#it’s one of my favorite things to write in terms of characters exploring the complexities and depths that come with them

[starteas]

I got a comment on the pilot that said they were happy to see that Felicity wasn’t just a one note mean girl, but showed that she had her own struggles and anxieties as well, which was nice to read.

I wouldn’t say I’m making anything groundbreaking when it comes to Lumi— it’s the furthest thing from that, actually— but I’m really happy that I managed to at least show off everyone’s characters in a way that showed they were much more than what they were presented as (as tropey as they might seem).

[waggtoon]

Why Maud Pie is Autistic

In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, I wanted to write a piece about one of my favorite autistic characters, Maud Pie.

For those of you who don't know, Maud Pie is Pinkie Pie's older sister from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Now while there hasn't been any official confirmation that this character is autistic, there's actually a lot of hints that she is throughout her time on the show. Heck, in her first episode there's a ton of hints this is the case.

First off is that Maud tends to take a lot of things literally, not getting certain phrases and metaphors. Which is a trait common amongst autistic people (trust me, I know).

Maud is also shown having certain behaviors or reactions to things that others perceive as a joke, much to her confusion (again, something I'm familiar with).

There are also a few scenes in the show where Maud is seen fidgeting with her pet rock Boulder (or other rocks she finds). Often Autistic people fidget as a way to deal with strong emotions like stress, anxiety, or just boredom.

Probably the biggest hint towards Maud being autistic is that she has a special interest. Autistic people have special interests that they will hyper focus on. In Maud Pie's case, it's obviously rocks. She knows nearly every single fact about rocks, she writes poetry about rocks (they're all about rocks), and would go on to college to study geology, where she would, in the show's terms; "get a rocktorate in rock science."

There's also the fact that Maud is stated by Pinkie and shown to be very honest, like many autistic people she tells the truth even when saying said truth can be seen as rude.

I should note that while the rest of the mane six had a bit of trouble clicking with Maud the first time they met her they eventually got a better understanding of her and Maud herself would become more sociable as the series continued forming friendships with various other characters.

Personally I think one of the biggest hints that Maud is autistic comes from Issue 29 of My Little Pony: Friends Forever comic series from IDW. Now I know some people will probably interject "Hey! The comics aren't canon!" and to that I'm gonna reply to that with what official MLP artist Andy Price once stated "[the comics] are considered continuity until the show contradicts them." I don't recall anything from the show stating that this story didn't happen, so it's still part of the canon!

Anyways, in this story Rarity meets up with Maud at a "Geological and Gemological" convention where they find out that a large cave system with gems has recently been discovered under the Crystal Mountain Range and that the first pony to explore the caves will receive full credit for the discovery. Rarity brings up the idea of Maud going to the caverns, though it doesn't appear that Maud is that excited.

It is at this point another pony named Buried Treasure who is Maud's rival enters the picture, claiming she will get to the cave first to claim the credit for the discovery.

As Rarity and Maud go on their journey to get to the caverns, Rarity tries to get Maud to be more emotive and passionate, but it doesn't appear to be working.

Later on just as they're about to get close to the caves, Buried Treasure ends up burning a bridge they need to cross (torch and all) which appears to put a stop to their adventure. Rarity states how this doesn't seem to be a big loss as Maud doesn't appear to be upset, and is about to write in her diary, only to accidentally open Maud's diary instead. Maud insists that Rarity should read it, which leads us to the big reveal.

It turns out that Maud does have feelings, she gets emotional about a ton of stuff, she just isn't able to show it physically, but she's able to via writing. This is something I relate to big time. I don't have as much trouble expressing my emotions as Maud does, but at the same time, I often have difficulty expressing my full thoughts and more complex feelings via talking, though in my own head or when I write them out, I suddenly feel a whole lot more comfortable and I'm more easily able to get them out (it's one reason why this essay is a blog post and not a video).

(By the way, in case you're wondering, they do end up getting to the gem caverns first. Maud does this by breaking a hole in the wall. She's very strong.)

Going onto another subject, in 2023 Lauren Faust (the creator of Friendship is Magic) confirmed on Twitter that she created Pinkie Pie with the idea that she would be neurodivergent (more specifically ADHD).

Now while ADHD isn't the same as Autism, the two are often linked, as many people who are diagnosed with one will often be diagnosed with the other. So it's very likely that Pinkie Pie has autism as well. She does have several autistic traits, like misunderstanding more complex things, having a special interest in parties to where she can memorize everyone's birthday amongst several other party related facts, heck, even her occasional bouncing and wiggling around could be seen as a kind of stimming (possible essay for later: "Is Pinkie Sense a form of stimming that can predict the future").

Now there may be a few of you that may say, "But WaggToon, Maud and Pinkie can't both have autism, they're completely different. It doesn't make sense!" To which I say, "Yes it does" because there's more than just one kind of autism. Autism can effect people differently, some people might have difficulty with loud noises, others don't, some people like to follow a specific routine, others like to be more unpredictable, some people are more introverted and quiet, other's are a lot more extroverted and love to be loud and crazy (do those last two sound familiar?).

Maud and Pinkie might not be the only autistic representation here, over the years I've seen several arguments from fans stating that certain characters could be part of the spectrum. Twilight Sparkle because she likes to follow the rules, Starlight Glimmer because she has a special interest in kites, Rainbow Dash because she has trouble paying attention, amongst several others! I could be here all day going over why multiple characters could be considered to be autistic. That's one reason why My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has such a huge autistic following, because we see ourselves in these characters.

I'm probably closer to a Pinkie Pie than I am a Maud Pie, but I still remember when I first saw Maud in her debut episode, there was just something about her that made me go "Ah yes, this is me. I feel seen."

Happy Autism Acceptance Month everybody. Remember to be like Maud and rock on.

[uniquethingtastemaker]

It's all ir nothing (I say as I obsess over characters instead of studying math)

Jade is one of characters I find most interesting in twisted wonderland, but I also like Floyd, Malleus, Idia (my long lost twin), and obv Vil

Rook is also interesting, in his own ways

Moooooood. Escapism at its finest. I understand and relate lol (this turned out to be way longer than i expected but this is fine lol. Also low key off adhd meds but we still posting anyways)

Jade is an amusing character. He's hilarious. I love how he teases and pokes fun at Azul. His sense of humor is entertaining. He has such cute and fun quirks. Sometimes they’re deadly (rmushrooms), but that’s part of the fun

Floyd is entertaining. Ngl, in Azul’s Dreaming of You, he’s the best side character. He's the MVP. He’s so fun to write for. However, I’m curious to see how he’d act in a serious situation or in true emotional distress. @solxamber did a fantastic job in her "Let's Break Up" series, so I intend to talk to her and dissect her thoughts lol

Malleus was a character @solxamber got me into lol. While he isn’t my favorite, he’s a fantastic central character in the canon story. He’s very cool. I want to figure out some ancient fae magic to help him keep track of time. I aim to at least assist the man in finding a long-term solution to his time management problem in my fanfics

Vil! I love him so much! It’s why I put him in his place in every fanfic he's in. Actually, in Rook x Observant Reader, he's the main reason the couple doesn't get together faster. It's nothing nefarious. Rook and Reader just have a silent agreement that Vil takes priority. Our favorite model needs help, and he's on a time limit. Besides, both of them care deeply about their friends, which is so sweet. It just goes to show how much love and attention I put into Vil in this fanfic. I hope that Vil lovers will like it just as much as Rook fans. Perhaps I can convert people into appreciating our favorite hunter more... According to my friends, I'm very persuasive

I'm also trying to ensure that the audience doesn't fall in love with Vil romantically in Rook x Observant Reader. I hate when that happens. I'll go back and check. From what I remember (bro, this thing is so long, I forget stuff. I go back to read parts of it and pause, because I don't remember writing that. However, it's good, so I'm not complaining. The surprise keeps the fanfic fresh and interesting. It’s just wild), I do a good job of establishing a familial bond. I mean, you saw the Vil milf post. That man is the mom of the group and it shows. Even when Vil gets his act together, Reader still throws in a friendly jab. To me, it signals "we're friends now, so I get to bully you." Besides, I ensure that any emotional scene between Vil and Reader, Rook plays a key role. I hope that comes across, but I will review it

Oh, I'll also say that Vil's Dreaming of You is one of my favorites so far. I'm so intense about this fanfic. Every time I think about it, I burst at the seams because I'm so excited. It's so good. It's delicious. Again, I fangirl any time I think about it. However, Riddle's and Azul's are coming out first. I made a promise and I'm honoring that lol

Idia is relatable on a spiritual level. He's my boyfriend's favorite, which makes sense. He's a mechanical engineer who likes video games and anime... However, Idia is funnier than my boyfriend... I'm the funny one in our relationship. He made the mistake of saying I was funny once, and now I hold it over him. I never say he's funny. I always say he's cute when he make me giggle

I have some of Idia's Dreaming of You. I know, it's a new one/update! It's comedy-oriented, and I love it. When I think about this one, I laugh.

