#As a treat because my Tumblr followers never get some WIPs

[larkoneironaut]

Just an Elikai sneak peek before the year ends 🫴🏽

[batri-jopa]

"Currently"

Since I've already been tagged by both @figuringthengsout and @notasapleasure I should finally do something about it🫡

favorite color: recently it's yellow💛💛💛 Juicy mango type of yellow the most. Often combined with black and white because I enjoy looking like an oriole:

last song: Tina Turner - GoldenEye

last movie: Mask (1994) (and maaan how I never suspected I would look at Stanley Ipkiss as a relateable character when I grow older...😅)

currently reading: Romans na receptę - another one of few books by Monika Szwaja that my mum borrowed in our local library. I like her style and it breaks my heart that she died being only 65🥺 There's always so much hope and friendliness and support in the world that she's depicting. And, fascinating enough, there's usually AroAllo woman representation somewhere and depicted in the positive way! Of course it is not called "aromantic" by a polish writer born in 1949, more likely for the main male character to call that "AroAllo" woman character a "robot" who "uses him as as a sex toy"🤭 - BUT nevertheless even the male protagonist really likes her, appreciates her skills as loyal assistant, treats her as good friend to confess his problems to and genuinely wishes her all the luck!👍 In other books you can expect other queers occasionally too (like a teenage son who turns out to have a boyfriend), but it's always in sympathetic and realistic yet bringing-back-faith-in-humanity kind of way🫠

currently watching: umm... nothing actually (I feel like a weirdo😑 Like maybe I should start watching sth finally just so I could fill in the meme next time around? I do have a lot of series on my "to watch list")

currently craving: MANAGE TO GET SHIT DONE!💪 seriously I need either only 2 working days a week instead of 3 or... better time organisation😩 (so what that I have 4 "free" days a week now when there are emails to answer and books to read, and my pictures to make into album, and family members to visit, and all the new pictures' ideas to draw, and new tumblr posts to create, and those fic-WIPs waiting for so long already, and... I wonder if scheduling everything in precize days and hours would help me to feel more organised somehow?🤔 or only feel more remourse for not being able to follow the schedule?😑)

tea or coffee: Oh, so glad you asked! Tea please, black, strong, no sugar, no milk. Lemon appreciated but not necessarily. Thank you!🫖☕️

Tagging: @zorilleerrant , @chrisoels , @swordoftheseeker , @kaiaprax , @imaginatorofthings , @parttimereptile , @corey-m13 - some of you won't play probably so I'm just saying a friendly "hi"👋

[halfmoth-halfman]

Leaving this blog.

With my mini-series finishing up soon, I've decided to leave this blog as well as my AO3 account once it’s finished. This is not a decision I've made lightly, but circumstances have left this a place where I no longer feel safe.

As of now, I won't be deactivating this blog and will be leaving my fics up for anyone who'd still like to read them. I can't say this decision won't change later, but right now I feel that I've put too much work into this blog to simple delete it.

Below the cut is an explanation of why I'm making this decision, and what has been happening on this blog since the end of last year. It's not required to read or anything to understand the gist of this post; it's simply for my own peace of mind knowing that I spoke up about it. There will be topics that are possibly triggering such as harassment, threats, and racism so please mind the warnings and tags.

The mini-series is queued to finish next week, but there will be no more fic polls or wip wednesdays. I'll still be on here to make sure the queue does its job, and maybe post some stuff from my old drafts as a last bit of fun.

I'll have dms tentatively open for the next two-ish weeks for those who'd like to follow my new account, however I will not be answering anything from empty blogs. After that, asks and dms will be turned off, and I won't be coming back to this blog very often, if at all.

I cannot say thank you enough to the wonderful readers I've had and the amazing people I've met. I don't think I would've ever continued writing without your support and friendship. There's nothing I can do to show my appreciation for all of you.

Maybe we'll see each other again. If not, I hope your inspiration is always flowing, and 2024 treats you kindly.

Mothie 💜

Again, TW: rape/death threats, violent racism, repeated harassment, and mental health.

Back in November, I started getting rude, mean-spirited anons. It wasn't anything I was too bothered with because it didn't happen often and, honestly, my inbox gets flooded for a week or so anytime I post about certain topics. I blocked, deleted, reported and moved on thinking whoever it was would get bored and leave.

However, what started as a few rude anons calling me a bitch or stupid turned into a lot of anons being vile and racist which only worsened over the next few months.

I spoke about it in this post (link) near the end of November. In that post, I mentioned that those were the nicer asks and that was not an exaggeration. I have gotten my fair share of shitty anons as seen here (link) when I had to take a break from my blog because of said anons, but I have never gotten the amount of vitriol that I saw in these asks.

When I turned anon off, I started getting even worse messages from empty blogs that would either be blocked or deactivate within a week. When I turned my askbox off, I started getting hateful DMs. When I turned DMs off, it jumped from Tumblr to my other social medias which I had to private, completely avoid, or outright delete.

I got messages attacking my writing, calling me slurs, threatening to find me and rape or kill me, sending me explicit porn and rape videos while insulting my sexuality, and going into gross detail about how much people I interacted with hated me or how I would never be as good as them. I tried to power through it, pretending everything was fine while I pulled away from this blog, from writing, from friends that I loved and talked to every day. Everything about this blog, the fandoms I enjoyed, the people I talked to, made me so anxious because of these constant messages.

I took several breaks while dealing with this in therapy, repeatedly trying to come back and get comfortable on this blog, but within a few days of coming back the messages would start up again, either here or on any of my social medias I tried to unprivate, and I couldn't deal with it.

Only in the last week or two has it started to slow down and stop on a few of my other socials, which is the only reason I even feel comfortable making this post. However, in regards to this blog and my feelings toward it, the damage is done.

I don't think I can ever truly convey how isolating this has been. So many of these messages were about how I've spoken about my struggles as a black woman in fandom, how much of a burden it puts on the people who interact with me, how inferior I am to them and that I am everything that's wrong with fandom.

I felt scared and anxious to talk to anyone about this, especially people mentioned in those messages, out of fear that this harassment would jump to them. There are friendships that I stepped away from that I will never get back because of that. There are friends that I've felt like I was betraying by never telling them about what was happening because I felt too ashamed about letting this get to me.

I constantly worried that making a post like this would feel like, "Oh, Mothie's whining and trauma-dumping into the void about fandom racism again", that those messages would be right and it would force people to feel like they had to support me. Or worse, that people would agree and it would only make things worse. I've wrestled with so much guilt trying to decide to make this post and figure out what to do to make me trust myself again.

Ultimately, I don't think I was wrong for talking about my issues in fandom, and I don't think anything I've said has warranted this kind of harassment. I don’t know the who’s or why’s behind of this, but I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never really know. Truthfully, I'm not sure it even matters at this point. In the end, I think moving on from this blog entirely would be the best thing for me right now.

But, man, does it fucking suck.

This was the blog where I felt comfortable enough to start writing again, to start posting my fics. It's the blog where I met so many friends, got the courage to join new communities, found new hobbies, new music, new things to enjoy in life. It feels silly to say about a blog, but this was a place where I felt like I was able to carve out a space for myself. I put so much work into making it my own, and now the only thing I feel about it is anxious.

Hate messages and threats and racism have always been a part of fandom, and the internet as a whole. I’ve known since I started participating in fandom spaces that it was going to and continue to happen. I've known that I had to have a tough skin, especially if I ever spoke up about problems I faced because no one was going to have my back if I didn't have my own. I thought I had learned how to deal with it, and how to make a safe space for myself. But this goes beyond that. I did not deserve this. No one deserves this.

In some ways, it feels like admitting defeat, like I'm weak or hypocritical for not being as strong as I pretended I was and leaving. In other ways, it feels freeing to start over, and I'm choosing to view look at this optimistically even if it bittersweet. I don't want to let this scare me away from writing or from speaking about things that are important to me. All I can do now is say I'm so incredibly sorry to those I've hurt by stepping away or keeping this secret, and make sure I'm able to at least leave this blog on as happy a note as I can have.

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  LadyKailitha! @ladykailitha has 33 fics posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and 32 of them are in the Steddie Tag.

