#but i'm just surprised at how much fandom content supports changing hearts

[noscio]

Sometimes I feel like ppl forget that Yaldabaoth’s deal was to functionally let the Phantom Thieves (as just Joker) police society unrestrained and that the “game” was manipulated from the very start

[styles-harriet]

***Long Rant***

Content-

- Art journey,

- Shoutout

- Sneak peak

------

This ask had me reflecting on my art style. So i pulled up some of my old and new work .

The first one is mini Bobby , i couldn't draw him at all, but i still wanted some sort of drawing so i decided to make a Gacha Bobby, I mean hey, something is better than nothing right ?

Say what you want but I'm still very fond of this little guy.

Then I made a MC × Bobby fanart. But even in that, his face was no mucho gusto and it came out very blurry and the pens lines were too thick

Then came Superman Bobby , better and more good looking than the previous crack Bobby but still very blurry.

One of the reasons was , I was using a pen style that was too thick and that really defined the outlines rather than the actual picture and when resized , it got really blurry and the app that i was using had very limited resources .

Then I switched to the app im using now - Ibis paint. It's free , has tons of features and brushes , less precise and professional than procreate but it's still very much up there. I changed my brush from a drawing pen to a pencil which has thin strokes. The result is definitely better

And I fell more in love as i drew him

---------Shoutouts-----

@libelle949 : If you like love island, art and a great person to talk to, they have got the whole package. They have drawn many many character arts for love islands and other fandoms. They also have fanfic content on their blog and they are all about lifting other people up with them. Definitely check out their blog.

AND

@ariendiel : Two words. Noah ,Aesthetic. That's what the blog is about. If you are a season two girlie who is in love with Noah, look no further. This blog has fanarts, fanfics , some of it being a non LI plot while others being alternate LI scenarios. And you'll also find a surprise....spicy 🍆🍑 edits of many islanders to get your heart racing.

------ Sneak peak ----

I have been working on this fanart for days. Not because it's very complex or has too much details , but because my final exams have commenced, so I only draw the FACE of the islander i have in mind for the project to reward myself at the end of the day.

Today I finished drawing the faces of my second last and last islander who are going to be featured on the fanart. I FINALLY LEARNED HOW TO DO HAIR HIGHLIGHTS. i basically never shade because I dont know how and I was planning on learning that during my vacation BUT I finally tried out hair shading for Jin and Bruno. And I'm loving the result.

Tadaaaaaa!!!!!! Made my day tbh can't wait to include this in the final fanart with the other three boys ( can you take the vibe and guess who they are?)

Also, I can't believe im just 5 away from 50 followers!!?! Thankyou for the love and support ❤️

---------

Main blog

[luz-noceda-for-realsies]

M'kay so every toh fan is currently talking about how it's been a year since Hollow Mind and how Hollow Mind was such a fantastic episode because it was and it was so good for so many reasons, but I wanna talk about how it's been a year since Reaching Out which is my favorite episode and I've just gotta ramble.

M'kay so first off, the writing. Oh my god, the writing is brilliant. The way they delivered the important scenes in the episode with such maturity, and the way that they even added jokes into the episode. Not a lot, but that's for obvious reasons. And none of the jokes were about Luz's dad. None of them were about her grief. None of them were about her bottling up her feelings about her dad and his passing, and how she isn't able to spend it with her mom this year which is probably the only way she's been able to cope with his death. It's really hard to make an episode about a mature topic with jokes in it without making the jokes seem inappropriate or somehow joking about the topic, but toh did it. I can't say I'm surprised tbh. Also the way it showed how Luz is dealing with the grief vs. her mom dealing with it. Her mom is sad, but calm. Luz is upset and emotional, and just straight up avoids the topic, which is SO realistic. No super dark and dramatic moments, but moments that rip your heart out nonetheless. Also the way Amity deals with it. She's upset at Luz for lying to her, which is fair, but after hearing about *why* Luz lied, Amity isn't mad anymore. She understands now and helps Luz deal with it the best they could. Amity doesn't even bring it up again, respecting how Luz needed a moment to talk about herself and how Luz already apologized. Also the way we get so much family content between the Clawthornes and the Blights is so nice.

Next off I love how they handled Amity dealing with her dad. Amity didn't forgive him right away. She didn't accept his hug but she did accept him wanting to try again and be a better father (and I love how he does become such a good dad to all of his kids it's so nice they all deserve it.) Alador admits his mistakes, he admits that he needs to do better, and if that isn't beautiful- Also, while he did admit he was in the wrong, Amity did not forgive her father. And tbh, he didn't deserve forgiveness, atleast not right away. Amity and her siblings had been neglected by him their whole lives, and although the main focus was on Amity, I believe the twins also needed time to forgive, and see if he would actually change and be a good dad.

Speaking of the twins, they both had a good amount of growth too. Edric was the main focus out of the two of them, sure, but Emira also had some growth. Both of them discovered other types of magic they were interested in (on their own, might I add) and later on joined those tracks as well. Also they were both such loving siblings this episode, with both of them supporting, protecting, and taking care of their little sister, even tho Amity was annoyed that they were there in the beginning. I love how they have such realistic teenager looks as well, with leg hair and acne and everything. And them also being accepted into the Bad Girl coven as well was the icing on the cake. I swear they went from being annoying older siblings constantly messing and teasing their sister to being her best friends and being super supportive. We love to see it tbh.

And finally, I like how this episode finally addressed why Luz didn't have her dad in her life, which I know for a fact the fandom has been wondering since season 1. But I fr thought that Camilla and Manny just divorced or something, not that Manny straight up died. Another thing I love, even tho it's mentioned in Thanks To Them, is how Manny was the reason Luz got into The Good Witch Azura, which ended up not only leading her into the Boiling Isles, but also letting her officially meet Eda, connecting with Amity and them becoming friends (and eventually girlfriends), and basically shaping her personality. So, in a way, Luz's dad is partially the reason she discovered the Boiling Isles.

One more thing I really like is how we not only got some cute Lumity content, but we also saw them hit a pivotal point in their relationship; their first fight. Obviously, it wasn't fun to see them fight, but the way they handled it was so mature and very nice, honestly. Amity being understandably upset with Luz for lying to her and getting her in trouble with Alador. Instead of blowing up, Amity goes off on her own to cool down. Luz then joins her later and Amity asks Luz why she lied. Not in an angry kind of way, but she was still upset and deserved to know the reason. She was asking in a concerned way, as she knew that Luz was having a rough day and that could've been why she was acting like that. Luz admitting that what she did was wrong, and shouldn't be excused, even though she was dealing with stuff and her mind was all over the place. It's understandable why Luz lied, and she isn't a bad person for lying to Amity, but she still (very unintentionally) hurt Amity. After Amity learned what was going on, like I said earlier, she immediately dropped the subject in respect for Luz. Luz had already apologized anyways, so there was no point to bring it up again. Then Amity tells Luz that she'll do something with her here to honor her dad, so that Luz feels better. Then later, Amity keeps her promise and helps Luz send off some flowers. The way the two of them handled their first fight was so mature, and honestly healthier than some adults I've seen irl. How fictional teenage girlfriends can handle a conflict better than some adults, idk. But anyways.

Gosh this episode was so good. It lives rent free in my head. And the fact that Dana put some of her own life into Luz just made this episode sting just a little bit more. I related to Luz a lot before this episode, but after it, GOD I related to her hard. Anyways, that was just me rambling, thanks for reading this long mess if you did.