Rook! My spirit animal lol. If you can't tell, I love Rook. I'm writing a novella or novelette for him, so... I think it shows how dedicated I am. He's a complex and interesting character. In my Rook x Observant Reader, I aim to uncover and explore the intricacies of it

I also have the concept of Rook's Dreaming of You... When it's next to the Observant Reader fanfic, it pales in comparison. However, it is still well written and amazing. I had to really dissect his dream and the intent behind it. At its core, what does it say about Rook, what does he value, and what makes him happy? I explain and show that in the fanfic. However, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. I'm always curious

Also, thank you for interacting with me! Sorry, this is so late lol. Been busy with real life. However, I love talking with people with the same interests as me, so keep the interactions and comments coming!

[jonathanspenguinboxers]

pls rank your top circle characters, if you’ve already done it, just pretend i never said anything

Ok so I have different lists. Favorite characters, and most interesting, and a couple of others. I’m gonna do most interesting here, because someone else asked me favorites. This is one of my favorite posts and it took me so long omg. Basically turned into a character analysis but thats my whole fun with the circle. Lmk what you guys think about them too! What you agree or disagree with. I honestly don't like this ranking because theyre all top 3 for me, I am exceedingly fascinated by all of them

1. Valentine. Obviously. I want to pick his brain and how he became the way he is. His ideals, convictions, the radical belief in his cause and complete hypocrisy. So interesting to me, I could talk about him forever. Perfect foil to the narrative, and a perfect microcosm of choice, why it matters so much, how you ALWAYS have choice, and how it is not your experiences or past that define you, rather how you choose to keep going, and he simply chose to abide by fear, anger, and grief instead of processing it. I think its imperative to understand what his character represents beyond the obvious faults of fascism, bigotry, and prejudice, because you can get so much more from him. I could write essays on him and I will. But what an important character to understand the purpose of. Perfect foil. Perfect villain. I'm not putting all my thoughts here because it would get too long.

2. Luke. I adore that he was the only one in the circle forced to his knees by becoming a werewolf to live that life and come to terms on such a deep level. How fucking insane and beautiful to have a world and narrative that allows you to put your characters directly in the spot of their deepest prejudice. This is honestly the only punishment I see fit for the circle members, death is too easy. I love that he had to know true violence to become who we know him during TMI. That his peace and calmness is a choice, since he is certainly and familiar with great violence. I love his journey, the grief, the isolation and growth, how after everything he still chooses to be kind, actively makes that choice, and remains empathetic, having a wider range now with both experiences, but that doesn't mean he would end up with it, he chose it. I love you Luke Garroway. Morally grey, still does things that shouldn't be (killing the werwolf leader to get the pack, while yes it was to protect Clary and Jocelyn and that is how packs usually handle it, he still has the power to bargain, offer help in exchange for protection, etc) But still, I think that makes him complex and imperfect and he still has a ways to go. He is the perfect foil to Valentine, with their dynamic of choice, and I could go into that forever as well. Chefs kiss Cassie.

3. Jocelyn. She's just really mysterious to me honestly. A lot of her actions are swept away or shifting blame onto Valentine, and overall I've never been able to pin her exactly. I really need to reread because now that I'm not 12 I'll probably be able to pick up more 😭 Still, shes incredibly complex and exceedingly interesting to me. Her actions, behaviors, especially the confliction relationship between her and Sebastian. I can't get enough of her. I almost put her as 2, but ultimately I know more about Luke and find his werewolf dilemma so fun (for me)

4. Robert. He's fascinating. His psyche, his choices, his growth during TMI and between. He's incredibly imperfect and a very broken man, but what do I love more? He's not as mysterious to me as the other three, I feel like I have a way better grasp on him as a whole, but still, I love writing him, his interactions, etc. I find mostly his perpetual defense of giving up his moral compass to Valentine, the clave, etc very interesting and want to explore that a lot. I love to make him my punching bag ❤️

5. Maryse. She was the most invested in the circle. Her relationship with Valentine seemed particularly strong or at least different. Out of everyone else she was the most convicted in the cause and I really want to know why.

6. Stephen. I actually really like Stephen. I want to poke him with a sharp stick. I really want to be in his brain, why when he seemed to have a loving household he still felt the need to join the circle (its because most shadowhunters would have/will, prejudice is so engrained in the culture that the circle was only taken down because they started killing shadowhunters and it was simply an extension of the clave and shadowhunter culture and Stephen, even despite being a more healthy child is still surrounded by this propaganda and it takes nothing, especially in a war driven society where things like Jem's story happens but whatever) why he was so morally weak, leaving the woman he loves, marrying one he didn't, staying when he explicitly knew Valentine would kill him. His psyche is so fucked. I love his character because he wasn't dealt that bad of a hand and it just goes to show that its your choices that make you, and EVERYONE has a choice, for either direction, always. He chose wrong, again and again, against his better judgement, will, and peace of mind. And how interesting is that

7. Celine. Sad that I put her this low, actually everyone feels low because I am extremely interested in all of them in different ways. I do feel like I have a grasp on her very well, its similar to Hodge, where she is compliant to her trauma and lives by the fear of confronting it, so instead she searches for connection, fullfillment, etc everywhere but inside of herself and therefore gives away her power and choice. Everyone does it. Not to this extreme, but in a way, everyone can be like Celine, whether your giving up your power to food, relationships, patterns, belief systems, helplessness or if your like me the victim mentality, etc, and so I think shes just an imperative character to understand and use as a tool to reflect. Shes devastating, and unfortunately this happens too often in real life, that people are convinced they must sacrifice for their happiness or else they are undeserving. Also why it is so important to have community (TO NOT FUCKING BEAT YOUR CHILDREN) and to build safe spaces for the youth for them to grow and self actualize so that no one, espeically the disturbed and broken, can take advantage of them.

8. Amatis. Similar to Stephen. She has a victim complex, she is not set in her convictions, she chooses her actions with no real bad hand (When I say bad hand, I mean someone like Celine who was explicitly going through an extremely abusive and traumatic experience) yes, she was abandoned, she was neglected, but she had Luke, and it was never implied that they struggled to eat or that they had a turbulent childhood in general besides their parents leaving. I like her selfishness and her fear a lot, I especially like how she betrayed Luke and still goes to clave meetings while having no real opinion and never speaking up. Its real. Its because shes hurt. Its human. Its wrong. I love it! I love when women get to be real people without being villains. Was she a good person? Who cares. Not the point. Shes human and she represents that side of trauma. I could explore all of this about her forever, and I wished she had lived to keep growing, mainly, likeeveryone else, I wish she was turned into a downworlder and forced to experience that. It would force her to grow, because she is so determined to avoid it.