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by @ladykailitha:

Little Runaway

Staking My Claim

I'll Be Your Knight

Eddie's Big Stevie Rescue

"LadyKailitha is a wonderful writer both on Tumblr (shout out to WIP Wednesday, makes my day!!) and on AO3! They absolutely deserve all the recognition and respect for their work. And now I'd like to share the love 🫶"-- anonymous

Below the cut, @ladykailitha answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I’m obsessed with them. LOL! On a more serious note, it’s because I relate to the two characters a lot and want to see them happy.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Childhood friends. I just love watching them be friends as kids and then grow apart and then back together again. I could read it a billion times and do it again. As long as there’s a happy ending of course.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

AUs. Just all of them. I like canon Eddie and Steve, but putting them in different worlds and still finding ways to make them who they are. chef’s kiss

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

There are so many good ones but one that I’ve read several times is STRIKE TEN by oaseas. So good.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

That’s the best part of steddie is not knowing there’s a troupe I want to write for until inspiration strikes. Like I never thought I’d do a sugar baby/daddy AU, but I’m currently writing one. Ditto for omegaverse, but now I’ve written two from the same universe. But as I’m typing this… probably sentinel/guide. The idea has always intrigued me.

What is your writing process like?

First is day dreaming up an idea. Then depending on how long the idea is, I’ll do a short write up about. If it’s long, then it gets treated with plot beats I want to hit. I don’t consider it an outline, because they aren’t in order. Then I will sit down and start writing. I will do at least 400 words a day and keep at it until I have at least 3 or 4 chapters into it before I start posting.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I have to have a backlog of unpublished chapters because I worry if I’m not putting out stories people will lose interest. It’s also so that if I write myself into a corner I can go back a couple of chapters if I have to and change it to fit the new direction the story is going.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Definitely on a schedule. I’ve tried waiting until I’m done and I just get too excited for other people to read it and start posting.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Well Met By Moonlight. I’m really proud of the world building and mystery.

How did you get the idea for Little Runaway?

When I first got into the fandom, there was a severe lack of Eddie and Steve postseason 2 and I really wanted to lean into that a bit.

When writing Little Runaway, what was something you didn’t expect?

Max becoming a reader insert in a way. Where you see the characters through her eyes at the end.

What inspired Staking My Claim?

LOL! Steve licking Eddie’s hand like he was a cupcake he didn’t want to share.

What was your favorite part to write from Staking My Claim?

Jeff. I loved how he just kinda rocked up and said, “As Eddie’s boyfriend, you are now my responsibility and no, you don’t get a say in this.”

How do/did you feel writing I'll Be Your Knight?

I love this one. It really does not get enough praise honestly. I loved the idea of the sound of Steve’s lighter as he lights and puts it out over and over again. I just really loved the idea of Steve guarding Eddie because he’s part of the group now.

What was the most difficult part of writing Eddie's Big Stevie Rescue?

The subject matter. It’s one of my darkest fics because Steve gets slipped a date rape drug and the fall out of not trusting the people you care about with the deepest parts of yourself. Also, keeping the tension ramped up.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I absolutely love the scene with Billy and Steve from “Never Hold Back Your Step…” when Billy gets Steve’s lifeguard job and Steve calls him a washed up surfer. That whole takedown was cathartic as hell.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I’m currently working on a couple that I think are just so much fun. “The Hellfire Exotic Club” a stripper AU that has been a blast to write. And “Of Butterflies and Backstrokes” the Olympic swimmer AU. I’m proud of that title, too.

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

nope!

Thank you to our author, @ladykailitha, and our anonymous nominator! See more of LadyKailitha's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[crazylittlejester]

Hi Jes! Hope you're doing fine :) This is the first time I write an ask, but as I know you've been through some bad days lately, been sick and all of that (I hope you're feeling better 💙) I gathered courage to write you something!

When I stepped in to your 'You Are a Part of Me' series I fell in love with your writing and how you characterized Warriors and Time. They are two of my favorite blorbos as you said in other posts, Wars is always treated so bad by the Fandom its kinda sad. But the way you write him feels so natural and all... I love it!

Reading your fics and then following you on tumblr when I found your account made me want to write my own fics. I loved writing all my live, but never been able to do so as I had no idea what to write. But since I hyperfixate in lots of things and Zelda and LU have been kicking since last year I had to get the voices out of my head, you know? And as I saw you being so open and comforting to everyone in your blog I said to myself "Why not?" And now I have like 4 wips and a published fic and I'm so happy.

I love writing and I'm so proud I started improving mine, and as it is thanks to you that I do so, thank you! 💙

Sending you a virtual hug! 🫂

Hello! I’ve been doing a lot better! :)

This was literally so sweet of you oh my god. I’m so proud of you anon, it’s so awesome you’ve posted a fic!! And thank you so much oh my god I’m so glad you like my writing, especially that series because I try real hard to put out more Wars and Time content, and it makes me so happy to know people appreciate it

alksjlsjs aaaaah /pos I literally don’t know what to say, but you seriously made my day with this. I hope you have an awesome rest of your day/night, sending virtual hugs to you as well!

[nicolabarth]

Can I know more about the Pirate part of your wips, please? 👀

That one is mostly notes so far. The idea is as follows: Pre TPM Maul gets captured by pirates and they try to get a ransom from Sidious, but Sidious is like: "If he can't get out of there alone, he's not worthy to be my apprentice. Kill him for all I care." So the pirates keep Maul and raise him and he grows up alongside Hondo and he reconnects with his Dathomirian roots and learns some nightsister magic.

I drew pirate Maul once.

And I also wrote a snippet for a picture that @obimaulartfire drew a while ago with belly dancer Maul. Sadly the picture got swallowed by tumblr somehow and is not findable anymore, but here is the flashfic:

“Why do I have to be the distraction, Hondo?”

“Because between the two of us, you’re the pretty one.” Hondo pats Maul’s cheek and makes sure to pull his hand back before the Zabrak can snap at him. Maul tries anyway, but Hondo knows his adopted brother well enough. They’ve grown up together ever since Hondo’s mother had tried to get a ransom for Maul and his master had abandoned him. They’re partners in crime ever since mom died and Hondo took over the pirating business. Well, Hondo and Maul took over together. But obviously, Hondo is the brains of the operation, if he can say so himself.

Since biting failed, Maul settles for glaring at him. “Something is distinctly wrong with your eyes if you think I’m pretty.”

Of course Maul thinks himself the brains of the operation that’s why he uses words like “distinctly” and insist on speaking with his coruscanti accent even though everyone normal would’ve adapted to Hondo’s superior way of speaking by now.

“You really should learn to take a compliment, dear brother,” Hondo says. “And believe me, this Hutt has a type and it’s all bright skin colors and interesting markings. You’re perfect for this job.”

Maul glowers but doesn’t argue any further. “Let’s not waste any more time, then.” When he walks towards their ship, all the jewelry he’s adorned with clinks with every move. Hondo could get used to that. Usually, Maul’s foot steps are way too quiet for his liking. You never get used to a red and black zabrak stepping out of a nearby shadow without warning. Maul loves doing that. It scares the pants off guests most of the time and it has given Hondo a few near heart attacks in the past.

“You can’t kill our target,” Hondo reminds him. “He’s more profitable as a hostage.”

“Yes, I know,” Maul says, annoyed. “Gods forbid I have fun at this mission.”

“Well …” Hondo grins. “I heard a certain Jedi is among the guests. So, if you play your cards right …”

“I don’t know which Jedi you mean,” Maul says coldly. Liar. Hondo has seen him make moon eyes at Kenobi every time they’ve met so far. Or what counts as moon eyes for Maul. It’s his usual glare, just with more intensity and a bit of a hungry edge. Every time Hondo crosses Kenobi’s path, he makes sure to take the Jedi hostage. As a treat for his dear brother. Of course he doesn’t get any thanks from Maul, but he know he appreciates it. Hondo makes sure to give them time to talk alone, too.

Honestly, Maul should be more thankful. For the exceptional job Hondo has done with Maul’s outfit for tonight, too. But that’s little brothers for you.

“Sure,” Hondo says with a grin. “But I heard him say last time that you look good wearing gold.”

Maul scoffs. He throws Hondo a quick glance from the side, though, as if trying to assess if he’s serious. Hondo’s grin grows. “Trust me,” he says. “This evening will be a success in more than one way.”

“Just focus on what we’re going to steal,” Maul says. But he doesn’t complain about being the distraction anymore. And Hondo sees him check his reflection in the cockpit window before they leave their ship after landing near the Hutt palace.

Hondo smiles to himself. He’ll get Maul to thank him later.

