#I know I know- characterization this..writing that..but dude- and hear me out-

[seldompathic]

Trying to remember that I can enjoy things, even if other people didn't like it.

Reading YouTube comments on Sonic Prime stuff was a bad idea. Got me feeling stupid for liking my silly crazy boys :(( Was the show flawed? I mean, yeah. Almost fundamentally. But still, it made me laugh and smile and kick my feet! It made me feel like a kid again, and y'know what? That's enough for me.

It ABSOLUTELY had its share of cringe moments, but for everything that Prime was, second-hand embarrassment and all, I was BEAMING. I can understand (and agree) with a lot of the backlash without shitting on it entirely. I can nod along with fuming fans while cheering for my favorite goofballs. I can appreciate the beautiful animation, the composition, and the sheer AMBITION of such a massive and dramatic project. The humor, the expressions, the fluidity of some of those fight scenes..MAN.

I will always adore Prime, awful pacing or not, and that isn't because I'm blind to the mistakes throughout its run. It's because I love the blue blur enough to see past the hiccups. That's my funny little guy, after all. So fuck it.

I love my little show :))

[strawbairicake]

the kitten incident- dr. ratio x reader

synopsis: the four times you tried convincing Veritas to get a kitten, and the one time he gifted you… an “unexpected” surprise. 

warnings: ummm pacing, my kinda bad (read: beginner/novice) writing, pls be nice to me. bad (/non existent) characterization of Ratio! other than that, none! this is disgustingly fluffy haha! 

word count: ~1.3k (idk dude i stopped counting after 1010 words)

tagging: @sqgeism, @vyyper, @your-sleeparalysisdem0n (since you eat up all of my writing), @fairycourts (would like to know what you think of this!), @m1ckeyb3rry, @sheyfu, and @cmiru!

author’s note: my first attempt at writing a full-length fic! don’t expect this to happen much from me, haha (unless requested ofc!)! this is a birthday gift to myself, so this is very self-indulgent! for reference, you have a best friend in this story named Ares! she’s amazing and based off of my real life bestie! hope you enjoy; worked very hard on this! <3

a… very convincing car ride home.

after a date at a cat café, Veritas was regretting taking you out anywhere. you would not stop talking about getting a kitten. his internal monologue was filled with thoughts about you shutting up. he wouldn’t voice hurtful thoughts to you, of course, but if you could shut up, that’d be great.

“Veritas?”

“yes, (name)?”

“can we please get a kitten?” 

Veritas glanced at you before returning his eyes to the road. 

“I’ll consider it if you keep your mouth shut the rest of the drive home.” 

you were as quiet as a mouse for the rest of the drive, much to Veritas’s enjoyment. you both made your way to your shared apartment. Veritas led you both into the apartment, where he was slightly surprised to see how quiet you still were. that lasted five minutes- oh, off you went rambling about getting a kitten again. ah well, surely this is a phase that will pass? it’s like when children beg their parents to get a pet and they won’t drop the topic until they get what they wanted. surely this won’t be the same situation with you, right? 

oh well, only one way to find out.

a quiet chat over dinner.

after arriving home after the initial conversation, you and Veritas decided to prepare a light snack to go along with dinner. your routine with Veritas when it came to meals was simple: you prepare any snacks you both wanted, and he would prepare dinner. you set a bowl of fruits and other snacks on the table while your partner finishes preparing the meal before joining you at the table. for once, he initiates the conversation. 

“are you still thinking about a kitten?” 

“yeah, why do you ask?” 

Veritas sighed and you smiled- there was just no winning when it comes to him, is there?

“hypothetically speaking, if we were to be adopting a kitten- don’t get your hopes up- what breed are you most looking into?” 

your eyebrows raised. what a hypothetical. but answering honestly seems to be the only way to answer. 

“probably a calico or a tortoiseshell. my childhood friend had the latter and she was very sweet. plus i have experience with cats, so it’s not like i’m picking a breed i couldn’t handle.” 

Veritas hummed, slightly amused with your statement. he made a mental note for when he goes to the animal shelter next weekend while you’re away. 

”bothering” him while he works in your home office. 

to say you bothered your lover is an overstatement… probably! Dr. Ratio shows his love to you in his own ways. they may not be the most conventional of ways, but they are ways! you put in love in the relationship, too, more upfront in a way, with him. you’re both happy, healthy, and for the most part- content, with how things are. until the damn kitten talk comes up again, and that makes your partner want to rip his hair out (lovingly). it’s not that he dislikes animals, he seems to be very neutral towards them, while you’re definitely the animal magnet between the two of you. Dr. Ratio loves you, he really does! but if he hears about this damn kitten one more time, he might combust, mentally… maybe! you can’t help it if you want something, you just HAVE to tell everyone everything about said thing! it’s human nature, or something!

so here you are, sitting in your lover’s office in your reading nook while he quietly works on grading his students’ essays or whatever- you stopped listening a while ago, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) for him. you were reading a book, he was working, and all seemed well with the world. at least, he thought so. he heard you shuffle your way out of your nook over to his desk. you just stood next to him and watched as he wrote (surprisingly nice handwriting for a “doctor”) some comments on a student’s essay. he could tell you were waiting for when he wouldn’t be as busy, and he was glad you had that courtesy, if nothing else. so when he input the student’s grade and set the paper essay to the side, he sighed and looked up at you. 

“if it’s about a kitten, could the conversation wait until after we bathe?” 

and the shine in your eyes told him everything he needed to know. 

overhearing you on a call with your friend (and the aftermath). 

your best friend, Ares, has risen from the dead, hooray! but in all seriousness, she had been so busy with her job that she hadn’t gotten in touch with you in what felt like FOREVER. you’re listening to Ares talk about her job, books, and a whole bunch of other things. and then the call goes pretty quiet on your side, just long enough to be noticed by your friend.

“oh yeah,” she pipes up after a few minutes of silence on your end, “how’s the cat debacle going? has he come around?” 

“he told me he’s thinking about it, but it was kind weird the other day! he asked a hypothetical question that did not sound like a hypothetical at all.”

“well, what’d he say?” 

“he said, and I quote, ahem, ‘hypothetically speaking, if we were to be adopting a kitten- don’t get your hopes up- what breed are you most looking into?’ i don’t know, Jade, it just seemed… off. like i should be expecting something, and i’m not, if that makes sense.” you answered.

“girl, how the hell did you remember what he said verbatim? anyway! that totally makes sense! maybe he’s planning a surprise for you and can barely keep the secret together.” she smiled at you through the screen. 

you replied a quick “yeah, maybe” before realizing Veritas was just outside the door to your shared bedroom, overhearing your conversation. he waits for your conversation to end before coming in the room. but before he enters, he quickly shoots a message to Ares herself: “do they know?” and he gets almost excited when Ares texts back almost immediately, “no, but i almost accidentally spilled what’s going on. you NEED to tell them soon! good luck!” 

that was suddenly all of the confirmation the astute doctor needed. 

the kitten incident (a good one, i promise!)! 

Veritas greeted you in your shared home, which was odd. he always came home after you, so it was mildly strange he was waiting for you. but you paid this slight change no mind- maybe he just wanted to spend time with you and got his things done early. he greeted you from the kitchen. you made your way over to him. 

“hi, love. how was your day?”

“oh my god! today was sooo long!” you reply as you cling to his waist. Veritas hums and puts a hand on one of your forearms and rubs little circles into the flesh. he finishes preparing a light snack for himself since you already ate dinner with some friends an hour ago. you moved away from him as he took your hand, which got your attention.

“come see, i have a surprise for you.”

“oh god, what did i do?” 

Veritas lets out a light chuckle. 

“i can’t spoil my significant other without them thinking they did something wrong? i’m hurt, (name).”

you laughed as he set his snack down on the counter and led you to the living room where a small box was sitting on the coffee table. 

“here, open it.” he handed the box to you carefully. you looked at him skeptically before sitting on the sofa and opening the box. inside the box was a tiny calico kitten, the one you had been talking about visiting for at least two weeks now. she was so tiny, most likely the runt of her litter, and you kept telling Veritas how much you liked her. you were devastated when you found out she was adopted. you gently picked the sleeping kitten up from the box, and she opened her eyes, and then proceeded to let out the tiniest and most polite meow you’ve ever heard. you looked to Veritas and then the kitten back and forth about five times as he laughed and nudged your shoulder.

