#I feel about Hamilton the way I feel about the historicity of my own fics: do not take anything as a fact. every word is

[compacflt]

Sorry for the ridiculous ask (really it's unforgivable), but:

Iceman went to NYC to see A Chorus Line in '87.

2. Confirmed watched Sound of Music with Carole for her birthday.

Am I connecting any dots here and did Ice have to go to Hamilton as a publicity stunt in the last year of the Obama presidency?

oh no anon im being very intentional with my ice-musical-theatre links. its easy lazy writing shorthand for him being gay lol. even if he isn’t actively seeing shows he does put the tonys on in the background every year just bc he likes the color and dancing

he’s not a fan of rap and he doesn’t like how Hamilton bastardized american history for its own political aims thereby convincing multiple generations of laymen of factoids that simply aren’t true (Hamilton was strictly speaking not an immigrant & could only extremely loosely be called an abolitionist of any stripe) but he’s also a milquetoast liberal so he says he likes it for clout but he’s also a military flag officer so no one is really expecting him to go see Hamilton for publicity purposes so idk

the pentagon circa 2016:

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

The Current event makes me smile since it kind of confirms a headcanon I had that the Great Seven have animated movies based on them. Makes me wonder about the plot of the movies

Disney should get on the Twisted Wonderland AU Animated Remakes. What is Ursula was a good witch, what if Scar was right to take the throne and did he take it from Mufasa? (Or whoever is the stand in for him)

The Evil/Beautiful Queen...actually GOOD?

Yeah, it makes sense! Since the Great Seven are historical figures and the stuff of legends, surely there would be popular media made in their image. It’s like how the Disney fairy tales borrow from stories in the public domain or how there are historical retellings and reinventions (Hamilton, anyone?).

I believe TWST has mentioned films based on their own stories and history before too, but purely in the animated sense rather than live action. In book 3, Ace and one of the Atlantica Museum guards talk about an animated movie based on the tale of the mermaid princess and her prince; this movie is said to have come out ~30 years ago, which corresponds with Disney’s animated The Little Mermaid. Ace compliments the movie’s soundtrack too way to stroke your own ego, Disney/j.

Later on in Tapis Rouge, the characters discuss other films based on the Great Seven, including one Queen of Hearts movie. A Sea Witch movie is also mentioned; in it, she “goes gigantic” and also sings as she brews potions. The Octatrio quite enjoy this particular film.

(Side note: I don’t have the link for it anymore since it’s such an old post, but another anon once suggested to me that people probably also write fanfics of Neige and Vil since they’re celebrities… Think like “My mom sold me to One Direction?!” Wattpad kinds of fics, but replace One Direction with Vil or something.)

It’s… interesting this event specifically has Vil promoting a live action adaption of an in-universe animated film about the Beautiful Queen—an animated film which was the first full-color animated movie AND it originally released close to 90 years ago. They also reference the funding issues that Disney suffered while producing Snow White + inviting bank employees in to preview the movie to acquire more investments, stating that the studio that made the animated Beautiful Queen experienced the same. The in-game live action is even slated to come out “NEXT YEAR”. They’re not being subtle here with TWST’s references to their own version of the irl Disney Snow White (the live action is coming out in 2025, the OG is also almost 90 years old, etc.). I wonder if the EN server will actually get Tapis Rouge around the time of the irl release of Disney’s live action Snow White as part of a promotional campaign? 😂

UPDATE: There are even more not-so-subtle references to Disney animations in part 4 of the event, including discussion of cel animation, rotoscoping, adding blush to the characters, and how Disney brought in real animals/observed the “real thing” to help with animating similar scenes or subjects. They also cheekily say that most animation nowadays is CG 💀

I know some books under Disney publishing try to show alternate tellings or show the villains in a more sympathetic light, but I don’t know that they would ever commit to fully animating a film like that. It definitely would not happen in the style of traditional animation, Disney no longer seems well-equipped to handle that task 😔 I feel like it would also be pretty niche or might not get overwhelming positive reception with recent audience calls for “true bad guys” instead of twist or sympathetic villains (though I’m not sure what percentage of people watching Disney actually have this opinion).

I do wonder how those “AU” films would work though…? It wouldn’t be as simple as suddenly turning the G7 into “good guys”. The scenario and other characters would also have to drastically change. TWST doesn’t necessarily make the original “good guys” “bad” in a world where the villains are historical figures; we still hear plenty of positive or neutral stories about the achievements of the mermaid princess and other Disney heroes.

There are also times when the same story diverges into multiple separate stories that seemingly have no connection to one another. For example, there is a story where a princess marries a street rat (clearly referencing Aladdin) and they live happily ever after in spite of the difference in their social statuses. However, there simultaneously exists a story in which the Sorcerer of the Sands saves a princess from being deceived by a fake prince (also referencing Aladdin). The same goes for the mermaid princess (Ariel)—there is both a story referring to a “mermaid princess” who married a human prince and also a different story (clearly still pulled from the same film) about a mermaid who made a deal with the Sea Witch to find true love but broke her contract in the end.

Very cool idea, just not sure where it would lead or it it’s feasible or worth it monetarily for Disney.

[2braincellslz]

request for billy x (trans?)male reader do whatever you want with it >:3

Tell Me, Sweetheart.

Gif by avenging-fandoms

Desc: you, your friend, and Billy hang out for the day after ditching school. After a bit, Billy gets you alone he tells you how he really feels in a unnaturally soft moment.

Ship: Billy Hargrove x Male Reader fluff

Warnings: a very small reference to looking feminine, gets kinda steamy at the end, not reviewed, tread lightly bc I cant remember everything.

Notes: V exited for this. I'm also quiet proud. I might write a second part later if yall want. Probably one of my longest fics. Also, I tried to make it fit in to both Trans readers and Cis so-

Y/n tapped his pencil against the desk. If he had to listen to one more person drone on about their 'historical hero', he was going to lose his mind.

He glanced around the class and noticed that a few faces were missing. Richard who he knew was sick. Linsey who had 'gone to the bathroom' with her boyfriend, Mitch. Keith who was most likely skipping and stoned. And ofcourse, Billy.

Y/n was sure Billy only showed up once maybe twice to class.

Y/N knew Billy. Well, 'knew' wasnt the correct world. He had spoken to Billy maybe once or twice. He complimented Y/ns car once. Y/n had made a joke to his basketball friends and Billy laughed, patting Y/N on the shoulder. Y/N was very proud of that. He would never admit. Hell, if he did admit it, who knew what would happen. Probably, the worst possible outcome. So, the only option was to be his friend. But you couldn't right now while you were listening to fucking Timmy Little rant about Alexander Hamilton.

"Can I use the bathroom, Ms?" Y/n asked, standing up.

"Raise you hand, Mr. L/n. But yes. Make it quick." She waved you off.

You nodded, glancing to your friend with a smile. He smiled back with a wink.

Once out of that classroom, you huffed, crossing your arms. You paced a little bit, glancing around a bit to make sure there was no teachers walking by.

"Hey, man." You friend shut the door behind him.

"Hey, dork. Wanna hit up the mall or a convent store?" Y/n asked, walking with your head down as he pulled out a pack of new cigs.

"Mall. Definitely the mall." You handed your friend a cig before pulling out your own.

"Mall it I- oof" y/n had walked in to something. Something? No, someone.

He quickly backed up, looking up. "Eh, sorry uh..." it was Billy. Why did it have to be Billy?

"Sorry Billy." Y/n said, staring at him.

"Hey, dont worry about it." He smiled, taking one of your cigarettes. "Light?"

"Oh yeah." Y/n pulled out his lighter, holding it up for Billy.

"Thanks." And then he left.

Y/ns friend watched as Billy walked away and then glanced over at you.

"Really? Billy?" Y/ns friend (who's name was Justin) knew about your interests. Knew you were fruity.

"Shut up!" Y/n laughed, shoving Justin away. "What's wrong with Billy?"

"What's wrong with Billy? What isnt? You have no chance and even if you did shoot your shot, he would... well."

"Yeah, But hes pretty." You smiled and you both burst out laughing.

--------------------------------------------

Justin and Y/n sat in YNs car. Y/n groaned as he tired the key again only to be met with the sound of the car struggling to start.

Y/n shiged, sitting back in his chair. "Great. My car is dead."

"We could walk?" Justin suggested, also sitting back.

"We would have to walk all the way back here and we would still have a dead car."

"So we are shit out of luck?"

"Yep..."

Y/n let his head fall back with a loud shigh. Might aswell just go back in and stay in class.

Suddenly, there was a tap on YNs side of the car, causing him to sit up, startled.

Yn looked over, expecting a very angry teacher, but it was only Billy. Yn let out a long shigh and fell back in yn his seat.

Billy let out a chuckle. "You need help?" He smiled.

"Yes. God, yes. Thank you."

He steped back and YN steped out. Yn glanced over at Justin. He raised his eye brows and smiled, giggling.

You rolled your eyes and closed the door.

"Sorry. I didnt know the batter was so low. I let a friend borrow it the other day and... well now it's dead... "

"Dont worry about it, sweetheart."

Yn nodded. Then pause. Sweetheart? What was that about? Did he mean it? Was it a joke? Was he waiting for a reaction? Did he think Yn was... no. Definitely not. YN looked back over at Justin who just shrugged. Guess he didnt hear.

YN looked back back over at Billy, setting up the jumper cables. Jesus, who knew such a simple task could look so... Hot.

Billy steped back from the cars and then go in to his own. He started up the car and then your cat was shocked to life.

Billy got out of his car. "There you go, babe. Where are you heading."

Yn watched as Billy lick the back of his teeth. He had such strong eye contact, it was making YN nervous.

"Oh um, we are going to the mall. Probably going to buy something nice or whatever."

"The mall, huh? Mind if I tag along." Billy shut the door and walked around to your car, resting his arms on top of the car.

"Um. Yeah, definitely!" Yn smiled. Yn could felt Justin's eyes boring in to his head but Justin can trip on a knife.

Billy climbed in to the back seat and you got back in to the drivers. You rushed out of the school parking lot, desperately praying to whatever god there was that no teachers saw.

"Mind if I play something?" Billy asked, leaning over the center console to pull out the tape yn had in and push in his own. Rock filled the car. Justin was quick to sing along followed by Billy and YN.

-------------------------------------

After a quick drive to the mall, the three of them got out and started toward the mall. YN walked between the two, joking with Justin as Billy took out a cigarette. Before he knew it, Billy's arm was being wrapped around YN's shoulder. Yn didnt say anything, though he felt like he was going to faint, but he did silently tell Justin to 'Fuck off!' When he started giving YN the 'ooooo' eyes.

Billy walked around the mall etheir touching YN, holding YNs arm to show YN something, with his arm wrapped around YNs shoulder, or very close to YN. Maybe he left YNs side once or twice but it was very rare.

YN was dying little by little. A guy the YN had a crush on for some time was finally showing him affection. It didn't help that Justin had taken it apon himself to make it worse for his so called 'best friend'.

The group found themselves in the food court eating the food the Billy payed for. Billy was right next to YN, their shoulders were practically touching. YN payed no mind as he tried to finish his burger.

Billy had finished a bit ago, not getting much else other then a thing of fries. YN watched as Billy glanced around the food court, winking at a group of girls that were also most definitely skipping. YN went back to his food, completely focused of the damn good burger he was practically making out with. That was until he felt a pressure on his thigh. He looked down to see Billy's strong hand resting there, gently rubbing his thumb across YNs jeans.

YNs face was definitely tomato red. He glanced over from Billy to Justin. Justin gave a knowing smiled before going back to his nuggets.

Billy wasnt even looking at YN . He was talking to a blond at the next table over. He gave YNs thigh a quick squeeze, almost telling him the Billy really was here just for YN.

Yn swallowed hard and went back to his burger.

-------------------------------------

School had ended by the time you droped Justin off at home. Lucky bastard lived with his girlfriend so he didnt have to worry about nagging parents like you.

