#me making this niche little thing for like TWO other people involved in it

[fstbmp-a]

Do you ever get the realization that maybe you're putting too much effort into a drabble?

[emilykaldwen]

*pinches the bridge of my nose*

Okay kids, sit down. I think things in the fandom space needs a little clarification.

Fan Artists and Fan Fiction writers are frustrated and upset about how the reblog rate has plummeted over the years as the rest of the internet moved to a 'hit the heart to help the algorithm'. Tumblr doesn't work that way. Likes don't do anything for a post, it just locks it in your personal scrapbook.

You Do Not Have to Reblog things YOU do not want to

When people say 'reblog the post' they mean reblog instead of ONLY hitting the like button. Tumblr relies on reblogs to put things on your dash. If you're liking something, then it hits your interests, and you should be reblogging it.

HOWEVER YOU ARE NEVER OBLIGATED TO REBLOG ALL THE THINGS.

Most people, including myself, will reblog from friends because we're friends! I support your foray into a fandom space I have no understanding of, but odds are if you are into it, then some of my other mutuals may be into it so I'll reblog. But I'm not out here reblogging every post I see from people I don't know in fandom spaces I'm not familiar with. It's my blog. I curate what I'd like. Some people have a dozen sideblogs for every fandom niche interest. Some of us just have the one blog and you strap in for whatever fandom chaos we go on. If you tag me in something, I occasionally miss it because I get the notification on my phone but don't have the free moment to do it and forget. Or maybe I add it into my queue.

When you are creating something you need to be mindful of your audience.

I'm in my mid 30s. I do not play in the Disney space (I know Disney Descendents is popular? That came out waaaaay after my time I don't know what it is), I don't know what that girl with the ghost band thing is that was going around a few years ago. I have fellow adult friends who do not engage with fan creation that involves minors. Additionally, I've seen people create OCs for shows like Criminal Minds. Hey! more power to you, I've never watched the show, and I know there's fic out there (I had someone tell me about a what I think was a Harry Potter/Criminal Minds crossover??? wow), but it's not going to get the same kind of traction as say, a Teen Wolf fan work.

I'm not saying don't create for your niche interests! CREATE! BE FREE AND MERRY! but understand that those creations just won't get the same kind of traction because it's a niche interest.

We create for ourselves, we share to find other people who enjoy our hobbies.

Which brings me to my second point:

NO ONE IS KNOCKING ON YOUR BEDROOM DOOR TO MAKE FRIENDS

Making friends is hard! I totally get it. But a sure fire way to turn people off way fast is to start a conversation with me but make it abundantly clear you care about nothing that I say/offer and are just waiting for your turn to talk so you can tell me about YOUR things and expect ME to ask questions. Conversation is a two way street. It's a back and forth. It is not me sitting there like a parent patiently listening to my child tell me about the cool toy adventure they're doing. I'm not your parent. I'm not your captive audience. I'm another person, and if you want friends - MEANINGFUL friends - then you need to make an effort to engage with people.

And it's hard. It's hard because so many people out there are very navel-gazey, and people get so caught up in the excitement of their own creations that they forget to ask other people about theirs. And... you're gonna have to be okay with that. You're gonna have to be okay with it feeling like pulling teeth, and know that hey! you're never gonna be buddy buddies with everyone. You just keep being you, you just keep showing the kind of person you are, and eventually it'll happen.

It's taken me over a decade to form meaningful mature friendships online. I've had friends over the years, ofc, but it's only now, when I can approach something with clear expectations and not thinking everyone is off having fun without me in some little clique, that I've been able to connect with people more honestly. And taking a five year break from tumblr helped a lot with that. I bought a house, I got a new job, I did other meaningful things with my life that wasn't on the internet.

The internet isn't actually a popularity place. You do not have to be popular to exist. I have been on tumblr since the inception pretty much. I have 200 followers and I only interact with 10 of them, maybe 15. And I'll tell you that outta those 200, 90% of them are blogs that haven't updated in years. A follower count does not promise reblogs, does not promise friends. It's literally impossible to be best buddies with 2000 people, to have a meaningful connection with every. single. one.

anyway I'm tired. I'm too old for this shit. Go touch some grass, go get off tumblr and play a new video game, join a book club, read more books, do things that aren't perpetually refreshing your dash and thinking everyone is off having fun without you because I promise you it's not fucking true. You need to have a life offline. You need a hobby that doesn't involve the computer. Seriously. Go touch grass.

[mylittlemystery]

Why I Left

Hey there. It's been quite some time, hasn't it? I want to start this post by saying that I missed all of you, and that the continuous asks left in my inbox along with the wonderful friends I've made via this website is what encouraged me to finally come back - I never intended to leave for this long, but that's besides the point.

TL;DR: I left for two years due to my declining mental health reaching a point where I could no longer sit by and do nothing about it. The asks in my inbox will be being answered, and requests will be published whenever I finish them. I will undoubtedly be slow to respond due to other things I wish to accomplish simultaneously, but for all intents and purposes I have returned - I will be giving this blog a fresh coat of paint before I begin posting anything new.

If you'd like to hear about the nitty gritty details, please see below.

CW: talk of eating disorders, death, declining mental health, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.

Originally, I only intended to be gone for the month of June back in 2022 - I went to a partial hospitalization program (or PHP) for people with eating disorders, and I was told that it should only last from the first to the twenty-ninth. I happen to suffer from both binge eating disorder (BED) and anorexia, so the time I spent there proved to be very impactful and positive for me.

I met some great people. I learned some good coping strategies. I made some long lasting memories.

The day after I had been discharged, someone who I had recently come to look up to and derived a great deal of comfort from passed away - I expect some of you will have been affected by this as well.

Mere months later, I was informed of something extremely difficult involving my extended family with whom I was very close to during my childhood.

The majority of the past two years were spent retreating into myself - my mental health has not been very stable ever since I was rather young, but this was a sort of low point that I had not experienced in a long time. The notion of suicide came very easily to me, and I even resorted to self-harm at the beginning of this year in a poor attempt to cope.

I didn’t want that to be the way things ended.

I went to another PHP program (this one specifically focused on coping with depression), and I have felt better than I have in many moons ever since.

I am coming back to this blog in the hopes that I can continue to make people happy with what I write - after all, this niche little special interest got me through many a dark day myself.

Please keep fighting - I promise that it’s worth it.

You are worthy of love. <3

[starlightswordfight]

"jeremy if this is another hc post I'm going to kill you" bad news

castaway nonsense PART TWO

– schnauz is deathly afraid of water. it unsettles him deeply, largely because of past experience. do you SEE his treasure catalogue entry for the blue paint?? who "swims out" for the "last time" in a swimming pool???? someone fucking DIED

– on a slightly similar note, he laughs when he's nervous!

