#do i even describe them enough in the fic for fanart?

[eskawrites]

you have no idea how seriously i’m contemplating making some tenar/lark fanart. they live in my head.

UM i would die. just keel over right then and there

[sideprince]

I've seen the same post a hundred times now. Sometimes it's a few days old, sometimes it's from years ago, but it's always the same. Some anti posts about how they don't understand how anyone can like Snape because he was so awful, and then there's a long reply that goes something like, "imagine this happens to you, and then this, and then this" to describe Snape's experience. Sometimes there's some James Potter hate thrown in.

Look. You can go through describing a character's entire experience but you don't really need to. Here's the thing that antis don't understand:

For all her faults (and they're big, bigoted ones) Rowling understood a really integral part of the human experience and conveyed it through Snape. Everyone needs love and to feel accepted. It's that simple. Snape became a Death Eater to seek acceptance (Rowling has confirmed this, though I can't remember the source - whoever wants to add it please do), because it was the only way he could find any.

Snape's understanding of morality, like everyone's, is subjective. Some readers understand this and some don't. When faced against a morality that says there is good and bad in the world, everyone makes choices based on their personal experience. Context is everything. Someone who experiences pain and suffering will not see the person inflicting it on them as moral. That's it. 'How can this person be good when they caused me so much suffering?' = human psychology. Most of the people who think 'I'm a bad person and deserve this' have been gaslit and abused into thinking so, because it's not a natural reaction - it's one that has to often be socialized into someone at a young age, exactly because it's not natural. Everyone is the hero of their own story; no one sees themselves as a villain, because they see the valid aspects of their own perspective.

You can write essays on how vulnerable people needing acceptance is what cults and fascists exploit to recruit vulnerable people, or on how the standard anti's un-nuanced reading of Snape both ignores canon and displays a disturbing lack of empathy or compassion, but at its core it just boils down to context. From Snape's perspective he experienced cruelty, therefore the people inflicting it must be cruel. Again, it's that simple. He was a person, like any other, except he was fictional so he wasn't even real. On the flip side is James Potter, who, for all his faults, didn't get to live long enough to get a chance to change and grow unlike Snape, and I think the Snapedom also needs to acknowledge that.

They're fictional characters representing things an author wants to say, not sports teams, not martyrs, and not all good or all bad emblems that define your identity depending on how you feel about them. It's depressing how much time is wasted arguing with bullies and trolls whether from the Marauders fandom or just random antis. I literally can't find more than three blogs to follow without this argument coming across my feed daily. I know the Snapedom is Not OK™ and that's kind why we're all here, and I know that my take is super unpopular but like Snape, I don't care what others think: this fandom has been having the exact same argument for years and nothing has changed. There's fanart and meta and fic and so much content out there appreciating this character, you're not going to change an anti's mind who's deliberately trolling in the tags, so why are you trying? What are you getting out of it? What does it give you? It's exhausting just scrolling past it.

[airrec]

will you ever make janitor ai or character ai bots out of any of the characters from your fanfics? if not.. can people make them? (please i’m dying to make a Dream Blob au bot i’m on my hands and knees begging here)

In short: no. Please, please, please do not.

In long: please do not feed my fics or posts to A.I. To do so would be actively against my wishes, and even the thought of it is upsetting and angering to me.

A.I. has a lot of potential to do good – in the medical field, in the sciences, etc. There is nuance to the subject of A.I. in general. Regarding specifically A.I. art, the technology is not yet advanced enough to be used as a tool in the way that a tool is meant to be used – it is not a brush you can download, or a digital model you can pose. It is “trained” through being fed lots and lots of real, human-created pieces of art, and copying that art.

It does not learn how to use specific brush strokes, or specific colours, or how or why certain details are included or left out. It is wholesale lifting from what it is fed and mashing it together into new configurations, Frankenstein style – there is nothing creative about it. Similarly, when fed fictional writing, it does the same: it copies and pastes common tropes, common story beats, common plots, common phrasings – there is nothing of creativity in there at all.

There are currently no legal protections for artists of any kind against A.I. algorithms; the technology is still too new, and already it is causing harm. Even just on the practical side, the environmental impacts of the excessive electricity usage needed to run the A.I. is immense.

A.I. generated art is theft, pure and simple. It cannot be currently described as anything other than that. And creative writing is a form of art. A book that you pick up in an airport, or a fanfic you open in a tab on your phone, or a well-thumbed novel you found on a shelf in a café – these are pieces of art. Perhaps you do not think of them that way, in the same way you might look at a painting and say, “Yes, that is a piece of art,” but they are.

I was talking to a friend of mine some time ago, and they said (and I agreed) that writing is often devalued as a form of art, because the idea that “anyone can write a book” is so pervasive. And, yes, anyone can write a book – or anyone can write letters onto a page in a specific order. In much the same way, anyone can draw a picture, or paint a mural. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a creative process involved, and it doesn’t mean that there isn’t the development of skills and immense amounts of knowledge and experience going into story-crafting as much as there is visual arts. Quite frankly, anyone who says, “Oh, anyone can write a book,” has almost certainly never actually tried to write a book themselves.

My friend went on to say that very often books are considered objects, just things, not pieces of art that have been handcrafted just for you, just for someone to pick up and immerse themselves in and enjoy. In much the same way, fanfic has also become a commodity – perhaps even more so, because its content is based on a pre-existing canon that does not belong to the writer. But fanfiction is still art, in much the same way that fanart is still art, and the devaluation of it and its creators is upsetting and frustrating.

I am not a machine. I do not press some buttons, pull some levers, and start outputting fanfic. This is something I do for fun, because I enjoy it. It is something I post online because I want other people to come enjoy it, too, and for it to be an expression of art meant as a part of a fan community’s expression of love for a canon. That is what being a fan is all about.

I am a real human being, and I don’t deserve to have my art stolen from me, fed to a shambling corpse spouting out things it has “learnt” from both my art and from every other piece of art that has been stolen to feed it. Anything it would say – that would not be my story, because it doesn’t come from me. It would just be an amalgamation of thousands of people’s stories, cut down into something mainstream and palatable because the point of so-called A.I. art is not to create unique and interesting stories – it is to create generic ones that will sell easily under the model of late stage capitalism.

You know, I got the email notification for this ask last night. I have my email notifs on because I spent so long being shadow-banned on this blog, and I fear missing things in my inbox. I checked my phone in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep, and while I was reading the ask I could hear my mother breathing in her sleep just nearby – we’re in a caravan together, because it’s been a while since I went away with my parents. I am typing this answer up from that same caravan, and I’m squinting a little because the sun is reflecting off my screen. We’re going to have a barbecue later for dinner – we just bought the food for it not three hours ago. Did you think of that? Did you think about the way that I am a person, living my own life, and now I am being forced to beg for you to respect me as one?

Because that’s what you would be doing, if you did this: you would commodify me, and you would commodify my art. It would be just another machine-made thing, not something that’s handmade for others’ enjoyment; not something that work – my time, my energy – has gone into, that my passion and love has gone into. But I am not a thing, and I resent being implicitly treated like one.

If you really want to know more about people’s fanfics – talk to them! Leave a comment, send in an ask, engage with them in some way. Fanfic is created by fans for the enjoyment of other fans, and fan communities are still communities, which means there is a social element to them. Stealing from others, as one might expect, is frowned upon greatly – they gave that to you, for free. You pay nothing for it – and shouldn’t – and now you want to plagiarise and thieve what was shown in good faith?

