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letmetellyouaboutmyfeels · 1 year ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove and I felt like some public masochism so here we are!

Edit: Holy fuck this got long, putting it under a read-more.

How many works do you have on ao3?

258 although I orphaned 100 works back in 2020.

What's your total Ao3 word count?

Why. Why would you ask me this. Why would you do this to me.

4,578,245 - although I shudder to think how much it will have gone up by the end of the year.

What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly 9-1-1, but I took a nosedive into Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves last year and still have one more fic I'm writing for it. I tend to have quick little detours into other fandoms, which I think is overall a good thing since it helps me flex my writing muscles with different characters and settings. I'm currently working on a fic that is from a show where the main characters are all constantly sassing each other and bickering, and it's pushed me into being witty and sharp with the dialogue and humor in a way that I don't think I have been in quite some time.

Top 5 Fics by Kudos:

Even Steel Blades Need Fire - that's right, a WITCHER fic. HA. You all weren't expecting that!

Leading with the Left - yeah yeah we all knew this one was coming.

Drowning in Dreams (You're My Raft) - I'm constantly surprised this little oneshot I wrote post-tsunami is so popular.

Footprints are More Easily Seen in the Snow - my first Witcher fic I ever wrote and might still actually be my favorite.

Sometimes a Hammer, Sometimes a Lockpick - another Witcher fic! I had a lot of fun with this one.

Do you respond to comments?

I do! I try to respond to every comment I get. I know not everyone can but given the anxiety I know readers have around giving comments I try to show how much every comment is appreciated by me.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I do happy endings, overall, but every once in a while I decide to be evil, so it's a tie between the two fics that are about a character dying:

The Soft Goodbye - a Timeless fic that focuses on the idea that time travel, like being in space for a long time, wreaks havoc on your body.

Full Circle - a Doctor Who fic written years ago speculating about the Doctor gifting a dying Donna her memories back so they can say goodbye.

For those of you in the 9-1-1 fandom however, since I'm sure everyone's looking at those two fics going "wait what," the fic with the angstiest ending is:

I'm Not Breathing Unless I'm Giving You CPR - spoiler alert, but I end this fic on an angsty and purposefully ambiguous note. It's up to the reader to decide what sort of ending they get.

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

Uh. All of them, I'd say? With the exception of the two MCD fics above, I deliver happy endings. However based on reader feedback, I think I'll go with...

Your Love is an Oil Slick (It Glows Like Rainbows, It Stains My Soul) - the amount of angst in this fic, especially the Bobby and Buck relationship, seems to hit readers extra hard and so the happy ending, especially Buck's reunion with his father figure, is extra joyful and cathartic.

Do you get hate on fics?

I have once in a blue moon gotten "flames," as we used to say. Writing fanfic since I was thirteen, I don't think it's possible to fully avoid a few cranky people with nothing better to do than go around and shit on people's beds. But I've been extraordinarily lucky in the love and kindness I've gotten from my readers.

Do you write smut?

Baby, it's what I'm known for. Honestly sometimes to my chagrin - I hope people enjoy my worldbuilding, characterization, and plots as well - but overall I have a lot of fun writing smut and I love reducing people to slack-jawed water-chugging babbles.

Also someone had to bring the monsterfucking around here so by golly I'm reporting for duty.

Craziest crossover?

I don't do crossovers.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yup! Someone stole my Budde Porn Star AU and turned it into a Rooster/Hangman from TG:M fic. Someone kindly alerted me and I was able to report it to Ao3. Truly a surreal experience.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! Multiple times. It's deeply flattering and I really admire translators who put in the work to take something from one language and convey the same meanings, flow, and story in another. Translation is a genuine art form, if you ask me.

Have you co-written a fic before?

Yes! A few times, all with my beloved @extasiswings. We did one Timeless fic together whispers like poetry and we had such fun that when I started my first long, plot-ty Buddie fic I Hit the Accelerator (But the Car was in Reverse) and panicked, I roped her into finishing it with me.

We also co-wrote Carbon Date Me, Excavate Me because I was in a bad writing slump and she graciously made everything better, and then A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (But Love is Undefinable) because she uno reverse'd me.