“look at her collar.”

you looked at the tag on her collar and your breath hitched. marry me, the tag read. as you turn to face your lover, you find him sitting next to you with a ring box in hand, proposing to you out of the blue, with the faintest hint of a smile on his face. 

©2025 strawbairicake. do not repost, copy, translate, modify, or use for AI.

[yunuen]

love your fic so much!! you’re genuinely such a good writer. you’ve inspired me to write my own fic but im a bit scared about messing up the characters lol 🥲 do you have any tips on characterizing jayce and vik or characterization in general?

ohhhhh dude that's the best, highest compliment to hear that you've decided to write because of jellyfish, super flattering let me tell you!!!

i've been wracking my brain trying to decide what pointers i could give you but i genuinely wouldn't know. i don't think there are very many writing hacks for getting a character's voice right. it also hugely depends on when in canon you're setting your fic. i mostly just sit with myself and like. THINK really hard? i would say the biggest problem that we might have as fic writers is that it's difficult to fight against the tendency to bend the characters' personalities to suit the needs of the plot, trope or self-indulgent fantasy that we want to explore. that's not inherently bad as fanfic is by definition self-indulgent and characters WILL bend to suit your needs but it's how jayce gets turned into a himbo puppy that just apologizes all the time or viktor gets written as a mean, disrespectful dude sometimes: the author wants to say something and the characters have to bend to accomodate that particular scenario. not dunking on anyone it's just how it is! i am doing it myself as we speak! so the key thing is asking yourself, okay, i want this character to do X. would they actually do that in canon? if not, what would need to happen for it to make sense? maybe they’d never do XYZ, so instead of forcing it, you reinterpret the trope in a way that fits them. or you introduce external factors that push them into that scenario in a way that feels natural. in that same vein, i also think some people are afraid of having characters be messy. overreact. say one think and do the other. hold two clashing beliefs at once. lash out. but that's just being human. a lot of people want characters to be perfectly rational, or at least consistent, but leaning into that messiness makes them more believable (got some backlash because jayce snapped at viktor once and i'm still bitter because in my mind i did build up to it well) EDIT: ALSO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. DON'T MAKE THE CHARACTERS THERAPY SPEAK. pls.

EDIT2: WAIT I'VE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING ELSE. don’t think about how to get a character to say a specific line. instead, think about how they’d convey that feeling in a way that feels true to them. maybe you don’t think a character would ever say, "i am sad." okay, so how would they express that instead? maybe they’d say, "i feel like i’ve forgotten how to be happy." same idea, but phrased in a way that fits their voice? random example but yaknow anyway post-canon jayvik is tricky because there's a lot of interpretations on how they would develop after S2. i know for instance that a lot of people think jayce would not give a fuck about piltover after being teleported to god-knows-where. i disagree. boom, we would write two wildly different fics and neither is inherently better or worse because of it. so at some point you also gotta trust your intuition. i would say too that you can read meta of the characters but you MUSTN'T let that inform your writing too much. i’ve seen brilliant meta and also takes so wild they made me do a double take and wonder what kind of psychoactive drugs the writer was on. and that goes for both random bloggers and super popular ones.

and don’t stress too much about getting everything perfect. they’re not real, and this is fanfic. it’s fine to mess up a little. christian linke won't @ u on twitter for it (or so i hope)

[welovetesvkaidan]

OPINIONS ON KAIDAN EE/IF???

My honest reaction:

in all seriousness, if you wanna hear me yap about it, more under the cut

warning like, genuinely a ginormous yap, like a HUMUNGOUS, sleep-deprived yap,,, im cursed to be obsessed with skyrim + modded followers instead of touching grass

I think a lot of this is probably gonna be the same thing other people have said, so im sorry

if you feel i'm gonna be bringing up redundant points and get mad at me😓dont read

I haven't experienced and thus won't talk about the versions of EE and IF that are now separate mods from each other. I don't know anything about that.

if they're better now yayyy but this is about pre-separation

I should preface this with the fact that I've played through Skyrim 3 times with different stages of Kaidan EE/IF:

The initial Dawnguard + fixes/miscs mod

Kaidan EE/IF versions before extensive faction/NPC dialogue for Kaidan

EE/IF w/ NPC Dialogue (AKA Fratpack)

I was also part of the two different discords that were purged and created during these intervals. i don't even know if there is a discord currently?

anyway, that is to say that I have experienced the mod and it's behind-the-scenes progress, extensively so I have a pretty good idea of what I liked and didn't like

That being said, I will introduce probably my biggest problems with it: Tonal whiplash

Okay, well the most common complaint is ofc that a lot of the writing is out of character - and I agree. But it's not just ooc on paper, it's his voice too. I swear, it is very jarring hearing hushed, mild og Kaidan 2 voicelines, and then being deafened by EE Kaidan SCREAMING in my ear ALL.THE.TIME. (like... why are you yelling at me rn jeez)

Seriously. I'm not sure why they didn't just re-record everything from the original mod instead of adding more and more contradicting lines on top of the originals. It definitely could have been a standalone mod, and sometimes it almost feels like it is - because he is just so different.

My most infamous moment in my last playthrough with him happened after we defeated the dragon at Kynesgrove. His og Kaidan 2 dialogue played first, in it he shows interest and is cordial about Delphine ("I wouldn't mind prodding her mind" or whatver dialogue), THEN immediately after his Kaidan EE/IF dialogue will play, in which he walks up to Delphine and STARTS YELLING AT HER AND INSULTING HER - like they argue for quite a bit wtf. And it's like, listen, I have my thoughts about Delphine, but whether or not it was okay to yell at her isn't the problem. It would be fine - IF he hadn't just calmly told me he thought she was okay.

It is sooo confusing how he contradicts himself :(

I mean, yeah, fragments of who he is are still there, I can tell it's Kaidan, but he's warped to fit a different character. Like a con-artist Kaidan.

Anyway, besides the contradictions, it also feels out of character because of his established backstory.

Let's go over it: He's an orphan, lost his only connection to his family(his guardian) to drugs, fell into substances himself, joined a violent cult, had to escape said cult, came clean from his addictions, has been traveling Tamriel bounty-hunting, got brutally attacked by the Thalmor, rescued by mere chance. Do you honestly mean to tell me this man would be yelling, pissing, drinking, lewding, and joking his ass off?? After all that???? NO - or maybe not these levels of extreme. (maybe some other dude might, but Kaidan's characterization insists he is a brooding, keeps-to-himself man, even though he never acts like it anymore)

That man should be tired, and he did feel like he was tired in the original. He was more brooding then than he is now, usually silent, but could still have an edge of comedy/wittiness, he was smart, he had been through a lot!

In that regard, EE/IF Kaidan felt like... we are experiencing Kaidan 10 years in the past - like a Kaidan in his early 20s when he was still a drunkard low-key terrible person. He is just so energetic, always yapping - GOD he talks a lot now. ugh but most of the time it wasn't about anything, it was either inside-jokes, meta jokes, and only occasionally did we get things that added to the experience.

For example, I think most of us who have played Kaidan 2 remember at least one specific line he has said while exploring. What comes to mind for me is either "Can you smell the magicka in the air too? Smells like a rainless thunderstorm." or "Watch for the mammoth with the carvings on their tusks, that's how the giants mark their herd." Alright, both pretty nice small talk for characterization (he IS smart) and worldbuilding.

Tbh i can't really remember any iconic lines from the additions of EE/IF Kaidan... the only two lines that stood out for me were: the "elevenses" line from the clip above (started bumping into him every time he was about to say this so he would stfu... total tonal dissonance), and one he said while I looted Lucky Lorenz ("poor sod wasn't as lucky as his namesake would have you believe!") kai HOW do you know this man, and his nickname, who told you that??? (idc about it that much but its like the only other added line i remember)

I thought that maybe his ooc-iness might have been caused due to the collaborative approach of the mod, I think the mod authors created their own perfect Kaidan - and that's good for them! It takes a shit ton of work (Ik cuz i was there!!) But I think the original essence was lost with each addition. It might have been lack of direction for the voice acting too, a lot of the lines might have hit better if they weren't borderline screamed.