[butmakeitgayblog]

Do you have any advice for fan fiction writers who aren't getting many readers etc? I feel like giving up some days but I love writing and find fan fiction my personal therapy if that makes sense. I'd love any advice you can give or any suggestions. 💕

Well, honestly I'm not any kind of authority so take whatever I say with a grain of salt. Because honestly, I never really thought I'd get any kind of following to begin with 😕 this surprised me, and still does to this day, more than anyone. When I started posting my first fic (very nervously and through the feeling like I was going to throw up) I thought "well, I'll just write a few chapters and probably no one will ever read it and I'll get bored and it'll be out of my system." And now here we are, and I have no idea how that happened 😳

What advice I can give is, you can't write for the sake of other people. I know that sounds cheap as hell because the whole point of sharing fic is to get feedback and interact with others in the fandom, but really at the heart of it you have to just write stories that you like and you want to read above everything else. Keep writing. Keep growing. Keep refining your work and your style so no matter what the view count is, you know you're becoming a better writer regardless. And truth be told, you never know what idea or fic will hit with readers and what won't. You may write something and think oh no one is gonna gaf about this and then out of nowhere, that's what people love. It happens more than you know.

Another thing is - and this is going to sound harsh at first but bear with me please - in this day and age sadly you have to manage your expectations. Not because you don't deserve more readers or comments or because your work isn't good, but because the culture of fandom and fanfic/fanart is changing, and not for the better. There's dozens of posts that make the rounds on here passively warning people about how a lot of writers and artists are getting burned out and fed up with the lack of reciprocal community from their audience. Tiktok and IG and all that shit has kind of ruined the landscape of fandom because now everything is seen as just consumption based. More and more people read a fic and move on, binge a show and move on, burn through a fandom's entire AO3 content in 3 months and move on, and it sucks. I mean when you look at fandoms of old, the days of Xena and Buffy for example, a lot of those fans are still around and still participating and still creating work even though the show/fandom/ships are long gone. You don't really see that loyalty much anymore, and it becomes a cycle of the fandom shrinking and then the feedback and comments and support grinds to a halt, and then creators stop feeling like wasting hours of their life to pour themselves into work that gets maybe a handful of comments even though they see hundreds or thousands of people have read it. It just sucks all around. So expecting to see the numbers that a fic did even 3-5 years ago, sadly, just isn't going to happen.

BUT

I do also know this, the Clexa fandom has been one of the best fandoms I've ever been in, both as just a fan on the outskirts and someone who tries to contribute. I've found Clexas to be funny and welcoming and we have a core group of fucking awesome and loyal, supportive readers, but the thing is you have to keep going. Sometimes building an audience and a regular group of readers takes time. Name recognition matters. Yes there are writers out there that are just synonymous with the fandom, but there's other writers (hi yes hello me, I mean me lol) who came late to the party and it's taken some time to get people to see their work. Tagging things and reblogging, talking in tags, reaching out to other people in the fandom and making friends who want to help you with your work because you help support theirs. All that stuff. It makes a difference. Damn near every week or so I get a new reader saying "wow idk how I hadn't heard of you before/read your stuff before but I'm glad I found it, keep going!" And that 100% will never have even the possibility of happening if you stop writing!

In the end, you just have to decide what's best for you. If this feels incredibly unhelpful I truly am sorry, I wish I had better advice to give you but I'm as clueless to this all as you are. But 2 things I do know for sure without a doubt? One, there is a place for you in any fandom, and your work does matter. There is an audience out there who want to read what you have to write and they'll love it. And two, in the end just be kind to yourself. Love yourself and be proud of yourself for trying, and for being creative and growing your work. Fanfic is supposed to be fun, writing about your favorite blorbos is meant to be fun, even if more often than not it feels like the equivalent of just dancing alone in your kitchen. Ya get what I mean?

[terapsina]

hi! for the writing ask game, I'd love if you answered what you want outta: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 15, 19, 23, 24, 29, and 48! :)

*deep breath* alright then 😉

1. When did you start writing?

When I was a kid I used to write a bit but not anything serious (I did plot out an idea for a "book" that shall never see the light of day). And then twelve years ago when I was 18 I started writing fanfiction, it was also when I started writing in English (which isn't my first language, but is weirdly now the only language I know how to write stories in).

2. Favourite character?

Of all time? No idea. Seriously. But let's narrow it down a bit. Favorite character that I enjoy writing for from the fandoms I've written in a few times? Elena from TVD because it's easy to get into her headspace, and also I feel very protective of her. Sameen Shaw from Person of Interest because doing her character right is kind of a challenge for me, also I adore her. Regina Mills, though it's hard to write from her POV so I mostly have stuff from Emma just being totally in love with her. Parker from Leverage, because she's really cool. Izzy from Shadowhunters, because ditto. Lizzie from Legacies, IDK she's just one of the most complex and interesting characters in the show. River Song from DW, she's really cool and I love trying to reunite her with Thirteen. Aaaaaand I think that's enough of that.

3. Favourite AU?

From one's I've written... I think I'm really proud of this one.

Royal Marriage Agreements and Cursed Princesses and Dragons Oh My!

It's my Clary/Izzy feminist Sleeping Beauty fic where Princess Izzy's supposed to get married for political reasons but doesn't wanna and figures out that if she wakes 'the sleeping princess' then that would take precedent. There's also a bit of cute background Malec with Dragon!Magnus.

6. Do you write on your phone/laptop/paper/something else?

Usually my laptop. But if an idea for a sentence or a paragraph strikes, or if I'm editing and adding some short changes, but I don't have the laptop on me I also use my phone.

7. Favourite writing advice?

Probably the advice to not worry about making it good immediately. To write something that's terrible because once it's been written you can edit it to your heart's content. But first you need to WRITE it.

12. Your favourite work?

Currently the story I'm working on right now because I've never done something as challenging as this. Something where I keep switching points of view through the chapters, and where I'm dealing with really complicated and intricate issues of overcoming trauma, and healing, and opening up to love, and finding comfort in friendships.

She's Come Undone and Set Free

Which is the story where Elena deals with the trauma of the sire bond, as well as finds out what Damon did to Caroline in s1. Which brings stuff to the surface for Caroline, but now she has her friends there to support her. Elena and Caroline get to be ANGRY. Also there's Elejah. And a bit of Klaroline. But also a LOT of bonding for Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and Rebekah. Also the Salvatores face some actual consequences.

15. Do you ever delete works?

I have in the past. Like two or three fics I think, some of the very first ones I ever wrote. They were AWFUL. And really short. No one's missing much, I promise.

But I don't think I'm ever going to again. Even though there's a lot that makes me cringe upon rereading, it would feel wrong to delete them.

19. Where do you write?

In bed. It's weird, I know, but I have some back issues and it's better for me than staying in a chair for hours on end.

23. Least favourite part about writing fanfiction?

Starting out. Once I've started I get in the zone and the story kind of... happens, like even if I don't know where I'm going with it there's little unexpected moments that surprise me. But starting out is hell, I've somehow always have just forgotten how to write.

24. How many unfinished works are in your drafts?

I plead the fifth 😂. Seriously though... a BUNCH. I've got a half written Hizzie fic that's torturing me. A Bellarke fic that will probably never see the light of day. Some beginnings to a Marisa/Asriel fic that I lost inspiration to.

Yeah, a bunch.

29. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Hell if I know. Usually though it's when something is pisses me off about canon and my brain goes 'wouldn't it be cool if...' and then I try to write that scenario and sometimes a fic happens.

48. How do you deal with coming up with titles?

*groans* it is the WORST.

Sometimes I take the episode title and twist it. 5+1 fics make it easy and I just describe the scenario. Sometimes I take one word that is used in the fic and use that. Sometimes I pick a random song lyric.

There's not a lot of brain involved, is what I'm saying.

[ladyartemesia]

Important!!! Please read!!

Hi! So I know you are in a very busy phase of your life and I know this is a bad time to be coming to you with this, but I hope you've heard about post+ and the shitshow that it is.. With this new advances on this site, I'm scared for my favorite content creators. I've loved every thing you've written and I truly want to see everything you've planned out for the future. I'm really bad with words, so please excuse my rant. I really love love love everything about your stories and I truly hope that you've backed up all your writings somewhere and you can upload them somewhere for us to read. If you upload at a newer site, fuck I'll join the site for you and your content okay? Just let us know, I hope you have an ao3, even wattpad will be fine but please don't let your ideas be trashed by this site like this.. You have a gift and your writings are literary gems on this site.. I wish I was in a financial state where I could happily pay for all my favorite writers, but unfortunately I'm not and I don't see it changing anytime soon. I just graduated college and I don't see myself having money to pay with my masters and daily expenses.. And with the currency exchange rate, my thousand is a one for many people on here. I don't want to resort to bad means or hate, but I truly can't help it. I can pray, hope and protest but at end of the day if post+ becomes a normality over here, I don't see myself staying. As much as my heart breaks, I don't think I can afford to. I'm sorry, but you should keep writing and I hope you really see you are a very good writer.

Maybe I'm selfish for asking, but can you make an ao3 and put your stories up there?? I don't want to steal it, but I don't also want to let go?? Like your writings have been my happy pills on bad days. I remember reading your stories on particularly bad days and feeling calm enough to go on. I hope you keep us updated on what you plan to do, because I really don't wanna die knowing that your stories never got the praise and love it deserved.

Thank you.

I'm crying so my rant is very much disoriented right now.

Hello Lovelies,

I have read about the changes coming to tumblr and I am absolutely blown away by the support I’ve received in the wake of this announcement.

I want to answer these questions and set everyone’s fears to rest. So I will address the main points first.

1. I will never—EVER—charge for the fandom content I create. No judgment on anyone who chooses to, but I will not.

2. I have both an AO3 and a Wattpad. The AO3 is exclusively Reylo content and I haven’t used it in awhile, but I do have it. The Wattpad is mostly for reporting plagiarists, but I do have both accounts already set up and ready if the need to move arises. You will not lose access to my work.

3. If there is a surprise purge, all of my content is backed up already on Google drive. I write it there first and transfer it to tumblr.

4. I do not think that tumblr is going to blow off its own proverbial foot by hunting down and kicking out the fandom creators. I am not as worried, but please know that I am not dismissing your concern. The possibility does exist and therefore I am monitoring the situation carefully so I am able to take action if necessary. I have been around fandom a(n embarrassingly) long time and I have the benefit of first-hand experience with changes like this. I am not worried…yet.

I am extremely touched that all of you have reached out to me in various ways to make sure my stories are safe. Thank you so much for the beautiful words you have given me about my work. They clearly mean a lot to you and I cannot even tell you how much knowing that means to me. Your passion and care has moved me deeply. I am genuinely touched. I am sad that these new changes have caused you emotional distress, but I hope this message can lay at least some of it to rest.

I started writing as a very young teen on the wild west of message boards wayyyy back in the day. My stories have bounced all around the internet and through three fandoms now… and I have them all. Tumblr will not be able to stop my writing. I am a true veteran.

[indimlights]

✨Merry christmas Cille✨

To: @birthdaysentiment 💛

-> From: @indimlights (Rodrigo)

Hi Cille! I guess it's up to me to kick off this "little" surprise but I don't even know where to start...

I remember really well the first time I saw a post of yours, I was still lurking back then and the moment I read it I felt so many things, things I don't know how to describe and that I never thought words could make me feel and I knew, I just knew that I had to see more. Fast-forward a couple of hours I knew your blog by heart, I had looked at so many of your posts and every single one was as amazing as the first one, as touching as the first one and as deep as the first one.

The meaning you put on words still gets to me every single day, you have such a way into them and don't even get me started on your music analysis. The moment I read the first one I was mind-blown! The things you catch, the connections you make between the music and the scene, the way you describe the scenes, it makes me go back, relive the moment and feel everything I felt the first time I watched it and all this just by... reading your words! If that doesn't tell me how amazing you are with them I don't know what will.

From that day I always wished I could talk to you, get to know the person behind the words, behind the masterpieces, behind the blog because you seemed like such a sweet person and now... After some time, I got that chance and I'm so happy I got it. You are everything I thought you would be and 1000x more, you are sweet, caring, smart, loving, wise, joyful and so supportive to me and to everyone in this community! You always spread love and that's so important and so nice of you to do, the way you write essays in the tags for everyone's posts just shows that! It's such a simple thing but means so much.

And I'm not even mentioning how talented you are with non-written posts because those are on another level aswell, I mean you always surprise me with your ideas and creativity and just knowing that whenever I come here I will have some sort of attack waiting for me just keeps me going and I love everything you do so much.

I'll never be able to thank you enough for being so welcoming when I barely knew anyone and for making me feel so much more comfortable here! Getting to know you better and to share this experience with someone like you has been a blessing and I wouldn't change any second of it, thank you for everything you have done and for always being so sweet to me. I don't understand what I did to deserve all that but that just shows again how wonderful you are.

I'm wishing you a merry christmas! Surrounded by everyone you love and that makes you happy because you deserve that and so much more, please never change, never stop being like this, a special and wonderful person. I hope you enjoy this surprise :) Have a wonderful day Cille 💛

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-> From: @remy3010 (Remy)

Hihi Cille❤ I love your blog so much especially music analysis! I just fall in love with your music analysis since your first posts.

For me whose mother tongue is not English, it takes a while to read but I'd love to. Because these articles deserve more people to see (including me)！

I have read every article of yours, the content touches me all the time. (Sometimes I have a lot of words want to tell you, But I don’t know how to speak in English..sorry🥺so I give❤ and reblog)

Anyway, thank you for writing beautiful words and sharing with us! I hope you can keep this passion forever, and everything go well. May you have wonderful days my friend ❤

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-> From: @franboos (Francine)

hi bb cille,

wanted to tell u that i love u blog and the time u put into analyzing stuff is shhshdhdhdhd. queen shit. u seen so genuine to talk to idk, i get those nice, non judgmental, relaxed and cool vibes from u. lmao. pls stay on tumblr for as long as u can cuz i love ur posts. u notice such little things in clips from wtfock, like u have a very detailed eye miss hehe. i really want to get to know u more cuz i really think we could vibe v well together, and that’s on perioood 😌. i hope u have a great great day while reading this queen. never stop what you’re doing cuz ur great at it. i love you !!

many kusjes and knuffels*,

fran

(*knuffels means hugs but also stuffed animal in dutch, did u know that? otherwise now u do, nice isn’t it)

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-> From: @dagcutie (Pauline)

hey hey cille!!

