#the fact this is applicable to three of my fandoms is...

[attiredpan]

Hot take but I think if Nog were any other species than Ferengi more people would think he’s hot.

[astriiformes]

AU Roulette Challenge

What is AU Roulette? A casual fic-writing challenge encouraging authors to play around with different types of alternate universe stories, which will be randomly assigned to each participant regardless of the fandom they sign up with. The goal of the challenge is to encourage creativity and get authors to write fics with premises they might not otherwise have considered, with varying difficulty levels of participation for writers of all experience levels.

How does it work? Writers will be able to sign up with their fandom of choice starting Monday, July 31st. Sign-ups will run for one week, at the end of which each participant will be assigned three AUs from a masterlist using a random number generator. Each author will then have the choice of completing the challenge on easy (writing one of the AUs), medium (writing two of the AUs) or hard mode (writing all three AUs). Any fic exceeding a 500-word minimum will be considered a completion, so long as it employs the AU premise. The fic-writing period of the challenge will run for a month. Fics can be posted at any point during this time, and authors will have the option of having them added to an Ao3 collection for the challenge if they desire. They can also be posted to tumblr using the tag #AUroulette2023.

What kind of AUs will be included in the challenge? The AU Roulette challenge will focus largely on popular, staple AU types with broad applicability to any fandom or relationship type. For example, a possible result might be something like a Time Travel AU (encompassing all the possible subsets, such as fix-it time travel, time loops, or other tropes under the same umbrella), but more restrictive AU types like a Soulmate AU that make assumptions about the author's interpretation of character relationships in canon have been intentionally kept off the AU masterlist. The official list of AUs will be kept under wraps until assignments are given, but will have over 30 different prompts to ensure authors receive a good variety of options, and if you have suggestions or concerns about what AUs are being included, feel free to reach out.

What if I get an AU type that doesn't work for the canon I chose? Limited re-rolls will be allowed on a case-by-case basis. For example, if you signed up to write fic for His Dark Materials and ended up getting a Daemon AU, your result would automatically be re-rolled. Similarly, if you were writing for a different fandom entirely but were unfamiliar with what a Daemon AU entailed and wanted to write something you didn't have to research the premise of, I would likely approve a re-roll (However, you would be free to give it a try! My goal is for this challenge to be accessible to people with all levels of familiarity with fic tropes, so you are also welcome to reach out and ask about your assignment).

You are also encouraged to be as creative as you want with your interpretation of your assigned AUs, which may help with making them fit. The goal of this challenge is to encourage weird, creative fanfic, not to have every author who rolls the same result write cookie-cutter versions of the same types of stories. If you were to get a Coffee Shop AU, for example, there is no requirement that the coffee shop in question be a real-world 21st-century Earth Starbucks. In fact, deviating from the mold is highly encouraged. So long as you can make a case that you filled the loose premise of your AU type, you will get credit for having completed it.

Can I participate if I am not a writer? AU Roulette is a fanfic writing challenge, so official sign-ups are for those interested in writing (regardless of skill level or experience writing AUs). However, if you are interested in the challenge but not in writing fic for it, consider having a look at the #AUroulette2023 tag or the official AU Roulette 2023 collection on Ao3 once authors have begun posting their stories. If one of them really speaks to you, it might be a nice gesture to draw a piece of art, make a playlist, or create some other fanwork inspired by the fic and share it -- in which case you would also be more than welcome to use the official tag!

(Authors are of course also welcome to do this for their or other participants' stories, too.)

How do I sign up? I will be reblogging this same post with a link to a Google form for sign-ups on Monday, July 31st! Watch this space and feel free to send me any questions you have about the challenge!

Looking forward to seeing the AUs everyone creates!

[sasheneskywalker]

dc fic summaries i have in my drafts

(the fics are in various stages of completion, but i plan to finish them all)

demolition lovers [jason/tim]

The last time Tim saw Jason Todd, the man had brutally beaten him up and stabbed him in the chest with a batarang. He hadn't heard anything about him since Dick and Damian helped Red Hood rescue his sidekick, so Tim put him out of his mind, focusing on more important issues.

But a chance encounter in another country makes him realize that he and Jason are working on the same case and when the fate of the world seems to rest on their shoulders, they are forced to team up, racing against time to solve what might just be the most dangerous mystery in their careers yet.

triangles are the strongest shape [tim/kon/bernard]

Tim comes out to his friends and tells them he has a boyfriend. Kon mopes over ice cream like a moody preteen girl. Bernard eyes his boyfriend’s hunky best friend contemplatively

three for a wedding [jason/tim/roy]

While on a mission Jason and Roy touch a strange artifact that forces them to get married or risk dying painfully. It wouldn’t be a problem except Jason is secretly dating Tim and Roy has been pining after his best friend for ages.

baby, i'm an outlaw [jason/helena]

They woke up together in an unfamiliar bed, with no memories of who they were and no idea how they ended up in this situation.

Then there was the dead body lying in the corner of the room.

Or, Jason and Helena go on a road trip, kill some people, and fall in love along the way.

practical application [jason-centric]

Five times Columbia University students are surprised by Jason Todd’s skills and one time they find out how he acquired them

author’s notes [jason-centric]

Jason writes fanfiction. It's not that big of a deal, but some people apparently disagree.

Or, how gargoylejay becomes a fandom sensation.

ouroboros [jason-centric]

Jason knows the circle cannot be broken. Yet he never stops trying anyway.

keep your enemies closer [tim-centric]

Five times Tim calls on unexpected allies for help and one time he doesn’t have to.

fourth-wall observer [tim-centric]

Ever since Tim was a child, something about the universe felt off to him.

It wasn’t until he started reading books and watching TV that he realized that the world he was living in functioned in a disturbingly similar manner to those that were fictional. It was ruled by certain patterns, tropes, as he called them, and he could use his knowledge of them to uncover the past, understand the present and predict the future.

Or, Tim Drake and dealing with the fact that your existence and reality are just figments of someone else’s imagination.

The Dark Dame [bruce-centric]

When Bryce was first designing her vigilante costume, she decided to leave the official name of her persona in the hands of the public. She expected something relating to the darkness, the night, the shadows that seemingly enveloped her entire being while she fought criminals in the streets. So the first time she heard the moniker “Batman” in reference to herself, she was quite taken aback. Both because people apparently thought that her suit resembled an anthropomorphic bat and that she was a man.

wheel of fortune [oc-centric]

A bored college student finds herself in the DC universe and decides to have some fun. It turns out that you can achieve a lot when you own one of the most powerful artifacts in the world.

[divination1330]

We’re fandom posting, because my random career based knowledge needs to be used for something.

For Voltron -

Now, given Voltron occurs in the far future compared to our time, my knowledge is either useless or applications have changed. For example, kind of how in Star Trek you see kids learning advanced topics at a young age.

Shiro and Matt:

Here are some credentials that they would both have according to NASA’s current requirements.

Both at least have their masters, or are test pilot certified.

I can see Shiro being a test pilot school graduate and Matt having some sort of accelerated masters. Either way, they’re both highly educated. I’d love to write fics where the fact Matt has at least a masters and a couple years of work experience is mentioned, especially with how young he is. What was his thesis and major!

Also, after hanging out around pilots, I want to see Shiro with pilot-specific traits. No wonder this guy has nerves of steel and can escape a galran warship while half-drugged, he practiced emergency procedures and has undergone hypoxia training. With the education alone, I want to write fics where Shiro is very nearly enraged that he can’t figure out how the lions fly. Pilots typically have in depth knowledge of their aircraft. In general aviation, you are certified for the aircraft you train in and need separate endorsements for different aircraft after that. Shiro probably had highly technical and personal knowledge of the aircraft he flew at the garrison. Him learning to trust his lion is a big deal, especially since how it flies disregards all of his knowledge of flight and aeronautics. He also probably had 1000 of flight time in a jet aircraft, which, holy shit thats a lot.

Matt and Shiro have undergone astronaut candidacy school, and if NASA was the predecessor to the Galaxy Garrison, were called ASCANS. Do with that what you will. Astronaut candidacy school is a two year program that turns candidates into astronauts. They both learned Russian, how to scuba dive, how to fly jets, and the other basics of how to live in space. Afterwards, they received training for their specific mission or were assigned to a variety of roles within NASA, including public appearances (sound familiar? Maybe when Shiro met Kieth?) or Mission Control. Mission specific training can last three years.

Imagine Matt and Shiro in the same ASCANS group. The chaos!

Couples cannot fly missions together in space. Personally, I headcannon that Adam and Shiro had their relationship under wraps because of this. A lot of test pilots become instructors, and it has been a background for some astronauts, explaining Adam’s role at the Garrison.