All time favorite ship?

I've been shipping for so long it's incredibly hard to pick just one, but I think given the sheer depth of my insanity, I have to say Buddie. I haven't had a ship grip me like this in... ever, actually. Honestly after being burned hard on some previous ships in my time, names redacted to protect the guilty (me), I didn't think it was possible to love a ship this much, and yet here I am.

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I plan to finish all of my WIPs. Once I start a fic I'm committed to finishing it. I do however have a couple fic ideas that I don't think I'll ever actually write.

What are your writing strengths?

Um. Smut, apparently. I also seem to do well with fusions; that is, taking one trope or setting and fusing it with another in a sort of plot mash-up. And people seem to really like my world building.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm a hyper-sexual person who is very casual about sexual relationships and so sometimes I think as a result I have characters think with their cocks a bit too much and jump too quickly into sex, and sometimes there's more smut than plot. Run-on sentences, my beloved (and my editor's beloathed). I tend to write out-of-order and so sometimes little plot details can contradict, not be followed up on, or get lost in the shuffle.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I don't really write dialogue in another language in most of my fandoms, but in a few it's come up and I've approached it in different ways.

In Timeless, the character Garcia Flynn's first language is Croatian, so I would have him sometimes speak in it. In my dragon!Jaskier series, I was able to bastardize some of the Draconic from D&D (mixed with some Germanic root languages) for when he was cursing or communicating with his draconic family. In both cases, the other language was limited to only a line or two of dialogue, or perhaps a single word, so I wrote the dialogue in that language, and then had a translation guide at the bottom of the fic.

This tends to be my modus operandi, an exception being Xenk speaking Thayan, because I couldn't find any actual Thayan for the life of me, so I just describe how the phrase sounds or allude to him muttering something/swearing/etc. Since Ed, a former spy, also speaks Thayan, he can then inform the reader through his thought-process what the Thayan meant.

Occasionally, I will have two characters speaking in another language and simply italicize their words and have a line of description saying "they switch to French" or something similar, since I don't want readers to have to scroll up and down to understand an entire conversation.

In my original novels, however - the Horsemen quartet specifically - the characters communicate about fifty percent of the time through sign language. It's become the lingua franca, because noise alerts zombies and ASL is a silent language. In the books, I write the dialogue as I would English, and simply have the dialogue tag "she signed" instead of "she said."

As someone who speaks other languages but for whom English is their first, I'm not sure I get to really speak on how and when one should use other languages in one's predominantly-English fic in a predominantly-English-speaking fandom and online space. All I can say is that I listen to what others say in regards to what is most respectful and comfortable, and I don't have any personal preference in how a writer handles the use of secondary languages in their writing.

First fandom you wrote in?

I'm not sure which came first since they were right on top of each other, but Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Favorite fic you've written?

Well that's just mean. How dare you. I don't have one favorite fic, that's like asking me to choose a favorite child.

I will say I am particularly fond of In the Gray You are Golden. I banged it out in a day in some kind of fugue state and I do think it's one of my best works.

Someday when I am filthy rich I will commission someone to draw it as a comic, especially the reunion scene between Buck, Eddie, and Christopher.

Tagging, with no pressure:

@princessfbi @buckttommy @extasiswings @kitkatpancakestack @gracieryder (once again I typed your fucking old url like five times...)

aaaaaaand @givemeunicorns.

#lincoln writes stuff #tagging thing #about lincoln #princessfbi #buckttommy #extasiswings #kitkatpancakestack #gracieryder #mistmarauder #givemeunicorns

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drippingmoon · 4 years ago

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a 2021 year of writing

First of all, many thanks to @ecwrenn for hosting this lovely event 🥰 this will be my piece, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you and other writers too.

First bits are always the hardest to accomplish, whether it be tumblring or writing. This was no exception 🤣 but also as it happens, it always gets much easier later on.

This will mostly be me ranting, expressing some gratitude, sharing some facts and all in all babbling haha. I even put a checkpoint somewhere in here. Hope it's enjoyable enough to read 😊

It was my most productive year, writing-wise. Perhaps it is because I joined tumblr, but I was actually able to focus on my wip in the long months between summers, and my enthusiasms for it never waned (as might be obvious from my word vomits🤣, this included).

