#the comment section is very respectful and like not even on a furry note the pacing is way slower which i prefer

[crunchycrystals]

still can't get over the stupid goddamn anthpo video. genuinely fucking disgusted thinking ab it

[justlookfrightened]

Zimbits bingo post #1

“Your dog is in my yard again”

Bitty looked out the kitchen window and sighed.

The dog from across the way was in his yard again.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like dogs. Dogs were great. They were warm and furry and wagged their tails and could be taught to sit and lie down and come when called and STAY WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE.

Which was not in Bitty’s backyard, drooling at the gate of his chicken coop.

Bitty growled, grabbed the broom from its hook next to the back door, and headed outside.

Not that he’d actually hit the dog or anything. He just wanted to be able to keep his distance. The dog was a black and white pit bull, probably more than 50 pounds, with a massive head, and Bitty had heard things about pit bulls. About how they clamped down and never let go. While the dog didn’t look threatening now, who knew what it would do when confronted?

Well. Bitty had a pretty good idea, because this was the second time this week and the fourth time this month that he’d had to shoo the dog out his yard.

At least the coop was strong and secure. Coach probably never thought that when he taught Bitty to build things he was just encouraging his baking habit; Bitty had decided to get chickens as soon as he moved to a house with enough property to care for them because he wanted the constant access to fresh eggs. But now his chickens were pets as much as egg suppliers,and he’d be heartbroken if this goldang dog hurt any of them.

He stalked out the back door brandishing the broom.

“Hey!” he yelled. “You! Skedaddle!”

The dog turned from the coop to face Bitty, tail up, ears pricked forward, tongue lolling out.

Did that mean he was mad? He certainly didn’t look scared.

Bitty jabbed the bristles of the broom in the dog’s direction.

“Go ‘way,” he said. “Get!”

Instead of running, the dog jumped towards the end of the broom, trying to pounce on the bristles. The dog ended up down on its elbows, rear end in the air, tail waving like mad. Bitty could have sworn the dog was smiling at him. It didn’t seem mad.

“No, I don’t want to play,” Bitty said, swinging the broom towards the dog yet again, even more careful not to hit … him? her? It. Definitely it.

The dog stood up and trotted back towards the rear of the yard, a blue identification tag swinging merrily from its red collar. If Bitty got close enough, he could maybe get the owner’s name. At least an address or phone number, so he could give the guy a piece of his mind.

Bitty followed at a distance, watching the dog slip under a loose section of chain-link fence at the bottom the yard then bound up onto the back deck of the house not directly opposite, but one over.

Well, at least Bitty knew where the dog lived now.

That evening, Bitty buttoned up his shirt, shined his shoes and tied his favorite red bow tie around his neck. Maybe it was overkill, but Bitty knew he had a baby face, and he didn’t know what he was walking into. What kind of owner would that big black dog have? Someone who liked to intimidate people? Or a family that didn’t know they were harboring a potential chicken-killer?

Bitty hoped the jaunty red tie would strike the right note either way.

He picked up the pecan pie he’d baked in a disposable tin  that afternoon and a plastic container with a half-dozen eggs and marched himself out the front door, down the sidewalk, and around to the other side of the block.

If he wasn’t sure he had the right house (a mid-size colonial with blue shingles), he could have told from the deep barking that came from inside as soon as he rang the bell.

He could just write a note and leave it with the eggs and pie …

The door opened.

The guy definitely was big. And buff. And way underdressed, at least compared to Bitty, in loose athletic shorts and a dri-fit T-shirt. His dark hair wasn’t long but managed to look a bit of a mess anyway. His light blue eyes felt ice-cold as they stared down at the offerings in Bitty’s hands.

“We don’t need any —”

“I’m not selling —”

There was a snuffling noise, and Bitty looked down, taking in the man’s highlighter-yellow sneakers along with the black muzzle of the dog, trying to work it’s way around the man’s knee.

Bitty took a large step back, almost falling down the top step in the process. The man’s leg straightened, effectively penning the dog in the house.

“Puck, sit,” the man said. “Sorry about her.”

Well, that was one question answered.

“What do you need?” the man asked, still brusque, but maybe not quite as terse as before.

“I wanted to give you these,” Bitty said, holding up his offerings.

“Ooo-kay,” the man said, not reaching to take the pie or the eggs. “Who are you? I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“I’m your neighbor from around the other side of the block. Eric Bittle.”

