#the former writer in me is like-

[cosmicgesture]

I'm gonna make my own post about this, but regarding the ever decreasing number of comments on things like AO3 and even commentary and reblogs on tumblr posts:

I think some of it might be coming from a state of hyper-vigilance regarding what is appropriate, what is allowed. It's not just a case of we don't want to be perceived as cringe; it's also a case of not wanting to over step boundaries, wary of creating an impression of over-familiarity, wondering where that sweet spot of acceptable distance is, which is different for everyone.

When you don't know where the social boundaries are, it's safer to say nothing. Leaving kudos or likes or even reblogging with only descriptive tags is a safe, stealthy way of saying "I like this" without having to jump the hoops and hurdles of "I don't know what is appropriate to say to this person."

I think about this aspect because this is how I am specifically, and it occurred to me that I might not be the only one. If I consider leaving a comment on something, I spend hours scrolling through other comments or digging around to find the author's social media and see if they've answered asks, and how they were answered, trying to gauge what kind of wording would be acceptable and not cause some disgust or discomfort. I don't want to come off as mean with some joke, I can't come off as overly-familiar because the author and I are not Friends, but some mindless throwaway line seems ingenuine, sometimes a play by play works but talking to the characters rather than the author is ??? (either fine or wildly unwelcome), are keysmashes still appropriate or is that not okay anymore? Does this person like that kind of response? What if they don't?

etc. etc. etc.

Idk where I was going with this, just thoughts. And maybe it's just me that's like this, and I do sure feel damn guilty about it.

[orionsangel86]

Suddenly remembering the best and funniest Good Omens fanfiction I ever read which was set at a mutual Heaven and Hell "work party" and all the demons had bets to see who could bed an angel by the end of the night. It was hilarious and of course you read it presuming that Crowley will win but be gentlemanly enough to not claim the prize - which of course is what happens, but at the last minute it hits you around the face by revealling that Beelzebub hooked up with Gabriel

and well.

I think I'm gonna go reread that fic...

[eddiestommy]

okay but the thing is, even if bucktommy were to breakup on the first episode of season eight and buddie became canon i would still ship them, you know? and if bucktommy were to get married and adopt 50 kids next season i would still ship buddie and buddietommy because for me canon is just the blueprint but what really matters is the situations and scenarios i put those guys in my head

[diaryofamadsunwukongfan]

Case file #101: Adam Taurus

Race: Faunus

Nationality: Atlas

Ethnicity: Mantlecean

Weapon: Wilt & Blush (note: resembles a SDC weapon prototype that was stolen about 5 years ago. The blade stores kinetic energy that is then released in the form of harsh destruction rays.)

Gender: Man

Sexuality: Gynephiliac (This information was obtained from a double agent in Menagiere)

Current Age: 21

Aura Color: Red

Handedness: Right

Complexion: Pale

Eye Color: Pale blue

Faunus trait: Bull horns (Adam has both the strength and Endurance of a Bull, according to reports.)

Occupation: White Fang Vale branch leader

Previous Occuppation: White Fang Black ops commander (Classified)

13 years ago, Adam Taurus (note: last name constructed) became the subject of a world known, yet private court case against the SDC where a brand over his left eye was used as evidence of several claims of Faunus workplace abuse. The accusers in the court case were the two leaders of the White Fang, Ghira Bête & Sienna Khan. The White Fang won the court case and an anti neo-slavery bill was passed throughout Atlas-Mantle as a result. Adam, who had recently lost his mother at the time and was a still a minor, was adopted by Sienna Khan who took him to Menagiere.

... unfortunately, 5 years ago Ghira and his wife Kali Bête were assasinated at a Faunus rally somewhere in rural Sanus. They survive by their only daughter, Blake Bête. Since then, the White Fang has cultivated a [CLASSIFIED] organization under the leadership of Sienna Khan. The leaders of the White Fang under Sienna include Adam (Vale branch leader) and Fennec & Corsac Albain (Religous leaders). Attempts by the White Fang to establish an Atlas branch have been stopped by the council (note: countinue to stop them. watch all WF gatherings in Atlas).

WARNING: ONLY MEMBERS WITH LV.5 CLARENCE ARE ALLOWED TO READ BELOW

The White Fang has a Black Ops organization being used to carry out robberies and assasinations in all of Renment. The leader of the Black Ops is Adam Taurus, with Illia Amitola (note: needs a case file) and Blake Bête (has carried out 8 known assasinations on Faunus hate groups, currently missing, needs a case file) as sub commanders. All three serve as de-facto leaders of the White Fang in the event Sienna Khan is killed (note: Do NOT assasinate Sienna Khan, it will lead to race riots. Limit anti White Fang activity to covert operations).

Adam is wanted for the murders of 64 individuals in Atlas, all of whom are connected to the SDC (note: at least 20 were family members). If spotted, do NOT kill him, he is to be captured alive under all circumstances. Allow him to flee if he cannot be captured.