Billy had switched seats for the ride home. Arguing that because he would be switching to the front when Justin left, it only made sense that he would take the front. He also called shot gun.

So there YN was, driving back to the school to drop Billy off at his car.

"Hey sweetheart." Billy piped up, turning down the music. "Turn here."

Yn slowed, eyeing where he wanted you to turn. It was a dirt path that led down to the creak. YN and Justin would go there sometimes to get high and skip stones and bitch about life.

Yn shrugged and pulled in to the drit road, driving down a bit till he couldn't drive anymore, being stoped by the trees.

YN stopped the car, Billy was already gone, walking down the path to the creek.

Yn got out of the car, catching up to Billy. They walked in silence down to the creek. Yn occasionally glanced over at Billy who was stone faced, staring forward.

Today was a fever dream. Billy has never talked to YN before today and yet Billy was treating him like his best friend. More then his bestfriend.

The walk to the water wasn't long. Soon, they were sitting by the creek. Occasionally someone would throw a rock in to the water.

"Billy... um, why have you been so... uh..." YN swallowed. He could feel Billy's eyes staring. Yn tried to force the words out of his mouth but the right words weren't there.

"So?" Yn looked over at Billy who wore a soft smile.

"So...."

"Sweet on you?" Yn felt Billy's hand on hid back.

"Yeah."

"Why am I sweet on anyone?"

"You know I'm a guy, right?"

"Yeah."

Yn stared long in to Billy's eyes, waiting for someone to just out from the woods with a camera.

"I did know you swang that way." Yn chuckled, glancing over at the woods. Waiting.

But nothing happened. Yn's smiled fell, his lips parted slightly.

Billy took YNs chin in his pointer and thumb, guiding YN to look at him. "This isn't a joke, L/n"

"Not a joke?" Billy pulled YN closer, their noses just a inch apart. YNs face was burning red. So was Billy's.

"I see how to stare. You arnt suttle."

"You saw?" Your blush darkened.

"Every time you stared at my arms as I leaned over a girls desk. Every time you started at my lips when I smiled. The way you blushed as I laughed at your joke."

"Billy..." Yn mumbled, his voice dropping just below a whisper.

"Tell me. Tell me how much you want me. Tell me how much you need me." His voice was rough, sending shivers up YNs spine.

"I need you. You are so handsome and so perfect. I cant stop staring..." YN mumbled, glancing away from his eyes to his lips. He pulled YN closer, pressing his lips to YN's and a soft and tender kiss.

On of Billy's hands snake around the back of YNs neck, pulling him closer. The hand on his chin left and moved to YNs waist.

YNs arms moved to Billy's shoulders, resting loosely around neck.

Justin is going to lose his mind when he hears about this.

[jittyjames]

laurens

eliza

burr

madison

(once again these are personal headcanons idc if the historical canon says other wise 🙈 these are just fun)

Laurens

very poor relationship with his family (especially henry). part of the reason he joined the military was to get away from him and his expectations. he's closer with his mother, but it's still strained. he adores his siblings tho, even if henry kind of pitted them against each other

he's a skilled painter and spends his spare time sketching. he once tried to teach alexander, but quickly realized that it was one skill hammy would never possess (this would make such a cute fic ngl)

his favorite season is autumn because he likes the colors and the crispness of everything

he's protective almost to a fault

Eliza

in my mind she will always be a beyond talented pianist! like to the point she's like a virtuoso. she writes her own music and secretly dreams of publishing it. she pens music after major life events, and it sort of acts as her diary (after she met alex, when angelica moved to london, when she had philip, after the affair.) she's basically taylor swift

smells so incredibly good (shhh I know it's the 1700's but let me live) but she smells like expensive perfume (you know the type) sugar, and strawberries

she's a cat person!

she has an aptitude for mathematics, and that's why she would act as alexander's advisor so much. she's educated in literature, philosophy, and history as well, but angelica has always been more vocal about it, so she doesn't get a chance to shine as much as she should

Burr

oh my beloved burr :(((( he has a lot of unresolved trauma. from the pressures of his family's legacy, to his (canonically) abusive uncle, and the religious trauma of being jonathan edwards' grandson, he has a lot of pent up sadness that he won't let himself feel. he's an anxious mess most of the time, and all of these reasons are why he feels like he can't rush into things and make mistakes.

also a cat person. he loves cats so much. he dotes on them. he would have twenty if he could. in the war, he would go out of his way to feed any strays around and would protect them, sometimes sneaking them into his quarters in his coat if it was particularly cold

he's a hopeless romantic, even if he's not vocal about it. he wants to be loved and to share the love he never got to give anyone. he wants to do all the courting things with someone, and make a life with them. his love language is practically all of them

after alexander's death, if he would go to any tavern or party or anything where there was music, he would request they sing how stands the glass around because that was what alexander sang at the last party they were at together. it's a form of punishment, but it's also because he can close his eyes and imagine Alexander is still there, even for just a moment. sometimes he thinks he can hear his voice interweaving with the others

Madison

he and dolley are a power couple. everyone wants to be them. they are the only really healthy relationship in canon. they are each other's best friend and madison's favorite place is by her side. he's not afraid to admit that she's the better half of him. (this is probably not true lmao but I'm too tired to look it up)

he very much has "gifted kid burnout" if you can call it that in the 1800s. he's tired. he's unwell. he just wants everything to work out for everyone, and for the people around him to chill and stop yelling for five minutes. he's like a long-suffering parent, and all but keeps jefferson on one of those backpack-leash combinations that kids wear in malls

actually doesn't mind hamilton that much. he doesn't agree with him on most things, and thinks he's annoying, but he still feels a bit worried about the man he once called friend. they were pretty close when they wrote the federalist papers, and they would often have dinners together where he found he actually enjoyed the company

he prefers the quiet. he finds it comfortable. he doesn't find it awkward if conversation lulls into silence (though it rarely does with the company he keeps)

[ailendolin]

List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

The Terror

Hornblower

BBC Ghosts

Yonderland

Black Sails

Who is your favourite character in 2?

Archie

Who is your least favourite character in 1?

Hickey. Seriously, screw the murder rat.

What's your favourite episode of 4?

Oh gods, all of them. Though I am ridiculously in love with the concept of a wizard literally losing his Mojo, so I'm going to with 1x02.

What is your favourite season of 5?

Series 2 because of Thomas Hamilton, my beloved.

What's your favourite relationship in 3?

All the relationships are great but I have a very soft spot for Julian and Mike's arc in series 3 and hope we'll get to see more of their friendship in series 5.

Who is your anti relationship in 2?

I don't know about anti-relationship but I don't really see the appeal of Bush/Hornblower.

How long have you watched 1?

Since the moment it came out. I can't resist a good Age of Sail show, and definitely not one that features Tobias Menzies.

How did you become interested in 3?

I saw a gif of the sunrise scene from series 3 here on tumblr and just knew I had to watch it. I had no idea who these characters were or what the show was about, only recognised Charlotte from Call The Midwife, but I was pretty sure that handsome poet would be my favourite character and that's exactly what happened.

Who is your favourite actor in 4?

Picking just one of the Six Idiots is hard but I'm going to go with Mat just because I think he's absolutely hilarious (and brilliant) when he plays old people and I love the way he talks as Choop.

Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

While they're all Age of Sail shows, they're completely different from each other and hard to compare. I love that The Terror is based on a real story and makes you fall in love with even the most minor characters (looking at you, Graham Gore). I love that Hornblower is all about the Royal Navy (because screw pirates, I love me some pretty officers) but it's main characters aren't typical heroes. And I love Black Sails because love is at the heart of its story. But if I had to pick one, I'd probably pick The Terror because a) it has fantastic actors, b) one very well-written season that makes it easy to binge and c) a historical context you can't help but want to know more about.

Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

Ghosts has more episodes then The Terror on a whole and I've also rewatched it more often. I'm due for another The Terror rewatch, though.

If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Well, I wouldn't mind being Debbie because having an elf and stick for buddies and being able to go through a portal to another world would rock. Not so keen on the Chosen One stuff though, so I'm going to pick Ho-Tan because who wouldn't want to be a scribe and write all day?

How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

Well, since my favourite character did sort of get killed off and then unburied, the show already did this for me.

Would a 3/4 crossover work?

Oh it certainly would and I've actually written a fic about it - The Wisp.

Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

I feel like this would fit all The Terror ships because hey, repressed Navy men in the 19th century. My personal favourite one is Joplittle so I'm going with them. They barely interact with each other in canon which fits the unlikely part of the question but I think they'd be quite good for each other. Poor Ned certainly needs someone to hug him and tell him everything's going to be okay while I think Thomas would have needed Ned's support when Crozier was drying out.

Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

The Black of Sails cast is amazing but nothing compares to the Six Idiots who have found each other on a kids' tv show and liked each other so much they started writing their own shows because not working with each other was simply not an option.

Thanks for tagging me @larryrickard!

I'll tag @ginevralinton @magicaltear and @iris-in-the-rain

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Why Cullen?

Today I bring you a post I’ve been in the process of mentally drafting for a while, a post that essentially analyzes the age old question in the Dragon Age fandom: Why is there always something with Cullen?

To do this, I am going to go through different “phases” of Cullen discourse. My thesis and answering the titular question: It’s complicated, and I don’t think I can answer “Why Cullen,” but “there’s sometimes recycled discourses made about his character through the years, maybe there’s a pattern.” When it comes to Cullen’s detractors, I understand the fact that it might be frustrating to see much content for someone so “boring” when there’s more “interesting” and “well done” characters (though interest is of course relevant) so it leads to a lot of vitriol from both new and old fans who think the man had too much screen time already. Furthermore, he is highly complicated man dressed as a Disney prince, and the “Disney-esque” feel of his romance creates a dissonance between coming to terms with his problematic past and reveling in the romanticism. We can have a happy medium everyone,  but because of what I can only describe as “tik tok thought” it’s become looked down upon to have problematic favorites, which leads to guilt in liking something problematic, or outright revisionism.

But liking things with problematic elements doesn’t make you a bad person.

Alright, let’s begin: 

The first phase truly began of course with DAO with Cullen’s crush on the female Circle Mage Warden. Some were endeared, others not so much. I cannot speak to this phase too much as I was around 15-16 and pretty preoccupied with my high school drama instead of fandom, though I played both DAO and DA2 upon it’s release and followed updates for DA2 before it came out. Despite not being an active fandom member I was what they would call, a lurker. I knew some people liked Cullen and thought he was cute, wishing for more screen time after the game and hoping he’d be in DAI through IMDB message boards (remember those?) and YoutTube comments. When news broke he’d be an advisor in DAI and a romance option, I remember seeing a lot of people in those same spaces rejoice. I’m sure there were also people who weren’t so pleased, but from what I saw, people were happy. When Inquisition did release, I actually did quite a bit more lurking on tumblr despite the fact I didn’t have a blog, because I played the romance route, really gravitated toward it, and wanted to see fanart and such. People liked the romance, liked his arc and how Bioware handled his struggles with lyrium; and found it realistic. Even in my lurking days I did see some blowback on Cullen from detractors, those who didn’t think he should have been the military advisor (which canonically it makes total sense to me why he’s where he’s at, but I won’t get into it here however.) But likely because I wasn’t fully “in fandom,” my surface level understanding of how tumblr felt about Cullen was relatively positive and there was only standard fare discourse.

Phase 2: I can speak about this phase better because I established this blog in 2017. Two years after DAI was released, you still had a lot of fans who loved his romance and character, but you also saw a lot of those fans really dive into his flaws, insisting even that just focusing on the Disney Prince aspects of him reduced his character. There were also more internal debates. Would realistically Cullen be a good father was one. One thing however was for sure, there was a strange them and us line between detractors and fans, and to many fans, myself included, oftentimes the Cullen blowback would extend beyond the valid, “hey I don’t think his characterization was handled well” or “his redemption arc isn’t that great” to outright vitriolic hate that blatantly ignored his PTSD and lyrium addiction, and even sometimes “you just like Cullen because he’s white.” As a POC fan it was a fantastic thing to be accused of. I used to be more involved with discord during this period and I remember a few discussions about this as well. Even those indifferent to Cullen didn’t get it.

