#I'd be lost without it

[musette22]

I know this has been said so many times in so many different ways, and I have nothing new to add, really. But I am going to say it anyway, because I am just so ridiculously grateful for fanfiction writers. There are innumerable fanfics out there - incredible, mind-blowing stories that are all shared with us for free. Written out of a pure, profound love for existing stories and characters, a need to know them better, explore them, add to them, do something with them the source material never dared. To make ourselves and others feel better, sometimes worse, but mostly just to make us feel.

And don't get me started on the quality of so much of the fanfiction out there. I know talent is an debatable term, but for want of a better one: the sheer talent and dedication of so many of these authors, most of whom have actual, real life jobs and families and other responsibilities, is just astounding. So many ideas, so many beautiful words, so much creativity. As a fanfiction writer myself, I know that it can sometimes be challenging to be creative, to find time and energy to write, when life is just. So much. And yet the love I have for these characters just leaves me desperately wanting to make time and energy to tell the stories I want to tell. Writing fanfiction is a hobby, yes, but for many people, it's also more than a hobby. It's a passion, a deeply rooted desire, even a community.

As a reader, too, I know how incredibly valuable and important these stories can be. I've spent the past few days doing nothing but devouring fic because I've been feeling too crummy to do anything else, and it's been an absolute blessing. Every fic I read was more amazing than the last. They all made me cry, laugh, think, yearn, and just feel so much better. So, I know this has been said many times before, but I just had to tell you again how much I love you, fanfiction writers. Love you with my whole entire, sappy, zero-chill heart.

Thank you for everything you do, all the hours, the blood, sweat and tears, the love you put into your stories, and thank you for sharing them. For just handing them over and releasing them into our custody once they're done, for all of us to read and enjoy, expecting nothing in return but some kudos and comments. That's incredible, ok? You're all incredible, whether your stories are 'popular' or not. So many people would be utterly bereft without you and your efforts, and I just needed to tell you again how appreciated you are ♥️

[mmriesoftvat]

as i sit writing this post, reflecting on this past year, i can't really think of too many positives. the majority of 2023 was a blur of depression, anxiety, self doubt, and friends lost. i can't even begin to get into the many shitstorms i was dragged into or that happened under my nose. i have so many regrets about a lot of things, and i can't say i'm sorry to see this year finally end.

that said, the things that did make this year tolerable are my friends. they are the people that managed to keep me from drowning completely, gave me a hand and pulled me ashore. i do not say that lightly, either. i know i made mistakes on my end, and fed into some lies and drama on other ends, but if not for my friends to guide me and support me in my lowest of lows, i don't know if i'd be the same person i was before. my friends are my rock. i owe so much to them. from them listening to me sob and bawl over vc and vent my frustrations, to them pointing out where i slipped up and helping me fix it. my friends have done SO MUCH for me this past year. i was able to repair friendships and make amends with other people because of this support system, and it's with these people, that i can flip the middle finger to 2023 and enter 2024 with my head held high.

i am not a perfect person by any means. and this past year really highlighted what i need to fix about myself, but it also showed me how strong i can be when it feels like all odds are against me. i'm still learning a lot about myself along the way, which is why i'm excited to make 2024 an even better version of me. i want to be kinder, more patient, and understand things from all perspectives before i make a decision, and i want to pour even more of my love and heart into my writing. my goal for the new year is to even finally get started on the fanfictions i've been talking about all year!

but my ultimate goal overall, is to let the people i care about exactly how much they mean to me. i wouldn't still be on tumblr if not for them, and i know past experiences have taught me the most valuable lessons in that you CAN'T take friendships for granted. online friendships are just as valuable and real as friends you know offline. we may not see each other in person, but that bond is still so strong and unshakable, it's real, and it matters so much to people. it means so much to me.

i love this community, i love the people in it. we all have different goals and hobbies and even writing habits, but we're all here on the same website, forming bonds with people and having a blast with the same game. i can't imagine being anywhere else (and i've tried!). here's to 2024, and here's to a new year, new start, and hopefully something far more welcoming and warm for all of us to enjoy.

happy new year my friends!

[pastafossa]

I love you guys. I hope you know that.

Like.

Ok so I posted the new TRT chapter the other day. Obviously. And I had to force myself to do it, to click that final, 'post' button because at that last moment, this big wave of imposter syndrome hit (that had already hit on and off as I'd started working on the chapter again). And it was just this cycle of, 'It's been like 6 months since you posted a chapter or anything other than a couple one-shots and you're out of practice, I bet it's bad, it's probably terrible, I bet everyone's left and no one cares about this thing you love so why do you? What if no one likes it, you're gonna drop this and everyone's gonna god 'wtf is this, pasta? what happened?'' And so I forced myself to post it, took my meds to ensure I slept, and then kinda just bunkered down and slept/hid because I was halfway convinced that all the trauma in the previous six months had just bopped any ability I had to write.