9. Hodge. I am very interested him I just feel like I know him. I know why he did it, I have my speculations on his character, and theres not so much complexity to him, he is just a broken, neglected kid who was found by the wrong person and attached to his attention. I know you Hodge. I really like his character as a character, its a great representation of this kind of trauma and what happens when it goes unchecked and why it is SO important to ensure the youth are not neglected, and that they have the access to good influence, in fact I think it applies heavily to society nowadays (the rise of shootings and the implications of WHY that is becoming more prevalent) which is why I'm so adamant on critiquing the circle since it parallels a lot of reality, especially now but thats neither here nor there, I love writing about Hodge, I love analyzing him, I just love others more.

10. Michael. I just feel like out of everyone he has the most simple(not the right word idk) conundrum. I don't think he's not interesting, I just think the others are more interesting. I still really like how he marries Eliza after being in the circle, even dating her while being in it, how he could have grown afterwards if he was already entertaining other ideas. I think that had a lot of material to go with it, but we know so little about him unless it has to do with Robert

[drowninglilys]

This might be a just me thing but when I see people who think Mikasa is a poorly written female character (she is NOT and I could give you a list of reasons that would be higher than Mount Everest why she is my favorite in the show), they don’t expand on it. They say she had wasted potential and move on and it’s usually male character fans or m/m shippers.

I have nothing against the two of them. I like a lot of m/m in attack on titan but I don’t like the ones that frame Mikasa as “the mom” “the villain” or “so done with her silly boys”. I wouldn’t say I’m a canon male character fan since I hc Armin as nonbinary or transfemme but Armin is still my second favorite so in a way I am.

My problem is that if you are going to say Mikasa has wasted potential, why don’t you elaborate why? Give me five different ways her story could end and an in depth analysis of what you could do better, besides complaining, slapping a lesbian label on her and doing nothing else. I beg you to delve deeper into her character and explore all facets of it.

she is my favorite, and yes at times she is underutilized and I don’t blame her fans for getting angry that she doesn’t have more to do. But in terms of fans, I think it has to stem from a lot of internalized misogyny and subtle racism the aot fandom has towards her. Because while yes, she is complex to understand, she is perhaps one of the most frustratingly beautiful characters I have come across in media.

I have so many hcs for her, so many ideas of how to elevate her story, and yet I see people pushing the same “tired girlboss” troupe that they have for years. Let her fuck up for once! Let female characters be insane or evil like the male characters are! She isn’t a girlboss! She’s a traumatized, elite solider who never had a proper childhood and is stuck in a codependent, abusive relationship with the same man who saved her from child traffickers! Writing Mikasa Ackerman as the “mom” in your m/m really tires me out because we all know that while she is protective, she preheats Trader Joe’s microwave frozen on a good day and has ice soup on a bad day. Yes, she is pretty, yes she is my sweetie honey pie angel bear, but she deserves your time as much as Eren does. I just wish there were more Mikasa blogs dedicated to this amazing female character. And I wish for a minute that people would pay attention to her more instead of just saying she’s “under utilized”. Because while she is, I need people to also understand they need to like female characters more. And then to do something other than eating their vegetables

The real Mikasa fans know she has autism and bpd but sadly those aren’t explored in fics. And my fics with her would scare people *gulp*.

Altough she is a lesbian to me and in a happy polycule with historia, Annie and Armin

[red-riot-unbreakable-heart]

Shoto's First Kiss Timeline? Idk let's plot it out together

Gif Caption: Me and Shoto sitting together on the train, vibing. 💕

Hi All!!

If you're a fan of the Shoto's First Kiss series, Chapter 5 dropped at like 3:30 am EST this morning because I am an absolute HEATHEN and decided to have a late night/early morning editing session for 3 hours before posting. This was fun because I decided to add the whole Lisa Frank phone background scene for kicks and add a little more build up to the smut scene (I love a slowish burn...what can I say!?).

@brie-is-cheesy had some great questions in the comments of Chapter 5, I'm going to post it below and answer the best I can! I don't have a full answer to everything and I'm taking some ✨creative liberties ✨ here and there but lets see if I can clear some things up for my lovely readers!

Hiiiii, totally loved it; I was wondering when this is set? Like the timeline, I just got confused I'll leave the list of confusing things about the timeline,, I wrote about how much I love this in my reblog cuz this is awesome!! -since bnha is set in the mid to late 2100s I was wondering if the older songs they're listening to will include songs that are relatively new for us as of now? -when does this occur? Like you mentioned they're in their first year, and its after they've moved into the dorms but it's nearing the summer of next year, so is it after the war arc, or after the events of bnha entirely? Just wanted to ask! Thank you for the update!!<3 - brie-is-cheesy

Okay these are FAB questions and honestly I can't give you a straight answer to all of them!

Here's the background: So this story started out as a one shot - this past year, Shoto hasn't been one of my main MHA favorites. When I started the Red Riot Unbreakable Heart blog, my goal was to focus on what I've been calling "My Big Three." This includes Kirishima (lol thus my username), Hakws, and Hitoshi Shinsou (I love me an emo man). I was sprinkling in smutty one shots here and there involving other characters (ex. BakuDeku Smut: Hooking Up At A Pro Hero Gala and Beneath the Bookshelves | BakuDeku ). Shoto was one of those random one offs that I was like, huh why not!? But then I published Shoto's First Kiss (Part One) this one shot about Reader x Shoto totally took off in a way I wasn't expecting. Shoto resonates a lot with you all and the more I started writing for him, the more I grew to love him. He's so complex and in need of love and care. He has so much capacity for love!! I wanted to explore that more and figure out how he would act in his first encounters with intimacy and relationships. So I kept posting chapters, and started plotting out this wild story!

Timeline: When I started writing the one shot, I wanted the story to ambiguously take place in the 2nd or 3rd year when the characters were a little older. I was kind of working it in an AU where the war had vaguely happened and was over but everyone is okay and no one was injured/died/had their quirk impacted by AFO. In the context of Shoto's First Kiss chapter one - the war doesn't matter (at least if you re-read it I hope you don't find any plot holes mentioning the war!?). Also I have tried to say "Class A" instead of "Class 1A" because as I wrote more chapters, I still hadn't figured out what year we are in here.

Now that we're world building and have a more fleshed out story, here's what I'm thinking. Bare with me, we are going to need to suspend some disbelief here and I might need to go back and make some tweaks to previous chapters to keep everything in line with this line of thinking. But let's say this:

Timeline: The timeline takes place in the character's 1st year. I just combed through this timeline of MHA that someone put together on Reddit. I'm thinking this likely takes place at the end of Term 1. Final exams are coming up, and the students have heard a little about the training camp. Most of the MHA events so far are probably cannon in my fic universe, unless otherwise mentioned. The great thing for me is - most of MHA is in the context of Izuku's experiences, so there's a lot of wiggle room in the timeline for what could be happening between Shoto x The Reader. I haven't decided if the current chapters take place before or after Shoto/Izuku/Ida's encounter with Stain, because I can see some interesting plot points coming from that. I'll think about it!! This may change, but for purposes of continuity I think this could work as I move forward with my plotting!

Age: All the characters are at least 16. Let's just roll with that and take some creative liberties here. I'm aging everyone up.

The Dorms: In this fic universe, I pictured the students moving into the dorms at the start of the year. Like the dorms are just part of the normal UA experience - for all intents and purposes it's a boarding school.

The Songs: Okay this is a really interesting idea! I am literally just putting in playlists of music I like right now, I didn't think much about modern music flowing into the story. Lol would Honenuki listen to BRAT!? Maybe. I love him and think of him as a sweet chill cinnamon roll of a dude, though. I think he would be scandalized by Guess Featuring Billie Eilish. Or maybe he'd love it. He'd def love Chappell Roan, though. Dude is a sloot for Red Wine Super Nova and I just know it!

