#I FORGOT HOW MUCH FUN THERE IS TO BE HAD IN A FANDOM WITH ACTORS! WITH FACES! WHO DO OTHER WORK IN ORDER TO REMAIN EMPLOYED!!

[hideyseek]

ok i have been at this party (guardian fandom) for like one month but today i learned about WEILAN DERIVATIVE SHIPS by way of this ELECTRIFYINGLY GORGEOUS FANVID and also this extremely helpful thread and now i am. bouncing around in excitement!!!!!!! this is SO FUN??? look at them!!!!!

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Sword gays showdown, round 4 of bracket two

Propaganda:

For Hikaru Sulu:

1) Okay, first off: Which version am I submitting? Prime timeline (TOS) or Kelvin timeline (AOS, also known as the reboot movies if you're not in the fandom)? The answer is both. Prime Sulu has the more iconic fencing scenes (and is also said to have other sword related abilities) while Kelvin Sulu is canonically gay. Specifically as a tribute to George Takei btw who played prime Sulu in TOS and is famously gay and an LGBT+ rights activist among other causes. The picture provided is prime Sulu but if you've only watched AOS, feel free to vote for him anyway.

I'm not gonna link any videos here since that would probably exceed the scope of the propaganda section but clips should be pretty easy to find. And if you can't, just trust me: The TOS fencing scenes are amazing. The AOS one is probably fine too but it's been ages since I've watched it and I forgot it even existed so it can't have been THAT memorable.

Fun fact: George Takei initially didn't know how to fence and didn't find out he'd have to until pretty late and started taking fencing lessons only three weeks before the filming of that episode (The Naked Time) and apparently "became so out-of-control and boisterous that he had to be separated from the rest of the production personnel, for their own safety" which, in context of what the episode is about, is just absolutely amazing. Truly iconic.

Anyway, considering Star Trek is an important part of queer history (I'm only half joking) you need to vote for Sulu, we all know George Takei is an icon, make the right choice here.

2) When they got hit with the drunk virus he took his shirt off and started challenging people to duels. Iconic 

3) This bitch got the outer space disease that makes you silly, and revealed they were gung ho for fencing, and brought out their sabre to just. Swashbuckle. Goes "/oh my/," and is clearly gay and played by a gay actor

For Olivier:

She is only female general in her nation, and guards the northern border. She fights with a sword even though there are other people with guns. Olivier is unmarried despite being older (not sure how old exactly, but she is a general, and that takes time). To the best of my knowledge she shows no interest in anyone, thus making it possible to interpret her as aromantic and asexual, or as a lesbian. The bit where Mustang offers to take her on a date and she threatens to eat so much she will bankrupt him is funny.

[songwolfwildblogs]

@toffeebrew so I finished it.

(One-shot under the cut)

Y/n had left the utmv Fandom a while ago, they had entered THAT side of the Fandom. The side that every Fandom had. The side that made Y/n feel horrible, the constant worry of being judged had ruined the fun but that was years and years ago. They had grown a lot in that time, lost the friends they thought would judge them and over time they forgot about their time in the Fandom but then… they came across a TikTok of the silly guys they fell in love with and it all came flooding back… they remembered how these little guys were what got them into art, but they also remembered the toxicity.

Y/n approached the Fandom cautiously at first only going through their old art and reminiscing about Their aus. They started scrolling through TikTok and started seeing utmv content then when they got sick of TikTok they went to Tumblr and there the hyperfixation was reignited. They fell in love with the characters all over again absorbing all the info they could but they also remembered something… ink.

Would he be mad? What would he think about Y/n abandoning him? ….

What the hell is Y/n thinking? Ink isn't real! Well… ink and everyone still felt real in Y/n's heart.

The doodlesphere was less active than the early years but it still was buzzing with activity, Ink as usual was bouncing around while reading the newest au list, it was from a new creator! It wasn't exactly the best, but that doesn't matter!

Ink has the philosophy that: an au always means something to someone even if it's one person it has a place in the doodlesphere!

Ink couldn’t help but smile and put the au up in the doodlesphere. He moved back into the center of the doodlesphere and took in the aus surrounding him. Suddenly Ink heard a voice, ink has always heard creators while they work but this was a voice he had missed… Y/n! He was practically jumping up and down while skipping around

Ink immediately went towards the au that was being worked on, a theatrical Tale, ya the name was a mouthful but eh. Ink appeared in what appeared to be clip studio paint, which wasn't the art medium Y/n used to use but it has been years so they must have improved a ton! They were redesigning the sans and papyrus of the universe First, the sans was wearing black sweatpants, and a black hoodie as well as a pair of gloves. Papyrus was a completely different story, dramatic carvings laced his now much more armor like battle body, a lance laid on his hip and there was a note pointing to the get up saying “Not real, would be a risk to actors.”

Y/n was mumbling along to a random song, ink couldn’t really hear it but he assumed it was either an emo song, mitski, a musical, or MARINA since most creators seem to like those.

Ink couldn’t contain himself anymore, he used broomie to draw in the reference window. “Y/N!!!!!!! Hiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!! It's ink!!! I'm so so so so so so so happy to see you again!!!!” it took a minute For Y/n to notice, of course, while drinking some coffee which made them cough, which made Ink chuckle. Y/n seemed nervous as they spoke “ink?! Holy fuck. I… uh… I… fuck. Hi?” Y/n's nervousness was barely picked up by ink but Y/n was one of the few people he could read slightly, he didn't know why but he oddly got Y/n somewhat they just kind of clicked. Ink erased what he wrote then began writing “what's wrong your seem nervous” Y/n sighed before continuing as they placed down their cup and continued to draw “It's nothing really, it's just… are you not mad? I left for so long… I basically Abandoned you and my aus.”

Ink was mildly surprised but shook his head not like Y/n could see him, yet again he used broomie again, writing “I'm not mad! I'm so happy you're back! I missed you a lot! Also I love these designs so far!”

Y/n smiled softly and shook their head even after all these years… ink never changes.

And that's a good thing in a way… because in the end he'll always be there to help. Always be there to info dump too. Always just… excited to help with the creative process. Even if Y/n knew he couldn't technically feel emotions It didn't mean his emotions were less valid.

Ink was a friend in a sense even if he wasn't in Y/n's reality… he was still a friend

[canonicallyobserving911]

Hi how's your day going? Just wanted to vent and say I'm pissed at what sounds like Ryan being sidelined and casually belittled in the latest cast interview/promo 😑 i.e. apparently zero mention of Eddie's storyline for s7, Tim once again making the tired joke about eddie being "too pretty to kill off" (kind of insulting considering how much Eddie and Chris have brought to the show since s2), seems like the only thing Ryan got to say was something incredibly sweet and complimentary about working with Gavin 🥺😍 and fandom just thinks it's funny "well he IS pretty". If that's all Eddie is to buddie fandom...that just confirms everything I've been complaining about the last couple of years 🙃

Thank you @blutterlie for the ask. I'm doing well and I hope you're doing well too.

I read through the snippets that were posted on 911blr from the panel interview that was done a couple of nights ago with the main cast and the showrunner and... I really don't have words. But to say I was disappointed is an understatement.

I was really hoping things would be different for Eddie and Chris, the characters and RG and GM, the actors this season since it seems like KR got the boot and is no longer sitting in the showrunner's chair. Hopefully she is gone and if so, maybe someone other than Buck (Eddie, Chris, Chimney and Bobby because they were all sidelined in the last two years while the other half of their ships got good storylines) can get a storyline or two but I can't say I'm surprised with the outcome.

Apparently TM cares about the big emergencies which is great and all but it would be better IMO if they stopped trying to recreate scenes from movies (Speed, Poseidon and whatever other movies they've copied) and focus on growth of the main characters. I've mentioned this before in my Constructive Criticisms posts but none of the first responders have been promoted. How long are they going to remain in their same roles? For me, the show has lost something and I'm not sure a cruise disaster that puts Bobby and Athena in danger again for the umpteenth time is going to make people watch... but I digress.