Instead I got this outpouring, of just like, 'WELCOME BACK' and people telling me they're happy that mom is ok (which made me cry but in a good way) and they're sorry Cato passed away (more tears, but comforted tears), but also delightful jokes about the funny lines I put in or screaming over that romantic line or about missing Jane and the dynamics and comments about being eager for the next chapter, and how now I can be one of those AO3 authors with those notes of 'yeah my life blew up so I was delayed, but hey I'm back!' which... yeah. And much like when I first started TRT, I didn't... really expect that at all, and it's made me really emotional.

So if you've dropped into my ask box or the comments or the replies, seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, because the excitement and love and just you all being the best little fam and continuing on this journey of TRT with me - a journey that has now included both Matt and Jane's journey, and a real life journey through a pandemic, a huge move, a passing of two of my pets, my mom's hospitalization and recovery, some heart issues, the cancellation and resurrection of the show, me meeting Charlie Cox and getting him to hold a red thread, my first wood carving event, etc - and I know I say this a lot, but you all really, really help me keep going when things get hard. I'd write TRT for nothing, I would, because I love this story and I intend to see it through, but ya'll just... I love you all tons. I'm hoping to get through the asks and fic comments and replies in the next few days, but I just wanted you guys to know that.

[blackwolfstabs]

appreciation post

@michiganstray GIFs are not mine

i love you, my tara. i love you much more than you know.

[mayasaura]

Actually. Looking at the chronology. The last time Gideon and Harrow talked alone before the pool scene, Gideon accused Harrow of being a jealous creep for telling her to stay away from Dulcinea.

A whole lot of stupifying things happened in between, but really, it wouldn't be surprising if her first panicked reaction to Harrow disrobing was to think Harrow was making a move on her. Relationship definitely hurtling toward something.

[kimi-no-chikara]

I'm sorry, I've been trying so hard to accept Izuku becoming a UA teacher but I just can't. I love Horikoshi for the happiness he and his story have brought me over the years, but Izuku being a teacher is just bugging me so hard. I know he'd be an incredible teacher, I'm not arguing against that. But beyond the fact that I think Izuku himself would want to at least stay in the hero industry, I don't think there's any chance Katsuki would've let him give up on being a hero.

I think that's why Horikoshi at least made it a point in canon to emphasize that Katsuki especially was behind funding Izuku's hero suit. Because he of all people could not let Deku go. He needed him to be a hero. And I appreciate that we at least see that much in canon. But honestly I think Katsuki would've stepped in sooner than 8 years later and never would have let Izuku give up on being a hero in the first place.

I don't know at what point Izuku gave up on being a pro hero and started looking at other career options, but whenever it happened, I just know he must have spoken to Katsuki about it. Izuku, unreliable narrator that he is, probably fooled even himself into thinking that he's okay with it. That he's blessed to have lived his dream as long as he did. That his time is over. But Katsuki would've shut that shit right down.

Kacchan Bakugou did not watch Izuku spend 10+ years wanting nothing more than to be a hero, while quirkless, just to then watch him give up on being a hero because he lost his quirk. He would've called bullshit on that immediately.

Katsuki knows Izuku intimately. He knows how badly Izuku needs to be a hero. Being quirkless never stopped Izuku from wanting to be a hero before. There's no reason it should stop him now. And he'd say as much. Ain't no way he'd let Izuku give up on being a hero just because he lost OFA.

[necrotic-nephilim]

for the ask game (3)

au where all robins develop a mental link after fighting some magical criminal of the week. what would they see in each other's minds? what secrets and repressed feelings do they discover? how would they deal with it?

for the ask game!

oooh, i love telepathic links that end up revealing secrets. especially with a family like the Batfam, who are usually so convinced they're good enough at reading each other to not have many secrets kept. so weird reveals are always fun

if i did this, i'd do DamiTim. just because of all the like, "deep dark feelings that are being hidden" for Robin shipping, DamiTim is the most fun for me. you expect DickTim or DickJay or JayTim, even DamiDick. but there's something that's so enjoyable about Damian having his feelings forcibly outted. not just to Tim, but to everyone. the way it'd be an active landmine none of them knowing what to say but all feeling each other's reactions. i honestly think Damian would try to punch somebody about it. (also, if you do a history of TImSteph where they've had sex, Damian would be directly linked to Steph's memories of how Tim was in bed, so that's fun as both something horrifying and enlightening just to screw with his feelings some more.) would they end up together? in my head probably, but it'd be weird and likely toxic bc how do you date someone you know inside out and know exactly what they think of all your flaws and what parts of you they obsess over. the answer is not very well but hey, the sex is good-

