#if i can contribute i would love to!!!! either writing or art i can do both

[orionsangel86]

It's that time of year for anyone thinking about flexing their creative muscles and wanting to try their hand at a bit of art to throw themselves into Inktober!

This year thanks to this lovely fandoms enthusiam I thought it would be fun to run a Sandman themed inktober month and with help from the extremely talented @seiya-starsniper who has put together the above graphic, we have our prompt list for 2023!

Rules

Like all Inktober events the challenge is to post one piece of art each day throughout October to fit the prompt of that day.

All art mediums are welcome, from pencil sketches, to paints, to digital art etc.

If you fancy using the prompts as writing prompts instead that is also more than welcome.

Please ensure all posts are tagged #sandtober2023 to ensure that they are found.

If you would like to tag me too please do as I will reblog all contributions I come across.

If you can't commit to creating every single day thats absolutely fine! Pick the prompts and the days that you can do and go big for those!

This really is a no pressure, low commitment event if you want it to be, but of course if you want to challenge yourself to posting every day that is also highly encouraged! Do whatever you feel you can do!

There are no rules regarding characters or ships other than that they have to relate to either The Sandman comic or Netflix show.

Obviously standard fandom etiquette applies re no hate, discrimination, racism, homophobia, etc etc.

Also lets adhere to Tumblrs ban on anything too NSFW *sigh*. I'm personally fine with it but if you do wanna do something spicy maybe avoid drawing genitalia or anything that'll ping the filters.

Please do spread the prompts far and wide, cross-post to other social media, discord servers, anywhere you feel will generate interest so long as you tag #Sandtober2023

Most importantly HAVE FUN! I really can't wait to see what you all come up with!

[jaime-brienne-fic-exchange]

Your enthusiasm continues to surprise and delight us!

For the fourth year, y'all wanted to close out the year with some lovely gifts to fellow fans. It’s a low-key, inclusive exchange meant to celebrate our favourite knights! All fanworks are welcomed (and encouraged!)–art, fic, fanvids, any creative endevour!

Already convinced? Sign up here!

Need more information? Read on!

Important Dates

Signups: November 23rd - November 30th Assignments out: December 1st Posting Window: December 21st - January 1st Stocking Stuffer Prompts Released: December 21st

Rules

This is a low stress exchange, and the rules are simple:

1. You create one (1) fanwork, and receive one (1) fanwork. 2. If you can't complete your gift on time, please let us know as soon as you do! Life happens, but the sooner we know the easier it is to deal with. 3. For recipients: no specific, detailed scenario prompts, only a list of general likes/tropes/vibes and your squicks and triggers. For gifters, we encourage you to sleuth out any questions for your prompter yourself (anonymous tumblr asks are a great option!). If you cannot, reach out to us and we'll do our best to get back to you. 4. Have fun! This is a short period exchange, meant to round out the year with a little extra joy. You don't need to paint the Mona Lisa or write the next Westerosi novel, we promise.

FAQ

1. Who can participate? Anyone! Artists, writers, vidders, poets, interpretive dancers are all welcome! 2. What do I need to do? When you sign up, you’ll provide three general ideas of what you like--tropes, vibes, nothing too specific!--for your creator to work from. Once sign ups close, you’ll be assigned someone and you’ll need to create a fanwork for them based off the information they provided. It could be a short fic, a piece of art, a poem, a vid, an interpretive dance, whatever you like! There is no minimum requirements, but as a rough guideline, think of it as something that would brighten your day if you received it. 3. When do sign-ups open? Signups run from November 23rd to November 30th. It's a short signup period, so make sure you don't miss it! 4. What if I can't finish something in time? Please send us an email at jbficexchange@gmail.com to let me know and we'll do what we can to either let your recipient know you'll be a little late, or organise someone else to backfill. 5. Does my fanwork have to be festive themed? Definitely not. You'll just be publishing it, or posting it, or uploading it in between December 21st and January 1st. 6. Will my prompts be private? No, they will be released to everyone on the 21st to allow for the Stocking Stuffers. This will be open for anyone to contribute to, not just the people who participate in the main exchange. 7. When is the posting window again? Between December 21 and January 1.

Important Notes:

You must have an AO3 account to participate. If you do not have an AO3 account, you can either request one via the AO3 website or email us at jbficexchange@gmail.com

If you have any questions, please email us at jbficexchange@gmail.com. This will be a tight turnaround for signups–about a week–so get in quick if you’re interested!

Signups close end of day November 30th!

[sinigangsta-ao3]

Thursday Thoughts: On fandom and a sense of belonging

I love @ao3commentoftheday, in general. But I particularly love how succinctly and beautifully they summarize how, as we participate in fandom, we are ultimately (even if it's unconsciously) seeking out community.

Yesterday, I reblogged their transcription, where they reflect on why fic writers specifically — and creators and artists, generally — seek and savor engagement metrics (e.g. kudos, comments) when they share something online. As they summarized: it's because kudos and comments are the only tangible points within an online space that can be presumed as points of connection. As signals of community.

To quote them:

"For me. That's the piece that's missing. That's the piece that people crave, the thing they're looking for. It's not about the comments, it's not about the numbers, it's about connections and relationships. And that's the part that's missing."

Additionally, in response, @ishtarelisheba reblogged and added a big YES-AND — underscoring that, in addition to finding community, it is both reasonable and valid for writers/artists/creators who are sharing their work online to expect a positive feedback loop. Because who wouldn't want the confirmation that one's efforts and vision are not only seen but also appreciated by someone else in the world (especially because the artist made a point to put it out in the world in the first place?).

As they so beautifully summarized:

"Very few people actually want to work hard on a piece of art, a piece of writing, a sculpture, a dollhouse, a carving, a sweater for their dog, and just Gollum it and never show another person. For most creators, showing your creations to others is vital for that creative part of your soul to thrive. Of course you should love what you do and enjoy what you make! But don’t ignore the part of you that wants to hold it up two inches from someone else’s face and get love and enjoyment from them, too, just because some false platitude instilled a sense of shame for that pretty much universal need."

Both of those needs — connection and validation — can and do exist whenever anyone enters a space, either online or offline. And, in addition to saying we seek out community when we enter fandom, I would even take it a step further (hold on, Corporate Nina is entering the chat) and say that we are seeking out a sense of belonging.