– he is Perpetually Nervous

– I think molly would REALLY like the evil skeleton wizard memes that have taken over my brain for the past several years. "not me being evil shadow skull" and no one knows what the fuck she's talking about

– molly writes fanfiction

– will let people borrow her camera if you ask nicely

– speaking of molly. her and patch and dash should be best friends forever. same home planet and they all do stupid shit. jin is also involved and they're the voice of reason

– dash has a lot of fidget toys. on him at all times

– wears those jackets where it's just an anime character wrapped around them all the way all bizarre like. he doesn't think it's a good design by any means it's just really funny

– frisé's favorite instrument is the didgeridoo

– also she's intersex. I can do whatever I want

– hitting frisé with the singing/humming/tapping on stuff as stims beam

– construction work is super fucking loud so I think corgwin just would not be bothered by sudden/incredible noise anymore. it just reads as background stuff to him! that or he like genuinely isn't picking up on some of it at all, it doesn't register. frequent tinnitus haver. he might be going deaf

– corgwin is tumblr famous. the pikmin universe tumblr equivalent anyway. inspired by the headcanon generator that told us in the pikmin server I'm in that charlie lit a school on fire and got away with it and that the rescue corps killed princess diana

– think about it. he'd share fun building facts. niche internet micro celebrity and everybody loves him

– lapi is also tumblr famous

– he likes frolicking around outside For Enrichment but he also does it in the rain and sometimes comes home sick

– guilty of making sketchbooks into renderbooks and taking several years to complete them. "but it has to be perfect" That Is The Devil Talking

– horatio is not immune to the fog

– he has a VERY specific skillset. like. like stupid specific. the guy is the most proficient xylophonist you've ever met but he can't cook. knows how aeronautics works but his phone call game is BAD. give him an old movie from decades back and he can tell you what it is and who acted in it and exactly where he was when he first saw it, easily. if you ask him for directions anywhere he'll crumble and die

– he wrote his ID badge like that. it was fully and completely on purpose. horatio thinks it's funny as hell

– françois really likes bugs! sees them all the time in his work even if his studies are flora centric. while on pnf-404 he probably talks about it a LOT with dalmo. botany/environmental science major who minored in entomology

– I just do not think he'd be afraid of them and that is beautiful. he allows nothing to dissuade him. he has pet spiders it is wonderful

– OKAY YOU KNOW THOSE THINGS YOU CAN GET AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AND IN OTHER PLACES WHERE IT'S LIKE ROCK SAMPLES FROM FOREIGN SPACE BODIES?? AM I INSANE??? in the little capsules and shit ????? yeah kit has those

– astrophysics lover. adores space science. worked at a planetarium before meeting osa. I don't remember if this contradicts the established lore and I am too tired to go back and check so if im wrong you can pelt me with stones and tomato

– osa lets him ramble on about it but in all honesty he does not know what the fuck kit is talking about half the time ever. ever

– vice versa! osa also has a huge nerd thing and it's world history. which makes sense for an archaeologist. I don't mean modern history either I mean ANCIENT

– fawks would unironically endorse the idea of a cybertruck but it never comes to fruition because everyone says it's stupid and he feels insulted and he gives up and sulks about it

– but he'd specialize. I know he would. he gets specific with it. good for him! my money is on prehistoric archaeology, stuff back before written text, and language, and any history that could be recorded with the power of words. which is why travelling to pnf-404 was so fucking important to him, he's been trying to construct something that would fill in the gaps of that lost starfolk history and this WAS the exact sort of thing that he was looking for

– technically they're doing geoarchaeology together. yes that's a subfield

– he is a tech bro and everybody thinks this is stupid and dumb also

– chewy

[outisgivingpac]

PAC: Your Impact on Other People🌱🦋💞

Today I'm excited to deliver a pick-a-card reading with the most popular theme in the last poll 🤗 Thank you all so much! In this PAC, we shall look into what lasting impression and influences you gave to people in your life.

If you find this reading helpful or entertaining in any way, you can support me through Ko-fi or simply by liking/reblogging this post. Check my pinned post for personal readings, and feel free to send me requests. ☀️✨

My Masterlist

💖Pick the pile/image you feel most drawn to💖

Pile 1. Pile 2. Pile 3.

In the first part, I would focus on your impact on strangers and acquaintances; people who don't know you so well. In the second part, it involves your friends, family and loved one; people who are in your close circle.

Pile 1

The impact you have on strangers and acquaintances: King of Wands, King of Cups

Group 1, to most people who come to know you in public, you gave them a lasting impression as a charming and charismatic individual. You come across as someone who know who you are and what you want ("someone who has their shit together"), without appearing arrogant and overbearing. The thing is, while asserting yourself and your needs, you always leave space for others to express themselves. If anything, the way you treat yourself with respect and boldly go after your goal inspire others to do the same. On a more specific note, I also see the images of you take over the unnamed role of an organizer when your group of people going out. Like you would ask for everybody's order in an restaurant and go tell the server/cashier what you guys want ("Sorry but he asked for no pickles" kind of thing haha). If you're a leader at a workplace, thanks to you, people feel like their work has meaning, personally and interpersonally. They would go out their way to make sure your common goals will be realized, so that you won't have to shoulder all the responsibility during difficult time. 🥺

The impact you have on friends and family: The Sun, The Chariot

With your loved one, you shine through with the same compassion and warmth, but even more brightly. Cliche as it might sound, you're their pride and joy; hanging out with you put a smile on their face. You inspire them to have a more positive outlook on life, and to seek for happiness in the little things. On the other hands, when they're in trouble, you could offer them your insight and bring clarity to their situation. You taught them how to keep up with a long term goal, as something not just requires resilience, but also the ability to adapt to changes. On the other hand, you could be that one friend in the group who has a driver license and/or a big car, that people feel like they could go anywhere with you behind the steering wheels. You could also be the one who knows a lot of niche but nice travel destinations/routes. I feel like your close relationships experienced a lot of their first with you. First time going out of the city, first time going scuba diving, first time trying certain food etc. And of course, you could also be someone's first kiss, or your parent's first child. It could be clumsy or awkward experience, but it has a "before and after" effect. People think fondly of the memories they share with you. Comparing to your public self, you allow yourself to be more stubborn and argumentative with your close circle. And they find it endearing as well. 😊

Pile 2

The impact you have on strangers and acquaintances: Two of Swords reversed, Ace of Swords reversed

Oh wow, before starting, I must say you have such a cool, fierce and sorta "untouchable" energy. You are someone with a sharp mind. You might not talk much or be the loudest, but the arguments you put through when it's called for always stun people, for how keen your observations and logics are. The impact you leave on the general public is: you make them think twice before speaking and develop critical thinking lmao. Because, if they do speak and spread hatred and misinformation, you won't hold back your voice to call them out and hand their ass back. On the other hand, you lend your voice and inspire the underdog. The onlooker who would want to speak up and defend themselves and their community, but couldn't find the courage and/or the mental energy to do so. The only downside to this is, people could find you too opinionated. Some would feel so intimidated by you that they would hold their tongue whenever you're in the room lol. Even when you view it as harmless and non-personal discussion, people could take your counter points personal and take a run from it. 😅