“Are you bringing everyone eggs and pie?”

Now the man just looked puzzled. At least he wasn’t grumpy anymore. But Bitty was probably going to make him grumpy again.

“Um, no,” Bitty said. “It’s your dog.”

“The pie is for my dog?” Jack said, glancing down at the dog, who was staring at Bitty from behind the man with … was that a hopeful expression?

“No,” Bitty said. “The pie and the eggs are for you. I don’t even know if a dog can eat pecan pie.”

“No,” the man said. “Pecans aren’t good for dogs. But she can eat eggs. In moderation.”

Bitty stopped his eyes from rolling at the last comment. This man clearly took his diet — and probably his dog’s diet — seriously. Maybe pie hadn’t been the way to go?

“Of course,” Bitty said. “I meant I wanted to talk to you about your dog. It — She keeps getting into my yard, and she’s terrorizing my chickens.”

The blue eyes blinked as the man processed that. 

“You brought me pie because my dog is scaring your chickens?” he finally said.

“And eggs,” Bitty said. “Really, I just wanted to ask you to please keep the dog in your yard.”

The man nodded.

“You’re the one with the chickens,” he said. “I wondered. I heard them.”

“I don’t have a rooster because I didn’t want to wake the neighborhood every day ...” Bitty started.

“No, not that,” the man said. “I’m usually up early anyway. I heard the … clucking? I guess … when I went for a run in the morning the other day, when it was really quiet, and I couldn’t tell where it was coming from.”

Bitty’s arms were starting to get tired from holding the pie and eggs, but he didn’t dare set them on the step, especially if dogs shouldn’t eat pecans.

“Um, can you take the pie, Mr. —” Bitty thrust it towards the neighbor again. 

“Zimmermann,” the man said. “Jack Zimmermann. I’m sorry, I didn’t know Puck had been getting out. I travel a lot for work, and I just got back a couple of hours ago. I have a friend who comes and takes care of her when I’m gone, but he didn’t say anything about her escaping. But I don’t really eat a lot of pie.”

Jack took the pie anyway, and the eggs, and set them on a table inside the door.

Bitty let his arms relax and said, “It’s happened several times now, usually a couple of days in a row, in the afternoon, and then not for a few days. I followed her today to see which yard she went into. I live behind you and over one.”

“Huh,” Jack said. “Okay. The yard is fenced —”

“She’s getting under it,” Bitty said.

Jack nodded. 

“That would explain the scratches I found on her back. Shitty said she hadn’t run into any other dogs. He didn’t mention chickens.”

Shitty? Bitty silently mouthed.

 “With all due respect,” he said, “how would Sh — your friend knew what she encountered? If she’d getting out of the yard.”

“He probably hasn’t realized,” Jack said. “He likes to stay here when I’m gone because it’s quiet and he can study — he’s a law student — so he probably thinks she’s in the yard while he’s studying. Hold on, he hasn’t gone home yet.”

The man, Jack Zimmermann, turned to call into the house, “Shitty! Can you come out here please?”

The dog, Puck, took the opportunity when Jack turned to get out, coming right up to Bitty. Instead of jumping, she was snuffling around his knees while Bitty stood stock-still, hands up in what he hoped was a non-threatening pose.

“Puck!” Jack turned back. “Sorry about that. We have to keep working with the trainer, especially on ‘stay,’ but I’m pretty busy. You can pet her — she likes people.”

Bitty very gingerly lowered his right hand, reaching past Puck’s head (well away from her mouth) to pat her muscled shoulder. She turned and bumped his hand with her head, swiping across the palm with a wet nose.

Bitty’s fingers found themselves resting behind her ear, so he obliged her by scratching. Puck let out a contented sigh.

“Who’s this, Jackabelle?”

Jack had been joined by a man in nothing but Wonder Woman briefs. His shaggy hair was a mess, including the full mustache, and his eyes looked tired. 

“This is my neighbor Eric,” Jack said.

Shitty stuck out a hand to shake. “Pleased to meet you,” he said. “Did you bring that pie? It smells delicious.”

“It is delicious,” Eric said, because while Jack had been polite, Bitty was not used to having his baked goods ignored to this extent.

“And the eggs,” Jack said. “From his chickens. Which apparently Puck has been terrorizing in the afternoons.”