I must admit i’m very much a fan of you and your blog

first of all, your posts? chefs kiss!! i mean your music analysis are amazing and so on point, your photo edits are always perfect and the colorings are so beautiful, your long text posts 'drabble/headcanon style' are so cute and always makes me so soft and emotional...

your love for black and white? that’s a big yes!! anyways everything you do is perfect!!

also can we take a moment to appreciate your person? i think we can and we must do it..

you’re always so supportive and kind, all the nice tags you let under peoples creations are so sweet!! I also could cry about how cute you are always leaving lovely messages to people inbox or coming randomly to them to say something nice.. you’re the most beautiful soul and a blessing for this fandom!! please never stop being you!! ily a lot, sending you all my love and i wish you an amazing day<3

knus og kys til dig💛✨

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-> From: @allee-sander (Tanya)

Cille, you are an amazing person. you are so kind and loving. every time i see you on my dash, my face lights up. you are a literal angel. you are loved and appreciated, never forget that.

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-> From: @tsjernobyl (Emma)

Cille, you are a genuinely kind and loving soul who's just on this site to talk about the things you love and spread a little joy and everyone can tell that the moment they go onto your blog. i've seen you be nothing but lovely to everyone you interact with and it's a real honor to be mutuals with you and interact from time to time. You are always one of the sweetest and most supportive people here, and i hope you feel that love flowing back to you at all times because you always have my warmest wishes and love!!!!!

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-> From: @dreamaur (Ann)

How does it feel to be so cool and sweet and supportive??? I love you and your mind and how you see so many details and capture them so well with words,,,queen keep going with your top tier analysis and text posts that make me emotional everything single time

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-> From: @annonymannonym (Alice)

Where do I even begin ummm ... well words may not be enough to describe such angelic human being that Cille is but today is about her *about you Cille* !♡! Honestly I’m so so happy and honoured and so grateful to have meet and know you and come along your blog and your amazing posts and edits , let’s s not forget about the masterpiece that your analysis is cuz I live for every single one of them ! Always so on point and touchy and so so emotionally, they give you a whole new perspective and point of view and helps you connect with the person that goes throught those feelings , helping you understand so much deeper the feelings and the emotions he experience in that right moment( so thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking your time and writing these it really shows how much passion and love you put on making these! they absolute helped me to understand and feel much more the meaning behind all these little moments you captured so so well and wonderful ! ) You’re always such a blessing here so lovely friendly so goodhearted and sooo on ... < insert here all the good compliments in the world > cuz they all applies to you ! Know that you’re so special and such a light a sunshine wherever you are and go , you always spread so much positivity and good energy and love and compassion and you support every single people your way comes along with and you shown so much respect and love and understanding ! Always with a wise and thoughtful mind and with the right words at you using them with so much care and mining fullness ! And your blog i love love love it the b&w aesthetic and your love for it owns my heart !! I adore your posts so much ( or ramblings or thoughts as you may call them but know they are so so much more than that its a way of yours to express yourself and open up and pour every feeling you experience and many people found themselves and feel with you , I find myself in them and resonate with them every time ! ahh and your tags that you write in every post are sooo sweet and cute i could read them all day long just coming on your blog and read them makes my day so much better ) they are such a good way to brighten your day and they put a smile on my face whenever i see you on my dash truly a blessing to have you here! Never forget how unique and special human being you are and every one who has you in their lives are very blessed to have you ! Never change being this beautiful inside and out but most importantly inside ! literally a tresure your soul is and must be protected at all cost so take very good care of it ! Don’t forget to always do what makes you happy and gives joy and peace and just you know that good feeling you have in your chest and heart whenever you do something you love and like with passion and joy. I could say so much more but maybe I’ll repeat myself cuz there are never enough compliments to say about how wonderful person you are! you deserve every single one of them ! I really meant every word i said from the bottom of my heart and know that i really apreciate and love all you do and I’ll be here to support you anytime! You deserve the absolute world and more!! love you Cille! ♡ Okey bye✿

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-> From: @robbesdriesen (Bianca)

Cille ~ such a lovely presence to see on my dash always!! Your support towards everyone in the fandom is more than appreciated and so is your love that you continuously aim to spread <3

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-> From: @happilyinsane (Dharaa)

Hey Cille 💕

Just wanted to say that I think you are really sweet and lovely. I see you everywhere on the tumblr. Wanna thank you for keeping this fandom alive during the drought and keep us entertained. I see your tags on people's posts and I always feel like you are so kind and sweet to spend your time appreciating people's work. Doesn't matter if its a photo or an edit or whatever. You are so nice to pay attention to everyone individually. You are such a good friend/mutual, always appreciating and sliding into their asks and just making their day a lil bit better. You definitely bring so many smiles on our faces. I am sure everyone is very thankful to have you in this fandom, I know I am.

I know we haven't interacted that much but thank you for sliding into my asks and giving me an opportunity to interact with you. You are the sweetest, baby. And I hope you like this whole thing that Rodrigo is doing, because you definitely deserve it. Keep lighting up our dashes with your posts, pls. Ilysm 💕

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-> From: @alwaysaneverland (Sarah)

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-> From: @theflowerisblue (Lola)

Cille! You’re such a present part of the tag! You’re always interacting and posting and I love reading what you have to say. Your music analysis are so interesting and I also think you’re really funny! I love your black and white aesthetic and most of all I love how supportive and positive you’re towards everyone!

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-> From: @fvae (Fae)

hi cille!! I'm really glad to have met you through this fandom and I hope you like the surprise!! I loved to read your song analysis because they're always on point and well thought of👌 💯  and your edits!! *chef's kiss*

sending you lots of love and hugs 💕💖💫

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-> From: @embeddedinmybrain (Tasfia)

Hi Cille! You are just a ray of sunshine!! And you are the sweetest and kindest person here. I loved following through with your wtfock music analysis posts bc everything you felt is exactly what I felt. They made me really emotional!! And of course I (and Sarah and Fae) appreciate your tags for moyo season so much. We wait for them and we read them to each other and we just love seeing your reactions to it. Your edits are incredibly amazing too and I love the colouring in them. You are just an amazing sweetheart and I’m so glad to know you 🥺🥺🥺💕💕💕

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-> From: @veerledejaegers (Soph)

Cille, you are very friendly and sweet, always insightful and seem like an incredibly lovely person that i hope i can get to know better ❤️(also love the black and white aesthetic)

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-> From: @sanderxrobbee (Semri)

Cilleeeeeeeeeeee loml!!!! Merry Christmas to you! I genuinely wish you all the best and I hope you get to spend all the holidays in the best way possible! You’re such a blessing to this fandom because you’re talented in every single way, whether it’s your writing or your godly Photoshop skills, oh and let’s not forget your dedication because you’re there all the time to brighten our days and make us smile. I haven’t known you for long, but I truly love and appreciate all you do and I’m grateful that you always take the time to compliment everything and everyone. You have no idea how much it makes me smile when you say my gifs are good because I’ve yet to learn a lot, but you are seriously one of the biggest reasons I haven’t given up the second something got too complicated. Where am I going with this? No idea. Anyway, I adore the fuck out of you and I’m happy to take part in this “project” because you really deserve all the love in the world. Once again, happy holidays!

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-> From: @hopelessromanticvirgo (Elene)

Talking about you Cille is making me always so emotional but I will try my best not to burst out from love and emotions. You’re one of the sweetest person here and I will never get tired of saying that.