I suppose that, ultimately, if you were truly determined, there is nothing that I can do to stop you. You could copy/paste my works into your A.I. bot creator and go on your merry way, despite how I’ve told you that such would make me extremely upset, and that it isn’t something I want. I can say, “I forbid you to do this,” - and make no mistake I do forbid you – and ultimately I have no power to actually stop you, because there is no law in place to prevent you from doing exactly as you please.

I can do nothing to stop you except this: I am asking you not to. Please.

[tommyssupercoolblog]

Incoming very long ramble about the fragility of internet content and the ways some things are impossible or difficult to preserve

The thing that frustrates me most about poppytwt is how fruitless it all feels.

Like, you can't archive or research poppytwt effectively. You can certainly TRY but you'll find very little!!!

You have people who spent years in the poppytwt fandom who can TELL you about fanfics they read, art they saw, friends they made who were deactivated or doxxed or harassed or who committed suicide or are otherwise lost to time, but they'll have almost nothing to show for it because poppytwt was actively designed to be as impossible to trace back as possible, precisely because people were afraid of harassment.

How are you supposed to find, say, Tommy/Tubbo fanfiction? There's some on the actual tag, sure, especially now that poppytwt is for the most part over and it's considered "okay" to ship them now, but I'll tell you right now there are thousands of fics that won't pop up because the fic had no tags whatsoever, or spelled Tubbo like Tvbb0, or used some God awful emoji combination to convey who they were talking about, or were straight up DELETED. Discord servers moved every few years, fanart and fics were usually tagged with censored bullshit or not tagged at all and then taken down and deleted, entire accounts were ALSO deleted, even assuming something was tagged properly it's probably gone.

Most of us in the fandom at the time didn't think to make archives of anything while it was happening, so we've lost like.... probably enough content to make our own small website full of it, and even more chatrooms.

Almost all of the public facing content left is NSFW and/or more controversial kinks like CNC, watersports, etc, which could be because people who post that content are more resistant to criticism anyway but honestly I don't know why that is, and I know sfw content beyond what you can currently find EXISTED, we consumed tons of it back in the day, but it's almost fucking impossible to find!!! And most of it, when you get your hands on a link, is GONE!!!!

It happens with NSFW content too though, if course. Veradie was one of the most popular artists in poppytwt by far and a lot of the art links don't work. Some have archived versions with working links but a lot is gone because the original post leading to it doesn't work, and Veradie, like, the person, is missing. I'm sure she(?) would know a lot about old fandom and might even have archived some stuff, but if you're some sort of internet historian how in the FUCK are you supposed to find her??? She deactivated without a trace!!!

I made friends with a user called Kencydoo on here and one day I logged on and Kency was just GONE without warning or any indication of where they were moving to, no DMs to people they knew, nothing. I don't even know if it was staff or mass reports or a self-deletion. I do know Kency sometimes posted NSFW dead dove stuff and had tags you could block to avoid it, so it's possible one of those posts blew up and got the blog taken down, but I have no level of certainty.

Reese (I think it was Reese?) had people hunting for a "main account" that didn't exist for harassment and doxxing purposes and then ALMOST left (I'm glad you're still here @reesesrambles )

There's no stability for poppytwt content and no real shelf life which means that most of the history and even the harassment that REQUIRED THE EXISTENCE of a seperate fandom is gone. We can describe what the old dsmp fandom was like and why poppytwt exists and what it means but most of the actual concrete fandom blogs or resources are GONE, absolutely obliterated.

Like you can't make a Strange Æons style video about poppytwt, you literally can't, because almost all of it is like the fucking city of Atlantis. There WAS stuff here, but it was constantly sinking.

Most people I know for a fact were involved in poppy honestly just left for the hermitcraft fandom because people over there are like...normal?? The hermitcraft fandom allows RPF and doesn't give a shit about shipping characters who are "sibling coded" or whatever the fuck. They understand the concept of just not clicking on something you don't want to see, instead of launching a twitter cancellation campaign against people. So like if you can talk about a similar, and GOOD source of content that is also actively ongoing and not get shit for it, why would you chose to create for a discontinued peice of content and/or streamers who you WILL get shit on for writing about?? Like if your options are "write grian RPF and be able to not stress and have a fun time" or "write tommyinnit RPF and delete hate comments every day and watch your back constantly" why the fuck would you pick the latter???

And it's frustrating because the fact everything disappears means it feels like you don't even have much to look back on. The friends you made or content you enjoyed about a series you love is all dust now, and if you were into the DSMP for a long time (and therefore in poppytwt for a long time) then it's so much worse. It all adds up.

Anyways that's my ramble on how fucked up it is that entire communities can be lost in an era where things can supposedly be maintained forever does anyone want to drink a caprisun with me

[pluto-supremacy]

Well firstly hello, i really like your writing it's amazing i have a request so it goes like this

Any Marauders or poly (whatever you are comfortable with) x ftm reader idk maybe coming out to them the fluff kinda hurt/comfort i really wanna see how tou would write them anything is okay with me thanks

Poly Marauders Fic: Our Tweety

➼ First thank you! I wasn't sure which marauders you wanted included, so I went with all four of them! Tbh now I feel like I need to make headcanons for each of the marauders, so if you guys want that lmk! I also went more of a fluff route than hurt/comfort, I hope that's okay!

➼ All the marauders are dating each other already but not the reader

➼ Just as a general aside: there is no one right way to dress, act, or feel as a trans person. In this fic the reader is described as a bit more as a 'stereotypical' trans person, just to try and make it easier to relate to. By no means do you need to have short hair, dress masculine, dislike certain parts of your body, etc., to be trans. All that matters is how you personally identify, how you feel in your own skin.

➼ No beta we die like Regulus

➼ Warnings: None! This turned out a lot longer than I first anticipated though-

Fanart is not mine! Credit goes to @upthehillart, go show her some love!

It was Saturday, a day that should have been restful. Instead James was banging pots and pans he got from Merlin-knows-where bright and early in the boy's dormitory. "Up and at-em! Quidditch practice! Wake up!" he rang out, a chorus of groans answering back as well as a pillow being chucked in his general direction. It landed on the floor in front of James, not doing any damage. Unfortunately. "Are you trying to wake the dead?" Remus groaned, pulling the covers up over his and Sirius' head. They had slept together last night while Peter had crawled into James' bed. Really what they needed to do was push their beds all together so that they wouldn't be crammed between two beds. Plus Peter squirmed a lot in his sleep so he'd stop falling off the bed in the middle of the night. Even if it was funny when that happened.

You were spared from the chaos in the boy's dormitory, the girl's dormitory was still nice and quiet. Everyone still asleep bar from you. Recently you had been reflecting a myriad of things. One being the fact that you liked four different guys at once. Four guys that were all dating each other. Well, four people technically, Sirius was genderfluid, though last time you asked he was currently going by he/they. Which was another thing. Sirius came out a few months ago and since then you had been thinking. He described it as never feeling always like a guy, sometimes he felt more feminine. Othertimes he felt, as he described it, 'in between', or that he didn't care, or neither. You didn't really think that was possible before.

Of course everyone in Gryffindor Tower was supportive. Or everyone for the most part, including you. Lily had made Sirius little bracelets with pronouns he could wear if he wanted, his boyfriends were of course happy that Sirius was comfortable enough to reveal that to them. All of that helped you come to the realization that you never really felt like a girl. You didn't like how your hair looked when it got super long, you wore baggier clothes to try and hide your chest, swapped out the usual uniform skirt for trousers, and showers? Those were hard. You hated looking down at your body most of the time and tried to get out of there as soon as possible. Sure every now and then you may have wanted to wear a dress or skirt, or something considered 'girly', but that didn't mean that you felt like a girl when wearing those things.

