#and then my brain aka the angst factory was like

[thebeckster]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @emeraldhazeart, thank you so much!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

85 total, across 2 separate accounts and including some ~Secret Works~ (aka Anonymous fics) that aren't listed on my main work count.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,147,857. I have been writing for a very long time and my posts on AO3 go back to my earliest fics from ~2008.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The bulk of my fics are either Star Wars, Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, and Rune Factory. But I've been known to dabble in other fandoms when the muse strikes.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Gonna focus on my main account because otherwise I know at least half of the list would be [Redacted] (because ~secret works~)

Wells of Silence (Star Wars)

Aggressive Negotiations (Star Wars)

[Redacted] (Star Wars)

Among Scuttled Ships and Scrap (Star Wars/The Bad Batch)

How Far Ahead The Road Has Gone (The Hobbit)

It comes as absolutely no surprise to me that all of my top 5 fics from from Enormous fandoms

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

I do! I love responding to comments. If anything just to thank the people who take the time to read and comment on my stuff. But I also love engaging in conversations with readers! I try to respond to every comment, but sometimes I just don't have the time/energy/spoons when it comes in, and then it falls through the swiss cheese holes in my brain and goes unanswered (but never forgotten).

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Maybe it's recency bias, but Fated comes to the top of my mind. Soulmates who spend almost all their lives separated and come together only to be fated to kill each other? The angst was just So Delicious.

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

Oh man, a lot of my fluffy oneshots have happy endings. It's tough trying to pick one with the Happiest ending.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not to my face.

Realistically and statistically I'm fully aware that my writing is not somebody's cup of tea. Just by the numbers I know someone isn't going to like something about my stories. But anyone who is unhappy is at least gracious enough to not be mean to my face or in places where I could find the hate.

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

Only once. And I think I overcompensated a lot with angst. Smut isn't why I read or write fanfiction, and while I thought it fit well and was necessary for the one story I wrote it was an interesting exercise. I might include smut in future stories, I don't know, it's not entirely off the table, but I'd probably just stick closer to the M/PG13 cutaways and implications.

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

Not really. Beyond characters from different installments of a franchise/universe interacting when they don't in canon (which I don't count as a crossover).

The closest I've gotten is doing a Rune Factory Star Wars AU recently for a fun little one shot. But again, it included RF characters in the SW universe, and no SW characters so I'm still not counting that as a true Crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so, no.

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

No, I've done other collaborations but never a full co-writing. I think one could be lots of fun though!

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

I don't really have one. I'm a pretty fluid shipper, I'll ship anyone with anyone if it compels me. I have a few comfortable oldies I'll fall back on, but I don't think I could rightly say they're an All Time Favorite.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There's some Really Old WIPs that I kinda abandoned from 10+ years ago that I don't think I'll ever get back to. Part of me never wants to give up hope, but I've moved on from the fandom and the muses and they'll probably stay unfinished for all time.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I do quite well with taking what could be a 'meh' idea and putting an interesting enough spin on it to make it a story worth telling and reading.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sticking to a consistent writing schedule and wrangling my muses long enough to finish long projects. My focus is Very Easily broken and I am super susceptible to distractions and chasing the nest shiny ideas. 😭 rip all my wips i was just gonna take a 'short break' from and it's been like a year or longer since the last update.

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

Unless I have some confidence in the language, or it's a common enough phrase within the fandom that everyone knows what it means, I won't do it. I might translate choice words or phrases when necessary and appropriate. But I'm not subjecting my readers to google translate dialogue. Anyone who is fluent will know it's a bad translation, and for anyone who isn't I'd have to translate back to english anyways.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

If we're going back to before I started really writing fanfiction, but was still doing creative writing in a fandom, it would have been Warriors Cats.

But my first real fanfic was for Jak and Daxter. (And can still be found on my ao3, but oof is it old)

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

This is a cop out answer, but I genuinely can't pick a favorite. I can find something I love and I'm proud of in every fic I've written. But I'll give into the recency bias and say Tongues & Teeth is still living in my brain rent free even after I wrote it down and posted it.

Tags! No pressure tags, and if I don't tag you and you want to play around, feel free to say I tagged you! @durotoswrites, @thychesters, @lookforanewangle, @aashiyancha, @kindlystrawberry

[insanelycooljk]

j comes out 👀

send me the title of one of my deh wips and I’ll share an excerpt/tell you a bit about it 

This was just intended to be a short one-shot that I may or may not finish, but here’s the current summary:

Jared is finally ready to come out to his parents and tell them about the boy he’s dating. He just didn’t expect coming out to be the easy part.

it’s kleinsen ofc because uhh it’s me lol

So, Jared and Evan have been dating for a few months now and Jared is just... so happy and he wants to tell people damn it! He just loves this boy so much!

Also Heidi knows that they’re dating, so it’s just been making things really awkward whenever both of their families catch up.

Evan would never pressure Jared to come out before he’s ready, but Jared kind of gets the impression that Evan is a little insecure about it? Like, he gets the impression that maybe Evan wonders if the reason Jared hasn’t told his parents that they’re dating is because he’s embarrassed of him or something

Which obviously isn’t true, but first of all: that’s anxiety babyyy!! and second of all: given years of putting up with Jared’s teasing and shitty jokes and emotional problems? Not the most unreasonable conclusion to come to.

So a part of it for Jared is about wanting to show Evan that he loves him and he wants other people to know.

Anyway, Jared’s pretty nervous about coming out. Mostly because he’s not really sure how his parents are going to take it, but also because the Kleinmans just... do not do emotions. Not necessarily in a bad way, they just don’t ever talk about feelings. (hm I wonder where Jared got it from :/)

He decides he’s going to tell his mum first. So he tells her he’s gay and it actually goes suprisingly well.

Her immediate response is just “Oh. Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.”

She says it in a teasing way and she’s smiling, but Jared is almost kind of offended?

He’s just, he’s not like “sterotypically gay” and he thought he’d done a pretty decent job of hiding it over the years. I mean sure he never expressed any interest in any girls, but he never expressed interest in any guys to his parents either?

Until his mum tells him that he announced to her that he was going to marry Luke Skywalker when he was like 7 lmao. (Sweet boy with soft blonde hair and big blue eyes? That sounds awfully familiar!)

So they have a kind of nice conversation about it. It’s a little awkward sure because like I said the Kleinmans don’t do FeelingsTM, but it’s nice and Jared feels relieved because honestly he’d been bracing himself for the worst just incase.

It’s going so well that Jared then goes “Also... I have a boyfriend.”

And now his mum actually does look surprised, which kind of hurts because surely it can’t be that unbelievable that he’s dating someone.

But she’s still really supportive, and says something along the lines of

“That’s great Jared, I’m really happy for you. If you ever want to invite him over for dinner, I’d love to meet him.”

And then is Jared all... ok so here’s the thing lmao.

“Actually, um, it’s Evan.”

And here’s where the angst part of this factors in. Because Jared’s mum just kind of... doesn’t really believe him.

She’s just like “Evan Evan?”

And Jared’s getting kind of annoyed now.  “Yes, Evan Evan.” He feels all hot and his cheeks are flushed because this is so humiliating, is it really that hard to believe that Evan would like him?

Cause here’s the thing with Jared’s parents and Evan. Growing up they’d always kind of praise him as being so polite and such a good kid, which eventually became more of a passive aggressive jab at Jared which really meant - why can’t you be more polite and well-mannered like Evan?

A lot of adults tend to baby Evan because of his anxiety and kind of assume that he can do no wrong. Like, if Jared and Evan ever did something together as kids and got in trouble, it would always be Jared’s fault. Regardless of what really happened, because the adults would just assume Jared was being a bad influence on poor, sweet Evan.