We haven’t talked that much directly but I don’t need that to know you’re one of the greatest person here, I just know that for sure. I’m also sure about it because I can see the way you treat people? Even speaking about your tags? Like you take the time out of your day to make sure everybody gets love and everybody gets attention. You make all of us smile and I adore your tags on my stories. You can’t even imagine how many times I have reread your posts about it, like I crave it, I’m in love with it, it makes me feel so happy and so loved and I’m certain that everybody else feels the same way too. You always know how to make everybody’s day better and how to make them feel special.

And please, don’t even get me started on your posts! Your song analysis. Like I know I’ve told you this thousands of times before but I don’t care, I’m saying it again! The way you pictured and described all those songs and scenes!!! Like wow! I’d always reread your posts about that one specific scene after rewatching the season countless of times. (And you also did so many scenes!! I’m in awe and I’m emo from just thinking about it)

Watching clips were different but reading them with lyrics were a whole other thing. I just felt so connected with the whole story and scenes when I’d ready your posts. And connect scenes with the music and it was the best thing ever. Sometimes I still go back and reread some of my favorite posts of yours. I never get tired of it.

And you’re so kind and so sweet that I could write essays about it! Such a blessing to this world! I just love you a lot okay? Everybody needs somebody like you, somebody who shines from kindness and love and people around you must be so lucky who get to meet you everyday and talk to you!

Thank you so much for everything you do, for being you and for making my day better and making me smile every time you reblog my posts or every time I just see your username on my dashboard! It’s such a small gesture but means so much!

Thank you for existing, babe! I hope you’re gonna have a wonderful day! And I’m sending you the biggest hug and my positive vibes! I hope a smile never leaves your face! And I only wish the best things up onto you! I love you! ❤️❤️❤️

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-> From: @itubainaretro (Esther)

Cille, my queen!!! Hi, sweetheart! Just dropping by to say that I hope you’re having a good day, despite the situation that the world is in, and that you’re feeling happy, loved, cherished and warm today, because you’re you and you deserve to feel all the best feelings in the world! I wish you all the happiness in the world and that all your wishes come true too, because you sure deserve it! Thank you for being this amazing, inspiring, talented and sweet person that you are and that I’ve come to know a little bit in the past few months! I know we don’t exactly talk that much, but I want you to know that I love seeing you, your beautiful edits and your extremely heart warming “moments that live in my head rent free” posts on my dash daily! They all really make my days! Thank you for sharing your posts with us and making this fandom (and the world, honestly) a better place! You’re amazing and I’m really glad I pressed the follow button the day I did when I started following you! I hope this little message makes you smile today, babe! Best wishes and lots and lots of love,

Esther (itubainaretro) ♥️

PS: don’t forget to hydrate yourself, wear a mask and stay safe haha xxxx.

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-> From: @driesendotkom (Marie)

Dear cille,

the reason i‘m writing this is to simply say thank you. thank you for being such a stable part of the fandom. every time i go into the tag i know i will see you there and it makes me smile every time. i can’t tell you how many hours i spent reading every one of your song analysis. even now a year after season 3 ended i find myself going back to them now and then to reminisce and relive those moments all over again.

i also want to say thank you for being such a kind and welcoming person. you care so much about the people you are close to. you are so easy to talk to and you make the people around you feel comfortable instantly. you brought a little bit of hygge into my life and one more time i want to say thank you 💛

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-> From: @driesenrobbe (Becca)

my dear, sweet, cille! you never fail to make me smile and im beyond happy that we became mutuals! im sure i’ve already said this a million times before but you really do have the biggest heart and i couldn’t thank you enough for all the love and support you constantly share to everybody in the wtfock fandom. plus the talent you possess... girllllll i love seeing your edits and reading your posts (honestly your mind is just wowowowow, it’s on a whole other level of incredible and i hope you know just how wonderful you are). also the way you always write entire essays in the tags of other posts... like you really do take the time to make everyone feel so welcomed and loved, and I’m sending you an infinite amount of love and appreciation in return! you really are the sweetest, most caring person who deserves all the happiness in the world, an actual ray of sunshine! i hope you know how loved and cherished you are, and that good vibes are always being sent your way. Many hugs and kusjes, ilysm!!!! <3

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-> From: @mijnlief (Eline)

Dear Cille,

This year has been a weird one, but I do know that it has also been one of the best because of meeting you. In such a short time we became so close, and I am so grateful to have met you during these weird times. We are so alike in many ways and I love that so much. Our Skype conversations are my favorite and the essays you send me about my writing and just about me being me always make me feel happy and loved. You are the kindest and most generous person ever. I hope you know how special you are. I am so proud of you for everything you have achieved this year and for choosing yourself in situations where it got hard to make a choice in the first place. I know I tell you that everyday, but it doesn’t hurt to say it again right here. I hope this post makes you smile, because you deserve that so much for just being who you are. You bring happiness to all of my days and I can’t wait to hug you one day soon when everything in the world calms down again. I love you lots! 🧡 Eline

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-> From: @onzeziggy (Laurien)

My sweetest Cille, where do I even begin? I suggest we should just begin from the very beginning and I’m sorry in advance if this is going to be a long, sappy text! But now that I have the chance (shout out to Rodrigo) for saying everything I want, I’m not able to tell you how long this will take.

So Cille, I still remember very clearly the first time I saw your account appearing on my dash. It was a music analysis from one of the songs from season 3. I was so amazed by it, because I could imagine how much time it takes to make it and observe every little detail in a single clip. I immediately fell in love with the concept of it and one week later, when you posted another one, my mouth dropped to the floor. Another music analysis? From the same person? Who is she and how do I become her friend? After that second post, I immediately started following you and became your little fangirl. I don’t lie when I say I was waiting every week for a new update of your incredible music analysis nor when I say I loved every single one of them (and still do). I know I already said this a million times, but your words of telling what was going on in every clip, about the emotions present in them, and how the music blended all of it together… No one, and I mean no one could have done it any better! I will forever be grateful for those posts and I want to thank you once again for wanting to share them and your talent with us!

After the music analysis adventure, your picture edits catched my eye. I love them so so much and I also took some creation of it for making some myself. Still, I was this little fangirl, knowing your name is Cille, but also wanting to know so much more about the person behind one of my favorite blogs. And now, during this hiatus, I can say I’ve got to know you and I couldn’t be any happier about it! Starting with little comments in each other’s tags, having little chats in the comment sections to screaming about a possible drawing of Robbe from Sander on their one year anniversary. And look at us now, reblogging almost every post and writing essays in each other’s tags hahah! Honestly, it keeps me alive during these times and I’m so glad I can do this together with you! I live for your attacks! Aaaah now that I’m talking about an attack, the fact that you have a dimples post ready is making me so excited and I think about it every day! We both know what’s important in love and life and that’s Robbe’s dimples! But this right here shows once again what an amazing sweet person you are! No one on here has ever done anything like this for me before, so I can’t thank you enough for this and all the other things you did and still do for me! And the privilege I have to be able to call you my friend warms my heart <33

I’m going to end this with a little quote Robbe wrote in one of his Instagram posts. When I read it again a couple of days ago, I immediately thought of you and what we’ve been through together the last few weeks :’)) Once again, thank you so much for everything you do for me and for everyone here in this fandom and being the amazing person you are! You deserve the whole world for it!

“Sometimes it’s like we just met yesterday, but other days it seems like I already know you my whole life, I love you Cille!” <33

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I hope you enjoyed this💛 If you didn't know this community loved you yet (and I don't think that was possible), now you definetly do.