I'm saddened because RG and GM the actors and the characters they play, Eddie and Chris have been sidelined and given minimal screentime for a while but the little amount they do get is always solid gold because both RG and GM are superb actors. They work very well together and I had hope for season 7 that they would finally be given the screentime they deserve especially since they barely got any in seasons 5 and 6 but it looks like another wash, rinse and repeat season with Buck still looking for answers (which I figured would be the case after I completed a post about his attire in the still of him and Chris). I was really hoping it wasn't going to be another season 4 with Eddie and Chris suffering with another recurring character (all they did was replace AF with M) while they wait for Buck to finally "get it" but apparently some people think it's fun and cute for Buck to be in the words of OS, "stuck on a hamster wheel" but I don't and honestly, unless he's headed for a massive breakdown SO he can finally DEAL AND COPE with all his issues, they can keep it.

The comment TM made about RG being pretty was just... 🙄. IMO, it was disrespectful, disgusting, disingenuous and completely discrediting. If it's true and he was initially hired for his looks for whatever reason, shouldn't they be past that by now? It's been six years and RG has proven time and time again that he's a fantastic actor. For those who forgot, EDDIE carried the ENTIRETY OF SEASON 5 on his back while KR was stumbling around as showrunner with most of the "top billed" cast (that's two-thirds of those who are paid the most) out of pocket. AB was working on A LOT of other projects and that's no hate to her but it's true, JLH was on maternity leave, RD and MR left the show and instead of giving more screentime to Eddie, Bobby and Chimney, they forced TK into the spotlight just to show how bad she was for Buck. They could have done that in episode 1 without giving her a back story so they could have dedicated more time to Eddie’s PTSD and therapy. Buck got two whole seasons and he still hasn't figured anything out but they rushed Eddie’s story and wouldn't even let him say he was going back to the 118🤔.

How many times will the audience have to watch these repetitive storylines? Also, how many times will RG, AH, GM, KC, CM and PK be sidelined for the other mains? It's supposed to be an ensemble cast but someone keeps forgetting that and pushing certain characters out front while they push the others to the side. In season 5, Chimney was sent on a road trip to drive across America with a 6-month-old instead of him staying in L.A. so Buck and Albert could help him with Jee-Yun. In season 6, Bobby was given a sponsor (Wendell) no one had ever heard of before and he appeared out of thin air. Hen's medical school storyline went absolutely nowhere and May disappeared after 6x11. And Eddie and Chris were once again sidelined and then pushed into another "Eddie has to date" because "Chris needs a mother" storyline with another bland and ridiculous recurring character because they keep dragging out whatever the "F" they're doing.

Now with the comment about RG being "too pretty to die", it made me wonder if Eddie and Chris being left out of the promos was a mistake after all🤷‍♀️.

I hope RG and GM can find a show that will appreciate their contributions and give them the screentime they deserve and it be based on how great they are as actors because they deserve so much better.

Anyway, this got longer than I expected and I didn't mean for it to but I'm disappointed in how they're treated and I'm tired of watching the same ole same old.

[amailboxlemur]

Three years ago today I watched Young Royals for the first time.

Story time/long post incoming. I wasn’t in a great headspace at the time, but let me try to set the scene.

Spring of 2021 was still pretty deep in the pandemic. My province had been on lockdown (number 3) since the beginning of April and I hated working from home. Partly because teaching online piano lessons sucks. But also I live alone, and lockdown is too much alone time no matter how introverted you are. I think that spring I went about 6 weeks without speaking to someone in person who wasn’t like a grocery store cashier.

I decided to go stay with my parents for a few weeks so I could get some human interaction. At the time, I was mooching off my former roommate’s Netflix that was still signed in to our living room TV, so I didn’t have Netflix access.

I also love Red White and Royal Blue, and all of a sudden in early July the fandom got flooded. There were gifs of two unfamiliar teenage boys all over my dash. Fanart of two boys who looked like Alex and Henry captioned “Wilhelm and Simon”. There were a bunch of crossover fics popping up on AO3. I was curious, but mostly I just wanted to get a feel for the characters so I could read said crossover fics.

July 12th was my first day back teaching in person. (Side note: the health precautions we had in place for those lessons were WILD). I came back from my parents place in the morning, taught in the late afternoon/evening and returned home around 8 pm. I made supper and figured I’d try watching an episode of this “Young Royals” thing. I started it and remember groaning when I realized it was in Swedish so I’d have to focus and read subtitles instead of watching mindlessly (I’m too pretentious to watch the dubbed version, but it had been a long day)

“Oh that’s a beautiful boy with a beautiful voice singing… I can keep going…”

“Ohhh they’re about to kiss… wait what? How does episode 1 just end there??? I have to watch another episode!”

“Yay they finally kissed!! But how will Wilhelm react?? It’s not even 11 yet, I think I can watch one more”

“Erik is dead. I knew this was coming because I saw the “beta read but Erik’s still dead” tag on AO3 but totally forgot! How will this affect my boys?? One more episode, just to see if wilhelm pushes Simon away again”

“Ok good, they’re together. August sucks though, I can see where this is going and why there seem to be so many comparisons to rwrb. But it’s past midnight so I’ll have to keep watching tomorrow… wait there’s only two more episodes?? Might as well finish”

Before I knew it, it was 2 am and I was crying on my living room couch. I NEVER get into new shows, I have tons of things I watched 1-3 episodes of and then quit, so I couldn’t believe I binged the entire thing. It was late so I went to sleep.

In the morning I woke up and the rabbit hole began. I read all the fics on AO3, I started following young royals stuff on tumblr. I googled the actor who played Simon and found out he’s an actual Swedish pop star? I think he was among the first artists I followed using my then brand new Spotify account. I followed both Omar and Edvin on instagram, along with Lisa (other actors followed later). I watched all the young royals promo videos on YouTube, including the Hillerska choir performance. That entire summer was spent diving down Omar’s back catalog of Foo vlogs. Some of them are in Swedish, but I remember watching them intensely, as if I would magically understand if I tried hard enough. I started learning Swedish on duolingo.

When season 2 was released, I fully quit all social media for WEEKS to avoid spoilers. I spent 3 days carefully messing up my sleep schedule so I could wake up and watch it at 3 am. When season 3 was released I was such an excited puppy dog that I didn’t sleep at all. I watched it at 3 am and spent the whole rest of the day amped up and on tumblr.

I remember all kinds of fun and significant days in the fandom: Rockbjörnen 2021, musikhjälpan 2021. The lead up and release of Mi Casa Su Casa. The release of OMR. Omar gave me a birthday present in 2022 when he performed “breathe” on Nyhetsmorgon on my birthday. Gay gala 2022 but especially 2023. Both boys have done incredible sommarpratar. So many other galas and performances and photoshoots I’d be here all day listing them all out.

Becoming an Omar fangirl was also surprising. I don’t listen to or follow pop music (my definition of which is incredibly broad so yes, Omar’s music qualifies). Like, I’ve never had a favourite artist before? One who’s work I actively follow and whose releases I know about in advance and look forward to?

Omar announced his concert at Cirkus in November of 2023 and it fell at the end of a semester break from work. I could go without needing to refund or makeup any missed lessons. It felt like a sign. That week was genuinely one of the best in my life, words can’t even describe it. A transatlantic flight, a week in Europe. I got to see Kaggeholm. I met Omar at Lyko. I stood in general admission 3 rows back from the stage and heard Omar sing live and sang along with other fans. It was surreal. Shout out to @yrblogbaby @the-words-we-sung @crownedwille and @omarsimp, wow you’re all amazing. There was a queer joy to hanging out with y’all that weekend that I don’t get too often irl.

Since then, I’ve tried to internalize a little bit more the idea of community in fandom. I’m still not super out there, but I try to interact more. I lurked in this fandom (and so many others) for years. I made this account in something like 2011 and until recently I probably had less than 50 posts.

So yeah… saying this show changed my life feels dramatic but also accurate. Hopefully here’s to more years to come, and more good memories when I head to New York this fall!

[languidlotus]

tagged by @aleng-neng. What are my fave top 9 shows in no particular order. (All of these I have at 10/10.) I'll only pick recent shows, as they're the ones I have listed on MyDramaList and thus have a ranking for. XD This means it's mostly bls and cdramas. 1. Moonlight Chicken.

