#i already read thr posts...i had to think about the tags....

[transformersconfessions]

i just made it so that ill get a notification when this blog posts, im kinda emabrassed to admit it but i love the fandom tea that people only want to say on anon, i love to see whats going on. good for the ecosystem

*

[thechaoticfanartist]

a way home

Gen

Warnings: None

Character(s): Grim Kennet (OC)

Additional Tags: Mentioned Obi-Wan Kenobi, Post-Order 66, Grim Kennet (OC) goes by Rue Kenobi

Notes: This is just a short fic I did to try and figure out why Grim decided to spend another year in hiding after telling Obi-Wan she was going to join the Rebellion.

Summary: grim kennet realizes she isn't ready to join the rebellion, but she can't go back home either.

Read on A03

Grim turned away from the place where she buried the lightsabers again. The suns were slowly beginning to rise. She smiled sadly underneath her mask at the sight. The sunrise was beautiful on Tatooine. She was going to miss it.

She knew she had to leave. Besides, she had already said her goodbyes, and she had held the funeral for those who were still alive. Grim turned her head away from the sky and pulled her cloak tighter around her. Nobody could see the lightsaber that was now on her belt.

She walked over to her eopie, who had been waiting on her to finish gathering and burying old aspects of her life. She placed a hand on her nose, "okay, time to go, Akkani." She stood up, and Grim climbed onto the saddle.

Together they made the trip to Mos Eisley in the early dawn. She had made this journey many times throughout her three years as Rue Kenobi. She knew it by heart. Her and Ben would often go together, before separating to go to their different jobs. Then they would meet up at the end of the day and make the journey back to their home. At first she hadn't considered it a home, but Rue had begun to grow fond of it. It was only a cave, but being with her father made all the difference.

Grim reached Mos Eisley spaceport. It would be awhile before many of the markets were open, the suns were still rising slowly. She found her usual spot where Rue and Ben would drop off their eopies for the day. Then they would meet here later on.

She took Akkani inside and made sure she was secure. She laid her head against hers. "I'm sorry, but I'm not coming back this time," she told her as she gently pet her.

She felt a slight tug in the Force. A connection she felt with the animal. She had begun to refine that ability, although she was a far cry from Obi-Wan's connection to it. She could tell Akkani was sad about her leaving.

Grim looked around and made sure nobody was nearby, then she slowly slipped off her mask. "I know. But can you promise me something?"

She snorted softly, as if an acknowledgment to what she was saying.

"I need you to take care of Ben for me. I'm not going to be there for him anymore. I know he's fully able to take care of himself, way more than I am, but leaving like this is really going to hurt him. Just keep him company, he'll need it."

She nudged her snout against her. She chuckled slightly. "Okay, both of you can take care of each other." She sighed deeply. "It'll still be a little bit before I can get a ship or a transport off world. I think I'll sit here and meditate. Would that be okay with you, Akkani?"

She didn't wait for her to answer and moved to a small more hidden area where she could do just that.

She wasn't entirely all that sure how she would go about joining the Rebellion.

The simplest answer was for her to just go out and start resisting. No crew, no connections, just her against the Empire. This option would grant her full independence in her operations against them. This would then make it easier to slowly begin to tear down their progress on the Death Stars and other projects that only she and the Empire would have knowledge of.

It would also mean she wouldn't be putting anybody else at risk if she was captured. Being a Jedi during the Empire's reign was one thing, being a Jedi in the Rebellion was another. Being a Jedi who has a personal history with Darth Vader? That was something else entirely. She knew enough about him to know it wasn't over. And that was without the fact she's personally faced Darth Sidious and used to pose somewhat of a threat to him during The Clone Wars. She wasn't sure how he would see her now that he had won. But her knowledge was still dangerous.

However this option would also be a risky move for herself. It would mean she would be without allies. She had never been without them before. One wrong move and everything could end. But at least only she would suffer the consequences. No more putting others in danger — or getting them killed because of her mistakes.

She could also go to Bail Organa. She knew his role in the Rebellion. And he had done so much for the Jedi. They barely knew each other, but she had a deep respect for him. And she knew him and Obi-Wan were friends.

But what would she do? What could she offer to him and his rebellion efforts? She had her knowledge of Imperial projects, but how would she begin to explain that to him? Not to mention, how she would even get in contact with him. She had her emergency comm, but joining the Rebellion wouldn't be the correct use for it. And she didn't even know if he would be on Alderaan or Courscant at this time.

Courscant would be too dangerous to travel to, even in disguise. And she wouldn't be able to face the sight of her old home. She didn't know what the Empire had done to it with the fall of the Jedi. Was there anything left? If there was it would be stained by Sidious. She was sure of that.

The thought of what could have happened to her home made her tremble. Memories began to swim in her mind. She took a deep breath as she tried not to face them. After a moment she decided to let them come.

She went back and lived through what she had said and done at the Jedi Temple the last time she was there. But this time she wasn't facing it with fear or resentment. She recognized she was in pain. She knew why she had almost fallen in that moment.