Overall, I have to say the air was one where people in Cullen fandom enjoyed all aspects of him, from delving into this troubled past to indulging in the Disney prince aspects of him. It was a happy medium I think, even if occasionally I would see a Cullen fan feel bad for liking him, and feel like they needed to justify it. Heck I even did and still do feel that way sometimes, like I need to justify what I like. But we all come into fandom for different reasons. I come into fandom some days for different things. Sometimes I want smut with my favorite character, other times I want more intense thought pieces and challenging fics. Great thing about fandom is that it’s a bakery that has cherry tarts, cinnamon rolls, or all kinds of pie depending on your mood. Craving a different sweet treat, you can make your own. Or you can commission an artist or writer for something you fancy.

*(sexual assault mentions here late in the paragraph****)And now I’ve been warped back into Cullen/DA fandom through what I am calling phase three, where the general air on Cullen reads as….very different. After having one foot outside DA fandom for a while coming back and reading the air has been different. There was the bizarre nuggetgate and other things with Cullen. Now, instead of accepting his flaws and exploring him there seems to be a lot of revisionism going on, as if his past never happened or we’re supposed to ignore he was a templar. A sexually active Cullen is looked down upon but in a different way from before. Instead of smut works with him “reducing his complicated character.” it’s distasteful to write smut with him where he’s sexually dominant or even just a lot of smut because he was sexually assaulted. (***Now, it is implied that he was, if you are a female Circle mage in DAO, with “sifting through my thoughts, tempting me with the one thing I always wanted but could never have” but this is an implication. I will be honest, it is what I have implied. However, it’s not there if you’re not a female Mage. He was however canonically sexually harassed in the Winter Palace, something I will always argue, even if canon treats it like a joke, even if Leliana tells him to “just look pretty.” Just because he is a man doesn’t make it funny that someone grabbed his bottom, and if you take Cole he flat out says “Cullen is afraid.”***)

So here I am, wondering what changed and what’s going on. Here’s what I believe: Cullen is a complicated character and his flaws and his past make him interesting to me, and they are interesting to explore. However there is nothing wrong with wanting to just explore a romantic, sexual Cullen. He’s a character with many facets. He’s romantic, determined, nostalgic, stubborn, unrelenting, loyal, driven, all things that made him seem so real. Here we get to my theory: in today’s media “criticisms” I see people—particularly younger people—beat themselves up for liking something problematic. It’s like every time you engage with media that’s potentially problematic you have to write essays to yourself why it is so and hold yourself accountable. I see this on tik-tok a lot and why I refer to it as “tik tok thought.” Look at the way some young Hamilton fans talk about the musical, or heck even here, and you may see what I mean. It’s like if you don’t acknowledge the problematic aspects of the historical figures behind their fictional portrayals in the show you’re a bad person. Same thing with nostalgic Disney fans my age in younger, if you don’t clown on Ariel for “choosing a man over anything” (SHE LIKED THE SURFACE WORLD BEFORE SHE MET ERIC) you don’t get your brownie points.

I want to make it clear: being critical of media is good. I am glad I see young people and people my age think about the messages we are given in media, but somehow this is turned into ANALYZE EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. Ya’ll I’m a grad student. I’m critical most of the time, when I come to my tumblr blog’s lawn I’m here mostly to have some fun, and hey sometimes my fun is being critical. But sometimes it isn’t. You do not have to always be critical. You do not have to beat yourself up for liking something that’s problematic or write an essay about why it is as if that’s your due diligence in stanning a fictional character. I’m going to be honest I used to kind of think I had to justify my likes once, especially because of the Cullen vitriol on tumblr. I worked overtime in my early fanfic efforts to try to prove to the world I knew Cullen was problematic for fear I’d be perceived as just an idiot horny fangirl. Well, let me tell you: I largely don’t think that way anymore. If I want to just enjoy writing some smut or reading some smut with him, I am. But I think there is a second part of this in Cullen fandom currently, a revisionism of his problematic elements. Now, if you have to do mental gymnastics with a character in an effort to ignore problematic elements, perhaps you don’t like the character that much. That’s totally okay. DA has many awesome characters to write about and stan.

So, why Cullen? For so many reasons a bit of a shit show has always followed this character. There’s a divide between fans and his detractors and sometimes there’s a divide within the Cullen fandom. What I can extrapolate for now is the need to keep him squeaky clean and safe and away from anything “problematic” because his of past, his templar roots, or the fact that he’s white when there are POC characters with less content. It reads as a guilt associated with liking him. But please, do not be guilty. He’s not real. Templars aren’t real, mages aren’t real, Cullen isn’t real. Here’s my advice, something I learned while in my directing class in college. What my teacher always said was direct what turns you on, direct a story that gets you thinking, gets you excited. What gets you thinking and excited in a fictional world may be tons of conflict and dramatics, or it may be peace and love. Sometimes it can be both or more. Don’t shame others for coming to a bakery and wanting blueberry when you want cherry, and the baker has both, especially if the baker labels each pie, especially if the recipe for the pie has some salt in it and people like the salt. We can have it all and enjoy it all. What we want in our fiction doesn’t always align with something we may want real life. Lots of people write Modern girl in Thedas stories. Ya’ll if that actually happened to one of us it would probably suck. I’d probably get killed and not even get to meet Cullen and pose around the desk to get things going, so I’d rather it not happen. However, it is fun to read about.

Again, don’t be guilty for liking Cullen, please. But if you have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to like Cullen, maybe you don’t like him at all. To that I say, there are many other amazing characters, or perhaps you could write your own.

[oldsmobile-hotdogs]

Questions for crossover jatp ghosts crossover fic: I hope Julian and the sunset curve boys talk about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Yugoslav wars that happened when they were alive + Bill Cilnton. I wonder what pat and the band would talk about considering that they would of been kids when pat died? Do you think Julie would think of Les Mis and Hamilton cos Thomas and Kitty are from about the same time period as those musicals? I hope Julie calls Fanny Mary poppins.

Anon, or "Mimi", or "Lulu", or, heck, maybe even "Carl Birtles": Update: Not Carl Birtles. Carl Birtles sent me an ask and is cool, actually.

Stop. Right now. I'd say stop while you're ahead, but you are so far away from ahead at this point it's laughable.

For everyone confused, this is that "commenter from AO3" I joked about making a 2017-esque story time video about.

A couple days ago I uploaded the first chapter of a Julie and the Phantoms/BBC Ghosts crossover fic.

You know what? I’m gonna promo it here bc it’s my callout post and I can shill if I want to: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30681704/chapters/76661471

It was generally very well received and I've had a blast interacting with readers.

Except for this.

Honestly, there's so much to get into, so I’m putting it under a cut:

This was their first correspondence (email notif bc I deleted the comment, the deletion to be explained later):

(Funnily enough, the links very much do not work on AO3, making the comment only more jarring)

I gave you *so much* benefit of the doubt when I saw this comment, and assumed that maybe you're an ESL user, just very enthusiastic to share ideas, and I pretty much said so in my reply, but know that at that point I'd already had friends- who fucking know about this, don't you dare think you're getting me alone- tell me that you were being very demanding.

Below was my reply (another email notif):

I'm gonna be honest, I think I responded really well to what I was given, and now that I'd replied, I was pretty certain the situation was dealt with. You, evidently, didn't agree, as shown by your reply to my reply:

A word of advice: when replying to someone, at least pretend like you read what they wrote.

At this point I'm left wondering two things:

What do they expect from me, if a general reply is not it?

How much more shit do they have waiting to tell me to put in my- reminder, JATP/BBC Ghosts crossover, rated T, comedic- fic?

In order to avoid finding out either, I freeze the thread on AO3. I'm liveblogging all of this on Discord.

It's then that I notice that the username on AO3 isn't clickable, so even if I wanted to block or report them I couldn't. I assume, therefore, that they've deactivated, and since them seeing their comments gone and getting angry was the only thing stopping me deleting the comments, I delete the comments.

It's also at this point I see "Mimi" never left kudos. I guess I don't deserve praise until I mention "Bill Cilnton".

There's relative calm for a short amount of time, until I get another comment:

This one is much kinder than the others and doesn't mention any specific, weird, historical events, so the extent to which I think this is "Mimi" is debatable, but bestie I'm weirded out enough that anything that even uses the enter bar unnecessarily and misses out conjunctive words like "because" and "and" is going to activate fight or flight. Update: Carl Birtles is not Mimi or Lulu. Carl was just being genuinely kind and I misinterpreted it and that's on me.

However, "Carl"'s case is not helped by the fact I can't click his account either, that AO3 offers me the ability to report it as spam, and that guess who replies to "Carl"'s comment: Update: Carl, having done nothing wrong as he has, is therefore also a victim in the situation that is being replied to by Lulu. It would seem Lulu is trying to correct??? some of Carl's commentary.

You must think I didn't get a 7 on my English Literature GCSE because you seem to underestimate my ability to compare two texts.

So clearly this is "Mimi", who has also just replied to "Carl". "Lulu" is also deactivated, and I've fallen off the end of my tether, let alone reached it, at this point so I mark it as spam. "Carl" gets to stay bc he said the idea for the crossover was good. Update: Carl also gets to continue to stay because I have it on good faith that he's a stand-up dude.

So at this point you've readily admitted through your inability to shake up your writing style to using at least one sockpuppet to convince me to talk about the "Yugoslav wars".

If "Carl Birtles" is the real(-est) of them, and "Mimi" and "Lulu" are the sockpuppets, by the way, I have questions and ideas about what you do on your free evenings and I want them neither confirmed nor answered. Update: This is slanderous and I want to apologise wholeheartedly to Carl for making assumptions about him and judging his character. Once again, he is not Mimi or Lulu. He's just a normal, cool guy.

And now you come to me, on the day of my daughter's wedding on a different platform, leave me an anon ask in the exact same format as you're so fond of, and expect any different ??

Well, yeah, then I guess I'll give you special treatment this time.

Here's exactly why I will never include anything you have told me to include:

Julian and the Phantoms discussing the Berlin Wall would be highly inappropriate for the largely fluffy, cracky tone of my fanfiction, especially given how recently the event occurred, how many Eastern Germans still experience prejudice to this day because they were born within the old borders of the DDR, and because of how nuanced this, essentially proxy war, was and how ill-informed a huge amount of the world is on the actual factors in play during this time and the Cold War in general.

Julian and the Phantoms will not discuss Yugoslavia dissolving, nor the fallout and conflict that resulted, because it was genocidal. There is nowhere I can fit Julian, pantsted, casually asking Luke “hey do you remember when the Herzegovinas were killed en masse by the Serbs?” Not gonna happen.

They won’t discuss Bill Clinton because all of them know who the current world leaders are: they don’t have amnesia, they’re ghosts. The fic is also rated T, so it would be inappropriate to make any explicit reference to “sexual relations”. None of them play saxophone.

Julie wouldn’t think of Les Mis or Hamilton because Thomas is Regency, not French Revolution, and Kitty is Georgian, not Colonial.

Julie won’t be calling Fanny Mary Poppins because she is perpetually stuck in a white dress, doesn’t wear a hat, doesn’t own an umbrella or a purse and was not the nanny or housekeeper of Button House.

The ghosts will not discuss the marvels of modern transportation or how long it would’ve taken to cross the Atlantic on dinghy because the ghosts have seen Friends. The house irl is on a flight path. They know airplanes exist. Alison and Mike pulled up in a car.

I will probably have the phantoms and Willie talk to Pat and Julian about being from the ‘80s and ‘90s. That I will actually probably do.