It was scary and confusing, trying to figure it out. Perhaps if you had talked it out with someone the realization would've came sooner or easier. Either way you ended up at the same conclusion. You were a guy, a man, a wizard. Not a girl, a woman, or a witch. It was almost freeing to figure that out. Or at least it would be if fear wasn't consuming the forefront of your mind.

That's why you were up so early while your classmates slept around you. You were trying to figure out what to do. You wanted to tell people, maybe even see if you could get switched to the boy's dormitory. But that fear was winning out. Despite how kind everyone was to Sirius when they came out, what if that same grace wasn't extended to you? What would people in other houses think? Professors? Would anyone even start calling you a guy? Would they use the new name you had decided on trying out? There were so many unknows, and the unknown was frightening.

Eventually you had spent enough time stewing in the dorms and moved down to the common room for a change of scenery and a nice fire. When you plopped down on the red velvet couch that's when the stampede from the boy's dorms came down. The first wave was excited second years in their quidditch jerseys, then the tired older quidditch players, then the marauders. James was as energetic as ever, Sirius not too terribly far behind him, Remus half asleep, and Peter practically sleepwalking. Remus was currently using his crutches, walking over and sitting down on the couch next to you. Peter followed suit and sat on the other side of you.

"One of James' early morning practices?" you asked already knowing the answer. Peter groaned in response, slumping against the pillows. Just like that he was back asleep. "Yes. I think he snuck into the kitchens to get our wake up call this morning" Remus mumbled, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. James just looked so proud of himself. He leaned over the couch and pressed a kiss to the top of Remus and Peter's heads before grabbing Sirius' hand. "We're off! Be back in a few hours. Keep Tweety company, will you?"

That damn nickname. You both loved and hated it. James nicknamed you 'Tweety Bird' after you discovered your patronus. A small yellow bird, a Hooded Warbler. "We will Prongs. Or at least I will. Petey is down for the count" Remus chuckled slightly, setting his crutches aside. With the crowd gone you had Remus' full attention. "You're up early. The pots and pans reach the girl's dormitory?" he asked, adjusting a few pillows on the couch to try and get comfortable. "No, just..thinking" real specific.

"About what?" was of course the next thing the werewolf asked. You were quiet for a while, Peter's soft snores the only thing filling the air. Remus patiently waited for an answer, a bit of concern in his eyes at the silence. After a moment he had to ask a follow up question. "Everything alright? Something bothering you? I'll listen if you want to talk. The other's don't need to know."

That broke down what resolve you had left. You didn't realize this but you had been getting worked up in that short amount of time, you face feeling a bit hot and hands shaking. "I'm a guy. I want to go by Y/N." you blurted out. There, it was out in the world now. No taking it back. You were staring down at your feet, trying to expect the worst. Remus let out a small hum then held his hand out. "Well Y/N, I'm Remus, pleased to make your acquaintance" he smiled. That earned a chuckle out of you ask you shook his hand, feeling a little better already. "You're..you're okay with it?"

He almost looked confused. "Well why wouldn't I be? You're my friend, Tweety. No matter your gender, orientation, what have you. And when you want to tell the others they'll have the exact same sentiments" he promised. Though that did mean that he needed to change a few things around for a surprise the four of them had planned. "Am I the first person you've told?" to which you responded with a nod. "Yeah, you're the first. And Peter if he can hear us in his little mini coma. I want to tell them after practice, then just..bring it up to everyone else when it comes up, I guess" it's not like you wanted to call a house-wide meeting about this.

"That makes sense. Sirius and James will likely be a while. James created a new training routine he's trying out. Ever since Slytherin won the cup last year he hasn't eased up. I think if we lose again his head might explode" it was an outrage in the tower after Slytherin won. James and Sirius lead that outrage. Remus as the announcer swore up a storm over the microphone. House points were certainly deducted that day. "All I'm hearing is that the newbies on the team are going to be regretting joining the team" you chuckled. There was a reason why you didn't join the team, and it was James' rigorous training schedule.

For the next two hours you and Remus hung out on the couch, Peter waking up around halfway through. When you first told him the big news he simply blinked at you a few times and went "Huh?" He didn't mean anything by it, poor man had just woken up from a deep sleep. Once he was more awake and could process what you said he was of course happy for you, pulling both you and Remus in for a hug to celebrate. Around breakfast time, the quidditch team came up. As you expected all the first-year players looked miserable. Really everyone did as they marched back up the stairs to lay down. Even Sirius looked bushed. James was the only one still smiling and bouncing with energy. How he did it, no one really knew.

"Moony! Moony our boyfriend killed me! I think I need some mouth to mouth to be saved" He exclaimed, dramatically draping over both the couch and Remus. The wizard rolled his eyes and lightly nudged Sirius. "I think you'll be fine. You sign up for this torture year after year." "What can I say? I'm a masochist" he said with a cheeky grin. James sat down between you and Peter, brushing some hair out of his eyes. "My training isn't that bad! Everyone else is just being dramatic. If you think that's bad just wait til our practice after dinner" that was followed by a groan and loud complaining from all. "Speaking of dramatics, can you two spare them for a moment so I can tell you something?"

For once both Sirius and James were quiet, their attention fully on you. Remus gave you a small nod of encouragement, gesturing for you to take a deep breath. You did so and looked between Sirius and James. "I'm trans. I want to start going by Y/N, he/him." it was a lot easier to say now that it was the third time and yu had already gotten two amazing reactions. Sirius and James didn't dissapoint. Both were smiling brightly and suddenly you were being tackled in a hug by both of them, Peter throwing himself on top of the dog pile and dragging Remus along with him.

"Mate that's bloody amazing!" James chuckled out happily "One of us! One of us!" Sirius playfully chanted, poking your arm. "Does that mean I can get first dibs on all your old skirts and dresses?"

That was all a week ago. Sirius had helped you pick out new clothes on a trip to Hogsmeade while James insisted on picking up the tab. Peter had accompanied you to each of your classes to help you explaim to your professors about your name and pronoun change. Meanwhile Remus had been hard at work in the headmaster's office to get a few things changed around.

Today was the day of that big change. One you had no idea of. James simply told you to meet him in the common room. Then a blindfold was covering your eyes. "James if you lead me to the window and push-" "I would never! How dare you even suggest such a thing!" he gasped in mock offense. "No no! We just have a big surprise planned and you don't get a sneak peak. Stairs, stairs" he warned, helping you up a rather large flight of stairs. But what stairs? You two were just in the common room, the only two staircases were to the dormitories. Even then the girl's staircase was enchanted so that no boys could walk up them. So then-

Suddenly the blindfold was off before you could even complete that thought. You were now in the boy's dormitory, all of your things on the bed in front of you. Bedding, clothes, posters, school supplies, everything. All of the marauders were standing around with big smiles on their faces, though Peter seemed a bit nervous, his cheeks a light pink color. "I talked with Dumbledore and arranged for you to be moved to the boy's dormitory. We had Lily get your things. Though we can move it all back, if you don't want-" "I love it!" You interrupted, rushing to hug all four of them. "Thank you guys, seriously. I was nervous about asking myself"

"Of course Tweety. Though there is something else" Sirius said as he pulled away from the embrace. James looked excited, Peter was now clinging onto Remus. The energy had seemed to shift a bit, in what way you couldn't tell. "Well what else is there? You guys giving e money or something?" you teased with a small smile. That made Sirius chuckle, shaking his head. "No, no. We were all actually wondering..if you wanted to join the polycule?" he asked, giving you a hopeful look. "We all like you, we have for a while but didn't really know how to ask you" James added on. "We were afraid we'd scare you off, y'know, four people fancying you. I know it's a lot" Remus spoke up.