i think Jason *directly* feeling how everyone felt about his death would really rock him. he's heard all the apologies, but part of him isn't convinced there's truth to them. so to be crushed by Dick's *grief* over his death would be a come to jesus moment for him. but on the less fun flipside, you have him feeling how Dick feels about him *now*. because Dick doesn't really *like* Jason and deep down, sees Jason as a lost cause. that's his "deep dark secret". and Jason would feel and know that from the one person who he still wants to believe in him. i really do think Jason would have the Worst Time with all this, overwhelmed with everyone's intimate and complex feelings over his death. Jason is a very defensive person when it comes to his death and how reactionary he gets when other people make it about them, not him. so for Jason to have to constantly deal with that in his head, i truly do think he'd lash out a bit. the arguments. yelling at Dick and feeling Dick's guilt and snapping bc Dick has no right to feel guilty now. feeling that Tim viewed Jason as a failure. it's just a damaging mindspace to be in and man do i think Jason would take a While to recover.

oddly though, i think it'd be a good bonding moment for Steph and Jason. we really don't get much exploration of Steph and Jason bonding over dying. bc sure, Steph didn't actually die, but she *did* experience the social death where everyone believed she was dead and mourned her as such for a good while. she also felt *directly* responsible for her own death. a lot of blame falls on Steph for War Games (for the Doylist reasons of sexism but yk) and Jason feels responsible for his own death for walking into a trap. but unlike Jason, Steph had no suit in a case, no memorials, her name held no infamy. so i think she deserves just a bit of righteous fury about how dramatic Jason can be while she just has to move on bc hey, it's not like she *really* died. and she buries those feelings well, but not well enough to hide them from a mental link. and Jason, who hasn't really considered Steph before because he was so wrapped up in his complex over Tim, confronts those feelings with her. if anyone is going to know how he feels, it's going to be her. you could do it platonic or romantic, but i do think when Jason sinks to his lowest, she's the one who snaps him out of it, both with tough love and genuine compassion for his situation.

for the less serious crack of it all: they're all going to have far too intimate knowledge of each other's sex lives. everyone's gonna know Dick has fucked Slade. everyone's gonna know Jason has fucked Talia. in my heart, i believe Tim has slept with Anarky (Lonnie, not Ulysses) and everyone would *know* that too. absolute judgment all around. it's the spider-man meme of "wait you've done WHAT with WHO" and honestly, it gives a nice distraction for the more serious feelings. it's a palette cleanser they can default to. like when the fighting gets a little too serious and they're cutting too deep for comfort, someone's going to blurt out "well at least i didn't fuck Deathstroke." and the whole moment goes awry with laughter. bc i do think, at the end of it once they get through the worst of the angst, they'd be closer for it and self-aware of the ridiculous nature of all this. it's enlightening, in a way to see how they all felt about their time as Robin and the baggage/trauma they hold. even the ugliest feelings they hold for each other don't completely suffocate the fondness/respect.

that said, knowing the baggage/trauma. oof. i don't think Dick has ever fully opened up about his history with Mirage/Tarantula/Liu and now it's forced to sit in the open. Damian has never admitted the worst of being raised in the League. Tim hasn't fully faced the suffocating image of his dead father and his deep-seated want to kill Boomerang. all those ugly truths they stamp down bc well, either you're a vigilante or you're a well adjusted person, are out in the open now. and it's ugly and gruesome to force those thoughts to be shared. they all want to comfort each other for different reasons, while simultaneously not wanting their own trauma to be acknowledged. it'd be fun to see who'd instinctively react to whose trauma first. because it's an overwhelming rush of information, and you just naturally get pulled in certain directions. i think Damian would react to Dick's history of sexual abuse first, whereas Jason would be reacting to the murderous rage TIm is trying to fight off. Tim is reacting to just how much guilt Steph carries about War Games and all of it is very crunchy. there's so much they'd all have to talk about and it'd take days for them to address it all, between the arguments about the ugly parts. would they come out stronger for it? yes. but only if they didn't kill each other in the process. i hesitate to do a "and they come out one big happy family" ending, bc it's not very in canon, but i do think the bond of the Robin mantle is something special. even when the link is broken, they hold onto a freakish understanding of each other. they react and move in sync, can fight together without needing words. are they emotionally on the same page/have they forgiven each other for the worst of it? absolutely not. but they've got each other backs. it's a very much "if you called i'd drop everything to save you. but also we don't have it in us to hang out casually." bond, which i think is deeply underrated in fanfiction. sometimes, you can care about people but you have to do it from a distance.