The Captain will not mention FD Roosevelt because, again, they all know who the current world leaders are, and I doubt he expects a ‘90s pop punk band to have any insider knowledge on the man.

It was interesting to think of the phantoms’ grandparents having been alive during WW2. I wasn’t lying. But there is nearly nothing I can do with this information.

But above all: both sets of ghosts have already adapted to modern life. Because the shows are shorter, and meant to actually be able to fit jokes in them.

If you want to see any of this, write your own damn fic. I don’t own the concept of a JATP/BBC Ghosts crossover.

What you will not do, “consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel”-nim, is hound me on multiple accounts and then change platform to hound me again. I’m absolutely not having it.

I have never received an interaction quite like this before, and I cannot help but wonder if this is because this is my first work in the Ghosts/HH/Them There/Six Idiots/Yonderland/Bill fandom: that this is where you primarily camp out.

So it’s at this point I ask the Them There/Six Idiots fandom if they have/if they know anyone who has had a run-in with this person or thinks they may have, or if anyone perhaps even knows who this is? Maybe I’m just one of many. Maybe this is a necessary fandom evil I was unaware of.

This experience has left me royally freaked out, as one might imagine, especially since my anxiety in general has been acting up due to it being exam season. I want to thank everyone who’s read my rambles on Discord and on here and even listened to them irl and offered support from the bottom of my heart.

I’ve enabled comment moderation on the fic. I will continue to write it, and I will put exactly what I, and only what I, want in it.

Believe it or not, I wanted to do literally anything else today.

Anon: Fucking Leave Me Alone.

Update: Just reiterating: Carl is not Mimi or Lulu. Carl is a cool dude and I want to sincerely apologise for having brought him into this mess, passing judgment on his character, and making him feel like he should stop practicing English online.

[yostresswritinggirl]

100 Followers Special

(And how to participate) you don't need to be a follower to vote ack

~yostresswritinggirl

Hello AGAIN, with your back to back followers special! Exiled here, very tired, as I just closed the requests box for our 50 followers special. I asked for some recommendations and no one helped me so this is what I came up with!

Granted, it's nothing that special, I literally just dumped my notes into this so—

Please make sure to follow the guidelines and read this thoroughly to properly participate!

1. You will be given a long list of fic prompts specific to a character that I've come up with for weeks on end, please don't steal, as I will remove them after this event is done!

2. Voting! You now have the power to influence my writing schedule haha- what you need to do: is to pick three prompts from the list and send it to me; either through reblog tag, a reply, or in my ask box (not anon so we can count fairly, will not publish these answers tho so worry not)! Not in messages tho! It should be in this format:

1. Character - prompt or prompt title

2. Character - prompt or prompt title

3. Character - prompt or prompt title

example:

1. Albedo - Citrinitas

2. Zhongli - Braid

3. Xingqui - Author!Reader

The top three most voted prompt and character will be the next fics I'll publish after I'm done with the current reqs. Speaking of: Voting ends when I finish the current reqs. You'll know it's done once the counter in my blog desc reaches 12/12.

3. In addition to the three prompts, you also get to add your own prompt to it! My prompts list does not include ALL the characters that's why I wanted to give you this option too! Add a fourth number and specify a character, a prompt/idea, and the format of the fic! Format it this way:

4. Character - Prompt/Idea (Format)

4. Kaeya - What's under that eyepatch? (Scenario)

After I pooled the answers, I'll randomly pick between the bonus answers and write them last! So give it your best shot!

4. Tags-list! I thought this would be necessary for this kind of a whim special, so if you wanna be tagged, just put Tag Me! at the end of your vote. Please make sure that you're actually able to be tagged because I just tried and some users are not in my orbit huhu, look here

5. If a pocket watch/series prompt gets chosen, I will only post the first chapter, not the whole damn fic pls. Have mercy,,,

I will post a counter of the top three in my blog description and will be updated as frequently as possible. Any questions, please direct to this post or my dms <3

Without further ado, here is your choice list!

Xingqui - "My liege, would you care to accompany me on my reading break? I've picked up a romance novel and it reminded me of us."

-> Author!Reader: You met Xingqui at Wanwen Bookhouse when delivering a batch of your newly-published book. But as a ghost writer, no one knew it was you that authored such books. Safe to say it was cute watching the noble bookworm fanboy about you in front of you. [FLUFF] [FIC]

-> Headcanons with a reader older than Xingqui who's a close family friend of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. Fascinated after meeting you in a party, the noble boy aspires to become the best man for you despite the difference, promising to be the best suitable partner for you in the future. [FLUFF] [HEADCANON SCENARIO]

Childe - "Hey there, comrade! What a coincidence that we had a break at the same time, care to accompany me for a walk? I promise I won’t lead you to a fight haha... hey, don’t look at me like that!”

-> Antinomy -  The 10th Harbinger (You) and the little shit they had to mentor (Childe), this fic enumerates the trials of the 11th before he became a Harbinger under your care. From strangers to mentor to friends to love- Childe made a grave mistake, now you’re once again strangers. [FLANGST] [ONESHOT]

Albedo - "Ah, it's you. I've heard of fleeting rumors that you've been pestering a certain someone just to see me. Next time, just come directly to me, I wouldn't mind the assertiveness."

-> Refer to these three as well: Albedo Fic Ideas [FLUFF/FLANGST/FLANGST] [ONESHOT/ONESHOT/SERIES]

-> “You’re Enough”: A year into being the new Chief Alchemist of Mond, Albedo finds himself holed up in his room in the dead of night, haunted as he continuously comes out empty on his research to bring his master back, feeling inadequate. So you reminded him of what he’s capable of. [FLUFF?] [ONESHOT INSPIRED BY You Are Enough - Sleeping At Last]

-> Under the Artificial Sky: Michaelangelo Scenario focused on Albedo’s sketching aspect. Grand Master Varka and Acting Grand Master Jean figured Albedo needed a break and a change of scenery, and sent him off under the guise of a commission in Liyue. What he didn’t expect was another artist from Fontaine accompanying him in this big project.(Albedo and Reader are tasked to paint the new Jade Chamber within 7 days) [FLUFF] [SERIES - 7 CHAPTERS]

-> Albedo SMUT: I had this idea while laying wide awake at 3 AM. The alchemist had been trying all remedies to shake off the stress and fatigue in his system and they all seemed to fail, no amount of sketching or discoveries can pull him away from it. So when you offered a solution he hasn’t heard, he’d jump at it immediately. “You know, some people say having intercourse with someone is a good stress-reliever.” “Intercourse? If it’s true, then please, I wish to have intercourse with you.” “Wha- wait Albedo, do you not know what that is? It’s only done between lovers!” “Convenient, I love you, anything else?” (Two virgin dumbasses do the thing to relieve stress) [SMUT] [ONESHOT]

Xiao - “I’ve taken care of every threat around this area, you can relax now, I made sure of that.”

-> What is it with you and Qingxin flowers? The Traveler had once heard of Xiao’s affinity for Qingxin flowers, and they’re flying companion boldly asked this lingering question to the adepti himself. His pupils dilate and sharpen before Paimon could finish her sentence. (An origin story about his favorite flower, and his favorite person) [SLIGHT FLANGST] [ONESHOT]

-> Just how harmful is adeptal energy to normal humans? You both found out in the worst way possible: silently, deadly. (Slight spoiler: you fucking die) [ANGST] [ONESHOT]

-> Nightmares Taste Horrible: He’s seen that look in your eyes and the ancient soul within it; you’ve lived long ago, and the only thing your soul carried now was the nightmares of a macabre timeline. Was it him or was it demons that brought you that fear? No matter, he’ll protect you even from yourself. (eating the nightmare of a dead soul reincarnated to you) [FLANGST?] [ONESHOT]

-> Go for the throat: The seal that marked you had made it all too late for him to remedy. Bleeding eyes, growing fangs, it’s just another demon to vanquish just like he’s done for centuries. What makes it different was it was sealed in you. (Inspired from Melanie Martinez’s song uhu) [ANGST] [ONESHOT]

Zhongli - “Mortals are capable creatures that evolve and adapt for means of survival, but they advance in ways that changes the world around them. This retirement, may be harder to me than it is to them.”

 -> “In human history, there’s a certain noble and powerful connotation to rulers who braid their hair.” Convince to braid his hair using some historical braid trivia; that long hair behind his back should not be ignored for any longer. [PURE FLUFF] [DRABBLE]

-> History has its eyes on you: A traveling theatre hailing from the land of entertainment finds its way to Liyue for their last caravan. A certain Geo Vision man seems to resonate with your newest script: fighting and protecting your land, building up its nation, before being forced to let go of it. He resonates maybe a little too much. (Musical!Reader with heavy references to Hamilton hehe) [FLUFF] [ONESHOT]

Venti - "Can you hear the symphonies of the wind as it sings to you? That's me, guiding you and protecting you! Whenever you hear it, know that you're safe and sound under my protection!"

-> the one the bard once loved: like actual bard, you are the archer or smth, loved by Venti and Barbatos. Yandere!Barbatos undertones, very unhealthy relationship. This hurts the kokoro. [PURE ANGST] [ONESHOT]

-> The Caravan: (related to the Zhongli and Musical!Reader up there) Your caravan stops at Mondstadt for a whole week before it reaches its final destination. This new fanfare pulled in a peculiar bard who now wants to tag along for the fun of it. "I have no more responsibilities in this free land!" Just what kind of responsibilities does a broke bard have in the first place? [FLUFF] [ONESHOT/HEADCANON]

Diluc - "You look weary, and you still managed to pull yourself here. Here, a fresh and cold glass, on the house. A relieved smile should be enough payment."

-> Abandoned by The Altar: A timeline oriented story focused on your once perfect childhood relationship as Diluc's bride to be, soon becoming estranged after the death of his father and his neglect. You only wish now that he looks at you the same way he did when you heard you were supposed to be together forever when you were young. [FLANFF] (The ending gets better pls; Inspired by Still Into You - Paramore) [ONESHOT]

-> There are No Laws Against Homelessness in Mondstadt: My favorite title out of all of this ahahhaa- who says adventurers can't be broke? You're the living embodiment of that. (Good boi Diluc with a broke ass reader) [FLUFF] (Warning: homelessness) [ONESHOT]

Scaramouche - "Let's go already, the sun is setting and we're nowhere near our destination. If you wanted to linger just to spend more time with me, I would have indulged you behind closed doors anyways."

-> Scaramouche Finally Does the Fandango: Have you ever wondered how Scaramouche is like working with other people? His first assignment was to accompany you in your main region and he sees you in your natural habitat, entranced. [I dunno how to tag this, NORMAL?] [ONESHOT/SHORT]

-> Skincare bitch, how I headcanon Scaramouche as someone actually conscious and always tending to their skin. Look at that smooth skin, cute cheeks, let me pinch, eyeliner glory— In which case, that hat has more purpose than being a frisbee. (May or may not include reader. (based from a reblog convo with chels-void) [GOOD VIBES] [HEADCANONS]

-> Once Supreme: Before Scaramouche, there was someone else higher than him. Before Balladeer there was just a young man fighting for his beliefs and her Majesty. Before Mondstadt, his smile wasn't just for deception. "Someday, someone would take advantage of that smile, Scaramouche. It's not appropriate in this work environment." The day you break a man. (Harbinger!Reader again, and lots of HCs for Scaramouche, same format as Antinomy) [I also do not know how to call this, eventual ANGST] [ONESHOT]

Kaeya - "What are you doing out here in the dead of night? Citizens like you should be cozied up in bed and leaving the patrols to us Knights. Come, I'll accompany you back home."

-> Honey Whiskey: A mysterious band of dancers from Sumeru visits Mondstadt and its taverns to offer a night of alluring dances. What was supposed to be a night of drinking for Kaeya and his troops ended up becoming a tipsy surprise mission when the main dancer steps down from the stage— and ignores him?! How scandalous! (Slightly suggestive themes/You're a bad guy) [COOL?] [ONESHOT] [slightly inspired by song with the same name]

General:

-> A Musical!Reader but with a scenario with every other character, most probably headcanons master post.