How two amazing things happened in one day, you have no clue. The four people you had felt guilty about liking all liked you back. Merlin if this was a dream you didn't want to wake up. For a moment you forgot to even respond, a bit of panic settling in on their faces. "Oh! Ah yes! Yes sorry, sorry I forgot to even say it out loud." you laughed, smiling from ear to ear. James was the first to tackle you into a hug onto his bed. Well, more accurately, his, Remus', and Peter's beds. They had gone through with their plan of pushing the beds together and just hadn't done Sirius' yet. The other three were quick to follow, all smiling and forming a pile on the beds.

"Bloody hell I thought you were going to say know at first-" Peter chuckled out, resting his head on Sirius' chest right next to Remus. "No! No. I've liked you all for a while, I just..I just didn't think you felt the same way." "Well we do, so clear your schedule Tweety. We'll get all your stuff put away today..after a nap." James declared, struggling to pull enough blankets over everyone. And how could you say no to that? You settled into your place in the cuddle pile, closing your eyes and wrapping your arms around James. James did the same for you, reaching one arm a bit further to also be touching Sirius. Sirius had Remus basically laying on top of him and Peter curled up in his side. That's how you all settled in for a rather long nap, and you hadn't been this happy in years.

[ineffabildaddy]

you're so golden

i wrote a ficlet based on this beautiful fanart by @omens-for-ophelia!!! you may also consider it my 1000 follower celebration thing because the fic i was initially planning for that just isn't coming how i want it to</3

explicit content ahead!! also available to read on ao3 here

They coupled only under cover of darkness, at first.

When all was black and unknowable, and Adam and Eve had retreated into the recesses of the Garden to slumber, they would sit quietly beside one another beneath the apple tree. One might make the occasional comment on the events of the day, and the vocal cords of the other might tinkle or hum with a lighthearted chuckle. Other than that, they were still and hushed while receiving each other's unadulterated company. The silence that thrummed and rippled between them was not stilted, was not cloddish; this was a state of quietude borne of serenity, of settled truth.

Then, one night, as noiseless as a phantom (which would obviously not have existed yet), Aziraphale drew near enough to Crawley's ear to create a tickling sensation upon it with his breath, and Crawley was inhaling his scent thoroughly for the first time; he smelled of oak and lavender and many other things, beautiful things that didn't exist yet. His typical sense of restraint suddenly distant and glazed, Crawley felt compelled to describe the fragrance he had just acquainted himself with to his companion, but he was not presented with the opportunity, because the angel's lips were moving towards his. Before either could pause to acknowledge the progress they had just made, mouths were falling open and noses were knocking together and tongues were working in harmony, only their synchronised movements didn't feel like work at all - they felt like something far better, something far more noble. Then, palms were pressing on chests and fingers were brushing against collarbones and the crickets sang for joy, accompanied only by the tree's leaves whistling in the mild breeze.

Crawley was hard and flushed and trembling before Aziraphale had manoeuvred onto his lap, and after Aziraphale settled his ass into the creases of Crawley's tunic just so, Crawley knew he was damn close to- well, he wasn't sure what he was close to, but it was something to do with his dick, and it was also something to do with excitement and vulnerability in equal parts.

Ah, well, Crawley conceded in his mind. He would figure that out later. And figure it out later he did - more times than he could count, with the aid of Aziraphale's warm, wet mouth, or the balmy smoothness of his palm, or sometimes, fuck, Aziraphale's own thick-set leaking cock against his lengthy, quivering one.

One starlit evening - all the evenings were illuminated by stars, of course, but on this occasion, they appeared almost obnoxious in their shimmering and gleaming - Aziraphale curled his fingers around the hem of his pale, soft tunic and crossed his arms over his head, tugging the garment off his curved frame and tossing it onto a bed of verdant moss. As always, the night was so dim it was nigh-on impossible to make out anything at all, and Crawley anticipated that Aziraphale's action would make no improvement to their clumsy, earnest collisions, but for increased ease of access - after all, even his serpentine vision was no match for the quashing blackness which blanketed Eden each time the sun fell.

He was wrong, however, for Aziraphale's belly and ass and thighs shone with intermittent streaks, golden and sparkling brightly in the dull moonlight.

When the pads of Crawley's fingers skipped lightly over the grooves of these golden streaks, Aziraphale expelled a short, clipped giggle. His lips stretching into a lazy grin, Crawley skimmed his fingernails over Aziraphale's belly, and a peal of unabashed laughter sliced through the humid air. Want you want you want you want you, Crawley repeated internally as his head ducked downwards, hands shifting Aziraphale further back so his mouth could settle upon Aziraphale's hip. Then, his tongue was rolling over the resplendent stretch marks, teeth bared so that their edges could tease Aziraphale's satiny skin. A shiver coursed its way down Aziraphale's spine, and the slender hand which was now flush with Aziraphale's lower back held him steady.

For the first time, Crawley entered Aziraphale that night, chest fluttering and palms slick and dick flaring with ardent rhapsodies while Aziraphale rolled his hips again and again, seizing the flesh protecting Crawley's throat into his mouth each time Crawley's head fell back against the bark of the tree. By the time Crawley's dick twitched and streamed inside Aziraphale, every one of the freckles on his tanned shoulders was obscured by obscene purplish marks, which were not in view of either party, but were nevertheless making their presence known by way of pushing aching bursts all the way through to Crawley's bones. Drooling and hazy, Crawley allowed his eyes to buzz back into focus on the sheen of Aziraphale's stretch marks while he caressed Aziraphale's straining shaft, and oh, fuck, Aziraphale's spend was flecked with gold just as his skin was. In that moment, with Aziraphale squirming on Crawley's softening cock and showering his own belly with starlight, the words I love you sprung to Crawley's mind, although Crawley had very little concept of what those words meant.

Ah, well, Crawley sighed internally. He would figure that out later.

And figure it out he did. Aziraphale shone in many more ways than one, Crawley would come to learn; when the two of them finally 'let there be light', the blushing pinks and creamy planes of Aziraphale's body visible at long last, it was only the very beginning.

-

thank you so so much for reading!!! let me know what u thought?

reblogs are always appreciated too<3 posting the ao3 link again below just in case:

tagging: @sad-chaos-goblin @foolishlovers @sabotage-on-mercury @bowtiepastabitch @iammyownproblematicfave @amagnificentobsession @ineffable-rohese @createserenity @greenthena @and-his-hands-were-24-crows @quoththemaiden

[sunbunnyyy]

So I just saw your tags on the Mo Xuanyu art I reblogged - please talk Mo Xuanyu headcanons to me!

(I saw fanart with him and Jgy the other day and I'm like actual Mo Xuanyu is not explored enough. I need more of him)

Thank you ♡

hello friend!!! sorry I’m getting to this after so many days have passed—obligatory work life etc commitments that left me drained and not ready to answer!

I’ll list my biggest headcanons—I’ll admit that I haven’t explored him as much as I’d like, but these are the things I take into every scenario regarding him!

1. Mo Xuanyu is trans!

There’s something a little bit tragic to me about the way gender is handled in Ye Olde Ancient Societies. As much as I love what The Untamed did as far as removing some of the perceived gender biases of MDZS (such as female cultivators being Kept Apart in Cloud Recesses and showing us maybe?? one? female sect leader?) I do love playing around with two types of characters—those I can shoot with my “trans laser beam,” and tragic ones.