I'll link some articles explaining this in a bit more depth below, but — as summarized within this organizational study in the Harvard Business Review — we experience a sense of belonging within a group when we experience the following (in parentheses, I've added some of the online "engagement" equivalents that we probably look for to find indicators of belonging):

We are seen for our unique contributions (hits, views).

We are connected to other group members (servers, blog communities, social media platforms).

We are supported in our work and in our artistic and creative development (comments, kudos, reshares, other individuals in the fandom talking up your work).

We are proud of the group's values and purpose (sustained enthusiasm/desire to participate and create in fandom).

I know that these tenets were crafted based on workplaces and formal organizations — but I don't think it's a far reach to apply them to fandom. Because, at its core, fandom is still an organized, social body comprised of individuals coming together based on a common goal and/or shared interest. It's like a school. Or a workplace. Or a social group, in that regard.

And, regardless of why and how someone finds themselves within fandom (or any organized space), it is not only valid for someone to want to receive indicators that they're welcome and that they belong — but it's also a biological and psychological human need to feel connected and validated within a social space (you can read about this phenomenon in the 2020 MIT study that cites that we receive neurological signals akin to physical hunger when we crave social connection).

On a more personal note:

Over the past few weeks, I've been wrestling with this sensation myself. Mostly because I initially intended to join this particular fandom in order to simply write — and I was surprised when I realized that no, I wanted more than that. That, as cited in the quotes above, I did truly want to make friends, connect with others, and find community. To connect with others to a degree that, in full transparency, I don't typically do, both online and offline.

I did think that I found a little pocket of community. And I enjoyed it a lot, felt like I thrived and like I might have found those people that "got" me...

And, sadly, that sense of belonging I thought that I experienced ended up a bit of a facade.

Now, I'm in a space where I'm trying to figure out where, how, and (sometimes) if I even belong in this space. There are a lot of things that I like to add, that I get a lot of joy out of — but I also receive a lot of indicators on a daily basis that maybe, just maybe, I'm not as welcome here as I originally thought...

Basically, it's interesting to be a participant in fandom in this day and age, when it is both so easily accessible to enter the space and so challenging to navigate and assess authentic connection.

I don't necessarily know what the answer is. I know I'm bringing some of my equitable organizational design principles into my thought processes here (and I know that some people think I'm overthinking this but whatever) — but I do think that there are both individual responsibilities that need to be upheld and systemic changes that need to be made in order to sustain a sense of belonging for all participants.

But, in the meantime, I'll just continue to assess meaning in this space for myself, continue to lift up others, and continue to suss out where and with whom I can find those bits of connection and validation. Because I would really, really, really like to think that I still belong here.

---

Final note: as promised, here are some articles about sense of belonging, in case you're interested.

"Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger" (Nature Neuroscience, 2020)

"Create a Sense of Belonging" (Psychology Today, 2014)

"Missing Your People: Why Belonging Is So Important And How To Create It" (Forbes, 2021)

"Sense of Belonging: A Vital Mental Health Concept" (School of Nursing and Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 1992)

"What Does It Take to Build a Culture of Belonging?" (Harvard Business Review, 2021)

[darkdoverpseeker]

🕊️ hello lovelies! i’m 22f, i go by she/they pronouns. i’m looking for other writers 18+ who are interested in a dark romance 1x1 rp over on discord. i would love to create a little world together and include multiple ships (possibly mumu style) however i am also fine with sticking to one couple or doubling if that is what you’d prefer! i’m most prominently looking for m/f ships at the moment and i tend to lean towards playing m characters (however i don’t mind playing f characters either).

in terms of writing style, i am 100% quality > quantity so i’m not looking for anything very specific in that realm. my writing style is third person, descriptive and can vary from shorter para and multi-para stuff to much longer things going way over discord character limits. i’m happy to adapt to what you’d most prefer. response time can vary depending on whether we’re doing shorter rapid fire stuff or longer things though i’m very communicative and respond to ooc things rather fast. on that note, i’m not ghost friendly. please just communicate with me if you’re not interested/not happy with a plot and i’ll give you the same courtesy!

i’m a big fan of sharing headcannons, playlists, pinterest boards, aesthetics, etc. with my partners and i would love if you are someone who loves to get involved and contribute when it comes to plotting and planning. please, please, please don’t be dry. if i send you paragraphs of ideas and you respond consistently with one word answers, i will lose interest. i also prefer the use of realistic fcs please no illustrations/art for this!

plot wise, i’m looking for dark, twisted, complex plot lines and morally grey characters so 🕊️ content. i’m not looking for anything super fluffy at the moment so feel free to bring your more unconventional muses who may enjoy darker verses. while i’m alright with darker themes, there are things i won’t include in my writing as i do have some triggers/limits and will respect yours so we can discuss that together! i would prefer to include smut/nsfw topics but ratio doesn’t matter to me. we can discuss the inclusion of kink together!

some themes that i’d love to branch off of may include: dark academia, obsession, university settings, rich kids/trust fund brats, small town royalty, the corruption of the rich and powerful, mafia/crime ties, manipulation, toxic love/toxic relationships, anything you might see in a dark romance (especially those popular on booktok). some tropes i like: height/size differences, (legal) age gaps, crime/mafia ties, arranged marriages, enemies to lovers, childhood friends, psychopath x his match, brother’s best friend, bully romance, forbidden love, rivals to lovers, opposites attract, and more. feel free to come with your own ideas as well and we can meet half way!

please give this post a like and i will come running into your inbox!

like if interested !

[neoaya]

Hot take!!! (Nuclear tbh)

People are way too shitty to the LW devs, especially Yumeno Rote.

This guy is responsible for every single piece of non-story card character art in the game, that includes units, costumes, alts, expressions, Music Video CGs, etc. Seeing as a new unit is released per week, along with 2/4 event costumes and 2/3 rebirth costumes at the end of the month, this guy is at MINIMUM drawing 8 fully detailed illustrations and backgrounds per month, for three and a half years straight.

The only other gacha to my knowledge that has one artist doing all the character art like this is Limbus Company, which even then has a significantly longer period between new art being added to the game. (I'm aware there are likely a lot more, but most to my knowledge have multiple artists)

So when I see a post criticising Lost Word, what do you think is being criticised 90% of the time?

Is it:

The fact it's a gacha game

Genuine criticism of the game itself and its mechanics or story

Hell, even criticism of the questionable work practice of having one guy do all the game's art

If you guessed 4, "near insignificant nitpick of Rote's art, AUs shown, or a VA (in a game where you can pick from 3 for every character) because it doesn't fit within their headcanon in a game about multiple different universes" you'd be correct!