[sleepanonymous]

There's a sight for these sore eyes within you Impending a certainty Forward that's written across your face Intentional trips in the wire undone Every regal rejection I've become…

Wish you were near me Wish I could talk without words I know this feeling Could bleed out and never be heard

Never be heard (x2)

Since when were we shifted drifting apart? Since time wore a hole straight and back to the start An eyelash away from a flurry of hate And all I could wish for behind your embrace

Wish you were near me Wish you could see without eyes To riddle the openings See and tear through this disguise

Tear through my disguise (x2)

A harlequin danced on the edge of a blade Scar tissue etched on the plans that we’ve made Now all we have is the shattered remains Of a love once golden Tear through my disguise (x2)

I've got no information on this song, sadly. Recently a friend of my found a ton of dead links, so i probably have the URL but nothing pulls up on any of the 3 archive sites I check. Lyrics are a guess, and I'm assuming this was recorded/uploaded somewhere around early-mid 2012, judging by the sound and similarities to other songs like Limbo and Heaven is a Spectrum.

[eroguron0nsense]

Little thing that occurred to me about Law and Haki

I've always attributed the "canon" reason for Law continually getting spanked or struggling in spite of his virtually unparalleled power to be that he's just comparatively worse at haki than a lot of his opponents. Generally speaking, you can work your way around a LOT of devil fruit powers or brute force through them if you've got enough spatial intelligence and haki to work your way around them (see Oden, Vergo, Shanks, presumably Roger). Law's haki is established in Punk Hazard/Dressrossa to be weaker than Vergo's and Doffy's, in spite of certain external factors that contributed to him losing fights he could have either won or done substantially better in, and that kind of leads a lot of people to thinking that Law's powers are too good and they just needed to nerf him so that the fights could actually be more difficult and give Luffy an actual chance to shine/make the stakes higher etc That much is absolutely true, and Law having more developed haki combined with the way he's learned to use the Ope Ope no Mi would probably make him damn near invincible. I do, however, think that there's a bit more to this–and a more plausible justification– than just Law being as vulnerable or outmatched as the series needs him to be at any point in time, which is that he's had little to no fucking opportunity to polish it.

So quick recap: Law probably had some understanding of how haki worked from his time training with the Donquixote family, who taught him everything he knows about martial arts/swordplay/combat that didn't involve devil fruits. After Minion Island and Cora's death, he makes his way to Swallow Island, finds Bepo being bullied by Penguin and Shachi, and eventually manages to recruit all three to start the Heart Pirates. The thing is, as Cora told Law before he died, eating the Ope Ope no Mi turns both Doffy and the Marines against Law and virtually leaves him all alone with three children who are weaker fighters than him, and unless Oda gives him a second backstory, we can presume Law had no other mentors the entire time. The entire foundation for Law learning Haki in a world where everyone who knew about him would have been hunting him down a la Nico Robin would just have been him working off of what he learned from the Donquixote family. We don't know how the rest of the worst generation picked it up except for Luffy, who despite having only really understood what it was recently, spent two years being mentored and trained intensively by one of the greatest haki users alive; Law presumably had to pick it up on his own in life or death circumstances and had to focus more on escape or evasion as a 13 year old with limited powers and going through the whole childhood Luffy process of actually learning how to utilize his devil fruit in combat, especially since the Ope Ope no Mi canonically involves a hell of a lot of skill, intricacy, and imagination to be able to use to its fullest potential. The difference in Law's ability and more experienced or better haki users is basically the difference between people who've been training in highly specific martial arts for a long time and someone who was good at karate until they had to stop taking classes in middle school, and basically had to try and build up any skills they had developed by that point entirely on their own with no external guidance. You can learn to hold your own in a fight but the actual skills involved in picking up haki either come under super specific circumstances or involve learning highly specialized skills under mentorship. The people who are really, really good at it either have years and years of experience honing it (every Yonko, Katakuri), had it knocked into them by someone who was better at it (see Luffy and Zoro's training arcs, Hyogoro helping Luffy build on what he'd learned from Rayleigh to finally pick up Ryuo), or levelled it up under very specific life or death circumstances after already having a background in it (see the Katakuri fight, or Luffy unlocking his Ryuo under duress). Law and his crew of babies were presumably running for their lives constantly or trying to live under the radar until they'd gotten a bit stronger so that Doffy didn't pick up on the fact that Law was out there and vulnerable; their circumstances just weren't quite the right ones to develop their haki as quickly or as strongly.