Extra: I'd like to thank once again everyone that took part it this surprise, you are all the sweetest for taking some time to write this and to help me with it! Thank you so so much✨

[zukoshotleafjuice]

The funniest thing about june teasing katara and zuko about being a couple is that she just sees a pretty girl and an attractive guy, both looking almost the same age which immediately makes her go "you two must be a couple" and it just reminds me of zvtara shippers, you know what i mean? I'm convinced one of the reasons a lot of ppl ship them is bc of their looks. katara being the female protagonist and also a pretty, smart and powerful girl & zuko, despite not being the male protagonist, being the most attractive guy in the gaang. Boom, a "bomb ass ship". It is worth to recall that "people ship zutara bc they projected onto katara and had a crush on zuko". And if they say they don't ship them for that reason, then it's bc they read too much between the lines in every interaction they have. So, back to june, she didn't even care if they had chemistry or if they were friends or anything, she just straight up teased them about being a couple lmao. Because in all honesty zvtara can be an appealing ship in anyone's eyes but THAT'S IT, it doesn't go further than that. I can be testimony of that😅Before even watching the show i was like june, one day i saw a zk fanart and was like "wow aren't those zuko and katara from atla? They look so good, she's gorgeous and he's hot" i already knew kataang was endgame and that mai was zuko's love interest but seeing zuko and katara together was pleasing to my eyes. However once i watched the show for the first time (2 months ago i think) i realized there was really no romantic chemistry between them, nothing, literally nothing, i mean, i wasn't even waiting for the zvtara content in the show that made ppl ship them so much, i was actually very neutral about ships, i couldn't care less about them, but i still realized nothing was happenig between them and that it was obvious since book 1 ep 1 that kataang was endgame. Zuko and katara were two teenagers from opposite sides of a war that tried to kill each other multiple times and when zuko changed sides they developed a completely platonic relationship. As i said, people either ship them because it's an appealing and aesthetically pleasing ship (water/fire, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, the common red & blue ship) or they just love reading too much between the lines, OR BOTH, because they were so thirsty about it they ended up convincing themselves there was romantic tension between them, that they liked each other and that zvtara was scrapped when it was never planned in the first place. Not to mention the reasons why they claim zvtara should've been endgame are based only on symbolism and things they have in common that are just so ??? Random. e.g. (i saw these on a post on facebook and the comment section was hilarious, it was full of ppl being sarcastic about it & making fun of it) saying they should've been canon bc:

1. "They both lost their mothers at a young age" (?)

2. "katara was good but had rage in her heart and zuko was bad but had good in his heart so it was like yin and yang, and that was the main purpose/topic of the show" (?)

3. "they both had alter egos (painted lady and blue spirit)" (???) this one sounds like saying maiko was canon bc zuko worked in a tea shop and mai worked in a flower shop😂

4. "Zuko was the only one who supported katara in taking revenge on her mom's assassin" (?) if you ask me, that just proves zuko is not right for katara, he led her to do something she was gonna regret later (not trying to hate on zuko, i love him, and since i love him i acknowledge his flaws. I understand why he thought it was the best thing to do, he's an impulsive and resentful boy (he would've done the same if it was his mom) and he noticed how thirsty katara was for revenge, ofc he wanted to help her + he wanted her to accept him and thought it was the right thing to do in order to gain her trust, but it wasn't) unlike zuko, aang tried to make katara come to her senses and do the thing that was best for her: forgive and let go, and it was basically what she did at the end. She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.

5. and the most ridiculous one, "they both saved each other's lives in the final agni kai"(???????) and the funniest part is that it was followed by "WHAT MORE PROOFS DO YOU WANT???". Honestly wtf did ppl expect? Did they expect zuko to stand there and watch katara die? Did they expect katara to just stand there and watch zuko lay on the floor & die? And this has been said a million times and i am going to join and say it once again: zuko would've done that for ANYONE from the gaang, he would've done the same for toph, sokka, suki and aang. Because he learned to care about them. As for katara, she would've done that for anyone too wtf she healed aang once too and even brought him back to life. (I wouldn't be surprised if zk shippers used that as a parallel for romantic zvtara proof bc they're just like that💀)

There were more "reasons" but they're just so stupid and taken out of context like "they care for each other" & "katara was the one who encouraged him to talk to his uncle" like yeah that's what friends do. Basically all zvtara shippers do is REACH.

Also, i just can't see it happening. I like the enemies to lovers trope, maybe if the writers really intended to make it canon, i would have been down for the ship, it would've been interesting to see how it developed, but,, they didn't, and later i came to the realization that if it would've really happened, it would've been so... weird. Time to bring up the "colonized and colonizer ship" and how some ppl feel uncomfortable about it. Besides the fact that a relationship between zuko and katara wouldn't have worked (they're incompatible af, katara is a girl with a strong character and zuko is a guy with anger issues that takes everything personal, they'd be at each other's throats 99% of the time) it's just weird to think that katara would choose to marry a man from the fire nation, the nation that caused a big war that traumatized her, the nation that took her mother away from her. Imagine katara ruling along with zuko a nation she despised for years. Fire lady katara doesn't sit right with me, and i'm sure it doesn't sit right with a lot of ppl as well. I don't see katara doing that, and yes, i know she forgave zuko, but still, she would've never done that 🤦🏽‍♀️ i think it would've been so OOC tbh.

Another thing i laugh my ass off at is when they say "zuko should've chosen katara instead of mai" as if they were ever in a relationship for zuko to say "ok imma choose katara i wanna be with her". As if katara was EVER an option for him. They never showed interest in each other, what's not clicking?????? And zuko only had eyes for mai, not to mention that despite zuko and mai had a rough relationship, no girl would've dealed with zuko's bs better than mai. Can you imagine katara dealing with zuko blowing up over everything? Because i can't. Also people saying things like "zuko deserves someone who is always there for him and listens to him" (and ofc they're talking about katara) like, ok, you hate that katara is aang's "therapist" but you want her to be zuko's therapist. Logic? Where? And I do remember mai being a supportive gf and trying to cheer him up multiple times. Did they watch the same show as me?

Zvtarians try to play the victims about how they were "robbed" bc some voice actors shipped them and from what i've read people who worked for the show suggested to go for zk, but that's stupid, it doesn't count as "they planned it but scrapped it, we were robbed". The only word that counts are the creators' voice and they have stated they were always rooting for kataang, so no, you were not robbed.

People are just so in love with the idea of zuko and katara together they really convinced themselves it was likely to happen. Honestly zvtara it's a fine ship as fanon but ppl ruined it for me and what i hate the most is when they ship it and hate on aang and mai at the same time and make them look SO bad to invalidate kataang and maiko. Saying aang is abusive and mai is toxic is complete ✨bullshit✨ and lastly, it's ridiculous when they say the creators were cowards for not making it canon. They're cowards for not fulfilling your greatest childhood wish? Something they never planned? It is THEIR show. If you hate sm how things turned out then quit atla once and for all and go find another show that you know is gonna give you what you expect,,, it's tiring that they've been crying about it for 15 yrs , like, i joined the fandom recently but i can imagine how tired old atla fans must be of this.

OK so I have a lot of thoughts about this and firstly,,,anon I appreciate the dedication that it took for you to write  this, and I agree with many of your points. However, the attitude I have on this blog towards Avatar ships is far more neutral than what you’re saying.