Okay, at some point while playing I got so tired of his constant himbo chit-chatter that I tried tuning him out and bringing other npcs from vanilla skyrim as followers. Problem: even without kaidan on your party, everything starts being about kaidan. Because the extension made it so that Kaidan either has history with/character interactions and development with different NPCs from the base game.

The main poor sods that traveled with me:

Erik the Slayer: Apparently was Kaidan's childhood friend, got inspired by Kaidan to become an adventurer. Least egregious in my opinion, they say sweet things to each other. I swear, Kaidan yells more at me than he ever did at Erik.

The Companions: dumb, dumber, and dumbest basically.. This part of EE/IF was also known as "The Fratpack" and y e a h they pretty much had Vilkas, Kaidan, and Farkas acting like immature frat boys all the time. Just,, absulutely taking away all the maturity out of these GROWN ASS MEN. im sorry, i guess i dont get the appeal. I liked it when they didn't behave like teens (Aela im so sorry, you deserved better than being part of this)

Lydia: All she does is simp for him, ALL.THE.TIME. You think she's about to have a meaningful thing to say? nope, she's checking out Kaidan's ass. Think she'll have a deep convo with another npc about one another? nope! she wants them to tell her all about Kaidan. Both the Companions and Erik will either talk down to her or have to deal with her thirst for Kaidan. i had to start leaving her home.

They also suffered from the same tonal whiplash as Kaidan, unfortunately

additionally, the mod added an "early flirt switch" - you could basically toggle Kaidan to start showing romantic affection for the Dragonborn before the amulet of mara., the interactions were good on paper, but everytime he stammered and stumbled over his words it was written in such an unnatural way... pls people don't talk like fanfics lol !!!

I did like that he gave me flowers, my inventory got full of them - but then he noticed how many flowers I had in my inventory and judged me for "picking everything i see" ugh dude you gave them to me, but also even if you hadnt... mind your business lol

Another addition was a feature that basically made it so NPCs could potentially throw flirtatious comments at Kaidan and the Dragonborn (Bishop flashbacks😨)

You can't do anything to defend Kaidan from those comments, but he WILL take it upon himself to defend your honor infront of any men, women, jarls, or criminals that even so much as find you attractive (THIS INCLUDES FARKAS AND VILKAS BTW :( ) by being rude, forthcoming, AND violent. so yea, you can guess the target audience

speaking of which, he definitely comes on too strong on you once you start the romance, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I specifically picked the "go slow" option for the romance, and the next day or two it was him constantly complaining about having to go slow under his breath, how he wanted to do anything but slow rn... and like just, wow. :/ yikeees lmao

Maybe this is the result of "i can fix him" romance ideals? im sorry but I liked him when he was down to earth

Bonus? He comes with a campsite now, which has to be magic because its ginormous and he somehow lugs it around despite it also coming with a whole ass furnace (fine fine i'll hold my disbelief)

anyway I do like it, its basically a player house you can take anywhere (so long as kai is with you ig) also you can have a cat in there

I like that there is an MCM, I like that the MCM lets you get through the quest stages in case you get stuck

I like that he can guide you places, usually he gets stuck in a tree or rock but its the thought that counts

I think if the mod had continued in the vein as its original iteration when it was just audio/bug fixes and included these qol features it would have been better than it is now.

But it seems maybe i'm just not the target audience, and as a young woman I'm really confused as who the target audience is 😓

okay im srry rant over

if anyone else wants me to yap about other kaidan skyrim things also ask or join in cuz i like yapping about skyrim and kaidan to people!!!

[colouredbyd]

i read all the young dudes as my first marauders fic and it's canon compliant, but personally (people will attack me for this) i disliked the characterization. the writing is good and kudos to the author !! but it just wasn't more, sirius' and remus's relationship was a little too "toxic" for me. i never finished it either. that being said, you can still check it out and start it to see if it's to your taste. i'm scared to send this message because i know people will be mad that i didn't necessarily like atyd 😔

if not, here are some other big fics in the fandom which i can recommend with my entire heart :

- Art Heist, Baby! by otrtbs (i read this a year ago and still think about it, dai you have to read this)

- Crimson Rivers by bizarrestars

- Just Lovers, Like we were supposed to be by bizarrestars (fluffiest fic out of these, so so cute oh my gosh)

- The Cadence of Part-Time Poets by motswolo

these writers have so many fics and such great ones at that :

- anything by rweoutofthewoods, calamitoustide, rxgulus, lessen my load by moonymoment, cukrkandl, bizarrestars, text talk by merlywhirls, damagecontrol, alarainai (more specifically 'early morning, coffee cups' - it's an au where regulus and sirius run away and open a café/bakery and it's so heartwarming and AHHHHH)

oh my god adi wait no because i actually agree with you completely and i feel so seen reading this?? i also read all the young dudes as my first marauders fic — it was everywhere, it felt like a rite of passage, and i went in thinking it would give me a solid foundation for the whole era. but honestly... i didn’t love it either. i did finish it, and i think the writing is genuinely strong and the dedication it took to craft 500k words is insane — major kudos to the author, truly. but yeah, personally, i felt like the characterizations weren’t for me

it felt like i signed up for a marauders fic and came out knowing everything about remus lupin and barely anything about james, sirius, or even peter in a meaningful way. and i get that it was remus-centric by design, but the hype made it seem like the definitive marauders text, when to me it just... wasn’t. also fully agree that the wolfstar dynamic there felt more toxic than tender — which again, can be valid depending on how it’s portrayed — but it just didn’t feel like the kind of relationship i wanted to root for

that said, THANK YOU for this incredible list of recs. i read art heist, baby! and i am still not over it — like truly, it clawed at my soul and left me lying face-down in an art gallery. i want to read crimson rivers but i am also so, so scared. the kind of scared where i keep rereading the summary like a coward because i know it’ll ruin me in the best way

and the cadence of part-time poets has been on my list forever — i think i might finally dive into it soon. also, i’m bookmarking early morning, coffee cups immediately because sirius and regulus running a café together?? that is my roman empire

anyway thank you for sending this, and please don’t be scared for having a different opinion — it’s so valid and honestly comforting to hear. there’s space in the fandom for all kinds of perspectives, and i’m glad you shared yours so thoughtfully. also… if you ever have fic recs you’re obsessed with, please keep sending them my way because clearly you have impeccable taste <33 💘💌🌷

[runawaymun]

The thing that gets me about the Vance shit is that clearly he went to Sunday school or church at least once but he in no way paid attention (or if I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt, the teaching was bad) bc the circles he refers to have nothing to do with who we love “first”. It’s from the Great Commission in Matthew 28, which, in Evangelical circles (ugh) is taught as the blueprint for where to focus your own personal efforts of influence. The teaching goes something like “make sure your home front isn’t a giant hypocritical wreck before you think about proselytizing” etc etc, not “love the people that are like you first”. I’m pretty sure the Bible has a heck of a lot to say about loving people who aren’t like you but the Pope already covered that.

What Vance later cited is Ordo Amoris, but again he fundamentally misunderstands (or willfully misinterprets) what Augustine is talking about.

“Further, all men are to be loved equally, but since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special regard to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection with you.”

Augustine is not scripture and far be it from me to treat him as such (most of historical Church misogyny links to him, not Paul. Dude was weird about women). But what he is saying here is still not in any way related to nationalism or in reference to how a government to run. This is a teaching on how not to get burnt out. You focus on what you CAN do in your immediate sphere of influence, according to the greatest need you are able to fulfill.

Later in the passage he writes: “this may vary according to the various requirements of time, place, or matter in hand: because in certain cases one ought, for instance, to succor a stranger, in extreme necessity, rather than one’s own father, if he is not in such urgent need.”

Literally JD Vance does not know what he’s talking about, or —worse— he is intentionally and grossly twisting things and counting on his audience being ill-educated on their own beliefs. I prefer to think that he’s genuinely stupid, but god. Fuck man. It’s infuriating. Ordo Amoris is the exact opposite of what he’s characterizing it to be. He’s making this shit up.

And he adds on the dog whistle for recognizing cult groupthink, to boot. High demand groups all have their own little phrases intended to shut down any rational questioning or doubt. Things like “Well we just can’t understand the will of God”, or the Mormon “burning in the bosom”, or the classic Qanon “you need to do your own research”. You hear shit like this, and you know that’s a high demand group. Maga’s a fucking cult and I’m so tired of this.