Don't get me wrong, I have seen the first two plenty of times, but they're always either fair critiques or people who just don't want anything to do with gacha games and don't care which is understandable.

But for 4? The sheer amount of hatred and seething vitriol people express for details most people wouldn't think twice about is insane to me. It never seems to come from a sincere place of disappointment but rather fear to fit in, like "Oh this relates to me, I better lay in to it as much as possible since everyone else shits on it, wouldn't want to give people the impression I'm weird for liking it after all". It just seems depressing to me that people feel the need to act miserable out of peer pressure and not wanting to stray from the popular opinion.

As someone's who played the game since launch at this point I feel more than qualified to tell you it's FAR from perfect, hell I wouldn't even call it all that good. Gameplay fluctuates from playing the game for you to forcing you to have a full understanding of the meta, grinding is a chore, drop rates are far too low, the nature of the game forcing normally evil aligned characters to act more reasonably, and I unironically think the lack of representation and downright bad writing for Aya until now is singlehandedly responsible for making her drop by one place 3 years in a row in the THVote popularity poll.

So why do I still play it after all this time? Because I genuinely just want to see what they do next. I like seeing what new takes on characters they come up with, I like seeing where the story goes, what the next event will be and I love Rote's art and all the other art contributed by the JP community, I even think the Hifuu and RoM section of the story is genuinely good. It's nice to have a constant and reliable stream of Touhou media to read through in-between the wait for actual new games.

Somehow I don't feel that guy in the middle would want to come on livestreams 3 and a half years after launch if he didn't find it fun, same goes for all the artists and doujin circles that have contributed their art and music, especially those with more than one card or song.

If you want anyone to blame, blame GoodSmile for publishing this game and making this the complete extent they're willing to promote it and Touhou as a whole. (Last new character from them was a Reisen nendo from six years ago btw!)

In conclusion, I think LW has objectively done more good for the series than harm. You can not understate the fact that this game is responsible for introducing Touhou to so many new people and giving the spotlight to characters that are otherwise overlooked. Inaccurate character portrayals are rarely an issue when the series embraces differentiating itself from the source material, that's the nature of doujin culture. That and it seems silly to try and gatekeep people who got into the series through Lost Word, telling them they're experincing it wrong only serves to turn them away and I don't blame newcomers when official touhou media is still hard to come across in the west and the three most popular games in the series still don't have a digital release.

As a tangent, I used to have a problem with how Aya was depicted in a lot of fan media, even from people here, but a friend taught me I shouldn't let those alternate interpretations ruin my enjoyment of her and that I shouldn't fault them for seeing her that way. I feel others should be able to learn from that.

(I definitely forgot some stuff but this is ranty enough as is, I just wanted to get it out of my system)

[elysiansparadise]

Hello!! I really appreciate your in depth posts about each and every place and aspect! thank you so much I also absolutely adore your whole blog aesthetic ✨✨. I was wondering if you could please write about Jupiter in the second house. I would appreciate it so much.

Thank you so much for you blog posts, they are works of art and I hope you have a wonderful day ✨✨✨

Hello love, thank you so much for your words, I’m glad to know you enjoy my posts. And sure, I can talk about this placement. 🌹

Jupiter in the 2nd house

One of the fastest deductions that we can reach is that natives with this placement have that facility to attract money, even if they are not millionaires, they do not lack money and they always have enough (especially if Jupiter is benefited by sign or aspects). But in general, this placement assures us a lot of luck in the economic field. These people may have a good understanding of business and may be prone to spending a lot or attaching too much importance to the idea of ​​financial stability. They can earn a lot of money throughout their lives, some of them can earn money through travel, writing, philosophy, public relations, working in the law field or teaching. This placement is common for people that travel a lot due to their work. Some of them may have important positions in any group to which they belong, from something as simple as their family or school, to something more complex and specific to this house, such as work. Many of them stand out for having a very ambitious spirit that drives them to work hard to achieve stronger economic stability.

Many of these natives give great importance to their beliefs, it is important for them to have a precise and well-defined idea of ​​what life is, how it works and above all to understand their personal contribution to it. The uncertainty or the idea of ​​not understanding what is happening around them makes them feel uncomfortable and makes them somewhat nervous. They tend to rely a lot on their intelligence and intellectual abilities, one of the worst feelings for these natives is feeling that they don't know enough, especially if Mercury or Mars are making hard aspects with Jupiter. There is something that happens with them and that is that they project themselves as very self-confident people, people who are somewhat rich too, regardless of whether this differs from their reality, people see them and their self-esteem as something unshakeable. Some of these natives give the impression of having invested either a lot of money or time in their studies, they stand out and assert themselves for the quality of their mind and for how cultured they are. Could be perceived as arrogant by some people (does not necessarily indicate that they are, it's enhanced if Jupiter rules 1st, 5th or 10th house or if it's making a hard aspect with the Sun.

This placement predicts that stability and fulfillment can come to the life of the native when they develop a healthy and strong self-esteem, in the same way, when they learn to appreciate what they have. Natives may have a future spouse who has a lot of money and stability in their life, or even after marriage they may feel more at peace with themselves and life. Contrary to what can be believed about this placement, they are not materialistic at all, and many of them prefer what has a deeper value than the figures in its price. Many of these people may be guided by the thought of "I treat you as I want to be treated." Justice, integrity and honesty are values ​​of the utmost importance for these natives. Their sense of right and wrong is well developed and they do not make exceptions for anyone, they seek to act with their heads and based on what they consider correct. Strong values can be spotted with this placement. They deeply value their independence and time alone, it is something that for them is very significant and almost sacred. Despite their kind and polite personality, they are very private people with some areas of their lives, it is not usual to see them talking a lot about things that happen to them.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[densi-mber]

Who is up for Densi-mber 7?!

Even though the show is over (😢), I think TV's best couple deserves at least one more big celebration! I can't believe this will be the SEVENTH one! Densi-mber December is almost here! 31 days of Densi, sounds like a great time to me!

If others are up for enjoying the event, and/or helping plan things and contributing to the event, I'm up for hosting it at least once more! (Not to say it won't continue past 2023, but at this point, I'm committing for this year!)

@ejzah has agreed to again write some of her awesome ficlets for the event, and I plan on gif-ing moments from throughout the entire series. Any suggestions will gladly be taken into consideration! Especially moments from more recent seasons!