I write only during summer, for university-related reasons. Or at least that's what I call them. I'm pretty adept at finding polite excuses for not writing, but at the end of the day, that's a bad habit I can't shake off. So it was probably my fault that my last wip, The Snow Spirit, ended up discarded after it burned me out so bad I thought I'd never write again. I often ended up forgetting about my writing and what I wanted from it, and... it damaged everything, when I went back to it. Like if I can set it aside for almost a whole year and not sparsely look back on it, was I even a writer anymore?

Anyway, things changed. My relationship with 'quiv is much different than what it was with Spirit. It's much easier to write, considering that it's fully indulgent and the exciting plot beats come sooner rather than later when my enthusiasm has slipped.

So, it wasn't the case here. What with the tag games, getting in touch with you, seeing your enthusiasm for your projects and in turn reminding me of my own... I have a lot to thank you all for 🥰 for this year to have turned out this well, I'm very grateful for you all.

So last year, in the early months of autumn, before I joined the writeblr community, I was finishing the first draft of Aquiver, Aglow, which some of you might now as my main and only wip.

January/February

...I don't actually remember when I joined hahaha. Those two months look the same to me. And also, my life at the time hadn't been the happiest. Actually, until late May my memories are all jumbled, so I'm also using this event as a chance to straighten some stuff out. I might mix up things, I might've forgotten. I hope not.

I didn't know what I expected when I joined the community 🤣 I just knew I needed to get in touch with other writers to get my mind off stuff. I was very lucky at the time to have been received very warmly by some special people. I owe you a lot and if you're reading this, I hope you know who you are ❤ I've never been as grateful to discover a community as when I talked to you.

To be honest, tumblr wasn't my first attempt at doing so. I'd actually been active on Wattpad for some years before the adds thing came on, and it didn't go too well. It was also an attempt to see if I could survive on social media without it making me feel actively worse about writing in general. Needless to say, it went incredibly well 🥰

*For reference, some of my longest comments back then had been to ask if: 1. my mother tongue was English and 2. was I going to add romance because my plot was missing it. The answers were no and no, and though that's beside the point, I felt like getting this off my chest. It was incredibly disheartening back then to finally receive feedback and have it be of that nature, but whatever.

One thing I've observed, it's kind of a writerly rite of passage for everyone to start believing more in their writing and themselves, than random comments. It's a shaky foundation, but I'm also proud of myself for not being dependant on approval as I was back then. I honestly love writing, and will keep doing so even if maybe someday I'll get my wip roasted via anon or something 🤣

Chazzawrites challenge

Okay, I'm 90% positive this took place in February 🤣 but I wouldn't swear on it. I was also a lurker back then.

It was also when I first properly started interacting with you guys. For this reason alone, because I know how many things can be changed during events, I've planned on never missing out on one.

For those who can't remember or haven't participated, it was your typical 31-day-long challenge, whereby we had to answer to one writing-related question per day. Sometimes it wasn't easy to keep up, as some questions went into the rambling realm of introduce a wip or what's your favorite part of writing or how do you relate to writing action, description, dialogue, or something along those lines.

While it was very fun to answer all those questions, there wasn't much interaction, especially between people who weren't mutuals. That is, until towards the end of the event. When we had to tag a favorite writeblr, and explain why.

Then someone simply decided to write what many of us were thinking. That yeah, what was the point of one such question if one of writeblr's main problem was that people tended to keep to their closed off cliques, and even if it was an open event, no one really came to know another? I have to say, when it turned into general appreciation, outright skipping and actually having people pop up in the comments, it felt like something was changing, moving, and I was there to witness it.

It wasn't that grand, but you felt the spark, and it was incredible. Suddenly you felt you had common ground with those people, and it wasn't as hard to reach out anymore. There were only a few days left, but it those few days I made my first row of mutuals that I'll never forget ❤

And, somehow, it'd also proven to me yet again that, most people are waiting or maybe secretly hoping for the other to make the first move. Everyone likes being surprised, especially with heartfelt feedback. And it's not that terrifying to be the one to make the first step.

