#idk why but I've always loved this one a lot like probably my fave from speak now tour oops

[nevergavein]

Favourite Taylor Swift Tour Outfits: (8/?)

[lastarvek]

not sure who needs this, but here is a list i've made of all the "realistic" serana replacers, bc i know the "doe-eyed 16 yr old" look that most replacer mods have gets old real fast (and creepy, given her backstory)

replacer for serana by @yennethan : i love this one and i'm going to use it for my next playthrough. gives her more of a 'wise older sister' vibe, as opposed to a 'young vampy bimbo'.

anima nera by serkethetyt : this one has a creepier vibe than all the other serana replacers i've seen. if you like your vampires to be more on the horrific and visceral side, then look no further.

npc overhaul - serana (high poly) by ihuntalone : this mod manages to strike a nice balance, keeping her facial proportions realistic while still making her look delicate and elegant

eeekie's serana by eeekie : one thing i love about eeekie's mods (besides the stunning realism) is that the characters always look like grown adults. if you want a more mature and seasoned look for your serana, this is the one.

seranade by annaccident : i only found this mod while making this post and ?? why is this one so underrated lol, she is gorgeous. i like her tired eyes, because wouldn't you also be exhausted after taking nirn's longest nap? the hairs are also mashups, making them quite unique and giving her the signature braids she sports.

dashing dawnguard followers by tragedian : one of my all-time faves ! this one (and all of tragedians mods) puts a refreshing spin on vanilla style, staying true to the game's original vibe but making serana a lot more aesthetically pleasing in the process. (note that this mod is not standalone and will replace other dawnguard npcs)

definite serana smp hair by mharlek1 : another mod that stays pretty true to vanilla style, with the added bonus of smp hair ! (if you don't use smp, there's an option for no physics as well).

serana - daughter of coldharbour by southpawe : this mod models serana's face after her voice actor, laura bailey. the ethics of this mod are... questionable lol, but on the plus side, who fits serana's voice better than her literal voice actor?

nithi npc enhancement - serana by nightmarezone : this lovely serana has a realistic face and has 3 different hairstyles to choose from. if you like the style of this mod, you should check out the rest of their work, bc their npcs are awesome.

dragonborn waifus - yet another serana replacer by lucazoid : don't let the name fool you, this is no waifu mod. this replacer gives her a strong brow and tired eyes, and has a whopping 24 (!!!) hairstyle options.

[cerealmonster15]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

ty for the tag @unpredictable-probabilities! I don't usually do tag things but I'm feeling an exception today and I want to ramble lol let's GO!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Right now, 51! I think i started using ao3 back in college with rvb fic lol. I've since orphaned 2 fics so I guess there wouldve been 53.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

86,956

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Right now, mostly just Twisted Wonderland (and the occasional dndads, I still have a fic in my brain I kinda wanna write for that). Twst was kinda my comeback to wanting to write fics and has been my main inspiration for a lot of things and it's been the most fun i've had writing fics I think, and it's eventually what's gotten me to try to write my first multi chapter fic.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Slip Ups and Lift Ups (Stardew Valley) 444 Kudos 2. A Fishy Intervention (TWST) 354 Kudos 3. Company (TWST) 249 Kudos 4. Security Cauldron (TWST) 248 Kudos [my first twst fic i think? also has some errors in it teehee oopsie] 5. Because I Care (TWST) 234 Kudos

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes!!! I think I didn't used to? Maybe because I felt weird about my own comments changing the comment count and like it was somehow lying lol. but that's silly and i like talking to people and I Need people to Know that i Love Their Comments

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

hmmm I do not write much angst, and even when I do it's more hurt/comfort, bc permasads make ME permasad. I think it was my rvb fic "forgotten" - which i always forget was my first fic uploaded to ao3 LOL, back in 2015. ironic that my first wasnt reflective of the tone i usually write for. i don't wanna reread it to check [even tho my fics from back then are WAY shorter] bc im scared to face how i wrote when i was fresh outta hs lol BUT if i remember correctly/based on the summary, it was a doc/donut fic and I think it was about how after doc had disappeared from the future cube or whatever in canon and no one knew he was gone, i wrote a scene of doc getting upset with donut bc Of All People Why Didnt You Notice I Thought I Meant Something To You 😔 kdlsjfkdlsj i think it ended with doc walking off and donut being SAD and idk maybe they broke up, idr if they were 'officially dating' in the context of that fic. but um hashtag docnut for life.

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

most all of my fics are happy endings with an exception of like one ^ or two lol. I don't know if i can quantify those!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not to my face if I do lol. I don't think enough people know about me to give a shit if i do stuff they dont like

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

nope!!!! i dont really like smut personally and it's not the kind of genre i have story ideas for.

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

I don't think i've ever done that 🤔

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that I know of!

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

nope!

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

girl help i cannot choose. um. well first shout out again to rvb's docnut bc u will always be strong and married in my heart. and in dndads im an oakworthy truther til i die BUT for twst. twst beloved twst i am in that pitfall of i like 50000 different ships. jamiazu is the one i write and draw the most LOL and theyre def a top fave HOWEVER. god. treycater alters my brain chemistry. rookvil marriage real. adeuce beloved fool duo for life. im physically restraining myself from mentioning more KLFJDSKLFJS especially when we get into the multiship/poly web bc god we will be here all day. i can and will be enabled but this post is already long enough GOODBYE!!!!

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

oooh ok well there was a dndads oakworthy thing I started like last year but pretty soon after I started it, we started seeing more of hermies forbidden other 'true' personality traits and i was like ruh roh this guy keeps pulling a fast one on me, i dont think the direction i had with this fic is fitting anymore. i had barely gotten anywhere with it and it wouldve been short anyway, but i think about what couldve been.... lololol and then for TWST umm. Hehe. Teehee even. Back during nanowrimo I used that as time to start 2 fics: kalim and the great relationship rescue, which is my current multichap fic about kalisil and jamiazu, it’s got about 3 chapters, and I’m still writing it. AND IM STILL GOING TO FINISH THAT ONE!!! but the OTHER one I started during that time and have NOT posted any of it yet was the stuff with my first twst oc, Char, and his place in my big caterella multiverse ideas lol. I’ve posted a bit about that story idea and done a lot of doodles and brianstorming for it, but I fear it would be too intimidatingly ambitious to stick to and I’m not sure writing one concrete fic is the right medium for it 🤔 plus I just don’t think many people would like it much LOL it would be very self indulgent and tapping into my soap opera brain. I feel nervous when I talk about it HAHDBFNTG so I’m not sure I could commit. But I still have what I wrote, and maybe I’ll figure out another way to go with it or maybe I’ll just wake up one day and say WHATEVER and write it anyway lol. I’ve gotten shyer again so we’ll see 🧍

16. What are your writing strengths?

umm. i do not know if it is a strength but i feel more light comedy and dialogue come more 'naturally' to me, but i do not know how well i actually can pull it off LOL also shorter, contained stories. Everything I write is a one shot, and I’m struggling on my recent attempt at a multiple chapter fic BDBFFBFNGD

