#I also love the idea of abandoning the trope of ''the weird one is an outcast''

[pianokantzart]

I actually think that Toad didn't have any real friends and was kind of an outcast because he was off doing his own thing adventuring and no one else was interested. Not that he was hated exactly, he is quite friendly after all, but he's probably seen as a bit weird and no one else wanted to join him. That's gotta be why he immediately regards Mario as his "best friend" even though he only just met him a few hours earlier before setting off with Peach. What other explanation could there be for thinking that a mere acquaintance is your best friend?

No real friends? I think Chanterelle would beg to differ.

Despite Toad's wanderlust he seems pretty at-home and gregarious, knowing the ins and outs of The Mushroom Kingdom as much as he does the wilderness outside of it.

The resident toads also seem to regard him warmly in return. I think they see adventuring as something admirable (their beloved princess is an adventurer herself after all), but nothing they would attempt themselves.

I think that Toad is just a guy who loves making friends, and has secretly been hoping for an adventuring buddy for a long time. Combine the two elements, and he immediately clings to Mario like white on rice with a little bit too much enthusiasm.

[spnfanficpond]

June 2024 Angel Fish Awards

(Angel Fish design by @slytherkins!!)

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words. (Click here to learn more about how to nominate a fic for an award!)

Nominated by @autisticandroids

The Horror of No Detrimental Redaction by sp8ce (AO3)

Really top tier whump that is also a super attentive cas character study which is also willing to sit with him in a really uncomfortable space

The Trapdoor by hal_incandenza (AO3)

it's an epic rewrite of dabb era with a level of attention to detail that i've rarely seen in any fiction. the metatextual elements are carefully woven in and the character beats feel real. plus, it's an almost episode by episode rewrite and the new monster of the week casefic elements are fresh and fun. also it answers the question what if apocalypse world was good.

finer things by @explainslowly

i think it's maybe the ultimate pinnacle of the deancas triangulation of desire genre. when dean and cas have weird sex via a woman... one of my favorite things. and this is my favorite iteration.

By Your Hand by @restlesshush

this is my favorite relitigation of moriah that i've ever encountered. cas is so crazy in it. you can kind of feel that things will eventually work out without that coming off as cheap. it's perfect

~*~*~

Nominated by @candygrammes

LIMBO by entselene (AO3)

It's the creepiest. angstiest, scariest story I've read this year. Sam wakes up in Sioux Falls Hospital horribly injured, with no idea what happened. Not only that, but Dean is nowhere to be seen. Why? Has Dean abandoned him?

Nominated by @charliethealpaccaso

Strange Encounters by deanandsam (Ao3)

I loved the idea that there are dog versions of dean and sam along side the main sam and dean that I found it cute but also opened up a whole side story I wish there was more of.

Dogs Don't Pay Taxes by Zetal (Rodinia) (AO3)

There oddly is a huge lack of dog!sam fics on A03 that I love to try and spread the word of the ones that are out there. This one was cute both prompt wise and just made my day when I came across it

Faithful Companion by brokenlittleboy (AO3)

What if during season two Sam developed a whole new issue with his psychic powers and turned himself into a dog then this is the fic for you. Dean does mess around with him in this fic but I think it was a fun and interesting read for the concept

~*~*~

Nominated by @glygriffe

Why’s every song is about love (or drinking too much) by @quietwings-fics

They didn't give us enough Sam and Castiel scenes in the show. Here's a bitter-sweet one between the two of them, talking about Dean and the whole 'unrequited love' thing. A ficlet the gives a Destiel fan just the right amount of heavy heart.

It’s the Stars that Lie by @seperis

Ok, this fic doesn't need recommandations, but it's still needs public praises. To fully appreciate it, you need to read the fever dream that is Map of the World first, but I love how the author builds on the glimpses that the episode The End gave of the apocalypse!world. The OCs are interesting (and many of them are POC), and the lovely slow burn between Dean and Castiel is spiced up with the fake boyfriends trope.

Since I've Been Loving You - Remaster by tgel210 (AO3)

I like Castiel's first-person POV, Dean being a musician without being a rock star: it feels close to home like my next-door neighbor is talking to me about the love of his life.

Closer than they appear by sunkenfox (AO3)

Dean and Castiel figuring out what their life could be together by looking at Misha and Jensen is interesting. Even more interesting is the concept that like it or not, the Supernatural characters would not exist in their world without the writers and the actors in an other world. That Dean and Jenses share more than a face; same for Misha and Castiel (even if the difference are more obvious between the last two). A story of discorvery on a meta level, hiding inside a cute Destiel and RPF romance.

he feels no control of his body by withthekeyisking (AO3)

A wonderful but sad exploration of Sam Winchester throughout his life; from his lack of bodily autonomy to his dying faith in god(s) and humanity. With just enough brotherly love to leave the reader aching from loss and something like betrayal. (I love Dean, but he his a royal dick to his brother sometimes)

~*~*~

Nominated by @handsliketruth

evergreen endless by @whiskeyjuniper

A glimpse of endverse!Dean and Castiel during the earliest days of The End, via Chuck (prophet? god? something in-between?) as he continues to chart their story...and struggles to keep them from their inevitable collision despite their wildly infuriating pattern of falling into it... (full disclosure, this one was a gift for me, but I would rec this anyway 💛 dark, spicy, funny, clever meta fun)

But I Ain't Dead Yet by @bloodydeanwinchester

I cannot wait to see how this one plays out! Clever and charming with a fun hook: what if s4 Dean and Cas time-traveled back to 1x12 Faith to save Layla? (I would read a million words of Dean watching faith!Dean and Castiel get along 😂)

~*~*~

Nominated by @heavenssexiestangel

Bad Day Love by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes

it's a cute pick-me-up story with one of my favorite ships. I really like how Arthur is so soft with Dean here.

Bedtime Routine by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes

It's another rareship of mine andI love how they care for each other here and take care of Emma.

The Fool's Journey by @ladyknightskye

I know I was the artist for this story but - what Meg wrote for my art is awesome and it features one of my favorite characters - Gadreel. The journey he has in this fic is extremely important

~*~*~

Nominated by @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis

Presence by @ani-coolgirl

This story broke my heart in the absolute most beautiful way. It's sad and sweet and doomed and it haunts me still.

~*~*~

Nominated by @mariekoukie6661

Stitches by @kittenofdoomage

Its cute! I like it!

Sweet Little Lies by @impala-dreamer

I like how funny it was despite all the angst!!

~*~*~

Nominated by @masoena

Nothing Ever Really Ends by @nyxocity

Beautiful heaven fic with Sam and Dean, bring tissues, post S15E20

In Silence Sealed by @fiercelynormal

Dean loses his hearing but starts talking his thoughts out loud beautifully written Smitty short

Love, Your Brother by @eninkahootz

Sam and Dean communicating by letters btw heaven and earth post-series. Work in progress and so well written

~*~*~

Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis

Cretaceous by tiamatv (AO3)

This is a cute, fluffy romp through Jurassic Park as a Destiel fic! You don't have to love dinos to love this fic, but I imagine it would make it even better. If you're looking for something sweet and light to read before bed, this is the bedtime story for you!

~*~*~

Nominated by @rainythursdaynight

Clean Air by @anactorya

I read this story when I was maybe 16 and re-read it twice or three times in the year after. That being said, I can remember it almost excruciatingly well. I'm a post-apocalypse gal and I crave anything in that genre, so it was doubtless that I'd love this story. But the world-building done in this story? The characterization? The tension it manages to build? It's so gripping and exciting and I remember reading it worried out of my mind for the characters and exhaling the deepest breath as the story drew to a close. It's a not too dense read and an enveloping one, you'll forget you're above ground by the end of it!

Empty Spaces by @schmerzerling

This story made me fall in love with writing again. It's so heavy with how it distributes emotion in its words, but also so soothing too. This reads like watching a glass vase get tipped over the edge of a table and, maybe distantly, wondering if someone will catch it in time. But it doesn't quite matter because the flowers are beautiful and if you're crying then it's about the flowers and not the vase. I highly recommend this story to everyone, heavy as its contents may be. I felt safe reading this, I ached, I adore this story beyond words can capture.

Phantasma! by @thisisapaige

I very rarely read things that are horror inclined (funny as that is given the nature of Spn), and maybe this story is not considered horror either, but it left me just on that edge of eerie and it was exhilarating. Most of the story is sweet, and cathartic, as Dean rebuilds his life outside of his family and finds that in Castiel. But the mystery of it all, the unknown, it left me waiting for the other shoe to drop and this writer was excellent at making that payoff worth it.

The Art of Falling by @zipegs

This story was gritty and ugly and didn't pull back punches when it came to its emotional weight. Recovery is a nightmarish process of relapse and pain and relief and this story embodied this with its characters beautifully. This story was lonely, in the sense that its only two characters yes but it also felt a lot like reading about two characters pitted against the backdrop of everything. The world, the universe, existence. It made me feel small but so vast at the same time, and it was so utterly human (funny given the context of the story). It's a short and beautiful read that left me aching but in a way that was comforting as opposed to alienating.

With The End Came You by @lotrspnfangirl

I adore zombie apoclaypse AUs but so few of them focus on the characters' growth alongside the events of the series. And so few of them do side characters justice. This story was THE exception. Not only does the progression of the characters not sideline the plot and vice versa, but the story handles people so so well. You have those that stick around for long, and those that don't, and it treats both parties so faithfully that I'm left emotional over side characters I've only had a page worth of content with as much as the main characters I'm with the entire time. This is a zombie apocalypse AU that puts people first and foremost, and its so human and such a rewarding story to those that have even the smallest interest in these types of AUs. And the progression of the plot is so smooth and natural, TWD could never (and I love that show so take with that as you will).

~*~*~

Nominated by @samanddean76

Dark As Midnight (And You Don’t Look The Same) by @kassyscarlett

This is a story that follows a young Dean (17 years-old) out looking for a good time and running into an older man that gives what he wants. Not realizing he knows him, that he is in fact his Sammy. This story is so good! Time-travel, the follies of youth, needing to be protected from yourself, and realizing years later what that random encounter really was. It is part of a series, but works as a stand alone. But the entire series is worth checking out.

Coming Out Of The Dark by firesign10 (AO3)

It's a story about others helping one they know is broken, giving him what he needs so he can move on and live the rest of his life. The Richesters visit Sam in the bunker after Dean's death, and give him one final night together, so that he might carry on. It tragic and beautiful and has all the feels. Highly recommend.

~*~*~

Nominated by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes

Interspecies Romance and Its Associated Perils by suspiciousflashlight (AO3)

I have read this story many, many times. It’s adorable and hilarious. It’s cute and awkward in a way that someone who isn’t sure how to tell about a weird scar or birthmark is. The ending is the best part of the entire thing.

A Helping Hand and Thrilling Touches by mydestielbabies_67 (AO3)

I don’t normally nominate smut but this was just amazing. It was beautiful, and what and intense.

The Cherry Pie Club by zation (AO3)

This is a work in progress. It’s great! Zariah is such a great writer in so many genres. This one is about Dean exploring bdsm for the first time and ends up also realizing things about himself too. Poor Dean learns the hard way that it is Cas he loves about bdsm but still. Their connection and energy with each other is felt as you read. Highly recommend reading!

Absolute Beginners by @ahurston

Chapter 5 made me scream then go feral and foam at the mouth.

Dancing moves by faithlesshunter (AO3)

I am not normally one to read infidelity fics; however, this is destiel. It’s the holidays and Cas and Dean get left alone to reconnect. They tried to be a couple at the beginning once Cas came back from the Empty but they weren’t ready for it. Now, years later and they are! The confessions and the hot smut is just so exacting for them. It’s gorgeous! Dean has always loved Cas and Cas still loves Dean. Oh, I’d love to see how it works out but this reconnection is just purely intense and the dopamine is addictive. Good luck. MUST READ!

The Case of Dean and Castiel's Extremely Resolvable Tension by CanonFodder (Tartan_Temptation) (AO3)

This is hilarious and hot AF! It starts out explaining the premise and drives right into it where Dean finally gives in. He is so happy he does too. He gets a wonderfully deserving reward. Poor Sam and his need for eye bleach. Lol!

Objects May Appear Smaller by @valandrawrites

The instant connection of Cas and Dean, and the science of this story makes this a one-of-a-kind a/b/o. Despite it being incomplete, it’s such a fluffy and fascinating read. It keeps you wanting more with every one of the six chapters. I hope one day they get inspired to write more.

Sentinel by Followsthebees (AO3)

I love this story. I love that it’s a different take on Castiel—he’s a gargoyle. It’s such a fascinating story and their connect is seen by the readers but not Dean. It’s interesting how Dean starts to notice and how intense and romantic it gets. Sex and flying are fascinating, man. This is written oh so well!

Three's Company by @luci-in-trenchcoats

Cas x f!Reader that becomes Cas x f!reader x Dean. It shows a very healthy ethical non-monogamy relationship. I love how the Reader initially freaks, I think, and when Cas and them come to talk to Dean, he freaks too. Everyone is patient with each other though. It’s as it should be when introducing polyamory to non-poly experience people. It’s so sweet and wonderful to read. It’s adorable. This is how poly fics should be.