-> Genshin Food prompts: From that one post, I ended up making a whole storyline of oneshots related to their special dishes. Oneshots connected to a bigger picture. By impulse you've ended up leaving your normal life behind to pursue your cooking career, starting from Mondstadt, to learn all the cuisines to establish the first ever international restaurant. With the implications of magic and peculiar customers, your simple dream turns into a harder goal. [GOOD SHIT] [SERIES] [CANON-COMPLIANT]

-> God of Time!Reader that hails from Fontaine. Do you wish to know more about their origins and their purpose in this world? [CANON-COMPLIANT] [HEADCANONS] (General since it deals with all the characters/interactions)

▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱

Tagslist-for-my-thirsty-homies:

[dazenightmare]

Super hero AU? Super hero AU. (Also I’m currently writing a fic with super powers that isn’t related to this in the slightest, so be aware of that)

I mainly made this in my head when I wanted to work out Tubbo’s dynamic with everyone in Sleepy Bois Inc, but then it became practice for everyone’s dynamic with each other, and oh boy now I have an AU out of it that if I ever end up writing anything for it, it will be Tubbo centric cause I’m like that—

Also some may have scarce notes because I’m still relatively new to the fandom and haven’t watched a couple of the main characters

Philza:

He’s the father even though he’s ten years older than Techno at the least

His power is his agility and speed (there’s a reason people call him hardcore-parkour)

He keeps his identity secret because dear lord he can’t have his lives intermingle

Caring and smart, but will not hesitate to bop Wilbur or Tommy on the head if they’re getting on his nerves

Adores all of his kid’s friends, because honestly it’s his kids that are the bad influences in groups

Technoblade:

The oldest son and second oldest

Can and will kill anyone

Eighteen and honestly he’s ready to get the fuck out of high school

The athletic kid of the family and gets straight B’s. He could get A’s, but he doesn’t really care enough to

Braid!

His power is he can summon any weapon he pleases at anytime, and is good with any weapon

Introverted as frick, though everyone likes him and considers him a friend

Blood for the blood god

Wilbur:

The perfect middle child in every way

He’s the creative one, plus he knows probably way too much about history

Seventeen, though he feels ancient thanks to Tommy

Power is charm, meaning he can charm anyone onto his side or to do anything. Especially effective when singing or playing an instrument (and don’t even get me started on both at the same time)

He has glasses that he doesn’t normally wear, but when he does the girls and boys swoon

Always tired, though he doesn’t seem like it

He calls his friend group “L’manberg” for some reason—?

Tommy:

The youngest

Holds all the power in the household (or so he tells himself)

Sixteen and honestly if his brother is the blood god he is the god of chaos and war

Power is he has super strength and lightning reflexes

He’s the kid that gets a C at the best, and is the theater dork of the family (Hamilton is the best for the family because musical, historical, and BLOODSHED)

Has many people he considers friends, but spends most of his time with Tubbo because although he may not say it, Tubbo is his best friend and no one else’s. Get the fuck out of here Skittles—

Also he’s the friend that will poke fun at Tubbo but the moment someone else does it to them he will get very protective and defensive

Reckless as a hero, but honestly does not care

Tubbo:

The friend who’s always at somebody else’s house instead of his own

The STEM kid with dyslexia that everybody likes and wishes they could be

He’s a great programmer and engineer despite being sixteen, and makes gadgets for the Sleepy Bois Inc. to use

Tubbo honestly is part of the 2% of the globe that has no powers, but everyone assumes he does and he doesn’t correct them

Tommy claims Tubbo is the clingy one, but if Tubbo doesn’t show up at his friend’s house for one day then he is going to get a letter of a text and a call that lasts until Tubbo gets to Tommy’s house, no joke

Kinda hates that people think he’s innocent. Like, he can punt you off a roof he wanted to, screw you

Pokimane:

The oldest and is off at college, but appears randomly every month. No joke, she appears whenever the fuck she wants, but never more than once a month

Also the perfect GPA student

I don’t know what her power is yet, but she wants a normal job unlike her dad and brothers

Likes making her brothers embarrassed and doesn’t even realize it most of the time when she is

Once when she still went to high school and Tommy was in middle school, somebody briefly mentioned she might as well be his mother. She took it in stride (however that was the worst day of Tommy’s life)

The first time she met Tubbo during one of her visits, she immediately adopted him into the family. Also, it was the first time somebody matched her in smarts and she just couldn’t comprehend the fact that not only was this kid possibly smarter than her, but that this kid was Tommy’s best friend (this makes a close second to the worst day of Tommy’s life, because he did not need his big sister doting on his friend when Tubbo was supposed to be helping him study for an upcoming test and please get the fuck away from my best friend already I’m getting progressively uncomfortable while they’re actually enjoying your company—)

And if you think the Tubbo Incident™️ was bad, you should’ve seen the Niki Incident™️, or heaven forbid, the Dream Incident™️

Niki:

More of a background character than anything

The possible love interest for Wilbur, and if not that then the lady friend that Wilbur’s family constantly thinks is his girlfriend (I still don’t know her stance on shipping and I’m unsure if they’re actually dating or something)

I’m thinking her power is either healing or something you wouldn’t expect from such a wholesome soul, like fire or something

Like Tubbo, she really enjoyed meeting Pokimane and would gladly spend a day with her instead of Wilbur (much to Wilbur’s utter humiliation)

Dream:

(Tbh I’m kind of only writing this about him because god damn I really love the Dream Incident™️)

He and Techno have an unspoken, friendly rivalry

His power is shape-shifting with a side of luck

When Dream met Pokimane, he was doing some shopping in the mall when he ran into Techno and Poki. He walked toward them to do the respectful “hello’s” they always did when they ran into each other and Techno sees him and shakes his head frantically with wide eyes, but it’s too late. Now, he gets stuck in a conversation where Poki basically becomes an over sharing mother and he really likes her because she’s so nice (Techno is silently dying inside while this happens, because it had to be his friend/rival, didn’t it?)

There’s more notes I have on it that I might share later that’s more super power centric, but for now this is it.

[jacepens]

1: HamilTurn(you can differentiate if needed) or MCU, 2: Washette, 3: Anna Strong

And generally a fandom list would be nice to know what to pick from ;) (Love you♡)

You said HamilTurn or MCU and I say both, I'm going to try my best haha. But anyway, thank you!:) Apologies in advance if this gets rambly, but that's the point of this right? Anyway, for ease of scrolling sake, I'll probably put a cut if this gets long but don't worry, it's just me talking a whole bunch lol. Ok, thank you again!! <3 (love you too!)

1. Hamilton/Turn (fandom)

Favorite character: I have to say Lafayette for both. Oh and Mary

Least favorite character: I have no real reason behind this so sorry but Burr, and Simcoe for many reasons

5 favorite ships: washette, lams, hamliza, benwash, whamilton

Character I find most attractive: ...all. But I have to say overall Brian Wiles as Lafayette. That face just…🥺

Character I would marry: Mary Woodhull or Eliza

Character I would be best friends with: you know I'm not sure, but in an ideal world Lafayette (both versions) or Ben but I feel like we wouldn't be best friends. But also everyone, is that an option? Even some of the "villains" would have good stories to tell

A random thought: I feel like most people in the fandom now are so new (they joined in with the movie release!) and unaware of the uh atrocities of back in the day. And y'all are lucky, but those of us who know. Know. (yes, I was unbearable but that's ok because I was having fun, and despite what I just said: have fun in your fandoms even if you're "unbearable", just keep it welcome to all and enjoy the enthusiasm you have for it:))

An unpopular opinion: Oh boy. Maybe stop making quick judgments about people based on what they write/who they ship? There is a line, but I've genuinely never seen it crossed by anyone at least openly sooo just let people have fun? And don't say anything about something? Unless it's actually harmful but even then, keep it to a dm or something and have an open discussion. Just let people vibe, please? Especially younger fans. Just, I’ve seen a weird amount of negativity towards them. They’re kids having fun, we all used to be like that so please, be kind and patient. They’ll learn if they make a mistake. Ok? Ok cool:) (maybe not unpopular but still I wanted to say it)

My canon OTP: Am I allowed to say lams?

My non-canon OTP: washette, wow, who would've guessed? xD

Most badass character: Mary my beloved

Most epic villain: Robert Rogers hands down

Pairing I am not a fan of: no one murder me, but in general I'm just not a fan of jamilton. also whatever was the deal with Anna and Abe

Characters I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): um. Where to begin? Honestly I think every woman in Turn at one point or another, except perhaps Peggy in my opinion. Oh but especially Anna. Also Simcoe. With Hamilton, probably again everyone at some point, but the way Angelica was written just feels so overwhelmingly fictional it bugs me. (But at least Hamilton had some genuine relationships between women, not great but still)

Favorite friendship(s): Ben and Caleb, Washington and Lafayette (what?? yes, you fools. lol). It may sound a tad ~cringey~ but I generally like Hamilton's vibe with the boys, maybe it's just the gender envy, but it's kinda cute and fun.

Character I most identify with: well jeez, I won't lie but Washington. In both versions, except god knows I could never be that chill. Also a dash of Laurens.

Character I wish I could be: wow what a loaded question ummm. I don't want to be like him, but I want to be like in his position so Hamilton lol. Playing an active role but I know personally I am not cut out for a battlefield, so a desk suits me well.

2. MCU (fandom-that I am so out of date from, please take all of this with a grain of salt)

Favorite character: so when I was younger it was Tony Stark but now it’s definitely Wanda and T’challa

Least favorite character: ummm. I genuinely couldn’t tell you, I’m very out of date

5 favorite ships (canon or non-canon): wandavision, …ngl I can’t think of anymore, I honestly never shipped many and wandavision was like the only couple I remember really liking. Oh, I don’t know them but Loki/Mobius and/or Sylvie

Character I find most attractive: embarrassing confession time, Loki was my first bad celebrity crush. Wanda now and Shuri is cute. Also Sylvie

Character I would marry: if I could, Wanda 

Character I would be best friends with: Vision and Peter Parker

A random thought: y’all it’s been so long since I’ve touched MCU I should catch up/refresh shouldn’t I?

An unpopular opinion: I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion but I’m going to say it anyway. Personally, I really don’t like the movie Civil War, I think it’s what sorta made me disinterested in mcu. It’s been years since I’ve watched it so maybe I would have a completely different opinion if I saw it today, but at the time it just felt so...wrong? And childish? I literally don’t even remember why they were fighting or how that movie even ended (I feel like it just wasn’t satisfying??) but I think also, as a kid or teen watching that, it reminded me sooo much of the dumb drama that, you know, kids get into. I mean, getting your friends on someone’s side like that?? Like, I know they were mad but- but there are other ways of dealing with emotions??? And involving everyone's friends too? So yeah, it just felt off to me at the time, and looking back now, from what I remember, it just frustrated me. Especially as a kid who deals with dumb drama like that all the time, kids would want to see a better example especially from adult superheroes or at least not be reminded of the bs they have to go through sometimes. But, rant over, that’s all just my opinion:) 

My canon OTP: wandavision

My non-canon OTP: ummm. I guess just Loki/Mobius and/or Sylvie lol

Most badass character: I have to say Natasha but actually there are many

Most epic villain: when I was younger I liked that Ultron was voiced by Robert California from the Office lol

Pairing I am not a fan of: I don’t know if it’s popular but I never liked Tony and Pepper. What happened with her?

Characters I feel the writers screwed up: I guess I’ll say Thor because I just felt such a weird difference in his personality that did not make sense to me

Favorite friendship: Wanda and Pietro!! Honestly I think a lot, there were a lot of good friendships but I can’t think of which ones are my favorite

Character I most identify with: ummmmmm. 

