#even s got close to shippy watching this lmao

[army-of-mai-lovers]

1, 5, 8, 12, 18, 20, 22 for the ask thing; you dont have to do all of them lol

lmao try me

1. Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

answered here!

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

Okay this is my third attempt at answering this but I’m going to say Mako. Like me, Mako is mixed, like me, Mako is an oldest sibling, with all the mess that comes with that, and like me, Mako spends so much time people pleasing that he has no idea who he actually is. I’ve written a lot of characters who have traits similar to me in some way, but Mako is so similar to me that the first time I tried to watch lok I could not stand him because he reminded me of all the parts of myself I couldn’t stand (although I didn’t realize it at the time). He’s weird and awkward and stubborn and shouldering way too much, but I love him nonetheless. 

8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

literally not at all lmao. I don’t read nearly as much fic as I used to, but the fic that I do read most often is fluffy shippy stuff, which is largely not the kind of stuff I write. fanfic for me is definitely comfort reading, and so I try to maximize the comfort as much as possible. outside of fic....yeah honestly I read way more romance than you would expect looking at my listed works on ao3. other than that, I read a lot of nonfiction and poetry, and sometimes I like to read “literary” books. I’m really trying to expand my horizons reading-wise (and I think in a lot of ways I’m succeeding) but honestly I think people get a little too up in arms about trying to make other people expand their horizons reading-wise. I’m in college, and I have to read a bunch for school, so if in my free time I just want to read fluffy oneshots on ao3 that’s what I’m going to do. When I gather up the time and energy I really enjoy reading more “literary” stuff on my own time, and that stuff tends to have a huge impact on me (and my work), but I believe that, at least to an extent, you should let people turn off their brains every once in a while. it’s a shit world out there and the least you can do is read about your favorite characters getting together in the stupidest most cliche way possible. so yeah, I practice turning my brain off every once in a while as a form of self-care, and I’m not ashamed of that in the slightest. 

12. Do you want your writing to be famous?

that is an excellent question. I’d really like to be a writer someday, and I’d like to be able to live off of income from my writing, so in that sense yes I’d like my writing to be famous. as far as fanfic is concerned? eh. it seems like a lot of pressure and a lot of nonsense to have a fic that Everyone Knows About And Is Waiting For You To Update. but also, there are certain fics of mine where I would like it if they got popular throughout the fandom, if only so that people would start emulating choices that I made in their own writing (e.g. not setting their modern aus in the US/UK/Europe). I don’t know though, I think even if that happened, it wouldn’t happen in the way I wanted it to. every time I’ve seen this fandom shift in what I think will be a more equitable less racist direction, all that’s actually happened is that people come up with new racist tropes to fit whatever “unproblematic” new trope the fandom’s come up with. at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what I want though, because my fics are either going to get popular or they’re not, and from what I’ve seen, my writing and the larger atla/lok fandom aren’t that compatible, so that’s the end of that. 

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

in an early outline of ktwab, Zuko was going to be a bender, which if you’ve read that fic would have changed the storyline drastically, since so much of his character in the published fic revolves around him not being a bender. I wasn’t super comfortable with the nonbender Zuko hc at the time I was outlining ktwab for the first time, so I was really hesitant to put it in the fic, but after a while I realized that it was the right thing for the story. honestly, I’ve really come to love it. there’s always something interesting about imagining a bending character without bending, but I think it’s most interesting when looking at Zuko because it’s both so close to canon (in that he’s a late bloomer wrt Firebending and he’s not that great at it for most of the show) and so far away from it (in that Firebending is an integral part of the way canon Zuko views the world). and it gets doubly interesting when he’s the primary antagonist to Avatar Sokka. 