The Vibe: @ all of my beloved readers - I realize that this story means a lot to people, and I love that!! Even though we explore complex and serious subject matter at times, this is still a goofy silly story that I write for fun! Please don't hold me to these ideas that I'm throwing out in a semi-public brainstorm. I am but a simple fanfic writer who churns out most of the Shoto pages at midnight after I work two jobs. Shoto's First Kiss is a project that I write purely for fun and to build community with other adult MHA fans. I'm not like going to publish this as a book or put it on Patr*on behind a paywall or something. So let's keep it light! That being said, I love interacting with everyone so if there are fun questions that you think would be interesting for me to answer in this story, let me know! I'm very open to hearing thoughts and considering new ideas here :)

Update!!! *2/2/25* | Hitoshi Shinsou is in Class A. He was transferred in earlier in the year. Don't question it...just go with it. We love Hitoshi. Hitoshi belongs in Class A. Class A also currently has 22 students because I've decided the war hasn't happened yet in my AU timeline. So students #21 and #22 are Y/N and Hitoshi, respectively.

Okay okay SORRY FOR SO MUCH INFO! Thanks again @brie-is-cheesy for being so thoughtful in your reading and for asking these great questions! This is def going to help me guide the next few chapters of the story as I plot things out and as we get a satisfying next chapter in The Party arc. I'm going to post this reply on my Master List so we can all keep track of it and come back to it easily if needed.

As always, thanks for reading!! Sending good vibes to all ☺️

XOXO,

Red Riot Unbreakable Heart ❤️

Shoto's First Kiss Series:

Part 1: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋

Part 2: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 2

Part 3: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 3

Part 4: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 4

Part 5: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 5

My Master List

Red's Recos: If you're looking for more fun smutty stories from my writing desk, I'll share 3 of my all time favorites from my Master List. These are all fairly long and have a lot of sexual tension/build up with some satisfying smut scenes:

How to Suck Your Best Friend’s D*ck 🍆💋

BakuDeku Smut: Hooking Up At A Pro Hero Gala

A Long, *Hard* Night with Eijiro Kirishima

[allfrogsmatter]

2, 15, and 17 if you'd like to!

yayyy!! thank you!! this might be an essay but uh.. i'm having fun writing it so!

2. how would you describe your style?

hmmm this is a tough one.. i think my style heavily depends on the story i’m telling and the characters it revolves around, but right now for sure i’d say moody and a bit dramatic (mostly in terms of color and lighting).

i’ve always leaned towards high contrast and over saturated colors (esp. for this story) and find myself constantly juggling contrast, exposure, and color mixing. i tend to take my screenies quite saturated and dark, then i realize when editing and have to go lighten and desaturate, but then i add in highlights and shadows to really up the dramatic visuals and end up coming away with something quite orange and quite bold (i’m still trying to find that balance somewhere).

but i do love this question because my style now is so completely different than for the hayes legacy! i think that one i tried to make my preset (editing preset since i had no reshade and limited skills) rather light and a bit faded to give both a sort of ethereal quality and the image of age so it would feel a bit more like stepping into the past without removing color entirely (because i do love to play with color). i think especially in the 1940s i was starting to try and incorporate more of those technicolor vibes using bright reds and teals and yellows that very much say midcentury to me, whereas in wasteland babes i’m much more drawn to darker, harsher colors to really ground scenes in reality.

15. who is your current favorite sim that is not by you?

can i do one for every simblr i follow? LMAO everyone on here is so talented and make their characters so endearing ❤️ i also draw a lot out of other peoples' characters to inspire my own (plagiarism???) so i really tend to love characters that are super complex and layered (and SO MANY of you guys' are!)

but anyway i will always have a soft spot for eli from @alxandergoth’s occult legacy (charlie too ofc). but eli really sparked my excitement in reimagining wasteland babes in a modern setting because underneath the surface he is actually very similar to reed. reed is definitely a lot messier and has a very different temperament, but when it comes down to core issues, they protect themselves in similar ways. I think they also share a naivety (as teens) that they can have things both ways - they can have what they want but also keep up the mask they've been wearing, but neither realizes how that hurts people around them. (i could write an essay about how charlie and eli have inspired the modern versions of reed and jerry but that shall wait...)

i also have a MASSIVE soft spot for atlas by @elderwisp (team pisces!) I just love how messy and complicated he is, and how he makes horrible decisions but we still love him. there's something about a really profoundly complex character that just snatches my heart and the more we learn about his background the more i want to pinch his cheeks. i also find a lot of inspiration for reed and jerry in atlas (for reasons that shall be revealed). for one, reed and atlas both have complicated family dynamics. like atlas, reed has a very tense relationship with one parent that tends to really drive his feelings of inadequacy and shame, and though we haven't seen too much of it yet i think atlas's relationship with frances has helped me deepen the dynamics between reed and gene!

a few more characters i loved so much they inspired aspects of my characters -

ida by @caramellles has given me so much inspiration for chiquita as she gets a bit older and less naive

eden by @deykxn and kian by @lupuspluvio - two very different sims with very different stories, but they both in their own ways made me realize i really want to explore a trans character and their story, so that is a sidequest i'm incorporating (expect it in 1-5 business years - i already have the character mostly fleshed out, they just don't come into play until... uh... 2021 in my story)

ash from @duusheen has inspired a lot of aspects of jen's personality! they're both pretty girls who pretend not to care when they do and watching ash soften to pandora (a couple times) has helped me really dig into jen's more personal side!

and characters i love for the sake of them being really amazing characters:

EVERYONE by @aheathen-conceivably but ESPECIALLY Jo. Alexis could teach a masterclass on writing complicated characters we're mad at but love to death

ellie by @cupofcarolina a SWEETIE!! i feel like we are all collectively her aunties and uncles and want nothing but the best for her

lennon from @simswoon !!!! again i LOVE me a messy sim and seeing her story come around to where she is now, a mother of THREE!!! has been so lovely!! (also the aesthetics of lennon’s gen are so stunning to me all the time i love how much it feels like her)

17. do you talk about sims with people in real life?

yes and no... i mention it sometimes, but there's no one in my life who really cares to hear about all my characters and lore or the characters and lore from stories i'm obsessed with so at times i feel very lonely in my obsession (queue excessive rambling on simblr SJSJS)

apologies for the obsessive tagging! i just want to give credit where credit is due because i constantly marvel at how many amazing sims cross my dash every day

[not-poignant]

10, 14, and 25 for Faber?

10. What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

So, weirdly, I came up with a story idea for him but I like the story idea so much that he's going to get replaced with a new original character (though I suppose they're going to share some similarities!)

Honestly, Faber's such a solid "performer" that he'd be fun to lead any other story. I haven't come up with anything else specific to him, but any kind of situation where I can put that boy in distress is one that generally appeals to me, lmao. I've weirdly thought about crime scenarios with him, like, 'hypercompetent potential victim of a serial killer who comes under Caleb's protection and is really Mad About It except his life is in danger.' That kind of stuff is a lot of fun to think about!

14. How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?

Faber wants to be seen as competent but not as competent as he actually is, and generally otherwise, outside of Caleb, he doesn't want to be seen at all. But he's got complicated feelings about it! His feelings on being seen relate to how he devalues himself and also believes he's better off not trying for his goals or hoping for anything better, so it becomes part of a vicious cycle.

That being said, he was raised to be quiet and precise and skilled, and anything that requires him to break out from that makes him desperately uncomfortable. So if people perceive him as quiet, precise and skilled, he's in his comfort zone.

25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?

Honestly his potential right now. He's such a strong character in the sense that he can really carry a heavy, complex narrative. Not all of my characters can? Some are more suited to like single narrative arcs that aren't too complex (like say, Janusz and Nate, where I love their story, but it's not like Faber's where there's two million things going on).

Faber's the first character in a while actually, where I've felt this way, probably since Efnisien at the end of Spoils of the Spoiled? So I don't get this feeling for characters often, even my own. Like, it's been Gwyn, Augus, Mosk, Efnisien, Flitmouse and now Faber. And I think Faber is probably up on the same tier level for me personally as Gwyn, Augus and Efnisien in terms of how much I want to write him.

Which...for a new character that wasn't created within the Fae Tales verse or some fanfiction, is really exciting to me!

~

From the Edgy OCs meme!