And as she realized this she began to think of Anakin. A lump formed in her throat. She could've been just like him, and if that was true so was the reverse. What was it that really separated them? On Mustafar they had been terrifyingly similar, she had seen that now. She had plenty of time to reflect on it.

If she went out into the galaxy — away from this simple life she had built with her father here on Tatooine — would that pain change her again? She would have to face everyone she failed. She would have to go out there knowing she could have changed it. It was easier to pretend with Ben.

She could lie to Ben about Anakin's fate and believe it herself. She barely even considered it lying. He already believed he was dead. With him she could fool herself into thinking the same. It was these lies that made her decide to leave. She couldn't take it anymore. Obi-Wan would learn the truth one day. She knew he would. She had only been lying for herself.

Leaving Tatooine would mean she would have to face the truth. She would have to face that Anakin was alive and he really fell.

That she almost fell with him.

Grim also knew she couldn't go back home. She couldn't face Ben again after leaving that note. She had already packed her few belongings. She had retrieved her lightsaber from the box. She had buried Obi-Wan's and Anakin's lightsabers once more. And she wouldn't be able to bury her own lightsaber again. She couldn't stay here and she knew it.

But she wasn't ready to join the Rebellion. She had thought she was — but in truth it was just that she wanted to. She wanted to fight. She wanted to stand up against the Sith who had destroyed the galaxy. She wanted to make things right and amend the mistakes she made as a Padawan.

But as much as she wanted to do that, she wasn't ready. She thought she was preparing herself for that step of her journey by staying with Obi-Wan. But really she had just been fooling herself. She hadn't wanted to let go. She had let her emotions get the better of her in a different way.

She still didn't know who she was. She still wasn't ready to face the wider galaxy. The only way to do that was if she was on her own. She had to let go of her old life. She couldn't keep pretending she could have a happy ending with her father. That story already ended, and it wasn't happy. But it wasn't entirely a tragedy either. They had both survived. She had become a Jedi Knight. And they had each other. But it couldn't be that way anymore.

She had to go back into hiding. She had to walk away from Obi-Wan. This was something she had to do on her own.

She needed to move somewhere else. But what planet could she go to? Where could she hide? Anything close to the Jedi would be suicide. She also refused to live on a world where another Jedi would be hiding. She wouldn't put anyone in danger. If she got caught then only she would face the consequences. She was tired of other people hurting because of her mistakes.

Her inability to talk to the Council about Sidious and Order 66 had doomed them. She hadn't even been able to tell Obi-Wan and Yoda about Anakin's fall when Order 66 was executed. And when she had, she left them with harsh words she would've never been able to take back had she really died back on Mustafar.

She also couldn't choose a planet where she had connections. No major connections anyways. A world she had spent a long time on. A world where she had made friends or allies. A world with Jedi. None of those places would be safe.

Anything too close to Courscant was also dangerous. It was too close to Sidious. Living in the Core was a death sentence for most Jedi. That's why so many of them moved to the Outer Rim. Less people.

But then again, nobody would suspect a Jedi hiding on a planet close to them. It had been three years since the Republic's fall. That meant it had been three years for the Empire to discover patterns among the Jedi they had found in hiding.

Grim also knew the pattern. She knew where several Jedi hid. She had been part of it — living here with Obi-Wan on Tatooine.

She didn't want to hide on a world she knew nothing about. That would make it harder for her to blend in. She wouldn't know how the people lived. And if she chose the wrong planet then an outsider like her might be considered suspicious.

Few worlds fit the right categories. The Clone Wars had taken her all throughout the galaxy — and yet none of those worlds felt right.

She took a deep breath and began to focus on that. On her breathing. The rhythm of it. How each one kept her alive. She felt the rise and fall of her chest. She felt the Force, quieter and darker, but still full of stars. She reached out and searched the sky. Perhaps this would lead her in the right direction. She let the Force flow through her and opened herself to it.

She hadn't closed herself off like Obi-Wan had. But she didn't often feel it in the same way. After Order 66 it became empty. She wanted to feel it, and she often meditated every morning and every night. At dawn and at dusk. Trying to look for the stars that had filled her life. That the Sith had extinguished. Very rarely was she able to.

Now she felt it again. Stronger than she had in years. Still far weaker than it used to be. Still empty. But the stars remained. Piercing through the darkness remained the light. She even felt it in herself. Something she struggled with at times.

This was the connection she had felt when she had been Knighted. For even in the emptiness there Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Grim had all been themselves. They had all been Jedi. And she could feel their compassion and warmth. The brightness of the stars inside of them. It was the last time they had been Jedi together. And while it was full of grief there was so much love too.

She smiled as she felt that warmth again.

The Force would guide her.