[lunarubra]

This is me blabbing away and trying to make sense of this crazy moment that's my life... Kind of like a PSA, without a real structure.

(Let's start with an apology, this was supposed to be short, just a couple of lines long, asking for some forgiveness for being so absent, and it turned into a small vent about my crazy life. Synthesis has never been one of my strongest features, apparently.)

Life has been crazy lately. April, May, and June are always hectic months for a teacher, and this year looks like it's going to be even worse. Right now, I'm juggling a full teaching post, a university research, a social life with a partner, a new kitten bringing me everyday dead lizards (she is a serial killer in disguise), and being selected as an internal commissioner for the high school diploma this year. And no, the last one is not an honor; it's more like a punishment for younger professors who don't have the authority to say no to older colleagues, plus a ton of paperwork and two more months of work while everyone else is on holiday. Yuppie for me. But joking aside, I'm not complaining about my job. I'm happy to teach, and compared to a lot of other jobs out there, I feel privileged to do what I'm doing. I love my kiddos, and even though most of the time they behave like dunderheads, teaching supports my creativity and gives me so many insights into my life.

But let's get to the point of all this. I am feeling slightly guilty for not being as active here as I should be and for not having enough mental energy and time to dedicate myself to writing more. To my lovely mutuals, I'm in awe of all that you're posting right now. I apologize for not replying and commenting on your amazing content as much as I would like. I just wanted to say, it's not because I'm disappearing; I'm just really busy, and I can't wait for the moment when I'll feel more chilled and can treat myself to all your new chapters, moodboards, and all the amazing content you're creating. I know I am being a small silent weight in your tag list, so thank you for still including me <3

About "Shadow of the Sea," I have a chapter ready and one WIP of the following one. I want to post the one that's ready sometime in the next week, but after that, I'm not sure when I'll be able to write the next one. So Jiyan and Cillian are taking a small break. I'm going to continue the story; this is not a goodbye. I have many ideas and plans for those two idiots; I'm just waiting for some writing energy and time in my schedule.

And yeah, I understand if you're thinking, "Are you aware that your blog and story are read by less than 10 people and no one really gives a damn?" Yes, I am aware, and this post is mostly for me, writing it down it helps me a lot, giving some sort of clarity. However, I've had the chance to meet amazing creators since I got busy on Tumblr again a couple of months ago. People who supported me and helped me, so this is more me trying to explain why my support isn't at its 100% right now and trying to excuse myself since I feel like a horrible mutual right now.

Ah, one last thing, maybe the only thing that will pop up on my blog are some "Slow Horses" GIFs. Thanks to Alex, @cillmequick, Jackson Lamb, and River Cartwright have become my new obsession, and creating GIFs is one of the few things that calm me after a busy hectic day and make me use some of that creative energy left.

I think that's it. Please still free to write me and contact me about my fic, blog, shenanigans; I will try to reply as soon as possible. Sending you all a big hug if you arrive till the end of this long long lengthy text xD

[ofmermaidstories]

1. No, self-insert for me tends to indicate an oc, or an otherwise named protagonist, while xreader is the reader, and will be referred to in the 2nd person

2. I don’t really think it’s polite to criticize a fic directly to the author unless they request it. If it is like, a tumblr post, I would generally say it would also be kind of rude, but also, if it is one of those fics that is super popular/well-known in the fandom, I think it would be fair to be like “I don’t really like X fic bc of Y reason” and leave it at that. But personally i’d probably just say it wasn’t really the vibe i was looking for or something more neutral. In general if you don’t like a fic tho, you should keep it to yourself

3. I never finish WIPs and the main point they tend to get abandoned at is when I get bored or have to make the connection between two cooler parts. I have v bad adhd. Usually i just like to take ideas and rotate them around in my brain for a few weeks. They rarely make it beyond there lol

omg i was talking about this the other day, with some friends, like—what does an x reader need in order to be rightfully counted as one? and for me it’s a reader-insert when there’s no like, legal name attached to the character—and there’s second-person POV. i think the 2nd-person POV is crucial for the… intimacy you need, to insert on. butttt maybe that’s a discussion for another time, lmao.

this is a little bit of a repeat of what i said to anon before, but like—i think the biggest problem with trying to critique a fanfic (unasked) is that… do you as the critiquer know the difference between recognising opportunity to strengthen a piece, vs. it just not being for you? like sometimes yeah, you just have to accept you’re not apart of the audience. my interest in the Big Fics, though, like the cornerstone, defining fics, is when they’re written in a way that makes them almost comparable to like, proper stand-alone stories? I think if they’re trying to be more ambitious than say, a smut one shot where you go in already knowing the setting and the characters and they know each other, then you kinda already have to look at it with a different lens? 🧐 Not to keep using H**** P***** as an example but All the Young Dudes is so incredibly popular that if i had read the fic (i only know about it bc its so popular lmao) I absolutely would feel comfortable enough dissecting it like I would commercial fiction—between the piece itself sort of treating itself like a book, I do think the popularity is almost a shield, LOL. Like… at that stage, you’re no longer punching down, you know? Whereas if I was to pick a random fic that got like, 80 kudos over five chapters, and its writer had a following of like, idk, 200 people, then that would be. and we don’t punch down!!!! we only punch up, bc then they give us a worthy fight. 👊🏽😈✌🏽 (im… half joking LMAO)

honestly tho, the hardest part of writing is like—writing. 😭 doing all the fiddly parts!! chipping away at it even when it’s boring, because you like—have to build up the connection to the fun part. 💀 it’s almost exhausting sometimes, actually… so i relate. 🥺 do you have any ideas you really, really desperately want to see on paper (on screen)? because for me the main driving force is literally just the promise of eventually—eventually—getting the satisfaction of being able to see it done and completed. like… literally, sometimes it’s the only thing that motivates me enough to work through what sometimes feels like stripping skin off of my back LOL.

[writercole]

Mid-May update

After several days of thinking and one very good session with my journal husband counselor, I won't be leaving tumblr after all.

I'm still incredibly frustrated with the way creators are being treated, with the audacity of some of these bitches, the lack of interaction. But all that aside, I do like the fandom aspect of it.

I've culled several of my followed blogs, dropping over 300 people in the last several weeks. And I've been very liberal with that block button. I will be doing what I need to do to protect the little piece of peace that I have here.

A large part of my decision to stay has been mutuals. You guys have been incredibly supportive in so many ways over the years. The amount of you that have reached out and checked on me, that continuously poke my inbox with sweet messages, that flatter me every day is wonderful. To think that if we didn't have the internet, we wouldn't have our found family tribes, our Team Free Wills, our Avengers, our Daggers. Our covens. My life would be incredibly dull without you all.

My first week of work was tedious and slightly boring as it's all training but it's incredibly calming to have something to do during the day without relying on others to entertain me.

My gratitude for everyone through this month is indescribable. I wouldn't have made it, we wouldn't have made it without you and I will forever be grateful. You all have my love and admiration and my sword.

Now that I'm done with the blahdi blah, I'm sure you all want to know the updates on my wips, huh? Fine 😂

But one more thing first - happy birthday to my sibling, my friend, a bright spot in every day - @never--doubt. Kay, babe, I love you. I'm proud of you. And I am sending every ounce of positive energy that today goes your way. 💞💞

Five Minutes More is drafted for posting. We'll see Dean Winchester as a gamer and mechanic figuring out this little thing called love. One part currently, possibly more.

You, Me, and the Noises You Make is a honeymoon with Beau Simpson short story, under 500 words but ready to post soon.

The Replacement Bride is a new story for a new world featuring a group of mafia families spread across the country. There will be interconnected stories - already at chapter 6 and I've worked four of the six families together with a possibility of more as the story continues. I am considering the option of going straight to published with this universe, depending on how it fleshes itself out.

You'll Be In My Heart will be posting beginning in July, unless i finish a few other things first. We last left Jake standing in the bookstore staring after his ex-girlfriend (now named Allie) and his daughter, the one he never knew he had. Depending on the interaction and feedback I get, this may be the last series for tumblr.

Sounds of Someday: The Rewrite is trudging along slowly. My brain keeps telling me that I've already written this and that I shouldn't be doing it again but also that it's nowhere near good enough for publishing. My friend who has a masters degree in social work with a concentration in grief and trauma counseling will be looking over it when it's finished, hopefully between semesters for her!