I could go longer and more in depth about why, scripturally, this is fucking stupid but I hope nobody needs it explained that Vance is, in no way, actually a representation of the religion — he just represents a very loud evangelical/high demand group that twists the book to fit their own ends and refuse to actually take the time to read it (or apparently to read any of the surrounding church doctrine in its entirety, either).

[greenerteacups]

Hey GTC, I have always been such a fan of your Tumblr and your engagement with the fandom. However I must say that as of late, the questions you’re being asked most often are essentially variants of “Will X happen?” or “Will Y character do Z like in the book?” or even, “I’m noticing Theme A, will it continue in future chapters?”

A significant element of the fun that you’ve created for Lionheart readers is that we don’t know which elements and events of the JKR texts you’ll preserve untouched and which you’ll turn into the sixth and seventh year Lionheart storylines. I adore making my guesses to which parts of canon you’ll play with and which parts you’ll completely and utterly upend. Unfortunately, questions that ask about canon events in books 5-7 ruin so much of the fun.

Historically, you’ve used the Ask box to provide us with analyses of your own work and characterizations, but I feel as if recently you are often indulging questions about books 5, 6, and 7. I hate to say it, but I even feel that your answers veer into spoiler territory. I used to lurk your Tumblr incessantly, but since I’ve started to see this influx in predictive questions these past couple weeks, I’ve been avoiding the app.

It’s such a gift that we get to engage with your work on such a vibrant epistolary and interactive space as your Tumblr. I know that you can’t control what fans ask, but I humbly request that you please consider refusing to answer questions that ask you to ponder future events. Thank you for your tender care to everyone in the fandom. ❤️‍🔥🦁🧡

Hey, what's up, dude. I hear you. Sorry about that.

The problem is that the line between spoilers and not spoilers is totally subjective, and the line between "spoilers that are fine" and "spoilers that bother me" is also totally subjective. I don't know where you are on it, but we probably don't line up, and that's okay. I just don't know how I'd begin to sort out questions that one person considers "too much" from what someone else just thinks is fun analysis. My hard rules are as follows: I don't answer any questions about future ships, events, or arcs (and I get a lot). I haven't revealed anything that I would be unhappy to discover in a Tumblr askbox instead of a fic itself. True, I've dropped teaser/trailer stuff for 6 and 7, but to be honest, even looking over the stuff I've posted recently — I hate to say it, but I disagree with you. It isn't spoilers. Not to me, anyway.

But that's just me! There's no right or wrong answer here, it's just a coordination problem of how we can both cultivate social media experiences that make us happy. For instance: I like answering questions about my fic. It makes me happy to talk to people who want to know what happens. It encourages me and gets me excited to write about it, and I don't believe that any of the content on my Tumblr spoils what's going to happen. I don't really want to stop doing that, so I'm not going to. If that means you and other readers whose spoiler thresholds are below mine can't engage with my Tumblr, that's a natural consequence of us having different attitudes about media, and it was bound to happen. I'm sorry that that's the case, but it would bring me much more grief for you to injure your reading experience than it would for you to avoid my (largely irrelevant) e-journal full of random metatext. I love my fic, and I love my readers, you most certainly included; I do not, candidly speaking, love my Tumblr account. And for what it's worth, I absolutely do not think anything I've written on here is worth diminishing your experience of a story you enjoy. It wouldn't jive with my philosophy of literature and art.

So here's what I got: I'll continue tagging spoilers about past and current events as [#lionheart spoilers], and if a question makes reference to events not published, I'll use the tag [#prognosticating]. That way you can block the tag, and other readers can enjoy content that fits under their threshold of non-spoilerism. If our thresholds still don't line up, then I think the only solution may really be to block the [#lionheart spoilers] tag altogether. That's probably not the answer you're looking for, but it's the best I can do.

[banana-pancake5]

Dude I finally read the neon void and I’m going a little crazy.

I just kinda really really love it. I knew it was good but I didn’t expect it to be that good. So that was pleasantly surprising. I also for some reason didn’t expect to get Leo narrating for whatever reason but I’m so glad we did. It makes me so sad the misunderstandings the boys had when Leo’s being Leo but with a darker appearance (and being so unnecessarily aggressive with the remarks toward himself like baby no 😭)

I can’t exactly speak from experience but the way grief was written was so so nice. I guess I could be completely off base bc I have yet to experience that type of grief (the perks of not getting close to too many people I suppose) but it feels really realistic. I super appreciate it bc I’m gonna use it as an actual reference bc it’s written in a way that’s understandable? I guess? Like I didn’t really get the specifics of grief before and I guess I can’t really now, but I do have a better grasp I think. Ah it made me hurt a lot tho

I’m still kinda taking it all in but all of everything was just so so good. I would love to hear about all your favorite moments and aspects bc I feel a ramble on my bones but it needs to be awakened teehee

Yesssss im so glad you read it dcisjncedjindecinwdijwdcnijcen it so GOOD!!! (Also I literally went insane when I read it XD)

A reason I’m so obsessed with TNV is how Leo is characterized. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I LOVE crazy/insane characters Idk what it is about them but they always peak my interest. And the way @/sugarpasteltmnt writes Leo’s madness just feels so real!!! Insane characters + unreliable narrator (especially if it’s the insane character) = NCSDJHDSCNDJSJCN#NJISCDNDC I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!! The misunderstandings of the brothers is also written so incredibly well. Again, it just feels so real. Their theories of who Neon Void is, their greif, their reactions to the taunts, etc. is all so realistic dfhuncfeuhncefihncufehneuhfcn

Oh and I also want to mention this fic made me LAUGH OUT LOUD. That does not happen with me!!! Especially with a fic????? Unheard of. (Specifically it was the Highschool TV show chapter)

Another thing I really like is how Donnie is written!!! I don’t even know what specifically about it, it’s just perfect!!!

Yeah I know what you mean!! The greif is written incredibly well, and though I haven’t experienced a loss like that, it definitely seems like a valid and (like I’ve said above) realistic way for each of them to react. I think it definitely does give me a better grasp on how some people grieve as well!

Hmmmm more of my favorite moments and aspects let’s seeeeeee

OKAY WELL THE WHOLE SPACE ODDITY SCENE MAKES ME WANNA SOB AND DIE OF EXCITEMENT AT THE SAME TIME. ESPECIALLY, IF YOU HAVENT ALREADY SEEN IT, LOOK AT THIS ANIMATIC BY @bowandbrush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS PHENOMENAL!!!! I think a (small) part of this is I’ve realized when a song I know and like is referenced in a fic it makes me go “edcjhefncihednchdiencsidjncdeijnjicedniscdjnds”

The 2012 reference with the whole rap makes me EXPLODE (ESPECIALLY DUM DUM LEOS PART NEDCIJNCDEEIJDNCIJEDCNJIDENC STOP BEUNG SO MEAN TO YOURSELF BUD)

Literally every scene with Leo is so cinimatic I can’t ndeicndwuchsdnuhnd

Whenever Leo is talking with his brothers and feels their Ninpo and such is so heartwarming and tragic

Oh! I really like the detail of him HATING that Cassandra is like “a part of the family” because it makes sense (SHE WAS IN THE FOOT CLAN, FROM LEOS PERSPECTIVE WHY WOULD THEY TRUST HER!!?!?!)

The chapter when Mikey rips off his arm is fantastic (I really like Leo’s reaction!!!)

I’m trying to remember all these scenes rn but I think that’s all I’ll say for now

If this invokes the ramble inside of you, you know I’d love to hear it!!!!!

[lesbiananya]

I’ve been very nervous sending a message because I’m a aroace trans dude and… I’m very out of the target demographic for the fic. However, I’ve been keeping up with it for months, and after that one message I felt like it was important to say something and voice my support.

I’ve been going through a very rough patch the last few weeks. I’ve dealt with the loss of two of my cats and its been very hard for me. But reading your fic has really helped me get through it. Even though its a fictional scenario, seeing Anya go through this immense, unfathomable hardship and being as strong as she is handling it - and having a potential route for her to have a better ending with Y/N - means a lot to me. Its silly, but the story makes me feel like I can endure my own hardships, even if they feel all encompassing and suffocating.

I’m at a point now that reading your fic helps me get to bed at night lol. Its like my bi nightly bedtime story. I just view Y/N as another character rather than an extension of myself (I was worried about gender dysphoria but actually reading the story isn’t very dysphoric for me at all) and just get lost in your writing, which is something not many fanfic writers achieve for me.