After awhile of sitting there in meditation, allowing the Force to guide her on her way, she opened her eyes. She knew where she would go. It would still be dangerous — perhaps a more dangerous option than she would've considered otherwise. But it felt right. She had connections to the planet, but it wasn't much. It was the connections she had with others and their connection to the world that made it more dangerous. More risky. It wasn't in the Outer Rim. It was close to the Empire. She had gone on missions there (even if she rarely stayed long). She had a friend who rested there.

But she knew the world. And it felt right. It felt like it could be her home.

She was watching Tatooine get smaller and smaller. Grim knew she would not return for many years. She wasn't sure if she ever would. Perhaps one day in the far future. If she ever had a Padawan of her own. For there was only one person who she could begin to train. She whispered a quiet goodbye, then she walked away from the viewport and took a seat.

Rue Kenobi was on her way to Naboo. And she would be seeing another old friend.

Tag List (let me know if you want to be added or removed) : @padme--amygdala @soclonely @mrfandomwars @jgvfhl @starlonkedd @andorlorian @togrutanduin @jedi-valjean @one-real-imonkey @traygaming @keoxus @veiled-in-stars @sentineljedi @spicysucculentz @thejediprincessqueenofnaboo @veradragonjedi @arrthurpendragon @shrinkthisviolet @thebrainofocto @forloveofcodywan @mandalorian-general

[spnfanficpond]

May 2020 Pond LiveChat Recap - User Friendly Tumblr Pt 2

@fictionalabyss (Mel) and @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish (Kay) yet again did a great job teaching us the magical ways of Tumblr! Thank you, girls, for helping out and sharing your wisdom!!

This was a continuation of last month’s chat, which you can read all about HERE. We also talked a little bit about this back in July 2019, and you can read all about that chat HERE. A rundown of this month’s chat is below the cut!

Keep Reading function via the app

We started off talking about the Keep Reading function, and how it works, and doesn’t work on the app. Back in July 2019, if you were using the app, you could add the text [ [ MORE ] ] (without the spaces) to a line, and it would create a Keep Reading cut in your post for you. We’ve heard recently that it wasn’t working, so we did some testing. This is what happened:

As viewed via the app on the blog:

As viewed via the app when looking at the desktop:

As viewed via desktop on the blog:

Long story short, It only works if you view the post on desktop. Mel noted that if she went onto desktop and edited the post from there, then the cut would work everywhere, but that defeats the purpose of posting using the app.

TD;DR - [ [ MORE ] ] no longer works effectively.

Keeping your formatting when copying from Google Docs into Tumblr

@flamencodiva​ (Vanessa) told us all about a workaround that she learned from @winchest09​. Anyone who was tried to copy and paste from Google Docs to Tumblr knows that you lose all of your formatting, including any italics. @mrswhozeewhatsis​ has not had a problem copying and pasting from Microsoft Word (as part of the Office 365 Suite) into Tumblr, but Kay has, so she needs to use this workaround. Basically, the trick is to post to AO3, first, and the copy and paste from there. Here’s the step-by-step per Vanessa:

1) make a new chapter on AO3, 2) set it to rich text, 3) paste your fick, 4) got to tumblr and click on pencil to add text, 5)  change setting to html, 6) go back to ao3 click on html, 7) copy and paste the html format of your fic and paste it to tumblr, 8) change the setting back to rich text and your format is the way you want it from google docs.

Submitting your fics to the Pond to be posted on the blog

Via the app:

Submitting via the app is a pain, but it is possible. 

[Side note: Posts submitted to the Pond via the app can not be edited by the admin. We don’t edit your posts often, but occasionally we will add or change tags, or try to make your post look more appealing. If you submit via the app, we can’t do that.]

Kay was gracious enough to go through thr process and make screenshots for us, explaining what was happening along the way.

First, click on the envelope at the top of the screen:

Nect, click “Submit Your Fics”:

Then you’ll see this screen:

The various options for the type of submission show up at the bottom just like when you compose a post in the app for your own blog. I would add that my “asks” seem to get eaten more often when my phone auto-corrects something. So, one post I did not use auto-correct (and that took way too many tries, honestly) and one post did use auto-correct (and I surprisingly had success).

All the tags available are already applied when submitting through the app (at least on my phone) so you would have to delete those that don’t apply, which is opposite of how you do it when submitting on desktop. 

To do this, tap on the #tags (you can see them starting to list in the middle of all the white or you can tap the # in the bottom right corner) and you will get this big list of all the tags available when submitting. 

Tap on the one that does NOT apply, and you will get this tiny little x.

Tap the x to remove that tag. Repeat for all the tags that do not apply. If you do not tap the x, it will go back to the darker blue color of a tag that will be applied to your submission.

Caution: if you remove a tag you wanted by accident, you will have to type it back in. My experience with this was my app generating popular tags related to what I was typing first, not tags that were previously there, so please read carefully to get the correct tags.

To change the type of post to link instead of text: click on the link icon along the bottom (there's the Aa for a text post, links, GIF, a camera, etc). However, I copy/pasted a link into the body on a Aa post and it still seemed to work.