20.Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?

ugh ok I’m going to copy/paste part of a mini essay I wrote about character foils in ktwab but redact all the parts that would indicate who it’s about because it’s all spoilers: 

[REDACTED] has been cheated out of power, and his every action is motivated out of anger that he was cheated out of that power. Even his love for [REDACTED] is colored by the fact that he knows that one day, [REDACTED] might repay him by allowing him to survive and thrive when he’s [REDACTED]. [REDACTED], on the other hand, has never had access to imperial power and thus has never had the opportunity to be cheated out of it. His anger is at the fact that imperial power exists. Thus, while both of them are angry and fight against the Fire Nation with violence, [REDACTED]’s is the anger that’s misguided. It is based in a selfish desire to regain imperial power rather than a solidarity with people who have never had imperial power. Thus, his death in Ba Sing Se foreshadows the death of imperial power itself, a la [REDACTED], rather than power simply changing hands. Not only does [REDACTED] die, he dies for [REDACTED], the one best suited to end the imperial project of the Fire Nation. [REDACTED]’s role to him changes from “person who can help me survive” to “person who benefits from me losing my imperial power” to “person whom I can help end the imperial project” Meanwhile, [REDACTED]’s survival signifies the survival of an organized anti-imperialist resistance, one with an incredible amount of teeth, and its alliance with people who have the power to enact it on a grand scale. 

22. Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

I think the only one I reread somewhat often is the greatest of them all, and even that I haven’t looked at in a long time. my feelings toward that fic in particular are mixed, mostly because that was the first thing I’d written creatively in a long while and it’s pretty apparent from the writing style of it (at least to me). but I think that with every new fic (or every new chapter of fics I’ve been working on for an obscene amount of time) I improve as a writer, and the whole reason I got into writing fanfiction is because I want to be a better writer. so I’m grateful towards any piece of work that helped me get there. 

writer meta ask game!

[laufire]

Legends of Tomorrow 5x09

Do these writers know. DO THEY REALIZE THEY HAVE THE MOST AMAZING SET UP IN THEIR ENTIRE RUN FOR AN OTP WITH CONSTANTINE AND ZARI? DO THEY? They probably don’t, given that they’ve historically have one and a half hits amidst all their misses, but. Gosh. I can be the only one that sees it right?? They have to know what they’re doing, on some level? Making them KISS, like THAT, while acting the hell out of one of the most famous romances in history? (Also, Constantine totally checked her out at the beginning of the episode, and she was more embarresed about him thinking she and Nate had something than she was about anyone else, just sayin’!) And THEN introducing the incredible angst minefield of Constantine being indirectly responsible for Behrad’s death*, and Zari holding him accountable and DEMANDING that they go on a quest to undo it?? THEY HAVE TO KNOW RIGHT?? All of that paired with the altered timeline, their past friendship, etc. Gosh. I’m already planning to write a long series that’ll include, among others, this ship. But if s5 doesn’t do this properly I’ll have to take matters into my own hands. I’ll have to. It can even be part of the series, even if it makes it longer than I should commit to, IDGAF XD

*yes, I know how given my other current show, this might get constructed as hypocritical on my part xDDD. I have good arguments about the differences, but most of all, I just don’t care LMAO

Part of the reason I think I’ve fallen for Constantine/Zari this hard is that Zari is more and more my number one fave each episode I watch and… Constantine is the one moving the plot, making things happen. It’s not a coincidence that the plots and villains of this last two seasons were impulsed by him. Those events in s4 were what caused Zari’s timeline to shift. And now those threads are coming together in a way that’s organic and fitting and EXCITING. And I want my fave girl at the center of the excitement, and close to the character that’s become the spark of the narrative.

Even without taking my NEW SHINY OTP into account, I’d actually love it if they deviated from Nate/Zari in this new timeline; I didn’t mind them in s4, but… it’d actually be interesting that the show said, well, they’re different people. Because they are, plain and simple. And a show about time travel and alterations should tackle that (I mean, I, for one, don’t really ship Constantine with Zari 1.0; if I rewatched s4 in my current state I might start to, but the !!!!!!!!! feelings started NOW, with this Zari, with this Zari’s personality). Besides, like Behrad accurately pointed out, Nate does love doomed love stories, and part of his fixation (on Amaya back then, on Zari 2.0 now), is about that.