Astronauts also need so many hours of jet flight logged a week. Don’t imagine Shiro and Adam dunking on Matt because he is horrible at flying jets.

(Shiro, over the radio: Matt-

Matt: Shut up Shiro

Adam: No seriously, Matt-

Matt: If you fucking say-

Shiro: Right rudder

Matt: I’m going to make you both smoking holes in the Arizona sand)

Military flight school is highly accelerated. Like, your private pilot training is done in a matter of weeks. Also, military pilots do not receive civilian ratings. It means that a trained fighter pilot has to sit in a tiny Cessna 172 (or any other small plane) and get certified like the rest of us. There’s a post-season 8 fic idea.

During the interview process for NASA astronauts, it’s been hinted at that the candidates are put through stress tests. At the very least, they go through a battery of psychologists. You have to be at least very good at interviewing.

Microgravity in low earth orbit, and in general, causes rapid bone density loss and muscle loss, unless astronauts work out in space to reduce these effects. If Shiro’s condition was muscular in nature, it would have been exacerbated.

Microgravity also causes your bodily fluids to move upwards, so astronauts are constantly congested. It also gives them a preference for spicy food! As such, spicy meals are popular among ISS astronauts while they are deployed.

There have been cases where astronauts have had to navigate by the stars and hand fly spacecraft when navigation and guidance systems fail, like during the Apollo 13 mission. Because of this, all astronauts are trained in astronomy and using the stars for navigation. When Shiro says he doesn’t recognize the constellations in the pilot episode, he was probably terrified! One of their only ways to navigate is now obsolete, and you would have to be very far out of our solar system to no longer recognize the constellations.

The shuttles from the shuttle program had to be hand flown on landing, and essentially landed like a normal plane on a runway, with minimal flare on landing.

Astronauts are known for having a very specific outlook. They’re trained to react very well in a crisis. This does explain a lot of Shiro and Matt’s behavior throughout the series.

Astronauts are known for having an extremely strong brotherhood as well. Apollo era astronauts were known for pulling pranks while they were stationed at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Also, astronauts will be stationed at different posts during other astronauts flights. If you want to write fics where any Garrison member is flying a jet to spot a fellow Garrison astronaut landing for splashdown in the ocean, or with another Garrison astronaut in Mission Control, that has actually occurred with Apollo astronauts!

Astronauts are typically as much experiments themselves as they are scientists. They are used to study the physical effects of space on the human body for future missions, sometimes to also try and make space more accessible in the future. Say, maybe that’s a clue in to how Shiro passed all of the strict medical requirements? Maybe he wasn’t supposed to. Pilots also face highly strict medical requirements for 3rd, 2nd, and 1st class medical certificates.

The “overview effect��� was a psychological effect of spaceflight first recorded in the Mercury seven astronauts. It’s a feeling described as “awe and self-transcendence” that occurs when astronauts look down at Earth for the first time from space. There are many cases of astronauts walking away thinking of the unity of humanity and how we are one species. I’d love to see this written about, with any of the Voltron cast.

That’s all for now!!! I have wayyyy more besides this, but this is just some of my favorites

[warrior-of-storms]

Fic Rec Friday #12 - 5/23/25

Title - on practical applications of qualitative analysis

Author - merils/@mamawasatesttube

Rating - Teen

Content Warning(s) - No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom(s) - DC (comics)

Character(s) - Tim Drake, Conner Kent

Relationship(s) - TimKon

Word Count - 14,227

My thoughts - ehehehehe I love this fic dearly. It came out like three days ago but it's amazing <3 I actually saw a couple snippets from it months ago, and the pure excitement I felt when I saw that it was finished is second only to when I got the email that one of my favorite fics had posted its final chapter last year.

They're both dorks <3 Tim especially is so, so smart and yet so incredibly dumb. If anyone was going to need two whole spreadsheets to realize that they're in love with their best friend, it would be him. He's just Like That (affectionate).

Idk what to tell you, if the idea of Tim making spreadsheets to decide if he likes Kon or not isn't enough to make you read this I don't know what would be. Mayhaps the fact that Kon gets a look at the spreadsheets too and bakes a pie about it? Just read it, it's so much fun.

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 10

Hello! So I’m wondering if people aren’t seeing my posts, I got someone on one these (don’t remember if it was this one or Roads...but they said that somehow they had missed the last three). I also noticed that a couple of the writing tags *I* follow didn’t update when they put out a new part of their story, I only noticed that they put it out because I dig through the #steddie tag several times a day.

So let me know if you’re still seeing my tags or not.

The application process has begun! Just a note on Argyle’s last name. The fandom doesn’t have one for him and they usually don’t give him one. It took a lot of research (the character looks Native American but the actor is an American born to two Mexican parents.) So after some seriously thought I landed on Rivera.

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3  Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6 Pt 7 Pt 8  Pt 9

***

The first guy’s name was Keith Langston and he had been learning to tattoo through buying large swaths of pig skin. The guy’s portfolio was entirely of pig skin tattoos.

“Have you ever tattooed human skin or on a live person?” Steve asked looking over the portfolio turning each page slowly. “It can even be yourself. Or even just drawing on yourself?” He added, because that’s how he got into tattooing.

Keith scoffed. “That’s what I’m here for. To tattoo other people. I only go to the best to get my body tattooed.”

Steve smiled. “And who are your favorite artists?”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Like only the greats. Leonard Killgrave, Ollie Peterson, Trent Sullivan. You know, those guys.”

How Steve managed to avoid wincing, he could only attest to years of customer service. Because he had never heard of any of them. And Hopper was no slouch in the social aspect of being a tattoo parlor owner. He knew most of the shop owners and good portion of the artists under them. They weren’t from Indy that was for sure.

And then it hit him. They weren’t from Indy. They were probably from Chicago or New York, maybe even Boston. This prick was traveling out of state to get his tattoos.

“I see,” was all Steve said. They talked some more about Keith’s abilities and where he hoped to be in five years.

“Well, you got to where you are in five years,” Keith sneered. “I fully expect to world renowned in that time.”

Steve’s eye twitched. “Thank you so much for your time.” He handed back the portfolio and didn’t even bother to stand.

Keith stormed off muttering about asshole douchebags who thought they were still in high school.

Yeah, Steve was not hiring Keith.

The next one was Eden Bingham. She was the Goth chick with the fluffy black hair and the piercings.

“Hello,” she greeted as Steve stood up to shake her hand.

“Hi,” he said, “tell me about yourself.”

Turned out she was Suzie’s older sister. She had moved out from Utah to get away from her strict parents and to be closer to Suzie after she married Dustin. Suzie was the one that had told her that he was looking for an apprentice and to try for it.

During the course of the interview, Steve was a little disappointed. Eden was good. Damn good in fact. And had been tattooing her friends and roommates for the last year, indie style. But he knew their personalities would clash so hard. And it wasn’t about the aesthetic. It wasn’t.

But he knew where she would flourish though and made a note to have Robin call Hop. Hop’s most recent apprentice had moved up to a chair and chose to move to Chicago to purse their career there and needed a new apprentice.

He thanked her for her time, stood up and shook her hand.

“Hey, look,” he said gently. “I don’t think you would be happy apprenticing under me.”

She smiled. “Probably not.”

“But I know someone who’s just barely had a spot open up,” Steve explained. “He hasn’t had time to put out feelers yet. I think you’d two would be a better fit.”

Eden’s eyes went wide. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

Steve nodded. “And not just because you’re Suzie’s sister, either. Because I think you’re good and deserve a shot. Even if it isn’t with me.”

“Thanks!”

He walked out with her to get Hopper’s number and address. She walked out talking excitedly to Suzie on the phone.

Robin bumped his shoulder. “That was nice of you.”

Steve blushed. “Hop will love her.” He looked at the remaining two. “Who’s next?”

“Argyle Rivera,” she murmured.

Steve turned to him. “Argyle, come on back.”

Argyle leapt to his feet. “Brochacho! I’m super excited.”

Steve smiled and led him to the back room. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Argyle handed him his portfolio. “I think it’s so cool you asked for a physical portfolio, dude. Most cats only want a link to some website.”

Steve grinned. “I don’t mind those, it’s just harder to talk while scrolling.”

Argyle grinned back. “Yeah.”

Steve opened it up to see the most beautiful Mexican styled tattoos he had ever laid eyes on in his life. Growing up in Hawkins made for a very thin Latino or Hispanic population so he didn’t see much of this kind of work, but he had always admired it.

“This is amazing,” he breathed. “How long have you been doing this?”

Argyle blushed. “I haven’t really done much. I used marker for the most part because permanent isn’t really my style, bro. But I’ve done a couple stick and poke stuff that was fun. And I am all about the fun. So a friend suggested I should try for this.”