The impact you have on your friends and family: Death, The Emperor reversed

Among your close circle, you also bring in the similar elements to your relationships as described above. However, your impact runs deep; it won't be exaggerating to say you walked in people's life and changed their world. It could be the advices and influences you give them. But it could simply be how you chose to live your own life that, with or without your awareness, changed other people's way of thinking. Such changes always come with an ending. Due to your impact, some shredded their self-limiting belief, or their attachment to a certain place or people. You could have challenged some authority figures, letting them know they are not as "mightier then thou" or in control of other's and their own's life as they believed. On the other hand, you inspire some to reclaim their rights to take space and have more autonomy in their decisions. Either cases, you're a ground shaker. Many people feel deeply grateful for you and the experiences you gave them, some even long after you left their life. Surely, you could make some enemies along the way. But, "hatred is the most sincere form of flattery"; who can say one lives their life "right" without earning some nemesis? 🗡️

Pile 3

The impact you have on strangers and acquaintances: 10 of Cups, 5 of Cups

For people who picked this pile, your energy is quite complex that I hope you would sit with me as I go through every aspects one by one. On the most surface level, you're someone who wear your emotion on your sleeves. People can tell right away if you're happy or miserable at a time just by looking at you. Your mood will seep through the way you dress and hold yourself, and people can gain updates on your life easily through small talks. As it goes, you can just mind your own business, but you might attract a lot of jealousy. Some people would compare themselves to you and evaluate how they are doing in life, by looking at you. They could have false impression, which leads them to have false expectation and values with their own business. I won't be surprise if you have secret admirers as well. Some would look up to you and carefully follow your steps. They hope they would avoid all the traps and missteps, and ripping the same success by doing so. Since you seem to be someone who won't shy away from taking risks and trying out new things in life, people would turn to you and your opinions to see if certain directions is rewarding or a big thumb down. Lastly, you could be someone who make (acquaintances) friends quickly and have a wide circle of people. However, only a few can come forwards and form a relationship with you beyond the surface level. This naturally can cause certain sense of disappointment and regret. If you're extra active and big on social media, look out for parasocial relationship. Though I feel like many would have their fantasy shattered and shred their colored-glasses once they meet/see you out of the usual context. 😂

The impact you have on your friends and family: 8 of Swords reversed, 8 of Cups

For those who are in your closer circle, their relationship with you could be described as liberating. You are the go to friend when someone needs to get out of their mind! ("Up you go, ladies! No more crying, no more whining!" quoting Bacchus). You could be sitting there eating chips, listening to your friend's rant and then dropping a single question/comment and they would have an "Aha" moment. I can also see you dragging your friend out of their rut by inviting them on a trip or to an activity. Anyhow, you are quite spontaneous, people could drop what they were doing to follow you. One sentiment that you help them process is: how the way that it's always been done is not necessary the only way. People get attached to things because it's all they know, or because they have invested a lot of time, money and emotional commitment to it. You kind of knock it off for them, pointing out how those things no longer make them happy, and that it's okay to turn around and take a new path. Thanks to you, a lot of people become more fearless.💪

[compacflt]

This is niche (maybe) but please share more about ice and mav at Oshkosh!! Do they go yearly? Or just the one time? Are they part of any aviation enthusiast communities???

yes yes yes!!! going to air shows is 100% a date for both of them. i feel like: a couple things:

- they’ve both probably seen the blue angels so many times it’s not super exciting anymore, and until they retire & become private citizens it’s also too big of a Thing for them to go, so they try to go to civilian/private air shows if they can

- one exception is fleet week for obvious rzns. They both probably have to do shit for fleet week on the reg. Ice especially

- i do keep thinking it would be funny for mav to do like a two year tour with the BAs at some point but there wasn’t room for that in the narrative so it’s Schrödinger’s headcanon

- before they retire their schedules are super crazy packed & don’t always line up, even if they request certain dates (like each other’s birthdays, Xmas, thanksgiving, Oshkosh etc) off in advance, so Oshkosh specifically doesn’t become yearly until after they retire. But after they retire they do annually fly in to Oshkosh in their p-51. lots of picnic lunch breaks in Reno/Omaha/Boise etc

- theyve been to the big international air shows (farnborough, Paris, NOT dubai for security/gay people issues, etc) together a couple times when they can swing it. (Me looking for any excuse to send them back to europe on vacation) but before they retire it’s also probably a Thing. So Thing-ness (public & Navy engagement etc) has to be accounted for when they’re planning their trip. they do have a responsibility to rep the Navy as best as they can etc etc

- Thing-ness also has to be accounted for when joining aviation enthusiast groups… after they retire & get married hell yes!!! they probably have a ton of civilian aviation friends & are pretty involved. not before their marriage though. It takes a while for them to come out of the hidden little shell they’ve been living in for thirty years & make friends as a real couple. but they do eventually.

[us-laws-you-should-know]

About The Blog

The short version is:

This blog is to bring awareness to American laws that affect a significant portion of the US population, but that many Americans may not know the details of.

More details about what this blog is, what it isn't, and who's running it below the cut.

What this blog is:

It's about United States laws specifically. Sorry non-Americans. Hey, if this inspires you, I fully encourage you to set up a similar blog for your own nation or area! But fifty states plus federal law is plenty for me.

It's about things that affect a big chunk of the US population. Labor law will definitely come up time and time again, because for something that affects lots of Americans there's a lot of ignorance of the law, or outright misconceptions, floating around about how labor law works. But it won't just be labor law, either. It just can't be too niche of a topic; I want there to be a decent chance that, without specifically tailoring a post to any individuals out there, the audience will include a number of people affected by the laws being cited.

It's about the factual state of the laws in question, as of the time I make the post about them. I'll do what I can to cite sources, especially direct sources, where possible.

What this blog isn't:

This isn't political. We're not taking a stand on whether the law is right or wrong, just presenting what it currently is.

This isn't a news source. Updates might happen, if and when they feel needed. But there's always a chance outdated information will be posted, especially if you're looking at older posts.

This isn't necessarily how the system actually works. Sometimes, people and organizations break the law (citation needed). Sometimes it happens enough that breaking that particular law becomes commonplace in a whole industry or area. Sometimes those breaking the law set things up so that whistleblowers who point out their illegal activities won't do so well afterwards. Sometimes some or all of the individuals involved don't know that what's happening is against the law in the first place. (But as the old saying goes, ignorance of the law is no excuse... which is one reason I hope to reduce that ignorance through this very blog!) "Illegal" is not a synonym for "doesn't happen".

This isn't a business, or a government service, or a registered non-profit. I'm one person sharing some information in my free time, that's all. If you like what I'm doing... well, I did turn tipping on. Maybe I'll break out a Kofi too.

This isn't legal advice. I am not a lawyer, and I am definitely not your lawyer. If the laws presented here affect you, I strongly encourage you to do your own research, and/or contact an actual lawyer, before taking action. Heck, if this blog gets people poking around government websites to find out the details of the laws featured here, that's a win in my book.

About The Blogger:

I may not be a lawyer, but I do work in the legal system. Specifically, I'm employed as and trained to be a paralegal. My usual definition of what paralegals do is "everything lawyers do, except for the things that only lawyers can do", which is a little opaque, so allow me to expand upon it a bit:

Imagine a lawyer at work. Think of all the things that must be done for the practice of law. Going to court and going in front of the judge, sure. Giving clients legal advice, of course. Communicating with the other side, and with clients, and perhaps even with the court. Filing documents. Organizing documents. Researching whether the law's on your side or not. Meeting new clients and getting together the details about their case.

