#Like genuinely this community is so nice and fun and I'm having a great time here

[5five5five5five5five5five]

please old man/bookclub five headcanons, I loved ur last post about him!

hope you're feeling okay :]

Gasp!

I'm going to assume normal bookclub bc idk what s4 "bookclub" is. But I can totally ramble off about him in a casual club for books.

*he reads the books too fast and gets more peeved at the others who end up going very very slow. If someone doesn't finish a book, he admittly makes a comment "why are you in a book club if you can't finish a book is beyond me but-" old man shrug. It's not a fight worth having, he's just being a dick.

* brings the members strawberries and other fresh produce when he can. He likes showing off the stuff he grows and brings snacks.

*gets REALLY into the books. It's like he gets a micro fandom to be in every month. He reads it though like 3 times and then listens to the audio book once. Looks up if there's anything else. Maybe even discovers fanfiction...but he tries not to get that desperate.....he's read a few for particularly addictive books.

*has given a huge ramble about how the Great Gatsby would have been better and a lot of stuff settled if Gatsby and caraway kissed. He does it so casually too like he's not trying to make a progressive point or spark bigger queer discussion. He just genuinely thinks that's the answer to the book. More man kissing.

* speaking of, the more queer books they end up reading, the more he questions his everything. He probably has gone up to Viktor about stuff in these books and try to weasel out a "no it's not like that. Your totally a normal cishet man five." but neh it's ALWAYS "yeah that seems very realistic to the queer existence. Why so curious?" And he ends up not being able to admit he connects with said books. Viktor knows but he's not going to hound his brother any time soon. Five knows once he leaves the closet,there's people waiting to be supportive.

*the old ladies there can't stop babying him. He tries very hard to be as old man and as mature as he can but they don't listen and pinch his cheeks and pat his head. He is trying to do less sudden grandma wrist breaking to he takes it for the most part. They can be wrong. He will keep doing what he does. And he hates to admit the attention from women in his age range is nice. Sad he can't make any moves.

* for the holidays the bookclub goes caroling. Five isn't a fan but tags along. They most likely end up at one of his siblings houses and he gets cold feet. They can't see him in a dorky sweater and singing. Last Christmas he threw a fit about sweaters. But if he doesn't move, the club will leave him in the snow. Ruthless old farts.

Allison answers the door. Around 5 old people, 4 local parents and......five??? They stare daggers at eachother as five poorly sings oh holy night with the group. Then leaves. The other members noticed the tension but didn't want to say much.

*Lila tried to join once to get 'in' with the parents that are involved but was so booooored. "Five, no one should be having this much fun talking this much about a book. Period. Im almost concerned that you have finally gone senial."

*if five didn't like a book, he makes a PowerPoint on why and how. He is very detailed in his opinions. He wishes the others would do the same but no body can match his freak.

*he brings mr. Pennycrumb with him bc service dog and everyone there loves him.

* I think everyone assumes five is just a very lonely mentally or physically ill young man and try there best to be nice. He isn't fond of there borderline pity but he enjoys there company none the less.

* Diana from the PTA makes the best lemon cookies. Five eats more than he should.

*on top of book club, they like to take outings together to walk around and see the community. Do easy elderly friendly geocashes and eat at local cafes. Five likes when they go to the library because then they can snoop around for more books.

I hope you like these :3

[failed-inspection]

I just realized I have 124 followers?? Holy shit???? Thank you so much everyone that genuinely means a lot to me waaah

[olderthannetfic]

I know the response to this will be "WRITE FOR YOURSELF!!!1!" but when I look at things I worked really hard to write that have zero comments and the things I threw out there on a whim that actually appear to have made people happy, I feel so much less motivated to write the former. I know I'm supposed to be "doing it for myself" but I don't know what that means. It feels like those 90's movies saying "be yourself" or my therapist saying "be authentic". It's a nice enough sounding thing, but what does it mean? Does it mean writing in obscurity is more pure or more artsy? Is it supposed to be more moral and demonstrate integrity?

There's an agreement in fandom that writing for others is bad. It's impure. It's selfish. But no one has really ever explained why. Nor am I getting much out of writing a story that means a lot to me and getting dead silence in response. I like entertaining others and making them smile.

I can practically feel the, "uh, back in my day fic was hosted on a server and we didn't see hit counts let alone get comments and we were happy with it because we weren't whiny and in need of validation like Gen Z!!!1!" people gearing up to yell in the replies that they're good writers who don't care about comments. That's great for them, and I mean that sincerely. But equally sincerely, how are you supposed to maintain passion for something no one else is interested in? I've been told it's better to get validation via hit counts or bookmarks but numbers don't really do anything for me. Someone saying, "I loved this! Can't wait to see what happens next." can make not just my day but my week.

I know what people say. Fandom isn't a popularity context. It's not social media. You're not supposed to like talking to people about fandom things. But... I do. And the utter silence that is modern fandom - of the 100 last published fics in my fandom, only 10 have comments, and only 4 have regular commenters - is just really not fun to me.

--

Yes, lots of people do think it ~demonstrates integrity~. People who never finish anything.

People who actually succeed at making art will say superficially similar things, but what they mean is "If you write things you aren't actually interested in, you will either burn out or the art won't actually be satisfying to the audience or both".

--

The thing about back in the day is that we only got comments. You're dead wrong about that part. Yes, people whined that there wasn't enough feedback, and they will continue to whine about this until the end of time, but your description misses the most important part about the rose-colored glasses and what people are trying to explain about the past in most of those posts:

We couldn't see the lurkers (hit counts) but we did see some actual interactions. This allowed us to imagine that the comment rate was way higher than it actually was and to see fandom as a close-knit community (which was maybe somewhat more accurate than now but never as true as people believed).

--

You have fundamentally misunderstood what the (saner) posts about this are saying.

You shouldn't care about overall numbers. You should care about meaningful social interactions. Obviously, people like connecting with others via art.

Fandom is not a popularity contest. That's why you should enjoy talking to actual peers about things. Genuine connection is not about being a celebrity with fans: it's about making friends.