Ultimately, romance is not and never was the focus of Avatar. Romantic development was always secondary or tertiary plot, and the entire show was far more focused on platonic relationship development. My attitude towards shippers on here - including Zutara shippers - is that people can ship what they want, as long as they’re respectful of each other and of the other characters that “interfere” with their ship. End of the day, shipping is irrelevant to the core of the show. 

People shipping something because they find it aesthetically appealing is honestly,,,fine. Personally, I think it’s reductionist, but I don’t care if you do because everyone has the right to enjoy media however they want to. 

That being said, we absolutely should call out racist or problematic tropes that we see, including ‘fire lady katara”. I also agree that it’s upsetting when people bash other characters in order to further their ship, as much of the bashing is also pretty racist and/or misogynistic. Calling that out, however, is separate from calling out every single person who happens to enjoy certain ships. 

“She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.”

I understand where you’re coming from, but I honestly disagree with this take. Both Aang and Zuko were approaching the situations from their own life experiences, but Katara didn’t do what either of the boys wanted. She chose her own path, by both sparing Yon Rha’s life but also refusing to forgive him. The episode is about Katara and her personal trauma and its focus should not be on her relationships with either Zuko or Aang. 

When I make posts such as this, it’s less about hating Z*tara and more about how this fandom focuses all its attention on romance and shipping, to the point where if you acknowledge a relationship’s importance it’s assumed you pair the two romantically. I don’t read Zuko and Katara’s relationship as romantic (for reasons that it would take too long to explain here), but their relationship development is extremely important, the two of them share tons of parallels and the final Agni Kai marks the culmination of both of their character arcs. Yes, Zuko would have taken the lightning for any of the characters, but it’s thematically important that it was Katara. None of this inherently means it’s romantic, but refusing to acknowledge the significance of the relationship between them is equally reductionist. 

This isn’t an attack on you, anon, and you’re 100% allowed to have negative feelings about a ship. But at the end of the day, it’s not worth getting this worked up over. If I were you I’d focus more on creating/consuming content for a ship you like than bashing ships you don’t!

[laraslandlockedblues]

I am absolutely stuck in rarepair hell (though I love Rylen, my heart beats for Samson) and I don't know how to get out - I don't even know if I want to. I think I'll just... indulge in this and create something for my ship in the future. Now my question - how do you deal with hate that you got for your rarepair (if it even happened, that is) and how do you deal with the lack of feedback compared to all The Big Ships (TM)? I'm really impressed with what you built here and would love to know more

Hello Nonny! I am so sorry on the delay answering this but I really wanted to give you a well thought out answer that wasn’t influenced by cold meds (they make me really loopy, haha). You deserve a better answer than “tell ‘em to eff off!” which is what it would have boiled down to last week.

First off - welcome to Rarepair Hell! So far I’ve learned the beauty of Rarepair Hell is that everyone who’s in it with you - even for other rarepairs - tends to be super lovely. We all understand each other’s pain, haha. But also, I can guarantee you that there are others out there who will love your pairing just as much as you do. Even if it’s just one other person, they will be out there and ready to consume ANY content you make for the rarepair. The one beauty of rarepairs I’ve found is that content is so scarce when anything is produced for it, everyone who loves the ship JUMPS at the new content because we’re all so desperate for something to satisfy our rarepair cravings. It’s fun, in a way, even though it’s not as prevalent as for bigger ships.

I’d also like to point you in the direction of my Writer BFF and love @dismalzelenka if you haven’t already found her - she’s a Samson positive writer/blog and you will be very, very welcome in her corner of Rarepair Hell. Don’t hesitate to reach out to her, she would LOVE to talk Samson with you, I can guarantee it.

You’ve already got the right idea in your response as well - “I’ll just indulge in this and create something for my ship.” That is EXACTLY the right mentality. Just as with any pairing, even the Big Ships™, write it for you. Write it (or art it, but I’ll address writing since I can’t draw for shit) for you, because you have a story you want to tell your way. When I started writing Cullen fic, it wasn’t because there wasn’t already a plethora of Cullen fic out there - it was because I had a story with my Evelyn that I wanted to tell for me. I didn’t expect anyone to read it because there was already so much out there, so I wrote it for me with zero expectations and shared it in case there was anyone else who would appreciate the story I was telling.

And honestly, that’s all I do with writing Rylen fic. I want to write about and tell his and Abby’s story(ies), for me, because I enjoy them. I’ve shared them hoping perhaps other people were looking for that story as well. One of the greatest bits of writing advice I’ve ever seen boiled down to - write and tell your story because you never know who might be waiting for it. That held so true with writing and sharing Rylen fic - I had no idea how many people it would resonate with. You might find a similar response to your content as well, so I suggest trying. Without trying you won’t know.

Now for the more serious parts - I haven’t really received direct hate for my ship or writing Rylen fic. I’ve heard indirect bits of “ugh why him?” from around the fandom, but you know, I approach fandom with the core rules at heart:

1) Live and Let Ship.

2) Don’t Like, Don’t Read.

3) Your Kink is Not My Kink. (Not super applicable here but throwing it out there)

The truth of the matter is, your work is not for everyone. It isn’t. Even my Big Ship™ fics aren’t for everyone, and I know that. That shouldn’t prevent you from writing or sharing the story that you want to tell. Everyone has their own taste, their own preferences, and honestly that’s what makes fandom such a fun and diverse place. It’d be boring if we were all cranking out the same canon Cullen/Trevelyan fic over and over and over.

Now, does that mean that everyone will have the same response and know to keep their opinion to themselves if they don’t like your pairing? Unfortunately, no. Not everyone knows that saying “Opinions are like penises. It’s ok to have one and it’s certainly ok to be proud of it, but don’t shove it in people’s faces.” (Crude but accurate.) Not everyone knows that an opinion is an opinion, and not a fact shared by everyone else. There may be the occasional comment from people who can’t make this distinction and try to criticize you based on their opinion. Hell, I’ve had this happen most often on my Cullen fic and not my Rylen fic, surprisingly. I once got a few comments from someone who was admittedly NOT a Cullenmancer that boiled down to “I still hate him” and I was baffled that they felt the need to make certain I knew that on something I had spent so much time writing.

But you know what? That was a them problem, not a me problem. In the end, I just ignored the comments. It wasn’t worth engaging, because I wasn’t going to change their mind, and they weren’t going to change mine. For whatever reason they felt the need to slap their opinion on something I had poured time and effort into because I love Cullen, and I decided not to expend any more of my time or effort into acknowledging their opinion. It wasn’t worth it.

So if you receive hate, there are several choices you can make:

1) Ignore and move on with your life, because everyone is entitled to their opinion, and some are just louder about them than others. That is not a reflection on you or your pairing, and if they’re not addressing your writing or story but your choice of rarepair, well - that’s their issue. You DO NOT have to engage with everyone. I know we all get it in our head that we owe everyone a response, but let me reassure you now - you DO NOT owe anyone your time. Period. 

2) Politely thank them for trying out your work, even if it turned out not to be their cup of tea. A polite and thoughtful “Thank you for reading, and I’m sorry this isn’t the fic for you. I hope you have better luck in the future,” can be simple and effective to get the point across to them that you’re not engaging further.

3) If it’s particularly hateful, don’t engage at all. Delete it and move on with your life. Trolls and haters thrive off of reactions and responses, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to not give them any.

4) Go the sarcastic route and find a gif of the back button to instruct them how to handle the situation in the future. Possibly best for repeat commenters who seem particularly masochistic about reading things they don’t enjoy. Perhaps they don’t know where the back button is, and you can help them learn the lesson of “Don’t Like, Don’t Read” in your reply.