Character I wish I could be: My gut says Thor

3. Washette (ship-bless you<3 get ready for rambles oh no)

When I started shipping them: So I first had the thought in 7th grade while my history teacher was talking about them and my little brain went: haha that’s pretty gay. (teacher keeps talking about them) wait a fucking minute, that is pretty gay! But it wasn’t until I got sucked into Hamilton that I really started actively shipping them by reading fics and what not, but something about them became an instant favorite. And later (little personal story time) I pretty much completely stopped reading fic and being active in fandom for years and actually, when I got my first panic attack that - no joke - lasted for 5 hours, for some reason my brain (as it’s decaying lol) said I want to go and reread all my favorite washette fics and also do what I was I always too scared to do. Write!! So that night I binged the fics and found myself falling in love again, feeling all the old passion I had for them again, and the next night (still very shaken) I wrote an outline of a good ol washette confession + kiss that was extremely thoughtful and good, and honestly, I have not actually used that outline yet! Maybe I’m saving it. But yeah, this is a long answer, but I have a weird amount of attachment to them and this ship, I wish I knew why too. <3 

My thoughts: so many. Too many. First of all, I love that I have so many versions of them in my mind, right? When I started writing, I had never watched Turn but then I did and then it was like: hell yeah, another washette set. At this point, my brain has created it’s own unique version of them but it’s like, they’re so versatile! That’s one neat thing about this fandom as a whole, we get more than one character and personality and that’s just fun right?! More specifically on washette I mean, they’re just so sweet. Historically, their relationship is unique and cute, and you’d have to be a fool to think that to Washington Lafayette was just another friend. Even strictly platonically, it was something special and it’s so obvious I just love them. Ok. Enough thoughts for now <3

What makes me happy about them: the loooove, the comfort they found in each other, the fact that like every person at the time documenting them knew and understood they were special to each other like, they were just that in love. 

What makes me sad about them: oh so much that I try to ignore lol. There is the one year when Lafayette went to France and all his letters to Wash are like: “I have not received one letter from you, but it’s ok, I love you and I know you love me too :)” WHO WAS NOT DELIVERING THESE LETTERS, I HAVE NAMES, NOW I WANT ANSWERS. Anyway, also just most things that happened when Laf went back to France. And then when he visited America in 1824 and visited Washington’s grave. Yeah. ow. (also, you know what, I have done too much research on this event. lmk if you would like a post)

Things done in fanfic that annoy me: Generally, I’m not annoyed by much in fanfic at least with them and what I’ve seen. I’m still nostalgic for the old school nonbinary Laf fics, so it ain’t those. Literally maybe it’s because I’m starved for content but I can’t really think of anything, I love it all.

Things I look for in fanfic: back to the whole starved for content thing, I am a library of washette fics but I think if I was to pick a certain thing that I would love it’s just um fluff? And honesty, if that makes sense. Love confessions are very good as well. Canon era, please :) pining but not too much that it hurts me lol

My wishlist: literally all my wips. If I could whisk them into existence I could die happy and knowing I have put a variety of washette content in the world. Something else though, more fics :’) I love writing but sometimes I want to curl up with a cozy, new washette fic like a cup of hot chocolate and be surprised and learn something new and just..yeah:)

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: what. Ok but actually, Martha and Adrienne because they are both honestly perfect for them and I love them too (I’m going to be biased, especially Adrienne)

My happily ever after for them: Can Lafayette just move the family to America? But also, it’s sad, but like I know Laf would be sad in America while France suffers. So...maybe a world where things in France go better and Lafayette gets to visit Washington more often and bring the family!! (Washington visit France too??)

4. Anna Strong (character)

How I feel about this character: I like her! She’s fun and…strong (oops lol) and she’s made some mistakes sure, but I feel like she did her best to learn from them and move on

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Honestly, I know they didn’t have a lot of interaction in the show but Anna/Mary has potential. And Anna/Edmund

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: her and Ben and Caleb

My unpopular opinion about this character: I really can’t think of anything unpopular

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: in general, her having more screen time with less men you know? I mean like one-on-one kind of scenes. Also I would’ve liked to see at least her and Selah talk. Like, really talk. They never really did that, right? I just have so many questions about them

Favorite friendship for this character: Anna and Ben

My crossover ship: I have no idea

And well, I know it’s been a few days but for a fandom list, I’m just a weeb lol but here

Octopath Traveler (my beloved)

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Star Wars

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

Persona 4

Zelda (to a point)

Pokémon

What We Do in the Shadows

Sailor Moon

Literally anything historical

Ok!! I tried to add a lot because I’m not sure what you might know or not haha. But thank you again!! I had fun <3

[dancer-me]

For the “weird asks that say a lot” post.

1, 20, 26, 27, 28, 98

😁

Thanks for the ask! 🥰 I found myself thinking a lot about these - I appreciate it!

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans

>_> <_< wine glasses was my rapid fire 'yes' and I feel I need to own that.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

I have actually done substantially all of my writing since I got back into fic writing at my desk in my home office. I use a Microsoft Surface, and I have it docked and connected to two external monitors. I have my Word doc I'm writing in open on one screen and my detailed outline open on the other. I've brought the keyboard attachment for my surface when I go out of town for the weekends, but I never seem to get more than a few paragraphs written at a time that way. I wrote "Pull me Under" in a notes app on my phone, which I'd say is a major outlier.

26. Favourite activity to do in warm weather

I'd like to preface this by saying, "I don't sport" is something I have been quoted by several people for saying (despite my username I lost the dancer side of me 10 years ago when I went to university). Honestly when it's warm weather I LOVE to spend time with my family at my dad's cottage. Half the time I am reading on the beach. The other half I am losing at board games or drinking games or both. My sister destroyed me in beer pong last weekend.

27. Favourite activity to do in colder weather

Oddly, I like to go for walks. Get all bundled up in my boots and jacket with a hot chocolate and stroll. It snows a lot here in the winter and it can be really beautiful out if it's not, like, worse than -30 Celsius with wind chill and freezing my face off. Bonus point of it's near Christmas or winter festival time because then I get to see all the nice light displays!

28 Five songs to describe you

😮 this was such a challenge! I could have pondered over this for hours so I decided to go with what's been most reflective of the "me" of 2020+ (Can you tell that I recently went through a major life change?) In no particular order:

1. What is this Feeling - The Cast of Wicked ("Loathing. Unconditional Loathing" to this jaunty tune is what pops into my head when I get those 'special' emails from people (clients, adult students, acquaintances) who are just testing me.)

2. The Bones - Maren Morris, Hozier ("When the bones are good, the rest don't matter" - I never vibed with this song as a love song but rather about life and important relationships in general. I listened to this a LOT when I was making a BIG change in my life a couple years ago.)

3. Wait for It - Leslie Odom Jr (from Hamilton) (my sister sent this to me a couple years ago and told me that she thought of me with the perseverance of it all (not the, you know, adultery.))

4. Out of the Old - Olivia Rodrigo (This is from HSMTMTS which is a guilty pleasure of Disney Channel pandemic entertainment but good lord did this song ever come out and slap me in the face with the relatability).

5. Catch my Breath - Kelly Clarkson (❤)

98. Favourite historical era

I have to say the Regency Era because regency romances (particularly Mary Balogh's "Slightly" Series) were hugely captivating for me in my early days of reading romance. The Era was real problematic for things like war and equality and, well, SO MANY other things but... those romance novels, tho'. Also: the outfits.

WOW. This took me a TIME but I loved answering :) HI to everyone who made it this far reading ;)

Weird asks that say a lot

[margridarnauds]

Scattered Thoughts on Treason: The Musical

[warning for some critical discussion]

The Cold Hard Ground: 

First song I listened to. 

God, we’re getting DARK. This is seriously a mix between a villain song and a hero song, and I’m HERE for it. 

This is the one I’m possibly most interested in, because it’s really making me wonder how they’re going to portray the plotters: Are we going to be seeing them as fanatics, or as heroes, or somewhere in-between? In this song, it looks like Catesby is a man broken by grief who turned to fanatical religion as a way of coping with his own suicidal tendencies. 

“So TAKEEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEE. You won’t BREEEEEAAAAAK meeee, it’s too late to SAAAAAAAAVVVVEEEE MEEEEEE.” 

GOD those final notes are going HARD. 

At first, I thought that it was rather scattered, musically wise, but the more I listen to it, the more I think it’s brilliant because the music comes together by the end, as Catesby seems to calcify in his convictions. 

I’ll be really curious to see how anyone but Hadley serves this, but a solid 80% of this song, at the moment, is built on his impressive performance. I’ll be really curious in knowing how the livestreams went. 

Take Things To Our Own Hands: 

Honestly, my favorite song on the album, probably one of them that I can best visualize on stage. 

WE NEED TO THINK OF A WAAAAAY TO BRING THE WHOLE SHIP DOWN.

Favorite vocal moment: When all the conspirators’ voices join one another, and then the moment at the end where it sounds almost like a church’s choir. 

I absolutely LOVE the slick folkish feel to this, paired with the driven pace, it’s like if “The Story Told” from Monte Cristo decided to go folk, I love it. It really has a feel that I don’t see many musicals going for (Hadestown being the closest, though it goes in a jazzier style than this) , and that’s something really in its favor. If the rest of the songs follow this level of quality and tone, this musical is going to be a really, really fun ride.  

Also, it’s very interesting in terms of how, even though this is the conspirators’ “Pump Me Up” song, there’s this very DARK overtone to it, which makes sense given what they’re proposing. Their voices go increasingly hard, almost into a staccato, and I wonder how much of that is diction VS them showing how hardened and increasingly radicalized the conspirators are becoming. 

That being said: “I once had influenza but now that’s all gone when things turned sour”?????????????????? I’m trying desperately to wrap my head around this lyric, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

The lyrics in this particular song are, admittedly, its weakest point: They tend to be very, very repetitive, but, in all honesty, it doesn’t really bother me - It works with that mood of the conspirators becoming radicalized. 

I know that Hadley tends to get most of the kudos for this song, but the other conspirators (Waylon Jacobs, Oliver Savile and Emmanuel Kojo) deserve MASSIVE kudos for their performances, I’m seriously going to be looking into all of them after this. 

The Day Elizabeth Died 

I started off not really caring for this song, but I’ve really warmed to it. 

I’m really curious about who the main singer in this song is supposed to be, because I feel like that will really change how I feel about the lyrics specifying that she had “An inch of makeup on her face”. If we’re supposed to view this from the perspective of a devoutly religious 17th century Catholic woman, I can understand it more than a Protestant woman, given that it really, really works with some misogynistic stereotypes about Elizabeth. 

So, the singer’s apparently Anne Vaux, which makes sense. Okay, I’ll give them this one. A little period-accurate internalized misogyny can be good for the soul. 

I LOVE Rebecca La Chance’s voice. It’s so wonderfully clear and strong, delicate, but with steel beneath it. 

There’s something almost....wistful, melancholy, and isolated about this song? It strikes a very odd balance between being sympathetic to Elizabeth (some say she died of a broken heart) while condemning her reign. 

ALSO. BEST VOCAL MOMENT ON THE ENTIRE ALBUM. “We mourned for her, she was our queen, and for 45 years, she had reigned supreme.” And then the conspirators coming on with “WE DID NOT MOOOOOURRRRN FOR HER. SHEWASOURCAPTOR.” I could, legitimately, listen to that bit alone on repeat, I’m actually obsessed with it. That odd, conflicted feeling between Elizabeth having been Queen for longer than most of England had been alive, providing a sense of stability, while also the very real persecution that English Catholics were under. This is the kind of nuance I really want to see the musical carry forward. 

Blind Faith

I don’t really know what to say except that Martha Percy’s love for Thomas Percy is juxtaposed with Thomas Percy’s feelings for Catesby. 

Literally. 

That’s the song. 