[bvckbiter]

hello kai!! your recent post about ethan's backstory is sooo interesting ✨ can i ask about your thoughts on al's backstory too? 👀

trans ethan thoughts post in question

ive previously posted headcanons about al and ethabaster being trans here and here (ft. @m4gp13 hello bread, the two of us posting about t4t ethabaster is rlly just forks found in kitchen lmao)! but i’ll elaborate more from a meta/characterization standpoint, particularly this part from the first post:

there’s something so pleasing to me about sorcery being a (typically) female-associated craft but al deciding he’s going to do it his way, for his own ends.

something i find very fun about al in his short story is his bullheadedness in doing things his own way despite the circumstances, and i was thinking about how mythologically, most if not all of the prominent magic users are female and there’s almost this cultural connotation as magic being an underhanded, unnatural tool used for deception and abuse, doubly so when wielded by women. circe transmogrifies odysseus’ men into animals and medea kills her way into jason’s bed; it’s worth noting that they’re connected to hecate, too, both in the myths and rick’s iterations. adding insult to injury, lamia as his sister also happens to be the entire reason why demigods’ lives suck so much in the rrverse.

in a way that legacy of magic clashes with al’s entire perception of himself as a hero (“heroes never die, right?”) and his moral code in general. so i thought it would be interesting if he has to grapple with that and, in classic al fashion, he goes “no 💚” and entirely upends those notions as he comes into his own magic and his identity, with gender being one of its facets. he makes himself more of a warrior mage, creating combat spells and incantations, in contrast with his sisters’ more cunning brands of sorcery.

this is not to say that he’s more heroic or right for it, lest we go down the “feminine = bad” path; a lot of al’s appeal as a character for those who are fans of him is the fact that he’s so very stubborn about being wrong… he did work for a megalomaniac titan lord after all lol 😭 so this also does play into him being a bit of an egotist and a massive “mother’s favorite, mama’s boy, hecate’s messiah” complex. also i do hc that he loves leaning into femme/androgynous stuff and that he’s considerably more flamboyant than ethan LMAO so it’s really just him constructing masculinity on his own terms.

from a more plot-centered perspective, i think it’d also be fun if in creating/recreating himself and his magic so well, it leads into him dabbling in magics recklessly in the name of progress ala jayce and viktor in arcane; smth smth necessity is the mother of invention, but what cost are you really willing to pay for progress, how much can you afford to upset the preexisting order when it means it will cost other people’s lives, especially considering that son of magic ends with al and claymore going off to do “research.” what the research entails isn’t really specified, but for me, theres no way that al doesn’t try to look into undoing lamia’s curse, which… has CRAZY implications for the rrverse. (sighhhh i wish i had the consistent energy and time to actually write fics because i really do have so many thoughts about this)

also trans al has given rise to so many jokes and my favorite is the one about hecate’s kids actually being all rocks, and all the rocks are afab. assigned female at boulder

tldr al’s gender identity and expression is another fun manifestation/tool to explore his character, from how he wields his powers to his mindset about morality etc. ❤️

[perexcri]

fic recs!!

i woke up to being on a couple of fic rec lists and really appreciated it, so i wanted to capitalize on the nice energy and make a list of some of my own favs that i've read recently that i didn't necessarily see on the other lists :D check these out because they have some of the best prose/plots/characterization that i've read in the fandom :] 💜

one soft infested summer (M, 18k+, 3/7 ongoing) by @wheelersboy - this one is perfect for all the highler fans out there! it's got stoner byler of course, a music festival, lots out camping, and some really amazing writing! i started it just for the fun stoner vibes because Why Not, but i'm staying for the beautiful writing and the really complex and delicate relationship mike and will have in this one

Light Sleepers (T, 15k+, 2/6 ongoing) by @helioleti - WillEl-centric fic set during the time gap between the end of s3 and the beginning of s4 that explores their dynamic and their respective problems with mike, all while trying to cope with moving across the country from everything they know. each chapter is meant to reflect a certain stage of grief, which fits so well with all the complicated emotions everyone is going through!

drank my poison all alone (T, 4k, one-shot) by silverluminoqity - mike gets vecna'd and has to face his past self who's ashamed of who he's grown up to be, and my dudes the writing goes SO HARD. by far one of the best mike gets vecna'd fics i've read with such a good take on his character

star eater (T, >1k, one-shot) by @lowlightt - another fic where the writing does not play. honestly if you have a few minutes, READ THIS FIC. it's mostly just a confrontation between will and vecna, but it's so so powerful and impactful. and again, i cannot state it enough: the writing is AMAZING

tell me again (you said yes) (M, 32k, 3/3 complete) by @willow-lark - hey remember when cleradin was like a Thing for a brief second a few months ago? well if you miss those vibes, or if you just like great writing and some of the best weaving of canon into a fantasy au i've ever read, please look no further than this fic (and it's first part, fireball him! (cast protection)). i love this one dearly and enjoyed the wonderful ways Lark wove canon (specifically s1) into such a different setting, plus it was nice to see many of the other characters play a role in the events. beautiful, astounding, heart-wrenching - and did i mention there's an elopement 👀

In Undertow (M, 17k+, 3/6 on-going) by @souverian-are-we - this and one soft infested summer have become my summer byler reads~ when i say i love this fic, i mean you will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands 🥰 we've got estranged byler, jancy engagement with some stoncy going on in the background, and most of the characters still reeling from the consequences of their final battle with the upside down. it's all set at a lake house, which provides some breathtaking/atmospheric writing that this author uses to their advantage. it has some of my favorite scenes i've ever read in fic too, ones that have literally taken my breath away

california show your teeth (T, 77k+, 10/19 on-going) by @fireflywitch - what if the Byers and Hopper families were from Lenora and moved to Hawkins? this fic takes this one simple premise and turns it into one of my favorite fics i've ever had the pleasure of following along with. it essentially functions as a retelling of s1 and s2, gives almost every main character that's been featured in the show thus far a lot of time and space for their own plots, all while culminating into one larger story underneath. i don't think i've read a fic quite like this one in terms of its scope, plotting, and characterization, because there are a lot of moving parts, but this author goes above and beyond. i cannot recommend it enough

all i know is pouring rain (and everything has changed) (T, 3k, one-shot) by @willelfanpage - i think i read this one at the beginning of my workday while i was running some report on my computer and had to go about the rest of my day as if everything was fine ahah :'D seriously though, it's 3k words that pack an emotional punch all while examining will's relationship to rain. the writing is just gorgeous, and it's a character study that i haven't really seen done before, which was quite enjoyable~

Chasing Heartlines by (T, 7k+, 1/2 on-going) @cherryisgone - if you liked Tip-Toeing on Lilypads then may i direct you to its sequel, which features so much pining mike that he might as well be a tree? again, if you like cleradin/fantasy aus, then Cherry my beloved has you covered 💜 it fits so neatly with Lilypads and provides some fun contrast between will and mike~

Touch Me Like You Know Me (M, 15k, 4/4 complete) by @starsarefire824 - this exists in the rare pantheon of fics that actually made me cry. imagine an estranged byler reunion with all the emotions turned up to an eleven, and lots of lingering on lost time and how life sometimes takes us places we never thought we'd go. it's absolutely beautiful and is a classic to me :]

come back to me and forgive everything (T, 78k, 18/18 complete) by @howtobecomeadragon - i saw a lot about this one when it was on-going but am only just now getting around to reading it, and all i can say is why did it take me so long to get to it :') this author does such a good job of writing will and mike's relationship with a lot of nuance and complexity while still managing to make them feel like the teenagers they are. basically, will has to spend every july at lonnie's house in indianapolis, and for this summer in particular, the event is a lot more emotionally impactful for both mike and will. there's lots of emotional depth, the complexities of coming out and/or realizing you're queer, and, at the heart of it, how two friends try to mend things between each other. it's so soft and sweet

that's all i've got for now!! i'm quickly running out of time on my lunch break :'D also haven't been writing as much, but it's been fun to read more and relax a bit. hope you guys enjoy these because they're genuinely some of the best stuff i've had the pleasure to read in a while 💜💜💜

[fountainpenguin]

i know youve mentioned that the dimmadomes have adhd but are there other characters in your fics that are neurodivergent? :0 if that makes sense

It's not usually mentioned in-story, but here are some that have shown up in my writing:

Humans

- You brought up the Dimmadomes having ADHD/OCD comorbidity. They're some of my favorites just in terms of me developing those headcanons somewhat separately for each one of them... starting with Dale, not Dev, actually. But Dev was a logical conclusion afterwards.