“So you’ve never used an ink gun?” Steve asked.

Argyle shook his head. “Nope!”

Steve and Argyle talked for a bit longer and Steve was really impressed with how open and outgoing he was.

“How do you feel about doing tattoos not in your usual style?” he asked. This was the kicker for most artists.

Argyle lit up. “That would be awesome to learn how to do, dude! I love my style but branching out is what life is all about.”

“And how would you feel about starting off only doing simple tattoos, like the small ones or basic designs?” Steve asked.

Argyle’s face spread out into the biggest grin. “Everyone’s got to start out somewhere, my man!”

Steve was really leaning towards Argyle now. Which was too bad, because he really liked the spunky blonde. No, no, not like that.

He led Argyle back to the reception area and then Robin called the last out. “Chrissy Cunningham.”

Steve smiled at her. “Come on back.”

She jumped up and followed him. “You aren’t going to murder me for the no tattoo remark, are you?” she asked with a grin and a wink.

Steve burst out laughing. “If I killed everyone that thought that, Indy would be down three-fifths of its tattoo artist population.”

She laughed too. “Fair enough.”

“And since we’re on the topic,” he said, indicating for her to sit down, “you don’t look the type anymore than I do.”

She grinned. “I got my first tattoo when I sixteen. My mom didn’t want me cutting my hair so much so that I told her either let me cut my hair or let me get a tattoo, she let me get the tattoo.”

Steve’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit! I’ve never heard of that. It’s hair. It grows back.”

Chrissy grinned. “Her words were ‘At least a tattoo could be covered up, I’d have to look at the terrible hair cut!’.”

“That is fucking insane!” Steve said. “Can I see it?”

She nodded and pulled up her shirt sleeve. Steve could see the nine (yes nine, Pluto counts) planets and at the top was a howling fox.

“That’s cool,” he said. “Can I see your portfolio?”

She handed it over and Steve looked at it. She didn’t seem to have a firm style yet.

He found out they had both gone to Hawkins High. “Wait, no way.”

She nodded. “We all knew who Steve Harrington was. The basketball players all wanted to be him and all the cheerleaders wanted to be with him.”

Steve blushed into his hands. “Oh god that’s awful.”

Chrissy laughed. “Well, most of the cheerleaders anyway.”

“Not you?” he guessed.

“Kind of a large lesbian,” she said with a grimace. “Makes it a tad difficult.”

Steve laughed. “Fair enough.”

He talked with her a bit and then led her out like he had done with Eden and Argyle. He said goodbye and locked the door up behind him.

He turned to Robin. “What did you think of them? Be honest. They probably said a whole lot while they were waiting their turn.”

Robin nodded. “Argyle got Eden’s number.”

Steve burst out laughing. “Yeah, okay I needed that. Did he really?”

“Oh yeah,” Robin said. “It was mildly hilarious how well they hit it off. You couldn’t find a weirder couple.”

Steve put his hand over his heart in mock protest. “Have you supplanted our relationship as the weirdest ever? I’m hurt. Hurt I say!”

Robin laughed so hard she snorted. “All right you drama queen, weirdest romantic couple. How’s that?”

Steve beamed at her. “Perfect!”

She laughed again, shaking her head. They talked about the two candidates and both were really good.  

“I don’t want to pick between them,” Steve whined, hitting his head on the desk.

“So don’t.”

Steve lifted his head. “What do you mean?”

Robin licked her lips slowly. “Steve, I’ve been doing the numbers, if we add in the potential of what they can bring in, by the time school starts back up again not only will we have enough to pay for both of them to stay on, but Erica too, and the new receptionist.”

Steve jerked back. “Wait, what?”

She nodded. “I’m not lying, dingus. I’ll swear on it. In fact, we could probably hire the new receptionist by July.”

His eyes went wide. “Really?”

Robin took his face in her hands. “You are open and friendly. First timers and people who are just nervous in general love coming to you because you put them at ease. People who just want to get a tattoo as memorial or just as a one-time thing, love coming to you. There is this whole untapped market that you accidentally slid into and made it your own. We just need more people so you and I can enjoy our lives for a change.”

Steve blinked. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Robin said. “You are so good at this. Don’t sell yourself short. You deserve this.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let’s do it. Call them both and have them come in tomorrow at nine so that we can go over a few things and have them learn how to open.”

Robin nodded. “Sounds good.” She picked up the phone and started doing just that.

Steve watched her with a growing smile on his face. He had a really good feeling about this summer.

***

Part 11 Part 12  Part 13 Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18 Part 19  Part 20  Part 21   Part 22  Part 23  Part 24  Part 25 Part 26  Part 27  Part 28  Epilogue

I figured as controlling as Chrissy’s mom was in the show about her weight, she would be controlling about the hair too. And ngl this is exactly what my oldest sister did to my youngest niece. It’s hair. It’ll grow back. Nope. The tattoo on my niece’s arm is the one I described here.

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk​ @renaissan-vvitch @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @aizawa-emma @redfreckledwolf @thesuninyaface @bookbinderbitch @yikes-a-bee @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @archermightbegay @hallucinatedjosten @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @cinnamon-mushroomabomination 

[cha-ra-nui]

2024 Retrospective

Part 1: KPop is dead and HYBE killed it

KPop in 2024 has been. Nothing. One giant pile of nothing. Now, that might sound unnecessarily mean even by my standards, so let me explain. I did not feel like a single release this year mattered. Very few were any good, and there wasn’t a single one that felt like it would be remembered in a years’ time. I hated “Next Level” when it came out, but even then, I knew it would leave a mark. NewJeans, IVE, and Le Sserafim made a giant splash with their debuts, for better and worse. TWICE used to have more dedicated haters than fans when they were rookies but no matter your opinion on them at the time, you couldn’t escape their songs. You knew who they were, and you knew the chorus of “TT” whether you wanted to or not. And 2024 had none of that. No debut you absolutely had to check out, no unstoppable mega hit, not even a hidden gem for the dedicated fandom to obsess over, like how every 2nd gen fan would let you know how much they enjoyed Infinite’s “Time Difference” last year.

If I restrained myself to only the releases that I liked or that I felt mattered, like I did last year, I would barely have a KPop segment at all. Worse than that, it would feel like lying. Because that just wasn’t my experience with KPop this year. And besides, what even matters right now? HYBE, SM, JYP, and YG all have rookies, several each even, but none of them have an impact. How could they, if all of them are just recycling what their label did before? So, I guess this is where I’ll start, the utter lack of distinct identity 4th (5th?) gen groups suffer from. And where better to examine that issue than the biggest player in the game?

While has SM has been notoriously bad at setting their groups apart in recent years, it’s almost comical how inept HYBE is at it. So inept in fact that they had to deal with plagiarism accusations from within their own cooperation, which is, objectively, hilarious.

Even if plagiarism is not legally applicable here, and it’s not, ILLIT is a blatant attempt at recreating NewJeans. Doesn’t help that “Magnetic” isn’t remotely as memorable as any of NewJeans’ early singles, and that the visual presentation of this group isn’t either. The first time I watched the MV I didn’t notice it was hosted on the HYBE channel, and I just assumed this was some cheap rip off by a nugu label with no better ideas. It’s that bland. There is no way in hell this would be a hit without HYBE behind it, even in a year as devoid of hits as this one. A catchy chorus can’t hide just how utterly devoid of creativity this debut is. “Cherish (My Love)” looks a bit less like NewJeans, but it doesn’t look unique either and still sounds like NewJeans at their blandest, so what is the point? Now, they’re rookies, and we’ve seen plenty of groups find a unique identity a couple of comebacks down the line, VIXX and Dreamcatcher immediately come to mind. But usually, the problem is a small label failing to stand out against bigger competitors, and not the biggest label in the industry copying the homework of one of its subsidiaries multiple times over.

And it’s not just an issue that plaques ILLIT, TWS isn’t faring much better. Making a group’s entire concept “boys next door” when you just debuted a group with that name isn’t exactly peak creativity, especially not when that is the same concept both SM rookie boy groups promote with as well. TWS certainly had the strongest debut of HYBE’s now three and counting attempts at remaking NewJeans. They’re under Pledis, and if there’s one thing Pledis was always good at it’s debuting groups. Both their debut MVs are charming and cohesive. If you’re looking for a rookie boy group who’re going for the “cute boy next door” appeal, this is about as well as 4th gen has ever managed to pull this off. The problem is that this niche has been filled ten times over, and their labelmates who’re barely a year their seniors are even named after it.