Oh boy, if Jared’s parents ever found out the truth about The Connor Project? They’d absolutely assume it was all Jared’s fault because they couldn’t possibly imagine Evan ever doing something so horrible.

ANYWAY, basically Jared’s mum thinks Evan is too good for Jared.

Which his mum actually says to him. Jared’s mum has always been blunt, but this just feels cruel. Because god if that doesn’t hit all of his biggest insecurities.

And like, He knows, Jared fucking knows that Evan’s too good for him, but hearing it from his own mother? Knowing that this seemingly universal truth is so obvious that even other people can see it? Ouch.

So yeah, the rest of that conversation doesn’t go particulary well :( If I was feeling nice I might write a second chapter of Evan comforting and reassuring Jared afterwards lol.

So tldr? Coming out goes well, but trying to convince his parents that Evan actually likes him and isn’t just dating Jared because he’s incapable of saying no? Less successful.

I’m sorry I got a little carried away with this one lmao, but now I’m thinking I might actually finish writing it so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  we will see

[anarchy-and-piglins]

the techno tubbo letter stuff is going into The Archive Of Dream SMP Lore That Lives In Rain Anon's Head, aka TAODSLTLIRAH. thank you Shara and Anon for this brilliant concept!! —☔️

Hahaha, I think Anon deserves the majority of the credit, my brain just works that way where you can say one sentence to me and it generates content like a it’s a damn angst factory

[beck-a-leck]

Fanfic Writer 20 Questions

Tagged by @thychesters Thanks Kate!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

56 on my main page, plus 5 others that are secret (aka Anonymous and don't show up in the count)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

772,412

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

~10, I have a lot of sub-fandoms as part of a larger fandom. Including but not limited to: Star Wars, Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, MCU, and many moons ago Voltron, Transformers, and Harry Potter.

4. What are your top 5 fics by Kudos?

[Redacted Anonymous fic] at 1218

Aggressive Negotiations at 312

Wells of Silence at 287

[Redacted Anonymous fic] at 280

Weekend Guests at 209

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

I do! Or at the very least, I try to respond to as many comments as I can. I love being able to strike up conversation with my readers, and wallow in angst with them for a while. At the very least, I like letting them know I appreciate their feedback.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm... that's probably the fic where I gave Anakin Skywalker an almost happy ending; twins, husband, you know the drill. And then I violently took pretty much all of that away. Killed Obi-Wan, killed the twins, left her with a heaping pile of survivor's guilt. That's probably my angiestiest fic.

But also, I write rather a lot of angst, so...

There's also the one where I gave a child 23 older sisters, and then had them slowly and painfully die off, leaving her alone as the sole survivor. (Star Wars)

And there's the one where I detailed how an 8 year old accidentally killed his brother, thus screwing up everything so badly, the whole timeline had to be erased. (Loki)

And, well, Wells of Silence IS a canon compliant AU. And we all know how Revenge of the Sith ends.

Writing angst is fun okay!

7. Do you write crossovers?

Not really, no. Usually only when I'm messing around and being goofy, or if I'm combining a lot of sub-fandoms from a larger fandom group. But I don't really count those as true crossovers.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Nothing specific comes to mind. I'm pretty sure years ago (and I mean like well over a decade at this point) I got trolled/hate on a fic by someone who was out to attack me specifically. I remember deleting the fic, and beginning to distance myself from the fandom. but obviously it didn't stop me from writing so... jokes on them. 😂

Otherwise, more recently I can only think of instances where people have used my fic comments as an excuse to vent about canon things they hate thinking they'll find a sympathetic ear, or got 5+ chapters into a long fic before saying 'it feels unrealistic that this character would do these things' to which I'm pretty sure I just shrug and don't respond.

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

I don't really write fanfic smut, no. It's not really my thing, and I'm happy cutting things off at an M/PG-13 rating for sexy times.

That being said, I have written non-fanfic smut before. No I'll never share it. It is well and truly laughably terrible.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

To my knowledge, no I haven't.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

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

Many, many, many years ago @jessi-08 and I co-wrote and absolute crack fic for Jak and Daxter. It was deliriously fun times. But in a more ""serious"" capacity, no I have not.

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

Nobody? I guess?? I'm not much of a shipper, really. I enjoy reading and writing ship-content, but I've never really felt devoted to any single ship in any fandom. I'm a multi-shipper? Omni-shipper? Basically, if the fandom can bring its A-game to a ship, I'll probably quite enjoy it.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I mean, there are a couple dozen unfinished WIPs in my writing folder that I keep around with the intention of maybe finishing them, but deep down I never will. But also, none of those are posted.

Thinking of where I am and how my fandom interests have shifted, I'm probably never gonna finish Weekend Guests. And I stubbornly refuse to admit that Dust and Ashes is dead, but also, I haven't touched it in years, and kinda forgot what I wanted to include in the story. 😬

15. What are your writing strengths?

Oh gosh... (what is this question? I can't say nice things about myself)

I guess I would say my scene setting. I love spelling out descriptions and providing the sensory experience when I can in the scenery. Otherwise, probably my ability to sink my angst claws into people and hurt their feelings with words about fictional characters while I torture them worse than canon does (usually)

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sticking to a goddamn regular posting schedule. I try not to get too wrapped up in writing regularly, so as to not punish myself for doing (or not doing) something that's supposed to be fun and relaxing for me. but damn I look at those WIPs that haven't been updated in months and I can't help but feel guilty.

Also, tied in with the above, starting too many projects before finishing up something else.

Also action scenes. and romance.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

It can work, I think, if it's done well. But usually, it's not done well, and it just feels clunky or tossed in for "spice." But like... pet names/nicknames in a native tongue, I am so weak for those! And it can also be a fun way to drop hints/foreshadowing, but as a bonus for the people who speak the language.

Idk, I'm not fluent enough in any language to feel like I have any definitive voice in the matter. I typically don't add other language dialogue because I don't trust google translate.

And if I'm writing for Star Wars, and it's an alien language anyways, I'm not digging that deep into the lore to construct a fictional language. That shit gets Universally Translated babey!

18. What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Jak and Daxter my beloved! I'll never let you go! Every five years or so, I'll spit out a new fic for you 💜

19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh no! I can't pick favorites! Don't do this to me!

Wells of Silence still sits up in my top 5, for a number of reasons.

Another of my tops is actually one of my Anonymously posted fics, so I will not mention name or fandom, but it is very beloved.

And they've been on the forefront of my mind, so I've got a soft spot for Earth and Rebirth and Our Dear Empress

20. Who do you tag?

Hmmm, let's see. @durotoswrites, @jake-marshall, @lookforaspoopynewangle (I know kate tagged you, but consider yourself double tagged), @jessi-08, and... I have all of a sudden gone completely blank on which of my mutuals writes fic 😂😬 (i only slept for 3 hours last night. leave me alone. my brain is swiss cheese.)

As always, if you want to play along, you are more than welcome to say I tagged you!

[myevilmouse]

2019 Fic Year In Review

2019 was the year I joined AO3 and the year I also joined tumblr. So my year in review is literally everything I have written for the Star Wars fandom.  I was not going to do one of these posts but then realized some people here may not be on AO3 and appreciate links directly to something that sounds interesting.  So if you want to know more...

I do not plot, I do not plan. I either write to an idea or a prompt or create a challenge for myself, so I will give you that little background for each fic, in case you care 😉  I like reviewing how I wanted to write the fic and how it ultimately turned out…so here we go, in chronological order, more or less:

1.            Command Performance

Idea: write hot springs sex and try to work in a non-con type scenario/fantasy

Result: My first foray into Luke/Mara. Fun and hits many of my kinks.

2.          Unity

Idea: Wanted to try writing Thryce smut and was given the TV Trope dialogue prompt “YOU!”

Result:  Wound up being long and not smutty at all, but I enjoyed writing those two self-sabotaging fools and decided I would do more of it.  Basically the fic that convinced me to write more Thryce.