If this musical ever develops a fandom, there are going to be a hundred Catesby/Thomas fics, with James/Thomas being the darkhorse fic. 

It’s hard to judge this one, simply because it’s much more conventional love song - It sounds similar to, for example, “That Would Be Enough”, if Alexander Hamiltpn decided to blow up George III instead of join the American Revolution. It’s a TWIST on the conventional love song, but it still follows similar beats. 

But I DO love how their voices go together, the song really starts to shine when that happens. 

That last “This path was MINE to choose, he has nothing to prove”, probably is the best vocal moment. 

Overall, I don’t have MANY thoughts on this song in comparison to the others, but I can also see myself warming up to it over time. 

The Promise

“His face is quite nice” It’s VERY obvious they’re going for a queer comic relief interpretation of James, which I honestly have mixed feelings about given that he is, clearly, going to be the one that our protagonists are trying to get rid of. There’s.....something about that, a bunch of presumably straight protagonists ganging up to kill a stereotypically portrayed gay man. I know that historically, James WAS, but.....I still don’t like how stereotypical they played this one. Someone could point to Herod from JCS but, in all fairness, Herod was written in the 1970s (and, tbh, given that the central relationship in the musical is Jesus and Judas, you could argue that the entire musical is very, very homoerotic, which makes it less glaring.) This is...well, I’ll have to see how the musical deals with it. I’m willing to give it a fair shake, but they might have set themselves up for danger here. 

But Daniel Boys is, admittedly, serving this song on a silver platter. 

Really, really going into the Spoiled Child Route here. 

If it sounds like I’m disappointed with this song compared to the others, it’s because......yeah, I kind of am. Musically, it’s fine and a little catchy, lyrically, it’s fine, but that nuance I’d been seeing in the other songs goes out the window. James isn’t my favorite historical figure of all time (Bro basically set up the English Civil War), but there still HAD to be a better way to do him justice than this. 

It doesn’t hurt that, unlike the other songs, which were demonstrably TREASON, this one is very much.....a JCS/Hamilton rip-off. Like, it’s very, very blatant. 

Love the rising strings when Percy tells him that Elizabeth is dying, that sense of tension - It does remind me a little of something I heard in The Pirate Queen, but you know what? I’ll give it to them. 

Lowkey obsessed with Oliver Saville’s eyebrow raise when he says “You could save England.” 

The problem is that they’re leaning so hard into the comic route that, when James says that he’ll be a fair king, it really, really makes the Catholic nobility sound dumb as Hell to listen to him. Like “Yes, man who routinely, gleefully sings about cutting off people’s heads, I’ll listen to you!” I know they’re desperate but....come on. 

But also. THAT HIGH NOTE. Daniel Boys really put 110% in there. 

Overall, my takeaway is that this musical could either do very, very well or very, very badly, depending on how they play it. It’s hard to judge because the public only has access to 5 tracks (except for the lucky ducks who bought tickets to the stream, where they got access to 10) - It’s hard to judge a musical based off of 5 tracks, and a musical about the Gunpowder Plot with, say, a love song called “Blind Faith” almost sounds like something out of a parody, something destined to be one of those flops that go down in history. BUT, that being said, the musical has some very strong vocal performances and some really good music, when it keeps to its own mood and style instead of trying to go off of what other, more successful musicals have done. There’s some real, real promise in this musical, and I’ll be both anxious and excited to see how it all turns out (and if they ever offer a full purchase for the live recording......I’d honestly probably buy it.) It was a shame I found out about it so late in the game, because I’d have totally bought tickets to the stream if I had known earlier. 

[avani008]

Was just reading your Padamavaat fics and wondered, if you had to rewrite the story of the film within the scope of the original ending, what changes would you make to plot or characterisations? Like, an adaption of the legend was always going to end in jauhar, but your way of writing the women and their motivations feels far more real, even though you dislike the ending.

AHAHAHAHA OH POOR ANON HERE I GO.

Above all I would most like to change the movie so it doesn’t specifically focus on literal children being, presumably, peer-pressured into the fire. For one thing, I believe in real life, children and pregnant women were smuggled out of the fort and excluded from the ritual. For another, the movie already ignores the narrative of anyone who isn’t a high caste warrior and/or wife, so do we really have to have the horribleness of children being forced into self-sacrifice rubbed in our faces?

*shudders*

That said, I think you are spot on when you say that the film really had to end in jauhar --anything less would feel like a cheat. I absolutely understand that--but from a narrative standpoint, my problems with it are (1) the fact that Padmavati never really articulates her motivations and (2) the lack of any other options presented for the women.

So. Starting with (1)--yes, Padmavati gets that big speech to the other women about valor and HONOR!, etc. and in her goodbye to Ratan Sen, gives that nauseating speech about how she must take his permission even to give up her life--

(Apologies. But. You guys, even Sita, who usually--though unfairly--gets turned into an excessively devoted wife in most mainstream media very much believed that her life was her own and not her husband’s, to the point where she outright defies him in returning to her mother/effectively committing suicide. The sheer horror of that dialogue makes me shudder all over again)

--but that said, what prompts her. Is it that she’d rather die than be made a prisoner? Is it that she knows Alauddin’s character well enough that she knows that failing to capture her will break him more than defeat on the battlefield? *throws hands up, because your guess is good as mine*

Or, I propose a change that would honestly work with the rest of film as scripted/directed, albeit probably come off very controversial: have Padmavati, disgusted by Ratan Sen’s disrespectful behavior both during and after her rescue of him, realize that both her husband and her enemy are equally bad, and that, therefore, whether Chittor wins or loses, she will still be in the hands of a man she cannot love or trust. Have her--in a shoutout to Sita, honestly--throw herself into the fire, if you must, so that they both can’t have her, as neither of them deserve her. Have the film really bite into its misandrist undertones, because surely I’m not the only one who watched Ratan Sen and just. recoiled with horror?

Also, Padmavati aside, I really wanted to see--well, options for the other women, Even if you say that a woman would rather kill herself than be abused by the invaders (a valid choice! that’s fine!), I hate the implied victim-blaming of those who decide that they’d rather take their chances with the invaders, or those who’d rather die fighting, or those who’d rather try and escape, or--

The point is there is no one right way to be a woman, and I hate that the movie breaks down its roles to either Rajput swords or Rajput bangles (also, in a really gender-essential way, but that’s a different discussion). Even a quick cut of some women being offered the chance to fight/escape/something, and taking it, would allow me to watch that final scene with the awe I am meant to feel rather than the horror. Because in all those women, you guys know there were at least a few who didn’t want to go through with jauhar, and didn’t feel they could speak up--and that , to me, is chilling.

Another way to solve this problem, TBH, is to make the film’s Mehrunissa’s, too. Make her more than the sad cipher she is for most of the movie--for example, can you guys imagine the movie starting with the shot of the desert and the ostricth and Mehru’s voice narrating, “We none of us guessed what he would come to mean for us...” (Mehru would add more color and personality as a narrator than Generic Woman Voiceover.

Pair Mehru and Padmavati’s stories--as Padmavati adjusts to Rajput customs, Mehru navigates the court she grew up in, now turned upside down by Khilji’s chaos. As Padmavati tries to bond with Nagmati, have Mehru reach out to and interact with Jhatyapali. Give Mehru a voice, so that the movie’s not just one woman’s story, but many others--and then, as a bonus, you can lose the annoying and redundant scenes of “....did you know Khilji is crazy” and the weird and historically inaccurate homophobic nature of Khilji and Kafur’s interactions. (Why couldn’t they just take delight in each other’s wickedness, even if they had to both be villains? Why is Khilji so OTT abusive, and Kafur gross and depraved? Why are their scenes honestly just used to mirror the Wholesome Heterosexual Love of Ratan Sen and Padmavati?)

what that gives you, then, is an end where Mehru--in contrast to Padmavati--is a woman who chooses to survive, so that you give equal screen time and respect to both choices women made in those days, rather than just one. And plus, having Mehru’s wistful voiceover narrate Padmavati’s sacrifice warms my shipper heart would hypothetically end the movie on a “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” note (to paraphrase Hamilton), and hopefully dig into the characterization of both women.

I’m sorry for the enormous essay! Thank you for the interesting question and lovely compliments :)

[tigerlilycorinne]

Fanfiction Year In Review

Thank you @partiallyobscure for tagging me! This tag looks like so much fun. Here goes!

Total number of completed stories: 21 (And a few that I’ve finished and have yet to publish!)

Total word count: 205,198 (My AO3 wrapped was inaccurate because publishing dates mess with the stats. Here’s the real number 😳)

Fandoms written in: Harry Potter, Be More Chill, Star Wars The Clone Wars, Hamilton, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Sea of Ink and Gold, Simonverse/Creekwood Series, Carry On/Simon Snow Series, The Lost Boys

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected? I wrote a lot more than I expected this year. I usually post a chapter every weekend, but I joined a few fests and wrote a gift fic, so I ended up publishing more than my average.

What’s your own favorite story of the year? Ahhh, how will I choose? It’s a tie between my HP Ace Fest work, Lies By Omission, and the gift fic for @blue-rose-smalls, go for blood.

Did you take any writing risks this year? In terms of craft, I wasn’t very adventurous. In terms of fandom, I participated in my first fests! One of these was Carry On Through the Ages, my first historical work: Loyal-est Patriot. That was probably my biggest risk.

Do you have any fanfic goals for the new year? Writing more regularly! I have a nasty habit of leaving WIPs alone for months, because they’re unpublished and no one’s waiting on them. 😓 This does not go well for my poor collab partner @fangirl-of-letters (I promise! I’m writing the Epilogue!)

Most popular story of the year: According to AO3, it was Lams Orphanage AU... *sigh* Thus, second place takes first: you made your mark on me (a golden tattoo), by hits, and who could ever leave me darling (but who could stay), by kudos.

My most underappreciated story, in my opinion: Uh... I feel generally appreciated 🥺🥺 so... your faithless love’s the only hoax i believe in. It’s for the Sea of Ink and Gold series, a non-existent fandom. (Seriously, there are three (3) AO3 fics, and one of them is mine.)

Most fun story to write: Easy! There are always slow parts when you write, loss of enthusiasm, writer’s block, etc. Not for go for blood! Watched The Lost Boys. Shipped 95060 right off the bat. Wrote this in, like, a week-long trance or something. When the words come? That feeling is amazing. *Hellmo*

Biggest disappointment: I don’t know... I don’t watch my numbers, and I write what I enjoy reading, so it’s hard to be disappointed. I think my complicated relationship with Lams Orphanage AU qualifies best.

Biggest surprise: Two big surprises: first, my Wolfstar fic, i’d like to be my old self again (but i’m still trying to find it), got a bigger response than I expected (I didn’t expect... very much LOL). My first time being recced (multiple times!), and some wonderful comments. And two, of course, is the lovely podfic by the lovely @blue-rose-smalls for you made your mark on me (a golden tattoo) (The link is the podfic, by the way.)

I’m tagging @fangirl-of-letters, @sunnyeclipses, @anakinandthecaptainrex, and anyone else who wants to do this!

[averykedavra]

Janus for the ask game? -lovely day anon

Favorite thing about them? His style. His dramatic flair. When he enters a room, you will notice (unless he’s disguised as someone else.) He gives everything his all. He wears stupid gloves. He has an evil villain laugh that is absolutely top-tier. In conclusion he is a dramatic Scooby Doo villain and a complete theater nerd and an utter dork and I love him. I’m pretty sure he would kill me if he heard me say that, but that just adds to his charm.

Least favorite thing about them? The way he manipulates people and uses them as a means to his end. I get that it’s his job description but I wish that (especially in SvS) he would try to be more honest and less malicious. And impersonating people isn’t cool, dude. C’mon. You’re not Double Trouble, so act like it.