Ketch and Release by NichePastiche (AO3)

Oh, the fluff and growth! I love this series so so so so much! I always get excited when I see they wrote more. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

~*~*~

Nominated by @spnbabe67

Finish What You Started by @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior

I love the tension that melts into silly goofiness.

Spin Cycle by @winchester-girl67

I usually don't do a lot of fluff but I loved the way the writer did this one.

~*~*~

Nominated by @thoughtslikeaminefield

Take A Shot by @rizlowwritessortof

It's just so sexy and Dean. Guh.

Rest by @zepskies

It's swoony and cozy and melancholy, and I love that for us.

The Iceman Cometh by @talltalesandbedtimestories

Ice play is one of my favorite things. Pair that with Dean Winchester, written by Sandra, and, well, you've got a winner.

Damned If I Do by @zepskies

I liked Lisa and Ben, and this is a very satisfying way to show that!

~*~*~

Nominated by @whiskeyjuniper

Truth & Despair by @shallowseeker

It's so compelling, every time a new chapter is posted I'm so excited to see what happens next. Also it's Shal's first fic and they're almost done with it so I wanted to celebrate it :)

(Divider by @glygriffe)

THANK YOU ALL, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

- From your Admins and Manta Rays, @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, and @heavenssexiestangel!

[catiuskaa]

shoot on sight [straight through my heart]

TROPE! enemies2lovers crack+smut?, inspired by a post in Pinterest I can’t find~! —angy noises—p.d. nvm: here it is -not angy noises-

and it’s also a way of making me post after Hannie’s n Lix’s birthday!! \(๑>◡<๑)/

PROMPT: “Take me to laser tag, push me against a corner, pin me to the wall and make out with me, then shoot me and walk away.”

WC: 5k.

CW: language, mentions of dacryphilia, mentions of spanking, bullshit n crack in almost every dialogue, alcohol, they’re both drunk but it’s ok, then I got carried away: mentions of public sex, use of pet names “sweetheart, kitten” (IK BUT SPARE ME, IT'S MINHO OK, I HAD TO), fingering (f), oral (f), hand kink?, panty stealing "borrowing". (I really NEED to touch some grass...)

Don’t forget to have fun, my loves!

[☆ ☆ 👾 ☆ ☆]

"Minho, there’s something we need to talk about," you mentioned almost in a whisper, being careful not to be eavesdropped by accident by the rest of the crew, who were too bothered choosing who would need to call for an Uber.

It was kind of a weird statement, the one a quiet yet mean part of your brain came up with as you stared at one of the guests at Han and Felix’s birthday party.

You’d denied it if asked, just for the sake of your shared friends, but the only thing you’d like there to be between Lee Minho and yourself was a dense, thick concrete wall. As dense as the man’s mind: you enjoyed lying to yourself and pretending that he couldn’t take a hint regarding your attitude towards each other.

But no. The disgustingly oh-so-attractive man who had been staring at you from afar as the group divided themselves on how to go to where Chan had booked —pfft, no, you were sure he was fully aware of the effect he had on you, making your blood feel like raging fire in your veins as his mocking set you aflame as fast as a matchstick.

“Oh, really?” He questioned with a smug smile, yet wrinkled brows in confusion.

“It’s their party, and I don’t want to ruin the fun for ‘em. So I think we should call for a recess. A truce.”

He blinked, the smile on his face losing intensity. You dragged your hand through your face, wondering what was so difficult for him not to understand.

“I mean no fighting. Just for today, if you feel like it’s that hard to not resent me and bicker out loud,” you said in a huff, pouting unconsciously.

His act dropped altogether, and he stared at you, puzzled. “Resent you?” He repeated, as if the sole idea of you and hate in the same sentence was pure madness.

You let out a dry chuckle, feeling your chest tightening. The least he could do was accept it, but he had the nerve to play dumb? Your shoulders tensed up, and you had to force yourself to stay calm, sighing quite loudly. God, maybe the night was going to be harder than planned.

“It’s obvious you don’t like me, but still, I think we could drop it for Han and Lix.” You mentioned roughly, noticing someone approaching you two, and quickly approached him further, setting a big smile on your face. He remained baffled, eyes lost somewhere you couldn't reach.

"Hate you? I-"

Han approached you two, a huge smile on his face. You smiled back, your hand travelling to Minho’s and giving it a big squeeze, as if signing peace for the day, ending the discussion and making him stop mid-sentence.

“C’mon, guys!” Han cheered, passing an arm around your shoulders, separating you from Minho and arriving with you to the parking lot.

Coming down the cars, the group followed Chan and Seungmin, who knew the place and had been there before.

“Welcome to Blackout Lazz! How can I help you guys?”

Chan mentioned the booking he had made, and when all was settled, everyone was instructed to enter a different room with a whole new vibe, purple lights reflecting neon designs that looked like graffiti in what resembled an abandoned urban location. The girl from the entrance explained that the group would have to be separated into two teams. Han and Felix decided they’d lead separately, then chose members.

Felix’s team was Chan, Seungmin, Jeongin, and you, whereas Han’s consisted of Minho, Changbin and Hyunjin. You laughed as Hyunjin complained about the extra member of your team.

“Deal with it, Jin!” You giggled, teasing, team Felix sitting on the other side of the room, who had large benches in a sort of staircase design, allowing everyone to have a seat.

“Don’t worry, Hyunjin, they need another member because they wouldn’t be able to compete with us if it was a fair fight.”

You tensed your jaw as you burnt holes in Minho’s neck, Han chuckling and high-fiving his friend.

What a bitch.

You noticed him looking at you from above his shoulder and winking at you.

boi-?!

“Okay! I’ll explain the game quickly just in case,” the employee from the desk smiled sheepishly, and you let out a sigh, trying to keep your anger for the game, hearing what the girl was saying.

In summary, everyone had three weak points: the chest, the back and the head. Each player started with three possible resets, meaning that after being shot on each weak point, they’d have another life, much like any game. The score worked depending on how many weak points you hit and how many players you could reset or eliminate. The back counted the least, then the chest and the most was the head because of how tricky it could be to aim.

Everyone started teasing and mocking the other group as another door opened, helping the team members to tie and put correctly the gear.

“Your gun will tell you how many lives you have left, and its light will turn red if you get shot at. To recharge bullets, aim down then press the button at the side.” She explained, passing a keycard over all of the guns, and turning them on. “If anything happens with the gear, this area will remain open and I’ll be here to reset your weapons or help you,” she explained, then hesitated before adding. “Refrain from practicing difficult stunts. Running is fine, but still, be careful,” she said in a huff, still smiling knowingly, and you all giggled lowly, as if she had ruined plans already made.

She passed said keycard over a panel, making another door open. Each gun turned a different colour, Lix’s team yellow and Han’s purple. They decided to play rock, paper, scissors to see which team could go in first.

“Hey there,” Minho whispered behind you, making you jump in your place, startled because of him, his voice, and how the fuck he could be so stealthy some time.

To you, it was always him.

You frowned, but before you could say anything, he smiled slyly. “Truce or not, it won’t make a difference to how I’m going to beat you today.”

You let out a dry cackle.

“Am I going to end up crying because of you? Maybe ending up getting spanked for losing?” You mocked, watching his shit-eating grin grow bigger on his face.

“Oh, most definitely,” he said, smug. “You’ll hate it.”

The mean laugh you let out confused him a bit. “Quite the contrary, honestly” you teased. “It adds to the kink list.”

You stared at the two birthday boys with a small yet naughty smile. It would have been more of a quote, rather than you couldn't pinpoint who had said it before, but a particular sentence suddenly floated its way into your mind.

If you keep shoving an animal into a cage, one of these days, it's going to fight back.

Having kept all to yourself, you were certainly going to use this as an opportunity to get your revenge and make Minho meet his doom.

Felix had won (as usual), and you smiled at Minho, showing off your middle finger as he stared at you with wide eyes, still assuming what you had said a minute ago. It certainly had to be the effect of the purple light and the smoke machine that worked just at the entrance of the playroom, but if you didn’t know better, you would’ve said he was blushing.

Nah. You shook your head sideways, scanning the area.

Several paths and entrances covered the place, some access to higher levels hidden behind walls and other different materials that contributed to the theme planned, toxic-appearing barrels laying around in a specific order, yellow do-not-cross tapes broken in some door to add to the eerie atmosphere. Smoke from different machines covered parts of the playroom, purple and white lights being the only illumination in every hallway.

“We need people upstairs,” Chan mentioned with a mischievous smile, known to be the pro at laser tag, running as fast as he did.

Felix nodded almost aggressively, the helmet being a bit big on him, making him look rather goofy. You giggled to yourself.

“Yeah. There are three levels." He said, almost to himself. "Maybe Innie and Chan Hyung could stay in this one, then…”

“Seungmin and I can take the third floor,” you said, almost dramatically, fist-bumping him, both smiling almost sadistically. “You guys can swap and buzz around first and second. Sounds ok?”

As everyone was happy, the team separated itself, each player looking for places to hide until the other team showed up.

“Minnie,” you called, stopping him from going further into the third floor. “You can stay close to this way up, and I’ll look for another one,” you offered, and he nodded, smiling widely.

“Let’s make them eat dirt!” You both celebrated, laughing, then separated again.

Sounds coming from the lower levels, loud steps and gunshots accompanied by screams and noisy laughs made their way up, not reverberating, but still loud enough to make you smile cheekily, already excited.

You kept looking for another way down, but then you heard a gunshot, and your back buzzed, your gun quickly glowing red.

You turned around, hearing a noisy, “YOOOHH BITCHES!” and couldn’t help but laugh loudly.

“Changbin, you traitor!” You shouted, running behind him. “I’ll sell my Dwaekki plushie on Ebay!”

You stopped the chase, panting. A thought came to mind that it had been suicide to play a running and reflexes-related game with people who lived for the gym and sports, or at least most of them.

Spotting Hyunjin, you smiled meanly when you shot him in the back.

“WHAT?!” He screamed, confused. "I DON'T GET THIS GAME!""

Your face was red from all the laughing and running, and your cheeks hurt from smiling. After a bit, you had shot Hyunjin around four times, Han three, and got your revenge on Changbin by getting his last shot and eliminating him. But you hadn’t been able to find the one person you wanted to fight against the most.

Your team wasn’t too much better than the rival. Chan stood firm, only having two shots left, but if you were correct, Lixxie was at one hit, and you and Seungmin were close to that, too. Jeongin was probably playing UNO with Changbin outside.

“Where is this bitch hiding?” You panted, running around before encountering Lix, whose face was red from all the exercise, his hair messily tied up. Now, as a duo, you scanned the second floor for the tenth time.

“Have you seen Minho?” You inquired, and let out a sly smile when he nodded.

“I heard him tell Han he’s almost out, but he’s using Hyunjin as a shield, so that’s that,” you both laughed, he stayed looking around as you layed on a wall, catching your breath.

All of a sudden, he let out a gasp, his gun glowing red.

“From the back?!” He groaned loudly, whispering insults as he tried to place who had shot his final.

“Man, you’re as bad as in League,” you mocked, wheezing, as he rolled his eyes with a smile.

“Say whatever, but if I’m out, you’re alone. Good luck with that fucking camper!”

You grinned, staying behind that wall, knowing that whoever had eliminated Felix couldn’t reach you from that angle.

Minutes passed in what felt like hours. Soon enough, you and Chan were the only ones left in team Felix, and Minho was the remaining soldier fighting for team Han.

“Let’s divide again, there’s only ten minutes left,” Chan said in a huff.

You started lazily running away, but then heard gunshots from behind, Chan’s laugh almost echoing in the playroom.

“Don’t let that cheater win!” He screamed before heading to the exit.

There were seven minutes left.

It was almost anxiety-threatening, roaming around each and every nook and cranny of the place, unable to find Minho.

A static-like sound came from several speakers on the walls.

“The remaining players will play in Blackout mode! Let it be a one-shot winner!” the voice said, sounding similar to the girl from the entrance. “No campers allowed, team Han!”

The white lights suddenly turned off, leaving you alone in a purple-illuminated space. You sucked air in from your teeth, your body tensing. That was good because now you could find him, but at the same time, it wasn't. Now, there was no chance of you knowing where or when he would strike, the light not actually doing anything except colouring the playroom.

You started walking around aimlessly, passing your hand through your hair in a nervous tick from time to time. Until you got to a dead-end.

It was a big room at the end of a hallway, close enough to the exit that you were sure Minho wouldn’t think about searching inside, spacious enough to hold different walls and obstacles to hide and take cover.

In your head, he should’ve been struggling for a while before finding you, letting you shoot easily at him the moment he’d find you.

Instead, a sudden presence approached you from behind. You felt his body pressed on yours, and before you could even aim or shoot, he quickly gripped the hand you held your gun with, separating it from him as he turned you around, now facing him.