I have several new pieces with original characters in progress, including a fantasy trilogy based on the song 'Labour' by Paris Paloma.

Also drafted are several moodboards for several different AUs. Due to the way moodboards are being received by the general pubic, they will stay in drafts until I decide what to do with them further.

There are more pieces of the Country Club AU in progress, including our first Boatman Bob story. I also have a collection called "A Thin Line" that I'm working on the second and third stories simultaneously for. One of those includes Fritz smut and I'm having trouble with it because he keeps short circuiting my brain.

There are two Ryan Spencer (Yellowstone) stories in progress as well as one Rip and a couple Rhett.

Sons of Anarchy is making a resurgence with a grand total of four wips.

Jason Todd has a couple of stories floating around in there.

I've got a few more Pedro, Sebastian, and C. Evans stories coming as well as stories for four different Toms, two other Chrises, a few more Jensen characters, and some new Glen, Lewis, and Danny characters.

The DC and Star Trek master lists will be expanding.

Posting of full fics will resume in June. I have one drabble that will be posted Friday and then new master lists will post twice a week until June 6. If there are still some to post, then they will posts on Tuesdays with fics on Fridays.

Fridays will be one-shots with Tuesdays being series.

What I'm also considering is restarting Patreon and including original works in there as well, and expanding it to an audience that includes my other readers. The other option is using tumblr tipping (which is powered by stripe and therefore more trustworthy than the hellsite itself) and locking posts. But that's definitely not the best case scenario.

Also in progress, while we're talking about other readers, is an actual website for my published works. Yes, I know the three I have out now are mediocre by many standards. They were really just to prove a point to myself. These next ones...not so mediocre.

My new job may take 40 hours of writing away from my schedule but let's be honest here...I wasn't spending 40 hours writing a week anyway.

[that-tall-queer-bassist]

My personal Pros and Cons of my ADHD

Pros

-noticing all the little details and appreciating them in the fullest

-Emotional Dysregulation, because when I get a new plant, or find that one oddly shaped metal marble I lost a while ago, I am so excited it’s pathetic, but I love that feeling of pure joy.

-hyperfixation of the week/day/hour (i know some people describe it differently, let me be pls) . I usually switch between art mediums, and/or a few video games/social media sites. for example, I’ve been on tumblr for 3 hours as i write this, after not touching it for, i think a month?

-nuerodivergent friends. They’re just better.

-the ability to completely drown myself in information to ignore reality. Is it healthy? no. But i simply cannot handle another existiential crissi rn, so i will instead play minecraft while listening to alt rock playlists on youtube because getting spotify sounds like a lot of work.

-my ability to retain absolutely useless information, from either my, or my other nuerodivergent friends hyperfixations/special interests. I can explain to you in terrible formatting if it’s out loud, the evolution, history, training, anatomy and roles of the horse in our world, and how ao3 works, and what makes or breaks a fanfiction.

-Object Impermanence. When i literally hide myself a treat or surprise and forget about it, then get so excited when i do find/discover it again. I hide google questions, and/or song lyrics in my tabs :) its so fun. Also, hiding away stressors. Again, healthy? no, but i don’t feel like having anxiety all day, so whatever.

-Emotional Dysregulation, again. I can switch from sad or angry to happy and excited/content in a few seconds. It’s also great for getting my siblings out of their funk. ex., my sister is mad at me. I make a silly voice repeating what she said or cross my eyes at her. she laughs, then we can talk and have constructive conversation about why she shouldn’t get that upset about me “cutting off her reading time” when we share a room and I want to sleep, and know that she will be very tired tomorrow if she doesn’t also go to sleep. (We have this conversation almost every single night, i’m not even joking)

Cons

-Emotional Dysregulation. When i get upset, I’m Upset. Like, big time, ruining friendships and familial ties if i let it get out of hand, Upset. Yeah.

-Time Blindness. Constantly late, or early, or under or over estimating the amount of time it takes to do a thing, not eating til 4 because you forgot but you also should just wait til dinner, but now its 9 and I still haven’t eaten-

-Executive Dysfunction. I can’t do the things needed to function. Don’t have the mental energy to explain this one, so google it i guess? There’s a whole checklist of things you need to be able to do to function, and i can do like, three on a good day.

-Sleeping Trouble. People with adhd have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up. So, sleeping trouble. So I’m constantly tired.

-Internal Clock is SLIGHTLY OFF. Nuerotypicals have that normal sleep schedule. Adhd ers have it shifted forward by, i think, 2, 3 hours. So we go to sleep later, and wake up later, and that’s the only way to get a healthy amount of sleep. My entire family also eats dinner super late, which might be because we’re weird, but I suspect the inner clock thing cuz we all got adhd.

-Object Impermanance. I hid my math homework one time. I failed that class. 

-Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Never trying, or starting cuz I’m so terrified to get a bad reaction. Constantly masking around certain people to appeal to the few of my Nuerotypical friends. Or, y’know, majority of my extended family. They’re ableist. and homophobic. And transphobic. And racist. and sexist. The list goes on, but, yeah. Never coming out to them! :D

-Masking. It’s exhausting and I can only handle so much of it.

-Not Masking around nuerotypicals. The shoot down after finally revealing my true thoughts, urges, feelings, stims, etc. just sucks. Super disheartening. 

-Squirrel or shiny jokes when they’re made by people without adhd. Yes, I do get distracted by squirrels, and shiny things, and dice. Stop pointing it out, and/or putting me into yet another box of your labeling. 

-saying that I’m lazy, worthless, or a disaster when really it’s not helping. I already have that internal monologue, you adding to it and giving it some truth/extra ammunition is not. helping.

-Emotional Dysregulation. Again, because mood swings. like, I’m trying to be rightfully angry with you. Stop making me laugh with you’re silly faces or pointing out of a weird face someone made in a picture you took. 

-the stigma about the hyperactive subtype. I’m inattentive. I have No Energy. Ever. Sometimes i have restlessness, but there is still no energy. Stop portraying me as bouncing off the walls, especially with caffeine. Caffeine just catches my body speed up to my brain speed, settling me down a bit, at least mentally. 

-people not getting when i say I’m overstimulated, or need some time alone to process or re-energize, and following me, or continuing to do the overstimulating thing. I will literally. lose. my. mind.

-when people shut me down after I share something that is really important to me, or make fun of me for liking something an “abnormal” amount. Flashbacks to overnight camp, when whenever I said anything about horses, they said I had to do five squats, and when i got really excited about discussing the differences in riding styles/types with another person who really liked horses, but rode english, they said that it was obnoxious, when i was just.. excited to finally find someone to talk to and who felt the same way after, basically, years and years of no one getting it or wanting to listen or talking with me about the thing. To this day I don’t discuss horses with anyone, cuz it hurts so much remembering that, and the fear of it happening again is still there. 

-seeing other people be ashamed about their adhd and hesitant to mention until i talk, like, super openly about having it, in like, the first 5 minutes of knowing each other. It just.. hurts.

-I’m super empathetic, not in a way that’s helpful though. Like, wincing, or limping myself because I saw you drop something on your foot, and am imagining it so vividly that it feels like it happened to me. Reading a fic about abuse or depression, and it hitting too hard and hurting me almost physically, and on a personal level because I simply cannot handle it. Feeling someone else’s pain so vividly that i can’t comfort or help them in any way, because I am so preoccupied with  feeling their pain. 

-never being able to finish things without starting something else. All the WIPs in my google docs, istg, i will be driven insane by it. 

(y’know, this was kinda fun. As a rant, but also as a way for me to identify things about myself and my adhd that i like. Like, I know its so much shorter, but I have a hard time with positive self affirmation, so it was kinda nice. I might do it again, but just the pros part cuz the cons are kinda depressing ngl.)

(OH, Y’all should reblog with your own personal pros added on! You can add cons if you’d like to :) I’m just interested in seeing how your experiences/feeling differ from mine :) )

[l1terary-loser]

Blog Rules

Requests are: OPEN

SFW:

Be patient. I am currently in college and I do not have a lot of free time. In the summer, I travel and visit my family a lot and I try not to let my hobbies get in the way. Tumblr is NOT my job and it will not be treated as such. If you pester me about completing your request, I will delete the request and any potential work associated with it. It may take me a few days or a few weeks or a month to write it. Be patient and check my WIPs list for your request.

Specify whether you would like headcanons (bullets) or a drabble (a few paragraphs). I do not take fic (full story) requests.