That said, Densi-mber number 7 is just 2.5 months away! Please reach out if you'd like to help take part this year! As long as it's Densi-related (which this year will include their growing family), we want to see it! Gifs, stories, photo edits, art, whatever Densi things you want to share, we are up for it! (side note: Although the event takes place in December and we sometimes use that to have some holiday themes/prompts, that is not a requirement for the event! It's just in December for pun's sake (and also when their "all-in" anniversary is)

If you're not feeling as creative to make your own things, feel free to reach out with ideas you'd like to see from the rest of us! I'm also going to try to add in some fun questions and trivia that anyone can take part in!

As in years past, the event mostly takes place here on Tumblr, but we do have both an Instagram and a Twitter/X/whatever-it-is page too. They're both @densimber (no hyphen). I'd love to spread the Densi-mber love as far and as wide as possible! If anyone would like to volunteer to help with sharing the event on either of those accounts, I'd love the assistance! Feel free to send me a DM or an ask either here or @mashmaiden.

TL;DR: December 1st - 31st = Densimber number 7!! Please join us for the fun! =D

[chrysanthemumgames]

Hello! I've just been wondering if there's a way that you designed your characters visually, I feel like they're so vibrant and so different from they way they're typically depicted in Greek myths. Did you draw inspiration from anything, or did they sort of just come together along the way of writing? I do love how they 'look' (despite this being a text game hehe) and thank you for such a fun IF! Looking forward to the release tomorrow :)

Well, I don't know that I have any specific process I can point to, heh. It started with looking at deities associated with the Underworld in Greek myths and thinking about which ones had stories or motifs or other things that I thought would make for interesting inclusion in a game like this.

When it came to designing them visually, I tried to take inspiration from those same elements, but certainly not feel constrained by what we have of Classical art. Not that there's anything wrong with Classical art, of course, but this isn't really at its core a Classical story anymore. It has some elements and some themes, but not at all in the same way, and I felt it was probably fine if the characters reflected that.

I also wanted them to reflect the diversity of 'the Mediterranean region,' if you like. There's a very whitewashed way of looking at the ancient world in this region, and I wasn't particularly keen to play into the stereotype, so the majority of the main characters are people of colour. I don't necessarily have specific identities in mind for most of them, as they're also gods, and in this case, that detaches them a bit from those sorts of concepts. (A god isn't Etruscan or Cretean or Ethiopian or what have you—they're a god.) But it was still important to me that, detached from very human ideas of identity, the gods still be a diverse-looking lot, because why wouldn't they be?

As it turns out, that left me with loads of possibilities, and so it was a matter of making each character visually distinct from the others, in a way that made sense for who they are. Alekto is a Fury, someone whose job it is to hunt down people who try to evade the justice of the gods. So she's tall, and strong, and often dressed for combat. But she also has a particular relationship with her gender, which she's given a lot of consideration, and when she's not doing that, she likes to present herself in a very feminine way, so she keeps her hair long and has an entire wardrobe full of colorful, elaborate garments and accessories.

Pyri was always going to be shades of orange and red and gold and the like, because they're a fire deity. Hades in some important sense is his realm, and so he's taken on some of its features, just as it has taken on some of his. I admit I gave wings to Hermes because I just wanted to haha, so it's not always that deep, either.

Also, I can't take full credit for how well they turned out; all the artists who've been kind enough to bring them to life have contributed to that sense of distinctness as well. I'm sure that without those contributions, they wouldn't seem half as unique and distinct as they do!

[sweetiecutiedarling]

Quick reminder to be very clear, because I write fanfic and have been reading fanfic for nearly two decades: You cannot sell fanfiction. You cannot bind it and sell the bound book. You cannot sell your fanfic ebook. You cannot sell your fanfic audiobook. You cannot sell someone else's fanfic. (Seriously why does this have to be said.) You cannot profit from fanfiction.

Fanfiction is only legally protected because money is not exchanged.

This means that you cannot buy fanfiction either. Most commonly- Don't buy a bound book or an ebook (re: ebooks - AO3 has a download feature and there are third-party apps to download off of websites like FanFiction.net). "I didn't know any better." Fair enough- you do now. "But I want a bound book." Learn to bind it. "But I can't." Hashtag me neither, bad hands gang unite- find someone to ask to do it just like the fanfic author wrote the book for you for free. "That's not feasible to me because xyz." I don't know what to tell you. You can't always get what you want. It's rough like that. You're contributing to the problem when you purchase fanfiction. Don't do it.

It is more than this though, though those of us who were here when Anne Rice was attacking fanfic authors viciously (or even shortly after) know how important this is. The culture of fanfiction, which is so valuable and unique that it has been studied by universities, is built upon the premise of free fanfic works. They are a gift, a personal project, a love letter to the original work, or to what the author believes the original work could have been. (Shout out to the Twilight community for universally hating their author more than any other fandom I've seen, so proud of us.) That's why we don't offer unsolicited critiques, we scroll on. It's why collaboration is so common. It's why we can leave up our old fics, or indeed post them when we know we are at the beginning to learning to write, without the same level of concern that we have to have when we officially publish our writing. There is something so pure about posting and sharing art because we love to do it, why would we risk that?

* By mixing creative work and profits, things get messy and the original intent of the art is often distorted. Example: The difference between Korra and Asami's relationship in the Legend of Korra tv series vs the comics has been cited as due to what could or couldn't get approved in the network.

Writing is an art form like any other and fanfiction is a lovely little bubble that remains relatively unharmed by capitalism. The second we start profiting off of it we run the risk of losing our fanfic websites, facing personal legal consequences, and destroying the incredible community we're in.

Stop. Selling. Fanfiction.

[lonelyrosebindery]

What is Lonely Rose Bindery?

Hi!

If you're reading this, you're probably either interested in fanbinding, or a fic writer trying to ensure I'm not some rando on the internet trying to get your personal information or a scammer planning to illegally sell something. Feel free to message me if you have any concerns that aren't answered below!

I'm TS, but you can also call me Rose. I write fanfic on AO3 here and (previously) Fanfic.net here, blog about diabetes in fandom at @type1diabetesinfandom and @yourfavisdiabetic, and flail about misc fandom stuff on my main @too-short-for-my-own-good. I'm also on Discord @ tooshortformyowngood.