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

hrhrnrngm more descriptive writing, i find im in the pitfalls of writing TOO MUCH dialogue. and i also feel like when i try to do more serious tone things it comes off as cringe or trying too hard kFDKLSHFLDSJ. no one's said that to me but yknow. fear and whatnot. also ending the story is. Hard. I feel like that’s always a weak part of my fics bc I sit there like WELL I WROTE ALL MY IDEAS HOW DO I WRAP THIS UP…. I worry my endings come off kind of half assed but I do my best lol 😔✌️

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

like are you asking if i would do it? or how i feel when it's done in fics i read? i dunno lol. i could maybe do spanish bc ive studied it a lot but i'd get nervous i think.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

on ao3 it was rvb bu teeeechnically back in my neoseeker forums days i was in there writing like, animal crossing or harvest moon or pokemon stuff. it was very bad bc i was like 10 years old LOL

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

ohoho ummmm. Well I always have fun writing jamiazu and I’ve written a LOT of those lol. I have a soft spot for The Comfort of Familiarity. That’s one of the ones hats taken me the longest to write because I was really trying hard to handle it with care, as it was a less light tone than I typically do and I was trying to explore the characters and their situation in a particular way that I really wanted to come across well with who reads it. It was hard, and I’m not sure I fully got there, but ultimately I did like it quite a a bit. on the flipside, one of my more recent fics and I think now my longest oneshot to date, Blue Raspberry Mango was VERY fun to write lol. That one’s a lot more like what I typically write, silly romcom style lmao. Cater and Idia goofing, characters bickering, friendship, me trying to sneak in as many side ships into the background for funsies, jamiazu is there, it was a good time. And that one started as a prompt suggestion which I feel like often times I end up struggling with and not delivering super well… but this one ran away from me and I had a blast lol. Idikei fixed me 😌✌️

Ty for tagging me! Umm. I am too scared to tag other people 🧍 goodbye jk @officialgleamstar 🫵 You Do It

[sorry if I missed any typos or autocorrect, part of this was on my phone and I always miss SOMETHING lol]

[chameliyun]

20 Q's for Fic Writers

thanks for the tag @spacejammie-eimmajecaps!

How many works do you have on ao3? Officially 8, but I have one on anon and one currently unrevealed in a fic exchange

What's your total ao3 word count? 61,996

What fandoms do you write for? So far I've written for Death Note, Tangled the Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Haikyuu, plus a couple of crossovers. Haikyuu is definitely my main rn though

What are your top five fics by kudos? #1: Frosting and Freckles: 69 (nice) #2: Draw Me Near: 39 #3: [embarrassing anon fic]: 35 #4: Varian Is Not a Wizard: 25 #5: Midnight Coda: 21

Do you respond to comments? Yeah, I love to! I don't get a lot so they always make me happy :)

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? probably the anon fic sdfsk but other than that, Midnight Coda is kinda bittersweet because of what happens later

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? hmm idk but the sappiest is definitely Frosting and Freckles

Do you get hate on fics? Not so far, thankfully! I don't think I have a big enough readership for that haha

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I have not; not sure what kind it would be if I did

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I love writing crossovers! A PJO/HP crossover was actually what got me into fanfic. Unfortunately most of them are merely concepts or abandoned (for now), but as for crazy, I think my Lunar Chronicles/PJO one is the craziest in terms of how the plot grew out of control from a simple "what if these two characters interacted" to "I could rewrite most of this series," which is why I got stuck and put it on hiatus lol but I do want to get back to it someday. Maybe once I finish my other active crossover

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge

What's the longest you've spent working on one fic? And the shortest? Uhhh well if we count "working on" as "having it in the back of mind to get to but haven't worked on in months," probably Sent from the Heavens lol. If not, then Varian Is Not a Wizard (just over two years since I published the first chapter). Shortest is definitely Midnight Coda, since I wrote that pretty much in a day iirc

Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but it sounds like it could be fun!

What's your all-time favorite ship? From all fandoms? Dude I have no idea how to narrow that down. Best I can give you is my current fave is Tsukkiyama from Haikyuu

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Probably my "Leo Valdez ends up in the ATLA world" one :sob: It never made it past the word doc and about three pages of story and I haven't looked at it in like two years

What are your writing strengths? I like to think I'm pretty good at dialogue and grammar/spelling

What are your writing weaknesses? Everything else (jk). I am awful at describing scenes/settings; I get bored writing them so I don't put as much effort in as I should haha. I also tend to ramble and use passive voice too much

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I haven't done it, but I think it's fine as long as it fits the context

First fandom you wrote for? Published: Avatar: The Last Airbender. Unpublished: Percy Jackson

Favorite fic you've written? I think it's still Bent Out of Shape. It's so niche, but I had an idea and I executed it, and I'm proud of what I accomplished. Although once I finish Varian Is Not a Wizard, that might take the top slot.

No-pressure tagging: @supermarine-silvally @starrynightarchive @litterateur97 @palant1r @soreiya @lilac-writes @oloreandil @kandybarkreepshow @ellegamgee and anyone else who wants to!

[pbaintthetb]

Lol watched Book of Mormon (and hoo boy possibly actually one of my faves I've watched on stage. Plot is average at best but the goddamn choreo and the lights- the act 1 finale? I digress) thoughts

You can never go home again, or more accurately, You can never go to Orlando again. Anyway Price probably needs a few years to resort his head and life before he can go to Orlando and appreciate it because currently I don't think he can seperate what he wants (needs) Orlando to be from what Orlando actually is...

Orlando and Salt Lake City are the same in the sense that neither of them actually exist and they're metaphors (ignoring the fact that they do, both exist). Both Nabalungi and Price songs about their favourite fictional (real) real (fictional) place are kinda tragic because it reveals the things they view about the world as fact. Hence why this place is so special. Yes comparing Price's pretty first world problems with Nabalung's concerns is a bit of a stretch but also it kind is the same thematically.

I do hope Nabalungi can get what she wants from Salt Lake City though, although not necessarily in Salt Lake city idc.

The vibe I had in the interval was that it was possible out of district 9 Price is the only one to have actually read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover. Cunningham explictly hasn't, the conversation about "latter days" made me wonder if the other mormons only kinda read it which-

leads onto my thinking that like Price's relationship with Mormonism is, in many ways, more academic/clinical. Like he's got that kind of obsession with religion that I personally associate with people who don't actually believe but either A. really want to or B. really want to disprove it. Price is firmly in A, but yeah like I feel like Price needs Mormonism to be real where he is in the plot (Orlando. If mormonism is real he can go back to Orlando. And it's worth it.) But he doesn't necessarily actually have that spark of genuine belief the other District 9 elders have ya get me? Like he knows it back to front he knows the logic, adn in the coffee scene talks about how a lot of it has always seemed nonsensical and incoherent to him. It's a set of rules and guidelines but idk if Price actually has like core real belief/faith.

When those extra rows of lights came down for Man Up near the end of act 1? Oh yeah you bet we were all in for a fantastic time then, you know good stuff is gonna happen

The lighting in Sal Tlay Ka Siti was beautiful, like I mean the actress's performance and voice were great too, but the lighting really sold the like kinda hopeful tragic nature of the song. She's so happy most of the time but that song, ugh, the tree branch gobos, the visible beams, the colour KSJDFJS:LKDF

Lol disco ball.