One of my feelgood shows, even though it's still new. It feels comfortable and adult and grounded, with a bunch of amazing actors who are clearly comfortable with each other. As an 'older queer' it resonates with me a lot and I didn't dislike a single thing about it.

2. The Blood of Youth.

A really fun show with gorgeous, engaging characters and the right mix of beautiful scenery, beautiful people, and creative storytelling that I like. Sprinkle in some excellent fight scenes and a bunch of my favourite actors and I'm sold!

3. Old Fashion Cupcake.

I talked about mature stories earlier and this is another one of those. I could see myself in the main lead just a bit too much for me not to love this. Nozue recognizes that he's maybe stuck in a rut and complacent when he doesn't have to be. And, maybe, that handsome junior at the firm could help him get out of it (and make him recognize he's not straight).

4. KinnPorsche.

Look, I know it has its issues. I know. And I know people have an issue with some of the fandom. I get it and for the most part I agree. However, this was the first BL in a long time that I had the urge to write fic for. I enjoyed the complexity of the universe and the characters that much. (Even if some of it didn't make sense. but that's half the fun!) And that's why I like it. It got my brain involved. (And I just adore Tankhun, okay.)

5. Word of Honor.

Years ago I watched a few cdramas and then...somehow forgot about them? (I don't know how I did that.) However, back in 2019 I got back into them and eventually stumbled upon The Untamed. 'This is the pinnacle of cdrama for me and my tastes!' I thought. But then Word of Honor showed up. Look, everything about this show is stunning. The story, the characters, the setting, the clear and unadulterated love between the two main characters. Everything and everyone is beautiful and I've never gone through a cdrama as fast as I did this one. It's beautiful in ever sense of the word. And so, so queer. Don't believe me? Just search 'word of honor cdrama' in the gif section on tumblr and marvel at the art.

6. A Tale of Thousand Stars.

This is not the first Thai BL I watched, but it almost feels like it? Because ATOTS is the first one I remember going crazy about (and it set me on the road to basically loving everything EarthMix are in together). I was super invested and wanted to draw art and everything. It's just such a nice, soft, romantic story and the characters are so fun. This is probably the one I've rewatched the most.

7. Semantic Error.

As you can tell, I generally like stories that feel far away from home. I like magic and fantasy and settings that aren't typical. However, this is one of the few exceptions. I think it's the characters and their journey and the perfect execution of tropes that would have felt stale in any other show. It's a fun story with excellent characters and I get why it's so popular.

8. Mysterious Lotus Casebook.

Technically, I can't say this show is 10/10 yet because it still has a bunch of episodes to go. However, I can tell it's going to get close at least. (And will probably get to 10.) I keep comparing it to a perfect blend of The Blood of Youth and A League of Nobleman, in that it's a fantasy world with a master swordsman who's dying (and begrudgingly adopts a cute puppy who loves him) and a bunch of cases that need solving (to unravel the overarching plot). It's so much fun and the settings + characters are so beautiful. (And I may or may not heavily ship the loyal, eager puppy with the stoic, lying dying man who tries to push him away (and literally abandon him) in an attempt to keep him safe (from harm and heartache).) The hurt/comfort and love against all odds is strong in this one! He gave up his lifelong dream to protect a man who's been lying to him ever since they met and whom is at that point a wanted fugitive!! Because he trusts and loves him so. Also, it has a bunch of very handsome and gorgeous actors/characters in it, whom I love (and who suffer beautifully).

9. ??? I only have 8 shows that I've given 10/10 to (or a prospective 10/10, lol), so I'll just leave you with some other recommended shows that came close! Bad Buddy

Between Us

Choco Milk Shake

Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms

My Only 12%

Ancient Love Poetry

That's it! I invested way too much effort into this, but...it was fun? Sorry for clogging up your timelines with this, though!

[stillness138]

can i ask for two characters: gezras of leyda and thaler? if not you can choose one of them xD

oooh nice, thanks! gonna do both

and cut it because it's gonna get long :D

Thaler

first impression:

i think i first saw him in gwent actually, and that was when 'silver spies' were still a thing. he was a pretty good card back then. only learned about his character once i watched a witcher 3 playthrough on youtube though. i don't recall it that well, but if i thought anything particular, it was probably "i hope he'll wash his hands at some point soon" because he's literally peeing at the start of the cutscene.

impression now:

he's cool! questionable hygiene aside, i love characters that have like, a thing? as in, a simple but fun premise or at least a surface reading. he's a spy, but very dedicated to the shoemaker cover, and that's how he manages to get by in an occupied land. i like that there's a little throughline with him about appearances often being deceiving. the shoes are one thing, but even further, he seems like a crude, self-serving bum, yet his loyality to Temeria is something so integral it's not even a question. This country really lucked out on devoted spies. Foltest was just that charismatic.

favorite thing about him:

willingness to do anything, no matter how uncomfortable, for the country. i think i like it because it's different from Roche's brand of servitude. again, cdpr is pretty good at writing ocs.

thinking about it now, he reminds me of a few guys i know. rural Temeria is, from an outside view, a cold, wet, kinda bleak bumfuck middle of nowhere, yet Thaler has this air of loving the physical country for what it is - he even mentions that he prefers the travelling more than a different cover like being an innkeep. like it doesn't bother him that it's cold, it seems he finds comfort in it in his own way. i find that kinda sweet.

least favorite thing:

seriously mate wash your hands 😭

i'd also rather cdpr didn't make him a vessel for racist jokes in the first game. (i swear i was looking for the exact clip where he talks about Azar and couldn't find it, i need to play the first game properly...)

favorite line/scene:

[how are you doing?] "A bit like a potato beetle. I keep quiet, stay outta trouble, and live on fucking potatoes."

i saw only a few scenes from witcher 1 and they were dubbed in czech, which adds to the hilarity of it to me, but his voice actor probably had a field day with it. "Nedělej si ze mě kurva srandu, seš zasranej amatér." [Geralt: will you play poker with me? Thaler: Don't fucking bullshit me, you're a goddamn amateur.]

favorite interaction he has with another character:

befriending and handling the three trolls. game Lambert has something to learn from him in that regard.

a character that I wish he would interact with more (or at all):

imagine if he appeared in the second game in any capacity, that would've been fun. in wild hunt, it's the same as with Roche: i wish the entire politics plotline was better. if i had to pick one character, it'd be Letho. there would be a lot of profanities but i actually believe Thaler would have more to say than even Roche at Kaer Morhen.

another character from another fandom that reminds me of him:

again i only know 5 things, and the only method acting spy in elder scrolls is Caius Cosades from Morrowind, whose similarities to Thaler pretty much end at taking a cover story too seriously.

as a side note though, i went to tv tropes to look at character lists in case i forgot about someone i actually do know, and in "sir swears-a-lot" subpage for videogame characters i found Thaler twice; gwent has its own separate mention. legends only.

a headcanon about him:

if Roche likes architecture, i think Thaler really enjoys music. maybe he even plays the lute. i'm also really curious about his youth and how he ended up a spy, but i do think it's quite different than Roche's background. i imagine he had a lot of friends as a kid and a comparably normal home life, but always showed talent for remembering what people say and for getting them to say even more.

a song that reminds me of him:

it's more vibes based than anything, but this czech song, most known from a movie. zmrzlinář means ice cream seller. it's all kinda... reminiscing, nostalgia and trying to find something nice or poetic in ordinary things (and in the case of the movie, in a shitty political regime). short movie version isn't on youtube, so i gotta upload it here.

an unpopular opinion about him:

this is less about the text and more meta, but i genuinely think he has a load of potential for exploring loyality, northern politics, motivation, and tropes or trope subversion (like the appearance thing i mentioned), but people sleep on him because Roche is right there. that's not to say dissecting Roche doesn't have merit - like i said, they're similar, but each has a different approach to what they do and what they believe.

favorite picture:

probably the gwent card. it says what it needs to and is surprisingly fun or even whimsical for a character most known for swearing on every third word. i think that's a neat choice though.