There was no place for what or any insults you could’ve thought of as he sharply and decisively trapped your lips with his.

You let out a confused sound, his touch feeling almost abrasive as you had been sweating for what felt like days but had only been half an hour, the taste of his lips so weirdly enticing that even if you hadn’t moved, it strangely made you crave for more.

He stopped and backed away when he noticed you stayed still, but in a rushed impulse, you took him from the collar of his shirt with your free hand, the other one still under his, gun in hand, and pulled him back in.

You felt him smile in the kiss, pressing you a bit more against the wall behind you as it started growing more intense, deeper by every second. Your free hand laid on his chest, allowing you to notice his heart racing in a rhythm you didn't expect —but even if you didn’t know just yet, the reason for his racing heartbeat wasn't the whole 'shoot on sight” deal. It was you.

To him, it was always you.

You broke the kiss, trying to assume what had just happened. It felt impossible, yet it still made your insides churn and turn, and it had only been a kiss.

You had always secretly wished for a concrete wall between him and you, yet funnily enough, it sat behind you, allowing him to keep you in his arms, and you, not even thinking of pushing him away.

The air seemed to crackle with anticipation. The tension in the purple-lit room was palpable, like a storm about to break. His dark eyes locked with yours in a passionate gaze and then, with a sudden surge of longing, met you halfway, closing the gap.

Your mouths met, not in a gentle or hesitant manner, but with an almost reckless abandon. It was as if a fuse had been lit, and even if you still felt like a matchstick being turned on, this had a way different meaning in your head now. You could've sworn it had changed your brain chemistry.

The sensation was intense, like being caught in the midst of a raging wildfire. Tongues that danced in a wild, untamed rhythm, tasting the heat and desire that enveloped them, fueled by the rage, the adrenaline, the sudden desire that started to creep out from its cage. It was a kiss that left you both breathless, their hearts racing, and their bodies tingling with a shared, burning intensity.

Time seemed to stand still as you kissed, lost in the flames of the moment, until you pushed him slightly to catch some air.

His grip on you lost tension as he stayed still, almost panting.

“Players! There’s only one minute left!”

You bit your lip slightly, but right before you could react, he directed his gun towards your chest, and shot you.

You stared at him in disbelief, wide eyes and mouth shyly parted.

“That has got to be cheating.” You muttered.

He smiled slyly, aproaching you again, settling his free hand on the wall behind you, trapping you back.

He gave you a small peck.

“Pfft. Sue me, kitten.”

Walking towards the exit, he winked before dissapearing behind the walls, leaving.

[☆ ☆ 👾 ☆ ☆]

“How does it feel? The loss? The pain?” Han mentioned smugly as you came back from the toilet, now wearing a simple skirt and a top as Jisung cockily pranced around, as if he had been the one that had given you your last shot when of course, it had to be Minho.

Thinking about him made you bite your lip. He was nowhere to be found, and it was eating you from your insides. In the best way possible, of course, ‘cause thanks to him, the game had ended with you in a… particular situation.

You sat, and rubbed your thighs together, but still deadpanned at Jisung.

“Shut the fuck up, you were eliminated before we even reached 15 minutes. Game lastes 30. Let that sink in, birthday moron,” you smirked.

Laughing at his fake childish sadness, you tried to forget about what had happened in the playroom. How he had settled his thigh in between yours. How he had bit your lips, then softly passed his tongue over, almost soothing. How he had pushed you against the wall, caging you between it and his broad figure. How he…

“Hey, you ok?” Felix approached, a sheepish grin on his features, yet brows arched in what you then recognised as worry. “Your face is all red. Here, have some water.”

Just after he had mentioned it, you felt your cheeks hot, and acknowledged your warm state. You wished they hadn’t turned even more red when you blinked awkwardly at the realization, hoping to drown as you drinked from what he had handed you.

“Thanks, Lix. So… what’s the plan?”

“Mmhm… Jisung wants to go get drunk, his words, not mine,” he smiled. “His argument is that winners choose, and honestly, I can’t really argue about that,” his hand brushed his hair back as he laughed softly.

Everyone gathered in a resting space crowded with sofas, in the main area of the building, after Chan and Minho had called for an Uber.

That’s when you saw him again, and you had never imagined the thoughts that would instantly crawl their way to your mind —which was something, considering the wide range that your imagination could reach sometimes.

In that moment, it was as if the relization hit you, bluntly and unexpected, having been hidden and buried under piles of childish arguments and pride.

But god, after what had happened, you couldn’t help but accept your fate.

The man looked absolutely scrumptious.

“Do you mind?” He asked, getting close to you.

His lips, full and enticing, made you lick your own. You couldn’t help but think if its intense pinkish colour had always been like that or if it had been something more recent, something like yours on him, nibbing, kissing—

“Mmhm?” You pondered, still lost in your thoughts, not understanding.

“I want to sit, idiot.” He gestured to the small yet free space next to you, grin shining on his face. You blinked, cheeks further red, and scooched over the other side, making space for him.

You body tensed up when his hand grazed your leg. It was as if he had turned off a switch you didn’t know existed, making you unable to focus on anything else, the small chat that the group was having already forgotten.

He gave you a quick glance, as if checking if you looked uncomfortable, but you didn’t dare to say anything. Instead, when you felt like he was going to move his hand away, you rushed yours over it, shyly sliding it a bit further on your thigh.

He almost choked with his own saliva, quickly grunting and clearing his throat, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hey, Earth calling to Minho…?”

Both of you turned to face Changbin. He had a smirk on his face that lasted no longer than a blink, but you felt that maybe there was something you were not getting.

“You guys weren’t paying attention, so you’re stuck to go on Uber,” Seungmin said as he put his jacket on. “Han, Hyunjin, Chan, Changbin and me are taking the old man’s car.”

“Seungmin, that’s treason!”

“Fuck off!” He laughed, leaving.

The car ride had a special tension between Minho and you, again, sitting next to each other, his hand drawing patterns midlessly on your upper thigh that made you bite your lip the whole journey to the bar.

Getting off the vehicle, the cold night air hugged you tightly, the warm, fuzzy feeling inside you not leaving fully.

“Girl, c’mere! We’re doing shots!” Hyunjin took you by your arm, dragging you inside and close to the bartender, who served you your drinks with in an amazing speed.

Drink after drink, the dizziness in your body grew more intense. You chugged each glass hoping to make this new feeling of longing and desperation go away, but as you both stared at each other even when in opposites sides of the bar, the sensation took over your body as he eye-fucked you across the dance floor.

Hyunjin ditched you quickly, as drunk as he was, not really on purpose, rather just too into the music that the crowd separated you from him, but you were quickly surrounded by another body.

It wasn’t who you thought —or wished, much to what a much sober, small and confused part of your brain still struggled to grasp—, his touch not feeling as warm as back in the playroom.

This new guy smiled at you when you turned around, as if saying ‘hey, girl.’ Maybe he had even said it, but you hadn’t heard it due to the loud music blasting on the place.

Or because you stumbled and crashed against another hard and lean surface, one that sneakly settled a hand on your waist, moving you further against him.

“Mine,” he stated, and you didn’t know why but in that moment the sureness in his voice made you almost tremble —or however the fuck it was called, but with the amount of booze in your head, you didn’t care.

The guy frowned, but fortunately was quickly taken by another man, who smiled uncomfortably, leaving as he mumbled what sounded like scolding to his friend.

You laughed goofily at the sight, not noticing how Minho pulled you from your wrist until you had left the crowd and as he let you use him as a way of stabilizing yourself.

He couldn’t lie to himself, he had to be drunk too, maybe not as bad as you were, but he definetely was, or he wouldn’t have been able to pull of what had happened two minutes ago.

“It’s so hot in here…” you whined childishly. He guided you to the bathrooms —or what he guessed was the bathroom— and let you find your way towards the sink, as you splashed water on your face.

The main area of the bathroom was a shelf-like sink with a big mirror. Behind you and Minho, two different doors, one for men, and one for women, and to your left, the one for physically disabled people

“What was that in the dance floor?” He wondered, staring at you through the mirror.

You turned around, laying your weight on the sink, showing off a smirky grin. “Well, he showed up. And with you leaving me as horny as I feel, I think it is bound to happen that I may have some fun tonight.”

“With him? In that skirt?” He grunted, not really showing if he thought of the idea as something funny or stupid.

“I mean, you haven’t done too much to give me other options, no?”

In large but painfully slow steps, his hands laid next to your body, by your sides, leaning in so you’d be face to face.

“Really? I haven’t?” He murmured, eyes trailing from your eyes to your lips, licking his own. He let out a chuckle when you shook your head sideways. “What if… I offer myself as an option?”

You smiled, giggling, the alcohol not letting you fully control the emotions you chose to display.

“You’d like that, huh?” He teased, his breath smelling like a mix of drinks that you suddenly craved more than anything.

You hands traveled to the neck of his shirt. “Am I that transparent?”

The moment you pulled and met him half way, you never realized how hard it would be to stop.

His hands roamed over his favourite areas of your body, which seemed to be all of them. Uncontrolled sounds creeped out as his lips traced open-mouthed kisses on your neck, moving up to lick behind your earlobe. You felt your body weaken at the sensation of his lips.

"Did you enjoy it?"

His question, as well as the alcohol running down your blood, baffled you, not letting you understand. "W-What?"

"Leaving me so fucking hard, sweetheart. You owe me one."

Bitting your lip as his actions grew intense, you stared at him.

"I never asked you... to leave."

He chuckles, his breath tickling your neck.

"I'm not leaving now..."

"B-but this is just... revenge..." biting your lip harder didn't cover the sounds you were making, but Minho loved every one of them.

"Revenge?" You feel him smile on your skin, his hand lowering towards your ass, shamelessly gripping and fondling it under your skirt. You tremble in his arms. "That's a strong word... but no, I don't want that..."

You lick your lips, trying to soften them after biting too hard, feeling a small dent mark on them, knowing your lipstick has got to be everywhere except your lips— Minho's now coloured in the same soft cherry colour, looking glossy and pink and so goddam kissable.

"Then what do you want?"

His hands trailed mindless figures, marking a path to where you both knew you needed him the most, and you visibly shook when he graced his hand over it, softly stroking your inner thighs.

Okay, that was very clear.

Your mind flashes thoughts of you hating him, and a small part of you doesn't know why you're letting him touch you like this, but as his hand goes below your skirt and above and his fingers start moving softly over your underwear, you choose to make future you worry about the outcomes.

Tonight's main course is him and his beautiful hands torturing you with pleasure.

Minho groans slightly, and you could swear it's the best sound you've ever heard. "God, you feel so wet already..." You whine as he keeps a dreadfully slow pace, moving his hand in small circles, and his words only make the pleasure pool in your lower belly.

"Minho..." You moaned because not one of you cared if he just dragged you inside the bathroom to finger you when everyone was partying and dancing right next door.

He hummed, grinning, so close to you that you felt the alcohol breath surround you, almost as if you were drinking it yourself.

"Sweetheart."

His voice was not the cockily and irritating automatic voice you were used to when bickering and teasing. Instead, it was low, full of lust, and his breathing was so close to erratic that you almost laugh in disbelief. This wasn’t what you had planned for today. No, you would've never thought of this, but right now, there was nothing you'd rather be doing.

"Want me to put my fingers inside you? To make this pretty pussy mine? Yes? Use your words, kitten," he teases. “I know you can.”

You could feel every word, every syllable, all over your skin as goosebumps spread through your body.

You nodded eagerly and managed to mutter out a quiet "yes," and as soon as he started moving, you knew you wouldn’t last shit.

You were a mess, moaning and shaking uncontrollably, not sober enough to notice when he pulled your panties down just enough so he could start a full-on make-out with your "pretty pussy"— his words, not mine.

His face was buried deep between your thighs and half-hidden under your skirt, as his only free hand sank into your ass, squeezing it as he sucked your clit into his mouth in a way that made you forget not only left or right, but also up and down.

His pace increased as he coordinated his fingers with his tongue, and it was game over. if he hadn't been holding your body, you knew your legs wouldn't have supported you through it. You whimpered and moaned, not even getting to warn him as pleasure and heat flooded your entire body.

With a pleased smile on his face, Minho leaned back, removing his fingers from inside you, not flinching once as he locked his eyes with yours and sucked his fingers into his mouth.

Mind still in bliss, you let out a whine, back to biting your lip, taking his face in your hands and crashing your lips on his, tasting you on his tongue.

“Sweetheart," he whispered almost on your lips.

He bent again, giving a small tap on your ankles.

The black-laced fabric that had been covering you before was now deep inside his pocket.

"M-Minho...!"

He chuckled, fixing your hair in soft movements.

"Let's leave before I fuck you in a bathroom stall."

"But my panties—"

He placed a finger on your lips, shushing you with a smug smirk.

"Mine. Keepin' 'em for later. Now, c'mon, before you make me even crazier."