Also, as a writer myself, the way you portray the characters is awesome and is the most canon accurate representation I’ve seen of them so far. I ADORE the banter between Y/N, Anya, and Daisuke especially, and the way you portray Jimmy is perfect. Swansea I also feel like tends to get mischaracterized by the fandom but you’ve really nailed him too which is awesome!

Tysm for sharing your works <33 I look forward to reading future updates

hello there! thank you so much for the lovely ask! i really appreciate you reaching out!

i welcome anyone of any demographic (ideally adults, though) to read my fics. even though the target audience is, of course, sapphic women, anyone can read my stuff. 💙 i think it's good to empathize with the experiences of women—fellow human beings—regardless of gender! and as you said, Y/N can always be perceived as a second person character otherwise.

i'm really touched that my writing has had such an emotional impact on you! hearing that it's immersive and in-character by others' standards makes me so happy! and i'm very sorry to hear about the passing of your cats. it's so nice to know that my fic has brought you comfort in these tough times. a happy ending to my fic is on the way, even if there's a lot of hardship to get through first!

also, thank you for the kind words about my characterization for the other characters! even though anya is evidently my favorite, the cast of mouthwashing in general is a lot of fun to explore. even the characters i don't like are compelling to write (like jimmy, hate the guy haha)

overall i really appreciate your ask! thank you again! and if you like what i write, never be afraid to reach out. i read and try my best to respond to every single comment, ask, and DM. the support means the world to me!

[deadgirlwalking91]

So, I recently completed tyftv (in only two days)! It’s ALL fantastic. I do think it’s especially impressive how well you write Adam. What we see of him in season one left things about his deeper characterization heavily up to interpretation. In the show, I would possibly argue that Lute’s characterization is more clear and concrete than Adam’s. Yet, every line you’ve written for him is believable and seamless with what we know about him. In canon, we may never know if Adam was Just A Dick���️ or if there was more going on with him. But you’ve taken his character, kept him consistent, and elaborated on him all without making him out of character. Could you talk a little about your thought process when writing him? Like, what made it difficult, what made it fun, etc? I’m really curious! ❤️

Hey Anon!

Thank you so much 🥹 that's so kind, and I'm really glad to hear that you enjoyed TYFTV! And that feedback on Adam... that's just made my day, really. Thank you ❤️ and these kinds of questions are so much fun to answer, so I appreciate you sending it in! Warning, this is long af, so answer under the cut.

So, full disclosure—I found Adam really tricky to write at first. Canonically, all we got was this loudmouth, quick-tempered, genocidal fratboy who, in his dying moments, showed a glimpse of softness.

That's kiiiiinda it.

Which, in a way, was a bit of a blessing because I could take his character and go wherever I wanted with him. What I was worried about though, was turning him into a caricature of what we saw in the show, because honestly, that would be something I'd personally find really cringy to read, so I didn't want to write that.

So, I leaned into the idea that he was, well...bored. Bored enough with the Exterminations that he put no effort into them (hence Sera coming down on him about them), bored with his personal life—but doing absolutely nothing to change anything.

The other part was hiding behind the mask. Look, canonically there's nothing to indicate he has any kind of insecurities about his appearance (I mean, Lucifer makes a jab about letting himself go when they're fighting, but it'd be safe to assume that's weight and not feature related). However, he had such an ego in the show, it seemed fitting to play on that and think, 'well, this dude is so proud of the fact that he started all of humanity, all dicks descended from him blah blah, you'd imagine under the mask he'd be this absolute God of a human'...

...but, as we all saw in Episode 8, he was literally just a dude. You'd pass guys like him on the street daily. I felt like that would eat at him, and so the idea of him not showing his face was kinda born from that. And then, if people knew what he really looked like, no one would think he was all that special or important.

Those two concepts were what I based his character around when we meet him at the start of the fic, and gets delved into more in chapter 3, when Sera tells him he has a year to get his shit together. Throw in his stick-in-the-mud lieutenant who has gone over his head to Sera in order to change things up and yeah, he's not in a great place.

(holy shit this is turning into an essay that is probably not very structured or coherent; I am SO sorry 😂)

What I found really fun about writing him though was how Lute got under his skin. Initially, he liked riling her up because she'd be quick to give him a reaction—which of course, he'd feed off, and the stakes were low where he could piss her off and not worry.

But then she had to mention the whole mask thing, didn't she? Suddenly, the stakes became much higher for Adam, not just because she'd uncovered something that made him uncomfortable but she challenged him. That's what kept him coming back for more, because all of a sudden he wasn't bored anymore.

Aaaaand that's where the real fun began for me 😂 it was probably also the turning point where I really started to enjoy writing his character. I love the idea of him having these little losses of control with Lute because she'd managed to get under his skin—moments like the two chapters at the bar, or the time he snapped when he ran that first bath for her and she was being a bit of a brat. Like, yes, she's challenging him, but for a dude who's facade is slipping because of her, that's also slightly terrifying!

God, that whole week at his apartment was a fucking blast to write. Especially as we started to see the side of him that actually gave a shit about Lute. It was kinda subtle at first (draping the blanket over her while she napped, making sure she was tucked into bed, etc) but as time went on, I think the impact of the gestures grew (like building that home gym, suggesting Vaggie come keep her company—despite knowing she hates him, being a bit of a comfort for Lute as she went through her own feels).

Holy fuck this post is going forever (and I still have more to say lol whoops) so if you want a part 2 that delves more into the unmasking and beyond, let me know, otherwise if you've had enough of my ramblings I totally understand 😂😂😂

I LOVED this ask though Anon, thank you so so much! ❤️

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

hey dude, love the writing! your characterizations are so on point for em :0 what do you reckon the merc's hobbies are in their downtime? like knitting, golfing, stuff like that.

TF2 Mercs and Their Hobbies!

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I'm glad people think I'm good because that justifies the fact that this is what I do with my spare time 😭 (kidding) Also again mandatory mutual appreciation, love ya for that 🫶🏻 and ty for loving my writing, I really appreciate it <3

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This one's definitely got me smiling and kicking my legs bc something about the idea of these guys being happy and doing normal human things makes me happy.

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Demo knits! He also sews and crochets. This man is just a little grandma (affectionate). His mom taught him, and he just always liked it. It's calming, has definitely given the other Mercs blankets, and just claimed, "Oh well, I found it somewhere." Like it isn't in their well-known favorite color or subtly customized to them. I think he'd also be into most art. Painting and wood carving are two I think he'd fine interesting.

Engie- This man loves Legos. He has at least ten finished sets and about six unfinished ones lying around. He buys the adult sets for himself but has bought Pyro smaller sets so they can build together. Also isn't opposed to going fishing.

Heavy- Did you know he likes rock climbing? Turns out it's a lot easier to get into that hobby if you're strong. He's also a fan of hiking and swimming. Also very good at chess, he and Madic play a lot.

Medic- He loves music! He's good at it too, (I've seen others hc that he plays violin and please I love that, I love violin.) Along with the violin he kills on piano. It's actually really nice to hear piano coming from the lab and not screaming. Who knew? THIS. MAN. LOVES. TO. DANCE. He knows how to and loves to teach people. He specifically likes ballroom dancing, he can waltz, he can swing, if you can think of a dance he probably learned how to do it at some point.

Scout- Sports are probably the most obvious hobby I could pick for Scout, with video games coming in second. But I am a man who deviates from the obvious. He likes to bake and cook! Like I've seen people say this man can't boil water, and that's an insane take to me. Sure, it's funny, but this man loves his mom. Do you think he didn't bake and cook with her to help her out? He has a box of recipes that have been in the family for years. This man is killer when it comes to food, and I will die on this hill. (When he's baking, though, Pyro comes out of nowhere to "help." If any fellow bakers know how annoying it is to have a partner in the kitchen, you'll know how patient Scout has become, but he aurally doesn't mind Pyro baking with him after a while.) Don't ask him to do paintball with you! He loves it a bit too much.

Sniper- My man loves plants. He loves to garden. He has a little windowsill planter in his van. He grows little fruit plants sometimes and has a few cacti scattered around. He also has a bonsai tree, which he is meticulous with. You'd think this man would take up these hobbies to relax, but no. He is also insanely good at poker.