Gezras

first impression:

the cat school is, beside manticore, my favourite, so when the witcher expansion dropped i was curious who the leader will be next to Erland or Ivar. i wasn't disappointed. pretty sure i thought he's cute.

impression now:

*gently holds*

where Erland continued performing the trials to create a knightly order, Gezras and the growing cat school did it to protect themselves. it's the witcher dissected towards its core; a cycle of abuse maintained as something deemed necessary despite its harmfulness, out of desperation, out of a sense of belonging, out of losing touch with what's enough and what's too much.

and all that in pursuit of autonomy. Gezras; sold, experimented on, discarded, hunted. the fact the formula used on him was meant to suppress emotion yet ended up doing the opposite is a testament to that - this is about being treated as human. the trials are literally reclaimed, to strengthen other abandoned and thrown-out stray kids. to enact revenge. it's no wonder then that they'd seek refuge with the elves. the cat school was the one that took systemic oppression the most personally.

favorite thing about him:

that he's a unique exploration of the things i just mentioned. i find this very compelling and him relatable on that level, as an abuse survivor myself.

also his gwent card art and the bags under his eyes. that's relatable too.

least favorite thing:

it's meta again because i'm near incapable of judging the character without judging the writer: the little bit there is in gwent leans too much towards the edgy. he does have one voiceline about elven sages which i find especially interesting, but given that his trial ended up enhancing all emotions, if you want to show that somehow, give me rapid mood swings or something like that. gimme nuance!

this is me wanting every minor character to have dimensions.

favorite line/scene:

his flavor text; "Take a contract from Aen Seidhe over a dh'oine any day, as you’re far less likely to receive a knife between the ribs in place of coin."

favorite interaction he has with another character:

i think he actually has no lines or scenes with any named characters apart from the expansion key art where all the founders are together, because unlike the other three, he wasn't in the tabletop rpg books. i do however like his card's interaction with the bronze that happens to have my most favourite card art. there's awesome fanart about it too!

a character that I wish he would interact with more (or at all):

any named elf of his era, naturally, and especially the sages, but i am actually curious how he'd react to all of the other founders. Erland, i think i can imagine, but given both Arnaghad and Ivar ended up opposing Erland, that'd be more interesting. and even Iwan, the founder of manticore school as per the trpg, maybe he'd be the one Gezras would find most common ground with actually. If only for leaving the other three to their squabbles and seeking work and protection in a more equal society.

another character from another fandom that reminds me of him:

this is weird and i'm going to bring it up again, but Gezras reminds me of Allinall's work. weird because these are takes or adaptations of other media - particularly elder scrolls and berserk - but he specifically brings forth similar themes; conflicts of humans and elves, othering and otherness, cyclical abuse, coping mechanisms. the concrete characters i'm thinking of are Allinall's oc from the elder scrolls project and Rosine (and by extension the in-world fairytale character Peekaf) from the berserk project.

the nameless oc, mostly referred to as "One-Ear", had mixed parents, their human father cut their ear off in an attempt to hide their identity, even though their yellow sclera is undeniably elven. they join (or rather, their vulnerable state of trauma is exploited and they're indoctrinated by) a regime that aims to end material existence. Rosine is also a domestic abuse survivor, a village girl who comes across a promise of power in the form of an evil artifact that turns her into a moth-like elf monster. she starts devolving into bloodthirst and allows for horrible stuff to happen in order to maintain a fantasy of comfort and freedom.

a headcanon about him:

i didn't come up with it, but i love the idea that him and the saber-tooth tiger were buddies.

i think it's safe to assume that he's not actually from Leyda. if he was mutated at Stygga, he more likely was a local kid from Ebbing. I do also think he stayed in Dol Blathanna at some point when the school was wandering around, though.

and maybe that's too shallow, but i like to imagine he did genuinely enjoy being in nature. and if he ever conducted any trials by his own, he might've been notably good at herbology.

a song that reminds me of him:

'To Die' by Allinall (relating to One-Ear), and Peekaf Song (to Rosine).

as for more personal picks, my forever favourite, Nihilist Blues by Bring Me The Horizon (and Grimes); "do you mind if i'm exhumed?"

and Unraveled by Lorn, which is kinda ambient, but i like the harsher noises and associate it with my own search-for-identity oc.

an unpopular opinion about him:

Gezras is more interesting to me personally because of that focus on abuse, autonomy and revenge, and he's already a bit on the side because Erland and Arnaghad's conflict is at the forefront when this era of witchers comes up, but i think Ivar Evil-Eye needs even more love. despite being in the trpg, no one talks about him (he has that in common with Thaler i guess) and that's a disservice to the viper school as a whole, i think it's just as fascinating and has just as much unique and profound stuff to say as the cat school's story.

favorite picture:

his gwent card is in my top 20, but i especially like his reward tree portrait; it's the most detailed likeness we have. the mega tired eyes just draw me in.

[vvivacious101]

Oh God! We need to talk!

I have been insane ever since the RWRB movie came out but I guess you can only stay immersed in a fandom for so long before you start to see its more insidious aspects.

This thought has entered my mind before but I chose not to engage because fandom should ideally be fun and a break from reality. Unfortunately, all of humanity's creations contain humanity's flaws and I can't keep turning a blind eye anymore.

I don't think this post is going to do much but if it makes even one person realise they aren't alone in their experience it would have served its purpose.

So, let's talk about fandom racism.

The only other couple that I ship that is an interracial one is Joe and Nicky from The Old Guard. They are also an interfaith couple so they really had the odds stacked against them from the very beginning. But by the time I came into that fandom, there was a real movement to call out racial bias and ignorance in Joe's portrayal. So I thankfully avoided the racism in that fandom because when I got involved in that fandom there was an active will to counter said racism which also made me very careful regarding how I interacted with that fandom. I was just more informed so I protected myself.

The thing I totally forgot while getting into this fandom is that FirstPrince is also an interracial couple. This fandom is very passive in its racism because you can tell fandom racism exists by how people choose to not interact at all with certain elements that are a part of this ship and never has the insidiousness of racism been more obvious than since the movie came out.

It's obvious that a lot of people just didn't engage with the fact that Alex is biracial. The book actually plays a huge part in it because, for the most part, it doesn't do a good job of portraying Alex as someone who comes from two cultures and speaks two languages (even though I have to say that the only time Alex speaks Spanish where it is presented as such in the book is also one of the most beautiful moments in the book and that fact that it isn't talked about nearly as much kind of proves my point). But with the release of the movie, it's harder to ignore Alex's race.

I mean frankly, it is so obvious in the way this fandom treats the actors portraying these characters that they are being confronted by the interraciality of this couple for the very first time.

It's a lot harder to ignore colour on screen.

I love the fact that the director chose to lean into Alex's roots.

But the true impetus for writing this post comes from a fic I recently read which reminded me of this post that I had seen on Tumblr (you can read it here) and combining that with the above issue meant that I felt like I should speak up if only for my own mental peace.

Now, I am very much of the opinion that if you don't like a fanfic you shouldn't engage with it because fanfic writers don't owe you anything. The mere fact that they choose to share their works of art with the public is kind of a very selfless deed. But, I need to talk about this fic because it really started highlighting the issues that insidiously exist in this fandom (we should probably make a drinking game of how many times I use the word insidious in this post).

Henry running away from Alex at the lakehouse is something that only works if you account for the fact that he is an honest-to-god Prince. His actions in any other scenario are just douchey. Fanfic can get very creative and I'm pretty sure that fanfic writers can come up with alternative ways of making this scenario work even in an AU without him being royalty but it needs to be creative to work.

In the book, this works because Henry is a prince and the one thing that I know about the British Monarchy is that it has a will for self-preservation like no other. So you can sympathise with Henry's position without needing the details. It's also important to realise that the monarchy is not just an institution for Henry it's his family. At some point, he is going to be the son of the reigning monarch abdication or not.

But if you try to spin off an AU in which Henry pulls this stunt except with way more viciousness then you better come prepared to make him GROVEL. It really hurt because apparently people reading this fic were angry with Alex for his understandable vindictiveness something I gleaned from the author's notes on the various chapters and not because I read every comment on the fic so I could be wrong about how people were reacting to the events in the fic but clearly the author believed that the events in the fic would garner hate towards Alex which was literally unbelievable to me. Because predictably it's Alex who takes the first step towards reconciliation and Henry literally does the bare minimum. Reading this fic was so disturbing and disconcerting because I don't think the author even realises that they have set such different standards for Henry and Alex in this fic which made it infinitely worse.