--

Some fandoms do have interactions. Maybe if you start interacting with others' works, that will help. Maybe you need a different fandom. "Modern fandom" isn't this total wasteland with no interaction, nor do most people find a total lack of it fun.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - The Stand-in Stands Up (all puns intended)

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

June 2024 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Stand-In (Fri iQIYI) ep 7 of 12 eps - I do enjoy that the other Joe’s past is now coming back to haunt the present. For our Joe, the hits just keep on coming. Meanwhile, I know my heartstrings are being intentionally tugged, but I did feel sorry for Ming in this episode (at the last). And I think Up is doing a great job with this frankly difficult role if he can make me feel anything approaching sympathy for Ming. Ming's breakdown was excellent. Very dramatic.

Wandee Goodday (Sat YT) ep 6 of 12 - These two are entirely boyfriends who just don’t happen to be dating. It’s Schrödinger’s relationship. It's crazy that these two are already sleeping together and I still can’t wait for them to kiss. Very nicely done. Good tension point. This was a really cute episode but nothing much happened.

In other news, the sound effects REALLY bother me in this show. It might have been in the running as a 10/10, except for those fucking sound effects.

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 10 of 16 - I like how the majority of this show is just basically struggling with first love. It’s strangely sweet and innocent as a result. Frankly, right now, I need that - it’s comforting. It’s not exciting, but I can’t deny that thi is the highlight of the middle of my week.

Peem to Phum = use your words. Phum = SMOOCH. 

Bet you all heard this one coming: NO SINGING. 

Note: Satang (Toey) is a fantastic actor. I love the way he changes the physicality of his body for his roles. In this part, he’s kind of loose-limbed and floppy. He doesn't look younger but the way he inhabits his body does.

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 1 of 12 - GeminiForth (AKA G4) are back and glory-be they showed up on YouTube. Still I’m worried it won’t stay there after the Cherry Magic debacle. So I stayed up late that night to gank it. 

Back to the show.

One of the things I’ve always loved about this IP, is how genuine and decent and earnest all of the kids are. They’re all trying so hard not to hurt each other's feelings. It’s all just a terrible case of miscommunication. G4 are perfect casting for these roles. That said, I have the same challenges with this version as I did with the JBL - it’s a bit frenetic and can be clownishly too MUCH for me. 

Meanwhile, the he feeds strays trope has popped up again. 

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 1 of 10 - Trash watch here. MAME warning! I found it rather lacklustre and inoffensive but still managed to invent dildo smores.

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) eps 3 of 12 - Honestly? I’m kind of enjoying watching the friendships develop between the housemates. Of course I know they’re probably gonna all end up sleeping together, but right now the communal easy-going companionship and teasing is the most fun. Other than that, this is an unremarkable Thai BL pulp with better than normal acting and consistency (for a pulp).

Only Boo! (Sun YT) ep 9 of 12 - Moo is the clinginess boyfriend in the entire universe. The thing I think I love best about this couple, and the show, is what great communicators they are. That said they are not great actors. I don’t mean to be rude, and I don’t expect great acting from my Thai BL, but it’s a little rough going sometimes with this pair.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 8 of 10 - It’s taken me a long time, but I finally realized what I dislike about this show. It’s the pacing. Or rather, the lack of it. And I’m not saying that the pacing is necessarily off, in fact this is a typical JBL thing. But for some reason, in this show, I find it particularly annoying.

Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 5-6fin - Honestly, this was a perfectly fine little friends to lovers BL, with better than average kissing from Korea. But for some reason it never really hit for me. The very end was extremely odd. A bit of a disappointment for a longer piece from Strongberry. I think they tried to be too classically BL and that is just not their strength-berry. Strongberry is better when they explore something a little edgy, or a little outside the box. 7/10

It's airing but...

The Last Time (Fri YT?) - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something. Can't find it.

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ???) 10 eps - also I can't find it. Comments from last week suggest this is not my thing anyway, but Lee Long Shi very much IS my thing, so... maybe I'll put it on hold for a bit and y'all can let me know.

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS. How?

You Made My Day (Thai YT) - mini series staring the I Will Knock You couple Tar & Bom, started but I couldn't find it. I also didn't try very hard. Apparently it's cute but basically a 10 min advert.

KWill To Reunite With Seo In Guk, Ahn Jae Hyun in Comeback! For those who don't know the MV for his song Please Don't is a heavy hitting shock tactic BL adjacent piece featuring major Korean actors. (The closest we are likely to ever get.) Look it was a BIG DEAL at the time. Kinda like Kpop's Broke Back Mountain moment. More here:

I don't often report on the Kpop scene but this is very interesting.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

June Releases

6/14 Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru 2 AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai 2 Haime! (Japan movie Gaga?) - Continues the (frankly) lackadaisical story from part 1.

6/15 Sunset Vibes AKA SunsetXVibes (Thailand Sat iQIYI) 12 eps - Star Hunter + MosBank on iQIYI for 12 weeks? If nothing else it's gonna be a wild and sexy ride. A one night stand but "uh-oh he’s my boss," adapted from a web series. I’m game. Maybe it’ll have a better story than Big Dragon? Maybe it will have a plot? We can but hope.

6/26 The Rebound (Thai Weds VIU?) - MeenPing are back in their 3rd BL together, a basketball based romance (Meen was a national basketball player, so yay for that). I like this pair better than most (I still do miss Meen with Est but Est has a fantastic looking new BL coming from GMMTV so yeah...) Anyway I'm up for a sports romance starring a man who, yah know, actually played that sport so... I'm game (pun intended).

(Speaking of, why can't Est be a merman? This... I ask you?.)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Flipping stellar side couple Wandee, thank you.

Love the mains too of course.