I’m a MESS about Behrad, by the way. It was even worse because it got paired with Zari 1.0′s appearance, and her happiness at finding out he and their parents were alive, and asking Zari 2.0 to bring Behrad to visit her, him and Zari getting gr8 sibling moments (d’aw at him reassuring her that she’s his favourite Zari. And LOL at her “I knew this would lead to drugs”)… A MESS, I’m telling you. I TRULY hope it can be outdone and not Laurel 2.0 (yeah, still bitter about that), because I’ve come to like him a lot, and because I want Zari to have him in her life (and for Zari 1.0 to see him!! I will cry like a baby if it happens. It has to happen. I have too many expectations for this season, I’m afraid lol. I’m definitely going to have to add it to my re-write series). BTW: Sara/Zari feels alert to, when Sara was the last to stay with Zari after Behrad’s death *sniffs*

The Zari + Zari scenes were AMAZING, regardless. The hug! Zari 1.0 soothing Zari’s 2.0 insecurities! Joking about her ego! Also, we can all assume that Amaya is at that Totem town too, right? So we get to have our cake and eat it too, with Zari 2.0 and Constantine and Zari 1.0 and Amaya, yes? Yes.

Even amids all this I had mini Constantine/Sara feels too, LMAO, when Sara said, “John always finds away.” It’s not only a good shippy line for them (I also LOVE that she calls him John, btw. Love it), but an AMAZING line about Constantince, the character, related to the point about making things happen LOL (he even got to save his boyfriend in s4, which I don’t think it’s a coincidence, given how other “rules” are established and enforced/not enforced in the ‘verse. Though I did love that Desmond told Constantine to go fork himself lol).

I have lots of feels for Charlie and her relationship with her sisters, too (btw, I don’t remember now if Astra’s “friend” was confirmed to be one of them in the last episode or not, because I simply took it as a fact that she was xDD). When she turned into a little girl, my poor heart :(. And I loved how Sara’s words ~inspired her (the Charlie/Sara feels were strong too).

I’m judging THE HELL out of Sara for having Dean from Supernatural as her hall pass. Really, girl? xD. Smh. YOU CAN PICK FROM LITERALLY ALL PLACES AT ALL TIMES. Martin had Hedy freaking Lamarr! C'mon gurl. I spent the whole episode stressed out about the actors possibly having a cameo, thank the universe it didn’t happen LOL. Anyway. I just hope the whole “Sara mysteriously survives a Fate” brings something interesting to her storyline, for a change.

Seeing Mick’s daughter wearing Captain Cold’s costume for Halloween as a child was the only good part of that entire subplot. Ava and Mick together (I might like him better in s3 so far but his story in s5 is zzzzzzz)? It would’ve only been worse if Gary was there lmao. Also, the whole “the word clone is like a slur” joke got old real quick and I wish it stopped.

[shipcestuous]

Incredibles 2

It was really exciting to see so many messages about Incredibles 2 in my inbox! I'm sorry that some of them had to sit for a while but I saw the movie a few days ago so the good news is that I’m ready to talk!

(This is NOT SPOILER FREE.)

Anon #1:

Hey, so I sent a message a while back about how, based on their character descriptions, the two new siblings (Winston and Evelyn) seem like they might be shippable. I just saw the movie and WOW, WERE THEY SHIPPABLE! The first scene especially could easily take place between love interests, and they spend a lot of time invading each other's personal space and alone in small rooms together ;) I don't want to say more because spoilers but they were VERY good.

Anon #2:

Saw Inc2 and honestly Dash and Vi being like mini-parents to Jack Jack is my jam. My entire aesthetic. Theyre so great

Anon #3:

I just saw the Incredibles 2 w my family and, without going into too many spoilers, I really enjoyed it.