The set? It's so detailed? And they get it up so fast? LIke I know they drop blacks in "You and me (but Mostly me)" so it's more than the black out, but STILL?

Again, how do they get the waistcoats on so bloody fast in "Turn it off"??? (I do actually have theories about this but that's not the point, it's stilll so cool)

Maybe this is just the run i watched, but like the Mormons, other than being dressed the same are all roughly the same height (except Cunningham) so their numbers are so extra cool because they really do kinda blend and move as one unit and it's so cool to watch. Especially Hello and Two by Two where they all have black ties.

Did they just start a new cult at the end? Curious what most of the mormons are gonna do when they leave Uganda. Also curious if their parents got an angry phone call from the mission president and are just like.... why aren't they home yet???

BFN is an elder now? Okay... not gonna touch that and how that happened

Nabalungi's dad is fucking hilarious omg his delivery this guy

The only song I'd heard was "You and me (But mostly me)" but I had been told of the spooky mormon hell song. The latter slapped. Did not have Atilla the Hun playing flute on my bingo card that day.

^I loved the blacks coming in from all sides to trap Cunningham out of "You and Me (But mostly Me)" and leave Price as the star also like I knew the song but teh first "but mostly me" cracked me up

One of the incorrect names Cunningham called Nabalungi was "Nigel Farage" lol. Couldn't hear much of the dialogue after that.

About the incorrect name, Nabalungi has the patience of a saint for sure.

Oh during teh play i couldn't watch half of it because I was too busy watching the district 9 elders, but mostly Price reacting to it. It was hilarious. Price looked so fucking happy but like he was trying to hide it and was clapping Cunningham on the shoulder at one point.

As a musical, it's incredible, and it properly contextualises a few things people have said about it and how long it's been running. By "as a musical" I mean the general production of it n shit. The plot is pretty average, the songs have funny lyrics but a lot of the numbers probably won't hold up so well on sound track for me personally- but when you're watching it??? oh yeah. Oh yeahhh.

Oh, the pipes on the guy playing Cunningham, man. MAN.

You can never go to Orlando again.

[jetgirl1832]

20 Questions More

This is a deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. @nottawriter hit me with a tag, I have been attacked lol.

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship / fandom? A dash of shower thoughts, with a pinch of I watched a movie and couldn't help but think... Yes, that will work. They often feel like the come from nowhere.

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good? That's not fair how dare you ask me this!!!! Uhhh I'm mostly reading Supercorp stuff these days sooo... @jazzfordshire, @mycatismyeditor, @fazedlight, @innamorament0, @scribblingpunk, @fyonahmacnally to name a few. AAAAND my co-author and a vast array of things @tomatopudding! Why? Idk, I just get drawn a lot to these works and think they're lovely, and I love their depictions of these characters I love.... with @tomatopudding we just vibe very well, sharing the same five brain cells helps.

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write? If we're talking Supergirl... That's so hard, but I might have to say Brainy and Nia if really pressed... and Alex. I really enjoy Alex.

Otherwise, my other faves include all of the Les Amis from Les Miserables (if you know you know), specifically Courfeyrac and Marius and their hilarious dynamic. Other faves include Eliza Schuyler-Hamilton, Eponine Thenardier and... This could go on for a very long time, are you sure you have time?

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you’d never write about? Which ones? Not putting Kara and Lena together just makes me sad... So Supercorp ftw all the way, they are my top (I am a lot more amenable in other fandoms I've written for)

Tropes... I'm unlikely to do Omega-verse, I haven't done it and I can't see myself starting even if I sometimes read it.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

When I worked in retail I wrote on stupid little scraps and probably lost about 75% of them. Sometimes the method is hand writing, and then typing and making edits during that process as well. The handwritten can vary drastically from the typed draft lol.

I tend to fly by the seat of my pants unless someone is keeping me in line. I'm pretty darn chaotic.

I doubt myself a lot, so I always think whatever I write is garbage no matter how much proof there is that's not true. Also, sometimes I get burnt out, or my muse dies and then I feel terrible. Yay.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process? Falling down rabbit holes, looking into fun topics. Likely ending up on a government watch list for the stuff I've searched up over the years

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic? Uhhh.... hmm. I have no idea what the weirdest is lol. Cause it's on my mind, probably looking up what types of wood are easiest to chop, and why. (There is definitely weirder, but I don't remember right now).

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)? Commas. They hate me, and I hate them.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why? Oof. Uhhh... This is so hard! Honestly there is a lot of stuff in my co-written very long series Hamilton Family Album that was *a lot* between research and feels.

Especially when you're co-author hits you with unexpected feels out of nowhere that you weren't anticipating (YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID).

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely? Of course, they have. It happens all the time.

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why? Ohhh... Hands down Kara and Lena, I wish they could be my friends and we could hang out. Why? I think that they are absolutely incredible, wonderful and I could just sing their praises for ever.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing? Oooo, I'm a sucker for fluffy romances, and I've been dabbling in smut recently. Other themes for me can be like found family is a really popular one for me.

Since I've written both a lot of Les Mis and Hamilton stuff (among other similar things) I've done a lot of "Modern AU's" as well, which are uhhh varied to say the least. If I can treat anything they way the treat most Shakespeare pieces these days I do it.

13) What’s your most important resource as a writer? Asking for help! Soundboarding with other writers, I love doing it. It helps me make sense of my ideas... Or decide they're maybe too out there (almost never lol)

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work? Reading it out loud, I have a hard time noticing errors otherwise. Asking someone you trust to look it over as well, take your time and double and triple check if you're unsure about something.

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic? D. All of the Above

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it? I try to just write for myself, usually because I haven't seen something like it and think it should exist. I do really enjoy getting comments if only because I'm always curious to hear what readers think about my work.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character / ship? I don't, and if I did it would be odd... I'm the most massive theater nerd. I do have songs that I think fit the vibes, and some shows I listen to have more apt things than others. Or if it's Les Mis it's the whole dang album lol.

Supercorp things if anyone is curious (and wondering how odd it could get): Mercury Rising from Lizzie, Come Home With Me, Anyway the Wind Blows, Wait for Me and Wedding Song from Hadestown, In A Crowd of Thousands from Anastasia, Origin of Love from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Maybe I introduced you to something fun today.

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it? Oh dear... I don't know. The thing I'd love to see art for isn't up yet and I just think it would be fun but it will be called What Was I Made For... And we're gonna leave at that for now.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have? I'm finishing up You've Got New Followers (One chapter left!), I think three other WIP's (two more plotted than others) and my WIP for May-Hem... So five?

20) What’s your advice to new fanfic writers? Don't be afraid just because you've never done it before. That's why fanfic is amazing. You can do what you want and in reality no one can stop you, just make sure you're having fun.

My fics: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetGirl1832/works?page=1

Tagging but no pressure: @tomatopudding and @innamorament0

[spaceorphan18]

fic writer 20 questions - ask game

Thank you @bitbybitwrites for letting me self indulge more.

i still have issues with tagging, but -- @wowbright or @redheadgleek or @coffeegleek wanna try - go for it!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

Right now - 59. But there are some I think I'm going to take down, mostly the MCU related WIPs I started and have no intention of finishing.