[hard hours]

[☆ ☆ 👾 ☆ ☆]

~Kats, who feels weirdly strange about writing smut, but also feels her liked posts, Wattpad and AO3 tabs plus actual physical books stare at her in disbelief.

happee birthdae to my favorite boys!! <3

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Ello! :3 I hope you're doing good. I'm a sucker for the Ragnarok family trope so I was wondering if you could write a fic with teen!reader who struggles to balance properly. Like ever since they were a child, they had balancing issues and they find it about reader after adopting them. Like reader was trying their best to keep it a secret but it became apparent really quick that they had balancing problems and when one of them tried to ask reader about it directly, reader just started crying thinking they're gonna be thrown out again.

Also happy mother's day, you're the mother of all our fanfic ideas 💀

-Carefully- carefully and slowly, those were the words you kept repeating to yourself as you were walking down the stairs of your new home.

-This family had been wonderful; they were so loving and had treated you with nothing but respect- you had never had a family like that before!

-All your previous adoptive families or foster families had always given up on you, claiming you were a burden for something you had no control over!

-You had issues with your balance, mainly with keeping your balance, but only right when you stood up or when you were on stairs, more going down than going up. You had gone to a few doctors, taken by your old families, demanding to know what was wrong with you, but when they couldn’t get an exact answer, that’s when they would take you back and abandon you.

-That’s why you were being so careful, walking down the stairs, not wanting to lose your balance, trip, and fall, because you didn’t want to be abandoned again. This was the first time that you felt like you had a home, a real home with a real family. You didn’t want to lose this!

-You were unaware that your family knew about your condition, as your case worker told them, as she legally had to, but they weren’t bothered, they were going to adopt you anyway, but you didn’t know that.

-When you made it to the bottom of the stairs you sighed deeply in relief, happy that you didn’t fall as you wandered around, looking for Anubis and Leonidas, who were going to teach you about the difference between their culture’s weapons.

-You learned that your family was kind of weird, as they were literal gods and warriors from all throughout history, but you didn’t really mind, as you found it fun to learn more about history and the different gods from around the world.

-You found the two outside, waving you over and you smiled warmly, greeting them before your eyes went wide, seeing all the weapons, “That’s a lot of weapons.” Leonidas chuckled at your shock, finding it funny before Anubis beamed, patting the seat next to him and they started the lesson.

-A few hours later, after watching them, and Hercules and Ares, when they came out, wanting to join in on the fun lesson, showing you how to use the different weapons, showing off their combat skills, Eve stepped out from the kitchen, “Lunch time!”

-They all got up quickly to rush inside and you did the same, forgetting and instantly you took a hard tumble, nearly hitting your head on the table as you landed hard on your hands and knees.

-Several voices called out your name and you flinched hard, quickly trying to stand again, trying to play it off nothing was wrong as you stumbled again, nearly going down again, had Ares not caught you.

-Your hands came to your head, covering it as you were quickly panicking as Eve ran out to help where she could as you were quickly panicking, “I’m okay- I’m fine- there’s nothing wrong with me!” Hearing your panicked words quickly had them glancing at each other in worry.

-Ares held you close as you were brought inside while Anubis ran to get the first aid kit after Leonidas saw some blood on your knees.

-Hercules was so gentle, kneeling in front of you, reaching up to cup your cheek, “Y/N- it’s okay. We all know.” Your eyes went huge as more fear seemed to appear, scared that they were going to give up on you again.

-However, Hercules was quick to see this, “No Y/N- we’re not going to take you back. We wanted you, even with this. It doesn’t make you any less worthy.”

-Your eyes widened before they quickly filled with tears, happy tears that quickly fell, and they all softened, trying to calm you down. You had never had anyone tell you that before, that just because you were wobbly and had balance issues, that you were just fine, and they wanted you, wobbles and all.

-You were never made to feel like you were a burden, your family was nothing but supportive, helping you where they could, making sure sharp corners were covered, basically baby-proofing the house just in case if you fell anywhere, so you wouldn’t be seriously hurt. They took you to actual specialty doctors and not just family doctors who didn’t know what to look for, standing by your side, learning along with you.

-It was so nice, having a real family, one that would support you, no matter what.

[daisymintt]

I have too many ideas for Merlin fics so I’m just gonna dump them here, if you write one please tag me I’d love to read it!

• Arthur is seen as a traitor to the crown and is about to be killed when Merlin saves him and they go on the run and become some of the most well known bandits in Camelot, the Fallen Prince and his Warlock (inspired by Americano by Lady Gaga)

• A beast that feeds off magic goes to Camelot and takes Merlin, Arthur and the Knights embark on a rescue mission

• A visiting Noble introduces a new “sport” to Uther, sorcerer hunting. In which a captured sorcerer is released into the woods with only the clothes on their back and are hunted down by knights and specially trained hounds. Intrigued, he partakes of this “sport”. Merlin is disgusted and goes into the forest to help them escape only to become the prey. Will he be able to keep his magic secret? Or will he be doomed?

OR

• Merlin on the run inspired by the song Run Boy Run

• Rumor Has It/Rumor Mill, a bunch of different rumors start cropping up in Camelot varying from absurd to believable

• A visiting Lady takes a shine to Merlin, Arthur gets jealous.

• Arthur and Merlin are on a hunting trip and stop at a tavern. While there they overhear a local ghost story about an ghost that of a Lady who lived in the manor up the street. Her husbands kept dying “mysteriously” and she went mad with grief. They say the manor is haunted. Merlin takes it seriously and Arthur teases him about, later they go to the abandoned manor and have an encounter with the ghost. Get trapped in the manor. The ghost carries a bloody hatchet. Nearly takes Arthur’s head off. Similar to Constance Hatchaway.

• Stardust AU

• Arthur follows in his dad’s footsteps and sets out to kill the last Druid, a boy called Emrys. Little did he know that his friend Merlin was that druid. Inspo: Still/Neva Flows Reprise

• 1920’s America Merlin runs a speakeasy

• Gaius is away dealing with an outbreak of sweating sickness at a border town leaving Merlin as acting Court Physician while he’s away.

- A visiting Nobel lady goes into labor, Merlin has to help her.

• Merlin catches a cold yet refuses to stop working, his magic is also affected. Every time he sneezes something magical happens leaving chaos in his wake. His magic stops reacting when he Gaius sneaks him a sleeping draught mixed with some cold medicine (or at least the medieval equivalent that addresses the symptoms), Arthur not so subtly frets about Merlin’s wellness.

OR

• Merlin overextends his magic and when he gets back to Camelot he tries to do a small spell and it doesn’t work, discovers he has a “Sorcerers Cold” it doesn’t affect the physical body but the magical one. In other words, how magic is on the fritz until he can get some proper rest.

• Last Night Gus episode where they super drunk and wake up in weird places. They spend the day trying to piece together what happened last night

• A sorcerer disguised themselves as Merlin to get close to Arthur

OR

• A shapeshifter that appears as your hearts greatest desire appears as Merlin to Arthur and lures him into a trap, Merlin has to save him. Classic who’s the real Merlin scenario where Arthur has to ask a question that only the real Merlin would know the answer too.

• A vampire arrives in Camelot.

• Merlin’s shadow has the wings of a dragon, Arthur notices

• Merlin and Arthur have been arguing over something for a while now, Leon is tired of being stuck in the middle of it and traps them in a room. He refuses to let them come out until they figure out whatever they’re fighting about. (Ten minutes in the closet trope)

• A drunk Merlin finds himself in Arthur’s room, Arthur takes care of him. Merlin is very affectionate when drunk. (Inspo: bad idea right? By Olivia Rodrigo)

• Merlin and Morgana are friends and Arthur is jealous of there close bond, Arthur thinks that they’re courting and confronts Merlin about it.

• Morgana or someone casts a spell while the knights, Arthur, and Merlin are asleep on a quest that joins their dreams together. Merlin is very skittish afraid that he may accidentally reveal his magic. Inspo: A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill! Season 2 episode 19 of Ducktales.

• 5 weird places Merlin has fallen asleep and one not so weird one (it’s Arthur’s bed)

[riririnnnn]

Low-key a continuation of this, but this post alone makes complete sense.

I'm well fed now, so my brain is churning again.

LESGOOOOOO 🌬️🤸🏻‍♀️🌪️

So, we have this fella.

Let's start.

Theory — 1

Kaiser has a flower farming family business or a florist shop.

You see, Blue Rose isn't something you'll find growing in the wild on its own. It's an artificially produced product or a White Rose dyed with a blue colour.

I understand that there are many people out there who are passionate about growing flowers, but only as a hobby. However, for simplicity, let's ignore that.

So, I think he was more like a soft boy and you can easily imagine a soft boy with a flower background getting bullied by the tougher guys when he decided to join a soccer team, then someone from his family gave him an inspirational talk about Blue Rose. It explains his want to win the World Cup and also his want to push the soccer industry into despair.

Plot hole: This theory doesn't feel Blue Lock-esque, it feels rather lame for a character like Kaiser. It doesn't explain his weird, nearly obsessive behaviour in his rivalry with Isagi. It leaves no room for a deeper explanation about his hand tattoo.

Theory — 2

This is the more widely known and believed theory in the BLLK Fandom that Kaiser was poor growing up, and some might even go as far as to say that he was a trafficked child. It could be that the one who lend him a hand for help also had some association with Blue Rose, and then helped him pursue soccer further.

Plot hole: Quite similar to Lorenzo's story. Being poor has already been used many times as a trope in this Animanga. Doesn't explain his behaviour of inflicting pain on himself while being frustrated and that why he wants the soccer world to go into despair.

Theory — 3

This goes darker, so be warned.

Soccer, somehow, destroyed his loving and happy family. It could be that he used to be a crybaby, and he got inspired/used to look up to a figure in his house who used to play soccer.

Firstly, when he used to fail in soccer, that figure used to calmly soothe him and treat him nicely, but then things turned out to get worse and after that Kaiser got subjected to being physically abused which explains his knack to choke himself.

Plot hole: Feels like a scrapped idea from Itoshi brothers' backstory. Blue Rose tattoo's influence in the story gets diminished and the hand tattoo feels like something added just to make the character look cool.

Theory — 4

This theory solely based upon this panel:

It makes me think like he got abandoned by a soccer partner or something.

Further, see this panel:

Maybe this partner backstabbed Kaiser?

It could be that his older teammates got jealous of his "talent" and then bullied/physically or verbally harassed him? When in reality he actually had no talent and just worked really hard, like, we have been shown how he was practicing hard after Isagi one-up-ed him in the Ubers match or after the Manshine City match when he was watching everything in those multiple screens.

Feels like he is going to be the Oikawa of Blue Lock.

Plot hole: I actually don't find any kind of plot hole in this theory except the fact that Blue Rose low-key feels out of the blue.

Theory — 5

It could be called as a modified version of the above theory.

Maybe his family is filthy rich too. Having "Kaiser" as a last name could mean that he is from some sort of Royal family and he used to play soccer with his siblings or a family member, but as the time passed, he still dreamt of being a Pro soccer player, but the other person(s) refused and instead accepted their traditional roles.

Plot hole: Feels like Reo 2.0, and doesn't explain why he wants the soccer industry to go into despair.

Personally, I do think that we are going to get entirely something else, but it's pretty fun to think of such things.

.

.

.

Ness should never touch scissors again. He massacred Kaiser's hair.