This is that funny little unnamed (muli-named) BL/GL something from Korea that's happening on YouTube right now. It's cute! I guess it's falling under the moniker Fake Buddies.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity

@rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[pacific-rimbaud]

i'm curious how do you feel about dramione community now?

i'm a new writer, long time reader and can't help but feel like the fandom and the ship changed so much and i wonder if i even have a place in it anymore.

there's so much demand for the writers from the readers (constant update demands, no willingness to engage with wips) and at the same time i've been in a couple of dramione writer communities where other writers are openly pressuring each other to either start tiktok or finish the fic before posting it (the new dramione writers society discord server specifically).

particularly upset when i see people advising each other to commission art to promote their fic for writing.

it seems like that space for writers to be just writers becomes smaller and smaller and readers are not interested in the fandom but rather the next hot fic that's getting traction.

and all that combined with the overall hatred toward dramione as a ship outside of dramione.

I've genuinely stopped writing because of this. and i'm sad that i lost that one hobby that made me feel good, as it now seems like a popularity contest more than just fandom fun.

you seem like you're able to balance your love for writing with the changed landscape of the fandom. at least from the outside posts :D

DHr grew exponentially in the short time I spent in the ship, and that growth will only accelerate as big name fandom writers continue to enter traditional publishing with seven-figure book and film deals.

Life is change. Change is death. It's okay to grieve what's gone and won't come back.

And I want to add: keep writing. No matter what. But that would be hypocritical. I haven't written in a year, and remain deeply uncertain about whether or not I'll take it up again. It's a real puzzle.

The relevant questions seem to be: why do I want to write? And: what spaces feel nurturing to me as a writer?

The first one's easy. I write because I like the films I see in my head. I like the way language sounds. I like to experience the past, and to be swept away by intense emotions. It's like having a Holodeck in my head. And sometimes, when everything clicks, I get to describe my little bespoke scenarios in words that make a nice sound when they rub up against one another.

I'm waiting on a good answer to the second question. All I know is that art, criticism and commerce have always been an incredibly awkward ménage à trois. No shade to folks seeking to work the fandom algorithm and secure the bag (posting already completed work on a schedule, writing popular tropes and characterizations, and using original art in social media marketing are all great ways to do that). Whether money changes hands or merely attention (which can be converted into money), that's commerce having its turn at the wheel.

I'm suspicious that my creative brain is commerce-repulsed. Maybe yours is, too. So it goes.

I'm certain that we shouldn't let that keep us off the Holodeck.

So. Make a deal with me. I promise to run some freaky little scenarios in the simulator this summer if you'll do the same. Then let's meet in the limestone cave and paint our blorbos by candlelight. Let's tell them around the campfire. Come draw them with me in the sand.

[descendant-of-truth]

When are we gonna acknowledge the fact that the whole "Sonic is super cheerful around Shadow who finds him annoying" thing only started in Shadow the Hedgehog and that this isn't, like. their default

You wanna know what their original dynamic was? Sonic getting ticked off by Shadow's very presence, who would stop in the middle of anything no matter how urgent and time-sensitive it was just to mess with Sonic.

(He got sidetracked from his own mission to save Rouge from THE EXPLOSIVES THAT HE SET because the urge to make fun of Sonic was too strong. what is wrong with him)

And it's Sonic who starts their first fight, by the way. He was clearly taking Shadow much more seriously than the other way around; he genuinely wanted to fight, while I'm pretty sure Shadow just wanted to have some fun and show off. (AS THE BOMB IS STILL TICKING)

But at the same time, most likely because he was having fun, he seemed to be hoping that Sonic would prove himself to be something more than just... Some Guy. Why else would he seem disappointed that Sonic could be killed? And so impressed (dare I say proud) when it turned out that he survived by using Chaos Control with a fake Emerald?

All of the animosity was on Sonic's end - Shadow was the one who wanted someone to rival him. He never disliked Sonic, or found him annoying to be around. If he did, he wouldn't have spent so much time around him to begin with.

And they were somehow like this in Heroes, too. Despite his amnesia, Shadow once again listens to Sonic talk for a few seconds and immediately decides that he needs to taunt him. Searching for the answers to his identity can wait, he just thought of a great comeback and needs to style on this random hedgehog for a bit

Then you've got the absolute whiplash of Shadow's game, where all of a sudden Sonic is Super Friendly towards Shadow, who's having none of it. Even if you try to make the argument that Sonic is trying to be friendlier on purpose because he wants to bond with Shadow more, the game portrays it as if this is just How Sonic Is.

Sure, I'd expect him to be picking fewer fights with Shadow when they're working together to save the world, but he's like. borderline giddy all the time. it's kinda funny but so, so confusing in the grand scheme of things.

Sonic 06 gave a much more sensible portrayal of how the two would talk to each other after they're done being enemies, I think. There's a little bit of rivalry in there, but it's not born out of them conflicting with each other. There's no hesitation to work together, no grumbling from Shadow, and Sonic isn't being uncharacteristically excitable about it.

(Plus they retained the silent communication thing they had going at the end of SA2, which is nice)

Unfortunately, 06 was the first and only time that we would see the two of them written this way, as friends who maybe don't "hang out" but aren't the type to bicker or turn everything into a competition at the expense of practicality.

There was no hesitation to the respect they had for each other, either, which is easily the most baffling part of their current portrayals. Not even their Boom counterparts had any hangups about that, and they were legitimately antagonistic towards each other most of the time.

Case in point, I think it's very easy to look at their designs and put them into stereotypical little boxes where Sonic is the ray of sunshine while Shadow is too edgy to find him anything but annoying, but that's just. not how they are at all, and the actual ways their personalities used to bounce off of each other was both funnier and more interesting in my opinion

[nick-nocturne]

Hi Nick! It's Slendy from your chat last night. I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for such a fun and interactive stream. Truth be told I've been... in a bit of a bad rut mentally as my physical health seems to be in a steady decline as of recently. But you and your community really helped brighten up an otherwise dark outlook on life last night during your Slender: The Arrival stream. I know it might not seem like you did much, but last night you and your chat helped put a spark back into a light I thought was snuffed out long ago. Interacting with people, having a genuine giggle and a laugh over a spooky game I know way too much about that I'm... honestly too scared to play, was so, so nice. Like I can't even put it into words how nice it was.

It felt great to be a part of a community again.