“She has?” Shitty asked. “But she goes out and then she’s still in the yard —”

“She’s back in the yard when you notice her,” Jack said. “I’ll have to get the fence reinforced. Or install a new one she can’t get under. In the meantime, she has to go out on a leash. Or a tie-out in the yard, I guess, if she wants to play fetch or something. But I don’t want her tied up alone. Only if you stay outside with her, all right?”

“Sure, brah, whatever,” Shitty said. “Wouldn’t want the Puck-princess to get hurt, would we?”

He glanced at Bitty. “Or to hurt your chickens. Sorry, man.”

“Yes, I’m sorry my dog has been bothering you,” Jack said. “Puck, come.”

The dog reluctantly got up from where she had settled half on Bitty’s foot.

“You’re not going to invite your neighbor in to share a slice of that pie?” Shitty said. “What kind of heathen are you?”

“I —”

“You don’t have to,” Bitty said, even though he was kind of curious now. A tall, gorgeous man with a sort-of-trained dog and his friend who seemed to think clothes were optional? Jack said Shitty — really, Shitty? — stayed when he was traveling, but that had been three weeks in the past month. What did he do?

“He doesn’t have to, he wants to,” Shitty said to Bitty, then he turned to Jack with a look Bitty couldn’t interpret. “Don’t you, Jackie-boy?”

“Fine,” Jack said. Bitty somehow thought the exasperation was more for Shitty than for him.

“If you don’t want just pie, I could make an omelet,” Bitty said. “If you have some vegetables.”

“Even better,” Shitty said. “All the protein even you could ask for.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bitty squinted one eye open and looked at the clock. The sun was up. Almost seven. Puck would have to go out. 

She must have heard Bitty move because she bounded onto the bed and lay on top of him, her elbows pinning his shoulders while he she tried to lick at his face.

“Puck, get off,” he said, holding her midsection with his hands and rolling over, dumping her onto her back next to him. He sat up, scratched her belly for a moment, and got out of bed to find his running clothes. Bitty had learned that a nice run in the morning did wonders for her behaviour the rest of the day, and it was good for him as well,

Then he would have time to feed the chickens, make a couple of videos and tidy the house. Jack would be home late tonight, after his game in St. Louis. There should be plenty of eggs to make an omelet for their breakfast tomorrow.

Tagging: @zimbitsbingo​

Read Chapter 2: Mutual Pining

Read on AO3

[thegazettefanfiction]

Music of My Heart (Ruki)

Wearing a black fluffy robe, (Y/n) sat on the brown sofa tapping on her white Huawei Mate 10 encased in a pink and blue marble rubber case, typing out a caption for a photo taken just moments ago. It was a picture taken by one of the roadies, where she faced the camera with the rest of the thousands of audience members. Everyone posed for the picture, each of them with a smile and a hand signs like a peace or rock on sign.

After doing a little adjustment on the filters, she logged in to Instagram and typed:

“It’s a wrap! Thank you for an unforgettable evening, Osaka! It was a wonderful way to end the Asia Tour. Tonight, I could feel your that resonated in the whole building. Listening to you sing along made my heart melt because I didn’t expect my music to reach you. I hope to visit you guys more in the future. Until we meet again! ❤️”

She typed the Japanese translation of the text below before uploading the photo on her social media accounts. As her phone kept buzzing from the notifications that informed her of the number of likes and comments the photo got, she went off to change into a new set of clothing before beginning to pack up with the others.

It was the last day of her Asia tour, where (Y/n) performed for millions of spectators. She did the final show in Kyocera Dome Osaka that evening, where she performed in front of at least 50,000 people. No words could describe how she felt; how she started from a young naïve girl who just stood and sang for her small audience, to an international star who wrote and perform her own songs in front of a larger one.

Finally came to the time when she had bid her team goodbye. After shaking hands and hugging each of them, thanking them for their hard work for making the tour a huge success, she boarded the black Honda Accord Sedan with her manager before it drove off to her hotel.

With her manager talking on the phone on her future activities, (Y/n) was scrolling through the comment section, liking the positive ones and ignoring the opposite, until one written in Japanese caught her attention.

ruki_nilduenilun Meanwhile, I’m stuck on the other side of the world and can’t go home to you and our furry babies. 😢

A loving smile stretched across (Y/n)’s face as she typed,

(username) @ruki_nilduenilun Be patient, my darling. Maybe we can celebrate our successes with a nice day out when you come home. 😊

While puffing on his e-cigarette, Ruki smiled at the comment and typed,

ruki_nilduenilun @(username) That sounds nice. Wait for me, then. 😉

Dating another artist can be a challenge, especially when both of them were equally famous and had busy schedules to accommodate their fame. But Ruki expected this the moment he asked to be (Y/n)’s partner, and look at where they are now – four years and still going strong.