After all, how many times have I found myself smiling so hard my cheeks hurt because a writeblr I'd never interacted with before chose to send me a message, or a reblog.

(Which reminds me, if by the end of this or anytime during you wanna scream at me or ask something, this is me encouraging you to.)

I stopped lurking after that 🤣

Underwing challenge

This took place in April. I simply did tag games and asks till then haha, no point in bothering you with that. And I can honestly say I've been very lucky to be able to participate. Once more I met some incredible people, and saw again some very dear others I'd befriended in the previous challenge.

I was one of the adopters, so I asked people questions on a kinda daily basis. This was very helpful, I can say it's taught me quite a bit because at one point I was making up questions I would've never thought about otherwise. And seeing the angles from where others tackled the issues, getting to see them gush over their writing, world and characters... it was one of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had 🥺

My only regret is that I didn't also participate as an adoptee. Would've been thrilled to answer those questions too 🤣 but then again, I wouldn't have had as much time to ask, so it is what it is. Some incredibly kind people went rogue anyway and made my day by popping up in my askbox 🥰

Once again, if you happen to be reading this, I'm eternally grateful to you ❤

I don't think it will see a revival this year, but in case it does, I don't have to think twice about it to know I'll be on board.

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The summer months

(Doing one of them commercial breaks. You're halfway through! What to bribe you with... ah yes, there's a cat gif at the end 😊 cheering you on)

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This is where things get a bit long (as if they hadn't already been hahaha). So, what happened? Last summer, I managed to finish draft 2 of Aquiver, Aglow (lemme bask in that victory some more...

...there we go. Basking complete 🤣) I'd actually wanted to finish a draft 3 too, but, uh, things got a bit too long. Many changes to the story took place, but that was kinda to be expected, since I threw in every single idea I'd had over the years. At one point I was very exhausted because it only kept getting longer, and I stuck to my plan of writing one chapter a night no matter what.

*It was practically hell in some days when I kept churning out words and they were all the wrong words and I kept comparing it to my first draft and lookee, you've really managed to make it much worse.

(Now, months later and with a clear, rested head, it's not that tragic anymore 🤣 but yeah, talk about things falling short of expectations. Good thing I can't remember what they were anymore^^ 🤣)

But to see the end result, and how things added up, how some unexpectedly ended up being better than I'd imagined, it was very much worth it ❤ I love writing so much I don't have enough words to express it 🥺🥰🥰

As some sort of confession, I actually started writing 'quiv as a dedication to someone very dear. Also as a way of mentally preparing myself for some things to come. Naturally, it's much changed since its early days, but it'll never forget those roots. So when I'm joking that it's my no-plot-only-feels wip, I'm also talking about how, in it, I wanna safekeep some sentiments and ideas that are pretty precious to me. And as a tribute.

Oh, oh, and one unexpected development, was that I actually wrote the lullaby I'd planned on tackling separately. I cried while writing it, and it's got more plot in it than my entire wip 🤣 it's obviously in much need of rework since: 1. I've never written a lullaby or anything in song/poem format before lol 2. it was still out of its cradle before its time...

But it means a lot to me. And since I'm also writing this and I suddenly got the urge to share the idea behind it, even if it's somewhat of a spoiler. Sometimes I don't care about that haha

So it's called Statue On Your Brow. Not a very traditional or clear name for a lullaby, I know 🤣 but the idea behind it is this:

There's a statue in a graveyard, or anywhere. That statue rests on someone's grave, perhaps on cold earth, separating the departed, beloved one from the mourner by a few feet of dirt. And this statue, the mourner's brought to resemble the one who's currently resting in the afterlife.

But it's not meant to represent the one who's dead. Even if it has their shape, it's not them. It could never be. It's the one who keeps visiting the grave, it's the shape of all their aching feelings which want to see them again, which desperately want to fold themselves into the shape of them.

The statue is there, on their brow, to keep them company. For all the hours in which the mourner can't sit by the grave, can't hold them. Can't weep for them. In all those hours, the statue of the mourner shall keep them company, if they're beneath. If they're not, it's still an eternal reminder that they're missed, they're beloved.