3.          Deal With You

Idea: Wanted to write dubcon/hatesex, set post-TIE Defender factory blowup when Thrawn tells Pryce he will “deal with you later.”

Result: didn’t succeed in writing dubcon/hatesex, instead a power play between these wicked Imperials which wound up with an odd and unexpected happy ending.

4.          The Annual Stormtrooper Relief Fund Ball

Idea: write something cute and short for Thryce Discord “Friday Fluff”  

Result: A Gone With The Wind-inspired dance auction which still gives me those fluffy fuzzies.  I like this one.

5.          Artoo’s Viridian Adventure

Idea:  write something my young nephews could read AKA non-smutty.  Husband insisted Pikachu be involved.

Result:  Crack crossover that is suitable for all ages

6.          Corrupted Cake

Idea:  write Sex Pollen for Luke/Mara

Result:  wrote “how they got together” story for Luke/Mara.  What started as a one-shot turned into a three-chapter fic that is one of my most popular and probably most romantic.  

7.          Conduct Unbecoming

Idea:  write Uniform Kink for the fic whining circle kink challenge

Result:  Mara and Luke in a married roleplay

8.          Interpreter

Idea:  Thryce Discord talking about an AU with Pryce in Vanto’s role

Result:  One of my fave fics, as it plays to basically all my kinks. 

9.          Camera Obscura

Idea:  inspired by Phantasmagoria, a fic by @teagrl​, what would happen if sub!Luke stopped playing by the rules?

Result:  It would not go well for him.

10.     Endure

Idea:  HOW CAN THERE NOT BE ANY LUKE/MON MOTHMA FICS WHEN SHE IS LIKE THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE OT HE’S NOT RELATED TO???

Result:  Something I am proud of, written in a fragmented, experimental style since I figured the audience who dared to read would also be open-minded enough to humor my muse.

11.       Something of Significance

Idea:  Thryce Discord May the Thirst Be With You prompt:  Naboo Wine

Result:  Something sweet?  I hope? That allowed me to indulge in my wine and chocolate kinks.

12.     Common Thread

Idea:  using randomly chosen Kiss and Dialogue Prompts for inspiration, write a series of ficlets about Luke.

Result:  Lots of different scenarios, mashing Luke’s lips with many different women but usually Mara, and inspired a couple other fics!

13.     Kinetic Countermeasures

Idea:  written for “Ascension Week” challenge on the Thryce Discord, and I always wanted to write fuck-or-die…

Result:  The closest I’ve gotten to writing a threesome so far (waves at Vanto), and strangely romantic. I like this one, and had fun coming up with the chapter titles 😊

14.     Something Real

Idea:  Thryce peeps wanted a sequel to Something of Significance

Result:  This “how they got together” story for Thrawn and Pryce

15.     The Warrior’s Dancer:  Sienn’s Tale

Idea:  Another woman Luke isn’t related to, available for Jedi-lovin’! What if Luke/Sienn/Oola had a threesome?!

Result:  This fic got way longer than intended and didn’t turn out the way I had planned (no threesome sorry) but I love Luke in it and had fun fleshing out the character of Sienn who is from a short story in the Tales from Jabba’s Palace collection.

16.     THRYCE:  The Musical

Idea:  What if I did @ap-trash-compactor​’s fic A Dealer In Hope as a musical using only Billy Joel songs?

Result:  Yup, exactly the ridiculousness you would expect.

17.     Fan Mail

Idea:  Epistolary challenge in the fic whining circle

Result:  Hopefully amusing view of Luke Skywalker’s fan club and his life as a celebrity Jedi.

18.     Five Times Luke Skywalker Surprised Ahsoka and One Time She Surprised Him

Idea:  Write Luke/Ahsoka after my Common Thread chapter got such positive feedback on them, limit it to 5 + 1 format so I don’t get carried away.

Result:  I like it.  This is a ship that needs more love.

19.     Conflicting Aesthetics

Idea:  written for the SW Rare Pairs fic exchange, @elsajeni​ requested Thrawn/Original Art Forger.

Result:  My longest fic to date, completely took on a life of its own. I had way more fun than expected creating an OC, and there are way too many plot bunnies for sequels in my brain.

20.   The Art of Disguise

Idea:  Halloween Fic for Thryce, prompted by my sister suggesting Pryce dress as Thrawn for Halloween and my adamant refusal that would never happen in a gazillion years.

Result:  Fluff

21.     Corporeal

Idea:  Halloween fic for Luke/Mara, where I keep trying to get these two non-conny, and I tried to sneak a ton of Shakespeare into the fic just add to the complications of writing it

Result:  Hopefully something disturbing and spooky.  Also needs a sequel.

22.   Impetuous

Idea:  Play in @celinamarniss​’ Thrawn/Luke/Mara sandbox but get Pryce in there!

Result:  I got Pryce in there but had to neglect Mara, oops.

23.   Uneasy Alliance

Idea:  write a Padme/Thrawn treat for @theartofcertibbs​

Result:  in the course of my research, learned Zahn ships it.

24.   Anamnesis

Idea:  write Hera/Thrawn for the SW Rare Pairs fic exchange for @ysalamiri-queen​

Result:  something disturbing

25.   The Politics of Gifting

Idea:  write a holiday Thryce fic

Result:  fluff from Faro’s POV

26.   Catalysts

Idea:  write a holiday Luke/Mara fic for the Secret Santa fic exchange with two dialogue prompts and trying to get them to huddle for warmth, a trope I’ve always wanted to write.

Result:  fluff and tropes and wampas, oh my!

Other stuff:

Sonnets:     I wrote a bunch of sonnets about Luke’s outfits and one about Han for @jadedjo​.  I love sonnets.

31 Days of Star Wars:  I put all my Fictober prompts into one fic on AO3.

It’s been a productive year and I want to thank everyone in the Luke/Mara fandom and the Thryce fandom and all the other readers who encouraged and supported me.  I’m really happy to have found this creative outlet this year and look forward to providing you more fluff, smut, and angst in 2020!

[smallstarfox]

3, 11, 13, 18, 24, 38 for the fic ask game (:

3 - Are there any fics that inspired you to write what you do?

I think I first read some really epic multi-chapter stories for thasmin and that set me off. Also some really cute oneshots. My bookmarks have stories from 2018 in there so I'd recommend combing through. Sadly most of the fics I read have been deleted and it makes me so sad. I will say that I got into AUs because of @maglex and @fuxdeiflswued

11 - How do you come up with your fic titles?

With great difficulty! I have currently a big stint of just song lyrics BUT I've done okay for most things? When I'm planning work I just kind of. Get a vibe and then go through about ten different ideas before one sticks. The vampire AU had a different name until I reposted and added a werewolf twist, Falling Blood and Rising Moons isn't that imaginative but I love it. Love Between The Lines was a stroke of 3am genius haha. Nights Together was a cop-out if I'm honest but it gets the job done. My secret AU had the best title and I can't wait to share it.

13 - Do you outline your fics? How much of a headache would someone get if they just looked at an outline of yours without reading the fic?

Oneshots I don't. Those just get churned up out of thin air if I'm honest. I'll get an idea and make it up as I go along. I did that for my first multi-chapter and it broke me. Now I plan. I wouldn't say its extensive, but I do plot what I want each chapter to contain with key points. You wouldn't need to read the fic if you saw my plans. If I plan too deeply, I find it constrictive and lose motivation.

18 - Do you have a WIP that you keep telling yourself you’ll eventually get back to, but deep down you know that’s probably a lie?

Honestly...the vampire au. Which is awful because I love it so much but I really roadblocked myself and I hate it. I know everyone wants the thasmin now, but I decided to do backstory...worst mistake. Tbh I will continue if it kills me. Otherwise I have a lot of half finished work in my Google docs. I lose focus quickly and have to be in the right mood to write certain things. Aka currently I'm in soft mode so all my angst and nsfw is out of the question for a while.