2. whats your ao3 word count?

899,883

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Right now - only Glee. But I started with The Office, and have written MCU related things, too.

4. top 5 fics by kudos

1. 99 Perspectives on a Single Love Story 417 2. The Accident 336 3. Chasing Pavements 312 4. Faking It 303 5. How I Met My Soul Mate - A Drunken Kurt Story 275

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I do! But I get so behind. I'm finally caught up again, but I'll go months without responding (and I always feel bad). I feel like - if you've taken the time to write, I should take the time and thank you for acknowledging my work.

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

I don't really have any that have angsty endings - I'm not big on that. I do have bittersweet and sad endings, though -- such as Things We Say in the Shadows, Scenes from December, and The End of the Story

7. whats the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Ooh, I don't know - maybe Chasing Pavements?

8. do you get hate on fics?

Not really. I think I had one comment once that said they thought I needed more editing. (which, fair) and one that didn't like how I did vampires in Things We Say in the Shadows -- but since I know nothing about Vampire lore - I wasn't too worried about it.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Clearly, I do. But here's the thing about smut. I feel like - when you start writing, it can be like this scary thing, and then the more you do it, the more almost... routine it starts becoming? It's been an interesting journey...

10. do you write crossovers? whats the craziest one youve ever written?

Not really? Only when it's kind of done in a cracky way. I wrote Scam School as a joke, which is a Glee/MCU crossover. And Blurring Lines is a RPF crack fic about Kurt and Blaine's reaction to Darren and Mia getting engaged.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

God, I hope not. Please let me know if someone has!

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I had someone ask if they could translate my works into German! So they are!

13. have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I have! @ckerouac and I wrote a silly MCU fic about fake dating and @darriness and I wrote a cute one-shot together.

14. fave all time ship?

Hmmm, I don't know! I'm still having fun writing Klaine. I will always have a special place in my heart for Jim and Pam - and sometimes think about writing more of them. And there are lots out there that I enjoy - but I wouldn't necessarily write fic about.

15. wip you want to finish but doubt you will?

Idk about doubt completely, but I'd love to finish writing The CrossRhodes Saga -- it's a 40s noir mystery, and it's so fun.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Probably conversation -- also, the ability to weave in canon elements. Plus, I think I'm funny - I don't know if other people think I am though.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Details and descriptions. Also transitions. And probably mechanical things like where to use a comma. Plus, my inability to just proofread and clean it up before posting.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

Make sure you know what you're doing? Or have someone proofread it? Idk - I've never done it.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

I mean, if you want to get technical, it'd be The Mighty Ducks when I was ten... but the first thing anyone read was for The Office.

20. fave fic youve written?

It's really a toss up between With Every Broken Bone -- which, was really a fic written for me and how to reconcile between seasons 5 and 6. I still will go back and reread that one. The month of June still manages to be one of my favorite things I've ever written. And 99 Perspectives on a Single Love Story which may have been a long, tedious journey to write, but it ended up being just exactly what I wanted it to be. I also have hopes for my current project: Head Over Feet but we'll have to see how that works out when I finish it.

[all-will-be--well]

The Maybe Man

ok no one asked, but here is my AJR album review, song by song:

🌀 Maybe Man: I love this. I have a special place in my heart for all their album openers, they always give me chills. I can't wait to see them open with this live, especially when it goes so hard at the end! I've danced to this a lot already. Also learning that each verse references one song on the album! like a table of contents! I love them so much.

💔  Touchy Feely Fool: Very cute, and fun to sing along with. Probably like a solid 7 or 8 out of 10. Great to listen to, and has grown on me after listening to that Zach Sang interview and learning a little backstory

👍  Yes I'm A Mess: One of my faves from the album. I feel like such a badass walking around listening to this. Wish I could whistle!! The only thing i can't stand is the very end. I don't mind the tempo change but I don't like the slo mo voices that sound like a toy running out of batteries

🤓 The Dumb Song: More mid-tier for me. Got a great swing to it, and the instrumental breaks are really fun to dance to like a total idiot. I like to try out the lamest dance moves and just really commit to it. Lyric-wise, it's cute but reminds me of male weaponized incompetence (I know this isn't the intention, just what i think about), so it makes me feel a little weird if I think about it too much. Can't wait to hear a whole crowd scream "You should nooooot have done that!"

▶️ Inertia: Currently, this is my FAVORITE song on the album. It's fun, it's meaningful, it's got a great beat, and there are sounds that bring me back to past albums so it feels almost nostalgic. They used the instrumentals a lot in their promos for this album, and I can see why. It's both angelic with the choir sounds, and dark with the reverb/bass sounds. So good.

🧍‍♂️ Turning Out Pt iii : Always appreciate the Turning Out songs. Personally, the original is still my favorite. But even that one took me listening to it a dozen times before it really HIT, and then i was crying in the car. So maybe the same will happen with this one someday! Also if i'm not mistaken it's Ryan on vocals? So that's fun to have a change (though honestly he and Jack sound so similar)

🧠  Hole in the Bottom of My Brain: Gosh, so fun! Has that kind of nursery rhyme theme where it builds on itself (swallowed the spider to catch the fly, etc). However, unlike a nursery rhyme, the lyrics are kinda complicated to it's hard to sing along to. I'm sure people will be singing along by the time they're performing it live, like everyone memorizing the rambling line from Karma.

💿 The DJ is Crying for Help: I want to like this one more than I do. Don't get me wrong, I do like it! I think I just find it a little auditorily overwhelming. Like the string arpeggios are awesome, but I can't listen to that and the back up vocals and other sound effects at the same time. idk. To quote my favorite movie, Amadeus: "There are simply too many notes"

🙅🏻‍♂️ I Won't: This one has been out for a while so I feel like I've listened to it a lot already. Definitely makes me swagger walking around my apartment like I'm a total badass. Doesn't get my blood rushing like some of the others, but again that might just be because I've heard it a lot already.

🎡Steve's Going to London: Took me a few play-throughs to actually realize it wasn't just a nothing song! I appreciate them kinda breaking the 4th wall in a very AJR way. This song has grown on me with each listen! Very fun to sing and dance to, and has a great beat. My prediction is that this song will have a lot of special effects when they perform it live. We'll see...

💜 God is Really Real: RIP Gary ❤️ I love that their dad became a beloved part of the fandom. Very touching that they released this song early when it became clear they didn't have much longer with their dad. Beautiful, meaningful addition to the album.

🍂 2085: Perfectly packages up the album! The lyrics say that the old-timey voice says "You are not alone, young child, young child" which is NOT what it sounds like?? So hopefully that gets cleared up. I've seen some claiming it's a Yanny/Laurel situation, and tbh i wouldn't put it past the boys to find a way to do that on purpose. (I hear "You are my heart grown, just know, just know" which i know doesn't really make sense, but it's sweet to me) But the lyrics at the end "You've gotta get better, you're all that I got" give me chills. And then switching to "I gotta get better, I'm all that I got" 😭 . Also loves that it connects so perfectly back to Maybe Man so I can just listen to the album on repeat without interruption

 THE END

[browntrait]

(holds up a microphone) would you please share with us your 5 favorite albums of the year, and as a bonus, the one album you had really super duper high hopes for that flopped like a fish on land?

whewwww this is a great question!!! music is truly my tether to reality...this post is probably gonna be long so imma be nice n put it under the cut, soooo lets get into it

also tysm whoever sent this i love you so much!