A long time ago, THIS ANSWER was posted on the Pond blog about making your submitted post “prettier” and more attractive to readers. This was made based on using desktop (not the app), and just copying and pasting from one tab to another, like this:

On desktop, in Chrome, this works very well, for most people, most of the time. (Mel had some issues doing it for a couple of days, and then it magically started working for no apparent reason.) The gif will transfer over, along with the gif credit, too. This way, the submission to the Pond looks exactly like your original post, and will thus attract more readers.

In the app, though, the copy function doesn’t like to go through an image, and it seemed to be hit-or-miss if a gif copied and pasted would load properly. Basically, it’s a LOT of work to submit via the app, and it is not recommended. You can, but it’s a lot of work.

Why should I make my submissions “pretty” when just posting a link works just fine?

When you are submitting your story to the Pond to be posted on the blog, you’re doing it to attract readers who might otherwise not see your story. You want to sell your story on our blog the same way you sell it on your own blog. That means including all of the elements of a header that are suggested IN THIS POST (Suggested Format for Fics). If you don’t add this information, you could end up with a post that looks like this on the blog:

Readers might not even clock that as a story to be read! Some readers won’t even look at a story that doesn’t list a word count, warnings, or if there’s a pairing. Simply copying and pasting your header into the submission box gives potential readers everything they need to know. Also, here is a good list we came up with a while back of Warning Tags for Fics. 

I worked really hard to craft this “secret” (but possibly triggering) ending so I don’t want to spoil it in the warnings; any suggestions?

In your header, let your readers know that there is possibly triggering material in the story, direct them to your tags at the bottom of the post, and then use the “#tw:” format to list the spoilery triggers in your story. This way, people who have few or no triggers can read without being spoiled, and those with triggers they need to avoid can make sure they’re reading safely.

I’m bad at writing summaries. Do I really need one?

Yes. And don’t wimp out and say, “I’m bad at summaries.” That will turn readers off. Think of a summary like a movie trailer. Would you go see a movie is the trailer was just a guy saying, “It’s a good movie, I swear, but I suck at making trailers, so just go see it, yeah?” If a reader is at all unsure about reading your story, your summary can make their decision. Your summary doesn’t need to spoil the story, but just give the reader some idea of what they’re getting into. Set the table, as it were, before the meal. Is it canon-compliant, or an AU? When is it set? Who’s involved in the story? Bring your readers to the ball park before you start the game.

Should I use a specific tag for my writing? Why or why not?

After some discussion, we determined that you should if you don’t have a masterlist set up, yet, or if you don’t keep your masterlist updated. As long as you have a masterlist and keep it up-to-date, then the extra tag isn’t necessary.

That’s it for this month! Don’t forget to submit your stories and your Angel Fish nominations! Want to know what’s happening in the Pond? Check the Pond Calendar to see what’s coming up! And, as always, if you have questions or suggestions, let us know! You can send us an ask, or send a private message to @manawhaat​ (Mana) or @mrswhozeewhatsis​ (Michelle) anytime!

[iveonlyeverseenliketwoanimes]

How Horikoshi treats his female characters (Feat. How his ‘Fans’ treat him): A Rant

Something that has recently been popping up a lot in the BNHA tags, for me at least, is this idea that Hori is a “Lazy/Bad Writer”. It’s a topic that’s genuinely interesting to me and I would love to discuss it! After the reaction i got to my last post on discussing the fandom, i feel like this is a really fun topic for me to look into and i love having an open discussion with people. So just to let you know before we start, everything here is my opinion - feel free to respond with your own thoughts and i’d happily have a conversation with you about anything and everything! If you disagree with me then that's fine, if you agree with me then that's fine too! I'm just a person with a keyboard and an opinion and so are you! :)

So today i would love to discuss how people treat Hori in regards to his female characters and i hope you enjoy this 1500 word essay/ramble i did. (PS if you came from my last lil essay then this one is a lot less sarcastic because its a more serious topic and i don’t want to come across as too rude also i actually got sleep today)

Now, this was actually the first topic I came across when looking into the Hori tags. At first, I was on board with the general theme of what was happening. I saw some lovely artwork of Momo where people had redesigned her costume, they were very creative in how they did it and overall, I had no complaints – if the whole topic of this tag was about how people wanted to be creative and redraw characters in their own design then I’d 100% support it, but the more you look into it, the more…. Nasty is gets.

So, the overall theme of what I gathered from this little tag is that idea that Hori is some sort of [Word I really don’t want to type out but im sure you can guess what it is] because of how he draws his females, most of which are underage. So if you, as a consumer, are, well, consuming something, such as a TV show, film, anime, Manga etc. and you see something that makes you go “This is disgusting – I need to write a Tumblr post about this to warn other people about what's happening here” then I fully support you – please keep on doing what you’re doing. 