24 - What’s a trope that you’d like to never hear about as long as you live, let alone write?

I mean aside from the major players of The Archive Warnings (minus major character death, I've done that), I don't really like most Dead Dove Do Not Eat topics aside from discussing mental health and recovering from abusive situations. ABO can go do one. I won't touch that. I'm squicked by pollen related tropes. I guess really I'm more put off by certain characters, rather than tropes. If anything, I only draw my lines around dark topics or fetishes.

38 - What does your writing process look like? How chaotic is it on a scale of 1 (very tame) to 10 (you can’t handle this kind of chaos)?

Depends on what I'm working on! Oneshots can be on a sliding scale from 1-5, depending on the topic. I take my brain out so it's very mild. Multichapters....god I'm a right mess. Mostly because I start posting before I'm done so there's no schedule and updates are random and again tied to how I'm feeling. I get to a 10 some days, but mostly a 7 for longer works. I am organised by way of plotting (thank you novel writing) but actually producing the work...it's dire. I really need someone to motivate me tbh. Or make me talk about my work so I'm forced/encouraged to do more. Then again my ideas aren't that good so hahaha

Thank you for these asks! They kept me entertained greatly, and now I'm off into the depths of the factory.

[mermaidmafia-official]

☽ BLOOD GETS IN YOUR EYE

i walk the plank, not a tear in my eye / i won't go down, your blushing bride / under the water, I'll be sharpening my knife

B A S I C S .

NAME: Yinmei Zhang (张银妹 / Zhāng yín mèi). Name lit. translates to “silver girl”, or “silver sister”. ‘Grandmother Zhang’ as a joke, with Ysa.

APPARENT AGE: 35

ACTUAL AGE: 2251 (born in 231 BCE)

BIRTHPLACE: Changsha, China, in a rural area that is now a textile factory. She hasn’t been back in centuries - or perhaps, millennia? - and she doesn’t intend on visiting anytime soon.

CREATOR/CREATRIX: Jinyang Chen (陈金阳 / Chén jīn yáng); his name lit. translates to “golden sun”. Ironic, considering that he was a vampire.

FC AND FEATURES: Rowena Xi Kang. Wears a glass eye with a ruby iris in the socket of what once was her left eye.

LIKES: pretty, delicate things of all sorts!, flowers, scaring people with her glass eye >:)

DISLIKES: people who insult her fashion choices, dealing with mortals, her Creator (that stupid-ass motherfucker!!!)

GOALS: To enjoy the rest of her long, long life in any way possible, and to help Ysa protect the rest of the Coven. Oh, and she still hasn’t found a perfect perfume yet. Hmm.

FEARS: Losing Ysa and the rest of the Coven, whom Yinmei has grown attached to, through the centuries. And though she won’t admit it to anyone, she is lowkey terrified of facing her Creator again.

RUMORS: That she’s immune to religious iconography (in reality, having literally been born - as well as Created - before Christianity existed, Yinmei finds that Christian crosses and such have no effect on her, but ancient Indian and East Asian religions are a different story. Buddhist mantras make her nauseous). That her glass eye is ~magical~ in some capacity (it’s not. But Yinmei’s certainly not denying the rumors, at least not openly ;D).

T Y P I C A L S .

WARDROBE: Very lacy and delicate, and a bit frilly, sometimes. Yinmei has a penchant for reds and whites (black is also fine, if the occasion calls for it), and likes billowy gowns with sheer, wispy pieces of fabric that float prettily around her when the breeze picks up, or when she levitates. Yinmei doesn’t like things that pinch her feet too tightly, so when she wears heels, they’re usually a size or two too big - in fact, she’s not too fond of showing her feet at all, so she wears a lot of floor-length skirts (unlike her dear friend Ysabelle). She’s also very fond of jewelry, and all the pretty sparkly things that one can wear. Yinmei frequently accessorizes with dangly earrings and bejeweled hairpins, to hold up her waterfall of black hair (she’s very proud of her hair, really). Recently, she has taken to wearing razor-sharp sterling silver hairpins.

PLACES MOST LIKELY TO BE FOUND: In her rooms, perusing her extensive closet(s). Or out shopping for yet another set of pretty but useless trinkets or tchotchkes for either the house itself, or to decorate her own rooms. And, of course, hanging out with Ysa.

PEOPLE MOST LIKELY TO BE WITH: Her beloved friend Ysa, of course, as well as all the other vampires in the Coven. She has one enthralled mortal - a teenage boy who had no future beyond the violent street gangs in a city half a world over - that she uses for sustenance purposes, and for sustenance purposes only.

STRONGEST CHARACTER TRAIT: Frivolous (or, guarded. Hmm.)

MANNERISMS: Throughout her extensive lifetime, Yinmei has played the blushing bride, the dainty doll, the coy seductress, the enigmatic beauty...but now that she’s over 2,000 years old (and as safe as she’ll ever get, she thinks), she doesn’t have the patience for such games. Yinmei has always been quick to anger, and these days, she doesn’t bother to control or hide it, the way she had done for the past centuries. She walks with her head held high, her steps brisk and purposeful, and although she's not particularly tall - about five feet and three inches, or 160 cm - her curt, clipped voice is enough to get the entire room to pay attention to her. She’s blunt and unapologetic, despite her very obvious frivolity. Yinmei also has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, and when she decides that walking is too much work (or when she wants to make a particularly attention-grabbing entrance), she’ll usually opt for levitating a few inches off the ground, letting the flowy skirts she’s so fond of flare out around her.

B I O G R A P H Y .

[BLOOD GETS IN YOUR EYE - if the rumours are true, her origins are in ancient china. she claims that her small, porcelain doll-like features garnered her much attention in her day, but after her creator tied her up by her ankles to drain her and then took her lovely left eye “as a prize”, she considered herself irredeemably marred- cursed and so enraged she could swallow her own tongue. however, a short but gory reign over her old hometown followed by a good piking of her much-loathed creator did much to lift her self-image. (besides, the glass eye with the ruby iris isn’t so bad- it’s fearsome.) but, recently, it seems she may not have finished the job all those years ago.]

Yinmei was once the daughter of a wealthy provincial official in Qin Dynasty China. Polite, pristine, and perfect, commoners and lords alike compared her to a delicate porcelain doll. And for a time, Yinmei was flattered.

Yinmei was rather sickly as a child, and having her feet bound - standard practice for highborn daughters, at the time - certainly didn’t help. 

Yinmei’s demure beauty meant that her parents had plenty of suitors to choose from, and when she was seventeen, she married a regional governor ten years older than she was. As his first wife - and from a rich and powerful family at that - Yinmei was treated well enough, all things considered.

Yinmei bore him many children, which did nothing for her already delicate constitution. Her last pregnancy was when she was thirty-five, and she would have died in the process of birthing the child, had it not been for her Creator.

Jinyang Chen was a moderately powerful politician working with Yinmei’s husband, at the time. He somehow managed to keep his true nature secret, and as Yinmei lay dying, one of the nurses taking the stillborn child away, Jinyang managed to turn her, just in the nick of time.

Jinyang took Yinmei with him back to the town that Yinmei had grown up in, strung her up by her ankles (so that he could better admire her dainty, perfect feet, he said), and gouged her left eye out of its socket, keeping it as a twisted trophy of some sort. 

Understandably, Yinmei was angry. As her vampiric powers set in, Yinmei shapeshifted into a bat and escaped. She managed to integrate herself into the powerful vampire circles within China, even with the rise and fall of multiple dynasties, and a century later, she - along with some of her newfound allies - hunted down Jinyang, drove a pike through his heart, and cut him to pieces, burning what was left. Yinmei went on to reign over her old hometown (at least until the armies of the Han emperor decided to investigate the bloodbath the normally peaceful town had turned into), resolving to forget everything from her human life.