I will not accept any requests that do not follow my rules. You will be blocked if you are a frequent rule-breaker.

My default reader is gender neutral, but a female or male reader can be requested. I may not be the best person to request trans reader inserts from as I am not trans, but if I do receive a request, I will let you know whether I feel I am able to execute it well or not.

I will not write about pregnancy or having children.

I will not write about minors and I do not accept minors following me (no high school au requests).

Look at my list of accepted characters to see who I write for.

I will not hesitate to block you if you are intolerant towards myself or my followers.

I will try to keep my reader inserts race and body neutral so everybody can put themselves in the reader’s shoes.

However, as a fat person myself, I will do fat reader inserts upon request (I do not believe in fat being an insult and I despise trying to appeal to people with words like “chubby” and “fluffy,” so don’t ask me to). I’m also not going to take a bunch of requests where this reader is insecure and has low self-esteem. It’s time to break that stereotype and I want my fat reader inserts to be just as confident as my other reader inserts. (I don’t want this to sound like I’m saying fat people aren’t allowed to be insecure, insecurity is real and I don’t want to downplay that. I believe that seeing fat characters/reader inserts being confident is a start to helping overcome this insecurity because it helped me.)

I will not write requests for the typical shy, submissive reader. I hate reading that, and I want to make this a blog that stays away from that type of content. I think it is important for all different types of people to be able to engage with content that they see themselves in.

As a bisexual, I welcome requests for male, female, and non-binary characters with readers of all genders. In light of this, homophobia will not be tolerated and you will be kicked off my page.

Never hesitate to PM me/send me an ask to see if something is okay. I won’t be mad unless you go out of your way to break my rules.

At the end of your request, please place a ^ for SFW requests or tell me you have read the rules.

NSFW:

Most of my SFW rules apply.

No sub!reader or switch!reader. I won’t write any lines like “It’s your turn now 😈” or “you weren’t normally the dom, but you gathered the small amount of confidence you had and decided you were in charge for a change.” I hate reading stuff that’s tagged as dom!reader but it has shit like this in it. I REPEAT NO SUB!READER. PEOPLE WHO REQUEST IT WILL BE BLOCKED. I WILL ONLY WRITE DOM!READER.

Default will be gn!AFAB!reader, but like with SFW works can be changed upon request

Once again, absolutely no minors and I will block anyone who requests NSFW of minors

No scat, piss, feet, gore, or vomit requests.

At the end of your request, please place a # for NSFW requests or tell me you have read my rules.

Accepted Kinks include:

Impact play

Pact play (for demons)

Hypno and Somnophilia

Dacryphilia

Feminization

Pegging

Bondage

Leashes and collars

Some pet play, but nothing too heavy (ie: “kitten” or “puppy” terms of endearment)

Degradation and Praise

Chastity

Sounding

Mommy/Daddy and Mistress/Master titles

Cockwarming

If you have something not listed, it never hurts to send me a message/ask me privately.

[saberhgen]

               . . .   on  the  other  hand,     i’m  so  soft  and  fluffy.

salem  saberhagen.      headcanon  based  with  influences  from  the  comics  and  original  tv  series.      multi - verse,   currently  under  development,   including  but  certainly  not  limited  to;      caos,    mcu,   doctor  who,    harry  potter  and   haunting  of  hill  house.     reimagined  by  robin   ( prev.  goose).

psa:     because  of  health  reasons,    my  memory  is  getting  worse.     if  you  message  and  i  forget  to  reply,    or  i  forget  to  draft  a  response  or  something,    or  if  you  soft  block  me  and  i  refollow,    i’m  sorry,   i  have  forgotten.     i’m  working  on  it.

temp  rules  under  the  cut:  

this blog is an independent & selective blog, working on a mutuals only basis. i do this for my own comfort and i promise it’s nothing personal! i get overwhelmed easily and find it far more calming this way.

i have no claim to any of the canon content present here, as salem is naturally based off canon that i have not created. i do not stick to a strict canon version of sabrina, be it the comics or the various show adaptations.  i draw inspiration from all,  but don’t stick to any specific version as gospel.   the psd is from poohsources.

however, all headcanons are my own and most of my characterisation is entirely based around my own interpretation of these canon works. please i am begging don’t steal them, because i’ve worked super hard on them and really tried to develop this lil kitty cat man into a well-rounded character. if you have any questions about characterisation, don’t hesitate to ask.

this is a place of love and trust. that means many things, but the main being that no hate will be tolerated of any form. i occasionally post some negativity as an outlet but it will be tagged. and in terms of inclusivity, all fandoms and ocs are accepted here and always will be!

as a warning, i love ships. i love them so much it’s sad. if you ship it, i ship it. if you think you might ship it, i probably already ship it. as long as it’s not morally questionable, i’m probably game. but i also adore familial and platonic things! they’re just as important to me.

as a side note, my name is robin (they/them) and i’m a little bean in their early twenties currently studying to be a music teacher. i have severe social anxiety and dyslexia. and to add to that, i had a stroke about eighteen months ago so my memory is absolutely shot. 

THIS IS IMPORTANT. if you soft block me and i follow again, please forgive me. i won’t have remembered following you in the first place. i started rping on tumblr to get my reading and writing skills back. so please bare with me!! love you guys :)

WIP  BIOGRAPHY 

a young and promising witch. dangerously so.  incredibly charming and smart to boot.  married young to an older woman who already had children,  thinking himself more mature than he was.

he left his first wife for a man far higher in the rankings.   a mistake,  as he didn’t truly love his new partner.   heart remained with first wife and her son,  who he still treated like his own.    salem left his fiance at the altar,  and knew he’d have to try another method for gaining more power.

by this point, salem had become a witch hellbent on taking over the world.  not because he thought he’d be better at controlling the populations than letting them do what they like,  but because he adored power and wanted to know what it was like to be entirely influential.  during this point,  he got a mortal pregnant, who he refused to marry.   though he adored his daughter, he never had much to do with her. 

his plot was spoilt, and all those who directly helped him also got turned into animals.   He was turned into a cat because his mother was deathly allergic,  and to deprive him of his family was as good a punishment than any. 

one of those followers was zelda spellman, who used to organise the refreshments for the meetings he held.  as such,  she was tasked to look after him every day he spent as a cat. 

he shouldn’t have powers,  but considering how talented he is,  there are loopholes he easily abuses. 

he can shift in and out of cat form whenever he likes, but its incredibly draining on his mind due to concentration.  he has spent a long time with the spellmans and sees sabrina as his daughter he finally got to raise rather than an annoyance to put up with. 

[not404error1]

Canon Tea Shop AU

These are all cannon divergences of ATLA when Zuko is working in a tea shop in Ba Sing Se. Some follow cannon closely  and some do not. NOT Modern Tea/Coffe Shop AU fics.

Afternoon Tea by Toribird (AO3, T , 21,875 w., Slow Burn, Enemies to friends to lovers, WIP, ) 

  Of all the places he could have walked into--of all the tea shops in Ba Sing Se--(of which there are many)--he had chosen the one that Prince-fucking-Zuko worked at.

Or: Early on during his time in Ba Sing Se, Sokka stops for a cup of tea. This small action changes everything. 

*one of my favorites* 

The Shame Basement by  All_About_That_Ace (Ao3, T, 13324 w., Crack treated seriously, Series) 

 zuko might have maybe made out with Sokka in Ba Sing Se and also kind of started sort of dating him (he doesn't know how that happened, honestly) and Sokka might be a little bit enamored with Zuko (he’s so attractive?? how dare???) and this information might maybe a little bit be making their life slightly hectic. In the best way, of course.

If Only By kathrinecoveys (Ao3, G, 2277 w., Soulmate Au, Identity Porn, WIP) 

from my prompt off of my tumblr: "soulmate au where ½ of the couple gets a tattoo of their soulmate’s name on them. sokka gets zuko’s name suddenly tattooed on him and he freaks tf out because soulmates aren’t supposed to be enemies and soulmates surely don’t send a combustion man after each other. he decides to ignore the tattoo and pursue his own destiny, when he meets a tea shop employee named lee. sokka finds himself falling in love with lee more and more each time he visits the shop. zuko isn’t aware that sokka doesn’t know it’s him. honestly he likes messing with him but then finds himself falling in love too."

we had a moment, we had a summertime  By nebulastucky @macdenlesbian (AO3, G, 7145w, Identity Porn, Fluff, Tea shop) 

Sokka shrugs. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“You get captured and killed by the Fire Nation,” Toph provides.