K's faves and flops in Music of 2023:

Fountain Baby by Amaarae.

i was literally abt to post abt this album today bc its all i've been listenin to. every single song is so good in it's own ways. im also obsessed w Amaarae's voice like ughh!!! it's been on rotation nonstop, i love everything about it. i love her approach to music, its unique but relatable? absolutely obsessed i cant even say anything more.

2. Jaguar II by Victoria Monet

i mean obviously OMM eats but it's such a good album. easy to listen to, so well made, good ole RnB to the fullest. and so BLACK. she's an incredibly lyricist and vocalist, and i feel like she's a storyteller in her music. you can feel her journey in each song. my recent fave is Alright, bc it was produced by Kaytranda and i love everything he makes. it's gold. i wish Victoria all the success in the world!!

3. Renassiance by Beyonce

im only putting it 3rd bc it came out last year. i saw the tour twice this year and it was absolutely everything. the album means so much to me as a black queer femme person but also i've loved beyonce's music since i was 5 yrs old so, it's just nice to have another amazing album from an artist that has grown w me. it still eats every time. America Has A Problem was my most listened to song last year and it was in the high hundreds lmao.

4. Birds, Bees, The Clouds and The Trees by Harrison

its jazz, melodic and gives me so much nostalgia. there's a lot of soul, but it also feels light, sorta like the name of the album suggests. my fave song so far is Outta This World ft TOBi. it's different than the other music on this list but i fr be listenin to almost every genre! jazz music or anything inspired by it will always speak to me.

5. The Barbie Movie soundtrack

i mean what can i say....i like the variety of music on the album and i think theres a lil something for everyone! i was genuinely addicted to the nicki n ice spice song. i think it's also interesting that the composer for the movie decided to enlist in all the top artist to make music for the movie playing into themes around pop culture and mass production....or its just fun pop music, who knows! it's great either way, i wouldnt say its my fave favee but i've been going back to it recently.

and the flopp...now yall who have been here KNOW that i am a tinashe stan downnn and 333 is still one of my fave albums off all time but im not feelin the most recent one :// idk why i just havent been able to rlly get into it. i might get baked n do a listenin party n see if that helps, but something abt this album doesnt feel as curated as the last? idk. but i still love her n applaud her artistry and doing it by herself in an industry tht didnt support her for years

[autisticempathydaemon]

If you're still doing the matchups, I'd love to get one, thanks. This is such a cute and fun idea, and I've loved reading them. Thanks for doing this!

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why? Queencard by (G)I-dle. It's mostly in Korean, so I can't understand most of the lyrics, but it just makes me feel so happy.

What is your Enneagram type?

5

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends if it's something I'm vaguely interested in or not.

Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend.

I don't remember, and I asked my mum and she can't remember any details either

What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

Get waaaay too tired because I've stayed up too late 😭

Aside from that, my fave Redacted sleep aid

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

Daisy maybe, I like the sound of it.

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

Anything Adam. Something about him just scratches that weird little itch in my brain just right.

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

Sam maybe. I haven't listened to most of his audios, so haven't got really invested. Also the overhype for him in the fandom has kinda made me sick of him.

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

None really, I don't rewatch stuff a lot, and my memory isn't great, so that doesn't help lmao.

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

Guy, maybe. He's so fun and I love him so much, but I don't think I'd want to date him.

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

Nope, I just get really quiet when I'm sleepy.

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

A slurpee and a sweet pastry of some kind, probably.

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment. 

I've made one that I add all my musical hyperfixations to as they occur. It's sooo good (imo anyways).

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

I try not to feel guilty about anything that I really enjoy. I guess boyfriend asmr could count, since it's not something I'd discuss with anyone unless I knew they were also a fan.

And whatever else you think tells me about who you are!

Idk, I'm just a person at war with their brain (ADHD) and their body (gender dysphoria)

Thanks again! ❤❤❤

Type Fives seem to be characterized as independent, thoughtful people in their own heads and thoughts. That tracks with what I know of ADHD and your quiet temperament when you become tired, and because of this, I like Huxley with you.

I feel like people can take Fives, like Honey, and mistake their stoic or introverted nature for misanthropy or arrogance; Huxley would know better. He strikes me as a very chill, flexible ambivert, nature thriving in clamor or silence, you know? He’d be a supportive, steady presence by your side- your rock, if you will, which all neurodivergent people could use (I say from experience).

Being with Huxley would be just so perfect, as perfect as a relationship could realistically be. He’s so thoughtful, considerate, and empathetic; he’d be a great person to have around when suffering from dysphoria, always willing to listen and knowing what he can do to help. Since he’s also so chill and so nice and so genuinely interested, he’d love to hear you talk about boyfriend asmr or whatever you might be hyperfixated on. He’d be one of those people who sincerely listens to infodump and becomes an expert on those subjects just to engage with you and what you love.

Song:

Ooh, who said it's true/ That the growing only happens on your own?/ They don't know me and you/ I don't think you have to leave/ If to change is what you need/ You can change right next to me

I’m a sucker for Huxley and songs with growing/nature-centric word choices; what can I say? Huxley strikes me as a chill, acoustic, indie kind of guy who loves some solid, stellar vocals, so this Ben Platt song works well with that. I also love that this is a really realistically romantic song that has a sentiment I could see Huxley expressing, you know? It has this imagery of two people like vines or trees in a relationship, growing together, becoming intertwined, supporting each other over them.

Runner-ups:

Lasko is a runner-up because I’m a Lasko kinnie, I’m autistic so Lasko is autistic, and there’s no cuter ship than the ADHD/Autistic ship, you know? They work! Ollie is a runner up for more legitimate reasons in that he has a lot of the same supportive, sweet traits as Huxley- just not as much.

note: thank you so much for waiting and playing~!

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[thefrogdalorian]

Hi, Spud!! Firstly, I would like to thank you for your amazing stories, they really help me get through tough times and always brighten my day!! 🥰 I love the way you write, every time I read your stories featuring Din I can literally feel his comforting presence through words and through the way that you describe everything in small details that make up a beautiful and heartwarming story. I think you’re very talented and such an interesting person to get to know better!! I’d really love to 🥺

If you don’t mind, can you answer 4, 13, 11, 22 (What’s your favorite drink??), 27, 28 (What’s your favorite music genre? Perhaps you have a favorite artist?) (it was really hard to choose, I wanted to ask you every one of these questions and more!). How did you get into writing??

Thank you for answering them and absolutely no pressure at all, you can choose the most comfortable ones!!!

Hello friend! Wow, what a lovely message to receive, thanks so much for taking the time to write and send this to me. You made my entire day 🥺

I'm SO happy that you enjoy my writing and my version of Din brings you comfort aaah. That means the world to me and messages like yours are why I love writing so much. To know that something you create means something to another person means the world.