Whew. This was... something to write. I had to take a break after writing this, and my fingers are still shaking a little. It means a lot to me, and I only hope to do it justice in one way or another, when I arrive to its final form. It's not the only lullaby in 'quiv, but it's by far my most beloved.

Oh yeah, lullabies. Why that chosen form of song 🤣 well, because they're all aimed at the dead, and come from mourners. And they all wish their loved ones to rest well.

To depart a little from this subject, I also have another dedication to make. To that one lovely person who sent me an entire playlist and basically boosted my whole progress towards the end, you've helped out so much back then ❤❤

*Also. For the record. So there was this song, with a great soundtrack, light but expressive, perfect for my scenes at the time. Yet I innocently pay attention to the lyrics for the first time, and realize how expressively christian they were and oh my gods my best friend was laughing so much it was making me laugh, I barely got the chapter finished that night. It's one of our favorite stories now. That my non-religious ass had been passionately replaying this song going 'it's all about you Jesus, it's all about you God'. While my face was:

*But yeah, I was asking for it since I somehow decided to write about angels and also touching the subject of (some form of) religion. Now I'm told I write Bible fic 🤣

After that, my writing progress petered out. This was to be expected haha, the summer ended. I think I managed to get 50k worth of notes (draft 2 was 200k), but again, I wouldn't swear on that and it's not important.

Except that I got so many ideas I wanna test out

Autumn

Mostly I got a bit too busy. Posted tag games now and then, but my newest format is of posting an excerpt every weekend. I'll be taking a break on this too after this week, since I'll get started on reading my draft, which I absolutely can't wait for 🥰

My plans looked a little different in the beginning. After finishing draft 2, I wanted to go back to Wattpad and post it on there whilst editing to speed the process up a little. But after the recent changes, yeah, no chance.

So I'm doing my thing again and I'll be fully rewriting it this summer once more, since I can. And I'm also waiting to see if maybe some new, better writing website pops into existence.

I really wanted to see how it'd fare on Wattpad and use it as a sort of beta reading, but I'll see what I'll do about that. Any kind of talk about publishing just puts a damper on my spirits, so I'm not in a hurry to sort things out.

I'm also very much hoping I can conclude the drafting process with draft 3, and I'll finally be getting to the editing stage and slowly making my way to the final version ❤ but that's still a distant dream.

And those are also my hopes for this year. That by the end, I'll be able to write that dedication that's been weighing on my mind ever since I began. That would make me happy.

Wrapping up

If you've made it this far, your patience is pretty incredible haha<3 but huh, this was actually incredibly cathartic to write. I was expecting it, but it's a very sweet feeling to see it bear fruit.

Now I'm going do address some stuff from Aye's list since I, uh, ended up kinda meandering as I tend to do.

Works in progress count: just one. Aquiver, Aglow, which I've been talking about endlessly hahaha, I love it that much. I don't think there's a point in my adding a summary here, since I have the intro pinned to my blog (which I've reworked by the way)

(Yeah, basically evil angels have wiped off most of humankind. One of them tries to figure out what to do with the remains of the world, while having her beliefs slowly changed by a human child, whose love catches her unawares)

Okay, I could probably add Icy Penumbra, my next series about one misguided touch wizard who made a deal with a dragon and they both wanna end the world.

Unluckily for the main character who's got to stop them, they're also the politest company he's been around in years. It also doesn't help that Ptarmigan's the one who blinded Asp and tries to keep that a secret, and he was also the previous Haw to Diahra, who also blinded him in one eye.

That's because, to make a contract with Diahra, one must promise him a lie they'll strive to make reality. And Ptarmigan was the first to fulfill his lie. It's brought him nothing but guilt and grief.

For reference, Asp's current lie is to free Diahra. As he's currently the last dragon alive, forever chasing the sun to stave off the curse that killed his kind. A curse of frost spreading over their wings, encasing them in ice and having them plummet to the earth and shatter.