Speaking of which, BOYNEXTDOOR has shown some signs of developing an identity in form of their connection to Block B with “Earth, Wind & Fire”, and I for one would love to see a group take up that mantle. KPop needs outliers like Block B, so just let Zico run wild with this group and see what happens. What’s the point in letting him produce a group for you if you don’t? If BOYNEXTDOOR gets to be the weird and fun one, that’s an identity no big group has a claim to right now, and most importantly, none of HYBE’s own groups have. Of course that is not what happened, and both “Dangerous” and “Nice Guy” are what I imagine you’d get if early NCT Dream was produced by HYBE. The concept seems to be “boys next door” in the most “teenagers are entitled assholes” interpretation of the phrase. Did no one look up what “nice guy” means, or did they intend to come across as pathetically misogynistic?

And the real kicker is, if HYBE wanted a boy group to fill that niche, they already had the biggest one there was. In that context, it becomes even more baffling how much Seventeen had their identity erased. I watch the “Maestro” MV and all I can think about is how derivative of ATEEZ it is, while their label is scrambling to put together a halfway functioning version of the concept this group used to be the pinnacle of.  

And this is where HYBE’s other big problem comes in: the songs just aren’t well produced. Even if they could distinguish their groups conceptually, they’d still fall apart because the songs don’t carry their weight.

TXT was the most obvious victim of that this year. Both “Deja vu” and “Over The Moon” are the type of songs that want to sound musically complex, the type of releases that pretend to be high art but can’t back it up. The production is too thin, too obvious, too safe. Conceptually, TXT is making exactly the type of dramatic songs I loved that 2nd to 3rd gen transition period for, but it falls flat every single time because they do not have the production quality behind them that made these releases work a decade ago. If you want to make pop music that isn’t carried by a fun beat you need to make it interesting, and HYBE doesn’t seem capable of doing so.

Le Sserafim’s “Easy” is the closest they’ve gotten to making a slower song work, and that still has a beat, it’s just a bit more chill than your usual dance songs. And Le Sserafim too hasn’t gotten much to work with apart from that one song. The EP is bland and underwritten, and listening to “Crazy” repeatedly to get past its superficial weirdness only reveals how empty the song is.

That leaves one last HYBE group. ENHYPEN still gets the best songs in this cooperation, but that has become an incredibly low bar. “XO (Only If You Say Yes)” for example is a borderline unlistenable abomination. But at least their album sounded like some effort was put into the B-sides. “Brought The Heat Back” is an infinitely better song than the title track, “Teeth” is a bop only let down by a bridge that refuses to grow on me, and according to KPop tradition any song called “Lucifer” has to be good. The problem with ENHYPEN remains their lack of a strong vocal line, as per usual for HYBE too. But, as many groups have done before them, weak vocals can be overcome by strong production and smart songwriting that considers the limits of the performers, both of which ENHYPEN repeatedly had. Most importantly though, ENHYPEN has a recognizable identity as a group. Less so now than they had as rookies, but still more so than any of their labelmates have right now.

And you might’ve noticed that for all the focus on how HYBE is trying to recreate NewJeans, I never actually said anything about the group itself. Because I can’t. Their songs this year have been so bland that I can’t recall a single one of them. I also called ENHYPEN the last HYBE group, because NewJeans aren’t under contract with HYBE anymore.

And that really shows what HYBE’s priorities are better than anything. They scrambled to copy NewJeans’ success instead of focusing on making that success long term for NewJeans itself. And then they fought out their internal leadership disputes on the backs of five teenagers they were legally obligated to protect. And while this is an ongoing situation, it seems undisputable for now that HYBE failed to make these kids feel safe and respected, and it’s easy to believe the girls’ story because it aligns so well with HYBE’s outward behavior.

So, why spend so much time on HYBE if I dislike almost everything they touched this year? It’s because they’re emblematic for every issue I have with KPop right now. As the biggest label, they set the trends, and that includes all the issues that made KPop such an unrewarding genre to follow recently. The too short and unfinished songs, the lack of creative vision, the loss of group identities, the shotty productions, the shameless pandering to the American market at the expense of its own musical identity. Never before has KPop felt less like a music genre and more like a soulless product. Like Illumination and Disney HYBE realized they didn’t need to push boundaries or advance their craft to turn a profit if they could just churn out release after release with no passion for the art they’re selling. Their alleged mistreatment of NewJeans and their staff isn’t unique either, not by a long shot. It’s unhappy employees making shitty products in a shitty work environment for a shitty company. And if that doesn’t describe the KPop industry I don’t know what does.

But I’d like to think that at some point, something has to give. And while HYBE’s profits haven’t been affected yet, we’ve seen a shocking number of big girl groups underperform on the charts this year. It would certainly be interesting to hear an expert’s opinion on how that happened, from my perspective it’s not surprising at all. Streaming hits are only hits for as long as people want to listen to the song, and the songs just weren’t any good.

And there’s no better (and more shocking) example than IVE. English songs remained a stain on a group’s discography more often than not, and with the release of “All Night” IVE had two misses in a row. There’s nothing of the sledgehammer earworm factory this group was known to be left in “All Night”, it’s an aggressively mediocre and generic song without a strong hook, and it feels very inconsequential for it. And sadly, that seems to be the trend now. Neither “Heya” nor “Accendio” work either. They’re neither catchy nor interesting, and they failed so hard as title tracks that IVE finished the album cycle without a single music show win at a time where even a far less popular group like ONF managed to sneak a win in.

Inkigayo saved (G)I-DLE from a failure like that, but their singles too underperformed this year. And once again it’s not hard to see why. “Superlady” has strong verses that get held down by an underwritten chorus; they can’t even pick one pronunciation of “lady”, it’s distracting. And once again, (G)I-DLE has no idea how to end their songs. It’s the same story with most of their singles, a half-assed and very predictable breakdown during the last thirty seconds that doesn’t close the song in any meaningful way, nor does it build on what came before. And yet, this is one of the better girl group songs this year, and it was a hit at least. Their summer release “Klaxon” is the real problem. Congratulations (G)I-DLE, this is your worst single, ever. Even sitting through the first verse is a pain, and the reward for sticking with it is a truly horrible chorus I don’t even know where to begin to rip apart.

I could continue like that. Go through my exhaustive list of over 200 songs one by one and find all the groups that failed to live up to expectations this year. It would be pretty much everyone. All I remember about STAYC’ songs is that I hated every single one of them. TWICE is on a losing streak but I guess “Strategy” is fine. Fifty Fifty totally self-destructed and they didn’t even need awful songs to do it. ATEEZ had a fine but entirely forgettable year and that just strikes me as wrong. My list tells me that OH MY GIRL had a comeback, but the song is a blank space in my memory. Most of the LOONA remnants did no better (“Birth” is literally the only memorable release to come out of that entire meltdown), SAY MY NAME’s debut was a nothingburger, Billlie somehow became just as boring as the rest. And it’s not even like analyzing why the songs are bad is getting us anywhere here. Because it’s nothing new, and it’s the same for all of them: The songs are too short, sound unfinished, are incohesive, lack transitions, and don’t have more content than what you need to do make a TikTok. It’s a culmination of several trends that have been building in KPop for years, and at some point, something had to give.

[rms10]

Favorite ATLA Characters

Someone asked my 10 favorite ATLA characters through DM, but I thought I'd just post it out in the open. It's a tough question, especially if I'll try to put them in an order, but here we go:

Katara: Katara is my favorite character in the show. An indigenous person trying desperately to connect with and preserve their heritage and spiritual connections is a natural connection for me. Additionally, she is simply so well written and (voiced) acted throughout the show. To me, she's a masterclass in very clearly showing characterization through actions, inflection, and tone without stooping to exposition.

Aang: I've always enjoyed the idea of having a good character whose struggles/conflict are primarily internal and/or against outside influences taking them from their path. Aang really fits the bill. The more I've explored the show and the informing cultural touchstones, the more his character seems to come alive and really do a nice of job of providing a satisfying arc that runs just enough against standard Western norms to challenge the (assumed/primary) audience while also not skewing so far that he's unrelatable.

Sokka: On any given day, he and Aang might swap places in this list, but they'd retain the 2 and 3 spots. I have a special place for the original gaang of three as my top characters. In real life, I'd probably end up like Sokka, the meat and sarcasm person with no powers, which might also explain why I put him below the other two. Still, he has a phenomenal arc, and he provides a really interesting character who adds importance and depth to the group.

