard who upholds the status quo.

There’s nothing wrong with a tragic love story. I’ve enjoyed quite a few. But when this - THIS - is what you hold up as a triumph of representation, in the absence of ANYTHING else...no. No cookies for you.

Let’s also talk about how I don’t feel Rowling wrote Dumbledore or approaches him with a critical eye. There is NO excuse for leaving a child in an abusive home. No, fuck your blood wards. You’re telling me that Albus Dumbledore - ALBUS DUMBLEDORE - could not devise protections better than leaving Harry with abusive relatives who despised him and everything he stood for? Then, too, when Dumbledore did intervene in Harry’s life, he did so with full knowledge that he was setting Harry up to be a sacrificial lamb, AND WITH THIS SPECIFIC END IN MIND. None of this is acceptable. Dumbledore is a fucking manipulative, abusive bastard who uses people and throws them away, and the fact that it WORKED OUT for Harry does not absolve him of his crimes.

Moving on, and bear in mind I’m still getting my steam up on this whole rant: Seamus Finnegan. Seamus Finnegan is the one canonically, obviously Irish character in the books, named quite stereotypically, but more importantly, in the books and movies, is shown to be interested in (a) liquor and (b) making things explode. He’s REALLY GOOD at making things explode. Do I need to explain why it’s problematic for the one Irish character to blow things up all the time? He also does this in defense of UK wizardry’s status quo, so, you know, even if you were all IRISH FREEDOM FIGHTER YEAH, I assure you he is not that guy.

There is an entire species of sapient magical creatures who exist solely to serve witches and wizards. Hogwarts is run on slave labor and most of the finest wizard families hold slaves. But it’s all right! Only one of them has ever, in the context of the books, wished to be emancipated, and everyone else views Dobby as a weirdo for wishing to be free, and paid for his labor. Dobby, incidentally, later lays down his life for the wizarding savior who tricked his master into freeing him. The only other emancipated house elf we see in the books, Winky, spends her time in a state of drunken depression, rendering her useless and scarcely capable even of caring for herself. She wished to remain enslaved, do you see, and was helpless without the benevolent guidance of her master.

There’s fan work that has tried to address this by exploring a mystically symbiotic relationship between house elves and wizards and witches, and yes, yes, J.K. Rowling is drawing on European folklore here, but let’s not give her credit, okay?

Goblins. Goblins! Goblins have a long history of being antisemitic stereotypes to begin with (hence why I have seen multiple Jews on Tumblr push back HARD on ‘goblincore’), but J.K. Rowling just...right. They’re short, ugly, have hooked noses, generally look like antisemitic cartoon figures. They are locked out of power but control all the wizarding world’s banking, and do so in very usurious ways, for example charging wizards to hold their money, etc. Now this might be an interesting commentary on how Jews have historically been oppressed and forced into fields that goyim felt themselves too ‘pure’ to work in, were it not for the fact that Rowling’s fantasy Jews LITERALLY AREN’T HUMAN, and more, ARE ACTUALLY GREEDY, CONNIVING, AND WILLING TO BETRAY YOU AGAINST THEIR OWN SELF-INTEREST FOR PERSONAL GAIN. FUCKING GOBLINS, MAN.

Then there’s the travesty of Magic in North America, which disrespected the intelligence of Native Americans (none of them figured out you could point a stick at something to make the magic go until white people showed up to help, apparently, but don’t worry, they’re really CLOSE TO NATURE and GOOD AT NATURAL MAGIC), disrespected the beliefs of specific peoples (no, skinwalkers aren’t just misunderstood shapechanging wizards and witches smeared by the greedy and ignorant, you’re whitesplaining actual mythology to the people who hold it sacred), made the ONE wizarding school in America white with an appropriated Native veneer, and generally just...Did Not Get America. As bad as the UK Wizarding World is, Rowling demonstrated complete IGNORANCE regarding the long history of what we now call North America, ignorance of even modern American culture (there’s a reason why American fans particularly tend to ignore the idea that wizardry is locked down tight behind a wall of secrecy here), ignorance and disrespect toward Native populations, and an unwillingness to do the research necessary to do this shit right.

There’s more. There’s blood purity, and gender politics, and Severus Snape’s portrayal, and all kinds of shit that grates, and I’m just tired.

Writers make mistakes. it happens. But Rowling does not recognize her mistakes. She does not seek to make amends. She just barrels on with her shitty opinions, regardless of who she hurts.

it is at the point where I am no longer even willing to thank her for graciously allowing us to play in her sandbox. We don’t need her blessing; the OTW has done far more for fanfic than she has. And it is, indeed, beginning to grate on me that people constantly try to apply Harry Potter metaphors to real life and real politics. As my friend Doc often says, find another book.

I love butterbeer (or at least the knockoffs available outside the Universal parks), I still read fanfic sometimes, I still like to play with ideas like the Harry Potter movies as performed by Muppets, with Dan Radcliffe as Snape and Tom Felton as Lucius. I’m glad the movies brought us a generation of actors, mentored by performers like Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith and so many others, who have gone on to bigger and better things. Much of my merch is packed away, but I still hold on to some of it because it has new meaning for me in light of fanwork, or because (in the case of my Ravenclaw hat and scarf) it’s warm, winters here are cold, I don’t want to buy new shit, leave me alone.

I am accustomed to seeing fans turn trash into treasure. I’ve tried to do it myself. But I feel, quite strongly, that the original text in this case is trash. it is radioactive, stinky trash. You won’t persuade me otherwise, and I’m done apologizing for it. If Rowling wants me to respect her and her work again, she’ll have to earn it, but I’m very trans and she low-key hates my kind, so even if I weren’t a random reader I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

And I really, really need to emphasize to you all that it is okay if people don’t like a given work of fiction. It is okay if people HATE that piece of fiction. You don’t need to change the minds of everyone around you. You absolutely will not succeed in doing so. Please, I’m begging you, make peace with that - and please, I’m begging you, even if you like something, try to consider it critically.