*If that didn't convince you, how do trenchbards sound, cartographers of the rifts and trenches at the end of the world, because it's very much flat, and many other quirky worldbuilding stuff I'm very excited about?

I, uh, have it pretty much planned out, for once. Well, generally. Which is more than I can say for all of my other wips, 'quiv included, which still doesn't have an outline. Yay me 🤣

NaNo: haven't participated, not my thing. Tried it once, it kicked my ass lol. But I love cheering you guys on<3

Reading and book recs: to my eternal shame, since I got started on 'quiv, I haven't read that much, or, should I say, at all. But my eternally favorite series is The Tawny Man trilogy by Robin Hobb. It meant a lot to me, and the writing style is so deep and rich with the characters' thoughts, I've never meet better developed characters since her books.

I remember the summers when I would read 100 books:') my best years are far behind me, y'all 🥺 plus these days I can't even be bothered to search for books because that takes time and investment and I'd rather think about 'quiv.

But enough with my moaning.

Okay, this actually marks the end of this long... *squints* shopping list salad with everything. Hope you've enjoyed the cat at the top as much as I have:)

I don't have to think much about what I want from now on. To keep interacting with all you beautiful people and discover your incredible thoughts, and slowly finish Aquiver, Aglow.

What more could I want ❤

So see you all next year, too! May you achieve all your writing dreams, and may we all keep enjoying this community we have here ❤

#ayearofwriting #writing thoughts #my original writing #honestly i didn't know what other tags to add #can't believe i managed to write this in one night #if there be typos... eh i've tried my best but what can you expect when you're writing it all on tumblr

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nightmaretyrantvantas · 6 years ago

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Ok so guys i finally got part of it done(like three or four days later buuuut

I drew two sets of the families for my anxceit au!

Please meet virgil's family the Ravenwoods!

And as curtesy some info about them

Daneil Ravenwood

Hes been raising Virgil and Andy on his own since virge was about 8 and a half and andy was 6 months old

Hes a english and literature professor at the local college(that logan's parents also work at)

Hes in his late 50s early 60s current time( where virgil is 21 and andy is 13)

Hes also a published and well established fiction writer, but he writes under an alias

Hes a super supportive dad and teacher, even if he doesnt understand it he'll 100% support the decisions his kids make (ex: "oh your wiccan now? Cool virgy! Im glad you found a religion that makes you happy, though...can you explain it to me again?" "Oh andy you want to be switched to the art program? No problem! I'll call your counsellors tomorrow ok?" "Oh boyfriend huh? Thats great buddy, when do i get to meet him??")

Hes got a deep hearty laugh that makes you smile

Dad jokes to virgils mortification

Hes a skeptic but loves listening to and talking to virgil about his beliefs

had the philosophy of "the punishment should fit the crime, but you should be allowed to stumble and learn with it" raising the boys and wasnt too strict with them. Also never threatened punishments, only threatened playful embarrassment

The boys got their sass from somewhere, but he does remind them to mind their manners and watch their timing

Gentle giant as he is 6'3

Black hair peppered with grey and white and usually forgets tonshave his stubble

Passionate about his jobs, can get lost in his work

Andy Ravenwood

Virgil's baby brother, and he fucking adores his brother( even sometimes babbles about him to his friends at school and proudly talks about his "youtuber big brother"

This does not stop him from poking fun at virgil of course

Art boi!! Hes the top of his art classes!!

He is the one art kid that always has like three sketchbooks on him at all times

Loves the color purple

Look ok he knows he KNOWS his hair looks like his brothers it wasnt supposed to ok the original plan baCKFIRED AND HE COULDNT TURN BACK

Unlike virgil he doesnt cover his freckles

He has the same color eyes as their dad(grey-blue)

Andy loves animals! Especially raccoons!! Those are his favorite.( he happily took on the responsiblility of taking care of virgils cat when he moved out)

Hes a pretty cheerful kid if hes comfortable around you, but shy if he doesnt know you

Hes got an anxiety disorder but hes still living his best life

Virgil Ravenwood

Our main Cryptid goth( he dialed it down for the family photo)

Hes twenty one and lives on his own in an apartment complex close to downtown, which is a good 15 to 20 minutes from his childhood home so he visits regularly( like three times every other week)