Detail I think is cute: Both Dale and Dev like Sims games because they like building nice, organized things that are under their control (Yes, Dev does have a computer in his bedroom and I imagine he uses it mostly for games). Dev likes cleaning and organizing simulators. Dale played a LOT of Sims during the 50 years of frozen time. I like to think Sims was an awakening for teen Dale in terms of same-sex relationships, but he will never, ever tell you that. Come to think of it, there's no way boy x boy manga-loving Dev is not also exploring same-sex relationships through his Sims world. Like father, like son?

Realizing how funny it would be if Doug had ADHD and OCD and that's why he jumps from one business to another and why his dream in "Mooooving Day" is a suburbia of people dressed in identical outfits living in identical houses in many identical rows still has me on the floor. I'm sorry, I just think my realization of that when I'd already headcanoned both Dale and Dev with ADHD/OCD was extremely funny. Big "Wait a minute" lightbulb moment.

Dale has several interesting things we could talk about, and they're discussed in detail in the character profile I'm posting for him next week. On his list are complex PTSD, hypervigilance, and dissociation. He also has misophonia as part of his OCD (and so does Dev).

- My OC Hadley Harrington also has ADHD/OCD comorbidity. Her big thing is hoarding OCD. I discussed it more in her character profile and we saw it in action in "50 Words of Dev and Hazel," where Dev dug through his mom's stuff to rescue an au pair that had been crushed under her hoard.

In that story, Dale told Dev he was allowed to go to a Christmas party with his peers as long as he brought back some of their wrapping paper so Dale could wrap Hadley's present. She actually likes her presents when they're made of scraps because the recycling helps her feel better than paper being wasted, plus she thinks it looks fun in videos, and Dale knows that. Just a little detail I thought was cute.

- Chloe has mild OCD. She sometimes has anxiety attacks and experiences dissociation.

- Timmy and Mikey Munroe are two other characters who have ADHD in my works and I LOVE playing them as foils for each other, with Timmy being less attentive and Mikey being more hyperactive.

- Mikey also has dyslexia (Heavily implied by canon where he struggles with the spelling bee), which is interesting. I am still obsessed that his crush (Sophie Sanders) seems to have dyscalculia. Boy who struggles with words, girl who struggles with numbers, what crimes will they commit?

- Peppy Happy Betty has severe anxiety. In the original version of "Solo" (which was posted and up for a while), she said Sanderson helped her through her self-harm struggles. I later tweaked it so she says she's been scratching herself as I didn't think the original phrasing fit with the rest of my T-rated content (and I didn't want to catch people off guard with it).

Pink and Gray is supposed to delve into her self-harm, which is part of why I plan to raise its rating when it comes off hiatus (and I'll update the tags accordingly). This is one of the stories that I expected to censor most from its original draft, but since I want to raise its rating for other reasons anyway, I'd like to explore her self-harm arc too. Carefully and with proper tags as mentioned. Betty gets into tattoos later as a way to redirect some of those feelings. I... think she has bat (Anti-Fairy) wings tattooed on her back, but I'll have to double check. Pretty sure it's bat wings.

- I'd also like to write Hazel as autistic- I've seen autistic writers talk about the many things they relate to with her and I like their portrayals.

- I've been waffling over making Kevin Crocker neurodivergent because it feels right to me, but I haven't nailed down exactly what I want to do with him. Open to suggestions, but still doing research and trying to find what feels right :)

Non-Humans

Disclaimer - My non-humans have non-human brains; I'm translating a few things from their in-universe diagnoses for clarity.

- Goldie has Harm OCD. Her species (will o' the wisps) are stereotyped as "damsels force drakes into harems" and she has a lot of paranoia regarding that.

Enter Goldie-Poof dubcon arc where Poof feels awful about expressing his relationship concerns to Goldie, knowing she'll panic about them, so he keeps hiding his feelings. "Watch and Learn" was a story where Poof broke up with Goldie, only to take her back almost immediately.

- Anti-Cosmo has bipolar disorder (hand in hand with mania, depression, dissociation, and hypersexuality). Specifically, he has a parallel of it that applies to his specific species- In-universe, he has multiple diagnoses for his condition.

Anti-Fairies refer to him as "having a lightning spirit in his head" (and those he grew up with used they/them pronouns for Anti-Cosmo in his youth because of this, in accordance with Anti-Fairy culture). Fairies diagnose him as "being a Fairy in an Anti-Fairy's body" since his mood changes are arguably similar to those of a drone without pheromone exposure.

In Fairy terms, Anti-Cosmo has divus displacement disorder, which is treated by rubbing pheromones on his face every day. This is referenced again in the sideblog post I'm putting up tomorrow (about pheromones), but Anti-Cosmo throws off a lot of people because he always smells different due to those pheromones. Fairies consider him to have a shifting identity and don't trust him.

- Anti-Cosmo's mother (Anti-Florensa) and brother (Anti-Robin Jr.) have a magical parallel of schizophrenia. His brother experiences hallucinations of the past while his mother has hallucinations about different future timelines.

Anti-Cosmo had a bad falling out with his brother around the time he figured out who he's a reincarnation of (Frayed Knots), as Anti-Robin's struggle to remember who Anti-Cosmo is in this lifetime (and react to him appropriately) strained their relationship.

In Anti-Fairy culture, they're also considered to have their souls entangled with nature spirits and are referred to as they/them by many people (though their enjoyment of being addressed that way fluctuates).

- Foop has dissociative identity disorder. I don't really have anything more to say about it. Lots of trauma going on there. Definitely some PTSD. And again, as an Anti-Fairy, his culture also diagnoses him as having a nature spirit tangled with his soul.

Unfortunately, Foop doesn't get a lot of the help he needs because Anti-Fairies tend to wave his situation off as a genetic condition rather than something trauma-related, seeing as several members of his family tree are also diagnosed with nature spirit conditions. This actually plays into why Foop connects with Fairy culture in a lot of ways (and why he has a pixie therapist, not an Anti-Fairy one).

- I think Poof has a little PTSD too and/or some anxiety, seeing as he had a panic attack at the end of "All I Ever Wanted" when talking about life with Goldie.

- Two characters of mine (a fairy named Rupert Roebeam and a pixie named Walter Keefe) have dysolfactya, which is a parallel of dyslexia I created for the inability to organize scents in your head (Not exactly the easiest thing to live with in a world that relies on pheromones to keep you from wandering into dangerous areas).

- I... usually refer to Longwood's and Poof's lack of interest in preening as a parallel of asexuality for a world where licking necks and faces is a big deal, but it's kind of interesting to think about. In-universe, they'd probably be diagnosed in some medical or psychological way.

Very pre-DSM update vibes, which absolutely fits the time period I have the cloudlands set in. Something akin to "diagnosed with critically low libido" for sure, but for licking.

- H.P. has OCD (Imo, this is implied by the song he sings in the Musical about how he doesn't hate the Fairies and doesn't want to take over, but can't stop himself from doing so because he "must cater" to his urge to be "the world's administrator," not to mention his insistence on 37-year plans).

He hates untidy notes- There are several scenes where he rewrites his entire note page because he doesn't like marks on his notes (including crossed-out words). He also has issues with lying and his athazagoraphobia (fear of being forgotten), leading to the winning combo of making it explicitly clear when he plans to enact a takeover plan. There's a whole thing about how he has to justify his takeovers in terms of "It's their fault for not stopping me; I warned them I'd do it."

H.P. also experienced zoochosis during his time at the Eros Nest (zoo run by Cupid's family), leading to repetitive behaviors with no clear end goal. That probably affects him even now in a PTSD-adjacent way.