Favorite line? Oh, how to pick just one! “Who’s she, never heard of her” is a classic. I’m also fond of “My name is Janus” for obvious reasons, “With conflicting conflicts-of-interest all around, I feel it kind of evens out” because it always makes me laugh, and “The plane is going down. You need to give Thomas some room to breathe” because it is a powerful line and expresses Janus’ care for Thomas, and “You’re just stuck with a snake boy” because dork. But I think I’ll have to go with the line that’s my blog title: “I’ll take care of him.” Simple and supportive and makes me tear up. This snake boy is trying his best.

BrOTP? This works as romantic as well, but I’m a huge fan of platonic Demus/Dukeceit! Remus does the crimes and Janus covers them up. Alternately, Remus does the crimes and Janus tells him how to do them better. They’re an unstoppable chaos duo and I have to respect that. (Besides, I just really like when characters who have trouble with emotional stuff manage to lean on and support each other, okay? Okay.)

OTP? Okay. Okay, see, see, every ship with Janus in it? Wonderful. I can’t...I can’t pick just one! Moceit is top-tier divorced parents soft energy, Roceit is the Dramatic Ship, Loceit is Brain Cell Boys Taking Over the World, and Dukeceit is pure chaos, and Anxceit can be really cute and cathartic. I’m gonna go with Roceit though, just because I have read the best Roceit fics, both before and after PoF. It makes sense for Janus to care for Roman as the ego, and Roman falling in love with someone he views as an enemy is some wonderful angst. Plus, just, the drama. You get it, right? Right.

nOTP? I don’t really have one. I guess I would say Anxceit? I’m more okay with it now, but for a while, they seemed to really hate each other in canon and that kind of turned me off of the ship. Plus there’s a lot of abusive/unhealthy Anxceit out there (which is understandable, especially before Deceit was accepted) and I think that ended up tainting my appreciation for the ship. I’m trying to get more into it, though!

random headcanon? Janus definitely listens to Les Miserables. And Hamilton. And the Great Comet of 1812. And basically any historical musical around. (He probably has a secret passion for Six the Musical that no one is allowed to know about, ever.)

unpopular opinion? Janus will never become fully good, and that’s okay. He’s not meant to be a purely good force. None of the sides are! Even Virgil, who’s a common example of a Side “becoming good,” still acts in his own self-interest. Janus’ arc, whatever it becomes, is not at its core about redeeming Janus for his faults. It’s about Thomas learning how to work with Janus, and Janus doing the same. Acceptance is not the same as redemption, and it shouldn’t be.

song i associate with them? Dancing with a Wolf by All Time Low. Who's gonna listen when you run out of lies? Who's gonna hear you, when your words seem worthless? Who's gonna save you when you're out of time? And who's gonna want you, when you're on your knees, begging"Oh, please take me at my word, I'm desperate I swear, I never meant to hurt no one.

favorite picture of them? This sneaky boy right here (courtesy of our Screenshot Queen @ironwoman359)

This ask game btw!

[alicedoessurveys]

Doctor Who Tag

yes im a nerd...

CHILDHOOD

1. Did you like DW as a child?

I was 10 when it came back on telly with Eccleston and the first episode with the autons scared me so much my mom wouldn't let me watch it again until a couple years later, but yeah my teens I was obsessed with DW... still am at age 25

2. Your age at the time of the revival?

10

3. First DW episode you ever saw?

‘Rose’

4. Did you have any of the toys?

I still have the eleventh doctor’s screwdriver... I used to have some of the figures but there in storage now somewhere

5. Which DW character did you play on the playground?

didn't play it on the playground

6. Monster(s) that scared you most as a child?

all of them! the ones that still scare me now are the Cybermen and the Autons... genuinely cant walk past a shop mannequin without being suspicious 

7. Joke/story you didn’t get as a kid?

as a kid, any of the innuendo type jokes

8. DW opinion that has changed since you were a kid?

idk I think I still have the same opinions

9. Who introduced you to DW?

parents

10. Did you like Sarah Jane Adventures as a child?

I LOVED SJA!! I miss that show, and Elizabeth Slade :(

DOCTOR

11. Who is your Doctor?

Ten was the doctor that made me fall in love with Doctor Who 

12. Your favourite Doctor?

omg why not just ask me who my favourite child is... (I don't have kids but you know what I mean) if I had to chose my top three are ten, eleven and thirteen

13. Least favourite Doctor?

purely just because he doesn't have enough episodes... nine...

14. Best regeneration?

none of them I hate regenerations :( they make me sad, im too emotionally invested in every single one

15. Do you like “Doctor-Lite” episodes?

they're not my faves

16. Who is the most human Doctor?

I think nine maybe? or twelve?

17. Best multi-Doctor story?

the 50th anniversary special 

18. Best Doctor monologue?

“Hello Stonehenge! who takes the pandorica, takes the universe. but bad news everyone, cause guess who? HA! You lot you're all whizzing about- its really very distracting. Could you all just stay still a minute because I AM TALKING. Question of the hour is, who's got the pandorica? Answer, I do. Next question, who's coming to take it from me? Come on, look at me! No plan. No backup. No weapons worth a damn. oh and something else, I don't have anything to lose. So, if you're sitting up there in your silly little spaceship with all your silly little guns and you've got any plans on taking the pandorica tonight... just remember who's standing in your way. remember ever black day I ever stopped you and then- AND THEN- do the smart thing... let somebody else try first.”

not copied and pasted, remember that from the top of my head... its always there waiting in my mind incase I ever need an epic monologue :’)

19, What do you think TenToo/MetaCrisis Doctor is doing now?

hopefully living his best life with Rose

20. Best Doctor/companion pairing?

ten and donna 

COMPANIONS

21. Favourite companion?

Donna, Clara, Amy

22. Favourite secondary companion?

is Mickey classed as secondary? idk

23. Least favourite companion?

Ryan

24. Best TARDIS Team?

Doctor, Amy and Rory

25. Most underrated companion?

Graham, but that may just be cause I love Bradders

26. Most overrated companion?

Rose... I like her but idk, I think she gets more hype than she deserves.. don't @ me

27. Favourite companion’s family?

Rose’s mom

28. Who should have been a companion but wasn’t?

idk I cant think of anyone

29. Favourite (canon or non-canon) DW universe relationship?

Amy and Rory

30. Who did you not used to like, but really like now?

wasn't keen on Bill at first but by the end I really liked her, same with Rory

EPISODES

31. Favourite episode ever?

girl in the fireplace

32. Least favourite episode?

most of Chibnall��s episodes tbh sorry not sorry 

33. Which episodes do you skip?

the regeneration episodes

34. Best two-parter?

Human Nature - Family of Blood

35. Historical, present day or futuristic episodes?

I like them all in there own way but I think present is fave, then historical, then future

36. Episode that will always make you smile?

all of them

37. Episode that will always make you cry?

Rory and Amy’s last episode :’(

38. Best run of episodes?

ugh I cant answer this theres too many 

39. Best cliffhanger?

the end of Spyfall part one when the Master reveals who he is... I was SHOOK

40. Favourite Christmas special?

Voyage of the Damned

SERIES

41. Classic Who or New Who?

new who

42. Favourite series?

four or five

43. Least favourite series?

eleven, I just cant with the writing

44. Which series do you skip?

none

45. Favourite series opening?

eleventh hour

46. Favourite series finale?

Doomsday

47. Best series arc?

Bad Wolf

48. Thoughts on series 11/12?

I adore Jodie Whittaker and her doctor, and although I think 3 companions is too many I do love Yaz and Graham (Ryan is hit & miss). I just think theyve been massively let down by the stories/writing... they’ve tried to hard to tick certain boxes and completely missed what Doctor Who is about for a lot of people.. an escape from the real world into these outrageous unbelievable but lovable fun alien adventures 

49. How much of Classic Who have you seen?

not a lot

50. Who should have had another series?

NINE NINE NINE NINE NINE 

MONSTERS

51. Favourite monster/villain?

the master 

52. Most creative monster?

Weeping Angels, whoever came up with monsters that look like statues and only move when you're not looking at them is genius 

53. Monster(s) that scares you most?

Autons, Cybermen, the creepy dolls from Night Terrors, the ones from Waters of Mars, Weeping Angels

54. Monster you think is too easy to defeat?

idk

55. Least favourite monster/villain?

absorbaloff

56. Monster you want to return?

The Master, I really hope that isn't the last we see of Dhawan

57. In your opinion, what makes a monster good?

being genuinely scary, 

58. Daleks, Cybermen or Weeping Angels?

Weeping Angels

59. Best Dalek story?

Daleks in Manhatten

60. Best one time villain/monster?

my brain has gone blank I cant think of an answer right now 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

61. Torchwood or Sarah Jane Adventures?

SJA

62. Favourite Torchwood Team member?

I haven't watched it all so I couldn't say 

63. Which Torchwood death made you saddest?

again, not watched it all 

64. Do you rewatch COE or MD?

huh

65. Favourite SJA Team member?

Sarah Jane

66. Mr Smith or K-9?

K-9

67. Maria or Rani?

Rani

68. Do you read the comics/novels or listen to Big Finish?

Nope

69. If you do, your favourite additional stories?

n/a

70. Do you like DW analysis (video essays, fan theories, etc)?

yes

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

71. Favourite piece of alien tech?

the sonic, I love how it is so multipurpose except for when it comes to wood 

72. Favourite piece of Murray Gold music?

I am the Doctor - gets me pumped every time 

73. Favourite TARDIS design?

Ten’s Tardis 

74. Has the 2005 era CGI aged well?

actually yeah, I was rewatching the ‘are you my mummy’ episodes the other day and my God when the gas masks emerged from the faces... ooooooof I was like omg how 

75. Favourite Doctor outfit?

eleven or thirteen

76. Monster with the best design?

not really a design more of a costume.. I live Dhawan master’s costume. that shade of purple, oof he so stylish 

77. Best show runner?

idk

78. Best writer?

Gatiss

79. Best opening titles?

eleven’s titles where the Tardis is flying and being zapped is cool but thirteens music hits different 

80. Will DW age well/stay popular in the future?

I hope so, I feel like its lasted this long surely it can last forever.. if the writers don't fuck it up... 

IF YOU WERE IN THE SHOW

81. Time period you’d want to go with the Doctor?

whatever time means Id get to wear the most beautiful costumes

82. Planet/place you’d want to go with the Doctor?

Galifrey, pre-desctruction

83. Doctor you’d most like to travel with?

any of them, please and thank you

84. Companion you’d most like to travel with?

donna, sceso a good laugh but also I feel like she’d look after me 

85. Monster you’d like to defeat/fight?

The Master 

86. If you could go back on your own history (like Father’s Day), where would you go?

back to when I was a toddler, I wanna see what I was like 

87. If you could ask the Doctor anything, what would you ask?

theres too many to ask 

88. Historical figure you’d like to meet?

Shakespeare

89. How do you think you’d meet the Doctor?

id probably be rescued from doing something stupid and then the doc would be like you know what the bitch clearly needs supervision she's coming with me 

90. Would you travel forwards or backwards in time first?

backwards

IF YOU MADE THE SHOW

91. Historical event would you like to see in DW?

Hamilton

92. Issue you’d like to see addressed in DW?

idk 

93. Who would you completely erase from the DW universe?

Ruth

94. One unanswered DW question you’d love to know the answer to?

where is Clara now?

95. Actor/actress you’d like to see play the Doctor?

Phoebe Waller Bridge (or Lin Manuel Miranda)

96. Actor/actress you’d like to see play a companion?

Andrew Scott (yes I did just basically recast fleabag and hot priest)

97. Is DW “too political”?

series 11 got a bit like that 

98. Which characters fate would you changed?

Danny Pink

99. What about DW could be improved?

I think ive made my options about Chibnall pretty clear... 

100. If you could write an episode of DW, any ideas for what you’d do

bring back Jenny, the Doctor / Daughter adventures they would have. I’m actually writing a fic about it if you wanna read.... here