Boi loves his family to bits, and has so SOOOO many good stories he’ll happily talk about

Has both his own paranormal youtube channel and a joint youtube channel with his boyfriend Ethen where they explore and investigate haunted places(both well known and stumbled across)

He has the same eye color as their mother, blue violet, which stands out a little more than his dad’s or brother’s

He covers his freckles with foundation because hes insecure about them

Did a year of junior college before deciding school wasnt exactly for him anymore, but still goes to events for his best friend Logan

Works at a cafe downtown that stays open pretty late( they do dinner its almost a diner but not) part time, and the other half does youtube for a living

Has a cat that had to stay in his childhood home named Sally that Andy takes care of for him

Has been considering getting another cat for his apartment

Big firm believer in the unknown and the paranormal/supernatural

Hes wiccan and has an alter in his bedroom thats apart of his facecam background

He has a tarot deck but doesnt really do readings other than little ones for himself, as divination isnt his strong suit

Has a big crystal collection hes been adding to since high school

He can sing but doesnt have alot of confidence in his voice so he just doesnt

And also introducing~

The picani-sanders family! Aka ethen's big ol family

From left to right

Patton Picani

Ethen's older brother(by two years)

Him and ethen are emile's foster kids, but he adopted him when they were like nine and seven.

Patton is 23 and happily works at the library downtown as a librarian and a reader to the kids

He loves music and musicals and all things disney (partially thanks to his boyfriend roman)

He and Ethen come off as complete opposites and they have a very playful relationship, always teasing each other

He loves his family alot and loves babysitting his little brother Thomas whenever his schedule allows it, especially during times of year Emile and Remy get swamped with work

He loves to knit and sew and make things!!! He makes sweaters and jackets and dresses and customizes clothes!! He could make a living on it if he really wanted!! (but he just does it for friends and loved ones instead- Andy has a hoodie that Patton sew wool on the inside to keep him warm and Andy adores it)

Hes really outgoing and friendly and seems to make friends wherever he goes!

He’s known Roman since they were kids and was crushing on him all through school until they got together senior year

He loves to bake and cook and help his dad make dinner whenever hes at home

Hes a sappy romantic and loves cliches

He has a huge collection of stuffed animals that hes been slowly transferring to his and roman’s apartment since he moved out(theres ALOT)

Emile Picani

The dad!! Hes in his mid 50s

He works as a singular and couples therapist and can have a bit of a wacky schedule

Hes been raising Patton and Ethen since they were little and loves his kids so damn much

So goddamn supportive of what they do, sometimes to the point its embarrassing(for Ethen)

Hes engaged to Remy Sanders and once their married their just going to combine their last names

He loves cartoons and gardening! And has his own collection of stuffed animals and toys(which hes been sharing with Thomas)

He loves making dad jokes and him and Patton make them all the time at Ethen

Hes a damn great cook and has been teaching his boys to cook for years now, and loves making big meals

Not really a strict parent, more of a sit down and talk it out kinda parent

Is part of the PTA of Thomas’s school

Actually used to be a punk in school

Thomas Sanders-Picani

The youngest! Hes 8 years old!

Our boy loves to read and write! He writes tons and tons of stories!

Hes got a huge imagination and likes to daydream

Hes bubbly even though he isnt the most social he still has a good group of friends!

Our lil boi is an actor of course! He loves getting parts in the school plays and in class assignments.

Hes in his schools choir and gets vocal lessons from Roman’s mama

His room is filled with toys and books and notebooks and pencils, and even though he tries his best to keep it clean it gets messy every week.(cleaning it is his weekly chore)

He has two best friends named Joan and Talyn that hes been friends with now since kindergarden and theyve been nearly inseperable ever since, its not uncommon for one of both of them to be at each others house on any given weekend

Hes Remy’s kid but has started calling himself by Emile’s last name too since they moved in with the Picani’s

Doesnt have too many memories of his mother but the ones he does have are all happy and pleasant(thankfully)