However, this isn’t what I see, what I see are posts going “F*CK HORI HE’S A [Nasty word] AND I HOPE HE D*ES – HERE EVERYONE I MADE AN ANTI FLAG, SHARE IT EVERYWHERE AND LET ME KNOW WHERE I CAN SEND MY D*ATH THR*AT TO” Meanwhile, when you go on this same persons page it’s all reposts of the characters and screenshots of the show, posts of them saying “Yo did you guys see the new BNHA episode last night?!?” and overall just very fandom-y stuff. I truly cannot comprehend this type of behaviour – you are so set in this belief that Hori is a [Nasty Word] and yet here you are, on the very same blog you use to slander his name, actively supporting him! Listen, if one of you Anti’s were to sit there and say “I wholeheartedly think Hori is a [Nasty word] and therefore I am no longer going to participate in this fandom or with supporting his creations” then, while I don’t agree with you, I support you in your decision as you have made a clear stance on something with both your words and your actions and I can truly respect that, and hell you would actually get my attention and I might read into what it is you’re talking about. I’m not, however, going to waste my time reading a piece of material written by someone who does all that nasty stuff I previously mentioned and take any of what they say seriously. Let me put it this way; you think Hori is a [Nasty word], you are supporting the show, you are therefore supporting a [nasty word], so why should I take anything you say seriously? I don’t want to see any more of this ‘One minute we love him, one minute we hate him’ attitude because when you hate him the things you are saying are some of the worst things you could possibly say to another person and its childish, disgusting and you’re giving this fandom a bad name.

Now back to the girls, I personally do find certain characters outfits a little distasteful, especially with how they’re done in the anime and how they zoom in on certain body parts, i also dislike how it’s ‘funny’ for characters like Mineta to get away with such disgusting behaviour. I do think that’s the biggest flaw I can find in this show – I don’t however 100% blame Hori for this. Now obviously at the end of the day, it is down to Hori what happens in his show, but can we all stop pretending that it’s just him that does this? When I think of anime the first thing that comes to mind is anime girls and their… attributes. It’s an industry issue and Hori is one of many people that partakes in it – so im not saying he’s not to blame, im just saying some of you are a little dramatic and need to realise if you truly want this behaviour to stop then you need to go after the industry and not just one guy.

Now this next point I want to make is something im sure might be a little confusing for most of you and something I can 100% see the other side of better than some other points ive made. It’s also kinda hard for me to put into words so please bear with me here.

I don’t think its necessary for Hori to develop his female characters as much as their male counterparts – now im sure that’s an odd concept but let me explain. As a child growing up in the age of great TV shows such as Hannah Montana, iCarly, Wizards of Waverly Place etc. I think ive spent a fair amount of time watching TV, my personal favourites as a child were Winx Club, BRATZ and W.I.T.C.H (Im from the UK so apologies if you have no idea what they are). Now all of these shows were ‘for girls’, they all revolve around a group of girls and their adventures in their respective worlds, they learn things along the way, because, even if you don’t realise it, these kids shows have hidden messages in them that are like ‘we should be kind’ ‘we should treat others with respect’ and all that jazz you need to know to be a decent human being. However, the one thing that these shows always lacked was any form of male presence. Now im not saying these shows had no males in them, that would be weird, but what I am saying is that the males in these shows were very one dimensional and they were always the love interest of one of the characters, or you might get the odd parental figure that would show up for one episode to be a motivation for a character. However with BNHA, a show that is specifically aimed at teenage boys, I don’t feel like they do such a disservice to females (AKA the ‘men’ equivalent of my other shows), sure they’re not treated great in certain aspects that I've already discussed, but look at their actual characters, Uraraka is the main girl, sure she very much has the same role as many of the men did in my childhood shows of the ‘love interest’ but her character is more than that and we see it in the sports festival as well as some of the more recent chapters (213-215 to be specific). Her character isn't just some airhead and neither are the other girls, Momo is literally top of the class in terms of written ability and she had her own little mini-arc around gaining confidence (which is still ongoing because guess what – people don’t change overnight), Mina has had some spotlight on her and is seen to be a very confident and skilled fighter, Tsu was literally described as the ‘perfect student with no flaws’ and is shown to be a badass on multiple occasions, Midoriya’s mum is even a character that’s had some form of arc with her learning to believe in her son and she's not some faceless character we hear about every so often when they need a plot device.

Now im not saying the female representation is perfect and it’s certainly not 100% equal to that of the men, but im saying it doesn’t need to be. This is a show for boys, sure girls can watch and enjoy it, but its made for boys in the same way my shows were made for girls, and the average boy isn’t going to want to watch a bunch of fairy princesses run around saving their fluffy little pets like I did (im sure a some of them will – and good for them, in the same way that some girls might want to watch superhero films, it’s not something im saying is bad, its just most people raise children into predetermined stereotypes of what gender roles they should fill and the media caters to that).