Spy- Really in to calligraphy, origami, and wine tasting. (Also, not really a hobby, but I hc that he can bartend if need be). He's just really into the "fancier." Hobbies that can also show off his art skills, also he likes wine so yk.

Soldier- Like Sniper, he's a really good poker player. He's definitely more into it than the other guys. He hates losing. He also does the traditional suburban while dad hobbies. He watches football and likes to grill. He's just a silly little American man.

Pyro- For the most part, they don't have a singular hobby they really do by themself. Scout and Engie just tend to include them in theirs, so they've never really had to figure out what to do in their downtime. But that doesn't mean they didn't find one eventually. They get into collecting! Specifically, bugs! They have at least two orchid praying mantis and one normal green one in a shadow box. Plus, they have a small collection on honeybees and even some scorpions and spiders (I know they aren't bugs, but I feel like most bug collectors have them too.) Engie went into Pyros room once because Pyro wanted to show off their collection and nearly fainted when Pyro showed off their favorite spider, it was a camel spider. (Look them up if you want but good God, they're so gross 😭)

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One of my favorites to write, super cute and wholesome idea. I smiled the whole time writing this.

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[ren-rambles-often]

'Tale of Winter and Spring' another goyuu arranged marriage fic that might just become a fave despite some reservations of mine!!! Let me explain!!! (Rec Review and thoughts)

This review was so sweetly requested by the actual author and lovely mutual of mine @star2112 (really love their name for some reason). So with that context and their permission I'll be going a bit more in depth, and letting them know where I feel they could improve upon. I do keep in mind that many ao3 authors aren't from the pro writing background so I'll be super gentle.

But before we get to that I will give you a quick summary and listing out the fic's strong points (and there are a lot (✿ ♡‿♡)

CW for review and the story itself: there will be spoilers in this rev so if you want to read it before hearing my thoughts go ahead and follow the link in the title. The story involves mpreg, omegaverse and dub con.)

Tale of Winter and Spring is set in historical Japan as all good fics should be, where Yuuji is given away to Gojo by his older brother Sukuna. Thing is Yuuji is in love with next heir of the Zenin clan, Megumi and he's very, very, very unhappy with what's happening. Nevertheless he goes through it all with some very un-Yuuji like gloom )don't worry, we'll get to that). Its an ongoing fic so we don't know the end or which direction the plot itself is taking but for now there's a whole lot of intrigue and hints of Geto coming into the picture to ruin (or maybe not ruin) everything happening.

There's a handful of things that made this story a bit challenging to read but one of the many things I have to give props to is the development of the FushIta relationship side of Yuuji's story. I don't hate FushIta but it's one of many jjk ships that makes me grit my my teeth when it's not a side story in a goyuu ntr fic. So reading the development of their bond here… actually made me kick my feet a bit, is the author a FushIta shipper in disguise??? We'll never know ig ¯_(ツ)_/¯

There's the flashback scene where they're talking about books they read and after some banter Yuuji's like,

"hey megumi… in the future, let's go North, and see if those demons are real or not."

And I felt that, especially since Yuuji does end up going North (Gojo's Clan location if I remember correctly) but Megumi isn't there with him and it's much colder and lonely for him since he can't relate to Satoru at all.

Genuinely almost sobbed ಥ‿ಥ

Another thing I did enjoy was Sukuna's backstory and part of me really wanted more of it and him. It's said he got his hands dirty but I'd love to know what exactly this entails as it would really add more depth to the evilness of his character which is mostly told but not shown. It's easy to so say oh this character does evil things and imply that constantly but harder to display those evil things and show them doing the tragedies that solidify them in the reader's mind like 'yeah, this dude is the worst'. Example, Sukuna throughout the entirety of jjk lollll.

And there was an opportunity for the story to show one of such things which I'll get to in the critique part of this review.

I also really love the characterization which is very important you're making and alternate world. You don't always have to put characters in roles they'll fit but one thing I do like is when a they reflect that role with their canon personalities. And I know someone's already going "well fanon doesn't care about canon" which is fine and true but realistically many fanfic readers, myself included aren't into ooc content. What counts as ooc does vary from person to person tho, especially bc different people interpret characters differently.

Despite the various interpretations there is a common way a character is viewed and enjoyed, which is why, despite how much I enjoyed reading, there was something about Yuuji that constantly…called out to me.

I'm getting into the critique section now to talk about that. Where the writing shines in dialogue and interesting world building, it's kind of falls back in consistency.

Somewhere at the start, in the wedding scene, Utahime says they all have high expectations of Yuuji putting Gojo in his place with kind of indicates a firey kind of attitude but up until this point Yuuji has being quiet and avoidant and kind of continues to be until some of the later chapters. So it's weird she puts this responsibility on him when his character hasn't shown any signs of it. It's not one of more glaring instances but it's one that precedes a few others.

There's another part where Yuuji apologizes for speaking angrily, but Gojo says he doesn't have to because he knows he's the problem. Yuuji's internal thoughts proceed to view that as his apology being discarded which don't exactly make sense to me and ends up feeling like he's looking for reasons to be nitpicky at this point.

Character building isn't a huge problem but it's always the little things that manage add to the overall picture. There's a scene where Sukuna wants to take Yuuji to the Zenin clan and Wasuke doesn't want him to bc everyone thinks Sukuna wants to sell him off. Thing is Sukuna says he's not depraved enough to use an omega child like that but in my opinion it would have done his story and Yuuji's a greater service for him openly consider it and hold that over Yuuji's head for good behavior. He's evil, even if he'd actually never do it, evil people say evil shit.

With all this talk about characters it's time I finally expand on what really got to me and that would be Yuuji. My baby boy is literally all over the place. Yuuji canonically is a very social characters, eager to please and more ready than usual to give other's the benefit of a doubt. Here he's very quick to judge and overly guarded to me.

Now, I'm not saying has to overly friendly either but there's a balance that could struck with him not insulting or assuming things of Gojo constantly, and yeah the white haired bastard doesn't make it especially easy but one of Yuuji's admirable traits is his fortitude and patience with those around him.

Nevertheless, a part of me does think this was a stylistic choice to convey the disparity of Yuuji's behavior with his two love interests; Yuuji is only truly his best self with Megumi and the worst with Gojo. And understanding this, I was able to look past his behavior with the hope and interest of seeing both him and Gojo warm up to each other.

Also, did I mention it's still a mystery why Gojo asked for Yuuji's hand in marriage. Either that or it was mentioned that it's bc of his scent and I forgot (I've been through a lot this week forgive me (〒﹏〒)

My final critique is the writing structure and grammar. Grammar and writing are like 80% of a fic for me. If I don't vibe, no matter how interesting the concept I just might not read.

Thing is, I do vibe with Star2112's writing a lot, it simple yet beautiful in the way in which it conveys the emotions and moods of the story and characters. I enjoyed reading the scene where Yuuji freaks out cuz Gojo didn't spend the wedding night with him and now it may harm his reputation and Sukuna's. I enjoyed every FushIta interaction and I most definitely enjoyed when towards the ending of chapter 8, Yuuji allows Gojo to touch his belly and feel the baby while the Alpha spoke it (also Gojo wants to be a girl dad and that made me throw my phone across the room screaming cuz cuuuute (●♡∀♡)!!!!)

What I didn't enjoy was the structure of the sentences.

"Sentences work like this," Ren says. ✅

" Not like this, " They add. ❌

Figuring out how dialogue and quotations work are a big step for every author's writing journey, it's common not to know if you end with commas of full stops but for the most part, that doesn't really matter. Leave no spaces between the quoted sentence and the quotations marks and always start a new statement with a capital, doesn't matter if it was a continuation of what they were saying in a previous sentence.

Capital.

Grammar-wise, there were a lot of frequent errors but none to glaring and they could all be fixed with a more thorough read through. It can be pretty hard without a beta reader bestie but I believe you, there's so much talent for you not to give the best reading experience you're able to.

Overall, this is definitely a fic I would recommend to avid arranged marriage goyuu fans that love the DRAMA (and if you're like me who likes to read Megumi getting cucked, tho it's not exactly cheating here we'll manage ( ꈍᴗꈍ)💕

At the end of the day, a lot of this advice is partly objective, all authors are free to take what they feel they want to work on and leave the rest. Or leave it all because what matters about writing and fanfiction is that you enjoy what you do. Other's enjoying it is just a bonus/by product.