Now, the big two things there that only lawyers can do are representing someone in court and giving legal advice. But the rest of it--letters or phone calls to opposing counsel, or clients, or even the judge; filing documents with the court; organizing documents (so much organizing documents); new client intake; even legal research--can all be done by paralegals, and in practice, a lot of it often is.

I specifically work in the field of family law, though unfortunately a lot of that is likely too niche and too variable to fit into this blog's posts, and have experience with the laws of two different states within the field of family law.

So I'm just another tumblr blogger, yes, but I actually do know a bit about the legal system, both in theory and in practice.

[batrachised]

The Blythe kids, ranked

tagging @gogandmagog and @mollywog to also rank the kids in my extremely niche 'rank the blythe kids' challenge (if you want to!)

caveat that this is all my personal preference and I haven't read Rainbow Valley or Anne of Ingleside in years--however, I do remember my opinion of the kids from when I read it.

5. Nan and Di

Sorry to Nan and Di, but they never really became real people to me. I don't place the fault at their feet but rather at the fact that we never really got to explore their adult viewpoint--they're very much background characters in Rilla. It's to the point that I can't pick which one I prefer, because both of them kind of blend together in my head. We know that adult Nan loves Jerry, giving us insight in her tastes, and adult Di is best friends with Walter--and that's about it. They're part of the war effort, but not in a way that would reveal any unique insights into their character.

4. Jem

DON'T KILL ME I know Jem is dashing and Lil Jem is adorable, but he kinds of reads as a more aggressive version of Gilbert. However, just because he's ranked so low here doesn't mean I don't hold a deep love for him. I especially love his relationship with Walter (and the fact that he named his son Walter...pain). I have a story idea that involves a series of vignettes of Jem and Walter growing up together--Jem, who always looked out for his little brother, until one day he couldn't anymore. Someone here had the brilliant point that Jem comes back to Ingleside after the war and everyone has already mourned Walter, but to him, as he states in the book, it's all fresh. What must that be like, having a little brother you always protected die a violent death.

Jem also demonstrates two interesting things throughout AoGG: (1) he had trouble understanding Walter growing up, which makes sense because they were very different, and (2) in the end, he was one of the people who knew Walter best. He recognized, unlike many others until Walter's death, that Walter was the bravest of them all; as he states, only Walter's imagination scared him, not reality.

3. Shirley

Shirley, you say?? The Shirley we barely know anything about it?? Shirley over Jem??

I don't have an explanation for you; I just have this inexplicable soft spot for the quietest of the Blythes. Perhaps also because he is "Mother Susan's" son; I think that was a beautiful plot line for LMM to include. Perhaps it's because I read a fantastic story the other day describing him as the observer, and I was like "so true" as I read it.

Shirley is interesting because he's different. None of the other Blythes come across as quiet or shy, because they are, after all, Anne Shirley's children. To me, that raises the question of what it must have been like growing up in a family so different from you. Because of that, I don't suffer the same issue I do with Nan and Di, of lacking unique insights despite the almost complete lack of Shirley's viewpoint throughout the books. Shirley is set up almost (unintentionally) as a foil to the others, which makes up for his otherwise near absence in most of the books. We know that he's uncomfortable with displays of emotion and that he prefers to walk in companiable silence rather than chattering. That, combined with the contrast to the other figures in his life, makes for a compelling character to me, even if this compelling character never got fleshed out.

2. Rilla

I've written before about how Rilla is one of the more interesting of Anne's children because she's very different from the typical LMM heroine. She's flighty, shallow, and self-involved. This makes her journey all the more touching, however, as she grows into a mature woman, shaped by WWI irrevocably. Including Rilla on the list does somewhat feel like a cheat, because she benefits from the focus of an entire book. Which means it's all the more surprising (although not if you follow me) that in first place, we have...

Walter

Your honor--I love him. Please, someone make a movie about him. Please, someone write more fanfic about him. Walter Blythe is a gentle man who is also full of rage; a sensitive man who hates the thought of pain but when the time comes can look it straight in the eye without flinching. He's bullied growing up, and bullied again as a grown-up. He's implied to have a depth that the other characters do not have; I don't mean in how he has premonitions, nor do I mean a literary depth, but rather, LMM marks him as one of a kind special person (almost in a 'chosen one' sense). The others grimly or excitedly prepare for the war; Walter immediately knows that the world will never be the same again. The others are confident, even arrogant, if timid; Walter is crippled by self doubt. Many of the others, although not all, possess a firm practicality and down to earth humor; Walter is dreamy with his head in the clouds. The others get into spats or childish fistfights as onlooks cheer; Walter beats Dan Reese so savagely he makes the onlookers cry. The others form meaningful romantic relationships; Walter never does because, tragically, he runs out of time. Gentle, savage, fearful, brave; Walter Blythe is all of these things and more. He is also doomed. LMM marks him as doomed from the beginning, lending a dark undertone to his story that no other LMM character has. Walter's life--his fate--is shaped by violence: fear of it, flight from it, defeat of it, death from it. This shaping results in him being the most unique Blythe child, and in my opinion, most unique LMM character.

(On a lighter note, hollywood execs if you're reading this, I will pay you 4 billion fake dollars if you make a movie about walter blythe...I never felt the need to write LMM fanfic except about him, i'm that desperate for more content)

[hurrl]

@weirdo-canniboy I went to save as a draft, and I accidentally posted too early, so if you saw it, NO YOU DIDN'T!!

Anyways I have so much to say on these two it's not even funny. Worms in my brain. Heavy in my heart.

I went pretty hard with the headcannons, so if things are ooc just let me know 😌 it also gives a glimpse into what I think about Theo, so that's always fun!

28. What's a conversation they'd get overly invested in that nobody else would care about?

Okay so maybe not so much a *conversation* but an argument/debate that could last days on end would be on the topic of fate and soulmates. Kalani is still young, she belives in it wholeheartedly. There are so many little decisions a person can make in their day to day life, all of it comes together and introduces two people who wouldn't have met otherwise- that has to be fate, right! And soulmates, lives that had known eachother in the past doing everything they can to reunite again! It's sweet.

But Theo, being essentially immortal and who has lived through a few lifetimes himself, is a bit more jaded. And who can blame him? Especially considering all the things he had to go through! Would anyone call that fate? Being forced to a lonely life watching friends and family grow old and die while he remains perfectly preserved? That's his fate? Or the sheer fact that he was *created* to be an obedient servant, now with no master, he is forced to live his life questioning if he's truly living life the way he wants or if this is just the life he was *told* to live. If all of that is his fate, then it is a pretty rotten one. And soulmates? While there have been people he has loved dearly, he more than anyone else knows *they don't come back.* Maybe at one point he used to cling to the "in another lifetime" notion but it's been so long that he knows the truth. And that doesn't mean he isn't able to find love in other people, he is, but he's aware that they're *different*, and that's what makes them special. For example, if he was looking for Spencer in everyone he meets, he'd be miserable. I also figure Theo wouldn't like that idea of soulmates and fate because it sort of takes away his own autonomy, I can imagine his relationship with that would be complicated

I feel like they could have this discussion over and over again without it really going anywhere. It doesn't do either of them any good, just makes them upset. At the end of the day, Kalani has her beliefs, and Theo has his, and despite that, they love each other, and that's what matters! And any other person would think that this is such a silly thing to get hung up on! Who cares what brought you two together? You're together! But Kalani will still insist that she was destined to find Theo, and Theo will say he was glad that *he* met her and took the time to get to know her (fate's involvement means nothing, it was his choice to befriend her).