So what im saying is that taking a show aimed at boys and comparing it to shows aimed at girls and how each handles the opposite sex (we’re not going into gender here, that’s a whole other topic of diversity), I don’t think BNHA is all that bad. I guess if I want to be a little harsher in my approach, why is it okay to have a near-all female cast and not a near-all male cast? I understand a need for diversity, truly I do, but sometimes having a token character for each ‘type’ of person takes away from what the show is actually trying to convey – and in BNHAs case I think its trying to teach young boys that it’s okay to be emotional or vulnerable when you’re in situations that other shows teach you to ‘man up’ in. Not every show can solve racism, sexism and homophobia, I’m sorry to break it to you, but some shows are a little more basic in their approach to what it is they want to show and I think BNHA is a perfect example of that, it’s showing boys that you can cry, you can go through struggles in life, you can even come back from being a terrible person through growth and development, and I think that’s something boys need. A lot of people in this day and age want men to change (and I agree that there are a lot of things all groups of people can work on) and BNHA is showing boys how to grow up in a way that’s not this ‘tough guy that has no feelings’ and at the end of the day isn’t that something we want?

I do believe there are areas that BNHA really needs to improve in when it comes to it’s female cast, but can we stop with this awful hate? This fandom had such potential to be an amazing community of people who are skilled with art, writing, storytelling, cosplay, etc. but it seems like half of you just want to tear each other down and it’s sad to see such potential wasted because you can’t handle someone having a different opinion or view to you.

[zenkaiankoku]

PLEASE SIGNAL BOOST!

Hey, its Zen here.

-IF YOU ARE IN THR YOGSCAST FANDOM PLEASE READ THIS-

There are a few people in the Yogscast fandom, attacking my friend. They have zero evidence of most of their claims. They claim Firetail//cat abused them. That they're a pedo. It's not true.

Firetail, when 19, sent one censored nsfw drawing to two teenagers, 16 and 18 because they begged to see it. Thats the only ever instance of anything inappropriate. That is after they harassed and manipulated firetail to force their 'alter' to front. Nothing sexual was implied towards them. And nothing sexual was said about them. And they already knew about nsfw stuff, as they were discussing and eager to see the art. They could have all been in highschool together. Firetail was also still a teenager. And not looking for a relationship or sex.

As for abuse, these people calling firetail out ARE the abusers! They were buddy buddy with firetail because they were convinced they were a system. When firetail said they didnt think they were, THATS when the claims of abuse and pedophilia started.

So, long story short, they're mad because their little mentally ill baby to nuture and control didnt need them anymore. And because firetail told them they had 'no happy memories with them'. Because they manipulated and emotionally abused firetail. And they continue to do it. Firetail has apologized and shown remorse since then. Until they realized that /maybe/ they werent actually a bad person. That theyre the victim.

So dont believe one persons words. Read those callouts again and tell me where the abuse is. I see nothing. Its all gaslighting and victim playing. Theyre hurting and discrediting REAL victims of sexual harassment and emotional abuse.

I've known firetail years and they dont have aean bone in their body. The realization of their lack of wrongdoing came because they came to me, in a panic, that they were a bad person. Told me why. And not a single thing they said was their fault. Yet theyve ALWAYS felt guilty for it. Taken the blame for their own abuse.

So you can either believe one shitty callout post, or actually look into something for once. Either way, I support Firetail. If you don't, you can fucking block me. And leave Firetail the hell alone.

(Sorry for the formatting and tags. Figured I should make it look like a ""legit callout"" post))

[callunavulgari]

Year-In-Fic

Total fics written this year?

Another Love (The Flash; Barry/E2Wells, Barry/Thawne; 4,586 words) “I want you,” Barry confesses unhappily, a charming pucker between his brows. His eyes dart back up, not shying away for once, to meet Eobard’s. A little bit of steel creeps into his expression again, and Eobard wants to applaud him all over again. What a beautiful creature he’s created. 

time in a bottle (The Flash; Eobarry; 2,961 words) “If I didn’t exist,” Thawne says, quietly, moving to slide his fingers up Barry’s jaw; they leave goosebumps in their wake. “Then neither would you. And if you didn’t exist… well. We won’t get into that mess. So the universe — the, hah, Speed Force — sent me here. A paradox, clinging to the cracks between time. Just… waiting.” 

nothing's gonna harm you (not while i'm around) (SW; Gen, Reylo; 1,167 words)  Ben and Rey Organa are born ten years and five hundred parsecs apart, but Ben can feel it in the Force the moment she comes into being. He can feel her every second of her way home, a bright star that outshines even the familiar intensity of his parents.

we dream in the dark (for the most part) (DA; Gen; 806 words) “Will it go away?” Bethany asks, her voice quiet as a whisper.