And to Star2112, you're doing so good, keep it up, I'm subbed and ready to see more, especially if I'll get to read goyuu raising their kid or kids, I'm a sucker for 'oop it's twins'. I'd also encourage you to read more books outside fanfic if you don't if you're still interested in dialogue and sentence structure. You have a strong voice and I think working on your weak points will really amplify that. I'm honored you came to me and hope I was able to help.

If anyone else wants to request, recommendations and reviews are kinda two different things. If you Recommend me a fic and I may or may not talk about it, depends. If you request I Review (for analysis and advice) a fic it has to be yours and you'll have to prove it to me. Depending on what you want I'll either write a post or just let you know my thoughts privately. DMs open so don't be shy.

Thanks for sticking to the end, go check out Star's work to get in on that action and happy Easter my precious freaks!!!

Ps: will edit this later, my brain is literally on fire, bye lovelies (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

[suffarustuffaru]

What are your least favorite ships? Not counting Subaru x one of the minors (i sadly have seen some around)

whew...... least favorite ships..... now thats a bold question HAH and i may have some. ah. Bold answers hah.

im generally pretty open to most ships, its just a matter of like. either i already liked the ship / was really into the ship or im more neutral about it and you just gotta convince me why i should at least give it a shot or be like "this could be good in certain circumstances". i dont usually care if a ship is toxic or "problematic" per say bc 1. this is rezero and sooo so many ships in this show arent 100% healthy lbr and 2. i will like a ship if its like. complex, and if theres problematic stuff, then its done for a reason - like it's not just there willy nilly. but thats just my personal feelings on it yep!! :o fiction is different from real life and all that.

more under the cut!!

that being said like. you know, kinda like you said - the obvious answers would be like subaru x any minors and just any sort of incest ships bc like. i do not see the point of it. that and you know, like a lot of people, i tend to avoid these sorts of ships with 99.999% of fandoms im in. i aint here for incest or shipping adults with minors. and i know theres like fandoms like game of thrones where this sort of thing IS relevant in the story, but with rezero - like it just is not relevant here and adds nothing unless youre into that. i do get that fictional stuff is different from real life and its not necessarily an indication of someone's character. i also definitely know this bc ive cowritten a gluttony if selfcest fic for this fandom as a very extreme crack treated seriously story hahh. but yeah like. ships between family and adult x minor are Not For Me in this fandom. i dont feel like it adds anything to the story and its also like Really out of character.

granted, i cant really say much on that bc ive written and posted selfcest for this fandom but like. in my defense, i did way too much research for that fic (..............i researched a lot of psychology stuff) and also gluttonybaru is Canonically Not Normal about subaru. the more you think about gluttonybaru the worse he gets HAH. like. dude has canonically kissed subaru via emilia's book of the dead....................

but obviously ofc i do not condone any of this ^^^^ in real life.

anyway on a lighter note!! im not a huge fan of most ships between subaru and *insert a female side character here*. like im not a big fan of like. subaru x anastasia, subaru x priscilla, subaru x elsa, subaru x yorna, subaru x pandora, like... the list can get kinda long bc people in this fandom in certain english spaces like to ship him with like any girl ever, it feels like sometimes. it gets to the point where sometimes i feel like subaru is just the self-insert to be shipped with women that people have the hots for.

like with most content about these sorts of ships, its hard for me to see much point to it - and there IS potential there. there is almost always potential in so many different tropes and ships, and theres some cool fanart in this fandom with these ships!! but you know, i hear about people suggesting ideas with these ships or writing fic about these ships and its just not my cup of tea bc it really sacrifices the characterization of all these women. and elsa is like already sexualized enough okay and its almost never nuanced and taking into account her backstory :( like i could be convinced to ship these ships with like idk 20k to 200k words of relationship and character development, but as it stands i personally really dont like them hah ;-;;; and also priscilla is clearly more into women okay (she canonically talks about how men are only allowed to fantasize about her and nothing more or she'll cut off their heads!!) and anastasia seems more into like julius and priscilla so like. HAH.

subaru x crusch is not something im a big fan of but im pretty open to it hah, i just havent seen much fancontent about them that really piques my interest :,)

anyway i also just. dont like the idea of taking a gay subaru ship and genderbending only one of them due to homophobia. and ill emphasize and underline that last part - due to homophobia - bc ive seen really good genderbend subaru content in this fandom where subarus afab and shipped with like julius or reinhard or something and there was clear effort and passion put into it!! and i do think its interesting thinking about how genderbend aus would affect this sort of thing for sure <3 i really really enjoy seeing the well made genderbend aus in this fandom!!

but i see other people suggesting fic ideas or making fics sometimes where its like fem subaru x male side character or like now-fem side character x subaru but it like its only clearly done bc some people just cant ship a gay ship, they gotta make it straight and then not put effort into thinking how this would change more things. and the female character in the duo now is Especially terribly out of character :(( the homophobia is just so so irritating to me. i go on the fic reddit thread sometimes and i see stuff like. i think once i saw a thread about someone requesting ottosuba and someone else immediately went "oh, with femotto right!!" like. ...... please. they are a gay ship :,,,))))))) let them be gay Sometimes at least!! maybe we can genderbend both of them sometimes??? :,)))

also on a less serious note HAH ok like..... ok hear me out, dont kill me for saying this either, but - fredotto. frederica and otto. and - ok dont get me wrong, i think theyd be really really interesting for multiple reasons, right. and ive seen some cute fancontent on them that i liked a lot!! so i really do think they have lots of potential!! like theres the obvious "otto had a crush on a cat as a child and frederica's a cat demihuman", then theres the other obvious fact of otto and frederica being connected via garfiel being their brother/brother figure, and also like personality/temperament wise they could bounce off of each other in interesting ways but like.

the thing with fredotto is that i feel like in english fandom its treated as the "more likely" otto ship to happen, at times. which is Absurd to me after studying otto's lore way too hard bc not only is this dude just way too obsessed with subaru (like regardless of whether you view it as platonic or romantic or not, ottos like Down Bad either way LMAO i just dont see him having eyes for anyone else at this rate)... but also otto OPENLY ADMITS that he'd be bad in a relationship with a woman. like im really sorry but frederica would probably be Too Good for him. and he would Know That.

otto………. can you specify what “the most important thing” is. like do you mean ONLY your career or—

anyway so its like. you want me to believe that otto "i could never be in a relationship with a woman as i am now" suwen. could date a woman????? right now???? i dont think so LMAOO. like i would feel BAD shipping a woman with otto bc barely anyone deserves otto, ok. idk you might be going "suffaru arent you kinda mean to otto" but like being an otto fan also means being his biggest hater and dude is just super super cringe. and even if he had a crush, the chances of him voicing it is Probably Low.

like ships like fredotto, again, need like idk maybe like a few thousand words of development At Least on both ends, bc frederica?? we barely know anything about her at the moment, so its Really hard to approach a ship like this in an in-depth manner right now. like id love to explore fredotto!! id love to learn more about frederica!! id love to go crazy with this ship!! but yeah its definitely kinda hard bc we barely know anything on frederica :< :( and yeah once again. i think shes too good for otto. i think almost every woman is too good for otto. if youre shipping a woman especially with otto you gotta jump through hoops to Really convince me on this HAH. bc i think shipping him with men is just gonna lead to two different possibilities (codependency. and/or otto trying to femme fatale his way through life 👍)

yeah anyway jokes aside. fredotto at worst feels like just a case of pairing the spares and like Clearly they must only be in a straight ship or something HAH.... like i would love to read/write extensive relationship development on them though ;-;;; they got good potential, youd just have to put in the work for me to Believe that they could happen ;-;;;; but most fredotto english fic content atm is just them already being a Thing in the background like ;-;;; this would Not Happen from either of them without development!!!

also i have some fredotto tumblr posts floating around with what i Think would be fun to do with their dynamic…. idk where they are rn hah but yep i think they got potential :,) !!

anyway HAH i hope you did not mind reading about my least favorite ships in this fandom bc this is everything thats coming to my mind now 👍

[loadednachosao3]

I love your fics so much they inspired me to start writing my own!! Im rereading the don ignacio harem story, and im wondering you’d consider writing about the past times Nacho mentioned where Lalo was nasty (getting pissed on by everyone, speculum, gangbang, etc.)