32. What's a book, movie or song one would recommend to the other?

When it comes to music, I know Kalani would like it of Theo enjoyed what she listens too, so I feel like she'd recommend him "Yes to Heaven" by Lana Del Rey, it's a love song, it's pretty, and she does have her eye on him 😌 It's something they could sit and listen to together.

Maybe "Picture You" By Chappell Roan, but it is a tad suggestive, that would kind of be the point, but she's so afraid that she'll scare him off 😭 that man has not been intimate with anyone in a few *decades*, they have to move slow.

I feel like Theo would be more inclined to recommend Kalani a movie over a song or a book, especially since it's something they can watch together. My head says 1989's "Always" because that's a slightly older *slightly* niche romance movie (it's about pilots 😭 the only thing I really remember is the main character making a grocery list in her sleep and I thought that was cute)

[mmaxie-musings]

Actually, Dhelmise don’t perform mitosis— given that they are multicellular by virtue of being macroalgae— but instead undergo a similar process called fragmentation, like everyday seaweed. However, this only seems to occur in the event that one or more of the upper blades, or “leaves”, is detached, along with a portion of the holdfast; without both, a new individual can’t form. Even if both parts are present, it seems that most of the time a new one won’t actually develop, and instead the result is just seaweed that is indistinguishable from others of the same variety save for the inability to reproduce sexually via spores. For a time it was theorized Dhelmise could reproduce sexually via spores, explaining their genetic diversity, but this hasn’t been observed, nor has a Dhelmise with sporophylls ever been documented. It’s believed this is a side effect of the transformation from normal seaweed/kelp to Dhelmise, and why kelp grown from one remains infertile.

On that note, I didn’t get into the hardly understood development of new Dhelmise, which hasn’t been conclusively documented, but is described in the folklore of many seafaring peoples as the consistent idea of souls possessing or merging with seaweed, or the seaweed itself gaining/having a soul and achieving sentience. It’s generally accepted that it’s a similar process to the one that creates Bramblin on land, but research into the formation of either is rather difficult on account of the very specific circumstances required, and the fact that you can’t (ethically) recreate them in an observable setting. Doing so would probably be described as performing a funny little thing called “murder” and wouldn’t be a very popular or kind decision.

Big fan of Dhelmise, honestly, they’re unusual and often misunderstood fellas and a lot less scary than TV makes them out to be most of the time. I’ve been trying to learn as much about them as possible, and even just going down the poképedia rabbithole is a great way to spend several hours if you have nothing better to do… Signed, random trainer who’s starter was a Dhelmise due to unusual circumstances involving pokébeans and not knowing what to do when Large Hecking Thing decided to leave the water and simply didn’t stay put after I enacted the Back Away Slowly protocol.

P.S.: the Steelworker ability doesn’t have much of anything to do with ions, they’re just good at utilizing metal due to their species-wide preference for that particular kind of material. Sorta like that bird Pokémon that loves dropping rocks enough to be proficient in battle with them… Bomberdier? Bombirdier? Something like that. If they weren’t such incompatible types and also inhabitants of entirely different ecosystems I bet they’d understand each other. Oh to be a weird thing that will look at a hard object and go “yea I think I’ll specialize in beating things with this”….. Instead I had to be born a human and I gotta do things like “get a job” and “stop befriending weird beasts” and “get a hobby that doesn’t center around one or two extremely specific or niche topics”. Maybe I wanna start throwing rocks at people or beating them with random junk I found in the ocean, why can’t those be valid career paths huh

anon I love you.

firstly, THANK you for correcting me. I couldn’t remember the word for fragmentation so I just said Fucked Up Mitosis.

the ions thing may have been a certain thing? they were connected to klefki in that manner (they absorb ions of the keys they steal) but yes, dhelmises do decide to take things from the sea and beat things with it. it SHOULD be a career.

i, surprisingly know a dhelmise! he’s not caught, but just a lot of Afterlife Fuckery. his name is sev and he’s like a fresh-our-of-jail uncle to my fatherless boyfriend. it’s great. he likes sinking ships and he has a husband.

it’s funny because ghost types have varying levels of retaining “souls??” it’s very interesting. rotomblr also happens to have a lot of cross-universe fuckery. and sapient pokemon. there are a lot of those

anyways, very correct about dhelmises being victim to misconceptions. much like mimikyu there are nasty rumors of “they kill you and hate people and kill and kill and evil and violent” they just are very territorial and Don’t Like It when your big ass boat fucks up where they live. they don’t even hurt humans (on purpose. but it’s kind of your fault if you get in the way of 14 foot anchor creature)

anyways again anon ilysm for this. if only i could have a dhelmise. and as a STARTER no less? oh my arc that’s amazing. pokemon behavior is pretty connected to their nature and I think you just were Taken by a friendly one. big ghost anchors need friends too.

this ask made my day. AUG

[ebi-hime]

I felt like writing something a little more ✨introspective✨ than usual, so here we go haha >_<;; So! This year I was able to release two projects in relatively close succession: Fragile Feelings (1st image; a cute yuri VN about a teacher and a nurse) and With Eyes of Ice (2nd image; a dark otome-inspired VN set in Iceland which has a bunch of pretty boys who Suffer). Though I released both of these stories in 2023, I actually wrote them all the way back in mid 2020. I wrote them back to back, actually: Fragile Feelings first, and With Eyes of Ice right after. I liked both scripts a lot, so i decided to turn them both into VNs... But working on VNs can be pretty difficult, even with very small teams like mine, as the people involved can be busy with other things, priorities change, etc, etc... And, in the case of With Eyes of Ice, I might've pulled the character artist off the project for 1.5 years to work on a self-indulgent BL VN about my two best boys, Yuel and Tavi, when Eyes of Ice was almost at the end of production hahaha oops....... I was working on these two VNs on and off for such a long time, I was wondering if I would be able to actually finish them... So, I'm very relieved that I did get them both done after all, and they both shaped up to be projects I'm proud of! I think everybody involved worked really hard; I love how they both look and sound. The character artists, background artists, UI artists, and composers all worked very hard, and I think these two projects are among the prettiest and most polished I've worked on! Now, I tend not to talk about the financial side of VN dev too much (because it's not much fun haha), but for all of the money and time invested into these projects, they weren't wholly 'worthwhile' endeavours. It's too soon to tell with Fragile Feelings, since it literally only just came out, but With Eyes of Ice hasn't really been doing so great sales-wise. It might have something to do with the fact that it's a weird quasi-otome thing which doesn't 100% fit the genre, but it's also prooooobably related to the fact I didn't talk about the story at all until like, 4 months before I'd finished it, despite having been working on it for 3 years already... Just maybe haha 💦💦 It's always a bit unfortunate when something you sink so much money, time, and love into doesn't get much attention, but that's the reality of VN dev. Making commercial VNs is pretty difficult already, because commissioning all the art + music can be quite pricey, and the sales tend to be rather low. Profit margins are slim already (and it's not uncommon for devs to fail to turn a profit at all), so I'm not wholly surprised. It's unfortunate, but I don't regret making With Eyes of Ice. I still love this story and these characters a lot, and I'm glad I stuck with it and finished it, even if it took me a few years! 💪