My specific headcanon for Mo Xuanyu (which gets explained in wi3!) is that his mother was told if her child was a girl, she would not be acknowledged and Second Madam Mo would be cast aside. Knowing what that would mean not only for herself but for her child, she raised Mo Xuanyu as a boy, and it wasn’t discovered until much later by a certain Jin that the truth was revealed. For his part, Mo Xuanyu never felt like a girl, and never wanted to portray himself as one.

I think Mo Xuanyu being trans also adds a fun little layer of struggle to Wei Wuxian’s return—he went from a cis man to a trans man and suddenly has to deal with that dysphoria, too.

2. Mo Xuanyu is a little crazy, but not the way he’s described in the books.

This is another thing that comes up in wi3–Mo Xuanyu’s mental health vs. his intelligence!

While Mo Xuanyu never thought twice about being a boy, it sure doesn’t change the dysphoria of being told you’re something that your body doesn’t reflect! Not only that, but the poor treatment from the Mo family against him and his mother that I can’t believe didn’t happen in the ten years between when Jin Guangshan abandoned him and when he brought Mo Xuanyu to Carp Tower? During such formative years, it’s not a wonder to me that Mo Xuanyu’s not quite all there.

(I resonate a little with this headcanon. Okay, I resonate with this headcanon a lot, actually.)

But! I don’t think Mo Xuanyu’s unintelligent. The opposite, actually—I think he’s very intelligent, although not quite as smart and calculating as our boy Jin Guangyao. Because of the treatment at the hands of the Mo family, I don’t think Mo Xuanyu’s mother was healthy enough to have as much of a hand in Mo Xuanyu’s life as Meng Shi did with Jin Guangyao, but he was a young master of an affluential family who were under the belief that Jin Guangshan could, at any point, come back and claim Mo Xuanyu like he said he would. They would’ve given him at least some education, because it wouldn’t have reflected well on them had they not. And, given that they were an affluential family—they have a Manor and a Village, after all—they likely could’ve afforded much better learning materials than Meng Shi (who did her best!).

3. The Incest.

The allegations that Mo Xuanyu came into Jin Guangyao and whether or not they’re true are such an interesting thing to play around with in my brain.

I think this aspect for me will vary greatly depending on what I’m writing. They may be true in one fic, or completely fabricated in another. Or maybe they’re only slightly true! As mentioned previously, Mo Xuanyu isn’t quite in full control of his cognitive thought processes. I’m not sure if I read it as a headcanon or part of canon or one of mxtx’s interviews or even a different fanfic or the wiki, but I read somewhere that Jin Guangyao was actually quite kind to his half brother, despite the pointed way with which Jin Guangshan brought him around as a way to bully Jin Guangyao. I think that would have a very lasting effect on Mo Xuanyu, who likely only saw kindness from his mother by that point in his life.

Whether or not Jin Guangyao takes advantage of it… 🤷‍♂️ again, varies on the fic I’m writing, I think!

These are my big three at the moment. I’d love to hear any that you or anyone else might have! I really want to write a modern fic and it’d be fun to have Mo Xuanyu in there being the annoying younger brother to Jin Zixuan and Meng Yao* he deserved to be.

[pookiebearmick]

weekly tag wednesday 👀🌈❤️✨

thanks bbs for the tags!!! @gallapiech @spookygingerr @thepupperino @jrooc 🥰🥰🥰

Name and ao3 handle: Deckard, pookiebearmick

Current Location: My home!! 👏

Favourite thing you’ve created (or seen created) for the fandom? One day I will make little fanart but for now I've only written a few things and made a couple of gifsets hehe, I like this little ficlet I wrote and this gifset I made!! ✨ (if u wanna send me a prompt i would write some shit for you OR if u have some scene(s) you want a gif of i might be down for that - send me an ask!)

Why is it your favourite? I love fluffy shit and I think Ian hiding in the pool is SO funny (plus I hadn't seen a "pls Mick" gif and I needed it lol)

Did it come easily or was it hard to create? I feel a mix LOL gifs take so long and the most frustrating thing for me is always having too big of file sizes to actually upload them on this godforsaken website 😭

Last ao3 fic you commented on? Okay look I am SO behind on reading any fics, I've been in a "I don't wanna read" mood lately so I've mostly been listening to little YouTube vids or watching Shameless clips when I would usually be reading so I think it might be what do you know? by @em-harlsnow (so cute btw, def worth the read) 🥰

Biggest WIP heartache you’ve ever experienced? I'm with Pie on this one, Things Beyond Mistake by Grayola lives RENT FREE in my head 24/7 my god.

Favorite trope or head cannon you like included in a fanfic? Big fan of fluffy soft husband shit, enemies to lovers, slowburn, and slice of life 🌈❤️

Least favourite? I don't love the omegaverse stuff lol, just not my thing!

Secret or surprising kink or trope? I don't think so? I don't know that I'm very secretive with the things that I enjoy reading LOL

Describe how you feel after you’ve created something new? I feel pretty energized for a bit and super excited about the thing, but then mostly just like relief at finishing a task TM (even if it's not a required thing but just a personal "I wanna do this" thing)

Top hype man you have that always helps you get across the finish line: I'd say my partners 🥰

It's been a bad day, you turn to the fandom and you _____? Play snails in the Discord server lol I love that stupid little game. If I'm really feeling the bad day I'll either find a comfort fic (thank u Boy Best Friends by @whatthebodygraspsnot and from way up there (you and i, you and i) by @sam-loves-seb or if i'm feeling something longer Suncatcher by @wehangout) ✨

anyways i've yapped long enough lol, tags below the cut!

if you wanna!! (sorry if you've been tagged/posted already i've only been on for a bit and might not have seen your post yet hehe) @heymrspatel @mickeym4ndy @burninface @rxinbowwparadise @twinklyylights @transsexual-dandelions @transmurderbug @celestialmickey @gardenerian 🥰🥰🥰 also if u weren't tagged at all this is ur tag!!! i'm missing so many people lol

[rocksibblingsau]

I love how you over analyze and over think when you do your work, also doing some research and considering some things and planning things through. It's very convenient and useful when it comes to building a story. And I like and respect you for that.

I wish I could be like that, but I don't really get a lot of idea's. I only get some through other people and I want to be able to think of something independently.

Ik this is a stupid question, but I wanna know what you think would help with getting idea's and thoughts for certain things. Maybe from your experience perhaps? You probably don't have the answer, but If you do could you share?

----DumbTruck :>

Thank you! My brain constantly going at 90 mph is useful sometimes.

To me, ideas are a snowball. Getting enough to get the ball rolling is what you gotta worry about. You get that initial plot idea or scene idea, and then you just start throwing stuff at it until it starts to look like something.

I've read a lot of fics, looked at lots of fanart and I listen to a LOT of music. I've seen lots of various AUs, 'missing scene' concepts and tweaking characters around. Listening to music also helps me since I'll just start sticking songs to characters and wait for a concept to make that song work with that character.

If you're struggling to come up with that initial idea, it might help to do some experimenting with ideas that already exist. Absolutely nothing wrong with you reading a fic and going 'I want to try my own spin on this idea'.

Since you're here, I imagine you also read fanfiction so think of your favorite fandom, the one that occupies your mind the most. Then your favorite character. What is the one fanfic you would most like to read? Has someone written that idea? What did you like about it and what did you dislike about it? Were there fics that had some elements you liked that you think would be cool merged? I started Rock Sibblings because I couldn't find the exact fic I wanted, so most of it is wish fulfillment.