[dannybobany]

Guyysss… the autism caught up to me…, I’m currently thinking about assigning TMA fears to omori characters

Very vague omori and tma spoilers for this rant I’m about to go on ⬇️

But genuinely though I’m thinking really hard about it-

Basil is the most obvious to me- I feel like Basil must be a flesh avatar right? Because of the floral theming? Yeah he’s a flesh gardener for sure (although one could make the argument for corruption due to his abandonment issues and need to be loved, but in that sense I feel the corruption is the fear he’d die to while the flesh is the fear he’d embrace and become an avatar for in the situation that he did)

Sunny is more complicated he doesn’t have as obvious of a match… my first thought was actually end avatar because omori’s personality works well with the whole inevitability thing end avatars have going on, plus the only end avatar I know about (Oliver what’s his name) is associated with dreams so maybe he OLIVER BANKS THAT WAS HIS NAME anyway. So maybe sunny would have a similar death-in-dreams theme? But if we’re talking dreams and sleep we gotta at least consider the dark right? Unseen beasts shrouded in shadow? That gives somthing energy in a way …

I could also pretty easily see him as a web avatar for how he crafts narratives and stories, plus! Spiders! Gotta love that aesthetic

I think Aubrey makes a pretty good hunt avatar, she’s got the right personality for it and I can imagine her being very afraid of her short temper getting the better of her and hurting someone she cares about… that’s a very hunt thing

Kel and Hero are weird because I have no idea what to do with them

Kel I feel like… stranger? The stranger is a very whimsical and positive avatar and the idea of masks and not knowing who you are is good for Kel with the whole…. Burying his emotions and dumbing down his personality to ignore his grief and please those around him… also clown kel sounds like a lot of fun and I wanna draw that

Thinking of it now I think Hero must be a lonely avatar right? But less in the way Martin is and more in the way Peter Lukas is, not an inability to connect but a willful self imposed isolation, basically what he did after Mari died but dialed up several times

Now. Mari. Mari … Mari …. Mari … The Eye? As a consequence of perfectionism she might seek knowledge to better herself and become obsessed with the idea of improving her skills through consuming more and more information… sounds pretty classically eye avatar right? The pursuit of perfection through knowledge? And I know that’s not her whole character but the thing about TMA fears is they tend to eventuate your worst characteristics and since perfectionism is Mari’s main flaw that might dictate which fear she’d fall into

Also. The one eye? Yeah

Final thoughts:

Basil- Very definitely a flesh avatar, I mean. Flesh garden is RIGHT THERE you can’t not right? Also the flesh is my favorite of the 14 fears and Basil is my favorite character so naturally I would put the two together

Sunny- probably a Web avatar honestly? He does clearly feel a need for control in headspace based on how things work there, if he were given the opportunity to do that in his real life? That’s a power he could fall victim to I feel

Kel- Stranger avatar makes the most sense for him and his issues, I like the imagery of kind of… ship of Theseus-ing yourself into a wooden doll to represent changing yourself for the sake of others

Hero- lonely …. Realistically … but I WANT him to be a vast avatar because that was be very cool aesthetically, but realistically he is a Lonely avatar for sure

Mari- the Eye, would be fucked up if she did the trope of died and came back wrong like that archivist monster from that one episode? But avatar wise Mari is an Eye one

Nobody is gonna see this post because the overlap of Omori fans and TMA fans is so so small but whatever, my peace is said !!! Also I might draw some of these ideas (flesh basil, eye Mari, and stranger kel sound very fun to draw)

[pastafossa]

How do you get past writer's block? I have a fic that I'm working on that is updating on a schedule, and I made the mistake of giving myself a month off in between parts and now I can't really get back into writing it. I don't want to leave it abandoned because I have a few people who I know are really invested and I don't want to leave them hanging, but I'm having a hard time getting as excited to write it as I did before.

Ok so I'm in a weird place for this, hilariously. Because The Answer That Usually Works For Me (TM) and that carried me through a regular weekly update schedule for almost two and a half years is, in fact, not at present working for me apparently my brain can write through a pandemic but not through recovery from the shit that went down in December/Jan so we found my writing kryptonite. However, I'm going to assume you're closer to 2021 Pasta than 2024 Pasta. SO LET'S GO WITH THE METHOD I NORMALLY USE SINCE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR YEARS. Cause that's the thing: sure, I've written almost a million words, and pumped out chapters for years (ignoring the past few months) but I promise, I hit the same walls as everyone else even when nailing weekly uploads. But over those years, I came up with a fairly solid list of steps that I'd go through one by one.

Fun one first: when I'm in a block, I almost always try re-engaging with canon first. I'd rewatch my favorite episodes, binge a whole season, or even the whole series depending on how much of a boost I needed. For me at least that was often like Pavlov's bell, my favorite story triggering a flood of affection. I'd remember why I loved this fandom and the characters so much, and it could often kickstart my brain and excitement back into gear. If you really want to dangle a carrot and your fic touches on canon, focus on watching parts you're excited to get to in your story. A big one for me in TRT for example was the post-Nobu, Nelson v. Murdock episode, since I'd had that planned for TRT almost since the start, and I was very excited to reach the hurt/comfort I had planned. Even if your fic isn't following canon though, see if it'll give you a creative rush again!

So let's say step 1 doesn't work, either because the canon just isn't hitting the spot or because your fic is dealing with something else. In this case, my next step was usually to jump ahead to write a scene I was really eager to get to. It was often a short blurb, but it was always something I REALLY wanted to explore, and because I'm also a reader who likes exactly the tropes and plots I'm writing, I want to read what fucking happens. Except, fuck, I'm not there yet, am I? And I can't see how that scene finishes until I write my way up to it and finish it. This is my own carrot. Multiple scenes in TRT were written months or even years in advance, simply as a way to bribe myself. This is also an option!

But maybe this doesn't work. Sometimes it didn't. This is when it got a bit more serious. For anyone who was reading at the time, you'd have noticed that I'd sometimes drop side fics, either Matt POVs or one-shots. This was me, in essence, working on the shower principle (basically, ideas/solutions will come if you stop thinking about it and do something else, like take a shower). I figured if I went and wrote something else - either with less stress, or something fun and dopamine-inducing - the part of my brain focused on my Big Fic would wander around the writer's block beneath my notice. And it almost always worked, all while I still kept my brain trained that, hey, even if we're not writing This Thing, we're still writing.

But let's say this doesn't work either. You're well, and truly, stuck. Been there now and then. And, you're going to hate this one. I hate it but it works 9 times of 10. And it is: Write anyway. Half of it was spite. I was not going to give up my schedule, I liked my schedule. The other half was that I knew myself. I knew if I could just get past the chapter/plot/dialogue I was struggling with, I'd be able to roll along again. And so I made a rule: whatever I wrote didn't have to be pretty. It just had to exist. If that meant I wrote, "Jane chased the cat in circles and caught it. She was happy." then that's what I wrote. Because everything, EVERYTHING, can be fixed in editing. But you can't fix what doesn't exist. And so there were those nights when I would scowl and groan and snarl and bash my head against that writer's block until 5 in the morning, but in the end Jane chased that fucking cat adn caught it, it was written. Hilariously, sometimes those chapters have wound up amazing (likely because I spent so much time hammering at them) and reader favorites. There are absolutely, I believe, moments where you can, and should, see if you can push through.

But that brings me to *waves* now. A lesson I've only recently recently and with encouragement. Namely... sometimes brain no go and that's ok. My steps work for me 99.9% of the time, but I've done the above during the past few months, and it just... hasn't dragged me out entirely out of it yet. Sometimes, our brains demand that break, especially when things just aren't going great. There's a reason TRT had a break of roughly 2 years between chapter 4 and chapter 5 (feel free to check the chapter index with dates on AO3!). I had some life things happening and I just was not in a place to write, even if I was still busily plotting and planning and thinking about TRT behind the scenes. And that was ok. We're not machines. I came back like a bulldozer in Jan 2021, yes, and bulldozed through weekly updates, but that break was needed. And now I'm obviously taking a short one again while I recover from everything. It's ok if you're not in a place for it. So the last step is one I've been told a lot by dear friends recently as they helped me through this: be kind to yourself, and try not to stress if none of the above works. The story will always be there, and if TRT is any indication through all its highs and lows, your readers will be there when you start up again.

[scooby-review]

Scooby Doo Where are You? S1 E9-E12

9. The Backstage Rage

The Backstage Rage is an episode I don’t see talked about all too much! There’s not really any representation through merchandise, he doesn’t have any reappearances like many of the villains in Where are You? merely receiving a comic adaptation, which as far as I can tell, every episode did. Yet, this is one of my favourites for sure. 

This episode follows the gang heading to an abandoned theatre after a case of counterfeit money is stolen from them by a puppet. It’s a simple concept, yet they push the villain and theming perfectly, the episode focusing more on its atmosphere and scares rather than jokes, it’s something we rarely see, yet when we do it works so much better. Similarly to how Zombie Island managed to terrify so many people, because when you know one thing for so long and suddenly it’s all wrong, the tone darker and more serious, you suddenly feel a whole lot less safe. Of course, this episode doesn’t fully commit to a darker tone, but it does feel creepier in many places! 

I think this episode's strongest quality is the Puppet Master, through the strong themes he draws in, his great design and general creepiness spread throughout the episode. To start with his design, he feels somewhat evocative of the titular Phantom of the Opera, specifically through the masks of the 1943 movie and the cloak, it’s not all too overt, yet the characters definitely feel connected. Curiously, this is one of three links to the Universal Monster movies within the four batches of episodes here, a strange coincidence! It’s also the least obvious of them. Beyond this however, I just find the colours to be so strong, he feels so ominous with his darkened cloak, the only streak of colour within his cape, a flowing river of crimson. 

The villain’s plot here is counterfeiting money, which ties perfectly into the theme of the puppets, these wooden inventions created for the sole purpose of tricking those who see them into believing them to be human, but they’re not. They’re fakes, cheap imitations that keep people long enough to realise they’ve been tricked, by which time it’s too late. We see this in the opening as Scooby is tricked by a girl dog (you can tell because she’s a white poodle with a pink bow), focusing on her while his money is stolen. This all links perfectly with the counterfeit money, it looks real and by the time you realise it’s not, it’s too late. Thematically, this episode is likely the strongest. 

Also the puppets just rule. Specifically a scene where the gang talk to a doorman, Pietro, returning later after a chase where they talk to him, his head slipping down his body. He was a puppet. It’s such an eerie scene, and sure, he’s the villain in reality, the first time we meet him it’s actually him, I think, but it’s such a great way of switching the way the audience is thinking, it’s unsettling and perfect. 

There’s so many new puppets, we see a show later on, watching as they’re animated seemingly without any control. The trope of haunted dolls can be seen throughout time, in media ranging from Goosebumps to The Conjuring. They aren’t haunted come the end, but the presence of the Puppet Master gives this idea of him controlling them without being there, the ruler of the puppets. It’s great and I love it so much. 

All this ties in perfectly with the setting of the abandoned theatre, the backgrounds filled with costumes and generating a generally creepy tone. Within the theatre there’s a door hidden within a harp case! It’s such a cool and weird little idea I love it! The theatre comes to life with its patented Scooby-Doo secret passageways! One of which comes to life through the use of musical notes, which is reminiscent of the film The Ghost Breakers, which Ruby-Spears cited as a huge inspiration during the creation of the show.

I also made a few notes on the animation in this episode! One moment depicts Scooby shaking his head, but his face is animated so fluidly, it’s slow and janky sure, but parts of his face move that previously have always been static, giving a really long and jarring sequence that I really don’t love! However, Pietro and his puppet Johnny are animated so well here, for sure it looked the best the show ever has to me, so that’s worth pointing out! All the puppetry here is animated so well! Just a really great one! Not sure why it isn’t more popular! Looking on IMDB it’s like the middle of the rankings, but I’m not sure how representative it is of peoples thoughts overall, most websites ranking things tend to be kind of a bubble, it depends on the users there. But regardless, I love this, one of my favourites ever! 

10. Bedlam in the Big Top

This episode sees the gang stumbling across a circus, learning that it’s haunted by a ghost clown. It’s such an iconic episode based on this alone, the character and the setting are instantly recognisable! I think with this being the show's first iteration, other than the repeated haunted houses or castles, we don’t see much repetition in where the gang go, or what kind of villain they face, other than most of them being ghosts. Because of that it makes Where are You?’s villains the most memorable, but of course, time is also a factor. Plus, I think the villains stand out so much because they do a lot of the heavy lifting in these more formulaic episodes. Whereas looking at something like Mystery Incorporated, most probably think of Mr. E rather than a specific monster. This version of the show is defined by aesthetics, which the monster’s seep into heavily. 

As a child, I was terrified of clowns, I think for most this is a result of their looks and the inability to communicate, although I personally was afraid after going to the circus and having a fear of participating. However in pop-culture, a fear of clowns can be derived usually from the evil clown trope. Now people likely think of Pennywise as the definitive scary clown, he’s the mascot for it now. Simply however, the trope comes from a subversion, clowns throughout history are intended to be funny, their origins dating back to classical Greek plays. Although the creepy clown trope can be dated back at least to Edgar Allan Poe’s “Hop-Frog”, the creepy clown trope of the late 60s likely comes from The Joker, who, outside of the horror genre, is the most popular creepy clown. Yet, the trope was young at the time of this episode’s release, often cited as a pretty early example of the trope; every few decades there’s a resurgence in what ignites the trope, such as serial killers, books and movies and the 2016 internet fuelled craze. The entire concept is loaded and there’s a plethora of reasons why we find clowns scary, but a lot of the modern scary clown comes from depictions we see, such as the ghost clown within this episode. 

I think the ghost clown carries a lot of this pretty solid episode, it’s a long spiel of his antics, they’re pretty fun playing on the circus setting, and while scary for sure, the episode is very gag driven rather than clue driven. Usually these are the two directions a Where are You? episode will go in, following clues that lead to the capturing of the villain, or the villain taunts them in a series of gags. Both work, and this one definitely takes the right option for its subject. 

Most of the horror of this one comes from the clown’s hypnotism abilities, where he will hypnotise a member of the gang to do something like Daphne on the unicycle or Scooby on the tightrope. Ultimately, these play out the same, it gives a sort of repetition to the episode that harms it, but it’s still an enjoyable time using its setting to great effect. 

Plus the clown has such a striking design, the bright flashy red costume and bulbous nose contrasting with the white makeup, it’s perfect! His design is just off putting, but again, I think that maybe comes from growing up in a society afraid of clowns, likely more so than the 1969 audience! 