[The writing below is a transcript from a page recovered from a mansion attacked by the White Fang. It is believed to come from Adam Taurus, written by him and then stabbed to the wall.]

"...your father is a white demon. He told me he loved me and would take me to Atlas, but after I gave him what he wanted he left me down here in his mines. Adam, I need you to find your father. And when you do, I want you to kill him. And his wife. And their children. Kill every human on this earth so I can forgive giving birth to a half-"

"I WILL DO IT MOM"

[End of paper dialouge]

[taradactyls]

Trying to Tread Water: Chapter Thirty

The Elizabeth/Darcy Marriage of Convenience fic no one asked for

Chapter Thirty: Elizabeth's first ball in town - and the first official dance she is attending as Mrs Darcy - has arrived. As have the Darcy family's collection of jewellery, which Mr Darcy sent for. Of course, despite that their marriage was made to secure her safety, his love for Elizabeth means he wants none but her to wear them. They stay close to each other during the ball, and he cannot keep his eyes off her. Especially when they dance.

Read on Ao3 here

First reviews of Chapter Thirty: "Honestly when I get the email this story has updated I get very excited and it’s a proper treat! I made a coffee and sat down to read it as soon as possible." "Loved this update! Oh man the vibes during that dance were just perfect." "I'm literally so unreasonably happy that they had a nice night out😭😭 grinning in public like a lunatic rn..." "I really loved the ball in its entirety, honestly. The descriptions of the room and atmosphere, and especially the last dance, all speaks to your writing prowess. 12/10, would recommend." "This story is my absolute favorite notification and I seriously enjoy reading it so much! The characters, the world building, just so incredibly well done!"

Story updates on Ao3 fortnightly, with Chapter Thirty-One coming out on the 17th May.

Story tags: Elizabeth/Darcy, Marriage of Convenience, Unrequited Love, Not Really Unrequited Love, Slow Burn, Pining, Pining Despite Being Married, Mr Darcy thinks his worst enemy is Wickham but maybe it's himself.

[miraluking-respectfully]

man while i'm on my felix kick it fucking sucks that they keep not knowing what the FUCK to do with this character when he's actually very strongly characterized. i went off about this last night but like, underutilized aspect of felix: he's like, a really good leader?? and i'm not talking an uber-inspiring protagonist-type leader like the PC; i'm talking an extremely functional organizer of people that you especially need in a military context. it's kind of hard to clock at first if you're not paying attention, especially because you're introduced to him while he's desperately trying to stave off a mutiny; but considering he's on a shithole iceball with a group of restless 18-to-25-year-old recruits who, as far as they're concerned, are trying to kill an immortal enemy, the fact that only one of them winds up ultimately raising a hand against him is impressive. he boosts morale, he makes good tactical calls on his own while not being too proud to take assistance, he metes out swift discipline without being needlessly punitive. and when the squad splits up, people keep in touch with him!!!

like, felix is extremely good at his job, and that aspect of him kind of deepens the tragedy of his permanent stagnation in rank when you compare him to other soldier comps like Rusk or even early-game Jorgan. i'm not a fan of fictional or real militaries but this character's skillset as an officer has been a repeatedly underutilized resource narratively & it makes me want to eat glass

[unladielike]

Every once in a while, I'd remember @spiritpyro's Hayate mentioning in his internal monologue that he likes everything about Vivian, including even her personality and her speech patterns, which to this day, makes me emotional, because as a character, Vivian has gone through a lot... from characters getting pissed off at her for saying the wrong thing (thereby ending a thread prematurely) to characters outright not getting her humour and claiming she's unkind, even though it hadn't been her intention to offend them.

Granted, I don't really treat those as canon occurrences, because I'm not really a single verse blog, so any interactions from partners who have broken mutuals with me/deactivated/didn't follow me on my remade blog are null and void (meaning as far as Vivian is concerned, they have never occurred and will no longer be referenced in any threads/headcanon posts except for this one), but at the same time, I will lay in bed at night sometimes... and have this startling revelation that the way Vivian had been treated remarkably mirrors the experiences of most autistic people I've read about/heard from. Honestly, it's astounding to me how many on Reddit would describe similar struggles/feelings she also has, to the point where even though the RPC has a general distaste for slice-of-life muses, I still take comfort in the fact she is at least relatable.

Like, yeah, I might not be the most descriptive/poetic writer on this godforsaken site, but in my opinion, my characterization is where my writing truly shines best... and so, Hayate catching feelings for Vivian (despite me portraying both her flawed and endearing sides as a young, neurodivergent woman in her early twenties) is such a memorable thing to me, that I would find myself occasionally thinking about it even while I'm at work. I mean, granted, Vivian is nowhere near as dysfunctional as the main female lead from Asper Kanojo (That's My Atypical Girl), but it cannot be denied she is still very hard to love... to the point where Hayate pretty much fell out of love with her in an alternate universe.