I'll probably continue to write weird stories which don't necessarily have a lot of appeal in the future, because that's what makes me happy, so I apologise in advance if I put out more stories which aren't too interesting to large swathes of people... But I'm very grateful for everybody who has offered me their support over the years! Some of my proejcts are successful enough (Blackberry Honey, Sweetest Monster, The Language of Love) that I can afford to invest my time and money into more niche things without having to worry toooo much about turning over a profit. I wouldn't be able to tell the stories I want to tell without all of you, even if it can take me a while to finish things up, and I'm very appreciative! I guess that's about it haha 💦💦💦 Thank you! 💙

[unohanabbygirl]

All I’m thinking about is fmbh Luke getting the divorce he deserves only to vibe with Daeron and remarry him. Now Daeron and Luke getting pregnant at the same time is something I see so clearly in my mind’s eye. Unlike Aemond, I feel like Daeron completely embraced his body as a way to feel more Targaryen when he was isolated in Oldtown (plus those Hightowers never really wanted to aknowledge the strangeness of Valyrians and Alicent wasn’t there to shame him so actually he was mostly left alone to develop a very healthy understanding of his body). At Driftmark he would def find the freedom to explore his gender with clothing too. It’d be so interesting to see Luke wary of Daeron or see it as a ploy for the Hightowers to try for Driftmark again, but it turns out Daeron is 100x better than Aemond is every regard and things are just easy with him. Once again he curses Viserys for chaining him to Aemond when if the fates had just said Daeron instead of Aemond he wouldn’t have lost 10 years on a dead marriage. Aemond gets nothing in the divorce! (Tho can you imagine his pride being like I need nothing from that bastard while Otto and Alicent saying you need alimony bc you have no money). Also I love divorcee Aemond thinking it was just Luke who was ruining the marriage but once he finds himself a new wife who hates him and still no inheritance he realizes oh shit I had it easy being a consort

Luke x Daeron is so niche yet so important to me so I love this idea of these two finding love with one another. Especially after Luke’s had to deal with Aemond’s bull for so long. It would also be a much cleaner start since they barely know each other seeing as Daeron’s only come around one every blue moon and even then they never actually conversed. There’s no resentment or past grievances making things difficult either, just two people getting to know each other and coming to find love. I don’t even see Daeron holding anything about Aemond’s lost eye against Luke since they barely know each other. There’s no sense of loyalty to his older brother holding him back from a happy relationship despite Alicent’s disbelief that he could ever truly love the man who blinded his “true” family.

Daeron seeing his body as his one connection with his Targ ancestry is eye opening. He’s the only one who never had the chance to connect with that person part of himself being raised amongst the Hightowers in Oldtown. None of his extended family were comfortable enough to acknowledge him being intersex therefore never brought it up, even to shame him. Without shame came the ability to not only explore his body/gender identity, but develop confidence in who he was. Moving to Driftmark would absolutely give him the opportunity to dress differently as well. Luke’s own more feminine/androgynous sense of style interesting him to the point the point of wanting to try some things out for himself.

The image of these two stunting together is stuck to my brain like glue. Luke ofc goes with his usual choices of his houses colors. On the other hand, rather than Velaryon blue Daeron is attracted to much darker blues that almost boarder onto purple in certain light to match Tessarion

Now Divorcee Aemond is forced to see his ex-husband and little brother flow together like a well oiled machine during events calling for the entire royal family’s presence while his new wife barely talks to him. It’s not even just the fact that he’s a pain in the ass to deal with but that Aemond is leeching off of her since he left with no money or lands in his name. Something she never lets him forget whereas Luke only mentioned money when it came to business rather than Aemond’s personal spending habits. (Luke always checked their records, but Aemond doesn’t have to know that)

Aemond really does live a good life as a kept man though. The only reason he involves himself with Driftmark’s trade at all is because it makes him feel as though he’s not living off of his nephew even though he very much is lmaoo

[yourlocaldisneyvillain]

Honestly as a virgin I am more than just a little confused what defines a top and a bottom in cis sapphic relationships cause like... if you're the top what kind of sexual touch do you get before you're classified as the bottom? O.o

okay so. i am by no means an Expert lol, i can speak from my own experience only. i am not super well versed in certain terminology, but i can offer my understanding of it and how i see it myself. that being said!!! ->

on tumblr dot com (and the internet in general, but here especially) you will find a lot of the top/bottom, dom/sub terminology. now, the dom/sub thing goes more into the bdsm direction, but people sometimes use top/bottom, dom/sub thing interchangeably, even though they are not the same thing. to return to the top/bottom thing -> it's actually terminology that comes from cis gay men to mean like, who is the one penetrating and who is being penetrated, which is a dynamic in which that term actually makes any sort of real sense haha. other queer people have adopted the term (even straight people have), twisting its meaning and applying it how they feel works for their own sexual habits (not a bad thing per se, but it's good to know where the term originated). nowadays i think people use it mostly to mean like, who is more dominant, who is more submissive (venturing into that dom/sub territory, but not in an intense way like if you went the super kinky bdsm route), and what that even means is honestly up to interpretation of anyone engaging in any sort of sexual act. but yeah, if we are talking about cis sapphic relationships the term can't be used in its original meaning, obviously. for one, sex between two women doesn't have to involve penetration at all, so who is the one being penetrated hardly matters, plus why would being penetrated even mean you are more submissive?? when you start to really deconstruct this shit it sorta gives you a headache lol. so what *does* it mean in sapphic sex, then? well, the unhelpful answer is that it kinda means what you want it to mean. how i personally use it is like, if my relationship has some sort of sexual power dynamic (in terms of like, who is the one initiating, taking charge or guiding where the sexual encounter sorta goes, if there is any sort of dom/sub dynamic we want to engage in for fun or pleasure), or i sometimes use the term in the context of like, i am the one providing pleasure for the other person and maybe i am not letting the other person reciprocate. HOWEVER!!!!!!! big disclaimer now!!!!

this top/bottom shit is stuff you hear from people on tumblr dot com lol (and a lot of them are like chronically online, into some super niche sexual shit, or super inexperienced, not that there's something necessarily wrong with that, but they lack the perspective real life offers you haha, so if you use their advice and worldview irl you probs won't get very far). in most people's lives, in most healthy relationships, there is not like this top/bottom, dom/sub dynamic going on at all times, or at all. there doesn't have to be a top and a bottom in a sexual relationship.

i thought the Drama(TM) in my inbox about whether i am dominant or submissive was very entertaining, and if asked i will definitely describe myself as more dominant, but honestly that's not a way i think about my sexuality. i don't like.... go around the world thinking hehe yes i am a Top(TM) and don't like pursue women being like hehehe i am a top looking for a bottom i Must Dominate someone or i will Combust. i just like. enjoy kinky sex sometimes and that sometimes includes some sort of top/bottom dynamic, and if it comes to that you know which one i am lol. i have ALSO spent a lot of my younger years fucking around in my slutty phase with the mindset of like, there *has* to be a power dynamic in sex and that has led me to like engage in certain things i guess. however, BIG DISCLAIMER, that was really not a great period of my life -> i am a person who has a complicated relationship to sex, and if was often times very unhealthy.