Calls Emile baba and Remy dada to distinguish them better

Loves his older brothers especially when they play with him, He also loves watching the old videos of Ethen’s theater performances and sometimes pesters him to reenact scenes from them( his favorite is the middle school production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’)

Ethen Picani

Our other main boy, hes also twenty one

He lives with his best and childhood friend Remus Prince in two bedroom apartment across town near the college

Does youtube full time for a living

the “black sheep” of the family as he and Remus call him

He majored in theater in his two years of college

Loves reptiles but doesnt have any because their apartment complex doesnt allow pets and he doesnt want to get him and remus kicked out since their apartment is close to Remus’s work

Has a car he loving refers to as his “hand me down junk heap” Because he got Patton’s first car when patton got a new one

He loves the old thing though

Has a good relationship with his parents. He loves his dad Emile and he likes Remy well enough

Him and remy have a very casual, relaxed relationship.( Ex: “ Dad you need to stop letting sleepless bums into the house” “ He’ll stop doing that when he stops letting punk wannabes into his kitchen, now get over here kid.” )

Loves his boyfriend Virgil to death and likes to spoil him when he can(even though virgil tells him to save his money for rent)

Hes more of a open skeptic but he’ll happily debate things with Virgil, and enjoys making videos for their joint youtube channel and being proven otherwise

He also has his own solo youtube channel where he does abandon urban exploration( sometimes with Remus tagging along for the thrill)

Remus has been calling him by the nickname “Dee” since middle school when they played Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Remus called him Dee so often he made it stick as a nickname years and years later. He refuses to let it die and Ethen has just accepted his fate

Remy Sanders

Hes around Emile’s age( mid 50′s) and looks the tallest in the family at 6′3

He came into the family later, when the boys were about 20 and 18( when thomas was about 5 or so)

Hes pretty laid back but surprising good at being strict, so he balances out Emile’s parenting style

Hes a divorcee and got guardianship of Thomas, though hes on a friendly and civil relationship with thomas’s mother and takes him to visit her three times a month( theyre currently working out more visitations and possibly thomas staying with his mother a couple weeks every months but thats still in the works)

Hes an insomiac and (usually) works night shifts as a security guard for a security renting business so his working hours can be a little unpredicitble, but he almost always works at least two night shifts and graveyard shifts a week. Hes paid both a salary plus an additional commissions by employers so its well worth it

He spends as much time with his kid and the boys as he can regardless of his wonky sleep schedule

Hes a bit of a tough love kinda person, and hes snarky and mouthy and doesnt hesitate to speak his mind

Loves Emile soooo goddamn much he talks about him alot at work to his fellow security guards. Theyre the ones who helped him pick a ring when he proposed actually

Oh yeah the two are engaged did I mention that?

He fuels Emile’s plushie collecting, even if he knows he probably shouldnt( But oh well, it makes him smile and thats all he wants to see)

Looks punk now but he was the biggest straight laced prep in highschool that comparing him now to him in highschool gives you whiplash

Would fucking die for his family. No one messes with his fiance or his kids, he doesnt care if two of them are fully capable adults

And its done!! Two of the four main families is finished!

And watch out because im also coloring these digitally(its just taking awhile :/) but those will be getting posted soon...I hope...Im trying

But here you go Virgil’s and Ethen’s families in two cute family photos!

Let me just add im so fucking proud of The Picani-Sanders photo because it was a struggle to fit them all in the picture and get the heights right and the entire side of my arm was grey with pencil lead by the time I was done but it turned out great!

Up next is Roman and Remus’s family the Princes and Logan’s family the Daniels!!

Art references are credited to @the-pastel-peach @aimasup and @underdog-arts , especially @aimasup and @underdog-arts for getting 8 year old thomas to look like a kid because im not normally good at drawing little kids but after practicing with some of their art as my reference and inspiration he turned out really well!!

I hope you guys enjoy!!

Taglist

@phantommoonpeople

@sweetsweetemo

@leesacrakon

@amazable01

@starbucks-remy

@jemthebookworm

@max-is-tired

@seriously-a-dragon

@sar-kasstic

@soupspam

@aimasup

@sugarglider9603

@underdog-arts

@strawberryjellystuff

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