“They won’t execute me in a tea shop,” Sokka says around a sudden lump in his throat. “That’d be bad for business.”

or: the one where sokka falls for a tea shop and a boy with too much charm for his own good.

*one of my favorites*

I Wish We'd Met Before (They Convinced Us Life is War) by Kirazalea (AO3, T, 10412w, canon divergence, zuko joins after season two, not necessarily teashop but similar concept)

Sokka wanted to see his dad more than anything in the world. Some nights, after everyone had gone to sleep and it was just him, he thought he would let the Fire Nation burn as many Earth Kingdom cities as they wanted if it meant that his dad could hold him close one more time and never have to let go. When Katara offered to stay behind, to let him see dad, he was a hair's breadth away from agreeing.

But Sokka knew his sister better than he thought he knew himself sometimes. For all her talent and kindness, she didn't have the same mind for strategy; she'd never needed to rely on it like he had. And while they’d traveled, she had been too focused on mastering her bending, and then teaching Aang to do the same, to notice all the little things that could make the difference between a successful invasion and a tragedy. Sokka had been the one to take note of everything; he was the one with the experience, and he knew that if this plan failed, it wouldn't matter if he got to see dad right now anyways because he'd never have the chance to keep him.

So he let Katara go instead of him.

And that changed a lot of things.

tl;dr: the 'sokka was the one with zuko in the caves under ba sing se' au i realized i needed

[weirwoodking]

hi i was wondering if you would be interested in making a meta on the differences between show!sansa and book!sansa bc i know they changed a lot of her storyline but i don't understand why everyone hates on sophie turner? it can be short or inexistent meta if you're not up to it but i would be very interested to know what you have to say

I mean, the differences between the two are pretty simple. After season 4, D&D decided to cut Sansa’s book storyline, and replaced it with their own rewrite. This affected the plots of multiple characters, particularly Show!Theon’s and Show!Jon’s, but most of all, Show!Sansa’s, obviously. George himself has spoken on how much he hated what the show did with Sansa. He said in 2014 that he had “no idea what they were doing with Sansa or where they’re taking her storyline.”

I could go episode by episode and point out everything that’s wrong or is out of character, but it’s kind of useless. The show did not adapt books 4 & 5, it’s as simple as that, everything is different and feels like it’s out of character. For the first 4 seasons, I thought that Sansa’s story was handled fine (I haven’t watched GOT seasons 1-4 in over 4 years, so my memory is a bit foggy on the specifics tho). Sophie Turner isn’t exactly how I picture Sansa to look, but her acting was fantastic, especially for someone so young and for her first television role.

I personally haven’t seen people “hating on Sophie Turner”, but I’m not involved in the GOT side of tumblr, only the ASOIAF side, so I don’t see people talk about the actors that much. I do know that there are people in fandom (not just in the GOT fandom but in fandom in general) who will conflate actors with their characters. I have seen some toxic Show!Sansa stans do this with Show!Dany and Emilia Clarke (mostly last year). It seems to be more of a problem with female characters and actresses (‘cause sexism), and I think it’s really creepy and disturbing. Sophie Turner is not Sansa, so if anyone is “hating on her” because they didn’t like how the show changed Sansa’s story, that’s really fucked up. I don’t know much about the GOT cast, actually, I rarely watched interviews or behind-the-scenes videos. I don’t know if Sophie Turner has said that she likes the show’s ending or something like that, so if that was the case I could see people being critical of her opinion. But even if she did like the ending of the show and the way the writers changed her character after season 4, I still don’t think you should hate on an actor for that. Because the actors didn’t make the show, the showrunners did. It’s not on the actors to get everything right about their characters, it’s on the writers and directors to tell them the story and guide them through their acting. I don’t blame the actors for anything about GOT (no one should), I blame the writers.

What I find is the biggest problem about post-season 4 Sansa is how little regard they had for her character, while simultaneously claiming she was their favorite. I believe their exact quote was “Sansa was the character we cared about more than anyone”. Okay… then why did you cut her storyline? I feel like their whole “she’s our favorite character” act was more to try to defend against the criticism of the cutting of her storyline. What bothers me most is how they just casually threw her into the Ramsay plotline without thinking at all about what that meant. If you’re going to have one of the main characters of the show get serially raped, you need to think about what you’re doing and how to handle that horrific situation. In the books, the Jeyne Poole storyline is handled very carefully. The acts committed by Ramsay against Jeyne and Theon are never really shown, only implied, alluded to, or very briefly described. The show, on the other hand, explicitly showed Theon’s torture scenes, and made Ramsay a much bigger character in seasons 5 & 6 than he is in the books. I feel like they just used him for shock value, because so much of Game of Thrones revolved around shock value and in-the-moment reactions. I think they just saw Ramsay as a character they could turn into Joffrey 2.0, which is why they put Sansa with him. They didn’t care to follow Sansa’s book arc, they just wanted to continue the whole “caged-bird” thing with her, for shock value.

And to deflect against criticism, that’s why they made her so smart and powerful in the final few seasons. There’s next-to-no build up, no character development, no focus on her growth, the show just tells us that Sansa is the smartest character, and the audience is expected to agree. Because D&D did not care about showing her development. There’s a line in season 7, when Sansa and Arya kill Littlefinger, where Sansa says “thank you for all of your lessons, Lord Baelish.” And that immediately stuck out to me, because that sounds like something Book!Sansa would say. The show cut out Sansa’s Vale storyline, where she spends much more time with Littlefinger, and so… what “lessons” is Show!Sansa referring to here? They didn’t spend a lot of time together in the show. I do think that Sansa will defeat Littlefinger in the books, so that line makes sense for Book!Sansa.

What they did was cut Sansa’s storyline, throw her into a horrific situation that they used for shock value, and then expected to be praised when they made her a “girlboss” later on. They basically said “hey, we know we essentially erased this character’s arc and development, but at least we did a feminism, right?” And that’s what really pisses me off. The blatant disregard for female characters, then saying “no, we do care about them! Believe us!”

Lindsay Ellis has a really good video called “Woke Disney” that touches on this. Basically, she talks about how Disney’s recent live action remakes tend to make each of the princesses a “#girlboss” in a very corporate, fake-feminist manner that is very easy to see right through. (I recommend just watching the video, she goes more in-depth into the subject.)

A similar thing occurred with GOT (the show only had one female writer after season 4, by the way, who was a staff writer for season 8. And before that, only 4 episodes were written by a woman). D&D wrote a lot of problematic, misogynistic, homophobic, and racist things. Then they tried to cover that up with (to use a line from Ms. Ellis) a coat of #girlboss paint. For example, I remember after s8e3 (when Arya killed the Night King) came out, that was when the big criticism for season 8 really started. People saw how bad the writing of that episode was, and how ridiculous and anti-climactic it all felt. However, when people criticized the manner in which the Night King was killed (i.e. saying that it would have made more narrative sense for Jon to do it instead of Arya), there was another group of people who called that criticism sexist. “That’s sexist! You’re just upset that a girl did it instead of a guy!” Which… ugh... do I need to explain how idiotic that line of reasoning is?

And that’s kind of how the HBO show tried to get away with its misogyny, not just the misogyny of Dany’s ending, but of the whole show in general. “Look, we can’t be misogynistic, we had Arya kill the Night King! Look, we can’t be misogynistic, we had Sansa become a #girlboss!” Bullshit, you’re just trying to hide your sexism and bad writing behind a facade of fake feminism.

… *sigh* ...

Anyway, nothing but love for Book!Sansa, and nothing but hate for the writers of Game of Thrones. I hate how the show turned Sansa into a very polarizing character, when she shouldn’t be. None of the child characters of ASOIAF should be polarizing, they’re children for fucks sake.

I’m very excited to see where GRRM takes Sansa’s character in TWOW, I feel like she’s got an awesome journey coming up (hopefully involving her discovering her skinchanging powers, taking down Littlefinger, and heading north for home). 

Uh, wow, this got really long… and I’m exhausted after thinking about the sh*w that much. Here, as a treat for reading all the way down to the bottom, have a Sansa WIP drawing that I haven’t finished yet:

[valaks]

Hey Valaks! I love your blog and your writing!