Ramble On (The Flash; Eobarry; 2,695 words)  Thawne playfully hums a few bars of something vaguely familiar. Barry looks back at him, and when Thawne sees him looking, he smiles wider and gleefully stomps his way through a puddle. Sings, “If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I’d like to do…”

D.C. al Coda (The Flash; Barrison;  Harrison edges closer, until Barry is close enough to touch, and reaches out to take Barry’s jaw in hand. It’s tacky and cool against his palm, from sweat, tears, or both. He tilts Barry’s chin up in a testing sort of way, willing him to open his eyes. “Barry,” he says, gently. “Look at me.”)

it began with stones (DA; Fenhawke;  Everyone knows that the blight started in Ferelden.)

darling, you gotta let me know (Stranger Things; Nancy/Steve/Jonathan; 6,120 words) Jonathan’s room is messy the same way that Steve’s is. There are dirty socks and shirts and underwear strewn across the floor. Cassette tapes litter the desk like miniature landmines. There’s a notebook open on his bed, a textbook and a pencil beside it. He must have been studying when Steve knocked. 

   Binary Sunset (SW; Reylo; 1,747 words) Center stage, Rey holds herself as still as a statue. Spine straight, toes pointed, already in first position. They’ve done something to her eyelashes, softened all her hard edges, from the jut of her jaw to the point of her nose. She glitters, from her feathered bodice to her flowing skirts, a bright glint of white in the dark.He doesn’t think that anyone else has noticed that she’s trembling.

Nine fics. I don’t even want to know how many words.

Best story I wrote this year: darling, you gotta let me know. It was the first fic that I was proud of from the get go this year.

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest. Ramble On. It had all of the weird dreaminess of Time In a Bottle without the Inception feel. I ended up rereading it on the plane back to Ohio and liked it so much more than I did when I was writing it.

Okay, NOW your most popular story. darling, you gotta let me know, hands down. It’s the first fic to get over a 1000 kudos since I stopped writing Teen Wolf. I mean, of the nine fics that I wrote this year pretty much every one of them is from a smaller fandom. I think the only reason this one got as popular as it did was because I published it right after Stranger Things got big and I was one of the three people who had written for the pairing. Story of mine most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion: it began with stones, probably? I usually have a definite answer for this question, but this one was strange as it is. Dragon Age/In the Flesh fusion with Hawke as a zombie? Kinda weird. I don’t mind that it got a small reception, but it fits the most.

Most fun story to write: Another Love. I had a ton of fun playing with that whole concept. Barry going back in time to when Eobard was playing at being Wells was a fucking gift.

Story that could have been better? All of them? Technically? I’m still not entirely pleased with how  time in a bottle turned out, but I ramped that one up in my head for so long that I’ll probably never be satisfied with it.

Story I wrote to fix things: Pretty much all of my Flash fics were written to make something better. Ramble On and time in a bottle were both written to satisfy my need for there to be a current-timeline paradox Thawne still out there, tucked away in the speedforce, just biding his time. Hell, all of the God Complex series were written because I wanted to rewrite or add bits to an episode to suit my shipper heart.

Oddest story: it began with stones. In the Flesh. Dragon Age. Kind of weird. But my brain went, what would Jen like for her birthday? Okay, she likes Dragon Age. And she likes zombies. How can I write zombies in a way that I haven’t written them yet? Oh, I know! Hardest story to do: Okay, so it isn’t on here, but the Sabriel AU is what I’ve really been suffering through. I hit a point and wasn’t able to overcome it, which is why it still isn’t done. I’m hoping to read Goldenhand and the rest of the Like Young Gods series sometime this month and we’ll see if it inspires anything. Easiest story to write? I struggled with pretty much everything I wrote this year except for  Another Love. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it just so happens to be the only fic I wrote before I gave up smoking.

Most mining of your own history in one story: Pretty much none of them. D.C. al Coda has a lot of my experiences with grief, but that’s about it.

Themes, or absence thereof: Pretty much ‘heroes and villains make out’. Or in the case of Hawke and Fenris... rivalmancy. Where did you publish/archive your stories? Ao3, as per usual. Story I haven’t yet written, but intend to: I have nixed pretty much all of my Teen Wolf projects. I would like to say that at some point I’ll finish the Bioshock Infinite AU and the Carmilla one, just because I have so much written of it already, but I don’t know. I do know that I want to finish the Sabriel AU and I currently have a weirdly one-sided Julian/Barry fic, a Prompto/Noctis pining fic, and several Stargate Atlantis fics that I want to finish. Oh, and maybe the Yuri on Ice soulmate AU if I can make the idea hang around long enough to get to.

Sexiest moment (excerpt): He slides the palms of his hands up her sides, ghosting them up and over her ribs, framing them, feeling where the softness of skin and muscle gives way to hard bone where her rib cage starts, how each breath she takes pushes her body more firmly into his hands. She makes a noise when he reaches her breasts, shuddering when he cups them, even through the fabric.

“Please,” she breathes, and Jonathan hesitates, unsure of what she wants.

“Here,” Steve murmurs, taking hold of Jonathan’s hands once more. He guides them to the buttons of Nancy’s blouse and pauses, waiting, as Jonathan undoes them himself, his touch sliding down Jonathan’s forearms then back up again.