And I have you to thank for that. 💖

Until then I'll try to focus on my health and not let the cards life's dealt me get me down. But if my internet ever gets better, I definitely want to try picking up streaming again thanks to you. :) It was one of the things that I honestly enjoyed doing in my spare time.

Btw here's this lil guy that I take care of. He just turned 10 last month. :) His name is Tony.

Bless you, Slendy, and bless Tony, too! I'm very glad (and know my community would be as well) to know the stream did anything positive for you. It's tough to go through hardship like this, but finding the light is what gets us through, and if the stream granted you that, then it's quite worth it to be streaming. ::3 Thank you!

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for sort of ignoring when my boyfriend is upset?

My boyfriend struggles with some depression, and I'm of course supportive, as someone with a lot of mental health issues myself. We're generally very communicative about a lot of things.

The thing is, sometimes he's clearly upset about something or talks badly about himself, but in a way where he's sort of dropping obvious hints without saying something like "I'm really upset" or "I could use support right now." For example, I'll be talking about something I did with my friends, and he'll say something like "that's great, I'm glad you had fun! I wish people liked me enough to do fun stuff like that." And I don't really know how to respond? Like I wasn't trying to gloat or anything, I just tell him about things in my life. And I know he's genuine when he says he's glad I had a good time or whatever. He's just really really insecure.

There was a time recently, for example, when a friend had offered to take pictures of me outside of a party we were both at. I told him that I was going outside and he asked if he should come with, and I said sure! Afterwards he was really torn up about whether he was supposed to come outside with me or if I was just saying that to be nice, but like I wish he trusted me in that me saying yes means I'm saying yes. If I didn't want him to come with, I would have said no. I don't really have any issues with saying no to people.

Previously I was reassuring him when he brought these sorts of things up, but to be frank it's gotten kind of tiring. There's only so many times I can say "you're a good person who is fun to be around and I like you" until it gets on my nerves. It feels like what I say doesn't make any impact on him, which I know isn't his fault, but it's frustrating for me. So I'm kind of like. Why bother repeating the same thing again and again if it isn't making a difference?

Also, because I anticipate this being brought up, I've asked for support explicitly before and he's given me support. It kinda feels like he cares about supporting me more than he cares about himself, which is sweet and all but I don't like that. I want him to care about himself too. I've told him this, and told him he can ask me for support when he needs it.

For the record, the times where he has explicitly said he's not doing well/needs support I've offered it. If he says "I really need a hug next time we hang out" or whatever, I'll do it. I just sometimes feel like an emotional nanny to be honest, because it feels like I have to be on alert for these hints or whatever and take care of the insecurity.

So, am I the asshole for not responding to my boyfriend's upset feelings unless he explicitly states them and/or asks for support?

What are these acronyms?

[bleachbleachbleach]

Me, moping!

Sharing fanfic is such a depressing hobby. You know that gift exchange fic I took time away from WRITING MY LONG-STANDING WIP to write? I spent weeks on it! I tried like four different versions of it, and it spent a lot of time genuinely not being very good; but I kept working on it, and I worked on it until I thought it was good, and by the time I submitted it I actually really liked it. I've gone back to read it a few times since and been like, damn, this is good actually!! And I was excited for it to post.

It posted this week, aaaaand my giftee did not like it. They left a three sentence comment and none of those sentences were about anything they, uh... enjoyed. Which made me cry on this, a MONDAY.

I've said this before, but I really, for real, need to not do gift exchanges anymore. Because writing a fic for someone creates this sort of obligation where now they HAVE to read it, even if under normal circumstances they would not. And that feels bad. (But then, if they don't feel obligated to read it and ignore it outright, that also feels very bad.) This is a lose/lose.

And then someone else posted about how much they VEHEMENTLY hated the gift fic they received, too. They said they knew the author wasn't going to see their comments (though the exchange is currently anonymous--how would they know?), but I am one of the people who runs the exchange, and it was in a place *I* very much would see it? Which like, I guess people are entitled to venting (that's what I'm also doing right now I guess!). But it makes me really sad that they would 1) post publicly to say negative things about someone's fic in a way that made it REALLY easy to identify exactly which specific fic they were talking about, instead of at least speaking in generalities about characterizations things they don't like, and 2) not care if I saw how much they hated their gift. Because it makes me feel like, do they want me to see it?? What do they want me to do about it? I don't want to do anything about it. The person obviously put a lot of work into their gift; it's not like they just dashed off some garbage they didn't care about. So, yeah, this is a great hobby!

I'm trying to focus on the fact that *I* like the fic I wrote, even though ngl I currently like it less than I did before. 😐 I also really enjoyed checking in with my friend as we write/struggled to write our fics, in solidarity with each other. That was so much fun! And I have really enjoyed working with that same friend in running the exchange. And overall people have worked really hard on their gifts and been fairly communicative with us as mods, and there have only been a few weirdos to deal with.

I hope someone is nice to me tomorrow because oh my god, it is ONLY MONDAY.

[writingjourney]

I’m in need of some advice and kind words. As a fellow writer I’m really struggling to believe people will and want to read my stuff. There’s no real engagement anymore and I’m worried that if I post my long-form fic that no one will give it a chance. It’s really bringing me down because I love it so much but it feels like no matter what I try to do my stuff just doesn’t get seen or liked? I’ve even thought about changing my entire way of how I do things since I don’t think the way I write is working for the masses. How do you keep up the motivation as a popular writer and do you have an advice?

Hello anon!! I feel like this is something many of us currently deal with. And first of all I seriously hope that you do share your story!! ♡

To be completely honest with you the lack of engagement in the fandom has for sure impacted my own motivation which is why I haven't been putting as much time into longer fics (nor the Friday Nights series or IKNBS, I do write but I refuse to force myself). I don't feel any urgency because uploading fics hasn't made me as happy as it used to. It feels like only other active writers are reading fic atm and it creates a lot of pressure on creatives to stay super active.