Henry's abandonment of Alex just doesn't work if he isn't burdened by something as powerful as the monarchy and I don't get how that isn't obvious.

The Tumblr post I came across also on a similar note is pretty succinct and I like the point it is making.

But it got me thinking and I realised that Henry's initial rejection of Alex can't be read as Henry rejecting Alex, it has to be read while keeping Alex's lived experience in mind. So no matter what Henry said be it the "get rid of him" version from the book or the "get me out of here" version from the movie, it still can't only be about Alex and Henry it also has to be viewed through the lens of race and class differences that exist between these two. It means that Alex not only has to deal with a person being rude to him he has to deal with the fact that this person is rude to him because of things about him that are a fundamental part of who he is. Of course, that isn't the case here but I don't blame him one bit for jumping to conclusions. Also, in this case, context matters and I like the fact that the movie changed the line because with context Henry's position is much more sympathetic than in the book version of his line (which is incidentally never brought up in the book).

I also like the fact that Henry is the first to contact Alex unlike in the book where Alex gives Henry his number and Henry just decides to use it because it showcases a will to know Alex. Henry makes an effort to give this relationship a chance on his own terms which is something I didn't know I needed. It also means that Alex isn't the only one seen fighting for and wanting this relationship. We have express proof that Henry wants it too with not one but two instances in the movie.

I should probably also tell you that so far I haven't encountered a whole lot of racial bias in fics in this fandom so you are actually pretty safe because I'm pretty sure I have read more than fifty fics in this fandom and not one was insidiously racist. The racism is more observable and notable with how this fandom treats the two actors differently but when I read this one fic and yes so far it is only the one fic that I was tempted to quit in the middle but didn't because by that time it had already become the straw that broke the camel's back and I didn't want to critique something I hadn't read in its entirety.

So, here it is whatever this is. I hope this helps in some way either in validating some people's feelings or alternatively making someone else recognise their own bias.

That's it from me!

[disasterbijamietartt]

I know what you mean about the neither confirming nor denying thing. Like I can see it as not wanting to take away from the Colin moment, and it was definitely left in a way that can be interpreted positively and I think unless they outright say otherwise, a lot of fandom will take it as a yes, he is. That said, that was the perfect time to confirm, just one line, and I will feel cheated if they dont let him acknowledge it. I am slightly more forgiving of actors teasing a character's sexuality if it seems like actually they are 100% behind it (a la Oscar Isaac with Poe, and I do think Phil with Jamie), but I will be more disappointed in the show for teasing it and not going ahead

Yeah, and you know, I’m so done settling and rejoicing over hints when the creators don’t have the backbone to make something canon. So I have a hard time giving them the benefit of the doubt right now.

Maybe they will surprise me positively, but … the more I think about this, the more it upsets me.

@time-is-restored also makes a good point here, that sleep deprived me forgot about.

The whole situation where everyone on the team looked at him like “We know what you are” was quite unsettling to me—that is not a group of queer people recognising one of their own. That is a group of straight guys singling out one in their middle because he looks/seems gay to them.

Are they stereotyping Jamie because he cares for his appearance? (which is like the only context I can think of, where “I’m flattered” makes sense as a response to me—”They think I’m gay because I’m stylish and hot, so it is a compliment”) Or do they think when Jamie talked about being too “soft” for his dad in season 1, he actually meant “gay”?

The most generous view I can come up with is, that Jamie has dated no one since Keeley and they’re collectively like “He is so hot, and also fun and kind and supportive, him being single makes no sense unless he is gay”. Like, from a fannish perspective I could also go “Haha, after Amsterdam they probably think Roy and Jamie are secretly dating”, but there is like zero proof they might actually think that.

And honestly, as much as I enjoy interpreting every little choice on the show: The average viewer doesn’t do that. The average viewer will look and jump to the first conclusion that makes sense to them, which likely will be stereotyping.

Someone (like Trent) should have called that out.

I could generously interpret the whole exchange as giving a huge hint to casual viewers: “Jamie is perceived as queer, just so you know for future reference 😉”, but still the entire scene doesn’t sit well with me. And they could have accomplished the same result in a way where Jamie actually has agency about this.

Since also, by singling Jamie out, they basically forced him to make a statement, either forcing him to lie or to come out even when he may not be ready for it, which is super shitty behaviour. (So I could also read the “I’m flattered” as him deflecting, like he knows he is bi but doesn’t feel like coming out yet and assumed they clocked him because of his appearance.)

Add to this that Colin basically was forced to come out because of the circumstances and couldn’t actually decide on his own account when and how to come out. (Which is like the opposite of what I wanted)

And we didn’t even get the how, because it was more important to focus on the straight allies 🤡 Like, if the writers didn’t want to take away from Colin’s moment, they could have made it more about Colin? (Yes, he didn't want to be a spokesperson, but it would still have been nice to have him actually say "I am gay" in front of his mates.)

I liked the conversation Roy and Isaac had and think it was necessary (partly for my queer Roy agenda), but instead of giving us this cringeworthy talk by Ted, they could have given Colin more room for his own coming out—and then have Ted reassure him, that they care about him with a story that is about Ted not caring enough about someone who actually was queer and regretting that.

Gosh, the more my brain wakes up, the more upset I get lol

(And yes, I am usually quite forgiving with actors, since they don’t have control over their franchise, but no matter how much I adore Phil, the way he constantly brings up Roy x Jamie as a possibility is going a bit too far at this point if he is only joking.)

[fuckyeahalfredmolina]

I Don’t give a GIF

More than ten years ago, I was very active on Tumblr. I was in so many fandoms and had multiple blogs dedicated to various celebs. One of these blogs was extremely popular as I was the first to ever create one for this particular European actor who years later became world-famous.

I used to create GIFs and know how to use Photoshop for creative editing. It was so easy to do these things and it didn’t consume so much time.

When I decided on a whim to create this blog, I didn’t want to create GIFs or anything related to editing. I actually forgot how to use Photoshop. All I wanted to do is vent and make fun of Freddino while simultaneously admiring him. I’m actually on a limited sabbatical and thought to myself why not? This blog is just a temporary silly space.

I am ancient and have known Freddino when the Spider-Man 2 was released. I know he got popular or was re-discovered by a wider audience with the release of No Way Home. I knew that Tumblr and other platforms will be rife with great, creative content. I know I didn’t need to GIF anything because I’m sure his entire filmography is being GIF’ed by his fans. GIFs that are sharpened, clear, colored with PSD, perfectly timed with accurate captions. I’ve seen some of those and they look amazing. I cannot compete with that and there’s no need to actually.

Today I remembered one of my favorite bits in one of my favorite Freddino’s videos; his collection of interviews by Craig Ferguson, titled Alfred Molina - Awesome Bromance - 14/15 Visits In Chronological Order .

In this bit he talks about how two of his gay friend found his renovated bathroom amazing. The context doesn't matter because...

MY GOD HE LOOKED SO CUTE!

The “Really?” is just too much. He looks so cute. So adorable. So edible like your favorite cheesecake waiting for you by the end of the day.

I just can’t convey how cute he looks and I’m not that articulate nor have a good command of English.

 I decided to GIF it.

I need people to see my cute, baby Freddino.

I had to use a very old laptop which had Photoshop installed on it. I was lost. It’s just too complicated when you forget how. I googled a few tutorials but nothing that extensive. I just wanted a simple GIF. A GIF that will depict how adorable this man is.

I did make one. I don’t think I’ll ever do one again. So cherish this one deeply.

Quality of the video is low.

No PNG

No sharpening.

No coloring.

The timing is off.

But it doesn’t matter because Freddino is all what matters. Here it is:

If you look at him and not think to yourself that he is in fact the CUTEST creature god (or whatever you believe in) created - yes even cuter than all the children and pets combined -- then there’s something awfully wrong with you.

If this doesn’t tug at your heart strings;

Makes you want to cry;

Urges your to sigh every five seconds - then you are not normal.

My god the nose scrunch, the way his eyes close, that smile (omg his gum), the hand gesture *uncontrollable sob*

Love him. Simply love him.