TW: MENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH i am a survivor of sexual abuse, on which i will not elaborate, but suffice to say it was an ongoing thing that fucked with my brain, and i dealt with it as a young woman the best i could and knew how. i thought there had to be a power dynamic in sex because my first encounter with it was someone repeatedly abusing their power over me. it was not the greatest haha. only recently have i improved my relationship to sex. i still like kinky shit tho lol, but i think internet ppl would still consider me kinda vanilla ahahaha. so yeah, that's just like, some context for all these things i say i guess. END TW

so yeah, sapphic sex definitely does not need to include any sort of top/bottom dynamics. if you want, you can experiment with that, see what you're comfortable with and think about what being a top or a bottom would even mean to you personally. also a lot of women just use top/bottom to mean who is doing the pleasuring and who is being pleasured, so maybe that's something you vibe with, maybe not. irl, things just sort of happen. you just like, find a girl you like, you want to make her feel good. when i like a woman, i like lose my mind if she kisses my hand or smth. the last thing on my mind is like 'how will i Dominate Her' lol. you just sorta go with the flow, see what feels good for her, show her what feels good for you, you share something together, moments of intimacy, passion and connection. you don't think about who is a top or who is a bottom. if that is something you are both into, you can explore some kinkier stuff. maybe she's like oh i like to be pinned down and fucked and you're like GREAT would love to do that for ya, that would turn me on and i'd enjoy it, ya know. so you venture into that top/bottom dynamic and shit. but it's not something that *has* to happen, that's only if you're into that. do it bc (or if!) it's fun and bc you enjoy it and bc you like to see your partner enjoy herself, it's not a must.

okay i think i said most things i wanted to say. sorry this is so long, i just felt the need to offer advice no one has offered me when i was a virgin haha. don't stress, when you find someone you like and trust enough to have sex with, you can experiment with things you are interested in and see how you vibe. maybe top/bottom dynamic will not apply to your sexual experience!

if you have any other questions i'll be happy to answer them to the best of my abilities! take care <3

[vivilove-jonsa]

Hello,

Since you've published a book I was wondering if I may ask a couple question?

Does it feel different from writing fanfictions?

Do you find your self relating to GRRM's pace of writing like the long years between books?

How did you like your covers for your original works? Did it take long to pick out?

This is just crack question but any chance there's a minor red headed character with her dark haired partner? You know as a little Easter egg jk. But in all seriousness we always knew you could sell your works and I'm glad you took the chance!

Hello!

Wow, I'm flattered that you want to know this stuff so thank you for asking! I'll happily answer each one below the cut :)

Does it feel different from writing fanfictions?

Yes. The joy of writing is still very much with me but there's some major differences and things I've had to adapt to when looking to sell books as an unknown author versus writing fanfic for a pairing that people are seeking out. The biggest is the wait for validation. Can't post a chapter of an idea, see how people respond and start crafting a story from there. You write the whole damn novel with little to no input from anyone else and then put it out there for critique before publishing.

It may sound weird but I've found more freedom writing original works in some ways and more restrictions in others.

The restrictions involve more planning, outlining and plotting. I have to stay on track instead of indulging in Side-Character B's backstory or a secondary romance, etc. Also, I would hop from genre to genre with my AUs and, while there are authors doing that I'm sure, it's not a safe bet for a newbie looking to make money. So, I found a niche in contemporary romance that I enjoy reading and writing and I dove in. I'll probably tackle another niche with a new pen once I've got ten or so books under my belt with the current pen name to try it out.

The freedoms involve making my characters whoever they tell me they are. No one will scream 'that's OCC!' because these are my characters. There's no trappings of canon or expectations in that sense either although romance readers tend to have favored tropes, etc and they expect you to stick to the 'formula of romance.' Also, I miss talking fic with other writers and fans of my Jonsa works as there's more distance between me as an author and people who read my books. Don't get me wrong, I love interacting with some of them who have reached out but the gap is there and it can feel lonelier.

Do you find yourself relating to GRRM's pace of writing like the long years between books?

No, lol. This is a side hustle for me but a romance writer would starve going at his pace unless you had that miracle hit right off the bat (which is soooooo rare) and even then you need to keep producing product to keep from becoming obsolete. I started my first novel February 1st last year. I will have FIVE completed by February 1st of this year. I'm shooting to average a book every 3 months this year at least. It takes me roughly six to eight weeks to write it and the remaining time goes into editing, formatting and submitting for ARC reviews. Quality AND quantity are the name of the game to earn money. In GRRM's defense though, my books average 75k words and one of those five was a novella at 40k words. And my books are romance centering on two individuals which are far less complicated to tell than his enormous fantasy opus with a cast of hundreds.

How did you like your covers for your original works? Did it take long to pick out?

Yes, I love them! The cover of your book is the single most important part of your passive marketing and you want your book to be as to-market as possible to attract readers in your genre and niche. My niche involves hot guys in suits on the covers and my dear friend made them for me except one which I paid a graphic artist $75 to do an illustrated cover for. Anyway, we would tinker and talk about the color or font, the placement of the title, etc. but, for me at least, this was a simple process. Some self-published folks spend far more time working on theirs or might pay hundreds of dollars on them but mine seem to draw eyes just fine. Maybe once I'm making bank more steadily I'll consider farming this out to a pro.

Any chance there's a minor red headed character with her dark haired partner?

Absolutely!! In fact, my first book includes a pairing that looks suspiciously like Jonsa (I changed the eye color for her and gave him Kit's brown eyes though). Partly, that's because the original idea for the book was going to be a Jonsa story until I decided to switch gears. My third book has a guy that fits Jon's description and my novella includes elements of Sansa's love of songs and such in the female lead. It's fun to have bits of the characters I love in my books even when they're my own creations.

Thanks so much for this delicious ask! Lots of fun to answer <3

[daincrediblegg]

pls pls pls do au explanation,, I am so fond of ur characters

Nonnie, I’m honored. But buckle up because jesus christ there are so many of these fucking things Cherry (@trantors) and I keep coming up with almost every week. Some end up getting fleshed out more than others, and we keep jumping back and forth between them (though we seem to both be VERY into the Terror Fang au lately lmao) 