I've been in various fan spaces since the early 2010s, and I'll probably keep at until the day I die! I'm multifandom and multiship. Besides writing, I also draw fan art and make podfics, moodboards, playlists, meta, and headcanons. I've attended local and online cons and been to fan meetups.

And, at the end of 2022, I started fanbinding.

Why do I bind fanfiction?

It's March 29th as I write this, and I've read approximately 2 million words of fanfiction this year. I have over 1600 bookmarks on AO3.

I bind fics primarily to preserve them. I've seen many fics be deleted or locked before I downloaded them. (I'm sure we've all been there.) Keeping a copy on my shelf means I don't have to worry as much about losing a favorite story.

A physical copy makes rereading much easier! I get eye strain easily, and some websites just have horrible formatting.

I get to show a writer that I loved their story enough to HAND BIND it. I've met some amazing people this way!

Traditionally hand-binding fanfic pushes back against the notion that fic isn't "real writing."

What to expect on this blog:

Here, I share some of the fanbinding projects I've done, which includes fic, fan studies, meta, freely-available original fiction, public domain works, comics, and zines. Each book is lovingly crafted to honor its creator/s.

As a proud member of the Renegade Bookbinding Guild @renegadeguild, I'm part of a wonderful community dedicated to celebrating fic writers and preserving fandom's dying gift economy. It's an honor to contribute to this cause, and I love getting the chance to give people a bound copy of their writing/art--it's an amazing feeling to get to hold your own work in your hands!

To Authors & Artists:

To all the talented authors and artists whose works I've bound: consider this an open invitation to reach out to me for an author's copy! It's my small way of saying thank you for the joy (and angst lol) your projects have brought me.

I usually try to contact writers/artists directly, but sometimes it doesn't work. Don't be shy! I want to give you a gift!

I don't share any personal information (I would hope that's obvious, but this IS the internet...), and I encourage people to use a PO Box or a friend's address when being offered a fanbinding. Just make sure the friend or other proxy in question is ok with being sent fanfic!

If you don't want to risk receiving a physical copy, I can share the typeset with you instead! The typeset is the formatted PDF, to make the fic itself look like a traditionally published story. These can be plain or artistic, depending on the project and the style of the typesetter.

If there's artwork that's been made for the fic, please let me know! I look for that but it can be tricky, especially when things aren't linked together.

I do NOT share typesets to anyone outside the Renegade Bookbinding Guild, except the author/artist. Even in Renegade, I only share with established members via personal requests unless the author gives me blanket permission to share with the guild as a whole.

Lonely Rose Bindery operates on a NON-PROFIT basis.

Please note that while I pour my heart and soul into each project, I DO NOT accept commissions! I am a hobbyist driven by a deep, deeeeep love for fanfic. I bind purely for the joy of crafting, and the preservation of stories that mean the world to me.

If you are not the author or artist who worked on a specific fic, do NOT request a copy! You are welcome to ask questions and talk about the craft. My askbox is open, and reblogs are turned on.

Message me if you...

are an author/artist who wants to request multiple copies (i.e. for friends or family, or different editions)

kindly want to help with shipping costs (because international shipping is fucking expensive)

have specific colors or themes in mind for your fic

I will not take requests for specific materials, nor accept payment for any materials used.

Lonely Rose Bindery is not just about preserving fanfiction; it's about celebrating the creativity and community of fandom. With each project, I try to honor the stories and art that I love and to promote a gift economy against the rise of consumerism that has recently plagued multiple fandoms.

I look forward to sharing more fanbinds and continuing to improve my bookbinding skills. I never knew how many ways you can make a book until I started this!

Remember, my askbox is always open, so feel free to reach out with any questions, suggestions, or just to say hello. Happy reading!

[widowshill]

How do you think Dark Shadows would differ if made today? Would it still be the cult classic or is that kind of writing lost to us?

with the disclaimers that I don't think you can set out to make a cult classic, and also I only know as much about the entertainment industry as the next person, and also I don't really think the writing in Dark Shadows is that good, I do think it's an interesting question! I'll do my best.

To start: for me, the lion's share of the show's enduring appeal is in its earnestness, and part of that is the palpable shoestring budget. things like flubbed lines, camera man and mic shadows in the shot, and other genuine mistakes are part of what you watch the show for, they do not detract but add to the experience. this contributes a similar sense of watching live theatre (paired with most of the core cast being new york theatrically trained and bringing that acting style with them) because you know you're seeing something usually done in one take, where the mistakes bleed through, where who the actors are as people is alongside them on the stage. they flub, and recover, and this is part of the story: so too do the Collinses make vast mistakes, and go on. it is an imperfect world riddled with faults.

This is not something you're going to get in the current media landscape from one of the big networks like ABC; I find it almost impossible to imagine a daytime show being produced with the kind of natural errors Dark Shadows contains. To capture that same kind of poor theatre troup earnestness you would have better success as either a) actual serial theatre, b) a webseries / tiktok series / etc, c) a low-budget independent or college tv station, or d) a miniseries, possibly. If a major network took it on and purposefully put those mistakes in, it would not feel the same. I'm a bit bored of the constant insincerity/irony in a lot of 2020's media, and I think it would rapidly veer into that genre of work.

As far as being a daytime serial, specifically, I don't think the current media environment is exactly right: part of the reason they aired a gothic horror soap opera to begin with is it was part of the broader cultural conversation, next to television like Bewitched, The Addams Family, I Dream of Jeanie, The Munsters, The Twilight Zone, etc. American entertainment in the late 60's had a love affair with the occult (with witches, monsters, ghosts, the works) and this permeated broad aspects of arts and culture: The Haunted Mansion opened at Disneyland in 1969, Monster Mash was number 1 on the Billboard chart in 1962 (and #91 in '70, and #10 in '73). Pair that with prominent artists like John Zacherle's discography, Vincent Price's film credits, 70's gothic horror comedies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Phantom of the Paradise, and of course the wild popularity of gothic romance paperbacks in the 60's and 70's. This isn't everything, of course, but just to broad-strokes the landscape.

It's not that we don't have supernatural media today — horror is one of the highest performing movie genres, and there are shows like Ghosts and WWDITS, and Watcher Entertainment — but it's not quite the same explosion of culture (in my opinion). Making a gothic romance-horror-vampire serial would be more at home in the 2010's among the love affair with Twilight, True Blood, The Originals, the dominance of horror game Youtube, the height of Supernatural, Crimson Peak, What We Do In the Shadows 2014, etc. One imagines this is why the 2012 film adaption came out when it did; the cultural moment was conducive, overall. Most nighttime network television today (and I am generalizing) is dominated by legal, medical, and police drama; current soap-operas (especially General Hospital) reflect that, and there are only three soaps getting aired, period. Nothing is impossible: but a soap in the Dark Shadows vein (ha) getting green-lit today seems unlikely, vastly unlikely with the ebb in vampire fervor.