He closed the Instagram app and stared at his home screen wallpaper, which was a selfie he took with her on their fourth anniversary in Akita, where they went “onsen hopping” on a beautiful Autumn when the Japanese maple leaves blended with the green landscape with their reds, yellows and oranges. It was after a nice bath they took in the outdoor onsen, and on the way back to their room, Ruki suggested to take a selfie with the beautiful scenery in the background. Right before his thumb contacted the shutter, (Y/n) decided to turn her head and peck him on the cheek, creating a nice shade of red that spread across his cheeks. It was a lovely day to celebrate their love for each other.

If one were to ask how the power couple met, they wouldn’t be hearing the typical “love at first sight” story. They met when Ruki was in search of a female singer who could do the background vocals for the band’s single “Undying”. But it wasn’t easy. One recording after another, he still wasn’t satisfied with the results and kept scouting despite the deadline. But when he heard (Y/n)’s new song “Song title”, he was enamoured by her voice. Besides the wide range of octaves and an amazing head voice, her voice was reminded him of melted rich chocolate; a sensual and beautiful tone that gave him goosebumps right when she sang the first word. He loved that voice so much that he needed it in this song. So he immediately told his manager to contact hers and send out the invitation. From there, after working with her on one song and another, every else became history.

Of course, the whole world got a huge surprise when they found out about their relationship; and do take note there was a considerably large age gap between the couple. It all started when the paparazzi caught them walking out of Gion Roiro, a high-end restaurant in the heart of Kyoto. They weren’t holding hands, and instead walked side by side each wearing a coat to protect themselves from the cool night breeze of Spring and a white face mask. Speculations were all over the internet which resulted in two sides of the argument – one side said they were dating while another said they weren’t and were merely friends (based on the number of selfies they uploaded after each recording session). Unfortunately for many fans, their hearts were broken when the band vocalist spilt the beans on their second anniversary. It was a bumpy ride for the two as they had to fight off the negative comments that flooded each other’s social media; but eventually, their relationship grew stronger with each passing time, and the comments gradually died down, albeit a few naughty ones that managed to pop out.

“We’re here,” announced the driver.

(Y/n) snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see that they’d arrived at the Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel. She and her manager unloaded their things before thanking the driver and entering the building. They took the elevator up to the floor where their rooms were, and each of them went to their respective rooms. By the time the door locked behind her, (Y/n) immediately hit for a warm shower, brushed her teeth, blew dry her hair, did her daily skincare routine, and finally went to bed wearing her pyjamas. Lights were dimly lit, giving the room a relaxed ambience.

Suddenly, the famous intro of Luna Sea’s “Gravity” went off in the quiet room. (Y/n) forced herself to get up and attend the call, which came from her lover. A smile flickered across her face instantly, and she picked up the call.

“Miss me?” she teased.

“Obviously,” he replied with equal playfulness. “How was the tour?”

“It was amazing!” (Y/n) walked back to her bed and sat down. “I get to learn new cultures in different countries, and even picked up bits of different languages. I ate so much that I think I’ve added an extra kilo or two!”

Ruki chuckled before saying, “I bet you did. No wonder you looked rounder in your recent pictures.”

“Hey!” she playfully whined, pouting for a short while before joining him. “Anyway, how was yours?”

After taking a puff on his e-cigarette – apparently, as she heard him release some smoke on the other line – he said, “Pretty fun, too. I’ll tell you all the stories when I get back. I need to save the best for last, you know.”

“Of course,” she responded. Afterwards, it went silent. Although she wasn’t physically there, (Y/n) could tell that he had something on his mind, and he was having second thoughts if he should say it to her. She knew better than to pry, but somewhere deep inside her heart, it might be important. So she decided to bite the bullet by blurting, “Ruki*, do you have something on your mind?”