Anyway, gonna answer your questions underneath the cut since you sent quite a few! It means a lot to know that you'd like to get to know me better. I am just a Din Djarin loving loser with an internet connection and far too much time on my hands but it's really nice to hear that you'd like to get to know me better!

4. mythical creature you think/believe is real?

I've got to go with Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. I believe in my heart she is. I remember seeing a film when I was a kid about her being real and idk she seems friend-shaped even if she'd probably rip my head off without a second thought.

11. anything from your childhood you've held onto?

Trauma Nooo seriously: physically I think a lot of books and a fridge magnet collection I started back then. But intangibly: my love for Star Wars, playing musical instruments and a passion for writing and reading that have never truly left, even if they were dormant for a few years while I was at University.

13. first thing you're doing in the purge?

Too much of a coward to do anything really bad or violent, so I'd drive myself (well I don't have my license yet so that would already be one crime... but I think I could manage it hahah) to the nearest toy shop and clean it out of Lego. It's so expensive and there are so many nice sets I'll never own so that would solve that problem.

22. do you have an emotional support water bottle? (and my fave drink)

I do! It's actually a Mando one hahah it's this one I got from Primark and I love it. As for fave drink: it is 100% iced coffee. I don't drink alcohol anymore but tbh I haven't saved that much money since I gave up because of my slight iced coffee addiction.

27. what's your favorite or go-to outfit?

I definitely chose comfort over style. Usually just dress in jeans and a nerdy t-shirt with a comfortable sweater or hoodie on top. And always a pair of Dr. Martens! Comfiest shoes ever when you get past the blisters. I've never been one for fashion really but as long as colours don't clash, I don't care!

28. last meal on earth?

Ooh good question! So, so many foods I love but if I had to pick the last thing i could ever eat, I'd definitely go for a Korean barbecue. Such a good meal and the whole experience with a group of friends is the best.

What’s your favorite music genre? Perhaps you have a favorite artist?

Honestly the basic answer but I'll listen to pretty much anything. My top genres according to spotify wrapped last year were: pop, rock, modern rock, pov: indie (what) and soft rock so make of that what you will! My top artist was Taylor Swift last year and I love her but I have so many other artists I adore too! The other top 5 were blink-182, Lana Del Rey, Coldplay and The 1975 so that gives you some idea of what I'm into hehe. I'm so bad at describing my own music taste but it's sort of middle-aged dad core (also love Arcade Fire, The Stone Roses, Fleetwood Mac and Queen) plus Taylor Swift and Lana. AND 80s CHEESE LIKE ABBA!! Can't forget the cheese.

How did you get into writing??

I've always loved writing and done little bits here and there, but never had much confidence in myself until I did NaNoWriMo for the first time in 2020. I've completed it three times since then but it was really a combination of watching Mando s3 again and reading a book called Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell which I picked up for cheap in a charity shop last summer that made me think.... hey I could write fanfiction! And here we are! I love doing it. It's done so much good for my mental health and allowed me to chat to so many lovely people like you! I'm very grateful to have discovered writing when I did. Not sure where I'd be without it tbh!

Thanks again for all your questions, hope that helped you to get to know me a little better! If you feel like you want to, I'm more than happy for you to message me privately and chat too. But equally no pressure, thanks for your message and I hope we'll speak again!

Ask game

[alastairstom]

don't think i've heard from you yet a good old proper rant about the midnight heir, like aside from the character analysis from my ask ages ago. so go crazy please!!! you know my theories on it and i'm absolutely dying to hear anything you might have to say

OKAY SO THE MIDNIGHT HEIR.

As with most TSC old-timers, TMH was my first introduction to TLH. I will say that I'd seen the initial character portraits of the core TLH group already (sans Thomas, who isn't there). I felt immediately drawn to a couple of the portraits, namely Matthew and Cordelia.

I also was very excited because I dug the ~vibes~ of TLH based on those portraits and the things Cassie said about them. So I was PRIMED to love TLH and always had a preconceived notion that it was going to be my favourite series.

TMH did not disappoint. I was a little sad when neither Matthew nor Cordelia of the portraits showed up, but I loved James and Grace (and became a huge Grace defender for YEARS before ChoG. I hated her after ChoG and then she became my blorbo in ChoI. Grace and I have had a rocky road but she's probably tied for my 6th fave TSC character now).

In any case, I adored TMH James. Like, thought he was super cool. He gave off the vibe of Will if Will truly had have choices (without the curse) and made bad ones. Will if he was INSANELY self-destructive. And as someone who almost exclusively gravitates to either unhinged or traumatized characters, that James was a character that I found super compelling.

But I will say that it felt very much like an extension of TID to me, which made me a little sad because I wanted TLH to be its own thing.

Then comes NBS. Now, May 18th, 2015 was a Big Day for me. At 11 PM, NBS was delivered to my Kindle, and I devoured it on my deck outside.

I immediately understood several things upon reading NBS:

I was absolutely correct about TLH being the best series for me.

Matthew Fairchild was my kindred spirit and I had never felt so seen before as I did after reading NBS.

I dug the vibe of TLH, and that vibe, contrary to TMH, was extremely different from the vibe that TID gave off. It's dark academia vs light academia, and I think that as @thevagabondexpress said once, NBS is the point where Cassie decided that TLH couldn't be and shouldn't be a TID extension.

But I also saw a lot of differences in James. These differences felt natural to me - NBS James was a nice, quiet kid that was actually hyper-relatable, and to this day NBS James is by far my favourite James iteration. I assumed that something horrible had happened between NBS and TMH to "damn" him and change him horribly. I was interested in what it might be.

CLS James made me more curious, and then he felt utterly different in CHoG for no reason to me. James is a wibbly-wobbly character to me, but there are absolutely lovely iterations of him in the SS that I really wish we had gotten to know better.

Another thing about TMH that I find fascinating is Grace.

I really liked Magnus's scenes with Grace in it. Grace was kickass - she could fight in TMH (why couldn't she fight in TLH? Jury's out) and she was also very... self-autonomized, if that makes sense. She felt really traumatized and fucked up, but she almost seemed as though she... not liked her status as a blade, but embraced it. This is also confounding to me, but I think that it was something that naturally shifted as Cassie developed her in the coming years and changed the TLH vibe.

Idk how to end this but TMH is confounding. It's by far my least favourite piece of TLH content, even though I really like it. But like the initial portraits and descriptions, it also provides us with a glimpse into Cassie's process of creating and developing who are in my opinion by far the best set of characters she has ever made and probably will ever make.

[kae-karo]

fic writer tag game

saw someone on the for you tab do this (x) as a tag game but obvs i do not know them and did not get tagged and thus i thiefed it 😌

How many works do you have on AO3? 258!!!!

What is your AO3 word count? 3,097,981

What fandoms do you write for? currently 99% blue lock, although i have a wip in genshin and one in bnha that i would some day like to finish lmao

What are your top five fics by kudos? in order they are chosen (x), to love (and be loved in return) (x), little bird (x), feet don't touch the ground (x), and cold devotion (x) wow genshin rly repping out here lmaooo

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? yes basically always!!!! i really appreciate that someone took the time to tell me they liked my story and it feels like the least i can do to tell them that!