What I will say that works better in today's production moment for a potential series revival (revision?) is we're starting to see an embrace of practical set building / prop making / etc that was lost to us for a little while, especially among the horror genre. For example: Blumhouse's FNAF utilizing the Jim Henson creature shop, the beautiful set work on Haunted Mansion 2023, the use of practical effects in Beetlejuice 2. This is something that to me feels integral, for making Dark Shadows. You may disagree! But I don't think the heavy dependence on CGI did 2012 any favors. The magic inherent in the show (curses, ghosts, whatever you want to call it) is supported by movie magic and the invisible (or sometimes visible) artisanal hands crafting the world for us.

Moreover, with Bridgerton, especially (but also Emma, Little Women, The Gilded Age, The Great, etc) there's been a bit of a renaissance of lush period pieces. The current fascination with historical romances (and anachronism!) lends itself very well to a dive into 1795 or 1897. My best guess is that if we produced a revival right now, there'd be a very heavy focus on one of the alternate time periods (probably 1795), and they would lean on anachronism (and sex) very heavily, and the present year would be a very very minor presence, if they bothered with it at all – and maybe they wouldn't!

As for the writing, specifically? There's nothing that extraordinary about Dark Shadows' writing, to me, what is extraordinary is the characters and the actors' management of them (and Lela's direction) and what they are able to do with the script (aside from a few standout moments of memorable lines). There are brilliant television writers out there who could write a lovely gothic adaption. Some of our priorities in terms of storytelling are different: one thing you would have to acknowledge that the original show rarely dealt with and never performed well on is race. However a lot of the dominant concerns in the cultural landscape do reflect the issues at the forefront of the themes in the writing: especially women's bodily autonomy (Barnabas' hypnotism and forcing Josette's identity onto the nearest brunette/the inherent violation of biting and enthrallment, the way his victims are 90% of the time poor women, or sex workers, or the criminalized and otherwise vulnerable); women's economic position (Liz running the house and business, Victoria and Maggie's subject to endless horrors for a wage, Carolyn free to kick getting married down the road because she's economically secure) and the rigid dominance of the hetero-nuclear family structure as it is entwined with economics in America, and its subversions; and, especially, the way that the American houses (architectural, economic, genealogical) are built on the exploitation of those beneath them, often demanding the physical sacrifice of bodies and blood.

If I had my choice — and this is not what I think is probable, what is probable is a lean into the literal vampires and witches and sex associated in a modern-day setting — a current version of Dark Shadows would lean heavily into those themes, and take the reflection of the literal monsters (Barnabas, Angelique, Quentin, Laura, etc.) on the metaphorical monsters (Elizabeth, Roger, Burke, David, etc.) seriously. Preferably I'd want it set in the 1960's-70's again, because, like Collinsport, we seem to repeat the same sins over and over again, currently we are engaged with and reversing much of the progress that was made by social movements of that era, so in some senses we are returned to that time, culturally. Preferably I would emphasize the mystery? the permeation between the boundary of human and monstrosity? that dominated the early supernatural arcs with Laura and the beginning of Barnabas; and emphasize the terror, especially the terror of violence contained within the charming, and genteel, and refined, and beautiful. Above all I would not begin any first episode of anything with Barnabas, who should be first and foremost a reflection on the family so ready to accept him as like kind.

cult classic? I don't know. I think there's an appetite for earnestness; for long-form storytelling; for the quotidian — to learn about characters as they eat breakfast and bicker, as well as fight monsters. and theatre-trained enunciation that you can hear. I would hope, with sufficient intimacy training, the kissing and sex scenes would be a little better and not make me so very miserable.

[tbhimnoteasyonmyself]

DFF & the Contemporary Issue of Trends

Last time I came onto this tag I was grasping at the last droplet of hope I had for the ending to be good.

I decided to tell you all about the great seen of Tee's confrontation with Non's dead body.

Before that I tried to guess who White might be in the story and what was happening with Phee and how and why Tan was New.

And along the way I made polls and memes and I joined this fandom in appreciating what seemed to be another great story by BOC.

We've all dedicated so much time and care and love and talent and skill to contribute to this community, to make something great around something we were growing to love...

But now we're all left neck deep in the mud, as another series with great potential bites the dust in a terrible manner.

And I'm here as the ominous oracle of the death and peril yet to come, in good Greek Tragedy fashion, to tell you this was not the 1st time we've witnessed this and it shall not be the last. And all bc contemporary media have taken 1 thing to their heart and 1 thing only: engagement.

So let's take a step back.

What fuels people? What sticks with them?

How many times a day do you remember you love your loved ones in a week? Perhaps not many. But how many times do you remember the guy the big car crash you witnessed on your way home the week it happened? A lot, probably.

Why? Bc it's new, it's shocking and it probably fuels you with either fear or frustration.

The same can be said about contemporary trends. They're new, shocking and probably fuel a negative emotion in you. So they get talked about A LOT. All at once.

This is the reason why media is becoming what it is. It's realized all st once, tried to rush through plots and plots to be relevant all the while. Makes twists and twists and twists. And has something controversial to it. Bc this will make people talk. And talk will get more people to consume.

Until of course, the next more appalling thing happens and everyone moves on.

God, this is even true in the news. I mean... How many times do you hear about good projects? Or art? But hoe many times do you hear about murder?? No wonder we're growing desensitized to it. It's all we hear about all the time!!

DFF is just another case. Another series in a sea of them that tried to be shocking and play with expectations to keep people talking.

My question is, however: and now what? Now what?

Sure, we're all talking about it cause we're shocked and pissed. But adter the emotions settle and the curiosity to find out the fuck went wrong dies out, what happens?

Don't get me wrong, I love this fandom but the series itself? It'll mostly fade away. It's not something I want to create anything for anymore. I don't have care for it any longer bc why would I??? If no one bothered to mind writing something that even made sense, why should I care to love it??

And I feel like I'm not the only one!

This fandom will die. Like many other have. And what will the creators have achieved?