[glacier-shrimp]

Second part of my Avengers paper cutout fanart series! :) I have a feeling by the end of this I'll be better at Shapes lol

Dedicating this to @fotibrit because of course I am ❤️ don't know what I'd do without your angst and letting me throw so. many. songs. at you lmao.

Avengers paper cutout 2/?

[aromanticannibal]

every time I see someone go "oh gloom spawn isn't that scary compared to guardians, they're good but they're not as good as-" dude have you played the game.

have you felt the raw fear of seeing the world turn red and the music go apeshit while you struggle to fight these bitches for the first time. have you experienced the paranoia of thinking gloom is moving besides you, only to turn around and see nothing. have you beaten the spawn for the first time, only to be fucking betrayed by the game and have to fight phantom ganon. have you fought this ghost of a man and feared for your fucking life as it advanced slowly, so completely sure of his ability he didn't feel the need to attack fast. have you climbed high and watched the hands slowly disappear, only to fear they'd reappear anytime now because you didn't kill them. what the fuck do you MEAN gloom spawn isn't as scary as guardians

[averlym]

ghostwriter (their grandma would tell them she'd lose half her soul)

[cerise-on-top]

could you write about Laswell and Farah having a s/o that loves to cook/bake?

Hey! Yeah, sure!

Farah and Laswell with an S/O that Loves to Cook and Bake

Farah: She can be a pretty big eater, actually. She can’t always be, and she doesn’t need too much food either, having learned fairly early on how to get by with very little food, but if she found something really good, and there was plenty of it as well, then she could just dig right in and eat two plates full worth of food. She loves the fact that you know how to cook, and cook well as well. Considering her past, there wasn’t always an abundance of food in her life, and fairly often the food she did get to eat wasn’t very good, so she can definitely appreciate you cooking her a good, nutritious and healthy meal. Will eat your food right up and tell you just how good it is every time, telling you how grateful she is to have you as well. While she won’t always be able to conjure up all the necessary ingredients, you can count on her to bring you some of the things she finds, knowing fully well that you can make something incredible with it. Although she isn’t too big on sweets, she will eat the occasional piece of cake or cookie you make. It won’t happen too often, since she can’t afford to gain too much weight, but she’ll eat it. She’s more likely to take your baked goods and distribute them to her fighters as a small morale boost. All of them know you by now and that you’re a great cook and baker, so everyone always looks forward to what you make. Either way, even if she doesn’t often have the time to do so, Farah loves helping you out whenever she can. Sometimes, when nothing urgent is going on, she might play around with you in the kitchen as well. Putting some flour on your nose, for example, while laughing a bit at your reaction. She won’t waste resources like that often, but she is down to clown around with you when she can.

Laswell: While she may not be the greatest cook out there, she can make some decent meals. She used to have a better feeling for it while she was studying at university and didn’t have the money to just buy some fancy food. Back then she would cook for herself fairly regularly, but these days she doesn’t have the time or energy to cook for herself anymore. She never was into baking either, though. Laswell can appreciate you, who loves cooking and baking, a lot. While she won’t always let you cook on your own, she does love helping you out when she can, there might be times where she can botch just how much of a specific spice goes into the meal. It’s better if you do it. However, you can tell her to do just about anything else, though, and she will. Doesn’t complain about it either, it’s the least she could do when you’re preparing such wonderful meals for yourself and her. Always compliments you on your cooking since it’s always a treat. Like Farah, she will also help you out while baking. She has even less of a clue how to make a good cake, but she can stir the mixture until it has a nice texture and add some ingredients according to you. As she doesn’t have the best feeling for how much goes in, she always uses a small scale you have lying around. When the cake goes into the oven, she usually stays behind a minute or two to watch it for a bit. However, she’s also the one who usually checks up on it to see if everything is going well or if the heat needs to be readjusted. She won’t do so without your okay, though. Once the cake is done she’ll always be the one to take it out, afraid of you burning your hand. Laswell is more inclined to eat sweets than Farah, so she’ll always eat a piece of cake or maybe a cupcake if you’ve made some. Gives you a kiss afterwards if your sweet good turns out especially good, which is almost always in her eyes.

[serotoninlinus]

GUYS

MICHAEL EMERSON ALERT

IN THE FALLOUT TV SHOW TRAILER

[kindahoping4forever]

📸: Ryan Fleming

[halffizzbin]

The more times I re-watch Lost the madder I get that ANYONE still wants to leave the island once they discover there are showers and processed foods. What more do you even need? Smartphone-induced insomnia?? Office jobs????? Robocalls??? Vacuuming???? INCOME TAX????????