Zuko: He stole the redemption arc that the villains in most stories want, even if it was pretty clear he'd change sides from very early in the series. His constant backtracking really comes off as an authentic person struggling to reconcile their experiences in the world with their preconceptions they left home with, especially someone striving for acceptance like Zuko. The fact that he remains with a lot of bad traits, even after switching sides, just adds to the depth of his character. (Ironically, it seems like a lot of fandom sand those rough edges down to smooth them, which really robs him of his great character. Probably my biggest complaint about Zuko isn't the character, but how fandom tends to handle him.) At times I get very critical of Zuko, but that's more about people in the fandom whitewashing his sins, as the actual character is (mostly) forced to own them in the show.

Iroh: What is there to say? Great character. Some really wonderful real-world applicable sage advice, and an excellent character arc of his own, both before the show, but also during the show. It's subtle compared to Zuko who's not subtle, but it's still in progress during the show. Iroh goes from aiding the Fire Nation to eventually sending Zuko off to redeem the Fire Nation, while he goes to liberate Ba Sing Se. Much like Zuko, the worst part of Iroh is really how fandom tends to coddle him and completely overlook his flaws and mistakes - issues that the show is explicit about.

Toph: She's a lot of fun and runs counter to the other characters in a nice way, plus the representation she gives (not to mention jokes) really add something to the story. I know a lot of fans would rank her higher, but for me she just doesn't have as strong of arc as the previous characters (possible exception of Iroh). Some of that is that she's only in the show for only slightly over half of it. She also starts off as a master bender and her character at the end is much as it is when she joins. I also find that I don't have a lot of investment in her post series.

Mai: Her characterization is very strong, from the beginning. She masks with that indifferent vibe. We see it constantly - how she doesn't follow Azula's commands when she doesn't see a point in them, or doesn't want to, and it all builds steadily toward that betrayal of Azula in S3. That's so satisfying and perhaps that most badass moment of the entire show, or at least the one that was the biggest surprise. Plus, I really enjoy her arc with Zuko and how they evolved throughout S3. It feels about right for two teens trying to figure it out with the chaos going on around them.

Suki: It's pretty clear from a first watch that she was supposed to be one-off, but she came back and served an important purpose, and then she comes back again. It would have been easy to make her just Sokka's love interest (after she kicked his butt), but the Kyoshi Warriors are so excellent, and as their leader she's really tops. I am very invested in her fate post series, and both dislike her handling in the comics (like so many others, but the tonedeafness in sending her off to serve as personal guards to the Fire Lord was really bad) and then we know nothing of her beyond. I realize we have less info on her than the next two characters, but I still just like her a lot.

Azula: There's a lot of good reasons she could be placed higher in the list, especially as she's a more central character than several above this spot, but I still enjoy them more. While she makes a great antagonist, there are a few places her characterization was bent for the sake of the plot (at least IMO). Still, her final breakdown, was pretty much the perfect end for her, as it leaves the audience empathetic to the fact that she's part of the debris left behind by the Fire Nation's warmonger - the ultimate demonstration the show spends a lot of time on, that the people of the Fire Nation are also suffering due to the war.

Ty Lee: ty Lee is a lot of fun. Her character is fine. It just has less development and is less interesting than the others to me. I still enjoy it and I enjoy where she ended up post series.

OK, 10 was a lot and my order might shift a bit. Also, I actually like most of the characters in the show, at least the recurring ones. I have criticisms of most characters, but overall they're fairly minor. After all, if I didn't like the characters, then it'd be a bit strange to hang out in the fandom to my mind. I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts.

[luxaryllis]

PINNED.

ABOUT ME ⊹₊ ⋆

☁︎ Hello! You can call me Lux or Ary; though everyone here pretty much calls me Lux (or other variations) instead

☁︎ I'm not that comfortable sharing my age to people I'm not close to, but all you need to know is that I'm a minor.

☁︎ Before requesting, please do keep that fact in mind; I may be rather open to all sorts of requests, I do have a list of rules you need to follow when requesting.

☁︎ I use any pronouns. By that, I mean I don't really care what pronouns you use on me. I tend to just use the standard he/she/they (in no particular order), so you can use any/all of that if you'd like.

☁︎ Here is my carrd! (Might make a new one/update this one)

STATUS ᯓ★

☁︎ Posting status: semi-active, slow updates

☁︎ Request status: open, can't guarantee a quick response

☁︎ DM status: always open, as long as you're respectful

FANDOMS .𖥔 ݁ ˖

☁︎ Twisted Wonderland (character request limit: 5)

nrc students, staff, released rsa students, side characters with design & voicelines

☁︎ Hetalia (character request limit: 4)

all characters that have at least 1 minute (or 2 pages, for manga only characters) of screen time and speaking time (in manga and/or anime)

☁︎ Honkai Star Rail (character request limit: 4)

all released characters

☁︎ Alien Stage (character request limit: 5)

all released characters (excluding side characters that did not sing)

☁︎ MILGRAM (character request limit: 3)

all characters, including victims

☁︎ Fire Emblem: Three Houses (character request limit: 4)

blue lions, black eagles, golden deer, ashen wolves, church/knights of serios, some side characters

☁︎ Fire Emblem: Engage (character request limit: 4)

firene, brodia, solm, elusia, fell & divine dragons, emblems, excluding DLC-exclusive characters

Note: Character request limits are only applicable when asking for headcanons; for fics, you can request for as many characters you want to appear. These limits might be flexible, depending on what you're asking.

GENRES ��༄

☁︎ Angst

☁︎ Fluff

☁︎ Hurt/Comfort (or other variations)

☁︎ Platonic (preferred)

☁︎ Romantic

☁︎ Character x reader, character x character, character x oc, etc

☁︎ Yandere (to an extent)

☁︎ Crossovers

☁︎ Songfics

RULES FOR REQUESTS ༺☆༻

☁︎ NO smut or lewd content; this is non-negotiable

☁︎ Big age gap for romantic relationships (minor x adult, and if at least one of the characters is meant to be portrayed as a child/not of legal age)

☁︎ Feel free to be as specific if you want

☁︎ Spoilers are okay, as long as you give a warning beforehand

☁︎ If your request has anything including sensitive content, have a TW or a warning beforehand as well

☁︎ Feel free to give me feedback and/or constructive criticism, especially tell me if I make a mistake at anything

☁︎ I automatically default to gender neutral reader, unless you specify the gender of the reader

☁︎ Please do specify if what you're sending in is a request or not; as well as the characters you want to be included in it!

MASTERLIST ✩࿐

☁︎ TWISTED WONDERLAND

☁︎ HETALIA

☁︎ HONKAI STAR RAIL

☁︎ ALIEN STAGE

☁︎ MILGRAM

☁︎ FIRE EMBLEM THREE HOUSES

☁︎ FIRE EMBLEM ENGAGE

☁︎ GENSHIN IMPACT (will not be updating)

☁︎ OBEY ME (will not be updating)

☁︎ MIKA'S SPECIAL REQUESTS

☁︎ MILESTONE/EVENTS

☁︎ WORKS-IN-PROGRESS QUEUE (barely updated)

[king-k-ripple]

Kirby Games Ranked From Easiest to Hardest

If you haven’t played a Kirby game and don’t know where to start, hopefully this can help you decide based on what you want from Kirby. If you’re looking for a game to simply relax with and have a good time, games ranked 13-9 will suffice. If you’re looking for a challenge, every Kirby game ranked 5-1 will be up your alley despite the popular belief in all Kirby games being cakewalks. Finally, games 6-8 are what I consider to be an average difficulty by Kirby standards. Keep in mind that the difficulty of these games will be based on simply finishing them, not necessarily 100%ing them, though some games require 100% completion to be finished regardless and I will take that into consideration in games where it will be applicable. If you have played these games, I’d love to see where my rankings agree and/or disagree with the rest of the fandom. Without further ado (oh look a Kirby pun), here are my rankings:

13: Kirby’s Epic Yarn

It is literally impossible to die and no collecting is required. Very little to no effort is needed to finish this game. I wish I could say more, but there isn’t anything else to talk about.

12: Kirby Star Allies

The reason why this ranks so low is because a good amount of the game plays itself with the helpers both in puzzle solving and combat. Bosses, often the hardest parts of Kirby games, go down in mere seconds. The reason why it’s not at the very bottom is because it’s at least possible to die in this game, and there are more one-hit kills in this game than any other game in the series. Yes, there are difficult stages like Heroes in Another Dimension and the return of the infamous Shiver Star factory level, but both of these are completely optional and therefore not make the base game any harder.

11: Kirby Super Star Ultra

The combination of being able to take like 10-12 hits and the sheer power+versatility of the copy abilities makes you almost unstoppable (except for auto scrollers). Not even the extra modes like Revenge of the King are all that hard, and Meta Knightmare Ultra is far easier than the main story because you can heal yourself up to 5 times by collecting 10 blue orbs from killing enemies per use, and seeing as enemies are everywhere, your ability to heal recovers and stacks fast.