If you don't have anything in mind, think about some common AUs or plots. Pick some of those and think about how you might do them. Try to push away from the normal and even if it gets super weird, you're gaining something from the experience. I think working with minor/background characters helps me because it opens up more avenues to me. I've never seen anyone work with Petra in fanfic, and I decided to toss her in and I think she's gonna add a lot of new avenues!

If it's less the initial idea and more the everything after, just getting sucked into random things helps me. Looking up subgenres of rock music can quickly spiral into learning about other things. I also recommend googling random things sometimes just to see where that leads. The diner scene really only happened because when trying to name the fry special I thought of greasers and then decided to google them. Then I was reminded of 50s diners and realized the scene could have a lot more life to describe the diner as similar to that, and then of course that opened up the chance to include rock n roll music. There's also a place near my home that has this sort of historical exhibit with a 1950s area (really just dig up any memories you have related to random topics), and there was a jukebox and pinball machine in the diner, so of *course* there needs to be a jukebox and pinball machine. And you can't just have a pinball machine and not have them play it. So now they're playing pinball, and so they gotta be hanging out and goofing off! Tada, snowballing.

This was a little disjointed and I'm sorry if it's not of much help. I've never really thought too much about making ideas, its more the execution that I struggle with.

[golden28s]

Totally optional, fun Gallavich questions ☀️🌙

thanks for tagging me to the coolest person @callivich 💖

What’s a fic you’ve read more than once? i havent read that many gallavich fanfics since i watched the show in like april BUT im loving Africa and ill probably read it once it's finished

What’s a gifset you always have to reblog? s7 gifsets are really person to me but also maybe s10 and s11 because they reached the peak of softness

What’s a headcanon you can’t stop thinking about? maybe that ian would tell mickey "i told you so" when they become parents and mickey turns out to be an absolute incredible dad that will play, sing, dance anything with his children.

What’s a fanart you love looking at? maybe @gallavichonly @heymrspatel and i accept recommendations btw id love to see more fanart

What’s an idea you’d love to create if you had the time/inspiration? id probably write like a series of one shots based on taylor swift songs

What’s something you’ve discovered since entering this fandom? A new trope you love? A different analysis of the show? Something else? i think that not judging characters, like always be aware of their circumstances and what made them do or say that and that might not justify them but it explains their thought process, it explains why and gives them some sort of humanity to their mistakes idk if this makes sense but yeah that, don't judge a character too soon, try to understand them.

What’s an underrated trope or concept you’d like to see more of? the secret dating, we know they secretly dated and stuff but i feel like it's actually a really fun concept to play with despite their circumstances in the show, it gives you so many possibilities.

What’s your favourite season? And has this changed after multiple rewatches of the show? the early seasons have special place in my heart, so s4-5 and i think gallavich totally saved s7, i love that part of the season

What’s a plot hole you wish had been answered or resolved? i would've loved to see ian healing from the grooming and realizing it was grooming, it would've been nice for the character to heal old wounds and start fresh a new life with mickey in a new neighborhood ready to create new memories

What scene or moment do you feel isn’t discussed enough? the just wondering if we're a couple or not scene, we definitely should discuss more the fact that mickey answered too quickly, he absolutely had been calling ian boyfriend in his head

What line/dialogue/description from something else (a poem, a book, a tv show, a movie, or something else) do you feel describes Ian and Mickey’s relationship? im gonna quote noel fisher and as he said: "Ian's been that kind of guiding angel for Mickey so he's going to have to turn into a pretty much kind of a protective angel for Ian"

What do you think is next for Ian and Mickey post-finale? i think they're gonna learn to communicate even more, they were in really good path already. i think the writers didn't have much faith in them in that aspect but the conversation they have in s11 about going back or not to the new neighborhood made evident that they can communicate, they listen to each other and understand the reasons, each other's feelings. so yeah, i think they're gonna get even better at that and also they're not gonna wait that much to become parents. i think they eventually will find new jobs, ian will have his tomatoes and mickey will adore looking at him doing his thing every sunday morning. i really really think they finally found their peace, their home and are gonna be very very happy and disgustingly in love forever because they're also hopeless romantic and want that so bad.

im gonna tag a few people and as always feel free to do it or not <3 @lupeloto @mikhailoisbaby @mickeysgaymom @redwiccanrobin @lyricailove @energievie @depressedstressedlemonzest @juliakayyy

[scurvgirl]

I was tagged by @energievie and @callivich to answer some fun Gallavich questions!

What’s a fic you’ve read more than once?

There's A Class for This by @sam-loves-seb. It is just so soft and normal and intimate and it just...it hits all the things for me. I love it so much.

What’s a gifset you always have to reblog?

A few scenes - the club kiss and the van kiss are definitely ones I will always want to reblog because they are just so so good. I also love the "you're so sensitive" deleted scene kiss.

What’s a headcanon you can’t stop thinking about?

Mickey exploring his wardrobe options and fashion sense. He clearly has an eye and a feel for it and I think it is something he would enjoy exploring years down the road when he's more comfortable in his identity.

What’s a fanart you love looking at?

All of them, but in particular I really really enjoyed seeing all of the AUgust dress-ups by @suzy-queued, those were so fun, I love them.

What’s an idea you’d love to create if you had the time/inspiration?

I want to write that fashion designer! Mickey AU so bad. I have lots of thoughts that are very scattered and disorganized.

What’s something you’ve discovered since entering this fandom? A new trope you love? A different analysis of the show? Something else?

My opinion on Debbie definitely changed following some analyses here on tumblr. I think I related to Fiona a lot and saw Debbie through Fiona's perspective and that really negatively colored my perspective. I will say that my ire has turned towards the writers, and writers for shows like this in general tbh, for honestly doing a shit job of portraying a sister relationship, even one as parentified as this.

What’s an underrated trope or concept you’d like to see more of?

I'm not sure!

What’s your favourite season? And has this changed after multiple rewatches of the show?

It switches between season 3 and 4...though I do like season 2.

What’s a plot hole you wish had been answered or resolved?

The cartel???? They after Mickey or not???

What scene or moment do you feel isn’t discussed enough?

In the show or in fandom because those are two separate answers. In the show? We all know that one. In fandom...hm. I've seen so many good analyses, let's see. Oh, this is going to ruffle some feathers but Ian going to Trevor after losing a patient on the ambulance and how that paralleled him running to see Mickey, and how different it was at the same time. Mickey immediately softened his demeanor, immediately put himself in a potentially unsafe situation for himself to comfort Ian. Trevor was thinking of himself in that moment, not about Ian, and I think it really encapsulates the differences between the two relationships. (NOTE: I don't think Trevor was a good romantic fit for Ian, I think it would have worked better as a friendship!)

What line/dialogue/description from something else (a poem, a book, a tv show, a movie, or something else) do you feel describes Ian and Mickey’s relationship?

This song - particularly "I wanted more than you could give me, so certain for a 15-year-old, something 'bout you feels like caffeine, pure gold."

I also like this song for Mickey specifically - particularly "I was far to scared to hit him, but I would hit him in a heartbeat now, that's the thing with anger it begs to stick around // It makes you hurt the ones who love you, you hurt them like they're nothing."

What do you think is next for Ian and Mickey post-finale?

Directly post finale I want them to adopt a dog, I think it'd be good for both of them. It can go running with Ian. Snuggle with Mickey. Be in their Christmas cards that Ian INSISTS they get now. For kids...I go back and forth on this, honestly. I think it would depend if Mickey was serious about putting the work into his anger and identity issues. I don't think they should or would rush into parenthood at all, I mean, they're still really young in the finale - 25 and 27. All things going well, I could see them pursuing parenthood in their late 30s tbh.