Yinmei then spent some time traveling around Asia, flitting aimlessly from place to place. In her mind, she’d suffered enough, as a human. She was going to do what she wanted, now, and that mostly meant killing shitty men, robbing wealthy landlords, and buying the most beautiful things, all for herself.

She left East Asia for Europe around six or seven centuries ago, and hasn’t been back since. With the spread of Buddhism into the continent, the spiritual and the secular had become too tightly intertwined, you see. It was annoying when even architectural features and natural landscapes had some sort of symbolic and quasi-religious importance; even now, Yinmei is loathe to return to East Asia. Pop culture is saturated with all kinds of ancient Daoist and Buddhist influences - what’s up with a fictional monk chanting his mantras all day when the TV adaptation of a Tang Dynasty novel comes on daily at 1 PM?!

In Europe, she found someone to help her finally, finally, fix her feet. Yinmei hates exposing her feet or wearing shoes that pinch them too tightly, to this day.

She also met Ysabelle Vavassour, who would eventually become her best friend. In truth, they got off to a bit of a rocky start because of a slight miscommunication (Yinmei takes perceived slights very seriously, you see - she’s petty like that), but once they cleared it up, it wasn’t long before Yinmei began to appreciate Ysa’s iconic aesthetic. And, if she’s going to be honest, it was nice to have a friend again. 

Ysa and Yinmei fell into bed together, for a brief period of time, but that was centuries ago.

Yinmei moved to the States with Ysa and the rest of the Coven. She has stayed there ever since, the only things bringing her pleasure being 1) Ysa and the Coven, and 2) pretty things (with the third being shopping for pretty things).

Yinmei has never let herself think too much about the past. But recently, she’s been feeling a stirring in her consciousness, a niggling at the back of her mind - slight enough to ignore, for now, but she can’t help but to wonder. She can’t remember everything clearly, of course, because it was two thousand years ago, but she thinks that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t finish the job completely when she killed her Creator.

R E L A T I O N S H I P S .

with THE BLOODMOTHER aka YSABELLE VAVASSOUR - Yinmei and Ysa met quite some time ago; it’s hard to say exactly when, with lives as long as theirs. They jokingly bicker about the two-centuries difference in ages (’Grandmother Zhang’ has become an inside joke in between the two of them), and Yinmei is basically Ysa’s second-in-command (though she’d never want to be the leader of the house, herself; do you know how much work that’d be?!).

with A COLLAR OF SPIKES  - text

with FUNERAL FEAST  - text

with SLEEPING EVIL - text

E X T R A S .

pinterest

moodboard

P L A Y L I S T .

psycho // red velvet

ancestors // dumfoundead

devil, devil // milck

gangsta’s paradise // coolio ft. lv

castle // halsey

praise the lord // a$ap rocky

moonsea // phildel

[talatomaz]

hate burns | dinah drake x fem!reader

a/n: i saw this prompt and this idea popped into my head and I thought who better to write about than the loml aka dinah drake. (set sometime during season 5 but thea’s still a part of team arrow)

X = your vigilante name

prompts: “after you lose everything good in your life, all you can do is laugh. laugh because you somehow managed to die along the way, but can’t remember where”

warnings: mentions of death/loss, blood - inadvertently. angst

word count: 1.8k

masterlist | request list | request rules

reader has psychokinesis and got her powers from the particle accelerator explosion and works as a vigilante on team arrow

i do not give you permission to repost or translate my fics on any platform - likes/reblogs are okay and are much appreciated

You and the rest of Team Arrow stepped out of the lift and walked into the Arrow cave where you were all greeted by Felicity and Curtis.

“Great work tonight, guys.” Curtis said as you walked up to the computer centre.

Curtis used to be out in the field with you guys as Mr Terrific but recently decided that his skills were better spent at the Arrow cave, alongside Felicity, also known as Overwatch, who was basically your eyes, ears, and brains, when you were out catching criminals.

“Wasn’t many criminals out tonight. They must all be scared of Green Arrow.” You joked, making Dinah and Rene smirk as Oliver rolled his eyes at you.

“Nice one, hoss.”

“Any more activity, Felicity?” Oliver asked, looking at the former who shook her head.

“No, y/n’s right. Streets have been quiet tonight. Probably because of Prometheus.” She paused, looking at Oliver.

“Uh, or because they’re scared of you, Oliver. They’re like ‘Ahh, Green Arrow.’”

She rambled, trying to explain herself in her usual ‘Felicity Smoak’ way.

“Great. You guys can go home and have an early night th-”

Oliver began before being interrupted by a loud beeping coming from one of Felicity’s police scanners.

“Hold that thought.” Felicity said.

The latter ran back to her station and began typing,

“There’s been a break-in at Kord Industries and when the guy tried to escape, he shot and injured a couple of SCPD officers.”

“Where’s the guy heading?” Dinah asked from beside you.

“Uh, traffic cameras have him heading down Ford and 7th.”

Oliver grabbed his quiver as the rest of you geared up again, “Diggle’s with Lyla so I’ll have Speedy meet us instead, let’s go.”

You all donned your masks and followed Oliver into the lift and out into the streets of Star City.

***

“Hard right, now.”

You and Black Canary were following the masked man on Dinah’s motorbike with you straddling her back.

“I think I know where he’s going.” You shouted to Dinah, and to the others who were on comms.

“Felicity, check if there’s an abandoned building around here. I think it’s called-”

“Bullerfield Track Industries.” Felicity finished, over the comms. “I’ve analysed this guy’s route and all directions indicate he’s going there. You’re right, X.”

When you first joined the team, a year ago, it was comprised of completely different members.

The OGs, as Felicity used to call them, consisted of Oliver, Felicity, Diggle, Thea, Ray Palmer, Curtis and the late Laurel Lance.

And each of these members had their own individual codenames so, after learning about your psychokinesis, Curtis aptly nicknamed you ‘X’ after Charles Xavier from X-Men.

When Dinah stopped the motorbike, the rest of the team, including Wild Dog, Speedy and Green Arrow, arrived and Oliver gave you all a quick rundown of the plan.

You and Dinah were to cover the front entrances, Rene and Thea, the back, and Oliver, in true Green Arrow fashion, would enter the abandoned industrial factory from above.

“I want to know what he stole and why.”

Dinah whispered to you as you both walked into the factory, cautiously keeping an eye out for the criminal.

“It’s a neuromorphic chip. He can basically use it to steal sensory data even if it hasn’t been processed. If manipulated in the right way, he might be able to use it to control people.”

You looked at Dinah when she didn’t respond and saw her smiling.

“What?”

“You spend way too much time with Felicity and Curtis.”

“You jealous, Dee?” You countered making Dinah smirk a devilish grin.

Though you and Dinah were never officially together, you had had a few flings after rough nights, and Curtis and Felicity said that you had a ‘Will they, won’t they?’ thing going on.

Instead of responding, she nudged you to look ahead and you saw a man who was stood at a small metal table that held only a computer.

‘Hands up.” Dinah ordered and the man stilled.

“Well, if it isn’t the cavalry.” He said, his back still towards you both.

You stilled at his voice and narrowed your eyes.

It was eerily familiar.

It couldn’t be.

Your suspicions were confirmed when the man turned around and it took almost everything in you not to throw him against the wall and kill him.

“And here I thought Halloween was a few months aw-Wait, could it be? Is that you, y/n?” He said with a slimy grin that you wanted to slap off his face.

Dinah turned to face you with a confused look as Rene and Thea approached up behind the man you hated with every fibre in your body.

Then Oliver jumped through a glass window, onto the ground, standing next to you and Dinah.