10: Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland

Not a lot stopping you except for the eratic enemy behavior, but your 6-point health bar makes it only 1/6th as bad as instant death, and seeing as every door is a checkpoint with about 2-5 doors per stage, and the fact that this game showers you with lives, this game isn’t much of a challenge either. Although this game’s Meta Knightmare is an actual hard mode with only three HP and a lack of blue orbs, it has the same issue as Star Allies’ hardest levels in that it’s optional and doesn’t make simply finishing the game any harder.

9: Kirby Squeak Squad

This is the first game on the list with something that can genuinely halt one’s progress, that being the star seals. The player will not be able to progress to World 7 if they missed at least one star seal. With that being said, the required star seals only barely raise the challenge since there are only five of them, three of which are easy to obtain. Mecha Kracko, Dark Daroach, and the Star seals in 4-2 and 5-1 are the only somewhat hard parts of the game. Aside from that, it’s basically Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland 2 but even more forgiving with combat because of the ability scrolls and health upgrades.

8: Kirby’s Dreamland 1

Both the levels and bosses are pushovers. It doesn’t help that this is the shortest Kirby game by a long shot, so there isn’t much challenge the game can throw at you. So why is this in the middle of the list? It’s because of King Dedede, who is easily the hardest Dedede fight in the series. It’s all thanks to the claustrophobic arena you fight him in, making the window for evasion of Dedede’s attacks far smaller than the fights in the rest of the series. I legit “game overed” to this fight many times when I played Dreamland 1 for the fist time. Even to this day, Dedede knocks me out a few times before I get the hang of his move set. Regardless, one very difficult boss fight in an otherwise easy and short game can only get Dreamland 1 so high up on the list.

7: Kirby Return to Dreamland

Now we get to the games that consistently require effort to finish, and not just limited to one or a few instances. Return to Dreamland is basically Kirby Star Allies but with less automation in that you have to perform a lot more tasks yourself, from problem solving to obstacle dodging to combat. Although the number of one-hit kills isn’t quite as high as in Star Allies, it’s up there, especially in Egg Engines.

6: Kirby 64 the Crystal Shards

This entry would be a solid contender for the hardest game in the series if it weren’t for its cheat code, because Kirby 64 has the highest number of mandatory 100% completion tasks, but because the code exists, Kirby 64 is middle of the road when it comes to difficulty, and it plays a lot like Return to Dreamland, being a straightforward action platformer where the meat of the game is overcoming tricky to fight+dodge enemies+obstacles, with a fair amount of obstacles being 1-hit kills. The reason why 64 is above Return to Dreamland is because Kirby is nowhere near as agile in 64. Not only can he run out of flight, but he walks and runs slowly, making avoiding obstacles harder to avoid than Return to Dreamland.

5: Kirby’s Dreamland 2

If you’re like me and prefer easy games over hard ones, this is where the franchise transitions from a lot of fun to kind of frustrating. This game has a 100% completion requirement in the form of rainbow drops, though there are only seven to collect. While that sounds easy, getting the rainbow drops in 4-4, 5-5, and 6-2 are some of the hardest things to do in a Kirby game. 4-4 and 5-5 are fast-moving auto scrollers that can easily one-shot you and take away the power you need for the Rainbow drops. 6-2 has an insane amount to steps to get its rainbow drop, and all must be performed in a row flawlessly. Another thing that puts this game high on the list is the lack of time to react to pretty much anything and everything. Ever played Marble Garden Zone from Sonic 3? The zone where you move far too fast and the hazards move far too fast for you to react? Imagine if every stage was like that, it was on a 10-9 aspect ratio, and the sprites were large relative to the screen. That is basically the level design of Kirby’s Dreamland 2. With no time to react to and prepare for any enemies or hazards, a player is likely to take hits and die quite often, many of which feel more like the game’s fault than a lack of the player’s skill.

4: Kirby Planet Robobot

3: Kirby Triple Deluxe

2: Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot, and Forgotten Land all share the same reasons for their high placements on this list. The first reason is not allowing non-completionists to finish any world if they haven’t obtained enough collectibles, many of which become inaccessible if the player fails to collect them after one attempt. The second reason is because unlike the rest of the series, completing the boss rushes are required to finish the games because the final bosses can’t simply be fought in the main stories and instead are locked behind the tail ends of the boss rushes, and unlike the regular stages, there are no checkpoints or continues in the boss rushes, so the margin for error is insanely small. The reasons why the Kirby games are in this order are because Triple Deluxe on average demands more sun stones than Robobot does for code cubes and the absence of the stone ability in Forgotten Land makes the boss rush at least ten times harder than it was in Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot.

1: Kirby’s Dreamland 3

Imagine taking the difficulty of Dreamland 2’s 4-4, 5-5, and 6-2’s rainbow drops and putting it in every single stage of the game. That is basically what you get for Dreamland 3. There is not one heart star that isn’t a pain in the butt to get, and the worst part is that they are all mandatory. Because there is absolutely zero margin for error, I have no choice but to put this game above all the others when it comes to difficulty.

This truly was an interesting way to analyze the Kirby series, and if you have a difference in opinion, I’d love to hear what Kirby games gave you the easiest and hardest time.

[moonpoolcat]

Personal question but you said in your bio you were abandoned by the last fandom you were a part of? how did that happen if you don't mind me asking?

Oh I can for sure answer that. The last fandom I was a part of was a sci-fi based furry server I had been a part of for years. I treated everyone there like family, my art improved because of them and I looked up to the owner of the server like a second parent an I regret it to this day. However the owner of the discord server allowed children to run her server an be in an area that was 13 an up when it should have been 18 an up. I was openly stalked an harassed by a dam 15 year old for 2 years an I had screenshots worth of evidence and the mods did nothing- The server was severely toxic and I had called out it's issues twice to where I was banned not once but three FUCKING TIMES! Do you understand that they made me to be the bad guy because I refused to keep my mouth shut. She let mods abuse their power an did nothing, she hired random strangers with no mod application to be admins even though there were users who had been there since the servers opening an were never chosen it was all favoritism from the start. One of those bans was for an entire year an they didn't even let me back in after a month when they promised to let me rejoin. I was forgotten... I was a pest. A RAT to them. I was on a list of troublemakers when I had done nothing but try an keep the server safe, even accidentally co-running it because none of the mods were on until I said something that pissed them off. They didn't defend anyone unless it was their stupid little friend group giving them extra privilege's. DO NOT make it obvious you have favorites I will openly hate you for your entire existence. Keep that shit to yourself an don't enrage your fans. This child made unwanted unconsented ships, lore broke an bypassed multiple rules, had a futa kink, misrepresented lesbians, the trans community multiple times misrepresented people with multiple personality disorders, fact checking, an overall being a dick to everyone. As of now I am banned forever an no longer allowed to return, the place I once called home is now gone forever, the countless ocs I drew are long forgotten an i have been abandoned. All because of poor management... This is why I don't talk to younger users an have openly wrote in my bio that I don't want them dm me on this platform. I am openly blunt an none of them would handle an argument with me even if they tried. It just reminds me that no matter what I do everyone will always say "they're just a kid" MAN FUCK THAT! If you do some dumb shit I'm calling you out on it I don't care how young you are you're old enough to make an account, you're aware of what's right or wrong don't be stupid your actions have consequences. You want to be an adult I'll treat you like one. Go fucking cope for all i care. To this day I had successfully managed to get them banned from every server an I will keep doing it until they erase themselves from the internet.

Fuck with my life I break your legs so no one cna help you :) Call this controversial I don't care much social is a distaser now. ELIAM WHITE IF YOU'RE READING THIS FUCK YOU! GO KILL YOURSELF YOU SCUMBAG YOU ABSOLUTELY RUINED MY LIFE. since you can't even bother to change your username on any social media platform. I hope everyone on here knows you're a zoophile for fetishising Dobermans, wolves, dragons, and any form of big cat. No your stupid mutt of a dog is not part wolf stop bragging about it. Your lore an ocs are complete ass no one wants to read that shit garbage you call a fandom. YOU DO NOT HAVE ADHD, no one makes notes of strangers on their phones, stalks their timezones an hits on their oc the moment they create one. You hate everyone who's in a relationship trying to be a third wheel you creep. NOT TO MENTION YOU'RE A PEDO FOR SHOWING PORN TO MINORS YOUNGER THAN YOU! YOU ACTIVELY HAVE NOTHING BUT ADULTS FOR FRIENDS YOU WILL GET THEM ALL SENT TO JAIL! And for anyone else reading this from that server I hope you know that you are all good for nothing traitors an have ignored my pleas for help for far too long. None of you believed in me an none of you bothered to see what this little boy has done. Fuck you all. GO FUCK YOURSELVES!!!