Anyway, just wanted to say how much I enjoy and appreciate your writing, and that you did such an amazing job characterizing trans nacho. As someone also trans, it was one of the few times I ever I felt another trans male character to be relatable and not just sad in literature. 

ahhhh this makes me so happy to hear!! I actually have more in progress where I detail the past where the cousins are captured and brainwashed, so stay tuned for whenever my gay ass can finish cranking that entry out!

and that makes me feel so full of warmth and joy to know my trans Nacho in particular can spark those feelings c': of course there's a place for sad trans boys, but let's get them nasty trans guys in the spotlight too, those horny raunchy trans dudes who get fucked by their best friends AND their best friends' cousins while they're all on drugs, ya feel me lmao

[themadmorrigan]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤

Answering this for both you, @zenkindoflove but also the second tag I got from @sapphiresandgold :)

(Note, not counting stuff I've co-written. While I like The Last Ten Days a lot, it's not wholly my writing.)

Sic Semper Tyrannis (Elucien/ACOTAR): very much a WIP but so very different from most everything I've ever written and honestly some of my most elegant prose. It's a present-tense murder mystery with a limited cast of characters, and it's forcing me to think about fiction in different ways: what clues I leave, where I leave them, how to specifically order events. I'm usually much more of a pantser in terms of writing but this is forcing me away from that.

I have to give a shout-out to Of Swords and Sorrows, my flagship ACOTAR fanfic (Elucien/Neslin/Fandras). I rarely set out to do re-writes, especially ones of quite this scale but OSaS has been such a joy to write because the shifting POV lets me really play with characterization and pacing in ways I haven't played with before. Also, I love that version of Feyre and Lucien so, so much. (Curious teenager and dude who is 'over it' and by it I mean 'everything', respectively.)

OK, hear me out: The Pride Before the Fall. This is one of those fanfics buried deep in the bowels of a smaller fandom on AO3 (seriously, it has 11 hits total) but it's the origin to my favorite D&D NPC of all time in my game, and really showcases so much of his personality in less than 2k words: his sense of self-preservation, his skill, his cowardice. If you like Forgotten Realms and Netheril, it might be worth a look.

It's not on AO3 (yet; I'm working on it), but City of Gold, a BGII fanfic starring everyone's "favorite" Helmite, Anomen Delryn. I've always loved Forgotten Realms as a setting but HATED Helm and anything related to Maztica, their Mesoamerican sub-setting created in the 80s by a crew of white dudes. And so, knowing that Anomen goes there, I set upon a plot to drive the Helmites out, which maybe wasn't what the designers for him had coming but eh?

Gosh uh. Hmm. I don't have anything else remotely recent but I guess I can throw Two Sides of the Same Coin, another BGII fanfic, in there. Also not on AO3, it's the plot of the game but if MAINCHAR was taking rather than Imoen. Mostly though I'm enamored with the Imoen/Khalid pairing I wrote there, and my depiction of Dynaheir. I guess it's worth noting that I also swapped all the characters who lived in the original game with those who died. Whoops.

Thank you so much, you two!

[vialism]

Oh my god, ok, I'm such a big fan! You're one of my favorite twenty one pilots writers at the moment. I feel like I get to interview my favorite author! So! I gotta know!

2. Which of your fics is your pride and joy? (I'm genuinely curious, because you have so many great ones!)

5. What's something you learned while researching for a fic? (I always love hearing people's stories about this :))

17. What is something you recently felt proud of in your writing? (Sometimes we authors can forget to celebrate our victories!)

23. What's a story you'd love to write but haven't even started yet? (Tbh, I'm gonna be a bit sad when Center of Gravity ends. I've absolutely loved that fic, it's the quintessential pilotcule fic to me! But, I can't wait to see whatever comes next :)))

24. Which scenes/themes were the inspirations for Dreamers at Best, Young Blood, Glass Houses, and Center of Gravity? (They each have such a specific vibe!)

31. Which fic meant the most to you to write?

35. Who is your favorite non-pilotcule tøp character write, and why? (One of the things that I really like about your writing is how often you include people like Paul and Micheal! It's something that not many people do :))

i love this, thank you for all the kind praise!!! :,)

2. Which of your fics is your pride and joy?

i’m so proud of so many of them, and maybe it’s the obvious answer but i guess i gotta say Dreamers at Best. the fact that a whole new generation of fans are reading it and loving it is wild to me, and i’m proud that it’s stood the test of time. it really changed the course of my life. i’m proud to be the person who wrote that.

5. What's something you learned while researching for a fic?

i learned SO MUCH about the competitive elite diving world while researching for Young Blood. i knew some of the general things already, but i became very familiar with how to read a super detailed FINA table to figure out different dives and their degrees of difficulty. i rewatched several men’s platform events from the olympics to figure out a realistic program of dives for them, which dive would go where, which ones would be hardest and how and why. i wanted it to feel super realistic and in think it did, based on feedback!

17. What is something you recently felt proud of in your writing?

i’m trying to not just keep bringing up Young Blood, so I’m going to force myself to say nice things about Center of Gravity. I think I’m proud of how i characterized Tyler in this fic. he can sometimes veer a little too… idk… “precious,” in fics (including mine for sure) if that makes sense? like he’s a dude. he definitely has some toxic masculinity he struggles with. it would definitely be hard for him to come to terms with his sexuality if he weren’t straight, and would have to actively try not to be withholding with his feelings. i think i’ve written that well.

23. What's a story you'd love to write but haven't even started yet?

first of all, thank you for being so kind about Center of Gravity :,) i have loved writing it and I’m so happy i stuck with it, but i’m also ready to finish it and move on soon. i have an obnoxiously long note of half-formed fic ideas (and in going back to look at it, i found my original couple-sentence idea for my diving fic, omg…). one of the ones i would like to someday write but haven’t started is a canon-compliant fic that takes place in 2014, after the jebby breakup. i talk in gravity about how i think josh would have spent a lot of this time leaning on tyler and jenna for support, and i think it could be a natural lead-in to joshler/jenshler occuring. i also think there aren’t that many fics exploring that time shortly before blurryface, (although there are some great ones, just not enough) so as always it’s a case of wanting to write what i wish i could read. MORE VESSEL ERA FICS IN 2025!!!!

24. Which scenes/themes were the inspirations for Dreamers at Best, Young Blood, Glass Houses, and Center of Gravity?

LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!!

Dreamers at Best: 100% singularly inspired by this video. like that’s literally all. i was like haha what if this was Josh’s perspective? snd a 96k word fic was born. as I went though, I just drew on all the content we have from that time for inspiration (especially the RAB web series) and tried to fill in a realistic possibility around that - i.e., i wanted it to seem like this all really could have happened and we wouldn’t know.

Young Blood: watching the men’s synchro springboard olympic trials for paris. there was one pairing where they were like “this pair has only been diving together for 4 weeks!” and i was like “haha….. joshler……. what if…..”

Glass Houses: i love that you asked about this one since it’s a little bit of a less well known one (?) that i love so much :,) it was really inspired by the idea of tyler feeling guilty and having to confess infidelity, even a tiny act that turned out fine. i had the image of tyler coming home after kissing josh and getting on his knees and crying into jenna’s lap, and it all grew from there. i’d written a few fics with easy peasy consensual polyamory, and i wanted to explore the more difficult side of it where it doesn’t all instantly work out.

Center of Gravity: it’s wild, but i’m not even sure how i got this idea, or where it came from??? the only thing i can remember is thinking about how it would realistically go down if they realized their feelings for each other as late as the SAI era, and how that would look. but from there it’s definitely been motivated by the same thing as Dreamers at Best, so trying to make it feel really realistic, like everything (including the flashbacks) could have happened that way and we wouldn’t know.

31. Which fic meant the most to you to write?

Answered!

35: Who is your favorite non-pilotcule tøp character write, and why?

LOVE THIS QUESTION….. you are SO CORRECT because i LOVED writing Paul in Young Blood. the iconic pantaloonwarrior is the blueprint of course with her incredible paul/tyler fic, and i adore paul so it made me want to include him as a character. plus since i needed someone to be tyler’s coach, it was perfect, since he kinda is that in real life! i definitely have plans to write more of Paul.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SPECIFIC QUESTIONS!!!! this is a writer’s dream haha!!