Despite mentioning a redundancy, I will say I love the rubber ladder and balloon popping sequences. The first is merely a silly gag, it works well in the context of the episode placing a new roadblock in the gang's way, but the balloon popping is tense, it shows how the clown is ready to place the gang in actual harm's way. This all links into the villain being the most evil we have seen so far, his motive being that he was fired from the circus and sent to prison, therefore he wanted revenge, this revenge either being closing the circus down for good, murder, or both! Who knows, but the episode is unique in how willing they are to place the gang in danger, although the only one that really works for me is the Scooby one. The previous episode did this better I feel, putting the gang in more physical danger, yet not over doing it. 

I also love Shaggy’s characterisation here! Again, we see a sporty side to him, I think he’s maybe the best written character of the gang, with Daphne and Fred being the weakest despite having some merit. But having him do track at school not only makes the world feel more alive, but the character feels deeper!

Pretty fun one! Love the gorgeous backgrounds here and the villain a whole bunch, plus the gags are mostly good too! I completely get why the clown is so merchandised and popular. 

11. A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts

What a fun little title! 

A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts follows the gang entering Franken Castle, despite warnings from a nearby fortune teller of an unfavourable fate if they do. 

I’m not going to discuss the fortune teller in a similar depth to most the other characters here, mostly because the character is pretty infamously a racist caricature of a Romani fortune teller, who ultimately is a white man in a costume, which around this time was likely how many people saw these types of people, their culture reduced to a single image slathered across pop-culture and halloween costumes. Consistently the character is described with a slur. The entire character here sucks, and it’s a trope within this season, at least, that if a non-white character appears, they’re the villain, which we can see in the following episode, and I believe is only broken in the finale. Still, this character is marketed and popular, despite more awareness about this depiction being harmful, this character lives on. 

Other than this aspect, I enjoy how the episode is a fun tribute to classic monster movies, it feels like House of Dracula or House of Frankenstein, in the way it includes three classical characters, all running around a castle. It’s so much fun seeing the three of them running around here! I’ll move through them all before getting any deeper into the episode. 

Firstly, we have Dracula, who is by far my favourite of the three. Created by Bram Stoker, the character’s design echoes the Universal Monster’s design for him, with a black cloak and red lining and a more human appearance rather than being ghoulish. Being the only one of the three who talks, Dracula stands out amongst the rest, and sure, all of them are distinctive, I think he carries the episode where the others are unable to, he offers something completely different, being mostly human. Cognitively, he can think better than the other two creatures, therefore, delivering some humanity. Also I love his ability to turn into a bat, so fun, and I’m also a big fan of the white, chalky skin he has. 

Next we meet Frankenstein’s Monster, this look again is directly inspired by the Universal Monster’s character. Of the three here, I’ve only seen these first two, but I prefer Frankenstein! As for the books, I don’t think I have a preference, I think I preferred reading Dracula, but overall enjoy Frankenstein more. Regardless, this design is a hulking character, stalking the characters endlessly through the castle. It gives this impossible feeling to him, as if you’ll never be able to shake him off. 

Finally, there’s, who I deem to be, the weakest of the three, the Wolfman. Only meeting the gang once, the character is also inspired by the Universal Monster, a completely original character there, which is why he’s so different in contrast to the other two. I don’t love this design, he looks so ghoulish, his werewolf side feels lost. I enjoy the stockier design, but the lack of fur makes it difficult to know what he is just by looking, although I guess this closer links him as a human and wolf, a literal wolfman, sure, but the movie it’s taking inspiration from also does this, I just find the purpley skin to be a mit much in this design. Also, he does the least, I find his antics the least interesting. 

Although we never see the three together in the same scene, all of them played by the same villain, I do enjoy this set up, the castle feels truly haunted and inescapable! 

Speaking of the castle, the Frankenstein name added to it is certainly earnt, containing a lab among other gothic elements that places it closest to that character rather than the other two. It’s a great place to be in, and I don’t find myself tired of the castles because of how they vary them when we’re here! Plus, these characters were made for gothic castles! 

I enjoy some of the character stuff here too, even if most of it is very silly. The Velma and Fred pairing is a nice change of pace, I enjoy their dynamic! Although, this does only come as a result of Daphne’s capture. Ultimately, this series is thin on its depiction of Fred and Daphne, they’re mostly one note and will get to shine way more in later versions of the series! I still like them enough, but I can’t help but feel like this comes from their designs and how they act in the future. I think Daphne is the weakest, she’s simply prone to danger, presented as a klutz and usually not all that intelligent, it can be done well, there are places in the franchise where it is, but not here! Fred similarly lacks much character, but small details and focus on him give him the upper hand, such as in Foul Play in Funland where I felt he stood out, and his place as the leader of the group which gives him more to do. Velma, Shaggy and Scooby are far stronger characters, even if they are pretty surface level in how they’re written. 

Another moment I really enjoy is when, for some reason, Shaggy and Scooby decide they want to prank the ghost. For some reason? It’s not too clear why they would jump from being terrified of the monster to pouring water on him, but hey, it’s really funny, mostly because of how abruptly they decide this, finding a body under a sheet, assuming it’s the monster, and then finding a hose. Of course, this backfires, the two of them getting wet, and the body not being the monster’s, it’s great stuff!

And after all this, we learn that the monster is none other than Big Bob Oakley. No way. 

I always find it funny when they kind of ditch the mystery angle - like there’s no suspects here except the fortune teller I guess, but then we see she’s not real. I don’t mind it at all though, the reveal is a lot less impactful in this series purposefully. 

Overall, this one’s fun! Filled with classic horror settings and characters that made me smile. 

12. Scooby-Doo and a Mummy Too

When I saw the list of four episodes I had lined up to watch, I was dreading this one. Truthfully, I hate sandy locations, and Mummy’s are also pretty boring to me! So after the three before that looked so fun, I wasn’t too thrilled to end on this! 

But, I liked it way more than I expected to. 

First of all, the episode isn’t set in a desert, instead in the department of archeology, where after seeing an ancient mummy, Shaggy accidentally pockets a coin, the mummy following them afterwards. 

Honestly, I was on the side of the mummy for most of this. As soon as they see the mummy come to life, they just refuse to give him his coin back, but like, he just wants his coin. To begin with, there’s no crime here, he’s just a mummy returning to life who would like his coin back. If I was robbed, I’d also want my stuff returned. 

The Mummy here is based on the mummy from the Universal Monster movie, The Mummy. I haven’t seen it yet, but I do like how they reference the character, his name being the Mummy of Ankha, a play on the princess name in the movie who the mummy was supposed to protect. Although, as stated in the episode, Ankha was a real person, believed to be the richest ruler in Egypt around 1030 BCE. Also, this name in hieroglyphics roughly translates to life, which makes sense for the character, given he has “returned from the dead”. 

Also I just really liked the mummy here, I don’t know why! He’s just a silly man who would like his money back, which I think is fair enough! In fact, reading back through my notes I made while watching the episode, I was taking the mummy’s side a lot, like sure, he turns people to stone, but so what! I like him. My favourite mummy for sure. 

On the topic of turning people to stone, I think it’s done better here than in What the Hex Going on?, maybe? I’m not too sure, both feel like they use it as a way to escalate things without ever using the concept to its full potential - here Scooby is stolen, then they find a stone statue of him, cry, until they see Scooby is alive a moment after. Although I do love the gag of Scooby crying over being turned to stone, it’s the perfect amount of silly. 

The rest of the episode plays out like your typical Where are You? story, but that isn’t to discredit it. It’s lots of fun, I enjoyed myself far more than I expected to! But sometimes it can make an episode less interesting to talk about. Most of the series is of a consistently good quality, but some episodes are great, such as The Backstage Rage, while some are just very whatever, such as Decoy for a Dognapper. This one sits around the middle, but still manages to be fun to watch!

Episode Ranking:

The Backstage Rage

A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts

Scooby-Doo and a Mummy Too

Bedlam in the Big Top

Villain Ranking: 

Puppet Master

Mummy of Ankha

Clown Ghost

Dracula

Frankenstein’s Monster

Wolfman 

Previous Review: SDWaY S1 E5-8

Next Review: SDWaY S1 E13-17

[marrowcrunch]

What are your top 3 favorite vtm clans (or bloodlines)?

Bonus: which clan do you think you'd fit in with? :3c

Oh boy, this is going to be long lol

Favorite: Tzimisce 

Gosh, what a surprise :O

But yeah. I mean, firstly, the cool factor is undeniable. It's always such a joy designing Tzimisce characters because even toeing the strictest borderlines of canon they're allowed to get real weird with it in a way that most other clans aren't. I don't mean this as hate at all so I hope it doesn't come across like that, all clans are beautiful <3 but if you're playing Ventrue, Brujah, Tremere etc to some degree you'll always just be playing as Some Guy. With a Tzim it’s like…Do you want some sick-ass bone blades on your arms? No problem! Another pair of arms to put more bone blades on? Sounds good! Do you want to be bioluminescent like a squid? Great! Go crazy! 

Second: Full disclosure, I am the “My fursona is my TWOO SELF” flavor of furry. And the idea of having near total freedom of form— to be able to give myself a tail, claws, fangs, horns, [long censor beep], whatever I want, to abandon my human shape, fills me with Yearning. 

In the complete opposite direction, I also find personal meaning in the clan as someone who suffers from chronic pain. Shamelessly copy-pasting a reply to another post: 

The flavoring of Vicissitude as a creeping infection, as the actual body of the Eldest spread from generation to generation, able to rise up and consume its bearers at any moment, resonates with me very deeply as someone whose pain is caused by congenital tissue defects and which will inevitably get worse over time.

The idea that…there’s something horrible lurking inside your body. It can’t be cured. It can’t be removed. It is part of the very fabric of your being. And it is going to eat you alive, it is going to eat and eat until there’s nothing left. That no matter how you struggle, eventually it’s going to win. But you struggle anyways, because what the hell else is there to do?

The clan also has its revenant families, who are all collectively my most Specialist Little Guy in the world. I am a huge sucker for ye old trope of Special Family Bloodline Technique, and they scratch that itch for me in a really fun and interesting way. 

Second favorite: Giovanni. I actually don't have any deep reasons for this one, I just think that “fucked up necromancer vampire crime family” is such a fun concept lol. I like organized crime stories. It's also another one for the “bloodline technique” category— in v20, they even have their own associated revenant family, the Rossellinis! 

Third favorite: Salubri. The vibe I get is that they’re deeply underappreciated because people feel like their designation in both fluff and crunch as “the nice ones” means that they’re boring and clash with Masquerade’s overall tone. But I STRONGLY disagree— I think that's exactly what gives them so much potential for the sort of personal, existential horror that is supposed to be at the heart of Masquerade. I actually want to write a much longer post sometime that really gets into why, but part of it is this— being a magical pacifist unicorn prancing in a sunny flower field isn't “horrifying,” but being a magical pacifist unicorn in a dark forest where the only other animals are wolves that want to eat your face sure is. I also think the contrast between mainline (healer) Salubri and Salubri antitribu is a really rich thematic vein— again, I want to write more on this later. 

Bloodline lightning round:

Ahrimanes: Cat-themed woman power. I like the concept of Gangrel in tune with the spiritual elements of nature. Spirits in World of Darkness are fun because they can be anything. 

Ventrue antitribu: Knights in modern settings are cool.

However, if the question was “Which clan are you most like?” instead of “What's your favorite”, the answer is far and away Toreador. I love making art, and while I mostly just write now because my body has kind of fallen apart, I used to dabble in a bunch of different mediums and loved them all. That and I already do the “oh that flower/painting/ random pattern of light on the wall is really pretty *zones out and stares at it*” thing in real life lol so that would just be business as usual. If I couldn't be a Meat Criminal this is actually the clan I'd choose to be embraced into. 

Thanks for giving me a chance to talk :)

[andorerso]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

thanks for the tag @mosylufanfic <3

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

I started reading fanfiction when I was very young, maybe 10-11? and it pretty much immediately made me want to write my own stories. early attempts were... unsuccessful, but I always had a lot of ideas and I just wanted to get them out there... so I did

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

in reverse chronological order: Rogue One/Andor, GoT/ASOIAF, She-Ra, Grisha-verse/Nikolai Series, The Raven Cycle, American Horror Story, Reign, Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Twilight

and some I have never published but did write for: The Witcher, Dishonored, Magnificent Century: Kösem

so that's 14 fandoms total

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

well, my first attempt was at 14 but I pretty much immediately abandoned that story after posting. I tried again at 16 and have been writing pretty consistently ever since. so it's been more than ten years, almost fifteen

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

lately I'm writing more than I'm reading, however in general over the years, it's definitely read. I've consumed so many!

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

I think my action has gotten better recently? it's still far from my strength but being forced to write some action scenes in recent stories definitely improved that area... who would have thought?

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I've researched many weird stuff over the years but idk, I'm blanking on specifics

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

I love it when people yell and curse at me <33

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

idk if I've ever written something truly fringe... actually maybe the dildo fic?