Thank you for the tag! I am very tired and feeling kinda shy since I haven't been as active as previous - but if you want to do this, feel tagged by me!

[savage-rhi]

I love your writing!!! You've inspired me to work on my own fics but I've been running into a lot of writers block lately, do you have any prompts or challenges that help you write?

Thank you for the pleasure of reading this hon. I think you made my neurons get off their lazy asses and deliver some dopamine. I have two braincells left and they're both fighting for third place, that's where I've been mentally.

Okay, onto helping people and ignoring my own bullshit!

Writers block...phew! It's a bitch! I myself am in one right now and none of my usual tricks are working, but I sincerely hope they help you out of a bind!

Pick a character from your story. Can be the protag, antag, etc. whoever you're vibing with, pick one and work with this prompt: if they had one last meal before they died, what would it be and why?

Seems simple enough, right? I want to assure you it's not. This is a prompt I use if I want to stay awake for days and run on two hours of sleep because I'm that hooked into a character. Also, I recommend this being the first question you ask any human being you meet because the responses will tell you A LOT about them as people, and if you want to fucks with that or hit the bricks.

Make a personality list for your characters. On the left side, write down a single word to describe a behavior or trait of theirs. On the right, you're going to find words that are the opposite of that trait. For example (cause I want an excuse to use a blorbo):

Ardyn Izunia Haughty -- Humble Seductive -- Off-putting Charismatic -- Unmannerly Flamboyant -- Modest Malicious -- Benevolent Cruel -- Merciful Mischief -- Polite

Once you have enough words to sum up your character (make this as long as you want), you can use this as a reference sheet to help stay in character all the while explore new situations with them that they've perhaps never experienced, or what we the audience haven't witnessed them go through. I also use this a lot when it comes to banter and when characters go through deeper emotions. Trait one is Point A, trait two, Point B and then I fill in the blanks on how to make them meet in the middle.

Consume the media that inspires your stories, characters, etc. If that means binging on fanfiction, go for it. Making fanart or looking at it? Yep. Sitting around doing nothing but daydreaming scenes you'll probably never write? Absolutely. Go at it for hours. Days. Months. Weeks. Years. You don't have to pick up or do anything but give mental energy to the thing you love. Even if you're not "active" like you want to be, you're still in the process of creating (at least that's what I keep telling myself when my inner perfectionist "if you're not productive you're bad!" persona comes out).

I have more ticks, but I am out of spoons. I hope these aid you well nonny, and know that I'm cheering you on through your block! We all get them, and it's important to remind ourselves we aren't machines (I fall into this trap all the time). You got this honey.

[lingy910y]

Gallavich Questionnaire

Thank you @energievie for tagging me to do this! I get too unhinged when talking about these two boys, so warning for very elaborate ramblings 🙏

1. What’s a fic you’ve read more than once?

This fic is the prime example of why you should write a fic even if you think nobody’s going to read it, because it’s my favorite gallavich fic even though most people don’t want to read about them getting a divorce. But I do, okay, because a normal break-up doesn’t cut it (especially since we already see those in canon, but post-canon is up to our interpretation) and it’s just more serious. I think they will work out their issues before it gets too far in canon but it just hurts so fucking good. The reason for their divorce is so realistic too, in fact it’s not one but a lot of problems piled on top of each other. They think it’s only going to hurt everyone involved including their children, which is arguably true in context, but they can’t resist each other and it’s this back and forth push. There’s parallels to canon, the writing is so good without being drawn out, and there’s so much nuance, emotion, and subtly hinting at something beneath the surface. The pining is just delicious because it’s not “I don’t know if you feel this way about me” or “I’m not allowed to be with you,” it’s “I want to be with you so badly but I’m trying to resist that because it’s going to hurt everyone.” Then the trying so hard not to care because “we’re over, but you’re in trouble and I’m trying to move on and I’m never going to love someone else like I love you” 😭😭😭 anyway I actually had to stop myself from rereading too often for comfort because it was too much LOL

the author said they were going to update it January of this year so I’ll be patiently waiting 😔

3. What's a headcanon you can't stop thinking about?

You know that post abt how when you're sleepy you imagine your favs sleepy? I keep imagining Ian wrapping their comforter around Mickey like a cocoon when he has a nightmare and cuddling him, it's cute

4. What's a fanart you love looking at?

The first image of this by @gallavichonly JUST GETS ME SO FERAL. THEIR FUCKING EXPRESSIONS.

5. What’s an idea you’d love to create if you had the time/inspiration?

I want to draw a character concept art sheet for their outfits/weapons/mechanics for kinda a zombie apocalypse AU. Designing that sounds fun but I need to research more

6. What’s something you’ve discovered since entering this fandom? A new trope you love? A different analysis of the show? Something else?

The jealousy trope, especially jealous Mickey. I guess in other fandoms, people write jealousy in a really possessive, cringy way. Not saying gallavich aren't possessive as fuck but at least they earned it, you know? There's too many ships where one of them is breathing down the other person's love interest's neck but they don't even know you exist, like calm down 😭 Meanwhile gallavich tease and try to get each other to admit it first, and Mickey is biting his tongue trying not to say anything and then "Fucking cheat on me, Ian?!", "Whatcha doin' here then?" AND THEIR EXPRESSIONS WHEN THEY EACH SAY "WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW" ARUGHHHHHH I'M SO GONE

7. What’s an underrated trope or concept you’d like to see more of?

Touched on this earlier but basically the more tragic/gritty ones—a huge argument, break-ups, unrequited love, falling out of love, hanahaki, amnesia, MCD...

10. What scene or moment do you feel isn’t discussed enough?

Eh I think we've dissected the shit out of every scene lmao, but probably their s4 reunion? The lap dance?

11. What line/dialogue/description from something else (a poem, a book, a tv show, a movie, or something else) do you feel describes Ian and Mickey’s relationship?

Obviously "I'll take care of you. / It's rotten work. / Not to me. Not if it's you."

12. What do you think is next for Ian and Mickey post-finale?

I want Ian to go back to being an EMT no matter what :( but their current security gig fits Mickey a lot. Ian also gets really into gardening, he'll be so good to the point where he'll be known in the neighborhood. And Mickey has a little hobby for drawing. They'll adopt a pitbull because Mickey was actually enthusiastic about that idea, which meets Ian halfway by still giving him something to take care of. Now for the elephant in the room: I think it's okay if Mickey never wants a kid, and there's a lot of issues ingrained in them that unless they go to therapy for a couple of years, hinder them from becoming perfect parents tbh. Now I'm not saying they'll be bad, but will their best be enough? Will they be content? Idk, I don't have any experience and I see them with more issues/flaws than the majority of the fandom? Honestly I just don't see that future for them (but I do enjoy kid AUs because who doesn't.) They'll stay on the West Side because I want them to get out but not stray too far from their family. I also can't think about them getting old or I'll sob, but I wrote a fic about how they'll retire and just live comfortably because it's what they deserve, and they'll take tons of vacations when they save up enough money.

oh my god that was way too much but in my defense i rarely get to rant abt them ok!! anyway now that I went through the whole spectrum of emotions, i'm tagging @michellemisfit, @lupeloto, @jademickian & @softmick 🚶‍♀️

[aristotels]