The first and the probably most fleshed-out (in my mind) au is the Baffin Bay Museum and Aquarium AU (aka a Modern AU- think like the vibes of like the life is strange series but without the supernatural phenomena). In our little fictionalized costal nova scotia town of Baffin Bay, Francis Crozier is the newly promoted director of the museum, who oversees all departments after the recent and sudden retirement of former director John Franklin, but with the museum being underfunded, understaffed, and with low visitation, the stress of the job begins to get to him, on top of pressure from the local inuit community for historical/ecological outreach that they weren’t given under prior leadership, and a particularly nasty break up with Sofia Cracroft (who happens to be on the board of directors, who effectively pulled out upon Franklin’s retirement, leaving Francis with the burdens of keeping the museum running- but facing closure due to this sudden change). Despite his stressors and increasing alcohol consumption, a romance blooms between him and a member of the aquarium staff; Genevieve Sinclair (aka: OUR GIRL LADY TERROR), who cares for the seals in the aquarium. Much of this au is taking a lot of the themes from The Terror and throwing them into a more modern setting, and similarly finding ways to overcome them (and also for the Francis/Lady Terror side of things, discussing problems of modernity and addiction recovery and the way that effects perspectives and relationships- because I have studied the subject intimately and it’s one of those things about Crozier that made me fall in love with him and respect him like a whole bunch and I just think transferring that to a modern setting is a potent subject for lady terror to be involved in). Features include: Historical Ship Tours, museum politics, wildlife conservation and rehabilitation (both of animals and people), Frazzled grad student Jopson who is just trying to get his degree, nepo baby fitzjames, Blanky (running the historical ship attraction), his wife Esther (who owns the local favorite Cairn Diner, which all the staff frequent) and their two nightmarish twins. College besties Silna, Gen, and Amelia (who they take on as a promotional photographer and social media manager). College Buddies Francis, Blanky and James Ross (who all have matching tattos). Francis falling in love in rehab, Trauma from The Troubles, Francis in leather and jean jackets with patches about eating pussy that he wears while riding his motorcycle (literally this is what this au started from), neptune love, and just a whole lot more (literally there’s so much to this au Cherry I hope I got it right feel free to elaborate). 

An offshoot of this au (constructed just last week) is the science research/selkie AU, in which fitzjames and a team of scientists (including lady terror) travel up north to do research on seal behavior only to make a shocking discovery: a man living solitarily up there with a mysterious seal fur coat that he keeps on his person for survival. Little does he know that there is another like him on this same expedition, and a kinship that is formed between them. (this one definitely hasn’t been as fleshed out as others but Cherry and I are working on it. All I know at this point is cute selkie courtship swimming and fucking on their coats out on the ice in the moonlight and thats it. Because thats the kind of horny bitch that I am). 

Next up is the newly dubbed Terror Fang AU (aka: Vampires+. Think The Little Vampire meets Interview meets Dracula meets a whole bunch of other more niche mythical creatures that don’t often get a nod in a multiple mythical creatures universe- let alone with vampires). The story primarily centers around Amelia Dale (Cherry’s OC), a human painter, who travels to an island off the coast of England looking for employment, and when lost in a storm stumbles upon a castle belonging to Francis and Lady Terror (vampires both), who absolutely insist not only that she stay the night and wait out the storm, but to commission her to paint a new portrait for them in exchange for free housing and an extremely generous patronage. Amelia agrees, of course, but learns very quickly that not all in this grand house is as it seems, and that this vampiric lovers’ nest she’s fallen into is not as monstrous as she’s been led to believe (and, in fact, her presence brings out the best of her host’s humanity, unfortunately to great consequence). Features include: thousand year old once-celtic warrior Francis, Lady Terror with Witch Trial Trauma, intricate vampire wedding rituals, Brownie Butler Jopson, Fawn Blanky (the Groundskeeper), Kelpie Little, werebear woodsman Collins, intrepid experimental mythological creature doctor Goodsir, Selkie Silna, a fucking elitist Vampire Council to which Franklin, JFJ, Sofia and Ross belong, and van-helsing type (but low-key vampire wannabe) Hickey. (this one is easily becoming a favorite and in fact I am attempting to build their castle in The Sims. it’s nuts. I love them.)

Then there’s the western AU, taking place in a smart little upstart of a town called Terror Creek (think like Deadwood meets red dead redemption meets ravenous). Francis is the local sheriff, along with deputees Little, Hodgeson, Jopson, and Fitzjames of course, and Lady Terror is an entrepreneur who was sent by her father to oversee the construction of the railroad through the town (which she by proxy of her father owns). As a shy love blooms between them, dark deeds begin to occur in the surrounding woods, which they will be forced to contend with and investigate in order to successfully establish this township. Features include: Francis respecting whores but also being too lovesick to actually sleep with them, Tailor Amelia (who unfortunately has had to mend Lady Terror’s shifts multiple times and it’s all Francis’ fault). Cute cowboy antics. 

The final AU is one that technically began most of my endeavors with Lady Terror, but which the story has outgrown. Based on 1899 mostly (because I had watched that not too long before the Terror got me in a chokehold), but also with some very Ridley Scott elements, it follows the story of The Terror, but in space with a matrix-y bent in which the crew is trapped in a simulation, destined to repeat until a certain solution is reached (in which, all historical trappings remain). And in this one, the twist was that upon waking from the time loop via his survival, Francis discovers that Lady Terror is his ship’s AI who helped him lock everyone into stasis to spare them from an alien creature that has infiltrated the ship (and actually, this is where the Lady Terror nickname came from- as she is a literal representation of the ship itself, but has since taken on a whole new meaning). Features include: Building a fully functional body using the ship’s 3d printer so they can continue to be lovers when they’re not in the simulation, time loop shenanigans, falling in love every time, spacer general JFJ, and much more.

And I think that about covers the major ones. We HAVE dipped our toes into a pacific rim kinda AU as well but I've been warned on pain of death not to get too deep bc we have too many already. will actual fic for these see the light of day? who knows. but they are very fun. much to think about.

[cheddargoblin]

23, 24 and 25 for Meisi and Deidre

prompts

hi again baron love uuuuu i think you wanted me to answer both for both? ill do that anyways 23. What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember? (assuming its for one and the other, vice versa) For Meisi, i think he'd feel guilty for not having enough of a hand in keeping an eye on deidre due to involvement with an undisclosed dragon-slaying/watching/raising/helping guild. He'd feel like he couldve been there to better assist and guide deidre AWAY from becoming a perpetually shellshocked little mordrem medic, maybe a little 'hey buddy maybe i can help you find a home outside of the military to acclimate to life in' In turn deidre is guilty about.. most things. while they dont specifically have much association with Meisi, due to being a lowly medic vs one of the vigil's warmasters, hed still manage to try and apologize for things, like the damage the asura took during the maguuma disaster & mordrem outbreak. "im sorry about the events i wasnt involved in hurting you, i feel guilty about them anyway' type beat. love you you silly little anxiety lizard. 24.Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it? Meisi probably bought the cookie jar or put the cookies in it, and hes taking a fig newton or something else fruity. Dee is refusing to steal from it but staring at it from across the room like a cat that Wants Something. If offered, would prefer Shortbread. 25. What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

Meisi actually has a background and knowledge in archaeology, and to a lesser degree, anthropology! (is there a term for that that covers multiple sapient races). He enjoys herping and picking up weird snakes a as a hobby but hes got some actually decent knowledge about old history and weirdly niche things. area man that will recite the histories of human civilizations with extreme detail and boredome and then stop it all to show you the rare two-tailed gecko or something. Dee doesnt have MUCH of a life outside of being a pact medic until recent years, but his desire to help as well as his unique anatomical position have allowed him to get a wealth of knowledge on the differences between sylvari & mordrem physiology, as well as how they are cross-applicable, such as grafting woulds and regrowing limbs! He's trying to make it a medical book for people to cite, hes very eager for it to help save more lives.