First of all, I’ve got to talk about the new characters, sibling team Winston and Evelyn who play a huge role in Helen getting back into heroing again. In a lot of ways their personalities conflict, but in the end, it’s obvious from both ends that there’s a lot of love there.

Now, Dash and Violet! Of course we already loved them from the first movie but we got plenty more sibling moments in this one too. They bicker as most siblings that age do, but they make a great team and come together when it counts.

There’s also a couple moments when the Parr family is around Violet’s crush and Dash is obviously doing his best to embarrass her in front of him and taking a lot of glee in it. (I like to imagine he keeps doing that w any of her future would-be datemates, going out of his way to sabotage her love life and only realizing WAY belatedly that there might be an ulterior motive behind his actions.)

Also—in hindsight it’s already apparent in the first movie too, but this movie really cemented the idea in my mind that they’re like younger versions of their parents. Violet and her mom are similar in some ways, and even more so with Dash and his dad. In a lot of ways, Violet and Dash’s dynamic echoes Helen and Bob’s, and that of course makes it seem shippy to me even if it’s unintentionally so.

Anon #4:

Just watched the incredibles 2 and I think the villain and her brother are super shippable. I thought she was his wife at first and then when I got to know she was her sister and an artist meanwhile he was a business man, I mean, wow they are the other's half so perfectly.

Anon #5:

There's a scene in The Incredibles 2 where they go to a diner, and Violet spills water out of her nose upon seeing her crush work there, and Bob says, "I'm sorry, she usually doesn't drip like this." Apparently - according to some viewers' reactions - this line was meant to be innuendo.

Bob and Violet:

Lmao. I never would have interpreted that line that way and maybe I’m too innocent but I sincerely doubt it was intended that way. BUT that’s hilarious and I love it. I love the dirty minds of animated fandoms. 

Dash and Violet:

These two were great once again. I got giggly over all the times they were put in charge of Jack-Jack and had to work together like parents, trading him off and then teaming up to figure out how to handle him. I really love in both films that they ended up on their own and had to use their powers and minds together in order to win the day. I also 100% agree that they in so many ways mini versions of their parents - personality wise, looks wise, dynamic wise. The parallel game is strong. 

I also noticed that Dash - probably just in typical comedy little brother fashion - didn’t seem particularly interested in making sure Violet got her crush and was more likely to actively sabotage the effort than help. 

I also think it’s a little suggestive that when Violet finally got her date at the end, her entire family was there in the car, and then Violet ran off with them and abandoned her date. I’m sure it’s the beginning of a pattern in which crimefighting and being a super - a secret and a responsibility shared with a very limited number of people and most importantly and especially her family - always come first. 

Winston and Evelyn:

Even though we had talked about these new characters being siblings some time back, I was not expecting them to be so shippable! We saw how they are the perfect team - Evelyn is the creator/inventor, Winston is the seller/business end. They complement each other perfectly and have obviously made a great success of everything they have attempted together. It seems like they spend most of their time together and despite being middle-aged, neither one of them appears to have married. I totally agree that they were in close physical proximity a lot of the time - definitely noticeable to someone who was looking for it (like I was, ha). 

Plus Helen and Evelyn had that long conversation in which Evelyn’s relationship with her brother was quite explicitly paralleled with Helen’s relationship with her husband. 

The ending really showed how much they loved each other, and they overcame a lot of the unfortunate tropes involving villain sibling(s). Evelyn thought Winston was a “child” for thinking that bringing supers back was a good idea and she obviously had at least a little contempt for Winston’s side of the business, even if she had to respect and admire how good he was at it. But aside from crushing his dream of bringing supers back, her beef was not with him and she didn’t want him to get hurt. And then Winston was grateful when he learned that Helen had managed to stop Evelyn without killing her. He still loves her very much. 

Good stuff. I really want to watch the Evelyn/Winston scenes again.