Either way, it honestly hurt me on a deep, visceral level when Hayate was like, 'Fucking think before you speak', when they fought that one time, because autistic people will commonly be told that at some point in their lives... furthermore, Vivian had to hear that from someone she loves, so I can only imagine how betrayed she must have felt, especially since she already tries super hard when it comes to explaining things from her point of view and can only process her thoughts when speaking them due in part to her disability.

At the same time, though, it also makes me think that in the event Vivian and Hayate would romantically be together, this would realistically be a reoccurring issue within their relationship, where every time they would argue, she'd utter out stuff that would potentially annoy him, because according to Hayate, Vivian probably doesn't put a lot of thought into her words... so there would be instances where she would view him as an absolute alien. Still, knowing Vivian, I could also see the aftermath of their fights being one of those rare, few moments where she would wish she was more normal; after all, if she happened to be less difficult, Hayate might actually become less frustrated with her.

Since this is Hayate we're talking about, however, I could also see him potentially researching autism a bit more and slowly reaching a point where he would better understand Vivian, but either way, their relationship is one I always have fun, psycho-analyzing, because it's between an unpredictable, misanthrophic man and a manic, neurodivergent woman.

[winepresswrath]

I think it would be an improving experience for the writers who think surprising their audiences or leaving them sad and unsatisfied is the pinnacle of artistic achievement and have not noticed that the easiest way to bring that about is in fact to be bad at your job and the fans who think it should be illegal to write an ensemble or fail to clearly signpost the endgame couples or whether there's a happy ending to spend some time together, creatively speaking. Hand in unloveable hand.

[vamptastic]

worst most evil thing in the world is when a morally gray character has a redemption arc foreshadowed for years and then they just pussy out of writing it and make up a New Guy. yeah no we're not going to talk about that tragic backstory we gave them or have them confront the repercussions of their actions or anything. now they're a New Guy who has zero unpleasant personality traits dont even worry about it.

[rosedom]

Can I make a fanart of one of your fics?

HEKWNDOJWD YOU WOULD DO THAT ??? of COURSE u can ! (only if i get a peak of it tho ><)

[sasskarian]

Feeling some Stuff today, bois

[linkedsoul]

Book 2 Chapter 12 my beloved

[Transcript: right after that Lasair says something stupid and he falls even more in love

they’re in public right now so he’s doing the equivalent of getting outed as a morosexual in front of national television]

[lovevalley45]

anyways i feel like my time in the legends fandom is showing bc i'm so used to just. full on ignoring/being mean abt what showrunners say that i just keep taking that thing abt nandermo like. alright funny man u can't do anything about my interpretation of ur characters

[flythesail]

I think a lot of what people were saying happened "too early" in s2 of shadow & bone was really the writers saying s3 is unlikely, so this is our chance to give everyone some of what would be to come :(

[biblicalhorror]

I personally think Anna Marks was not trying to villanize her for not coming out, nor was she attempting to force her out of the closet herself. I think, like many gaylors, Marks was operating under the assumption that Taylor had already effectively "come out" as much as she ever intended to. The article I read never said anything that, to me, was saying Taylor Swift is an evil person for not coming out. If anything, my interpretation of the article is that it was meant to be one of those "we see you (already effectively "out" celebrity) and we accept you" kinds of posts, which would be fine if she posted it on her personal Tumblr or Twitter or Tiktok or whatever. The issue is that she didn't do those things. She posted this article on one of the largest news publications in the world, essentially forcing Taylor (or in this case her "associate") to comment on it publicly. And if Marks is at all familiar with online gaylor dynamics, she should be well aware that pretty much any public statement from Taylor's camp regarding gaylor is the #1 way to flood social media with overt homophobia in the swiftie community, for which her queer fans (gaylor or not) will always be casualties.

I might be more charitable with this article than it deserves, but after a second read, I honestly don't think the intent was ever to be malicious towards Taylor. Through all of her musings over whether anyone is "owed" a coming out, she ultimately seems to come to the conclusion that it is simply the acknowledgement of the "possibility" of queer readings in Taylor's work that can bring the overall culture to a place of higher acceptance of all identities, regardless of what Taylor's actual identity may or may not be. Overall, I agree with that sentiment. I do, however, think it was irresponsible and careless to post this in the way that she did. I'm sure, in the long run, Taylor will be fine if someone in the NYT posts an article saying, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if she was gay? We should all rewire our brains to try not to immediately cling to heterosexual messaging as the default." However, precisely because we live in a world that is NOT accepting of that possibility, posting an article like that in a publication that large, PARTICULARLY when focused on one of the biggest celebrities in the world, is inviting a shitstorm of epic proportions to the very population you claim to be liberating.

[gideonisms]

It's like I enjoy darlington find him very sweet want to pat him on the head which he would shamefully find EXTREMELY sexy bc of his mommy issues but the truth is he is only there for flashbacks and anytime things get interesting with him and alex it immediately cuts to the present meanwhile dawes is right there the whole time. just makes sense for her & alex to kiss