[i-sveikata]

Hi! I first want to say that I really enjoy your work; I remember reading a Steve/Bucky fic of yours years ago and really liking it but I don't think I had a ao3 account at the time so I completely forgot about it. But yesterday while I was (desperately) searching for some more Vegas/Pete fanfic I stumbled upon IFTG and binge read it a full sitting (yes I have been completely unproductive today but I do not consider it a waste as I have enjoyed every minute I spent reading your fic)

Secondly, and sorry if this has already been asked or if these are inapt questions

(I'm more of a lurker when it comes to social platforms so I'm not sure how these things go)

, but I just wanted to know how you got into KinnPorshe and what are you thoughts on the show and it's various ships? I personally got into it a bit late (literally like 2 weeks ago) and was just curious about your experiences with the fandom and opinions and what not

I was also hoping you could recommend some Vegas/Pete stories that you enjoy (I'm always looking for more 😅)

Again love your stories, hope your having a good day.

Omg thanks so much anon that’s really sweet! Oh hahahhaha sounds like a productive day to me lol

Oh don’t be sorry! I would say I’m more of a lurker too in fandom tbh like I’ll still comment on fic I read and stuff but I’m normally more of a hermit coming out of my cave tossing a fic on ao3 and then running for it hahahahah so I understand!

Oh well I guess when that first trailer came out it was blowing up on tumblr and I watched it and was intrigued about it (plus I love the Australian/Thai actor and I knew he’d be in it too) and I guess I ended up just sort of vague keeping in the loop about it because so many people were excited. I think I watched it from when it first aired if I remember right? Or a least maybe an Ep or two after that? I kind of do this thing where I stalk all the gifs of a show on tumblr and if I find it interesting then I decide to watch it lol. But yeah I wasn’t hugely involved in the fandom from what I’ve heard a lot of it was on Twitter which I don’t use so I can’t really give much of an general update. All I can say is it was a really exciting time when that first trailer came out and everyone eventually got worried it might never come out when it took so long for them to give an airing date after it

I’ve actually gotten more of a fandom experience since I started writing this fic and people started coming over to tumblr to talk to me!! Which has honestly been really great and a fun way to dip myself into the fandom community for kp

I’m sorry I haven’t actually read that many!! I’ve got an old post where I’ve answered that before but I’ll come back to this ask later and link it for you

At this stage I am actively trying not to read other stuff in the fandom because I don’t really want to be low key influenced by any fic if that makes sense? Like in a fandom you eventually get fandom generated character traits or truths that start to trickle across everyone’s fics and for the moment I’m trying to avoid it.

Thanks so much hope You have a wonderful day too!!

[rose-grimm-spirit-does-dumb-shit]

https://www.tumblr.com/rose-grimm-spirit-does-dumb-shit/715689037962280960?source=share all of them for alton towers/theme parks in general but I'm especially curious to hear 25

Oh fuck I forgot to respond for almost a year. Warning, a lot of the "god I hate the fandom" moments will mostly be directed at the wider community {e.g. this includes the old toxic nemesis fanboy 40 year old men and such}. The tumblr side of theme parks most of the time have semi-good takes. Anyways uh first on the docket 25: I fucking hate how for some god awful reason there's a consistent hate for the Dockyard Trio at thorpe, I'm talking The Walking Dead: The Ride, Ghost Train, and the late Black Mirror Labyrinth. Like come the fuck on man, give them a chance. They're great, especially if the circumstances align, what you want is a live actor tw day, a dead queue bml run {the high guest throughput is unfortunately what made her seem more shit than she is}, and to just let Ghost Train do her thing as her acting squad are honestly a lovely bunch who wanna give you the best they can.

24: I think right now it's who the world record for fastest accelerration on a rollercoaster is, it rightfully belongs to my bbygirl Stealth of course but if you try to talk about this to Americans, especially Six Flags Americans they will be inherently pissed because it's not Max Force.

23: There is none that I've come around to, but then again there is none I'm inherently against either.

22: The fact that the Marmaliser is it's own sentient being, it's creature but not crreature it's creature inn like how humanns are creature.

21: The 2019 Blair witch scaremaze at Fright Nights, because I'm sorry but it was genuinely dogshit. The finale was a shed that you can't see shit in, and there was supposed to be an actor there.

20: Do I need to bring up Blair Witch 2019, again.

19: I'm a Dead Creek Woods lover, and so many people would shit upon me for that take.

18: LYCANS V AMITY, SO MANY OF YOU ARE SLEEPING ON THAT AND BIRTHDAY BASH TO THE POINT THAT IT'S SAD. THEY'RE AMAZING, SHSUT UP.

17: Can we get Saw/Hyperia actually, they seem incredibly enemies to lovers/besties lesbian. That and general interactions between them in general, like Hyp kept cutting Saw's power over the summer I want people to expand upon that.

16: The idea of Th13teen being a child, like c'mon man just because the adverts had a child and the countdown audio iis a child doesn't mean your oc has to be a child too?

Branch out, be adventureous. Maybe your th13teen is a raceway-membeer who went missing.

15: The Smiler being a silly guy, like silly guy is fun and I admit I commiit to osilly guy too. But the thingi is, Smiler is more than that. Yes Marmal is a silly guy but she alsoo has issues and traumas and witnesses some cracked shit in the moj.

14: See above.

13: S E E A B O V E.

12: Everyone from Thorpe Carnival, especially the Junkyarders. Please they're so cool and fun and the actors who play them are legends, we drew mimes and they thought it was fucking amazing.

If they come back next year, please giive them the world.

11: I have none, tho I did learn that there was a point when we considered General Public as a slur fsr?

10: How whenever you look up Thorpe maps, you wilil be guaranteed to see someone's map mockups where it has planet snoopy and shit like that. The existence of them is annoying bc it clogs up search when you're looking for a specific map only to find 20 fan mockups instead.

9: The Asylum, I am so glad we've moved from that but god... Not the mental institution maze...

8: Holds up the Dockyard Trio, again.

7: I don't think there's anyone.

6: Whenever Stealth or Rita are in a straight ship it fucking irks me out of raw "broooo...", tho I think the only exception is RetrowaveRacer's bc that one doesn't bollock the vibes of Rita.

5: I've only been in 2 ddsicords, both were/are lovely. But I have heard so much bollocks about the others :)

4: Conocerningly, a lot of the time it's either pedophiliia, racisim, or ableism.

3: Gonna name drop this one as ironcially it's someone who was blocked because of the above. ANYONE REMEMBER MTCHIKA'S DOGSHIT THORPE TAKES ABOUT INFERNO "NOT DESERVING TO BE A NEMESIS" AND TWD BEING AND I QUOTE "boring ip boring ride".

2: I don't think about it nor do I have an opinioni on it.

1: Fuckin' Nemesis, entirerly because there are people who forget the fact that she's cannonically a woman.

Happy now?

[busybussinbee]

DRAGONCON DAY 2

first of all i think it’s notable that “wonderland” by neoni was going through my head the entire day and i think all of the lyrics are Very Accurate to how i felt: “hello, come in, welcome to the freak show…” /pos

i cosplayed as glamrock chica on this day!

Stuff and Things that Happened:

-forgot to put on foundation (it was fine)

-dipper pines liked my cosplay

-various more instances of “hi barbie!” (and one said it back to me :D)

-actually many people mistook me for barbie and i was told i had barbie energy

-two guys passed me and one went “hi barbie” and the other one said “no that’s chica”

-we saw a withered bonnie that was yellow?? we saw it again later and I think it was maybe a cross between bonnie and chica or bonnie and springtrap

-saw a korok that i screamed “GOOD LUCK FINDING YOUR FRIEND” at and their handler went “that’s where we’re taking him right now!”

-there was a cuphead show panel and the voice actors spent the entire time dodging around character names cause of the strike and it was HILARIOUS

-the staff was all super nice

-met a super sweet young fnaf puppet cosplayer who got so excited to see me and i got to take a photo with her :D

-my dad actually got recognized and asked for photos twice despite cosplaying from an obscure 80s miniseries

-tiny child came to give Many Thoughts at a Star Wars panel—the panelists said and i quote “he kicked our butts last panel”

-there was an incomplete circle of rocks outside and when i completed it a little girl dressed as a korok popped out from behind a statue and gave me a mini snickers wrapped like a korok seed!