[lostbutterflyutau]

Reflections

Note: This "missing scene," like all my Furuba fics, takes place in my headcanon in which all canon events still occur, but my OC is part of the story and things change a bit after the OG ending. Because I still consider it free real estate.

I'll explain various plot elements as needed. For this one, all you really need to know is that my OC plays a major role and it might help to read about her (HERE).

Also, this is my first time in a while writing for this fandom and participating in a fandom event, so hoping it goes alright.

(Didn't have time to give it to my beta before posting, so I apologise for any silly mistakes).

**** Prompt: Missing Scene

Timeline: Chapter 132/Season 3, Episode 12 (Before the Meeting) **** “You have really long eyelashes,” Shima complimented, gently brushing mascara over them.  

“Is that a good thing?” Akito asked, doing her best to keep still even as she spoke.

Shima already had to re-apply her eyeliner twice due to her not being used to the feeling and accidentally smearing it. But Akito couldn’t help it. She’d never had makeup put on her before. It was strange, just like her ensemble. And everything else that had happened in the past few weeks.

Even just a few months ago, she would have never thought of being friends with people like Tohru and Shima. In fact, Shima’s hair still irritated her at times, which she seemed to pick up on given how it was tied back now, or maybe that was just to keep it out of her face. Akito wasn’t sure, but also knew that it didn’t matter. She was just grateful for the help from both her new friend and the maids that had helped her dress.

“It is. They’re pretty.” Shima sat back, put the wand in the tube. “Now you just need some lipstick.”  

Akito didn’t respond, only watched as Shima turned to the small bag sitting at her side and pulled three tubes from it. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to such words being directed at her and wanted to protest, but she knew it was fruitless. Shima wasn’t one to backpedal on her words. She and Shigure had that in common. Besides, there were much more important things at hand.

While she didn’t say anything, Shima could tell from the look on Akito’s face that she felt awkward, which was more than understandable. Dressing up this way – hell, just being a girl in general –  was still a foreign concept to her. And, on top of that, she was about to go and reveal that fact – and more – to her former Zodiac.

Unfortunately, it was one of those rare occurrences where she was at a loss for what to say. As much as she hated admitting it, anything having to do with the inner circle was outside her understanding. Always had been. She’d been foolish enough to think she understood once, but recent events proved that she never really had. It was something she was still coming around to even as she decided to look ahead instead of behind her. So many things had happened and today was going to be the official start of a new path for all of them, including Akito.

“Definitely this one,” She decided, twisting open one of the tubes.

“What is that?” Akito asked, looking over the applicator in Shima’s hand. Though she knew very little about makeup, it still didn’t look like any lipstick she’d seen before.

“Liquid lipstick,” Shima explained, gently slid her hand underneath Akito’s chin and tipped her head up.

She applied the colour delicately, smiled at the finished result before putting the makeup aside and pulling out the headband holding Akito’s hair back, watching as her fringe fell into place. She then swept up the flowers and pins, moved over to the side to complete the final touch.

For a moment, neither spoke, unsure of what to say. Navigating this friendship was new for both of them, and Akito wasn’t sure what she could or couldn’t say or if Shima would even understand the weight on her heart. The one that she wasn’t sure she was even allowed to have after everything. But, on the other end, there was any one else she could talk to aside from Tohru, but she wasn’t here. Shima was. And being the sister of one previously possessed, she’d lived with the cloud of the curse much longer, albeit in a different way.

Finally, she took in a breath, decided to take her chance.  

“Shima?”

“Hm?” Shima murmured. It was the most she could muster with the pins in her mouth.

“Do you think this is even worth it?

Shima didn’t answer. Not right away. Instead, she kept her focus on the task at hand, contemplating her response as her hands worked. Despite having a vague idea of what Akito was asking, she still decided to ask as she pulled the final pin out of her mouth,

“Depends. What exactly is ‘it?’”

Akito flicked her eyes down to her hands, fiddled with the end of one of her sleeves. “This whole thing, I suppose. They have to know what happened. And after everything, would they even listen to what I have to say?”

Cautiously, Shima reached over, placed a hand over hers. “I think they will. Especially after you come in like this. Remind me. What did Gure say when he gave this to you?”

Keeping her eyes down, Akito recalled, “He said it was both a parting and a welcome gift. That I was leaving behind the person everyone wanted me to be and becoming a new me. Whoever that is.”  

Shima smiled. She knew the answer. Had it stuck in her head since Akito told her a few days prior. But she needed her to say it, hoping that if she did, she would start to believe his words.

“In other words, it’s an external representation of the internal.”

 At that, Akito finally looked up, her expression telling Shima that while she probably got the gist of what she meant, she still didn’t appreciate her use of writer speak.

“They can’t see the change in your heart,” Shima explained. “At least not yet. But by doing this, you can show them that you’re taking the first big step to becoming your authentic self.”

“But even with the ‘external,’ will they believe me?”

“I can’t speak for them, but I like to think that they would. Even if it takes time.” She shifted then, and despite knowing it was a risk, moved to wrap her arms around the smaller woman.

“And if it helps, I believe you.”  

Though it wasn’t the first time and far less shocking than the time Arisa Uotani had hugged her, Akito still wasn’t sure what to make of her affection. Reassuring, but not pitiful, just like her words. Shima knew she didn’t need anyone’s pity. Not anymore. So, as she reached up and gently squeezed Shima’s arm, Akito chose to believe she only wanted to let her know she was there. That there was one more person in her corner.

“Akito?” Another voice interrupted as the door slid open, the maid first blinking at the unusual sight before shaking it off and continuing as Shima returned to her previous position.  “Are you ready?”  

Akito sighed to herself. There was no turning back now. It didn’t matter if she was ready. The time had come to take the first step into a life that was truly her own and begin her atonement. Whether anyone would accept it or not, especially without the pull of the curse, was another question, but one she had to face.

It had never been a matter of whether she could do this. It was something she had to do. For them. And to a lesser degree, herself. And even after today, there would still be a long road ahead. One without the eternity she had been previously promised. A world full of strangers.  

“Hey.”

A faint whisper caught her attention and it, along with a gentle touch, brought her back to reality. She turned, saw in Shima’s eyes nothing but warmth and support – underserved, she thought, but earnest.

“You got this.”   

It was such a small, simple declaration, but something about it eased the tension stirring up inside her, making way for a wave of relief she hadn’t felt before now. While it didn’t shake off all her nerves, the thought that maybe the world wasn’t completely full of strangers and that she had a few people – including Shima – on her side was enough to make her finally stand.

Releasing another deep sigh, Akito took a step forward, the movement as firm as her reply.

“Ready as I’ll ever be."

[a-really-good-lawyer-abandoned]

Something I never see people talk about (which could be because I simply haven't come across it) is how rough forming a new hyperfixation can be, especially a core hyperfixation.

I've loved Star Trek for years. But for whatever reason, it wasn't until a couple years ago that something in my brain *clicked* and it became a new core hyperfixation.

In some ways it was better than past such hyperfixations because there is so much Star Trek out there to consume, between shows and films and then the fandom content because this fandom has been alive and well for over 50 years, gave birth to modern fandom.

But that didn't change the fact that, for the ensuing six months, it consumed my life - and not in the fun, tongue-in-cheek way we say 'this fandom consumes my life', like semi-hyperbole.

When I say it consumed my life, I mean it was near non-stop hyperfocus for months.

My apartment was constantly a mess, same as my sense of time. My sleep schedule was constantly erratic. I was often dehydrated, had frequent headaches, often found myself shaking from all the adrenaline surges. I dropped fifteen pounds almost without noticing (weight I shouldn't have dropped).

I was always drained, always disoriented, always distracted. It didn't feel good. Really, it felt distinctly bad, and I felt completely out of control to make it stop. If I made myself ignore the media and fic and fan art and all of that, it just meant I sank into myself, got lost in my head for hours on end.

After the first two months it began to gradually, slowly ease up, and when I hit around six months it stopped feeling like I was being dragged along and started to feel the way I want when it comes to hyperfixations - it was fun, mood-boosting. Engaging with it improved my mental health, instead of causing it, along with my physical health, to deteriorate.

That was probably the worst 'epsiode' I've had, but I've had them several times. The one when I developed the Daredevil hyperfixation thankfully lasted only two months, same as when it was FMA:B and BBC Merlin, and...three months, I think, for Star Wars? The one that got closest was Smallville, my first fandom hyperfixation, though I imagine some of that had to do with it coming out when I first had regular internet access. That one was maybe four or five months, and was dragged out by the fact that I was in high school so I was 'forced' away from it all by the anxiety of college applications and AP exams and all that fun stuff.