Honestly, though, I think you’ll be surprised at the response to your work. Most people are looking for fic and art that cater to their tastes and that they’ll enjoy. The majority of us are here for fun, and not to stress ourselves out hating on things we don’t like or agree with. Yes, there is a small minority to whom that is fun - but I think you’ll be surprised that the support far outweighs that group.

In the meantime, for rarepairs, you’ll have to work a little harder to cultivate your fandom experience. Seek out other people who like Samson, and engage with them. I know they’re out there, and it’s a smaller part of fandom - but they’ll be happy for more content, I’m sure of it. And if you ever need more rarepair commiserating or support or advice, my inbox is always open. Good luck creating, Nonny! xx

[bhc89]

Fanfic author ask meme

My first ask meme, and one that’s been on my mind for a while! Feel free to reblog for your it for yourself, answer them, or ask me for my answers! Read more break after 10/50 to help keep this from clogging any dashboards

1. What was your first fic and could you stand to reread it today?

I belive it was a Doctor Who fic featuring all the living Doctors at the time (4-8) I wrote in Jr High....Wait....wait....there may be a Harry Potter fic that existed before that. Either would be difficult to read today. Although, I've been tempted to retype the Doctor Who one in all it's cringe-iness for Ao3

2. What’s your most recent fic and how far do you think you’ve come?

Falling Victim to Your Fantasy was the last fic I touched. I feel I've gotten more organized and less reference-y compared to where I started. Idk-- I feel it's less of a mess

3. In your opinion, what’s your best fic?

Dulces or Forbidden. I really want to say just Dulces because of all the work I put into it but Forbidden has gotten so much more attention

4. In your opinion and without looking at any numbers, what’s your most popular fic?

Forbidden

5. Is there any fic that makes you super happy to reread and remember you wrote that?

Dulces

6. Is there any fic that makes you super embarrassed to reread and remember you wrote that?

The Doctor Who one....maybe the follow up Doctor Who/Star Trek the Next Generation one I never finished

7. What’s the fic you most want to continue (unfinished or no)?

I really need to finish Forbidden and Cassoulet Puppy (Wonderfalls/Hannibal)

8. What’s the oldest (longest since last update) fic you most want to continue (unfinished or no)?

Cassoulet Puppy

9. Have you ever written for a fandom without watching/reading/playing the source material?

When I first wrote Dulces, I just started the Hannibal fandom so some of the details I was a little off on

10. Have you ever written for a fandom without reading other fanfic for it?

Yep. Doctor Who, TNG, Harry Potter

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11. Have you ever written a fic for a concept you know someone else has done before? How did it impact your writing process or feelings after posting?

I try to do things that others haven't done before-- if I see a ton of fics going this direction, I'm gonna mix it up in this direction (see Doctor Lecter's Stylist). But there's usually a reason so many fics have the same concepts because that's just what's fitting for the fandom/characters. When I do find myself going in the same direction I'm just all "yep, here we go"

12. Have you ever written a fic and decided never to publish it? Why?

Yeah. I don't even remember the title. It was just....blah

13. What’s the biggest change between your style when you started in fandom and today?

I think i just got a little more detailed. Or at least more wordy

14. What’s the biggest change in your taste between when you started in fandom and today?

I don't think my tastes have change. Fandom shifted but I'm still looking for the same kind of content

15. Have you ever purposefully written one fandom/fic idea over another because you knew it’d be more popular?

I don't think I have

16. Have you ever stopped writing a fic/for a fandom because it wasn’t receiving enough attention?

Oh no. For other reasons yes, but not because of attention

17. In your opinion, what’s your most overrated fic?

I'm thinking Doctor Lecter's Stylist.

18. What’s your most underrated fic?

Dulces

19. If you had to pick one fic/scene/chapter of your work to describe your entire portfolio to a stranger, which would you pick?

Maybe Journey to the Past

20. Have/Would you ever rewrite a fic? If yes, would you take the original down?

Can't say that I would

21. If someone starts kudosing and commenting your fics in a spree and has a few works of their own, would you go look through theirs?

Possibly

22. Has there ever been anyone who’s made you freak out because they read your work and followed/favorited/reviewed?

Not yet

23. What’s the nicest review you’ve ever gotten?

"I've been here for three days reading this story. Cheering for an obvious bax guy. When I should knpw better. To have my heart torn out. I cried. Like a baby. Well what I'm trying to say was this was well written. You enamored me with such a great story. Thank you. May you forever be blessed by the literary gods. This story was beyond stellar". I've gotten other wonderful comments too but this one sticks with me

24. What’s the meanest review you’ve ever gotten? Do you think the reviewer intended it?

I think it was one about how something I wrote was something the character totally would not do. It wasn't necessarily mean, just more so conflicting opinions

25. What constructive criticism, however well-meaning, always makes you feel bad when you see it in a review?

Trusting Google translate when I didn't really have anywhere else to turn

26. What aspect of your writing do you most enjoy to see praised?

Any of it

27. If you could only ever write crossovers or single-fandom fics ever again, which would you pick?

I guess I could live with single fandom

28. if you could only ever write for a single crossover or a single fandom again, which would you pick?

I...I can't pick...my fandoms constantly shift

29. Does the division of your writing across fandoms line up with your reading? What’s the biggest discrepancy?

Whatever fandom I'm focused on is what I'm reading/writing

30. Do you continue to write for a fandom after you’ve moved on or do you focus solely on the new one?

Depends on my mood...course that could be how crossovers come about

31. Who’s the one character you’ve just never managed to get perfectly right?

Hannibal's house lol

32. Who’s the one character who shines without you even trying?

I guess Hannibal

33. Is there any particular character whose scenes always wind up being longer/more frequent than you expected? Does the quality hold up?

Can't think of one

34. Was there any fic that you wrote that really surprised you in the fandom reaction? Was it just by the numbers or did they take it an entirely different way?

Cassoulet Puppy--those who have commented seem to really enjoy it

35. Have you ever written a ship into a fic without meaning to?

Not that I've picked up on

36. Have you ever sincerely written a ship you do not support into a fic?

Nope

37. Have you ever purposefully bashed a character/ship in a fic?

Yes. Take that Mason

38. Have you ever purposefully written something you know your readers would find uncomfortable/would not enjoy? If yes, why?

Yeah...to show the level of horrible the person was or to inflict horror or uncomfort

39. Do you consider yourself to have a readership?

No

40. Do you feel like you put out enough content?

No

41. If you cross-post your fics on multiple sites, do you have a favorite? Are there certain fics you would only post on certain site?

Can't go wrong with Ao3

42. How many views has your most popular fic gotten?

9,211

43. Your least popular?

160

44. Do you follow/favorite/kudos/comment/review more stories than you have received?

Yes

45. If you had to call yourself an author of a single genre (besides fanfic) what label would you give yourself?

Smut

46. Do you consider yourself a diverse author?

Not really

47. If someone you know in real life who isn’t involved in fandoms asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?

Oh yes. Probably Dulces

48. Does anyone you know from outside of fandom know you write fanfic? Are they involved in the same fandom too?

Yes and a couple

49. Has anyone in your life ever read your fanfic just because you wrote it?

Yes

50. Has writing fanfic had a significant impact on your life? Would you say it’s entirely positive?

Yes. It tells me I should consider writing something for publication