There might be characters I didn't mention - I feel like I'm blanking on something Anti-Marigold experiences - but those are the ones that come to mind for FOP 'fics!

[tracksuitponytail]

I saw a couple versions of this going around and the one by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed spoke to me most. Though I have only just started writing, I want to take note of this moment in time to look back on in the future.

1. List of works published this year:

In order of posting, these are the fics I published:

October: this night is sparkling (don't you let it go)

November: freaky friday

I've published 4.274 words this year, and have written around 30-40.000.

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

I started writing in October when I needed a new way to engage with the fandom, so I’d say I’m most proud of that—daring to try something new and putting my work out there. It was an entire process for me (more like a massive therapy session).

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

In November, I challenged myself to write every day because I wanted to find some kind of routine or consistency. For two weeks I managed to get words onto the page continuously, but it became apparent in my writing that I was pushing myself while burned out. I wouldn’t say I’m not proud because even if I have not yet figured out how writing can work for me, I at least tried.

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

I’m still a bit too self-conscious to post a real excerpt here but my favorite is probably the ending of freaky friday and the banter and magical elements in this night is sparkling.

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

Getting positive feedback was more than I had expected and exactly what I needed to keep writing. One person said,

I'm very excited to have found such a wonderful new author to subscribe to, your writing is so lovely and evocative and you really get so much emotion in, which is just what I want in a cute little fic like this ❤

I think about that comment often.

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

It became hard as soon as the novelty of writing and publishing two fics had worn off. I’m still trying to find a space where I’m motivated but not overwhelmed, where writing is challenging enough to be engaging but not to an extend where I'm pushing my limits too far.

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

What surprised me most was me writing freaky friday because it happened one evening when I was feeling really low and the first draft just flowed out of me like the antidote I needed. I was taken aback by how writing in present tense had me wide awake, with my mood lifted.

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I’ve already learnt so much in the three months I’ve been writing. About technical things, about how fan fiction is part of fandom, how my brain works when it comes to writing. Allowing my work, and in extension me, to be seen despite my massive social anxiety has been the biggest growth for me, I think.

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

I hope to get to know myself more when it comes to my writing, to find out what works for me and what doesn’t. To preserve my enjoyment of the process.

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

Right after publishing my first (non-smutty) fic, I wrote a second smutty one for which I thought I’d try having a beta. @jaywriteshome kindly offered to help and I’m still so grateful for her patience because to say I was going through it would be an understatement. Having someone else read my writing and give feedback on it made for a couple of restless nights, but was so worth it for the connection it created.

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

I'd say my need for an escape, for a softer, gentler reality showed up in this night is sparkling and a fic I have yet to finish. Freaky friday was subconsciously an exploration of gender-related topics for me.

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Writing can be hard, and it can be even more complex in times of high stress or long-term burnout when you want more than anything to put words onto paper, but your brain doesn’t cooperate. I’m still learning to lower the demands I put on myself, and not link my self-worth to non-realistic levels of productivity.

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I have to tread lightly here because my motivation is easily spooked and I have this immense need for autonomy that bites my ankles as soon as I only think about communicating any concrete plans. So I’ll say I’d lean towards yes ;)

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read. ;)

If you see this and want to share your version, please feel free to tag me—I'd love to read about your process! I'll tag @jaywriteshome, @liminalkittyfics and @holdingontochaos <3

[queer-ragnelle]

Writing asks! ✍️ 🖋️ 📖 ❤️ and ⁉️ please and thank you!

✍️ When did you get started writing?

Answered here!

🖋️ What inspired you to write your WIPs?

Every retelling I enjoyed was good, but there would always be at least one thing about it nagging me. Like one character portrayal that was just wretched and soured the whole thing. I wanted to read queer Arthuriana from the perspective of "side" characters, ie, never from Arthur, Merlin, or Lancelot's povs. I wanted to circumvent expectation enough that certain characters could become more three dimensional and complex than their medieval counterparts (like Lamorak and Elaine, for example) while still letting Camelot fall. The series is titled Elegy of an Empire because it is still a tragedy, even if it begins on a high note, I'm writing with the knowledge it will all crumble anyway. It's sort of in the way Hadestown gives the viewers hope that maybe Orpheus won't look back this time. Maybe he and his beloved Eurydice will escape and live happily ever after. But then he looks back. Arthurian Legend is cyclical; it's the perfect place to explore the cycle of violence and the self-fulfilling prophecy of Mordred's, and Camelot's, eventual fate. So even though Agravaine and Laurel raise Mordred to the absolute best of their ability, and even though Ragnelle and Gawain loved Gingalain beyond reason, they all lose their "children" and then each other and the kingdom disintegrates anyway. I'm a sicko who likes "none of it mattered" endings with an obscene amount of foreshadowing. I "told" you it would end badly, why are you crying?

📖 What has surprised you about your WIPs?

I suppose it's a bit late in the game to say the wordcount as I was surprised about that like 4 years ago. But I'd also say I'm surprised my writing has resonated with people. So often writers are coached to cater to "the market" and that "self-indulgent" writing is reserved for people that've already found success. Famous authors can sell their name on any novel regardless of contents; I have to write something that interests as many people as possible. Something generic. Yet I found that the more I sanded off the edges of what I wrote, the less I liked it, and the more mediocre it became. I don't want to cast a wide net. I'd rather have a smaller audience of people who really, really dig it than a bunch of people who skim the whole thing and throw it into the pile for their "I Read 150 Books in 2 Months!!!" clickbait video. That surprised me because our society says we should measure our value as a person by our commercial success. But I don't subscribe to that idea anymore.

❤️ What are your favorite scenes from your WIPs?

I like the scenes that are both emotionally charged but a little funny. Like Ragnelle and Gawain unbelievably horny for each other which is goofy but deeply romantic. So they're fucking and sucking in broad daylight, in public, haven't even locked the door, only for her grandpa to walk in on them and they're grown ass adults but they have to leap apart like teenagers because they lost their heads. Or that time Percival is hiding in a tree with Morien from Twrch Trwyth and they accidentally witness a particularly intimate exchange between Lamorak and Agravaine only for Agravaine to notice them, have three silent mental breakdowns in a row, then decide to pretend it didn't happen and walk away before Lamorak works out what he missed. Then again, I particularly enjoy my horror scenes. Ragnelle coming to terms with her cursed reflection; Lamorak encountering the Questing Beast for the first time; Elaine continuously gaslit by Lancelot's memory loss about their son's existence; Orkney bros mental illnesses and physical disabilities resulting in flashbacks and memory loss and pain. Many such cases! All horror subgenres accounted for!

⁉️ What do you do when stuck on a scene?

Read! Read! Read!!!!! Reading something in the same genre or even just the same vibes as the scene I'm stuck on helps a lot.

[doodle-buggie]

What are some of your favorite character relationships/dynamics in TMNT, and why? Is there anything that you particularly like seeing explored with them in fan works (art, writing, comics, etc)?

Hmm, that's so hard! There are so many different dynamics I enjoy across multiple iterations, so it's hard to pick just a few.

With rise, I love basically any dynamic involving Leo, but I'll list some of my favorites:

Leo and Donnie- duh, disaster twins! I like when they are depicted as such close siblings who truly understand each other without the need for words. It reminds me of my relationship with my sister and makes me smile. :)

Leo and Raph- this duo doesn't get put together a lot when it's not soul-crushing post-invasion angst, but I really enjoy seeing them work together and protect each other. They're both so brave, and yet, so scared.

Leo and Mikey- I go crazy for fanart of these two together! They're so bright and happy and the art of them together is always gorgeous! I love it when their dynamic allows them to be genuine and vulnerable with each other, that's so special to me!

Leo and Splinter- daddy issues lol. Ok but seriously, I think it is super interesting to read fics that explore their interactions. I love the idea of Leo being most like Splinter and how complex these two characters are. The way they both seem to misplace their care for their family and make mistakes is so heartbreaking, and seeing them be vulnerable about it to make amends makes me wanna sob into a pillow.