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

smut! which is funny because I've spent the last month writing nothing but that. but smut is hardddddd

10. What is the easiest type?

I'm seconding modern AUs, that's my comfort genre, and I'm also very well-versed in anything paranormal

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

I switched from Word to Scrivener a few years ago, and I haven't looked back. Word would probably still work, but Scrivener is just very convenient, I can have all the things in one place, and it makes things so easy

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

well, sex pollen belonged to this category, but I've just gotten over that! other than that, I've been going back and forth about this apocalypse/zombie exes to lovers longfic for months now, because it's intimidating as hell for many reasons, and it would be a lot of work which I may not have the time for currently, but there's so many parts of it that I love and want to write. mainly this very specific scene that will not leave my brain, but absolutely would not work without the proper background and build-up.... sigh

13. What made you choose your username?

here or on ao3? on ao3, it's wintersend (winter's end) and like. I can't even remember why I picked it. it's so random, I've never used it before and never since. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that I'm a winter child, and I was also into GoT at the time... I genuinely don't know

and here.... hmmm idk if I should tell you guys.... it's very niche, you wouldn't get it

tagging @frostbitepandaaaaa @quarantineddreamer @fulcrumstardust @flythesail @luciechat

[lover-of-mine]

Just saw a BT shipper say that BT is better because their are no stakes in Buddie getting together. They are already pretty much a couple (I'm not sure if they grasped the irony there). BT has potential for conflict, and that's better TV...... Coughs Christopher Coughs . I didn't really use to buy Chris as an idea of being Buddie hesitant because outside of Buck and Eddie, he's the biggest captain. But they just created the situation that would make Buddie freak out over messing up because of Chris.

They especially made Buck so central in his life this season that yes in a sense I could see him not trusting his dad, and believe me that's a trope I always hated. Personally I could see him being hesitant, and please have him give both the shovel talk. But I picture more a feelings realization than a huge step back because maybe Chris is even on his way home. And so much pining!!! I need angsty pining made better because we, as the audience, know they know. Ryan and Oliver chemistry will play that so perfectly.

Anyways. Stakes?? Seriously?? We have the biggest one of all on our side.

Okay, I made a whole post on Chris abandonment issues and why I think he's gonna freak out when buddie gets together, and after the finale I'm a firm believer that he would have problems with them because Chris has no reason to believe Buck and Eddie would fall in love with each other so he has no reason to process that already and hope for it, but Buck and Eddie are terrible in relationships. No stakes? Those two are a disaster who are super weird about each other and navigating the switch from being best friends to dating is complicated enough without dealing with the way they work together and they have a child already. What do you mean no stakes?????????

Also love that they agree Buck and Eddie are basically a couple already but don't see the irony of the statement. Like, babes??????

[idontknowmyownmind]

SO! I got this idea after reading a thread in twitter. This is contain angst and MCD!!

Twin AU with older KRS and younger Cale.

A usual neglect family trope toward OG!Cale (although unintentionally).

KRS remember his past life when they were 10. Since then, him who always there with Cale started to driven apart.

KRS is not aware of the distance he create because he is to focus to save the world and keep his family safe.

Everyone loves Cale. He is not a trash. But when he realized how KRS started to driven away, he try to keep close but it's difficult. So he calm up and secluded himself.

KRS's group know him of course. And they also fond of him because they found him endearing and an adorable tsundere.

But Cale always draw lines with everyone. He become more quite when KRS often leave for the war.

The peak is when they were 18 years old.

Their mother warn them about Hunter, especially Cale. Because he carries more of Thames blood than KRS.

She never mention the word Hunter, just saying to Cale that if he feels iffy toward someone than he must stay away from them. Between the twin, Cale is the most sensitive to sense Hunter.

Without them knowing, there is a high ranking Hunter already infiltrated their home and made his way to be close with Cale. To be someone he depends on.

Cale's power is not develop properly because he, and the others, doesn't know about Hunter. He is sure feels weird everytime near him, but he is the only one who always by his side so he ignore all the blazzing red signs inside his mind.

At twenty years old, when the war is finished, where Cale's Thames blood will be awaken. The rat who always beside him take an action.

He drug Cale and kill him in his half-concious state. The last thing Cale see before Death welcome him is his clostest friend, someone he trust, eating his heart.

There is no one in the mansion because they are at the Capital for celebration. Cale refuse to come because he think that he doesn't deserves it as he didn't help much.

(Which is a lie because they safe their asses with his brilliant mind numerous times. He also acting as the shadow commander when KRS is out)

Why? Because Cale has an episode and he doesn't want his family to know and become worried, so he choose to stay.

Everyone try to persuade him but he is stubborn, so they let him stay.

The rat cast a spell so every staff in the mansion are asleep.

The rat then carry Cale dead body, which have a hole on where his heart should be, bridal style and walk leasurely, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.

The rat come out from the front door and went into the side of the mansion. Keep walking to somewhere close but secluded, no one know this place because it's a secret place for both Cale and him.

A small pond of Dead Mana with lotus grown on it. The lotus is not ordinary one, it has a sparkly petals at night and wide leaves you can laid a grown up man on it.

The pond is only reaching his waist, so he walk inside it with ease and place Cale's body ontop a wide lotus leaf in the middle of the pond.

After he place Cale, facing up with his hands ontop his stomach, with peaceful face as if he just asleep, he take out a bunch of flower out of nowhere and place it around Cale.

The flowers from a lavender plant are symbolic as well–gathered in a bouquet, they represent devotion or luck.

Petunias are colorful flowers that have been associated with hope, healing, and well-being for a long time. Petunias represent empathy, affection, optimism, and new beginnings.

The purple hyacinth specifically, represents sorrow, regret and forgiveness.

Carnation (white) - Sweet & lovely. Innocence. Pure love.

Lily (white) - Innocence & purity.

It make Cale look eternal. Sleeping in the middle of flower bed.

The rat than dissapear.

Fact: the rat also geniuenly fond of Cale, but he can't abandoned his purpose for him. He believe what he did to Cale is to help him. Because once his Thames blood activated, it will only bring pain and suffering for Cale. So he believe that he is helping his precious friend. He actually want to take Cale with him and just lock him up.

Meanwhile, at the banquet KRS suddenly feels hollowness inside his heart. This make his heart beat increase. It's only mean one thing, something happens to Cale.

It's kinda their twin bond? Cale will feels the pain KRS feels, although mildly, and KRS will feels hollow if something happen to Cale. That's why they always know when their other half did something stupid.

KRS immediately went to Eruhaben and demand to be transported to the Henituse estate. Everyone is confuse but become alert the moment Cale's name is said.

KRS and the party got teleported into his room and KRS immediately went outside but frozen the moment he open the door.

Their room is the opposite of each other.

Cale's room is open and what shock him is the trail of blood from his room. KRS immediately check Cale's room, found a pool of blood but no Cale and immediately follow the trail.

The other also shock with the founding and follow KRS. They keep folowing the trail with KRS calling Cale from time to time. Until they arrive at the pond.

KRS almost jump into the pond if not for the others stopping as they aware that's it's a dead mana pond. At this point KRS is hysterical, seeing his brother's body. He trash around but Choi Han manage to keep him in place, while Eruhaben using his magic to lift Cale and bring him to them.

His heart is breaking because Cale is one of his children. A children he thought will outlive him. The moment Cale is lifted, they can see the blood soaking his back and dripping.

Before the body touch the ground, KRS already hold it and hugged him tightly. He rock their body and keep calling his name, brushing Cale's hair back and pat his cheek gently. Desperately calling him and hope he will wake up despite the glaring hole on where Cale's heart should be.

KRS sound so heartbroken and his grief also shared with the others. The kids are crying mess. They loves Cale because he always make sure they know that they are precious and loved. Different from KRS, Cale is more open with his affection, especially physical affection.

Fact: no one remember the rat appereance. They know that there is someone who always beside Cale, but they can't remember who and how they look.

Cale then got incarnated to another world.

Why the Gods, especially GoD, doesn't help or tell them? Let's say it's to keep Cale safe. Because the moment he tell KRS is the moment the rat will also found out. They know that if the rat found out, he will try to take Cale with him.

IDK WHY BUT SO SUDDENLY I WANT AN ORV X TCF CROSSOVER!!

The world Cale got reincarnated to is ORV.

He become KDJ (adopted) dongsaeng with 4-7 years age gap.

They met way before the appocalypse.

Cale born without his memory (and he will never recover them).

He born with weak body. He can't be in much stress.

But we know he will because of all the shits KDJ will pull. Which will be equally thrown back with all the shits Cale will also pull.

He has black hair with its end the color of red.

Five years after his death, which not enough for the Henituse especially KRS to move on because he throw away his slacker life dream to search his brother murder, the GoD tell them about Cale situation.

Why? Because the rat found out about Cale reincarnation and plan to take him away.

They can't interves directly the other world, no matter how terrifying KRS threaten the Gods. But they can use... their accounts as constellations.

They monitor Cale closely and will literally do anything for him. To hell with the rules.

Will add more later. Maybe. Probably.

Plot twist:

It's Hans

Note: if I have the will and inspiration to actually write this, I will make it series. First series will focus on TCF. Second series will focus on ORV. And third series is a bunch of stories in between chapters.

[intoxicatingimmediacy]

A Long Talk With clipping. About CLPPNG

10 years later, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Snipes, and William Hutson discuss their sophomore album and Sub Pop debut.

[...] In the 10 years since clipping.’s first studio album, CLPPNG, was released with legendary Seattle label Sub Pop, a lot has happened: Donald Trump, #BlackLivesMatter, the pandemic, Hamilton (which might seem out of place in this list, but it was certainly life-changing for Diggs, who suddenly found himself a household name—and not for his rap projects, but for his swaggering, indelible Broadway portrayal of America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson). But despite Diggs’s meteoric rise and clipping.’s growing cult following—despite undergoing the hellscape of the past decade like the rest of us—the beating (or, perhaps, beeping) heart of the trio remains the same: a sheer love for music, experimentation and each other.

[...] I love that you have this philosophy of constraints that’s really generative, but at the same time, you don’t constrain yourself to the constraints, and you’re willing to let them go in service of a song. Where does that philosophy originate for you all?

Snipes: The sweet spot, at least for me, is when the concept is incredibly audible, you know? It’s actually not when we gear the concept with layers and production stuff, it’s when we actually are very, very narrow in how we present it. And there are times where the concept becomes inaudible, when we’ve done all this work and we don’t get credit for it. In those cases, we’re pretty quick to abandon it and just make something that has, like, an aesthetic. But I think the real goal for me when doing this really conceptual stuff—and not all our songs are like this—are creating songs that you hear and you know exactly how they’re working, like “Run For Your Life” or “Get Up.” And it’s still a good song and the process is communicated. It’s like a weird little triumvirate of all these things lighting up. This was true to a degree in “Dream,” too—there are a lot of concepts sort of coexisting in that song. We have field recordings of birds cut into rhythmic loops so that they’re falling on beat; we have these drums re-amped from hundreds of feet away in nature, and I think that’s audible. I think you can tell that that’s happening. And then Daveed is rapping very closely into binaural mics and a dummy head—the idea is, if you listen to it in headphones, it’s like Daveed is literally behind your head, which…sort of works! [laughter]

[...] Misogyny has a long history in rap—and in most music, honestly—and while clipping. plays on those tropes, it often feels carefully constructed, such that it doesn’t ever quite feel like it’s perpetuating them. I’d imagine that’s always a bit of a minefield, though, so how much does that awareness play into your songwriting? Or is it more of a subconscious choice?

Diggs: I think we’re aware of it, or we were certainly aware of it early on—I don’t think about it as much anymore. I used to be really careful about pronouns; there were songs that switched gender pronouns in the middle for no reason. Like, I used to be really specific about this.

Like “Wriggle,” I think—the chorus says “girl” one time and “boy” the next, if I’m remembering correctly.

Diggs: Yeah, “Wriggle” for sure. But even things about a single character, I used to try and sneak those things in just to complicate the issue a little bit more—and also to feed into the initial “no first-person,” the “no central narrative spine” or “human at the center” of these things. I mean, of course it’s clearly my voice rapping it, but I thought maybe, “Oh, if we complicate the gender pronouns a little bit, that might make it more amorphous, might help with that.”

Hutson: We definitely do use misogyny as a trope—as a feature of rap music. It’s deployed in our music in a way that’s, like, referential more than anything else. It feels like there’s scare quotes around it, almost. We started out as a band that played at The Smell and all these places where we knew the people who ran the place, we knew everyone in the audience, we knew all the other bands and they knew exactly who we were. So when Daveed would say “it’s clipping., bitch” at the end of the show, they knew we were sort of jokingly referring to Britney Spears saying that, you know? But once we grew outside of an audience that knew us personally, that knew our politics and felt safe with us, I think we started to use those things less often. We were aware of and worried that people are going to hear us and actually take meaning from it about who we are or might be, and we don’t want to have to go around explaining the use of that word. That word does still appear, but again, it always feels, to me, like it’s in some sort of scare quotes in the songs. I think it’s clear, and we haven’t run into people, like, willfully misinterpreting our deployment of misogyny as anything more than a sonic choice—as something that feels recognizable as rap. Because there are words like that, you know?