Please could you do 1, 10 and 18 for the writing asks?? 🌺

Thank you for the ask! I have added a cut to hopefully not be that person clogging up the feed XD

1. Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

I have a few collabs outstanding like Gemini and a Kabir/Alex sequel to Reunion (It’s rated T at the most so still kid friendly) with Lupin and Devil Went Down to Georgia with Galimau. My utter love for both of my collab partners for pulling me through at a time when I’ve been really struggling. I have a WIPs List but I’ll confess to not having touched most of them in quite sometime (partly from life, partly because I’m not sure how interesting they’d be to anyone else other than me which influences my writing more than I would like to admit):

Good Intentions: Smithers never thought he’d be anyone’s moral compass, he was no angel to sit in anyone’s shoulder but trying to keep Alex Rider from following in the ruthless footsteps of his father or worse his former handler, Alan Blunt is as close to hell as he can imagine. (Wherein Alex becomes head of MI6 we watch his morality slip away form the eyes of an increasingly frustrated and heartbroken Smithers - it all culminates when Alex uses a child “just as an informant, simple information gathering” but hidden behind the charming smile of John Rider and the brutal coldness of Alan Blunt’s words is Alex Rider dying as he says them (Smithers just hopes there’s still a part of the boy he once knew in there to mourn)

Walk the Line: Alex thought he was done with SCORPIA. But they kept creeping back into his life in the most unexpected of ways. He thought he could at least count on it being on the other side until he gets teamed up with Walker, his former classmate and current CIA spy. Unfortunately he still hasn’t been able to figure out whose side Walker is really on - attempted deep cover op like his dad, repatriated rogue spy back on the “good” side, or SCORPIA double agent? He doesn’t know but at least he’s nice....in that obnoxious American way.

Temperamental: (Sequel to Sentimental which isn’t all that popular and you would need to read it for the sequel but basically amnesiac Yassen whose memories stop pre John’s betrayal set during the Stormbreaker mission and features him trying to come to grips with the use of chemical weapons against children and how to handle Alex once he snaps back to reality which is where this starts) Yassen had promised Alex Rider that he would be safe from the world of spying but fate had other ideas. In the days after Sarov’s failed plan, Yassen scrambles to find where MI6 have hidden his wayward charge without drawing Rothman’s attention. A request from one of their existing clients to look into suspicious activity at his son’s former school prompts Yassen to investigate under the guise of offering security. He should have known where there was trouble there would be Alex.

10. How would you describe your writing process?

Lordy do I ever not have a good answer for this. Typically it involves an idea hitting me and then the determination: would this idea work better as a short to post on tumblr (because the set up would take away the tension or would require a multi chapter which is not really my strength), as a prompt to lob out into the ether for someone better and brighter to touch on, or a fic. Once fic is decided I determine whose perspective the fic would be the most interesting from either because it would create the most tension or their internal monologue/background knowledge would add the most to it. Then the summary is written and a title is chosen. If it’s something I’m really passionate about and I already have it in my head I tend to write it all in one go, if there’s more I need to chew on then it’s a series of dates with the Evil Writing App. The final determination is whether it’s good enough for Valaks or if it gets sent to an alt account.

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

Allegedly. I’ll try to go in order of posting -

Ruthless has a sequel where Alex just goes *quiet* once the initial dust as settled it’s unnerving to everyone because they’re not used to having to wonder just what Alex is thinking, at least not behind closed doors but what happened isn’t exactly something that can be recovered from easily, not when Alex isn’t sure who all’s in on it no matter what they’ve told him. Failure is the AU where I considered what would happen to Alex to make him want to torture.

Alibi was originally going to have Yassen show up in the end but I found it far more fascinating if MI6 was just testing Alex so out went Yassen and in went Ben. The sequel to it was torn apart and turned into Warm Reception because I wanted to trope flip SCORPIA comes to Brooklands and decided that it was more logical to have a small fight in Mrs. Bedfordshire’s lobby than anywhere else and I wanted to explore some side characters instead of Ben.

Providence’s sequel thoughts ended up inspiring Gentleman’s Agreement but I did write a small short for it “Yassen and Alex encounter each other on mission. Surprisingly they are working to mostly the same goal - Yassen needs to kill the millionaire who Alex needs to get information from. “I suppose I could answer some questions for you, Sasha. /In Russian/“ “Is now really the time for a language lesson?” he ground out in frustration but the man pointedly ignored him “/Fine but I don’t know some of the words/“ “/Then there is no better way to learn/“

I mentioned the Sentimental sequel but changing Sarov to come first and probable for almost a month before Yassen figures out he’s missing made the most sense. It was also a bit of fun at the Yassen would absolutely take Alex away from MI6....just to throw him in a school and throw away the key. Almost had him send him to Point Blanc but decided that wouldn’t quite fit all that well and wouldn’t be as interesting as if Alex had already gotten his feet back under him with MI6 and now sees that Yassen was right that MI6 would just use him until he’s dead but that doesn’t mean Alex wants to be anywhere near Yassen. Julia Rothman might have other ideas when she finds out what her newest second in command is hiding.

Gentleman’s Agreement.....there’s a lot of thoughts on Sequels and AUs, a lot of them have been written by better people, but that fic was written in 45 minutes so there wasn’t much time to recharacterize or change scenes. It did get Turncoat aka the Alex saves Yassen fic I wanted so badly.

Blood Brothers is a fic I really worked hard on considering how John would feel about his son being thrown into SCORPIA assuming Alex was of age. A rocky marriage was characterization that didn’t quite fit what I imagined would have happened but did fit the story so it stayed in. It was a fic that was supposed to get expanded on - the competition between Hunter and Yassen and Nile and Alex who is desperate to beat his Dad and his “apprentice”. I think two teenagers thrown against each other with a bit of a bone to pick, especially Yassen and Alex who can both hold a grudge even if one runs hot and the other runs cold, would have been compelling and a little fun but the premise and specifically John’s characterization doesn’t quite work out to me.

Found and Legends both have their plotting done but it’ll never see the light of day

Little Moments and Sweetest Thing were my guilty pleasure writing pieces for a while and I have about 1000 DMs of scenes for both of them that are lost to the sands of time and an embarrassing amount of self indulgence

Mates has a follow up ending for those who needed resolution in the comments of it. I’m not sure I did a good job of showing that Tom was in a semi abusive relationship since a lot of people seemed to blame him for him and Alex’s breakup. Most of my headcanons for how their relationship goes have them splitting much sooner just because of Tom’s own home life and either being unable to relate/talk to Alex and drifting away because his Mom throwing a plate at his head isn’t being hung over crocodiles but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt or because Alex is just too dangerous/jumpy to be thrown back into a school environment and lashes out even unintentionally especially not under the pressure of being seen as a failure. School is also a barometer of just how much he’s lost of himself and his childhood, bonus points for Alex being completely upfront with Tom about everything he’s done

In My Sights has an AU where this is all post Christmas at Gunpoint and Yassen is there because he knows Ian is already at Sayle’s factory and will have to be...handled. So two weeks of just getting Alex trained for the protection he might need, connecting him to resources, etc. Ian finding out that Yassen had been there was part of a draft at one point which was included Alex wondering about an all too sincere goodbye from Ian “who never hugged him” but I can’t find the snippet anymore ;__;

A Warm Reception was an alternate version. Originally I wanted it to be Alex watching his last chance at normality slip from his fingers and then the crushing realization that it was something that was his own doing, not even MI6 but Skoda who he had picked a fight with and the accompanying breakdown but then decided that Mrs. Bedfordshire was the right way to go upon writing the summary. Because everyone loves some Outsider POV

Adopted was supposed to be a one chapter throw away trope flip of K Unit adopts Alex. I kept it pretty consistent with Amitai and Lil Lupin’s K Units, tried to add in some more characterization just in how they treated some of the details. It has an alt ending/chapter where they find out Alex is Cub when they pull him from Three’s tender mercies almost by accident. I was persuaded into light humored fluff via guilt trip.

The Truth and Other Deadly Weapons has Ben acting exactly like he think he would in front of everyone but my AU was that this interaction happened in the field and absolutely shattered Ben’s trust in him partly because he had worked for the other side and partly because even if it ‘wasn’t as bad as it looks’ it showed a severe lack of judgment. It also featured several chapters of Alex running into the glass ceiling that is having “Member Malogosto Class of 2004” on your resume. Was going to feature Alex running into Walker as well and into problems within MI6 and the CIA but that was eventually cut and it was kept to one chapter.