The said man kept quiet for a while before a small smile was etched on his face. She knows me too well, he thought. “I was actually thinking about our relationship,” he confessed. “Honestly, I’ve never felt so comfortable in my life, nor did I ever think I would fall in love again. Even though we’ve been together for more than four years, I find myself falling for you all over again. Heck, I don’t know how you do it! But I’m not complaining, because every moment is a new experience for me, and I like how it made me feel young. I know I seldom profess my love for you, but I just hope that you know that I do. I really do.”

(Y/n) could feel tears welling up in her eyes, for she felt so much of genuineness from him. She knew that he wasn’t one to openly profess his love through the common phrase, “I love you.” She didn’t mind, because the things that he did showed her that he truly loved her, like taking care of her when she was sick, giving her advice and comfort she needed, or even attempt to cook something for her; it was these little things that she cherished and appreciated, and there was nothing more she could ever ask for.

“I do,” she finally responded with so much of tenderness. “And I feel the same way, my darling. Even as the wheel of time continues to turn, I will still love every part of you as we age together, until the very end.”

Ruki was about to take another puff of his e-cigarette but he paused, allowing her words to resonate inside his head. Never in his life had he ever thought such words would warm his heart. It sounded comforting, and to him, it felt like home. During the time when he was Ruki the vocalist of the GazettE, he strived to be better than how he was previously; so by the time he went to her, he could feel like he’d his best and would want to share his passion with her, to which she willingly listened. Whether it was an exciting or dull experience, or even a petty argument he had with his bandmates, she would listen and be there when he needed comfort.

“I think it’s getting late over there,” he suddenly said when he took note of the time, even though he was in Los Angeles. “I don’t wanna hog your beauty sleep any longer. Not that I’m saying you’re not beautiful, that is.”

(Y/n) laughed at the last bit. “Of course,” she said. “And I wouldn’t want to hog up your time for rehearsal.”

Smiling, he said, “Have a good night’s sleep, (Y/n).”

“And have a great day ahead,” was her response before hanging up to call it a day.

It was already 2.15 a.m., but (Y/n) found it hard to sleep, as she laid still on her bed staring at the ceiling in the dark. With so many things going through her head, there was no way she could get her beauty sleep, to quote Ruki. And these thoughts weren’t about work or so; it was about her relationship with Ruki, as well as the things he said to her just a few hours ago. She had to get these thoughts off her mind, and so, she decided to sit up. Switching on the lights, she went over to her bag and dug out a dusty rose velvet notebook and a Pilot G2 Black Gel Pen. She went over to the round table and sat on the white leather office chair, switching on the desk lamp. She opened the notebook, flipping through her handwritten lyrics, until she reached a blank page where she clicked her pen and began writing, starting with “Music of My Heart” as the title.

*I would’ve used his real name here, but I’m still not too sure if “Takanori” is the one. So just to be safe, I still used his stage name.

[avelera]

Some musings on fanfiction literary trends, fandom, and the evolution of online culture (as seen in 15+ years of Tolkien-based fanfic from The Lord of the Rings to The Hobbit films) 

Reading 15-year-old Lord of the Rings fic is absolutely wild because the prose style for fanfic has changed so much during the intervening years. There was a huge focus back then (~2002) on mimicking Tolkien’s style with elevated language, a lack of phobia over using the passive voice, and otherwise formal “epic” dialogue patterns. 

At times it’s a bit hard for me to read, because my inner editor voice wants to rearrange sentences and remove “on the nose” description and dialogue (explicitly saying what the character is or is not thinking/saying like “He spoke nothing of his fears, which were great.”)*

It got me thinking about fashions in prose. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this style, just as there’s nothing inherently “wrong” about 19th c. romantic purple prose vs 20th c. spare, Hemingway-esque thriller prose. Yet writers and teachers of writing delight in creating long lists of what should and should not be done as if they’re ironclad laws of physics rather than extremely subjective matters of taste and changing times.

But back to fanfic, I’m fascinated by the unspoken linguistic trends that pervade fandom, from phrases ( “he smelled of X, and Y, and something all his own”), to aversion to adverbs, to casual vs elevated tone. Even tropes like A/B/O are fascinating in how they spread from niche fetish communities to fandoms that aren’t even tangental to one another, and from there become vehicles for dialogue on matters of society, gender, sexuality, and even history. The pace is rapid, less than a few years ago in The Hobbit community I observed that fanfic writers needed to make some sort of author note in the margin if there was a trans* or gender queer main character, in order to clarify that aspect of the story to unfamiliar readers. Today, such fics hardly need a disclaimer at all because the issue is so much more widely understood, this wider awareness seeming to rise in rough parallel with the IRL fight for trans* rights. Similarly, fifteen years ago in the Lord of the Rings fandom a story that contained slash of any kind (even if they lacked any form of explicit sexual scene) would often contain long, agonized explanations as to why these characters were “just friends” if it made the reader more comfortable, or that the chapter containing a slash sex scene was skippable if it made fans of Tolkien’s work uncomfortable. 