Jonathan pushes the blouse from Nancy’s shoulders, watching the blush that blooms under his eyes, going from her throat clear to her navel. Her cheeks are flushed too, her eyes black and wanting.

Steve lets go of him, maybe realizing that Jonathan won’t be of much help at this moment, and his hands vanish around Nancy’s sides, quick and darting. It isn’t until he’s helping her pull her bra loose that Jonathan even realizes what he’s done.

Steve’s hands go back to his, guiding them to Nancy’s breasts. The skin is firm and supple, and so very warm. Her nipples pull tight when his hand brushes them. Steve leans close to Jonathan’s ear, and whispers, “Touch her.”

Crackiest moment (excerpt): Outside, it’s raining. The air is heavy with humidity, heat pressing down on his back like something alive. Barry walks down the street, feet bare against the wet asphalt. Thunder rumbles threateningly in the distance. A bird sings, and a street over, another joins it. Everything is green and damp. It smells real. Would a dream smell real?

Halfway down the street, a second pair of feet join his. The person they belong to is silent, doggedly following him down the road. Barry doesn’t have to turn to know who his newest phantom is.

“Are you going to sing at me too?”

“Do you want me to sing to you?” Thawne asks.

Barry glances at him, frowning unhappily. He’s wearing Wells’ face again, a familiar little half-smile playing around his lips. His suit is wet. It isn’t the suit — not the yellow one — just a regular one. Plain. Black. The fabric clings to his shoulders and his hair is dripping in his eyes. His feet are bare too, and somehow it feels wrong to see them, the fine slender bones gleaming wetly. Too intimate.

Barry swallows and looks away, but even when he concentrates, it refuses to change. Figures, that even in a dream Thawne would cause him grief. When Barry doesn’t reply, Thawne playfully hums a few bars of something vaguely familiar.

Barry looks back at him, and when Thawne sees him looking, he smiles wider and gleefully stomps his way through a puddle. Sings, “If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I’d like to do…”

Favorite dialogue (excerpt): “At least,” Eobard interrupts, thoughtfully tapping his finger against his lips. Slowly, he starts to grin. “Not everything. So, Mr. Allen, I’ll ask you again. What do you want?”

The answer is written all over Barry’s face. There’s a story there, behind the pain, the grief, the hopeless lust, and it’s one that Eobard knows he’ll get to live out himself over the course of the next year. He wonders just how many times he fucked this boy before the truth came out. The boy — his Barry — already loves him. Not like this, of course, not yet, but a hero worshiping kind that he’s had since day one.

“Well?” He coaxes, eyes widening. “I’m waiting.”

Barry wets his lips convulsively and swallows, his adam’s apple working. He tugs on the cuff, halfheartedly, mouth turned downwards. He didn’t expect this. Maybe he’d expected closure. Or maybe he’d convinced himself that all he really needed was the formula. But he wants this. And Eobard’s going to make him say it.

“I want you,” he confesses unhappily, a charming pucker between his brows. His eyes dart back up, not shying away for once, to meet Eobard’s. A little bit of steel creeps into his expression again, and Eobard wants to applaud him all over again. What a beautiful creature he’s created.

“Just you,” he adds, just as quiet and unhappy, but with a dawning comprehension. “Eobard Thawne.”

A shiver crawls down his spine, dick twitching in his pants. God, it’s good to hear that name again. “Oh, Mr. Allen,” he breathes. “Say it again, won’t you?”

Favorite lines (excerpt):

Jonathan had known that they’d done this before. After all, he was sort of a witness to it. But up close it’s something else, it’s poetry in motion, the way that Nancy’s head tips back, the bead of sweat that slides down the tip of Steve’s nose, how her legs wrap around his waist, her small feet locking at the dip of Steve’s spine.

It’s beautiful, and his fingers itch for his camera, so he fumbles around beside him, stretching his arm out to his desk until he catches the strap and can tug it into his hands. He watches them through the lens of his camera for a moment before he gets up the courage to touch, tapping Steve with his foot and then gesturing with the camera, head cocked.

Can I?

Steve’s entire face transforms when he laughs, going bright with emotion. He nudges Nancy until she glances over and then she’s laughing too, and they’re both nodding.

He catches them both mid laugh, naked limbs flung around each other. And then he catches the moment that the laughter turns to something else, mouths half-parted in breathless pleasure. He catches the curve of Nancy’s breast and the freckle behind Steve’s ear, and then he waits, breathless, for the right moment.

He waits and waits, and the moment that they both go still, bodies shaking with pleasure, mouth caught on soundless moans-

Click.

He swallows, lowering the camera as it spits the picture out with a hiss, and holds it in his hand, watching them. Their eyes are closed, breathless little smiles across their faces, sweat on their brows. Steve hasn’t even pulled out of her.

Click.

Fic goals: Finish Sabriel AU. That’s it. My only other writing-related goal is to get out of this funk, write something big (which will hopefully be the Sabriel AU) and something original. Fingers crossed.