I never thought about The Untamed with too much fervor, for example. And most of us have not. But if I go into its tag here or on AO3, there's still stuff being made for it. And everyone once in a while, I'll think about it and I'll coke back to it and I'll cherish and nurture it for what it is. And the fandom's there. And sure rn I haven't interacted with that fandom in a bit. And I've been on DFF's tag nearly every day. But in a year, maybe even just a few months, I'll still be thinking and coming back to Xue Yang and Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing... I won't be coming back to this mess, though. And in the end, it might not matter to anyone, but it matters to artists, doesn't it?

We make things because we are humans and we wish to connect with others. We wanna live forever in the things we live behind. But a story can't be told if there's no one to tell it to. You can't live forever in a void where no one awaits you.

So, in the end, we have consumed DFF, they have their money. But it will die and be buried together with all the people who have buzzed me while I was crossing the street or didn't held a door for me or were annoying to me on the bus. While other series, nourished with more love, will be there with me and many others, accumulating all the times we thought about them through the years, alive and well.

[puredramione]

Why do you ship dramione? I don't get it.

I have debated answering this ask for quite some time. However, I am going to be optimistic and assume that you are inquiring why I ship dramione out of pure curiosity.

If not, then please ignore this post as life is really too short to be sat worrying about what someone else is doing with their time. I apologise this may be lengthy.

Now let’s start with how I got into dramione. My friends at school were constantly talking about fanfiction, at the time I was solely a book reader, iPads and tablets didn’t have the lovely new book smell I craved so I didn’t pay it much attention. I read some fanfiction in 2012, mostly as a dare, I had to read a Snape/Hedwig fanfic, that to this day has really “scarred” me. But to each their own. I admire the creativity of that person.

I started reading dramione in 2013, after much debate about what I should read, I had listed majority of the ship names in my head and “dramione” just sounded right. Like that way you feel when the sun hits you. I cannot be certain of what the first fic I read was now. But I know the first multi-chapter I loved was Isolation by bex-chan.

Now, the reason why I ship it, apart from the nice, insanely talented and just freaking amazing people this fandom has? I would say the end products. I can’t even imagine how these people do it but they do and it’s incredible.

I mean why dramione? Great question, but I don’t actually think I have an answer. Is it possible because I’m a hopeless romantic that would love the idea of someone changing their entire belief system to just be with me? Maybe. Do I like to read that someone can love someone despite knowing all the terrible things they’ve done but decide fuck it? However I think I just always love the stories of characters that just shouldn’t work but do, and do so incredibly.

I see a lot of the times people saying that it’s disgusting shipping dramione cause Draco bullied Hermione, that the idea sickens them. However I think we forget that Hermione isn’t a perfect saint either. Girl physically attacked him and in a way fucked with him psychologically in the books.

And not to get too personal. But I’ve been bullied, and not just name calling etc. At school I would eat lunch in toilets (I know how hygienic?). I went out with a boy who hurt me cause I didn’t know any better. But the difference is….this is fictional. It isn’t intended to hurt someone, if anything these works have brought me immense joy when I was at my lowest and maybe that’s the reason why I ship dramione.

(This is where I’m going to do some shout outs, please only spread love and appreciation, NO HATE!)

We have insanely amazing writers (in no particular order):

@ambpersand / @lovesbitca8 / @senlinyu / @indreamsink / @heyjude19-writing / @galfoy / @willhavetheirtrinkets / @mightbewriting / @colubrina / @cleotheo / @floorcoaster / @pacific-rimbaud / everythursday 💔 (I miss H&V everyday) / @rizzlewrites / @misdemeanor1331 / @ravenslightwrites / @magicaltraveler3

The incredible artists of this fandom:

@avendell / @jaxx-in-a-box / @nikitajobson / @enselius / @darrusha-art / @keerthi-draws / @ladykenz347 / @mia-moriarty-art / @abrilas-art / @efinna / @artfleureia / @ayaka-arts

And honestly any creator that contributes to this fandom, they have helped me during some bad times personally with their works and I’ll always appreciate that!

And honestly I can’t even begin to write how lucky I feel to be part of a fandom with these incredible people to look up to. So if you’re interested jump in and enjoy the ride, if you’re not then I hope you find your passion and it’s just as good. We all deserve to find those things in life that bring us joy.

[prpfs]

🕯️🕯️hello lovelies! i’m 22f, i go by she/they pronouns and i currently reside in the est time zone. i’m looking for other writers 18+ who are interested in dark romance 1x1 rps over on discord. i would love to create a little world together and include multiple ships (possibly mumu style) however i am also fine with sticking to one couple or doubling if that is what you’d prefer! i’m most prominently looking for m/f ships at the moment and i tend to lean towards playing m characters (however i don’t mind playing f characters either).

in terms of writing style, i am 100% quality > quantity so i’m not looking for anything very specific in that realm. my writing style is third person, descriptive and can vary from shorter para and multi-para stuff to much longer things going way over discord character limits. i’m happy to adapt to what you’d most prefer. response time can vary depending on whether we’re doing shorter rapid fire stuff or longer things though i’m very communicative and respond to ooc things rather fast.

i’m a big fan of sharing headcannons , playlists , pinterest boards , aesthetics , etc. with my partners and i would love if you are someone who loves to get involved and contribute when it comes to plotting and planning. please don’t be dry, if i send you paragraphs of ideas and you respond consistently with one word answers, i will lose interest. i also prefer the use of realistic fcs please no illustrations/art for this!

plot wise, i’m looking for dark, twisted, complex plot lines and morally grey characters. i’m not looking for anything super fluffy at the moment so feel free to bring your more unconventional muses who may enjoy darker verses. while i’m alright with darker themes, there are things i won’t include in my writing as i do have some triggers/limits and will respect yours so we can discuss that together!

some themes that i’d love to branch off of may include : dark academia, obsession, university settings, rich kids/trust fund brats, small town royalty, the corruption of the rich and powerful, mafia/crime ties, manipulation, toxic love/toxic relationships, anything you might see in a dark romance (especially those popular on booktok). some tropes i like: height/size differences, (legal) age gaps, crime/mafia ties, arranged marriages, enemies to lovers, childhood friends, brother’s best friend, bully romance, forbidden love, rivals to lovers, opposites attract, and more. feel free to come with your own ideas as well and we can meet half way!

please give this post a like and i will come running into your inbox!

Leave a like, and anon will get back to you!