-there was a fnaf panel! a bunch of people complimented my cosplay and i got photos with some cool people! fan interactions are so much fun :D

-squEEEEE LITTLE TINY CHILD CAME UP TO ASK IF I WAS GLAMROCK CHICA AND SHE WAS LIKE “i can tell you’re glamrock chica cause i played that game—well i didn’t play that game but i’ve seen it. and chica is super fast.” SHE WAS SO CUTE MY HEART

quotes from the day:

“that is a lovely staff.”

“thank you, my mother gave it to me.”

“can i give you my email address and have her give me one?”

“shipping might be a bit much”

“i forgot my fruit snacks at home but I live in atlanta so they’re like twenty minutes away”

“ILL TAKE THE DORITOS THANK YOU”

“i guess what I’m trying to say is BURN THE SYSTEM TO THE GROUND” *crowd cheers*

“didn’t the emperor die like five times already”

(to me): “how do you feel about eating garbage?”

“please don’t leave your garbage in here”

zero, pointing at me: “we have a garbage disposal”

“how do you feel about the timeline” *exasperated sigh*

“i think we can all agree the story we have right now with the games is just bonkers”

(if anyone can guess the fandom the last two are related to you get a cookie)

[fandomfrolics]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @chainofclovers and @revolutionsoftheheart, thank you <3

Since I've only posted to AO3 for 2 fandoms and one is disproportionately larger than the other, gonna separate the two for my own curiosity.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

123 (77 Ted Lasso, 46 Marvel)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

567,878 (336,213 TL vs 231,665 Marvel over a...much shorter period of time😬)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently only Ted Lasso, previously Marvel (both MCU and comics)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Marvel

They Call Me Dad

In the Heat of the Night

Roll the Dice and Swear Your Love (for me)

what is (or what could be)

Situation Normal: All Fogged Up 

Ted Lasso

and in the morning we'll start all over again

Linger

lick me baby or leave me

my body fits just like a bruise

I don't wanna live like this (but I don't wanna die) 

Fun fact! My top Marvel fic has pretty much almost exactly 10x kudos as my top TL fic.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do but very, very slowly. As for why, idk I think it's just a nice way to engage with people. I like seeing authors' responses to my comments on their fics too.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

A <400 word established relationship Steve/Tony fic where one half of the pairing DROWNS and for what, who knows

Any angsty endings I had for TL were only chapter endings that were then undone by peer pressure (except, I guess, this one where Ted and Rebecca break up because his.....spoon.....is too big).

OH WAIT I forgot about this Rupodore one (but also the A/N does undo that angsty ending too sooooooo)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

This is a hard one because I'm not sure how to differentiate degrees of happiness but sorta related to the last answer, I'm going to say this established relationship Steve/Tony fic, where it SEEMS like Steve dies but he doesn't, mostly because of this comment that makes me emotional every time I remember it

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Just once I think, on a kinky TL fic (thanks Kyle!)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Unfortunately (though that's pretty much a new thing for TL fic)

Idk what the kinds of smuts there are but: PWP, emotional/feelingsy, kink (for exploring dynamics/psychology of it re: certain characters), kink (horny)

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Borderline? Idk if this fake dating fic featuring an unnamed-but-hinted-at actor counts as Ted Lasso/Actor RPF crossover.........

That's probably the craziest one but actually I guess this Marvel one where the video game versions of the characters visit the comics universe counts.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not wholesale but bits yeah

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah, a bunch of Marvel fanfic got translated to Chinese and Russian but my top kudosed fic got translated into I think at least 4 languages (including off AO3), which is really cool!!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes with @thatsrightjohngoodman <33 and it was a blast, even though the number of words spent talking about the fic >>>> actual words in the fic. Also I only did like 15% of it, which is probably also why I had a good time.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I don't really get into fandoms through ships, usually more through specific characters so idk if I have a fave. I'm pretty loosey-goosey about ships.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

OH BOY okay, well I'm still holding out hope for some of the TL ones even though I haven't touched them in ages but from the (almost definitely) abandoned ones, there's one about Ted dealing with executive dysfunction that gets in the way of like really mundane things like mail he needs to do something about (e.g. his TV licence) or using groceries before they go bad and how Beard and Rebecca and others help him help himself.

On Marvel, I have a CarolJess coffee shop AU that is like 90% done and contains some bits that are very personal and reflective of that period of my life and it'd be nice to put it out into world but. I probably won't.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been given the impression that it's.......sad shit lmao. But also like conversations between people that feel realistic. And at this point, I think unfortunately also smut.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Settings I think? I like actions and dialogue and I always have to go back and fill in like...where are they, what are they sitting on, that sorta thing.

Also endings, I never know how to end a fic, especially short feelingsy one-shots.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I have no real thoughts on this tbh

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter, but only one fic that I posted on LiveJournal I think as part of an event

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

The first one that popped into my head was All Our Days Ahead, a Beard and Ted friendship road trip fic. It was written with more care than a lot of my other fics and idk I like it's energy when I reread it. I can remember exactly where I was when I wrote it too (and that it was raining lmao).

Honorable mentions from when I actually went scrolling through my works:

I like all my humour fics purely for how unhinged I feel when writing them but the body shots fic was particularly wild because of the insane live writing experience and Cannibal!Rebecca offshoot

I also have a soft spot for my episode tags. I don't really write a lot of fics that are related to specific moments in canon but I really like this Colin one about the impact of Nate's words on him, featuring my beloved actual Coach!Ted. Also one of the few fics where the title feels right and isn't just sorta there to fill in the field.

I think by now most people have been tagged in TL so ignore me if you've already done this but tagging some folks from both fandoms @theodore-lasso @howiehamlin @thatsrightjohngoodman @ishipallthings @onemuseleft @snoozingcat @bardingbeedle if y'all wanna do it

[thatgordongirl]

Thoughts on Ghosts Season 4 - Part 1

Mary, Thomas, and Julian 

Disclaimer: There will be spoilers! If you haven’t watched season 4 already, @patcaps has it on his google drive on his blog. Also, before I get into it all, I want to say it was an absolute blast waiting with all of you, making content and keeping the show alive. I hope we get to have just as much fun with the podcast and future seasons, this fandom has a lot of heart that a lot of others have lost overtime. I think it’s because it comes from people don’t just love Ghosts, but the actors, their previous shows, the history, and the positivity brought to every second of every episode. 

Now, where was I? Oh yes, Ghosts. I think it’ll be best if every character is addressed individually as to go fully in-depth with each development and storyline. But talking about the season itself, I have to say there is something different about it compared to other seasons. I think it’s to set the stage for Alison’s rising tension in her marriage and with the Ghosts, maybe  it was preparing for Mary, either way, it’s storyline was a lot tense and melancholic, which you would expect from a show about dead people. 

It instilled a fear that I had forgotten purely because I thought they wouldn’t cross that line. They let a ghost pass on. I had considered it likely at some point, but I thought they’d do it together. Suddenly there’s grief and now there’s a worry about who’s next. It immerses you in the show whilst also building up tension and anxiety. If anything, I thought Robin would have passed on before Mary, maybe even Julian if he found closure. The show won’t be the same without her. 

Anyways, I don’t want to make this too long. 

Mary

She will be missed dearly and I was actually sobbing when she left. I kept waiting for it to be a fake-out, for her to come back and say the basket was only four potatoes high and Alison did it wrong. But she didn’t. She didn’t come back and it affected everyone. Thomas was had a selfless moment for her, Captain nearly cried and comforted Julian. Robin showed his own way of coping for those he’d lost, those he’d probably lose, and how his belief in the stars made it a little better. 

They all showed different ways of grieving for Mary. Captain kept moving and working, trying to distract himself. Fanny denied it and forgot momentarily, maybe he’d mind trying to protect herself from it. Kitty cried, Pat tried to make a comfortable lie. Robin deflected, Julian got angry. They are all different and equally fair ways of grieving. The show captured how everyone deals with things differently. 

Mary finding her voice and talking about her trial was the closure she needed. She told her story, she loved and she lost and she lived. And she’s gone. And it’s going to be hard, as silly as it may sound, to watch the show the same way. Because I think we’ll grieve a little bit too. But Katy Wix did a terrific job showcasing someone silenced learning to speak up and be her true self in the face of scrutiny. 

