#With thanks to Reverdies who asked the original questions.

[brooklynislandgirl]

A long time ago, my dear mutual @Reverdies {an amazing writer} sent me a general question about shipping and as I’ve a lot of asks that span the gamut from platonic to romantic, and some new friends {{hi! new friends}}... I thought I’d clean it up and repost it. ~*~ As the custodian of several blogs, not to mention an infinity amount of discord channels, I find shipping in all its forms to be interesting: Romantically, platonically, spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically... I. The first thing I absolutely look for in any writing is chemistry with the other mun. Shipping is a delicate thing regardless of the nature, whether it’s making friends or choosing the right person to be your eternal nemesis, and everything in between. For me, I have to trust the person on the other end with complicated emotions. Even if you’re ‘faking it’ in fiction, there’s so many things you’re taking on faith that the other person understands. Therefore, if I feel like I can’t talk to / laugh with / share my own thoughts and feelings with the person on the other side of the screen... well, I’m certainly not going to engage my muses with theirs, either. II. The second thing I look for is chemistry with muses. Some of my muses {{and I certainly am not looking hard at Beth}} are much friendlier, if not more charismatic than others {{Riley, Quothe, Lugh}}. But I also believe that you can’t *make* anyone love you, or love your muses, just by telling them they will. {{Experiment concluded in depth.}} I will say though that I don’t mind writing crushes/squishes, I do not mind one-sided relationships, and honestly a couple of my favourite stories happen to have a muse who is absolutely in love with someone that doesn’t exactly share those feelings, and it’s STILL okay.  III. The third thing I’m not always capable of pulling off but love as a general concept is...the Slow Burn.  Some of my muses are mentally/emotionally scarred. Others are on the demi-ace end of the sexuality spectrum, or they may have other relationship challenges. Sometimes they don’t even realise when a platonic relationship has a strayed into the romantic, sometimes they don’t want to realise this has happened. I know for a fact that one wouldn’t notice they were in the ocean if a shark swam up, bit them on the behind, then handed them a very soggy explanatory pamphlet about how the ship has sailed and in fact the muses have been married for fifteen years already. I’m really very sorry about that, mun who knows exactly who you and your muse are.

IV. Generally though.. {aka: TL;DR} I am pretty much open to most kinds of situations, and am willing to work with my writing partner to decide how to handle things on a case-by-case basis. Got an idea for pre-established relationship? Great! Please share it with me. Slow Burn? Bring it on. Is it all just one giant dream-sequence production in seven acts with musical interludes? Please Tell me Hozier is the lyricist. Are they Best Friends Til the End? Yeah, buddy! About the only thing I am NOT usually up-for is Insta-ship, just add muse. A.K.A: Porn without plot. A.K.A: The Smut That Ate San Francisco. It’s not really my genie gig. ~love and shakas, Turtle