Your mind flashed back to a few years ago…

“If you hurt her, I’ll blow you into tiny, unrecognisable pieces.”

You snarled at the man who was holding a crying Luna in a chokehold.

“Threatening someone without changing expressions. You two really are sisters.”

He spat out as Luna continued to cry and you cocked your gun.

“Unlike you, I actually follow up on my threats.”

In a matter of seconds, he pulled a knife from behind him and plunged it into your sister’s stomach.

“Why, I haven’t seen you since poor Luna-”

“Keep her name out of your filthy mouth, you bastard.” You warned, taking a step forward so you were closer to him.

“Since she died.” He finished, still smiling.

“Since you killed her.” You corrected.

He laughed amusingly and any hold you had managed to regain on your temper broke.

With a simple thought, you levitated him in the air with your mind.

“I dare you to fuck with me right now. I’ve killed a lot of people when I was calm. Imagine what I’ll do when I’m angry.”

“I’ll tell you what you can’t do. Save your pathetic excuse of a sis-”

Before he could finish his sentence, you used your powers to slam him into one of the containers and you repeated this motion a few times before being stopped by Dinah.

Truth be told, you had forgotten that the whole team was there.

In that moment, it just seemed like it was you and him.

He fell to the floor with a loud smack and Thea ran up to his unconscious body and checked his pulse, “He’s alive, just knocked out.”

Then all of them looked at you and Oliver moved to stand in front of you.

“What just happened?”

“None of your business.”

You were about to walk past him before he stopped you.

“Do not make me move you.”

Oliver must have realised you were serious because he stepped to the side and allowed you to pass.

***

As soon as you stepped into your apartment, you exhaled a deep breath of air, trying to steady your breathing to calm yourself down.

But it had the opposite effect because the moment that you sank down the wall, you began crying as your memories came flooding back.

“Listen. I can’t do this without you,”

You said angrily, pressing your hands more firmly against Luna’s wound.

“So you can’t die, do you understand? It’s you and me against the world so you cannot die.”

“I, uh-y/n, I don’t-It hurts, oh god-”

“Hey. It’s going to be okay. We just need to wait for the ambulance, they’re almost here. Eyes on me, Lu, keep them open.”

You jumped when there was rapid knocking at your door and you reached up and opened the door, still slumped against the wall.

Even through your tears, you recognised the figure who closed the door behind them and crouched down to face you.

“What happened?”

You shook your head and instead of questioning further, Dinah lifted you from the floor and helped you to your bedroom where you sat on the edge of your bed, tears shamelessly spilling from your eyes.

After handing you some tissues, Dinah pulled up a chair and sat opposite you, waiting until you were ready to speak.

“Is he dead?”

She shook her head, “He might have some brain damage though.”

“Good.”

“Who is he?”

“Julian Caldwell. He used to be a drug dealer. Looks like he moved up in the world.”

“And Luna?” She asked cautiously, not wanting you to shout at her or start crying again.

A betraying tear spilled from your eyes, “She was my sister” You took a deep breath.

“Caldwell murdered her.”

“I’m so sorry.”

You shrugged, “She got addicted just after Dad passed and she missed one payment and he slaughtered her like a pig.” You recounted, as the memories came to the forefront of your mind.

“So that’s why you wanted to kill him.”

“If you hadn’t have stopped me, I would have. I should have.”

You said and then you started laughing dryly at the tragic events of your life which made Dinah look at you with her brows furrowed.

“After you lose everything good in your life, all you can do is laugh. Laugh because you somehow managed to die along the way, but can’t remember where.”

“Hey,” Dinah moved from the chair to sit beside you on the bed, “You’re not going to lose me. Never. I won’t leave you.”

“Everyone leaves.”

You whispered, weary of speaking any louder as you were on the verge of breaking back down into tears.

“No. Not everyone.” You remained silent.

“Look at me. Look at me.”

She persisted and lifted your chin so you met her eyes. 

“I’m here. A thousand lifetimes in a hundred worlds, it’s always you.”

You both stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments of silence before you leaned in and kissed her.

This kiss was, in many ways, your first proper kiss.

Though you had kissed before, it was just something you did when you guys slept together.

This kiss, however, though laced with desire and fire, was deep and conveyed your true feelings to one another.

You pulled away and a soft smile formed on your lips as you closed your eyes and laid your head against her chest. Dinah’s arms enclosed around you, pulling you close to her.

“Will you stay with me, Dee?”

“Always and Forever, baby.”

[obtusemedia]

The 100 best songs of the 2010s: #50-26

#50: “I Love It” by Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX (2012)

“I Love It” is about as close as the early ‘10s bubblegum pop scene got to punk rock. 

Swedish one-hit-wonders Icona Pop, with the songwriting help of pop wizard Charli XCX, crafted a single that feels like a punch in the face. It’s short, it’s repetitive and it flies middle fingers in the face of authority, older generations and anyone else who pissed them off. The bridge’s iconic line, “You’re from the ‘70s, but I’m a ‘90s bitch,” sums up the theme of “I Love It” more than I ever could.

#49: “Shut Up Kiss Me” by Angel Olsen (2016)

I feel bad putting Angel Olsen — unequivocally one of the ‘10′s greatest talents — this relatively low on the list. But she’s more of an album artist than a singles one, so just listen to MY WOMAN if you want a more full picture of her.

But she does have at least one instant showstopper in her catalogue. “Shut Up Kiss Me” is a a perfect mix of too-cool indie and painfully Midwestern heartland rock. Olsen’s voice is defiantly old-school, like a Greatest Generation-era country singer or Lana Del Rey-via-Missouri, but she makes it work somehow over the song’s clanging garage-rock guitars.

“Shut Up Kiss Me” is a spark of energetic, flirty fun, proving the ‘90s and ‘50s should be combined more often.

#48: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (2014)

After starting the 2010′s with some insanely bland pop, Bruno Mars wisely course-corrected into slick retro-pop and delivered some of the best hits of the decade. “24K Magic,” “Locked Out Of Heaven,” “Finesse,” “Treasure” — all wonderful in my book.

But of course, none of Mars’ hits compare to the towering masterpiece that is “Uptown Funk.” That’s partly because he teamed up with another retro-pop titan, Mark Ronson, to deliver the goods. The combination of Mars’ borderline-kitsch, cartoony swagger and Ronson’s Minneapolis-style funk is a wonder to behold. It’s easy to dance to, easy to sing (or I guess, chant) along with, so it’s no wonder that it conquered the world in early 2015.

Does “Uptown Funk” shamelessly ripoff Morris Day and The Gap Band? Sure. But sometimes, pastiches can turn into something greater.

#47: “212″ by Azealia Banks (2011)

I’d rather not talk about how Azealia Banks self-destructed her own career by starting (and losing) feuds left and right. Even Kanye West would be embarrassed at her lack of filter.

No, let’s focus on that brief window where Banks appeared to be the future of hip-hop, thanks to her firebomb of a single, “212.” This song still goes hard in the paint eight years later. The playful, bouncy beat is a perfect match for Banks’ dexterous flow and filthy lines. It somehow still retains its shocking power nine years later.

Banks had that power to grab your attention. It’s a shame that talent went to waste, but at least we’ll always have “212.”

#46: “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” by Coldplay (2011)

Just wanted to remind all of you: Coldplay was actually really good. Even on their obnoxiously optimistic, day-glo 2011 album Mylo Xyloto. And especially on that album’s lead single, the EDM-lite, slow-burning, anthemic “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall.”

Is it corny? Of course, it’s Coldplay. Does it light up every pleasure center in my brain anyways? Again: Of course, it’s Coldplay. Just give into the U2-esque guitars, thumping synths and Chris Martin wailing away about waterfalls or whatever. I don’t know why it works, but it sure as hell does.