Guardian....Guardian holds a very special place in my heart. I was given the prompt of a Monster Fic and I wrote what I knew but the interesting parts were all the ones that come after the story but might come across to a general audience as Hogwarts School of Prayers and Miracles. The plotting done post this was going to feature baby Angel Alex reuniting with his parents but...they were strangers to him and so he stayed with Yassen more and more, followed him, learned from him....it encompassed everything from the dynamics of broken families to reflections on theology and references from the Good Book....which is why it’ll never see the fandom but has a very special place in my heart.

In another, more perfect world Glocking Around the Christmas Tree is the Die hard fic this fandom deserves but as Lupin and I untangled the plot of the movie more and more we just couldn’t make it into anything that would be coherent on paper so it was changed and changed and is now a half finished sad abomination that sits on my works list only because Lupin would kill me if I took it down.

Hot Shot was supposed to feature my current favorite character that is not Nile Abara, John Crawley but I wimped out and changed it at the end because I swore I would write the Crawley fic that we all need. Hear me out: John Crawley knew and worked with John and Ian Rider, was respected by both of them, was recruited by SCORPIA within one year in the field, is the Chief of Staff of MI6, the man who “no one gets a knife in the back without him signing off” and is also the man who walks his dog to check on Alex. There’s a mentorship waiting to happen there, preferably in a nice work study program during college where Alex finally gets to see the repercussions of his missions and Crawley helps try and pull him back from the black mark that SCORPIA would have put on him.

My personal fluffy favorite is the spinoff of Devil Went Down to Georgia where Joe Byrne did pull Alex out post Skeleton Key and brought him home. There’s a pretty extended one about where Tom ends up after Mates. There’s also an actual sequel but ask me no questions and all.

Skipping a few collabs and Febuwhump fics but Burning Questions was just supposed to be Branded - a fic where upon being captured by Razim he is brought in and forcibly branded to differentiate the appearances of Alex and Julius (since Razim has decided to have him killed after shooting the Secretary of State). As a result of the pain levels spiking when Alex actually sees that the SCORPIA logo is branded onto his cheek Razim considers that emotional pain might be something to investigate. There’s a couple thousand words on it, one day I might polish it up.

First Impressions is supposed to be a mirror verse of Alex working for MI6 which includes Three as Blunt, Rothman as Jones and of course Sagitta as K Unit while he’s up against his father as Yassen and Yassen as Crawley. But it was cut down significantly even if the ideas are pretty fun to consider.

Sorry this was probably more than you bargained for but it was fun to get everything out there so thank you for asking

[bigskydreaming]

About all the stuff you were talking about, do you know any fics that handle those things well? It is exhausting trying to go through the Dick Grayson tag to try and find ones that handle even one of those remotely well so any you can tell me would be wonderful.

I use my Bookmarks page as a go-to for people looking for that sorta thing. I haven’t added to it in awhlie which is like, a useful reminder for myself to rectify that.

I’m not sure off the top of my head what fics on there address these particular areas of canon or fanon issues, but they’re in there, and I don’t bookmark anything I wouldn’t reread since that’s....the only reason I bookmark stuff lol. Aka nothing that contains elements or fanon tropes/issues that would’ve pulled me out of the read on the first go-through.

Specific authors who I consistently like for their takes on all of that, hmmm....off the top of my head, @dustorange only deals in Quality Stuff and her Hierarchy of Needs for Dick’s characterization has similar enough rankings to my own personal one, that I’m always like, yes, this hit all the beats I was hoping for from this summary, I am full, I could not eat another bite. But maybe a dessert course later. I guess. If you insist.

In terms of specific takes and tropes I’ve been talking about tonight, @themessofthecentury has a fic that delves into all the Spyral aftermath in a really satisfying way. Y’ever been like, ugh can someone please write a lengthy beast of a multi-chapter that takes all of that and says ‘Lo, there is Gold in these hills” and has a range of POVs but that all consistently prioritize and center Dick in the areas and matters he should be the one prioritized? That’s the one, that’s Fault Lines, its a WIP but its alive and kicking and very much what you’re looking for to read something actually catharctic after the way all of that was handled in canon and most related fics.

Umm, lessee.... @hood-ex is all about Top Notch Tropes, especially for great scenes where Dick’s with a wide range of characters, and its like, casual slice-of-life stuff, but delivered in a way that Just Says No to fanon and even when writing Dick as light-hearted and having a good day, its like...actually in character for him and he’s not Dick Grayson, The Balloon Animal That Walks Like A Man (but is actually 70% sugary cereal). You gotta follow her on tumblr though to get all the fics, cuz she’s like me in that she writes a lot of done-in-one scenes that never get moved over to Ao3 because eh, we’ll do it tomorrow but also we’ll forget about it by tonight so no actually we won’t. And thus there’s a lot of hidden gems to be found there.

@ckbookish writes a lot of stuff set in the early Nightwing days when Jason was Robin, and from what I’ve read there’s a lot of focus on Dick and Jason bonding and also exploration of Dick’s thoughts and reactions to Bruce’s “Bruce NO” behavior of that era that’s very much in character and IMO hits all the right notes in the complicated arrangement of allowing Dick his Feels there and placing the appropriate blame where appropriate but without demonizing Bruce and over-embellishing the more than enough to work with fuck-ups canon helpfully provided for that era. 

In fact, in general I’m inclined to say the author sticks as closely to canon as possible while just....making it better by just adding the little ingredient that is ‘Actual Exploration of Dick’s Feelings and Choices As Viewed Through Empathy-Colored Glasses By Someone Who I Feel Actually HAS Met or Been A Teenager At Some Point in Their Life and Thus Is Aware They’re Not Actually Unreasonable Wild Animals Whose Behavior Even When Rational Is Actually Irrational Cuz Hormones Yeah I Know I Was Surprised Too’. So I’d say their work consistenly delivers the story and emotional beats I look for from Bruce, Dick and Jason in that era, actually humanizing all three of them without going overboard with adding flaws all willy-nilly just cuz.

The only reason its not on my bookmarks page is cuz unfortunately, the sticking close to canon means Dick joining the Bludhaven police force to try and clean it up from the inside, and like.....not a criticism or condemnation of the execution of that premise at all, like, Dick’s clear in his reasons and from what I read goes about it in a way that actually fits if Dick had criticisms of the institution as a whole and an earnest belief he can effect change to it from the inside, its just like, purely as a personal subjectivity thing, Dick Grayson and Being a Cop is like my ultimate NOTP, I see it and I reflexively hiss like a vampire who forgot the sun was a thing. Its just not for me in any execution, but if that’s not true for you then its got everything else I’d look for in fic and thus while I can’t vouch for his characterization or the dynamics in later stories, like, I’m pretty sure you’d still be in Primo Characterization territory. 

There’s stuff on my bookmarks page from an author named discowing(amelia from a fairytale) - something like that. I can’t recall their tumblr off the top of my head but I know she says it somewhere in some of her author’s notes. Anyway, her stuff runs the gamut but consistently delivers on moments I really wish we could see in canon, so def worth a read. And I know her views on the Spyral aftermath and what’s needed for actual catharsis there are right in my wheelhouse, just in general, so if that’s the barometer you’re going by, then like.....idk whatever a barometer says or does when it gets the readings its supposed to, look its late, that’s the metaphor I’m going with, just pretend it was solid.

Those are just some of the authors where I’m familiar with more than one of their works off the top of my head and tend to like their focus and narrative/character choices across the board. I don’t know the full extent of work of every author linked on my Bookmarks page, like a lot of people write a lot of fic in a lot of fandom and I see a long list of fandoms and fics all organized by date posted so its more like one DC fic per page, and my ADHD self is like hahaha what if it was naptime tho zzzz.

But yeah, that’s not nearly enough to sate my greed and want for Good Dick Grayson Takes but it should get you started. There’s some good stuff out there, that’s never been in question, its just that like you said, it can be exhausting trying to wade through fics that you can’t tell at a glance if they’d be to your liking or not because the tags are all complimentary of Dick but two chapters in you’re like wait is this the other kids’ brother or is this their nanny, I feel like I’m reading about what if Fran Drescher wore tights and fought crime with flippity-flips. Which I mean, that’s a Premise right there, alright, its just not remotely the premise I look for out of fic where I have the weird expectation that Dick should be treated and regarded more like equal family to his siblings than like, okay what if he was actually just an au pair that was mostly hired to be eye candy.