I'm aware that I'm insanely privileged to have the engagement that I do have, that the type of stories I want to write are also the type of stories that generally seem to appeal. However, engagement tells you NOTHING about the quality of your work, only how many people are active in a fandom or like a specific pairing/character/trope. Your own unique voice matters more than numbers.

I also notice that a lot of people who used to read my works have disappeared which I completely understand. The fixation can ebb away during times of inactivity or when a certain hype dies down. People just don't get that dopamine hit anymore and move on. It's also entirely possible they get tired of a certain style of writing and prefer other writers at times, what do I know. I definitely don't blame anyone for that. First and foremost people should read for their own enjoyment and engage with fandom in a way that makes them happy. It makes no sense to pressure people into engaging. A huge issue right now is people overthinking these things which makes support transactional instead of genuine.

I don't care much about notes but I REALLY miss the feeling of sharing a fic with people who are excited for it, that sense of an active community. BUT the activity will come back – the movie will come out, new music and videos, heck even a whole new Papa!!! That's the natural flow of things. We can't be excited and super active all the time, we need phases of calmness as well (which is an act of rebellion in the capitalist hellscape of overproduction and churned out content. I am honestly glad Ghost is taking it easy).

Now, I recommend you write your story exactly how you want to!!! do NOT change it for the sake of popularity because it will lose its very soul and you will struggle to be happy with it by the end. You know how you want to tell your story and nothing else matters. It will find its readers or you can wait and share it at a later point. I recommend that you approach other writers and readers and intensify that contact, make friends and talk to them about your stories, hype each other up, share snippets. It's even more meaningful to know people you like enjoy what you do. I am currently working on super niche fics for non-Ghost characters and I'm honestly having a great time chasing that dopamine by just writing what I'm really into and sharing it with friends. Fandom is community, fandom is fun and we can work to make it better for everyone.

A few general tips when it comes to making stories accessible: Format them to be readable (paragraphs!!), add a "read more" break, add proper content information and a nice summary to draw people in, add some visual appeal like a banners or stock image edits (like i do for IKNBS) and then tag the fics with relevant tags (and only those). Also make sure to tag the OG post, tags on reblogs do nothing for reach. Engage with the community when you feel like it and it's likely that the community will engage back. Being supportive is worth it, being kind is always worth it even if it amounts to nothing.

[suzie-bee]

Oughhh it's hard to pick cause I have a bunch of faves (I'm looking at you, grain guy, goodtimes and canary man) but right now I'm gonna go with Impulse. What a guy /pos

He's just so,,,,??? He just gives off such warm and genuinely good vibes? He just seems like such a genuinely nice person towards the people he plays and hangs out with. And his Phas streams are so much fun. Idk, he always just puts a smile on my face

Plus, for c!Impulse I love me a nice and kind character juxtaposed with the horrors around him (the life series death games). very fun and cool, also c!Impulse gives the greatest hugs I'm sure of it

Jimmy is also up there and it's so hard to choose between the two honestly aksjhdh

he's great, wet cat of a man etc etc, love how he (the cc) interacts with the community, love the Canary Curse and putting his character In Situations to the point where my entire headcanon AU seems to have become centered around it, and apparently if I'm not hyperfixating on his character in some form every few months even when I'm otherwise entirely out of the mcyt community for a while i will explode actually??

(sorry for the ramble, cannot keep things brief for the life of me)

impulse looks like he gives good hugs and jimmy definitely looks like he needs one a lot of the time

[phantom-clock]

do you have any jjba fic recs? :]

oh, i have been waiting for this question. I have so many recs.

·Starting off with: STARDUST CRUSADERS (mainly Jotakak, sorry lmao)

"You'll see what you want to see" by CassTheCringe on AO3 - I love love love this one! It's essentially just a really in character interaction between the team, very short and fun. I have to add though, there is quite a bit of foreshadowing for their inevitable fates which is gut wrenching. 4k words.

"He's bad news but i'm no better" by on AO3 - This. this right here. This is somehow PEAK jotakak despite being a gen fic, not intended to be slash. It's insane. This is an AU fic in which kakyoin arrives at the prison to kill jotaro before he has a chance to meet joseph and avdol. After various events, they proceed to leave to egypt together, kakyoin still sporting his fleshbud, and jotaro STILL convinced his stand is an evil spirit. It's great. 80.6k words. Jotakak? arguably? technically platonic?

"In the wrath of dawn" a collection by minamimaru on AO3 - Not sure how to describe this one, but it's a three parter in which kakyoin deals with having been conditioned to fear sunlight by Dio when he lived within his mansion. Interesting idea, good execution. Total word count of 9.3k. Jotakak.

"stand by me" a collection by SourisWriter on AO3 - This one is fluff! It handles stand sentience, which is a concept i adore. In the words of the author: "Stand By Me is series exploring how Star Platinum's and Hierophant Green's unique actions intersect with the steadily evolving relationship between Jotaro and Kakyoin." Total word count of 12k. Jotakak.

"Creep" by Rigmaroler on AO3 - A fun and short oneshot partially told from the perspective of jotaro and kakyoin's classmates after they return from Cairo. Just them being inexplicably odd. 3k words. Jotakak.

"Facets" by Cosmic_dandelion on AO3 - Probably one of my favorite explorations of jotaro and kakyoin's relationship. A 5+1 fic in which jotaro tries to learn more about kakyoin after the yellow temperance fight. I also really like this author's take on kakyoin! 20k words. Jotakak. Background Avpol.

"It'll have to do" by CassTheCringe on AO3 - Kakyoin's scarf rips and he's bitchy about it. While still being in character. It's impressive on the writer's part. Jotaro mends it during the night. this CAN be read as either slash or gen, but i'll be tagging the ship anyway. 4k words. Jotakak.

·Now: DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE (there are definitely not as many fics here as i'd like there to be, especially not about the main gang, but i haven't been able to find much yet. might add to this later.)