I love having these things. They've been good for me, for my emotional welfare - have helped me survive so much. I never regret that initial rough aspect, not that I've ever had the power to do things differently.

But it is rough, and one of the aspects of neurodivergence I've had the most trouble explaining to neurotypical people. They see it as simple obsession or addiction, something that I fell into and need to take steps to pull myself out of, rather than something that my brain just does at the drop of a hat and which won't stop until I go through that process. Trying not to, trying to mitigate it, just ends up dragging that process out. It can't be reduced or bypassed. It's just part of how my brain works.

And people trying to interfere with that, to 'fix' that by making me pay attention to other things, giving me tasks, whatever it may be - it does nothing to change it. If anything, it makes the whole thing much more destabalizing, in ways that can have major consequences for my state of mind, and I've had the experiences to prove it.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but I just...wanted to put it out there. I think there can be shame attached to this reality - shame I've felt, and which I've come to recognize originates from neurotypical social expectations and a lack of understanding.

If this is something you've dealt with and have been shamed for, I hope this post can give you some comfort. It isn't a failing, isn't deviant, isn't indulgent. It just is, and you aren't bad or broken or weak because of it.

[stoportotouch]

🎥🤩🌠🤷‍♀️🍎?

I’m also tempted to send 👶 although I feel like I can predict what your answer would be…

🎥 - pick a fic and I'll tell you the song I imagine playing during its movie trailer

making the truly arbitrary choice of my New One bright, bright beneath the gate and making the somewhat pedestrian choice of albion london lights from the sunless skies soundtrack. this is partly because it is slightly less obvious than just straight-up using the transformation music from parsifal, perfect for when you are going to a place where time becomes space (i do not know what wagner meant by this.), even though that is the direction that that one is sailing in. also. however. both of the sunless games (and fallen london more generally) do have such wonderfully evocative soundtracks. which are also very easily transferrable onto stuff happening to characters in amc's the terror (season one).

🔮- what's your favorite plot twist you've ever written?

can i call hodge being pregnant a plot twist when i had accidentally lead up to it for the last few chapters? probably, i guess. (sidenote: this plot point was surprising to nobody more than me, in that i did not intend for it to happen originally. tbh i was kind of torn betwteen hodgson and little for who to hit with the Transgenderification Beam!)

🤷‍♀️ - what's a fic you didn't expect to be popular, but really took off?

honestly i never expected Any of the stuff that i have been writing for the terror to get any attention. partly because i arrived to the terror after having been in a particularly bad fandom scene (and that isn't even the other particularly bad fandom scene i was in that imploded dramatically in 2023!) but also. like. it is strange to start writing stuff in a new fandom! i didn't think that it hurts to pray to god would go anywhere, however, in part because i started writing it thinking "this isn't very good, is it? oh well." and look at where we are now.

🍎 - what's something you learned while researching for a fic?

other than the existence and life of lydia maria child (which i have discussed vaguely) and the stuff about victorian childrearing, i have a large collection of unexplored google searches about the musicology and historical context of wagner's parsifal sitting on my firefox at the moment. i actually also ended up recycling some research that i did for an essay during my master's for this, in spite of the fact that it will appear Never in the thing that i am writing. but hey, it informs the writing.

bonus:

👶 - fankids: How you do you feel about them? would your otp have kids?

very much did not used to be my thing and in fairness it is not my thing now outside of one (1) VERY specific application. part of that is possibly symptomatic of the sorts of characters and interactions that i am usually drawn to, and the fact that their dynamics are not ones in which a child would do well. (and in the example there nobody is left alive to have a child.) also. frankly. james and kate were originally basically just character devices/plot devices before i realised "actually this could be very fun in its own right to contemplate." as i said when i was originally throwing the idea of them around (and before i had the more recent idea for rebecca to exist), early/mid 19th century family structure looks weird to us in the 21st century as it is. add in hodgson being from a very rich family and it is probably completely alien. (and then you find that you are very interested in the woman who wrote the childrearing manual that you read to give yourself an idea of what sorts of ideas they might be taking on board and...) as i said recently. kate has also somewhat escaped into bright, bright beneath the gate. this is admittedly mostly just for me and nobody else since she is the character that i have been playing sunless sea as. but no less if any of the three of the lieutenants' kids as they exist in my brain was to time travel in that wise it would probably be her.

[lara635kookie]

Ship Analysis pt. 3:

Red Crackle, Carmivy and Carulia:

Skipping to the Himalayan lab, he is under someone's control and influence:Maelstrom. If y'all read my three part character analysis about Maelstrom and his fandom wiki, you know how manipulative he is. The Himalayans is the first time we see Maelstrom leaving V.I.L.E. island(castle, at that time), but why? You would think that Doctor Bellum, because of having Gray as her favorite operative, would have been enough to convince Gray to come back to V.I.L.E. right? But we don't see doctor Bellum interacting with Graham not even once, which is a rather strange fact, since Gray was her teacher's pet. You could argue that she was busy with Roby the Robot Robber(this will never not be funny to me) but she could have gone to talk to Gray at least ONCE. But no, Maelstrom has to leave the castle because it has to be him to take care of that matter. Why was that? For me, it's because Maelstrom was the one that made the application interview with Gray and probably was the one who approved him to enter V.I.L.E. He wanted to do the same thing he had done before all over again. At some point, Bellum asks what they are going to do about Gray and Maelstrom says they have to accept him back before the "red swindler" (I'm not sure that's the term he used, probably wasn't but anyway, you got it) can convince him into her side. He literally implies he manipulates Gray. He was basically saying:"Before Carmen can manipulate him, we will manipulate him first." Carmen Sandiedo is a pretty good "show, don't tell" series and Maelstrom definitely showed what he's capable of. He KNOWS how manipulative he is. He doesn't even look surprised when he realizes Gray was still there. He doesn't even smile or say much. He didn't have to. He KNEW that once he stepped up into the game, it was going to work. If there's something to appreciate about Maelstrom is his confidence and self-esteem("A Crime Genius, with a lunatic" he said something like this when incarcerated in a cell in front of Mime Bomb) He's too good at being bad and bad at being good. Maelstrom is the personification of V.I.L.E.:Charismatic and seemingly appealing but it's just manipulating you, using you and take advantage of people to achieve his own personal goals. Just like Chief, it's the personification of A.C.M.E.:Good, but not perfect and make mistakes too big sometimes(like killing Dexter Wolfe and indirectly almost killing Carmen in The Stockholm Syndrome Caper). Gray says to Carmen that he had time to connect the dots and think a lot about stuff but he never mentions that it was ALONE time. And we barely see him alone compared to the time he spends with Maelstrom seeing videos and photos of his past, doing the ink test or even just talking. He is his V.I.L.E. self because all agents of V.I.L.E. are under V.I.L.E.'s control and influence all the time. It is revealed to us in the dia de los muertos episode that Sonia appear that she fits V.I.L.E.'s profile:"Young(Gray was 18 when he joined V.I.L.E.), talented(Gray was an electrician almost getting a promotion to become stage lighting tech) and orphan("not that I would know of, I'm an orphan). V.I.L.E. targets young individuals that feel lonely and abandoned in this world and are emotionally vulnerable and mentally immature, easy victims, manipulating them into doing whatever they want.

To be continued...

[kikisdeliveryzine]

Jiji asked: As a consumer of the zine, I'm pretty bummed to see so few contributors for an anniversary project, especially writers. Only three? That's so few, especially when the list is already small. Is there a reason you decided for such a small project, and why so few writers? I love art, don't get me wrong, but when it comes to these older fandoms, fanfiction has way more of my attention. For the 35th anniversary, it would have been nice to see more folks included.

Hello, 

Thanks for reaching out—we definitely hear you! Our project is a love letter to one of our favorite fandoms & we wish we could've accepted all ~350 applicants. Our project has been scaled since the beginning to be both manageable in workload for our mod team & capable of breaking even with full compensation for our contributors. We considered IC data and sales trajectories of recent Ghibli projects when determining the scope of the project, the number of contributors to accept, and other specs before launching apps. 

Our info doc (x) has always been clear about the number of contributors we planned to accept, with a breakdown by role as well. In this case we opted to keep the contributor count low to ensure that writers had plenty of pages for their work without exceeding our planned budget. In fact, we expect to have more than half of the book focus on text! 

Trust us when we say that this was a tough decision to make. If money and time weren't factors for this hobby project, we guarantee everyone would be in our server right now. Since they are, though, we put a lot of time and thought into this decision. We hope you understand! 

[Smile or comment on the answer here](https://retrospring.net/@KikiZine/a/113306454623414579)