Thomas

I have to say, I’m impressed by his development throughout this season. It’s not exactly what I expected/hoped, but it’s the build up to more. His moment with Kitty in episode 1 where he tells her she doesn’t have to pretend to like his poetry felt like such a genuine line without him trying to garner sympathy, he really doesn’t want her to pretend. He does it for himself so much already. That being said, I also think it outlines another important relationship of his, with Captain.

Realistically, they shouldn’t get along at all, and they don’t most of the time, but they have similarities I feel they bond over. They both exhibit logical thinking and question Robin’s story, they share similar views on Julian. The Thomas and Pat interactions are very interesting and for a second I swore Pat was treating him like his son. Keeping him in the room and saying he was putting his foot down, Pat acts like a very insistent babysitter who lets you stay up if you’ll kelp him work the microwave. 

The best revelation that we kinda already knew but wasn’t addressed was Thomas making everything about himself. He doesn’t know he’s doing it, he’s just spent so much time obsessing over his work he thinks it’s the only way to operate. And when he realises he’s doing it, he doesn’t deny or defend, he immediately rights his wrong. He makes sure it’s about Mary, even cutting off writing a eulogy, the thing he obsesses over, and puts her above himself. 

Julian

I just want to say before anything, Julian saying Maggie during a time of vulnerability and telling a rare story is very telling. It’s one of the only stories he’s told that hasn’t involved one of his sexual conquests, even if it’s still not really part of his personal life since it’s still in relation to work. Julian feels more guilty about people than he lets on, we know he feels bad about his daughter, but he loved his wife at some point. At least I hope he did. 

Though he doesn’t entirely grasp being virtuous because he wants people to see it and that’s the only reason he does it. Captain did have a point when he said that there is a heart somewhere in Julian. Playing chess with Robin with the big board was hilarious. His way of grieving being anger made so much because of the way he reacts to being insulted. He gets defensive, and yells. Finally, his relationship with Alison is either that drunk uncle who comes around every twenty five years, or more fatherly. When they were scheming together I swear it was a father and a daughter. 

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

hi!! can i please request some joe mazzello x male reader fluff? any scenario is good, i'll leave it up to you. thanks in advance!!

Someone Like You

Fandom: American Actor, RPF

Pairing: Joe Mazzello x Male Reader

Characters: Joe Mazzello, Reader

Word Count: 1064 // Rating: Gen

Summary: Joe's finally worked up the nerve to tell him how he feels but it seems he never needed to.

Tags/ Warnings: Admitting Feelings, Request, Requested Fic, Love, Friends to Lovers, Dates, Kissing, Angst, Fluff, Jealousy

Notes: I'm working through requests in my own time because I'm not really feeling a lot of them atm. Hope this is okay x

Tags: @borhapgirlforlife19

Joe was sitting on his couch, nervously watching the door as Y/N whizzed around their apartment. He didn't know how this happened, no matter how close to the deadline of leaving the house Y/N would always find time to be late. Normally it drove him insane but today he was hoping that he’d never make it out of the house. As he sat down and started to put on his shoes Joe looked at him. He looked handsome Joe couldn't deny it. In fact, that was something Joe had been trying to deny for a while now. He couldn't have a crush on his roommate. It was too complicated. A whole can of worms. But looking at him he knew the truth and he wanted to tell him and he wanted to tell him tonight. 

‘So what are you going to be doing whilst I’m out tonight,’ Y/N asked looking up at Joe expectantly.

‘Oh nothing much,’ Joe shrugged, ‘probably play Xbox or something.’ 

‘Without me?’ Y/N chuckled.

‘We can't all have plans,’ Joe smirked. 

‘Well maybe I can find someone for you to date so we can double and you won't be leaving me behind,’ Y/N said. Joe’s heart sank.

‘You’re going on a date?’ he asked trying to sound as impartial as possible. Y/N’s face went to one of surprise before he cleared his throat and said, ‘oh, yeah didn't I tell you?’ 

‘I thought it was those people from work,’ Joe said, ‘must’ve gotten confused.’ 

‘Maybe,’ Y/N said, ‘I probably forgot to tell you.’

Joe nodded and the pair of them shared a look both feeling the palpable awkwardness that had entered the room. Y/N dropped his gaze and stood, smoothing out his outfit before grabbing his wallet and keys from their coffee table and burying his face in his phone.

‘Well he’s here to pick me up,’ Y/N said looking up at Joe, ‘I better get going.’

‘Yeah,’ Joe said, ‘have fun.’

‘I’ll try,’ Y/N smiled though it seemed a little weak and then headed towards the door. Joe’s stomach was in knots. He had finally gotten up the courage to tell his roommate the truth and it was being snatched from under him. He couldn't blame Y/N. It wasn’t like he knew Joe had been building to this moment for weeks now but he also couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. As Y/N’s hand reached the door handle Joe called his name making him spin around and look at him expectantly. 

‘Yeah?’ he asked. Joe could feel his heartbeat in his ears. He could just speak. Tell him right now and see how the night played out. 

‘Nothing,’ Joe said, ‘it can wait. Enjoy your date.’

Y/N seemed confused for a moment before he nodded and headed out the door leaving Joe to flop against his couch in defeat.

✵✵✵

It had only been an hour. One hour and Joe was out of his mind. He had tried to keep himself focused on other things. He’d made dinner, played Xbox and even watched some TV but nothing had quelled his anxious mind or stopped him from checking his phone every thirty seconds to see if Y/N had texted or posted something on his socials. He slung his Xbox controller down in frustration and placed his head back on the couch closing his eyes as he did so. He could picture Y/Ns face again, watching him expectantly before he walked out the door and into the arms of another. He was stirred by the sound of the door which clicked open and he watched as Y/N walked through not paying attention. When he looked up he said, ‘oh, hey.’

‘Hey,’ Joe said. He watched as Y/N got situated before eventually falling onto the couch beside him with a sigh. 

‘Rough night?’ he asked disguising the hope in his voice. 

‘Could've been better,’ Y/N said.

‘He’s not the one huh?’ Joe asked. 

‘Nah,’ Y/N said with a yawn, ‘nice to look at but completely opposite of what I'm looking for.’

‘Oh,’ Joe said suddenly intrigued, ‘and what are you looking for?’

Y/N smiled and shuffled so that they were facing each other, Joe did the same too instantly feeling pulled into his friend by his desire to know the truth.

‘Someone nice, someone funny, someone hella cute,’ he said before adding with a shy smile, ‘someone like you actually.’ 

Joe couldn't believe his ears. Someone like him? He tried not to get ahead of himself and waited for the inevitable ‘someone like you but not actually you’ speech to follow but it didn't instead Y/N was watching him with bated breath for his response. 

‘Y/N,’ he said uneasily. 

‘Oh god I knew it,’ Y/N said, ‘I’ve fucked up, haven't I? I’m sorry, forget I ever said anything.’

Y/N was moving to clamber off of the couch, a mortified look on his face, but Joe reached out on instinct and pulled him back until he was facing him. Joe’s eyes roved over his face searching for the flicker of truth behind it. 

‘Do you mean it?’ Joe asked. Y/N bit his lip and then nodded.

‘I do,’ Y/N said, ‘and I get if you don't feel the same I mean I know it's stupid we’re friends and we share an apartment for god sake and-’

Y/N couldn't speak. Joe’s lips were preventing any word from leaving his mouth but in that instant, it wasn’t really that important. He kissed him back tenderly until finally they were forced to part both needing air. When they did they burst out into a fit of laughter which was cut short as Joe spoke, ‘and to think I’ve been worried about telling you.’ 

‘You have?’ 

‘Yeah,’ Joe said, ‘In fact, I almost told you right before you went out but I couldn't bring myself to. I didn't want to ruin your date.’ 

‘You didn't ruin anything. I was over before it started…I couldn't stop thinking of you.’

‘Really?’ Joe said.

‘Really,’ Y/N aid, ‘and about how I was going to beat your ass on Xbox.’ 

‘Oh you’re on,’ Joe said. Y/N leaned in to press a quick kiss on Joe’s lips and smiled, ‘bring it on Mazzello.’