"Walk with me/Try again" by CasstheCringe on AO3 - Warning for heavy themes. Read the tags. This one is genuinely incredible, this is a genuine hard recommend from me, it is so good. The summary, in the author's own words: "Part 4 AU where Kakyoin is alive but at a cost. As he figures out how to pay that cost, he tries to help wrangle the Morioh kids while also trying not to strangle Jotaro (it'd be nice if they could also learn how to communicate again too, but Kakyoin attempts to be realistic)." Jotaro and Kakyoin are NOT on good term in this one. 218k words. Pre jotakak.

"Caught somewhere in time" by ilikedolphins (nuinsli) on AO3 - Time loop fic centered around Jotaro. It's interesting. 14.5k words.

"Homebound" by Crowned_Ladybug on AO3 - This is very much found family, in which okuyas believes he has no family, until he finds out he does. Also, trans Okuyasu which is neat. Mainly just a character study, but i like it a lot. 3k words. Josuyasu. background jotakak. (in the author's own words, they refuse to write part 4 without kakyoin lmao)

"The Best-laid Plans" by deuil on AO3 - An insanely fun oneshot in which josuke really wants to see what jotaro's hiding under his hat. 4k words.

·Next up: GOLDEN WIND/VENTO AUREO

"Call it selfishness, call it fate" by BlueWonder on AO3 - Starting off incredibly strong with what may be genuinely my favorite fic for all of part 5. Warnings for heavy angst! read the tags! This is a time loop fic, my favorite trope, in which GER gives Giorno a second, third, fourth... chance to save his friends. It's great. Hard recommend. 24k words.

"Passione speedrun any percent (world record)" by nihilego on AO3 - I know you've already read this, but it's so good i wanted to leave this here for anyone who stumbles upon this list lmao. Essentially, a retelling of golden wind except giorno is the only one in the bucci gang with a stand. It's great. 17.8k words. Fugio. Bruabba.

"To love someone is firstly to confess: I am prepared to be devastated by you." a collection by heartstone on AO3 - In which Giorno is taken in by his savior as a child. 10.8k words.

"Riempire il vuoto" by ThisLittleViolet on AO3 - Probably my favorite Dhampir Giorno fic on ao3. Narancia is hit by an enemy stand that can starve someone to death in hours, the catch? this stand can be passed on to someone else if the one affected consents to it. Giorno is hesitant to take it. I think you can see where this goes. (also, interesting tidbit, the story occurs from Fugo's POV, which is fun). 13k words.

"Baby i'm a star" by DairyFarmer on AO3 - Okay. Gonna get this out of the way first. This does has a little bit of giomis. Which i'm personally not a fan of. But the rest of the fic is so good that i'll let it slide. This one is told from Bruno's point of view. Basically, giorno used GER to go back to where it all began and change things himself. Meanwhile, Bruno, as an outsider, is just ??? at the new boss that seems to favor so much for no apparent reason. 9.4k words. Giomis. (regrettably)

"Unbiased opinion/a boss who cares" by Melon_noodle_boi on AO3 - a fun fic in which, during an inspection on a passione team, giorno gets mistaken as a new recruit. He takes advantage of this to get n honest reading on how they work. It's fun. Great use of OCs . 19k words. Maybe giomis, not really, can be read as platonic thankfully.

"Blood is thicker" by JustAnotherFool on AO3 - Your basic dhampir Giorno reveal fic, still really good though. 9.5k words.

"Boys will be bugs" by sunflowergiorno on AO3 - "5 times Giorno Giovanna talks about bugs with the other members of Bucci's gang, and the ways he teaches his teammates to appreciate them--and is appreciated himself." This is a relationship study, and i really enjoyed it! 10k words.

"Weep, and you weep alone" by bagelistyping on AO3 - In which Giorno gets affected by a stand that causes time to stretch out and feel impossibly slow when the affected party is alone. Whump. 4.4k words.

"In the blood" by RainHarmonia on AO3 - Giorno thought he was just sick, turns out he's a dhampir. 3.8k words.

"Where is my mind?" by Balimaria on AO3 - Giorno is affected by a stand that brings out the deppest, most animalistic parts in people. Which kind of sucks when your dad was a vampire. 6.6k words.

·Finally: MISCELLANEOUS FICS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH OF FOR THEIR OWN SECTION

"Cards of fate" by RedThistle on AO3 - alright, i'm going to need you to trust me on this one. It's a JJBA x MCU crossover. It's a fun and simple 5+1 fic in which various mcu characters meet jjba characters and are just ??? about stands. It's great. Trust me. 6.9k words. Subtle josuyasu.

"Jojo's Bizarre engagement" by Mikomikono on AO3 - Your typical fake relationship fic, but make it caejose! The writing is fun, and the author definitely has the characters down. I still haven't finished this one, but it's great so far! 125k words. Caejose. Obviously.

[mikuni14]

Sugar Dog Life Ep 2-3 There's practically nothing going on in this series in terms of romance, I don't even feel any chemistry or anything between the MLs, and yet I really enjoy watching it - mainly because of Isumi 💖 What a cute and charming character, the actor is just just perfect. He's not only charming in appearance, with his big eyes and sweet face, but he's also a great character, so ineresting and lively. I love his inner voice, he's like the best seiyuu who can perfectly convey all emotions with his voice, and who is also naturally comical. I love all the sounds he makes, his "tch" 😒 "uuaahh" 😧 and stuff. Tanaka Koki as Isumi is 10/10. The funny thing is, I ship him more with his schoolmate who he's constantly fighting with lol. I genuinely like this show, I don't even care about the romance tbh, probably because it's non-existent anyway and I didn't have time to get invested, like in I hear the sunspot 😄

Cosmetic Playlover - Ep 4-6 I also like this series, the MLs have intense, interesting lives, their careers, I also like how their romantic and work lives are shown with all the good and bad things. I like how the pride, ethic and commitment to work and support in a good team are shown but also the toxicity of relationships between envious coworkers, bullying, overworking, building their careers, ect. I really like how they talk to each other a lot, how they screw up but apologize and try to explain themselves. I like how they discuss themselves, their feelings, their relationship. I like that uke is not shown as a helpless doll to be possessed and controlled by a "perfect" seme who seems to know everything. I like how they are different from each other and how this relationship works for them despite these differences, how they try to understand and complement each other. I like watching their efforts to make their relationship happen and work. I REALLY liked that a character writes a sincere, emotional text to their beloved and SENDS IT. In 99% of these types of scenes, someone writes a heartfelt text about their feelings and then deletes it, creating another drama...