[...] Daveed, I think you’ve talked before about how rap is all about partying with the horror—through the horror—of day-to-day miseries, which feels like such a central thematic beat for clipping. The third-person-omniscient perspective of many of the songs on CLPPNG, for instance, allows for both distance and intimacy in a really interesting way. Thinking of, for example, “Inside Out” or “Check the Lock,” although that’s from a later album—those are songs that let us see reality in all its clinical brutality while still highlighting the desperate attempts to party through it. How do you maintain that balancing act of party/horror, of dance music/grim reality?

Diggs: I think horror is maybe too strong of a word, unless we’re talking about our horror records, but I think what rap music is good at is not only refusing to soften the hardness of reality but sometimes exaggerating it too—and then making it into party music. It’s the revelation in the late ‘70s, early ‘80s, that just because you were sampling disco music didn’t mean it had to be “hip hop, hippie to the hippie, the hip, hip a hop, and you don’t stop,” you know what I’m saying? Like, you could tell real life stories on top of danceable beats. That’s the thing that rap music has always been really good at—so we’re just continuing that. Although these are not real life stories, they are doing the same thing. They’re not fun stories, on top of danceable beats.

Hutson: Yeah, they take place in a version of the world as it is. And joy still exists, even though everything looks terribly fucked up.

[...] Final question: Back in 2014, did you think that you would still be doing clipping. 10 years later?

Hutson: I think—well, we expected to still be friends, and we’d been friends for so long before this that I always figured this is a band that will never break up. We can always just make another album when we feel like it. So no, I didn’t think that we were going to be a success. But, I did think that the three of us would hang out and keep doing this, when we had the time, for, really, the rest of our lives.

[lemonhemlock]

That anon does have a point when saying that lots of Aemond x OC fics (especially where the OC is a daughter of Rhaenyra) use some of the same plot points for their made up character. For example they will have their OC, instead of Luke (sometimes he will not exist at all in the fics and she takes his place), be the one who takes Aemond's eye which is even more startling when, as an adult, he will hopelessly fall in love with OC, is ready to sacrifice everything, abandon his family and switch sides just to marry her something that will almost never happen in the opposite case. While yes, Aemond developing an obsession with the person who took his eye is very normal, falling in love is a totally different thing and seems forced and just…unrealistic? And it's very weird when you see team black stans complaining from time to time about the amount of Aemond fics on AO3 paired with a daughter of Rhaenyra's falling in love with him and betraying her side when 99% of the same fics are written by other team black fans and have Aemond doing the switching sides thing lmao.

Of course people are free to write whatever they want about fictional characters, but after a while these type of fics are quite tiring since they're following the same plot points and tropes, more or less: she takes his eye or defends her brother doing the same without even trying to understand Aemond's POV, is either a Strong or Daemon's bastard masquerading as a trueborn Velaryon, rides Vermithor or Cannibal and knows how to control them unlike Aemond, behaves and sounds like a modern day feminist or is a girlboss who, unlike all the other ladies, knows how to fight using a sword and so on while Aemond behaves like a dumb simp all the time and is constantly villainized by the narrative (as well as most of the commentators) for being a misogynist who hates seeing women in power because why is he not swearing allegiance to his half-sister in two seconds????!!! Not to mention that in most of those fics the greens are villainized to the point where they seem like cartoon characters, especially Alicent who is always characterized as the worst mother ever who doesn't love her children at all or as a religious extremist. I've had to quit reading some precisely because of reasons like these despite them being popular and amongst the fics that were very well written otherwise. Nowadays if I really want to read an Aemond/OC fic (or an Aegon one) I'd probably search and choose one in which the OC is a lady from some random house…at least with these ones you have a lesser chance of being disappointed down the road if you're a green fan.

oh definitely the aemond x oc fics really started to get very derivative after a couple of months and the template you provided is really spot-on. but those traitor!aemond fics (where luke is replaced by another black-aligned OC) were never really written by greens anyway, so it's funny that anon thought to complain about that in the askbox of a green account :)) i also noped out of quite a few fics when they started with the alicent-bashing, i just don't have the patience for that & it was rarely even nuanced criticism anyway, at least not in my travels

i don't really know what the state of the nation is nowadays, if lucemonds really discovered body horrror, but at the time i was complaining about it, their dead doves were, at most, ridiculous dungeon sex slave fics that would be on par, comedic-wise, with Unhinged by Vera Valentine or Stuffed by the Were-Turkey by Tate McKirk. and, like, good for you if you enjoy the silliness of it, bc it's never really that serious, but, equally, be aware that people are going to poke some lighthearted fun at you for it

the thing about lucemond is that, while there is definitely basis in the enemies-to-lovers trope or the idea of obsessing over your tormentor, at the end of the day they have to be honest with themselves and admit that they started shipping it after they watched hotd. it's an entirely show thing, no one shipped those two when only Fire & Blood existed. and, say what you will, but there is no shipping subtext in the show about this either, PLUS the visual discrepancy between the actors' ages makes it really not secksual at all. like, that is clearly a grown man and a barely pubescent teenager, there is no "story chemistry" to speak of :)) and i'm not even talking about the squeamish implications of that taboo topic, but there is 0 such <chemistry> or buildup in the text of FB and there is 0 in the media text of the two hotd episodes where both of them appear. not from the part of the actors and not from the part of the technical crew that filmed and edited it. i would love for someone to point out at least 1 such frame that indicated lust or longing or some kind of repressed romantic feeling. so it's only natural people are treating it as some kind of crackship.

anyway it's funny people are still in the grips of lucemond more than one year on. by all means do what you want, but, man, you gotta make some allowances for the goofiness of it all :))

[authoralexharvey]

INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @nectargrapes

Who You Are:

Cammie || She/her

I am an indie author of an upcoming gothic fantasy trilogy, THE ESSENCE OF THE EQUINOX. My work currently features in Cloaked Press and midnight & indigo.

What You Write:

What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?

Fantasy and horror. Adult.

What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?

Fantasy. The higher the better. I often write to get away from myself and my own head and fantasy is the easiest genre that lets me do this. I love worldbuilding and thinking up weird and whimsical settings to place my stories into. I was a maladaptive daydreamer as a child who always fantasised about leaving the real world and going to a magical place that was far better and it’s a thing that never really left me. That isn't to say that my stories are always hopeful and idyllic, as other people constantly tell me they are most certainly not. But I also like the freedom fantasy gives me to write what I want how I want without being beholden to the world as it is now and how it functions.

What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?

Romance. I dislike the structured, formulaic format of it and it pains me to have to be beholden to writing exclusively about a romantic relationship and a happy ending. Plus what's popular and marketable in the genre has always personally alienated me as a bisexual woman.

Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?

My target audience is for women who have always felt a little off. Out of place. Weird and alienated. The ones who cannot relate to the need for cosy, low-stakes and romance-driven stories but are also maligned by the vicious misogyny found in darker works created by men. I like to think I can offer a happy medium. A place for women to be aberrant and explore darkness, bleakness and hopelessness without degradation or dismissal.

What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?

I always get drawn to power-hungry women. Women who want things. Women who are cold and driven and focused. I also write a lot about terrible mothers because I relate deeply to women who can't find it within themselves to be naturally caregiving. And I write a lot of doomed, tragic relationships because that sort of high dramaticism and romanticism appeals to me. Cannibalism tends to feature in a lot of my stories. It's a theme that's mainly about consumption, possession and mastering those by taking their power from them.

What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?

Anything that relies on a false sentiment I find to not be true to life. Love conquers all. People abandoning their beliefs, principles and personality traits to be in a relationship with someone else (most enemies to lovers leaves me cold for this reason). Relentless pursuers getting the girl in the end. A woman giving up her magical power or supernatural gift to be a normal girl in the end. In general anything that focuses on women upholding traditional values will not be for me.

What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?

I am currently working on a high fantasy trilogy called THE ESSENCE OF THE EQUINOX. It's a gothic tale set in a vibrant gaslamp world full of all my favourite things that I spoke about before. It's been an idea fermenting in me since I was 13 but I started officially working on it in 2018.

Why do you write? What keeps you writing?

I write because it's the only thing that gives me true solace, joy, and a sense of accomplishment. When life becomes a chore, which it often does for me, writing gives me salvation.

How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?

I've been writing since I was in the single digits. I would often take inspiration from animated films and shows I enjoyed as a child and that later turned into me writing fic for various fandoms and joining forum roleplays. I was a maladaptive daydreamer who always crafted stories in my head and since I had no way to turn them into animations or games then writing was the easiest path. That isn't to say I think writing is lesser. I am immensely fond of the craft and wouldn't have chosen otherwise.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?

I get inspiration from various things. Shows, movies, video games, art and photography. Anything can become an inspiration under the right circumstances and my stories often echo the various media I've fixated on over the years. My current project was probably the most heavily influenced by my forum roleplayer background as well as vintage fantasy novels.

What works of yours are you most proud of? Why?

At current, I am most proud of The Sanguine Sorceress. I thought it was a very raw, emotive and cathartic piece of writing and it has some of my favourite quotes and passages.

Have you published anything? Do you want to?

I have published a short story set in the TEOTE universe following the MC's mother. It features in the Fall into Fantasy 2022 edition. I also have an upcoming short story in midnight & indigo. I had originally intended to tradpub TEOTE but that fell through so I have taken destiny into my own hands and decided to self-publish.

What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you? Why?

What appeals to me most is finding an audience and getting recognition, connecting with likeminds, having other people study and analyse my work and draw meaning and merit from it. The part that least appeals to me is marketing. I find that in today's climate especially it requires you to reduce your work into easily digestible tropes and shallow identity politics to an audience increasingly focused on commodification and instant gratification, as opposed to artistic integrity.

What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?

All of it appeals really. There are challenges along the way, but I wouldn't say I find anything unappealing about the process.

Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.

I don't really have an official one to speak of. I find what works best for me is to dive headfirst into it writing the roughest, purest draft I can possibly muster and then clean it up afterwards.

Your Thoughts on Writeblr:

How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?

It'll be four years in April! Well. I had another writeblr briefly in the summer of 2018 that I deleted but it'll be four years on this blog. I joined because I was eager to find and make friends with likeminded people who write original content, as opposed to a fandom which I had just left. Pleased to say I accomplished my goal.

Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?

Here's hoping I don't forget anyone, haha. @queenslayerbee, @missbrunettebarbie-writer, @starry-sky-stuff first and foremost whom I found kinship among through our discussions of female characters and the treatment of women in media. I find our sensibilities are the most compatible and I've had the most stimulating discussions with them. Other writeblrs I enjoy are @monstrousfreedom, @westcountrygothic, @flowerprose, @tryingtimi, @bloodlessheirbyjacques, @bebewrites, @authoralexharvey, @redotter, @asablehart, @pinespittinink, @sentfromwolves and @muddshadow.

What is your favorite part about writeblr?

Mostly having a place I can shout about my WIPs and have people encounter me through and then I can watch other people shout about their WIPs. I like being able to get to know people character's intimately to make memes and inside jokes about them and send each other asks. It's all good fun.

What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?

Writeblr isn't really a great place if you want constructive feedback or if you're trying to hustle. But the latter part is why I think it's retained its purity.

How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?

I don't really contribute as much anymore because I'm admittedly trying to be more "professional" about things. But I would often make ask games, send asks and hype up my friends. I still do some of these things but my involvement in writeblr is more on the fringes these days.

What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?

I like ask games, writing memes and excerpts.

What kind of posts do you most like to make?

I make a lot of rambling thought posts and in the past I would post quite a few excerpts but I don't do the latter as much now.

Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?

You can find me on my author blog, @aninkwellofnectar. I am also on Instagram and Tiktok, and on Twitter. I also have a substack under the same name and will soon have an official website aninkwellfonectar.com

Questions For Fun:

If your writing was a dish, what dish would it be? (bonus, have you ever eaten this before?)

Which character of yours would you say is most like you? Who is least like you? Were either of these intentional?

People have told me my writing resembles champagne and chocolates, a 5 star course meal, and that it's something they like to take their time with. So if I had to decide I think I would go with a rich chocolate mousse dome with hazelnut praline, a topping of toasted almonds and sprinkles of gold leaf paired with pink champagne. I have had something similar but not exactly.

The character most like me is definitely Darius which probably sounds alarming if you've met Darius but it becomes truer to me the more I write him and the more I discover about myself emotionally. He does reflect a lot of my most unflattering traits I think and exploring that in fiction has become a healthy outlet for this. As for the least like me, it's Laila. Perhaps unusual a choice for a protagonist but I enjoy the challenge she presents. She's in many regards what I look to as a "perfect woman" not to say I wrote her to be perfect but I like to look at her as an ideal and a muse. She's my dream girl, essentially.

If you could have a conversation with any writer, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Probably Hope Mirrlees because I'm so fascinated by her lifestyle and I'd love to know more about how she attained such independence for herself in the past and to exchange craft tips with her.