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? hmm it is rare indeed that i write fics with unhappy endings but i did it twice for bnha so it's probably a tie between freeing icarus (x) and to the stars that burn (x)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? this is a strange question for me to try to answer just cause like. idk i would say a solid 90% of my fics have overtly happy endings? if we're talking happiest compared to the initial vibe, i would say pink light (x) does a good job of starting off angstier and trending quickly toward a very happy ending, but that's just off the top of my head due to recency lmao

Do you get hate on fics? i have gotten hate on fics lmao i've had a handful of hate comments regarding kaeluc, one about how 'disgusting' a certain t/b dynamic was, one about a character's storyline, a few about my portrayal of a canon dynamic, and one complaining about the ship the fic was about and how it's so lame that anyone's still reading it

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? yes i absolutely do sldkjfkldsf all kinds really? pretty vanilla for the most part although i've dipped my toe into a kink or two here and there

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? nah not really my jam tbh? too much to keep in my head at one time lmaoooo

Have you ever had a fic stolen? not to my knowledge 😬

Have you ever had a fic translated? yes!!!! lots of lovely people have translated my fics

Have you ever cowritten a fic before? one time lmao with my wife back in the day, although we never really 'finished' it (it was sort of a one-shot ongoing thing so each bit was self-contained but we didn't write more than a few of them)

What's your all-time favourite ship? i refuse to pick one skdjflkdsjf not so much in a 'i could never choose!' kind of way but more bc like. my tastes have changed and will continue to change so anything i say is just gonna be my current opinion. which would be ryusae.

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will? ohhhhh this is a painful question lmaoooo what can i allow myself to let go of. i have a wip that's followed me across fandoms that i think i've accepted i won't ever finish. i am still deeply trying to keep my interest alive in my two other longfic wips to prevent their untimely demises lmao

What are your writing strengths? immersion!!! coincidentally it's also one of my fave compliments, that i was able to make something very immersive/that people couldn't put it down/etc. i think i do a good job of highlighting the pov character's thoughts, feelings, observations, etc in ways that help tie readers to the character and experience what they're experiencing

What are your writing weaknesses? banter/comedy !!!! this is really a comparative one imo cause i know i've done banter and comedy well but i've also seen it done better and i think it's an area i don't particularly excel in apart from once in a blue moon. which is fine by me!

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? i've done it on occasion! i think it can be fun and interesting especially when relevant to the story or for a good bit

First fandom you wrote for? dan and phil

Favourite fic you've ever written? me, staring forlornly at the 258 fics i've written like ummmmmmm. i am supposed to PICK? ldskfjklsdf is it cheating if i pick a fic i haven't published yet? cause i have one i started almost 2mo ago and i've literally reread it probably a solid dozen times minimum since i finished it (it's for an event otherwise i def would've posted it sooner lmao) but honestly i put my heart into so many of my fics in ways that are so meaningful at the time of my writing that it's hard to say that one fic holds the whole thing when they really all hold different pieces

technically this is a tag game so if u see it and wanna do it, please consider this me tagging u (and tag me so i can see ur answers!!!)

[snowdeong]

My opinion on what just happened (because I'm black and African and while antisemitism and anti-blackness aren't the same, they way that these issues show up in kpop are similar and I've wanted to rant about them for a while)

Also this is so messy but I'm one of those people that needs to write out my thoughts in longform to understand how I feel about something so if anyone actually reads this hwghwg sorry.

First things first, at the end of the day Chae's probs not an anti-semite. Ofc that's not for me to say like I said I'm black and ugandan, not Jewish, but simplifying the whole thing to just Chae as an individual won't solve the real problem at hand here. THAT BEING SAID wearing that shirt and posting a pic on her ig with a fuck tonne of followers from different places in the world is insensitive and anti-semetic plain and simple whether she's aware of that or not. She's not just posting this to certain fans who'd know all the context lmao. And again context or not, that symbol is harmful all the context in the world won't erase that. We as fans should be educating her not trying to hide that it happened wtf? The problem is bigger than just chae or the group or even the kpop industry yes but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't raise awareness about wtf happened and talk about it.

Idk why kpop stans boil serious issues down to "protecting their faves" or attacking an idol they dislike. This is serious and fucking hurtful in a real way wtf??? I really think our concern should be for all the Jewish folk and other affected groups randomly seeing someone they might stan wearing such a hateful symbol casually and then also having to see people defend her like??? Liking someone or something should also mean having the capability to criticise that person or thing. You can stan someone and call them out on bullshit.

Also something I think a lot of koop stans don't seem to understand is that all these companies don't actually give af about us beyond our money. So being a global group doesn't actually mean the company will do the work to teach their idols that being a global group means that there's some shit you should be aware of. And I say teach the idols not because I don't expect them to do individual work, but because we've seen how this cycle goes lmao. An idol says or wears something offensive, the fandom gets mad, they rush an apology and the loop continues. Companies that actually gave af about us would see this shit happening to other companies and go "okay here's shit you should and should not know" to their idols. But they don't and they won't ever probably and the sooner we learn that the sooner we'll stop being so "surprised" when this shit happens.

Now about Chae as an individual. I'm def dissapointed but again I'm also not surprised. And I don't mean that in a "oh obvs she's bigoted" way like Chae is such a loving person and I really admire and love her I wouldn't stan the group if I thought they were shitty people. If she said she said that she didn't know what that meant I'd really believe her because I know that if she did she's not the sort that'd be out here flaunting hate on her instagram of all things. I might be deluded from stanning and all but I genuinely believe that.

Pop culture is racist, pop culture is anti-semetic, pop culture is queerphobic, pop culture is bigoted. The way that a Ugandan would probably be confised if you asked them what that symbol is, I'm sure is the same way it is in SK because the western content that's transferred over is extremely whitewashed shit (that's the context I mentioned earlier). When I say whitewashed I don't mean just white people I mean that the majority of it is white approved tm, it fits within the white patriarchal cishetnormative framework that's been established and pepetuated for years and years and years. That's not to say we shouldn't do our individual research ofc like especially if you're going to be an idol ffs, we should always be mindful. But again, if all the stuff readily available to you is bigoted then you're not going to look at a shirt with a certain symbol on it and immediately get that wearing that is fucked up.

(We also need to take into account the fact that that symbol means something totally different within different Asian religions. Not an excuse for her, just a fact that a lot of people unfortunately don't know cause they don't know anything about Buddhism and the like. I personally only learnt this last year while reading Bleach)

I don't say any of this as a defense I just think that we as minorities need to understand that the world is designed in a way where our trauma is constantly downplayed and erased. And that fucking sucks but that's how oppression keeps perpetuating itself. As a black kpop stan I've had to see so much bullshit lmao so I know it's hard to accept that there's a possibility that none of this will change. I'm all for assuming the best of people but it's also important to keep this in mind about everyone.