#45: “Capacity” by Charly Bliss (2019)

After writing an entire album of bubbly grunge-pop jams filled with non sequiturs, New Yorkers Charly Bliss got a little more serious with their follow up, “Capacity.” The new wave anthem perfectly encapsulates the suffering of emotional labor, and when you try to be everything for everyone. Lead singer Eva Hendricks’ normally vibrant voice is self-constrained for most of the song, until the climax, when it feels like a weight has been lifted off. 

“Capacity” is the perfect compromise for Charly Bliss: It retains their irresistible hooks, while using that pop songwriting to convey something more important. 

#44: “Rollercoaster” by Bleachers (2014)

Jack Antonoff is probably the pop producer of the decade. His ‘80s-fetishizing fingerprints are all over the ‘10s pop scene, from his bombastic early days with fun., to his minimalist work with Lorde’s career-defining Melodrama. And don’t forget Taylor Swift’s career-derailing reputation — his production was one of that album’s bright spots.

But naturally, the songs Antonoff saved for himself and his side project Bleachers were perfect pop nuggets too. “Rollercoaster” is probably Bleachers’ best. This slice of pure, unfiltered new wave bubblegum is so catchy that you’d swear it’s a cover of a classic pop song from 30 years earlier. You’d have to try pretty damn hard (or just dislike pop) to dislike it.

#43: “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” by Arcade Fire (2010)

Remember when Arcade Fire were still the darlings of the music industry? One listen to The Suburbs and you’ll be reminded why they were at one point considered the indie U2.

“Sprawl II” is just one of many highlights on The Suburbs, but as the climax of that album, it’s bulletproof. Regine Chassagne takes the vocal reigns here, delivering her best-ever yelpy, high-pitched performance. In an album all about the suffocating nature of suburban sprawl, “Sprawl II” perfectly encapsulates the difficulty of escaping the endless housing developments and crumbling strip malls. In a way, it’s the millennials’ “Born To Run” — all about getting away to a brighter future. Just swap crumbling factories for drive-thrus.

#42: “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa (2019)

Dua Lipa was always a solid popstar. Jams like “Electricity” and “New Rules” were fun, energetic dance-pop singles. But she was never truly transcendent until “Don’t Start Now” arrived in the decade’s waning months. Lipa went full disco queen on the track, effortlessly riding a fat slap-bass line all the way to pop euphoria. Her robotic, staccato delivery on the chorus sells the song’s icy post-breakup-brushoff feel. If “Don’t Start Now” is any indication, expect Lipa to be one of the 2020s’ best stars. 

#41: “Scorpio Rising” by Soccer Mommy (2018)

Nashville singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, AKA Soccer Mommy (maybe the decade’s best/worst band name), doesn’t dance around with her lyrics. They cut straight to the heartbreak in the most brutal way. And there’s no song that exemplifies this better than her power-ballad, “Scorpio Rising.”

The slow-burner is about a slowly-dissolving long-distance relationship. Allison knows her boyfriend has eyes on someone else that actually lives near him, and she has to let him go. It’s tragic in a routine way, and the twanging guitars and Allison’s longing vocals really sell both the realism and the angst of the scenario.

#40: “I Blame Myself” by Sky Ferreira (2013)

Pending on how great her long-awaited sophomore album Masochism is — if it ever comes out — Sky Ferreira will be one of the 10′s biggest what-ifs. After a solid EP in 2012, her 2013 debut, Night Time, My Time was a beautifully grimy blend of ‘80s new wave and ‘90s grunge. Even with HAIM, Chvrches and Lorde releasing debuts that year, Ferreira seemed to be the top of the pop class of 2013. But the second album still hasn’t arrived.

Luckily, Night Time, My Time is an untouchable masterpiece, and its synthpop centerpiece, “I Blame Myself,” shows exactly what Ferreira’s capable of. Surrounded by songs with crashing guitars, the bright synths and drum machine rumble makes it one of the album’s more minimalist tracks. And the song itself is a great exploration of the guilt, anger and self-doubt that comes after a breakup. It’s a more-than-worthy sequel to her breakout single, “Everything Is Embarrassing.”

#39: “Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)” by Meek Mill (2012)

Me, listening to the first 96 seconds of “Dreams and Nightmares”: Yeah, okay, this is pretty nice. It’s a good come-up track, dreamy instrumentation.

Me, starting at the 97-second mark of “Dreams and Nightmares” and for the rest of the song: OH MY GOD MY HEART RATE JUST TRIPLED WHAT’S HAPPENING IS THIS THE GREATEST SONG EVER

#38: “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey (2016)

The Chainsmokers made a lot of bad music in the 2010s. Halsey made a lot of mediocre music in the same time frame. But when they joined forces? An accidental masterpiece was created.

I’m not going to argue that “Closer” is high art by any means. It’s trashy to the highest degree, and it’s not even critic-approved, hipstery bubblegum like Carly Rae Jepsen or Charli XCX. Nope, “Closer” is the definition of lowest-common-denominator pop. There’s not much special to it.

Then why do I love it so much? Three years later, I still remember every word will sing along with glee. I love the random, pointless details like that mattress stolen in Boulder, or that Blink-182 song overplayed in Tuscon (the song’s couple apparently spent lots of time in Pac-12 college towns...surprised they didn’t throw in a shout-out to Corvallis while they were at it). I love the cheap-sounding bleepy-bloopy drop. And I legitimately think, despite being a bland singer, Andrew Taggart has vocal chemistry with Halsey.

“Closer” will likely never be a critical darling. But I think it’ll stick around in the public consciousness as a guilty pleasure — I know it’s my favorite guilty pleasure of the 10s. I guess that makes it the “Don’t Stop Believin’“ of this decade. There are certainly worse things to be.

#37: “House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls” by The Weeknd (2011)

In 2011 — before he became Daft Punk’s new muse, before he developed an uncanny knack for writing songs that sound like lost Michael Jackson classics, before he became a hook artist for Beyoncé and Kanye, even before he fought Adam Sandler in a Safdie Brothers movie — The Weeknd was just a mysterious, shadowy figure. Nobody knew what he looked like, or what his real name was. And that didn’t matter, because he gave us gloriously depraved futurist R&B classics like “House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls.”

As much as I love The Weeknd’s pop sellout era — I struggled not putting “Starboy,” “I Feel It Coming” or “The Hills” on this list — “House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls” is something truly special. The two-part song starts as an invitation into The Weeknd’s creepy world. With a heavy Siouxie and the Banshees sample (not the only time he borrowed from ‘80s art-rock), he lets the listener into his “happy house,” which sounds anything but.

By the time you reach the song’s second half, things take a sharp veer into overt sleaze, all cocaine and sex. The song is so nocturnal here that if you listen to it during the day, Spotify will refuse to play it. “Glass Table Girls,” like The Weekend, is a creature of the night. And even though he’d have better hooks later in this career, that first hedonistic rush is still the best.

#36: “Gone” by Charli XCX feat. Christine and the Queens (2019)

Charli XCX, after years of getting ~this close~ to penning a generational anthem, finally hit the nail on the head in the last summer of the decade.

“Gone” is an anxious, dystopian banger worthy of two of the ‘10′s best alt-pop heroes. It perfectly captures the intense self-loathing and fear when surrounded by people you don’t know/don’t like. And wrapping it all up in a glitched-out breakdown? *chef’s kiss*

#35: “BOOGIE” by BROCKHAMPTON (2017)

“BOOGIE” is the sound of absolute chaos. The beat is composed of a lurching bassline, air-raid sirens and a squawking sax riff, all turned up to 11. Throw in radically varying verses from six (!!) different BROCKHAMPTON members, a music video where the sprawling Texas collective paints themselves blue and wreaks havoc in a convenience store and weirdo bars including arguably the most non sequitur/best flex of the decade (“Best boy band since One Direction/Making n*ggas itch like a skin infection”), and you’ve got a perfect BROCKHAMPTON song.