[sleepingdeath-light]

yandere hcs ; black lemonade cookie

requested by ; anonymous (16/07/23), anonymous (21/07/23)

fandom(s) ; cookie run

fandom masterlist(s) ; hub | specific

character(s) ; black lemonade cookie

outline ; “yandere black lemonade, ik ur not writing for her until she comes out but i love her so”

&

“yandere black lemonade?”

warning(s) ; obsessive behaviour, yandere!black lemonade, stalking (online and in person), guilt tripping, worshipping

for black lemonade cookie you are more than just her partner: you’re the centre of her world, her muse, her obsession, her blessing, her bias — you’re everything and more, an angel born down on this earth just to make her life worth living and she treats you accordingly

she dedicates every song, every album, every performance and interview and post to you — always talking about her ‘awesome partner back home’ and making her fans and onlookers awe at how loving of a spouse she must be, how ‘goals’ and ‘otp’ your relationship is and how much they want a partner who is as ‘devoted’ and ‘so totally into them’ as she is to you

there are entire fan communities dedicated to the two of you: fanfic, fan art, fan edits and accounts dedicated to posting updates on you both (where you were last seen, any posts/mentions that have been made to you by black lemonade cookie, etc.) — it’s so expansive and large that it’s honestly hard to keep track of

but she manages somehow, always keeping on top of the latest trends and seeming to always have a tab open on her phone displaying some fan content of you (usually something less than sfw) because she’s just as obsessed as those fans — she’s just a bit better at hiding it

she keeps tabs on you wherever you go, and she’s been doing it since before she got the confidence to actually approach you — with her constantly refreshing your social media when she’s away on tour or, if she’s in the area, always miraculously showing up wherever you are and joining in on whatever you were doing (errands, shopping, leisure, etc.)

she’s quick to get jealous but she never takes it out on you — always going to extremes to embarrass and intimidate the hell out of whoever was getting too close for her liking (especially if it’s at one of her gigs when she’ll stop what she’s doing to point out the offending party and mock them in front of her crowd of fans, who, of course, will all join in)

she does feel like she doesn’t deserve you — well, really it’s the idea that you’re so good that nobody deserves you rather than just her — and that makes her that much more terrified of losing you, which in turn makes her default to using a lot of manipulation and guilt tripping to keep you locked down in your relationship (it also contributes to her stalking you)

like she’s forever messaging you to ask you if you love her and refuses to leave your home until you’ve kissed her — she thrives off of your affection and attention, really, and she’ll use whatever tactics she can in order to get what she wants from you

if you spend time with anyone else then she’ll start off by constantly texting and calling you because she misses you, then she’ll move on to stalking you through the cameras, and then she’ll feign some sort of injury or mishap during practise which would force you to come home and take care of her — she really doesn’t like sharing your attention with people

definitely tries her best to separate you from your loved ones to make you more reliant on her at first, but if that fails then she’ll integrate herself so perfectly with your family that you’ll feel too entangled and guilty to ever leave her — either way her goal of making you attached to her is achieved so she’s happy

she’d never take a life, she’s not that type of girl, but she’s not afraid to ruin a life — especially if she has shining glitter and rockstar cookie on her side (a little white lie never hurt, and they’d never doubt their new friend after all), which makes the process a whole lot smoother

but that’s only a last resort if someone keeps on taking your attention away from her and can’t get the hint that you’re taken — you’re hers — and they need to be properly dealt with as a result

with all that being said, for as obvious as they seem when written out black lemonade is excellent at keeping all of these things on the down low and playing them off as much more innocent than they are (it’s down to her chilled out demeanour, mostly) so you’re unlikely to notice anything different about her as a yandere compared to how she acts in a normal relationship — well, not until it’s far too late to leave anyway

[cat3ch1sm]

It’s been so long, how are you? I hope you are doing well! 💚 Crawled out from under my rock with another Agni request if you don’t mind 💀 Could I get Agni with a female SO who’s an artist and a author? This man is still not getting enough love and it’s literally a crime

🪐~ bro i absolutely agree. agni is STILL criminally underrated and it’s actually ridiculous. i am happy to give you your needed dose of agni since nobody else does 💪🏾💪🏾 also, hello! i am glad to see you in my inbox again- your first request of the new year! i hope you are doing well, too💚 @sunnydazzy

-ˋˏ ༻sfw, fem!reader༺ ˎˊ-

✧🎼 ೃ༄*ੈ✩ i think agni would absolutely love a gf who’s an artist or author. he’s a philanthropist, so i think he sees art and literature as a very important contribution to the community overall. agni isn’t materialistic at all, either, so i imagine he wouldn’t want someone that is- rather someone who can appreciate the little things and see the beauty and potential of things that seemingly lack both. obviously, being able to see that is very necessary for artists and authors.

*:･ﾟ｡ agni loves to read, so even if your work isn’t finished as an author, he will want to see. even if you’ve got only two words, he’ll want to see. agni is in your corner at all times- you could write something as shitty as black butler’s season two and he’d still treat it like it was the Bible. *ੈ✩‧₊˚

🏹🪐⛪️🫖🌲 it’s the same story with your art- draw a stickman and agni will act like you’ve painted the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. agni is very intelligent, but he doesn’t really draw, so he’s not that familiar with techniques and what is “good.” but he is happy to give you references to draw at any time- even if you don’t necessarily need or ask for them, he will suggest something for you to create.

-ˋˏ ༻🐇 we all know that with agni almost always comes soma- so fully expect soma to constantly be around, lurking over your shoulder, asking if you’re done yet and what you’re drawing even if the canvas is completely blank. he is also one of those “oh, you can draw? draw me!” people ☠️☠️༺ ˎˊ-

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ❦. whenever you have writer’s block, agni is always there to make sure you don’t quit. he’s always got lots of ideas for you, even if they don’t quite fit what you’re trying to go for.

꧁🗝꧂ agni is also adamant that you take breaks whenever you write- or draw, for that matter. anyone who’s a writer or an artist is familiar with the long periods of time you spend just sitting there staring at a blank sheet of paper or canvas, completely at a loss for what to put on it, which can be super frustrating. in order to keep this from getting to you or discouraging you, agni makes sure you get out of the house every once in a while by taking you on walks, letting you spend the day with him and soma, and doing volunteer work like handing out food to the needy.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩ೃ⁀➷ sort of adding on to that last thing- often, when you are painting or something, agni will suggest that you paint a landscape of some sort so you have an excuse to go outside. also, he enjoys taking you to various outdoor places and seeing new things himself.