I really hope Jewish and other affected folks heal from this and recieve a genuine apology for the love of fuck. I do believe that Chae's not a hateful person truly but I hope that this teaches her, the girls and all other artists that it doesn't stop at just not being hateful. We have to put in work to be mindful, that's the best way to be loving to the people around you. I also hope jyp as a company takes this as an initiative to actually teach their idols shit about world issues if they're gonna be promoted globaly (but tbh I'm not holding my breath on this lmao like companies ain't shit)

[starlight-shades]

tag gamerules: favorite: movie, hobby, animal, character, color, place, season, album, food

movie: I'm one of those people who doesn't have just one favorite anything. But I tend to rewatch Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron every now and then (it was def my fave for a bit when I was a kid). I used to make my dad watch it with me whenever he stayed home to watch me when I was sick.

hobby: Does drawing count when it's what I went to school for? If not, I'll go with reading. Love a good bit of escapism. I love storytelling more generally in all sorts of forms (i.e. movies, TV, games, etc), but reading was definitely what got me started. Recently I've been reading a lot of fanfiction. Last year I kept track of all the books I read and I ended up with the insane number of 534 books read.

animal: I'm a big fan of hyenas. This is another one where I don't have just one favorite, but hyenas are where I'm sitting right now. I think that they're really neat for a variety of reasons. They're matriarchal which is super cool, and they were used in medieval bestiaries as a sort of example of sexual deviance because they were believed to be hermaphroditic (they aren't, the females just have external vaginal canals that look like a penis- it makes giving birth as difficult as you think it does). I think they're a really cool example of how nature doesn't give a fuck about human ideas of how sexual dimorphism (and subsequently gender) should work. I tend to gravitate towards animals that media tends to use as shorthand for evil bc I think it's lazy and irresponsible (I also love sharks).

character: Ghost. I do too much projecting for it not to be him. I'm deep in my COD era (this is a COD blog after all). He's just this big beefy man who is deeply traumatized and has trouble trusting people and developing deep relationships. What's not to love?

color: It's maroon. It is maroon, it has been maroon, it will always be maroon. IDC that I surround myself with pastels. If it has to be one color and not a palette, it's maroon.

place: the aquarium <3. It's just so calming (when the children are not screaming, but we listen to the children scream because they're excited and it's good for them and we're an adult and can wait until they move on so we can watch the fish in the quiet). Every now and then I'll take a day in the middle of the week when school is in session to go to the aquarium or the zoo by myself. I like watching the animals, and I don't feel bad about sitting and drawing them for like 30+ minutes when there aren't any other people who's view I'm blocking.

season: spring. When it's easiest to spend time outside. It's not too hot, and if it's chilly I can throw on a sweater. I like sitting outside in the afternoon sun and reading poetry out loud. Makes me feel like a fairy.

album: star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves. That album came out around the time I had to put down my cat, and I would just listen to it on repeat and cry. It's got a very specific grief+nostalgia combo that really hits me. It's still one of my go-tos when I need a good cry. I have playlists for when I'm happy, but that album has a special place in my heart. 'if this was a movie..' and 'camera roll' are probably my favorite songs off of it.

food: this one is hardest I think. My family is Not Great at expressing feelings, so I ended up with food as a proxy for love and care. And both my parents draw from a pretty diverse set of culinary practices for various reasons, so I've inherited it. When I'm feeling homesick, I'll cook Italian. When I'm sad or missing my brothers, I'll cook Korean. When I miss my mom, I'll make Turkish. As I'm writing this, though, I'm thinking about dumplings.

TY to @soapsdish for the tag. Idk why the formatting did that.

I don't really have any other moots I know well enough to tag, but feel free to do this if you'd like!

[jerzwriter]

Bringing you some more headcanons! Honestly these are so fun! Kudos to whoever came up with this game!

I'd like to think Ethan would be a helicopter parent; but not in this overly bossy way, rather like super duper overprotective to the point where Kaycee would have to yank Emma away from him when they send her off to college.

Kaycee played some sport (?) in school, idk she gives me soccer girl vibes or maybe the FC does? Idk lmfao.

Tobias would've taken up odd jobs in high school and college. Like the oddest of jobs. I'd like to think he might have had a short-lived career as a magician, although that might be too crackheady.

Casey is a massive coffee mug collector.

Tobias is the "Don't tell Mom, but I've got a huge tub of icecream" parent towards his kids.

Ethan in Emma's parent-teacher conference would be at least, a little intimidating. I feel like he's the type of parent to get super defensive over his kid and would question why certain things are the way they are.

I might actually go to jail for this but.. mayybe Casey might've had a little crush on Jackie/Aurora? It is probably a one-time thing but has she ever had one?

Ethan collects different blends of coffee as a hobby and has a huge stack of it in his shelf and nearly scares Kaycee to the Moon when she sees like, fifty boxes of varying flavours just stacked up against and Ethan's like "Oh that's my coffee cabinet" and Kaycee s like "Your coffee WHAT?!"

OMG Mads these are amazing! Let's look at them:

Helicopter parent Ethan. OMFG YES! This fic (Candyland) is one of my faves - because it's a contrast of E/K and T/C parenting styles. As you can see, Ethan thinks his little girl is perfect, and when she's less than, Kaycee has to talk him off the ledge because he's convinced this means she's destined for a life of crime. 😂😂😂 I believe Kaycee could have been a helicopter parent, but when she saw how Ethan was, she was like, "Nah. Emma needs one sane parent." You hit the nail on the head with this one.

Kaycee & Sports: Kaycee enjoys sports, but she was more of a spectator. However, she was an excellent figure skater. She was scouted to go pro, but it was a far too expensive undertaking for her parents to commit to.

Tobias's Odd Jobs: If my Tobias wasn't a trust-fund baby, I could see this. But my Tobias was a trust-fund baby, so I don't see him working at all in high school and not much in college. In college, it would probably be jobs/internships related to his career only. (But if not, yep. I see it. Like a clown at kid parties lmao)

Casey Mug Collector: I can see this... in general, she doesn't like a lot of clutter, but I can see this. It probably drives Tobias a little nuts, because he doesn't like clutter either. Of course, he ends up buying her most of them, so he can't complain. lol

Tobias "Don't tell Mom": LMAO OMG I see it. Now, on major issues, they agreed to always, always present a united front, and they do. But on things like this, 100%. Casey: "Honey, I'm working late tonight. Can you handle dinner?" T: "Of course, baby." C: "And don't let our little demons convince you to order pizza!" Hours later T: "Come on, we have to get the pizza boxes out of here or your mom will kick my ass." (PS Sammy outs him the second Casey walks in the door. lol) I love this!

Ethan's Parent-Child Conference: YES! YES! A thousand times, YES!

Casey's Crushes: I can totally see this (you have a get-out-of-jail-free card lmao), but this is how I'd see it. Casey and Jackie hit it off really well when they meet, and Jackie has that spunky/sarcasm Casey loves. She has a crush on her, and she is considering telling her (a little leery because they're roommates/friends and doesn't want it to be awkward), but then Jackie goes into that brief asshole stage in Book 1, and that puts the whole crush on ice for Casey. As far as Aurora, I can see Kaycee being the one with the crush on Aurora. Kaycee and Aurora would actually be a great match. So I can see Kaycee nursing a little crush, but not one she'd act on, as she's already with Ethan in my HC.

Ethan's Coffee Collection: FOR SURE! And I think he has a Scotch collection too! lol

These were great! Thanks, Mads!