In the past couple years, BROCKHAMPTON has refined their sound a solid, reliable formula: quirky bars, creaky beats, general vibe of angst. The collective is more reliably good now, but there was something special about their unpredictable crash-landing in 2017. “BOOGIE,” while being an absolute banger, still features Joba delivering an entire voice in a yelping scream, and Merlyn Wood (my favorite of the group) rhymes “willy” with itself 40 times or so. It’s a deeply odd song. But it’s the best kind of odd.

#34: “The Woman That Loves You” by Japanese Breakfast (2015)

A gorgeous introduction to what would become one of the late-’10′s premier indie acts, “The Woman That Loves You” is synthy dream-pop perfected.

Michelle Zauner, AKA Japanese Breakfast, has one of those voices that works as its own instrument, bending and shifting timbres when the song needs it. In “Woman,” her softer, cooing style is mostly used to fit the dusky atmosphere created by the song’s hypnotic guitar riff and slowly rumbling drums. And when the song’s climax hits in the song’s middle, her vocals burst into exasperated joy while twinkling synths explode in the background.

“The Woman That Loves You” is a songs that demands to be listened to at twilight; it’s a potential end-credits classic. The fact that Zauner was able to live up to its promise with two incredible albums just makes her debut single’s legacy even stronger.

#33: “Shabba” by A$AP Ferg feat. A$AP Rocky (2013)

The A$AP Crew’s peak turned out to be surprisingly short. Ater A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg dominated 2013, their careers wound up in gradual decline afterwards. Rocky honorably tried to switch up his style, but nothing ever stuck and Travis Scott took over his lane. And Ferg just kind of became bland.

But the duo will always have one glorious moment: the ignant-rap masterpiece “Shabba.” Over a trunk-rattling beat that sounds like a Hitchcock soundtrack filtered through a trap lens, Ferg and Rocky have the time of their lives bragging about money and women. On the surface, it’s a generic trap song. But it’s the platonic ideal for a generic trap song — both insanely fun, but with a bit of legitimate edge. It’s something MCs would try to top for the rest of the decade. And they would never come close.

#32: “Adored” by Hatchie (2018)

It’s been only about two years since Hatchie released her debut single, “Sure,” and yet the Brisbane artist already feels like an essential figure in ‘10s dream pop. Her ghostly vocals and spaced-out guitars hit the ground running immediately, and she hasn’t disappointed since.

Hatchie’s best single, “Adored,” is probably about the closest she came to a true dancefloor filler. The single — released by Adult Swim, weirdly enough — is a yearning and insanely catchy. It sounds like if The Cranberries added some synthesizers and a pounding, euphoric dance beat to one of their classic songs. Hatchie makes the listener wait over two minutes for the chorus, but its melody is so pristine that it’s worth the wait. And if she’s willing to toss off a dream pop anthem as spectacular as “Adored” as a loosie single, I think Hatchie has a very bright future ahead.

#31: “Loud Places” by Jamie xx feat. Romy (2015)

The hook for Jamie xx’s solo debut album, In Color, is that it didn’t try to sound like London rave music. Instead, it captured the feelings and emotions that ravers feel while in London’s nightclubs. It was a dance album that made you think of dancing, rather than make you actually want to dance.

That sounds pretentious as hell, I realize, but Jamie xx — a member of indie-pop stalwarts The xx — nailed the execution, particularly on the haunting lead single with The xx’s lead singer, Romy, “Loud Places.”

The song is about finding euphoria on the dance floor, but instead of being a banger, it’s mostly subdued and minimalist. Its verses are just Romy’s whispers, plus a few quiet synths. Then, a ghostly sample of a 1977 soul song explodes into the mix with pounding drums, and you’re hypnotized. A twinkling percussion loop and a repeated, twanging guitar riff rush in to compliment.

With “Loud Places,” Jamie xx proved that he was ready to move beyond The xx’s hyper-minimalist style, and create his own type of anthem.

#30: “Harvard” by Diet Cig (2015)

Diet Cig’s best songs work because of their raw emotional power. Lead singer/guitarist Alex Luciano has a voice that, while not as technically impressive as an Ariana Grande or Whitney Houston, can perfectly deliver anguish and outrage. And she was never more powerful than on Diet Cig’s breakout single, “Harvard.”

The feeling conveyed in “Harvard” is jealousy and betrayal: A guy starts dating a bougie Ivy League woman after breaking up with the narrator. The short song dives get into detail for much of its running time, with Luciano sneering that her new girlfriend’s “not as loud” and making fun of his new, white-collar life.

But the song’s thesis, and arguably the best chorus of the decade, is saved for the final 30 seconds of the song. Over crashing drums and lo-fi guitar, Luciano screams off-key, “FUCK YOUR IVY LEAGUE SWEATER!” It’s both visceral and relatable for anyone who feels left behind.

#29: “Shallow” by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga (2018)

“Shallow” is the best soundtrack song of the decade and one of the best of all time. Despite its odd structure, the chemistry between Bradley Cooper (and his solid Eddie Vedder impersonation) and Lady Gaga — sorry, I mean Jackson Maine and Ally — is undeniable. And that magical “AHHHAAAAAAAAA” where Gaga reminds everyone that she’s arguably the greatest vocal powerhouse of her generation? Ugh. It’s perfect.

Also, if I can get on a tangent — A Star Is Born should’ve swept the 2018 Oscars. In what universe is Green Book a better movie? Or Rami Malek’s lip-synching job a better performance than Bradley Cooper’s tragic, grizzled turn? (Olivia Colman was very good in The Favourite, so I can live with Gaga losing).

#28: “I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around” by Chromatics (2015)

Chromatics were the decade’s most frustrating, yet brilliant act. The Portland group only put out one full-length album in the 2010′s — 2012′s stellar Kill For Love — before waiting three years to put out follow-up singles in 2015 with the promise of a new album, Dear Tommy, by Valentine’s Day. But Dear Tommy has yet to arrive nearly five years later, and almost all of its incredible singles were taken down from streaming services.

One of those disappearing singles (that just returned this fall!!) was “I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around,” a roller-disco masterpiece. It managed to hold onto Chromatics’ signature ghostly ‘80s-noir sound while adding a thumping bass line and snapping snare drums. The band had made danceable tunes before, like “Looking For Love,” but they were usually more minimalist affairs. “When You’re Around” is the Chromatics formula on steroids, and shockingly it works.

#27: “Wednesday Night Melody” by Bleached (2016)

From its raucous skater-punk guitars to the undeniably catchy Go-Go’s vocal harmonies, “Wednesday Night Melody” is the platonic ideal for a Los Angeles rock jam.

Bleached, one of the decade’s most underrated acts, has written plenty of songs written for driving full-speed with the windows down on Pacific Coast Highway, but “Wednesday Night Melody” is their sound perfected. Receiving the torch from fellow Californians Weezer, Bleached found just the right balance between massive hooks and crunchy guitars. It’s the pinnacle of the mid-’10s brief bubblegum-punk movement.

#26: “LMK” by Kelela (2017)

“LMK,” the highlight of arguably the decade’s finest R&B album, Take Me Apart, is a masterclass in retrofuturism.

Kelela and producers Jam City create a blacklight alternate reality with “LMK,” in which 1986, 1999 and 2050 all seamlessly meld. The new-wave synths, stuttering Timbaland-esque rhythms and icy vibe make for an incredible experience. Kelela’s cool is impenetrable — appropriate given as the song is basically telling a potential lover in the club to chill out and just talk to her.

In a weak era for R&B, it’s truly a shame that Kelela hasn’t yet become the megastar she deserves to be. But in that alternate reality, weirdo bangers like “LMK” are playing 24/7.