I'm praising this series now because the trailer suggests that the next episode will suck and all their healthy communication will go to hell in the name of the most hated tropes ever, like "noble sacrifice" and "I know what's best for you without asking you about it" lol But for now - this is a really nice little series 😊

Takara's Treasure - Ep 7-8 I'm still fascinated/mortified by this relationship and how it's presented. Takara, who is perfectly aware and in tune with his feelings, his experiences, traumas, needs. He can identify and name what he feels, as well as control himself and his feelings. And Taishi, who can't do any of that. Takara, who consciously leads his own life and Taishi, who is unable to do anything, make any decision on his own without the influence of others, without asking them what he should do, even for others to tell him what he feels. Takara, who has his own life and Taishi, who has Takara's life, who built his entire being around him, went to his university, constantly checks what he likes, stalks him and stares at him to catch even the slightest changes in his face, completely losing himself in what Takara wants, likes, feels, putting him on a pedestal where everything Takara does and likes is perfect. Even their date, which was shown as Takara wanting to know what Taishin likes, actually IS about Takara. Taishin is constantly making sure that Takara is having fun, that the food is to his liking. It is significant, for example, that Taishin never says "I'm hungry/ I'm thirsty, let's go eat something, what do you think?" he just has to make sure that Takara wants it first. There is no "I" in Taishin's life, it's only senpai. And their scene from the previous episode, when Taishin is scared of Takara's reaction (!!) and literally shrinks and tries to appaer smaller when Takara tells him to come closer and when he sits there crying and small and it all ends with a kiss - ngl, as an adult woman, the only thing I felt for Taishin at that moment was the need to comfort him that no, honey, no one is mad at you and maybe call his mom. I'll be honest, I have no idea how someone could think at that moment: yes, I want to kiss this terrified, lost, emotionally undeveloped person. Maybe because of my age, maybe because people who need to be taught about life and their own feelings remind me too much of children for my own comfort, but I will never understand this type of relationship portrayed as something romantic and cute. Maybe in the manga it makes sense and has a different tone and there Taishin is not so blatantly childish, but simply innocent and an airhead. But the series Taishin IS mentally a child (and in behavior, movements and speech), especially compared to the mature, self-aware Takara. This relationship is not and will never be equal, which can be seen in literally every aspect (including the way they walk together, Takara always in front, Taishin toddling timidly behind), which will never be healthy. No matter how much Takara sincerely likes Taishin now. Because leading someone through life who should be your equal and support you exactly the same in life, but is not, is not possible in the long run. At some point Takara will also need help and support, something that can't be fixed with a smile and a crystal ball. And it may turn out that this relationship stands entirely on Takara, on his strength and his leadership.

I Hear the Sunspot - Ep 9 Wow, 3 episodes in a row when I don't have a good time, and only feel frustration and bitterness. I feel like I have to praise them for their commitment lol

[goemon-fan]

I apologize for my very extended absence, school has been a lot right now and I've been nonstop completing assignments, tests, notes, and assigned readings, which leaves me little time to watch or post anything. My situation should change in about two weeks, and then I can get back to Goemon posting.

But the reason I'm making this post is to thank the Tumblr community so much for being filled with nice people. I sometimes feel logging onto this account comes with the expectation of making a whole post, so I haven't been using Tumblr for leisure and have instead been using other sites. For obvious reasons I've stayed away from Twitter, and the only other social media I really understand is Reddit, and it's been rough. (The next paragraph is really frustrating and bigoted in every way possible, and then some. Also this is a rant/vent.)

I once said something along the lines of "we shouldn't judge people for their weight" and my inbox got flooded with hate from people accusing me of being woke, sensitive, overweight, and the usual insults. I went into a post about one of my interests and got hit with great replacement theory. Moderators, especially on mainstream subreddits, just allow people to say that all Palestinians and Palestinian supporters are terrorists. A guy posted a comic about how he believed his pregnant wife, and pregnant women as a whole, should get more praise and appreciation, and people in the comments assumed he was the wife and said he was having a "pity party." I would get recommended subreddits that were filled with videos and pictures of people actually dying, and one of the mainstream "interesting (rest of subreddit name)" subreddits was overfilled with people just posting torture devices and methods of killing people. People use AITA to create fake stories in which an LGBTQ+ person/fat person/person of color/woman is evil and ugly and treats everyone terribly, and totally-not-bigoted people would flood the comment section with "see, this is why I don't like [group of people]!" In one story a nonbinary 18 year old who was rude and mean to their single mother and didn't believe in any method of birth control because it was feminizing got pregnant with their anti-abortion religious trans girlfriend who gropes people, and Redditors were taking the story with dead seriousness. And, of course, there was a widespread mentality on Reddit that "Idiocracy was a documentary" (I have heard that phrase way too many times in my life at this point) and everyone nowadays is stupid and that Redditors have 150+ IQs and that eugenics is good actually 😊.

This isn't anyone on Tumblr's fault, and I'll likely be using Tumblr more often, but I've been in a negative cycle of overburdened with work - go on Reddit to relax - see something upsetting - get even more stressed out - get back to work - overburdened with work and stressed out, for weeks if not months at this point.

This is very much a rant and I'm sorry for subjecting you all to it, but I would very much like to thank Tumblr users for being normal. You all are a genuine light in my life and I love the community present on here, and I appreciate each and every one of you for your ability to be kind and have fun. Thank you 👍

[swearyshera]

Alice,

I've loved being able to read Sweary She-Ra through the years. I happened upon it only a few months after finishing She-Ra (I was late to the party due to not having Netflix, oops), and it gave me so much wonderful content to keep my excitement for the series alive.