Another trend is the evolution of the acceptance of the Mary Sue. Again, 15 years ago in the Lord of the Rings fandom, it was possibly the most reviled concept out there. “Tenth member of the Fellowship” “Girl falls into Middle Earth” were easy and constant targets of ridicule. The frustration was somewhat understandable, given that at one point I remember counting the first 10 pages of Fanfiction.net, and at the time and fully 60% of the new stories involved a female self-insert character into what was inevitably the film universe. Fans of the book often fled to make their own archives where such stories were explicitly forbidden unless the reached a certain level of prose quality. One of the most popular comedy series was of partnered assassins who would “jump in” to various fanfic universes and waylay Mary Sues before they could make contact with the main characters (all tongue in cheek, I remember adoring these self-aware self-inserts as a teenager). 

Nowadays, I’d venture to say that level of vitriol towards Mary Sues is falling out of favor. I personally still struggle with reading any sort of self-insert fanfic, or any OC fanfic in general, which is a psychological leftover from developing as a reader and writer during that era. But I’ve observed that, like with slash, acceptance has grown and Mary Sues are now defended in a “live and let live” manner. Certainly I would rather avoid reading a Mary Sue fic by a new writer, but I wholly support their writing efforts and see it as an important step in their development as writers. 

For younger fans, you have to understand, this level of basic tolerance was not always the norm. If you’re puzzled by people asking readers not to “flame” it’s because in the early 2000s it wasn’t uncommon for trolls to go into fanfiction comment sections just to send insulting messages to the author for the very idea of their story, to the extent that authors would have to beg in the notes “don’t like, don’t read”. "Don’t like, don’t read” has largely become an unspoken rule of fanfic as a result. (Though Tumblr has removed some of that tolerance, in my view, by the way dashboards work putting “objectionable” content in front of people’s eyes through the clusterfuck of a tagging system.) This evolution runs roughly parallel to the fading of legal “disclaimers” which were once necessary at the top of fics, as fanfic has gained wider acceptance and the need to defend oneself legally online against aggressive authors and creators has vanished in all but the most extreme copyright violation examples.

The greatest change in fanfic in the last decade+ though is without question the acceptance and then the prevalence of slash. It has gone from a small and passionate, but often disdained, niche group--that was seen by some as a fetish culture akin to furries or BDSM, with its own fan conventions--to practically the norm of fanfiction (at least on AO3, which is also relatively new and signaled a huge fundamental shift in the way fanfic is consumed online). I vividly remember in my early days of LotR fanfic seeing the passionate slash fans “over there” and how they were seen as a totally separate, rabid subculture rather than as part of the “mainstream” fandom community. Now, I would say they are the mainstream in fandom.

Meanwhile, “Gen” has gone from the more “respected” “elevated” subgenre to a struggling one. Again, to specify, this is based on my observations of changes in the Tolkien fandom spanning the LotR to The Hobbit film period, and a US-centric one at that. Het fics are still thriving, where I’ve observed a closer linguistic parallel to the language and tropes seen in popular romance novels than I necessarily see in slash fanfic, though there is bleed through. Het is no longer the accepted default along the lines of “canon relationships” that it was 10 years ago, i.e you didn’t even need to tag for romance if it was a het story with the usual main pairings, it just meant you were writing "canon adjacent” works.

It’s curious to watch these changes in fanfiction, as I daresay they mirror the changes seen in the literary world over the past 200+ years, the only difference really is how fluid and fast these changes are. A year online feels like a decade compared to IRL literary trends, and it has also been fascinating to watch what I perceive to be the bleed-through of ideas that fandom has been batting around for years entering the mainstream. For example, the growing acceptance of same-sex relationships in fiction, and a growing comfort with female-led stories with a push back against the automatic knee-jerk accusation of “Mary Sue” as a bad thing. It’s hard to say which came first, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that fanfic played at least a small part in the wider cultural acceptance.