Thinking about art and fiction and concepts of ownership and honestly it's kinda fucked that collaborative and transformative storytelling is literally as old as time and one of the most basic human instincts that exists, but the only good word it we have right now is "fanfiction"

and when you tell people you write fanfiction they think you're some kind of cringe weirdo and possibly pervert and then the whole thing gets derailed by this bizarre side discussion into how "No it's not all porn, it's absolutely everything and anything imaginable, duh, but like, even if it were all porn, that would also be okay". Like I'm all for pointing out the double standards about how published authors who put sex into their stories don't lose any respectability (especially if they're men, and especially if the sex is cishet), but the second I, a fanfiction person, add a romantic arc into my plotty casefic suddenly I'm a fujoshi with shipper brainrot etc etc-

But it's tiring that this is even a focal point

My favourite funny and sad thing is watching people (usually dudes) who clearly either view themselves as above fanfiction or have simply never ever thought of themselves as "the type" to do creative writing discover The Fanfiction Urge, because the way they express it is like. An increasingly passionate and detailed video essay about how Movie should have gone instead, or, my favourite, a story about something cool that happened to them in XCOM or Darkest Dungeon or some other Difficult Game For Serious Gamers and by the end of the post they're legitimately just writing prose. Like look at this! LOOK! Damn if this person didn't speedrun the gamerbro-to-AO3 pipeline just for a sec. And not that there's anything wrong with those formats but it makes you wonder if that's something they'd be interested in exploring more if their wings got unclipped

Or DnD. Small wonder that TTRPGs are becoming so popular when they're one of the few increasingly non-cringe ways to do the extremely basic human urge of Tell Story Collaboratively

A friend of mine had this to say recently about his own struggles with this kind of internal bias:

i'd like to try out Thousand-Year-Old Vampire (a solo role-playing game with minimal rules to make you write your own narrative) and my toxic masculinity is getting in the way. discouraging thoughts include: i'm not creative enough; creative writing is for Floofy Humanities types and i am a Cold STEM type; it's not a real game unless it has Systems that you can Study and Master. would anyone like to say something encouraging?

and honestly that's incredibly illuminating innit isn't it. The splitting off of creative activity (not just fanfiction, either) into something only for Floofy Humanities Types but not Serious People and the way it's linked to whether or not you can make money off it... oof.

This became a long post thank you for your patience

ngl i just dont rly care that much for fandoms... i like fanfic, i read it and write it, but i dont rly see fandom as my identity or smth i particularly care about, to me all of it is just the same as me playing with barbie dolls.

i dont think its something special that can be compared to actual literature and i think there are certain problems w booktok people relying on tropes that come from fanfic mentality. its just not the same, and i do wish people who like fanfic would sometimes also read.......some actual books sometimes

i just generally dont see what youre describing as some huge thing or problem, i think anti-kink ppl doxxing artists is the major worrisome thing when it comes to fandoms, but i think the doxxers also take the whole fandom experience too seriously

and i say this as someone who also writes fanfic, so like, it rly isnt me going "fanfic authors/readers are stupid", i find fanfic super cool to explore yourself, fanart taught me sooo much as an artist, i even enjoy roleplaying; all of this serves a very real purpose of exploring things as a human in realms of fiction, and pre-existing characters make that easier. i think that can be very useful, we learn about ourselves through books and stories. i just think fandom should be treated the way it is - playtime with toys ✌️

[little-box-of-wonders]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @grexigone! n.n

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

33 as of Nov. 15, 2023

2. What's your total A03 word count?

135,824 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Only Horizon (Zero Dawn/Forbidden West) for now.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

To Know Peace: 103 kudos (Rated T) - First longfic

Live for the Night: 88 kudos (Rated E) - First smut fic

Bonding Moments: 83 kudos (Rated G) - Companion vignettes fic for To Know Peace

Devotion: 79 kudos (Rated E) - Kinktober 2023 drabbles collection

Visual Delights: 77 kudos (Rated E) - Fun, smutty 5+1 oneshot

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

I do! Comments mean that someone took the time to read my fic and something stuck with them enough to tell me about it. It makes me feel appreciated, and I want my readers to feel appreciated in turn. :3

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oof, probably Shadowed Heart, which is my first rare pair fic (Fashav/Ritakka). I promise to give them a happier ending in my series.

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

I'd say To Know Peace has the happiest ending so far.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I got a couple of comments on Bonding Moments about some choices I'd made that rubbed me the wrong way, but I haven't gotten hate publicly or privately. I think it helps that Horizon is still relatively small in the fanfic/fanart space and I don't share my ship-specific fics on the subreddit for the games.

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

I do and I have no shame, hehe. It's mostly M/F and very light on kinks. Other than my Kinktober drabbles, the raunchiest fic I've written is Early Exit.

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

No crossovers. They're kinda tricky to get right.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

To my knowledge, no, but I haven't checked FF.net or Wattpad to confirm.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. Spanish is my native language, but I have no plans to translate my fics from English to Spanish.

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

@jadefyre and I have a smut fic in the works that we started earlier this year. Also, not co-written but @murmart made a beautiful art of Fashav/Ritakka for my fic Heavy in Your Arms. :3

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

Definitely Aloy/Kotallo. Not only did seeing their dynamic and conjuring up ship possibilities get me to write again after a long hiatus, but it's also allowed me to become part of a community of amazing creators both in the Kotaloy Elysium Discord server and beyond. n.n

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don't necessarily think I'll leave any of my WIPs unfinished, but some are a little more complicated than others in terms of getting them to meet my own standards (yeah, I'm my harshest critic).

With longfics, I've since learned to write until completion and then start posting, only because I don't enjoy the self-imposed pressure to update something that's already out there since life can be really uncertain at times.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue! It takes me such a long time, but I love nailing the voices of the characters correctly and having readers comment on that and their characterization. However, I do find speeches a bit cumbersome to write because every word has so much weight to them, even though I do enjoy the end result.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I struggle with describing environments/settings, because I never know if I'm being descriptive enough to paint a full picture for the reader.

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

I think if it's a few sentences here and there is fine, but anything else might make it inaccessible to part of the readership unless it's stated in the author's note that the fic will feature two or more different languages.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Horizon, though I wrote a (thankfully never published) fic for Final Fantasy VII when I was around 13 years-old; trust me, it wasn't good and I still cringe thinking about the plot. HOWEVER, I miss that feeling of writing without caring about the end result, of just having a deluge of words on paper with a somewhat coherent narrative thread.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

It's hard to pick only one because all of my fics are special in their own way, but I'll go with Hurricane Drunk because I had so much fun describing Kotallo being drunk and struggling with confessing his feelings for Aloy in a humorous way.

Tagging @setavvo, @fogsblue, @hannahmationstudios, @destinysembrace-oblivion and @mwasaw. (No pressure! Only if you want to).

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

Thank you for creating this excellent challenge (and the lovely banner) @ladytessa74!

Rules: Pick three of your fics (or WIP or cross stitch or fanart). Describe two of them in the most unhinged way possible and the third with just emojis.

1. Typical TK - A depiction of a hospital bed where one man almost dies, a chair where the love of his life/his soulmate sits and holds vigil despite believing he might not even be wanted, all accompanied by a sarcastic comment.

2. Tarlos Vows - Many words stitched on two separate pieces of fabric over two months using a hoop nearly two feet in diameter. The two frames where they now reside sits propped against a chair in my bedroom because I have nowhere with enough space to display them. (this one kind of just makes me sound unhinged for doing it 😂)

3. My current WIP that will probably be titled You Have All of Me, Carlos: 🧱🍽️🪑✨🥺

No pressure tagging @paperstorm @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @tailoredshirt @birdclowns @orchidscript