The way you explored the characters, especially Catra's mental health and her relationship with Shadow Weaver, helped give me a new understanding and greater appreciation of them. I bring up Catra specifically because, I'll be honest, I wasn't a big Catra fan for awhile. I liked her well enough, then kinda didn't in season 4, but grew fond of her again around season 5. But you helped me understand her thought-process, and I came to like her more because of it. I really like that you also handled her in a nuanced way, where, as you've said many times, you explained her behavior without excusing it, and that made all the difference.

One of the things I really appreciated about your take on She-Ra was how apparent your intelligence was, as well as your writing skill. It wasn't just "Catra says fuck and Glimmer has killed dozens," even though it could have been--you went the extra mile (or kilometer, since you're British :P) and gave us a variety of jokes, as well as mood shifts from comedic to tragic to dramatic to hopeful. All of the characters felt like themselves, even though they were pushed up to 11 and had some creative liberties taken, such as Frosta being a demon and Hordak's Geordie accent. You had a good handle on all of them, which can be very hard to do with a large cast, especially one written by another writer.

I also really appreciated that you took the time to answer asks and build a community here. It gave us lovely jokes such as Bob (that's right, I haven't forgotten about him), Catra's age, and Entrapta reading our comments. I've always been very shy online, but seeing you having such nice interactions with fans helped me open up, and I'm glad I did! I used to ask anonymously from time to time (yes, my first ask was about DT, all the way back during your start on season one, what else would it be? XD), and I'm glad I've gotten to chat and joke with you, as have the rest of us.

I'm so glad that you stuck with this and created such a wonderful fan-series. We never got a movie, but this was just as good, in my opinion. It was like watching SPOP for the first time all over again. I'm excited to see what you create next, be it SPOP-related or not. I hope the future has great things in store for you.

You brought us laughs, tears, and spectacular Glimmer-swears, and your blog means so much to so many people. You mean so much to so many people. I hope you find success in your future endeavors!

FOR THE HONOR OF GAYSKULL!

What can I say, it's truly been an honour (of Gayskull) to write something that I had no idea brought so much to many people. I'm genuinely quite humbled by the reaction.

I always wanted to be fair to all the characters, to show their reasons without necessarily validating the invalid stuff that they've done, and that particularly came across with Catra. It's no secret that I see a lot of parallels between her and my own history, but I've applied the same take-no-shit but be kind approach that I took with myself over the years. And I've learned a lot about mental health during that time, so I could give that sometimes painful realism, but also know just how to make fun of it in the right way.

In some ways, I feel like the characters I've written have taken on their own personality that's very distinct from the original, and that's probably why I think there's a little more mileage in them yet. Both in terms of original stuff (my pilot script Snowflakes has almost 1:1 versions of DT and Perfuma!), but also in the possibility for creating more Sweary stuff, and that is slowly taking shape - although I am taking it easy for a bit, I've already outlined a story which I'd love to make into an audio drama. Currently workshopping it with a couple of people, so watch this space...

It has been a joy to get so many asks from people, yourself included, and my inbox will always be open. I'm not going anywhere for a while! You were very much my DT-asker-in-chief, and I'm super glad you enjoyed their scenes (heck, you even got them a cameo at the end!). So thank you immensely for the support.

I'm happy I've been able to contribute to a wonderful fandom in such a way, and I'm eager to keep on giving back to a community that has given me so many amazing friends.

FOR THE HONOR OF GAYSKULL!

[dootznbootz]

hello, sorry it's me again, you've basically become my comfort blog-

I was on reddit and out of curiosity typed in "Circe rant" because idk, I was feeling salty about the book.

I saw a post that had some legitimately good reasons and indicated that this is all just the person's opinion.

But when I checked the replies everyone was just disagreeing with them and being very rude?

Like, they complained about how the book doesn't feel feministic because Circe isn't that likable of a character? And then half the replies were "Uhh she's supposed to be morally gray" "I disagree, Madeline told her story very well." "What gave you the impression this book was supposed to be feministic??"

(Disregarding half the reviews on the cover are calling it a "great feministic piece")

I was kinda pissed so I went to post my own thought about why I really dislike Miller's take on Circe. And 80 present of the replies were just flaming me-

Some guy said people can interpret her anyway they want because she's not real. Someone said I should be more humble and that I just don't like Circe as a character (which is not true). And so on.

Something I've seen is that the Circe book fans are so sensitive good god- Whenever someone criticizes their book they go full defensive mode. Trying to reason with you when most of the time you're the one who actually knows more about the actual character-

They act like all of our concerns on the book actually have a reason and make sense? Honestly, props to us for being bold enough to voice our concerns on a book that basically has a cult following-

Again, really sorry for coming here to bother you. I'm just salty and I genuinely really like your takes

That's really sweet that you feel safe and comfy on my blog. That's what I'm trying to be. Thank you 🥹

You're not bothering me <3 I can understand being salty about the book. It makes me salty too. It's why it's honestly good to block the tags and avoid most of that stuff. Make friends and find the community that actually understand what actually went down in the Odyssey and what happened to Odysseus. There are plenty on here! :D Also quite a few who have really neat and fun stuff about Odyssey Circe while still being respectful of Odysseus!

I don't recommend trying to fight with these folks. It's frustrating but they're not gonna change their mind. As they don't want to. Inform and educate sometimes especially if people ask but don't waste so much energy on it. It's not good for you. It's okay to vent and rant but I don't recommend searching it out. <3 You'll just stress yourself out :D

I think the book is almost like, the most "basic angry feminist shlock in a bland and easy to consume can for pre-teens" book, you know? And that's why so many people cling to it. I can see SOME people taking comfort in the anger maybe?? But idk. Anyways it has so many classic "YA shit". Girlboss who has "no flaws and can do no wrong" who actually isn't a very nice person (what's with so many characters being so mean and moody???), the mean, MEAN men who are just soooo awful to her and try to push her down. The other women who are just slutty and so dumb. They don't get it. etc. etc.

I think it's a lot of younger fans who are JUST starting to see a lot of "adult shit" and it's scary so it's nice to have...idk this?? I don't understand it. As I was never really one to be into that or really even behave that way. Odysseus is much relatable and hopeful as insane as that is.