Leo and Usagi- I fell down the Leoichi hole pretty early on in my introduction to the fandom, so this dynamic is forever one of my favorites. I like the range this duo has, I think there are just infinite possibilities on what they can look like and I like that open-endedness. Enemies to lovers? Friends to lovers? Childhood friends to lovers? ArrogantxArrogant? CalmxAnxious? Slowly realizing you're gay and coming out to your family? Platonic? The leoichi fics have got it all, my friend.

In terms of a wider range of tmnt dynamics, here are some other favs from a variety of iterations:

Raph and Leo (mutant mayhem)

Mikey and Raph (2012)

Donnie and Mikey (rottmnt)

Draxum and the turtles (rottmnt)

Raph and Casey (mutant mayhem) (ok wait i know Casey doesn't exist in this iteration yet but the FICS. THE FICS ARE SO GOOD)

Splinter and April (any iteration)

And that's about it! I think if I say any more I'll just be saying I like every dynamic, so I better stop there, but I think you get the jist- one of my favorite things about tmnt is the many dynamics! Thank you so much for the ask! :D

[theobscurepotato]

Dear Yuletide Writer 2024

Dear Yuletide Writer:

First off, thank you! I hope you are as excited about your assignment as I am to receive it. Hopefully the lateness of my Yuletide letter didn’t panic you too much! I enjoy a wide variety of fic, and these are truly some of my favorite canons, so really you can’t go wrong...but if you are looking for a spark of inspiration, I hope this letter provides it.  

General Likes/Dislikes: 

Things I love in a Yuletide fic: M/M, UST, hurt/comfort, banter, happy endings. When I look at the canons I chose, one consistent theme is that they all end on a note of hope, yet the characters I chose within these canons don't always get to experience that. I think, more than anything, what I would love to see is a chance for these characters to catch a glimmer of it for themselves (or for each other, in the canons where I've selected a pairing). 

Things I generally don’t like in a Yuletide fic: AU’s set outside of the canon setting (coffee shop, etc), MPREG, graphic gore, body horror, unhappy endings. That being said, if you have a wild idea that goes against these, these are definitely more loose guidelines than DNW’s. 

___

Coldfire Trilogy

Damien Vryce/Gerald Tarrant Not sure if there will ever be a Yuletide where I don't request CFT fic. I do write frequently for this fandom, but just because I write in a certain style, please don’t restrict yourself to my “usual” topics. For this canon especially, I’m excited to read what you want to write.  I’m starting my millionth re-read of the trilogy, so I am excited to read anything set either during canon, or a post-canon fix-it. Give me all the banter. Give me all the UST. Give me Gerald Tarrant doing something kind (while doing mental gymnastics to justify it to himself as FOR SELFISH REASONS ONLY). Give me Damien forgetting to agonize over what GT is and just enjoying a moment with him (bonus points for him Prophet!fanboying). Give me physical contact of some sort between them, give me the soul bond! I ship these two hard, but I am happy to read pre-slash/gen.

Dimension20: Escape from the Bloodkeep

Leiland (Kraz-Thun) I watched Escape from the Bloodkeep 2 months ago(?) and once I was done, I immediately restarted it and watched the series again. Bloodkeep has some of my favorite Dropout cast characters, but of course it was Matt Mercer’s Leiland who stole the show for me. Someone on Reddit summed up Leiland as “All that dark power and regal lineage turned into a benny hill skit” and in response I can only say, that’s exactly why I’m here. I am happy with both pre and post-canon fic, gen or shippy (and not picky on ship). I’d really love to see Leiland navigate how to be Leiland, and not Kraz-Thun, and getting more comfortable in the “evil” found family he has created. Galfast Hamhead, while not requested, is of course 1000% welcome in any story.  Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors)

Shuten/Rajura

This was my first real fandom, well over two decades ago now, and Shuten/Rajura was my first ship. I definitely carried a binder plastered outside with the Masho chibi from Amanda Swiftgold’s page and stuffed to the brim with too much printed fic from Mink’s Yaoi Cake archive. This was a rare ship even then, and I am absolutely fine with gen, and fics that include all the Masho. I would of course love a fix-it fic, but I am open to exploring missing canon scenes also. I would enjoy a fic either from Rajura or Shuten’s perspective that grapples with their encounter out on the tracks, and that sprinkles in some of their shared complex history. Feel free to bend canon details in terms of what the armor enables. 

Uprooted

Solya/Marek These two have taken up residence in my brain and will not leave me alone. They truly enable each other in a way that is absolutely toxic, but I would love a fic that lets them attempt to do better by each other. I would prefer that Marek lives in your fic, whether that means exploring pre-canon events, or a missing scene during their story, and I would definitely enjoy a fix-it (just think of the hurt/comfort possibilities!) where they get to figure out their version of a happy ending. How do they navigate a world where they both wield less power? Would they be able to make their peace enough with that to carve out something new? Or would they chafe against that lack of power, and it would be that struggle that entwines them further?

[spirkkock]

hickey for the character asks? 👀

Neil Hickey…. I have so much to say about him.

During my first watch of the show I was immediately attuned to him. Immediate favorite character – everything he did was so confounding to me, and I LOVED it.  And now I’m a Hickey stan 100% - I love to hate him and I’m enjoying writing him rn and he needs to be executed for his crimes.

I love him with Gibson. There is this beautiful kind of uncomfortable tenderness that I think he exhibits in the first half of the show before things go to shit (lol) between him and Gibson that is really appealing to me. I think about that moment that Billy slips into Jirving’s cabin and the expression on Hickey’s face… I cannot fathom that it is anything short of heartbreak. In their breakup scene, the way he smiles and tries to cut back at Billy with his clever words.  I think truly he meant to reassure Billy, in his own way, that things would be okay and that they could protect one another, only for none of it to convince Billy, and then everything that was meant to hurt him to bounce right off… and yet everything Billy said seemed to cut Hickey deeply.  And the fact that the only way he could think to cope with it was to shit on Billy’s bed… I mean… come on. (I also think Billy loved him very much too, but was able to compartmentalize it. Sigh)

I ship him with Tozer for sure but in a self-destructive spiraling way.  I think Hickey would come to hate him for how tender he is and then abandon him in a really cruel and callous way.

I also ship Hickey/Crozier and Hickey/Jop but in a one-sided way. I think if Hickey had the chance he would do something wild like try to castrate Jopson and eat his penis. And I think literally his entire late-season actions are about Crozier and not at all about survival. I don’t think he’s truly come to terms with his own mortality at all.

OUGH I almost forgot Irving – I don’t ship it exactly, but I recognize that Irving has something going on TOWARDS Hickey, which is I think misplaced repression.   

I don’t have any non-romantic OTPs for him… I don’t think he can have friends, at least in canon. I think everything has to be wrapped up in psychosexual stuff. But modern day and medicated? Manson maybe? He and Tozer would still destroy each other. I think even unmedicated he and CDV are friends but only because no one likes either of them and they can be weird and off-putting together (even though they actually don’t like each other much).

I’ll combine my unpopular opinion with what I wish had happened in canon:

Sometimes I wish they had not done the bit about Real Hickey just because I think it would have been interesting to explore someone who was less “evil” from the jump being pushed so far. I think if you take out the Real-Hickey-Twist his early actions become so much more nuanced. The ring stealing becomes a lot less cynical and so does the brain poking… if Hickey was not already a killer, we would be seeing a young man who had a rough life and his complex (but not inherently evil or cruel) relationship with death.  I could see this young man who grew up as a street-urchin, a sex worker, and a petty criminal having little regard for the bodies of the dead (or almost dead), and how things like graverobbing could have been a means for survival.  The “Practicals > Morals” statement becomes quite a bit more interesting when it's contextualized NOT as him making some sort of excuse to be evil, but a genuine way of life that people in tough conditions felt compelled to engage in for survival. That’s my hot take!

Ty for your ask :)