#this particular ask list that I reblogged has some very good questions actually so I am glad that someone sent me some

[h-i-raeth]

Lantern/Fog/Flannel?

Lantern: I first met my best friend in an English class that I did not want to be in/was only placed in because undiagnosed ADHD kicked my entire ass when I was in highschool & my school was at least kind enough to place me in an English class with my grade while I finished up an online version of the previous English class through gritted teeth. I wouldn't trade meeting him for anything.

My first impression of him can be summed up with the following sequence of thoughts that ran through my head: "!(?New?™!)!!!(!!)((queer?))(!)LooksCool™/Fucking Thank God There Is A Person In This Class I Feel At All Inclined To Talking To I Hope They Talk To Me"

You'd have to ask @clichenuance for his first impressions of me, for all my curiosities about it I feel deeply uncomfortable speculating about how other people perceive me.

Fog: The answer to that entirely depends upon whether I know that the people I care about are alive, I'm afraid. As far as any apocalypse goes I'm simply still not convinced that I'd bother with the effort if I was in a lone survivor of my group scenario.

That said, assuming my siblings are alive and that we are able to maintain our current primary location (which should be rural enough to escape the worst of any initial outbreak) I think that we would be in a decent position to scrape a survival scenario out of a zombie apocalypse, and I have a few skill sets and approximate knowledge of several skills & location of several resources that would not be the targets of initial looting that would be helpful in various ways.

It's not an ideal situation, certainly, but the bottom line is I feel relatively positive about my odds in a standard zombie apocalypse scenario.

Flannel: Ah.

I've never gone on Any dates, period, as far as I'm aware. Certainly not in a non-platonic capacity.

I'd quite like to try it out, actually, I think. But that's kind of a tangled web to dive into.

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Mean It [Emily x Reader]

Photo credits: (Left) @coffeefirstpleaze (Center) @amekeii (Right) @flowersforfrancis

Prompt: Character accidentally dumps their coffee on someone in a very dramatic fashion; aka when Emily and the reader have their first date and it does not go to plan. 

Category: Fluff 

Word Count: 4.5K 

Content Warnings: Minor language and mention of drinking. 

A/N: This is just some pure Emily x reader fluff! The prompt is another from @imagining-in-the-margins and her lovely Meet Cute Writing Challenge. You could read this as a standalone or as a sequel to my story Moschino and Muddy Water. (linked). I hope you enjoy this story, and if you do, likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! I hope you all have a good rest of your week. - Levi 

List with all stories 

_y/n_ = your name

_f/c_= your favorite color 

_y/f/s_ = your favorite senator 

_y/f/h/m_ = your favorite horror movie 

As Emily walked outside to the terrace, the rest of the ladies from the team semi-stood and ushered her over. Em’s chunky heels made small clicking sounds on the smooth cement floor. When Emily had pulled out the sleek metal chair, JJ leaned over and gave her a hug, quietly asking, “How are you?” Emily smiled and said, “Pretty good given everything that happened on Friday.” Penelope had overheard the comment but stopped the question she desperately wanted to ask due to the fact that a waiter was walking over to them. The waiter pushed Emily’s chair in for her and asked, “How are we doing today ladies? Are we here celebrating anything?” There was a choruses of, “Goods,” and one “Fantastic!” from Penelope. Emily answered the second question stating, “We’re not celebrating anything in particular today. Just a girl's afternoon out.” The waiter nodded at Emily’s response and then replied, “Well thank you for joining us this afternoon? I’ll start you all with some still water. Has anything on the menu caught your eye, or do you need another moment?” JJ, who had been looking over the menu stated, “Yes, actually. Can we start with a bottle of Chablis -- the 2009 Au Revoir Simonne and the charcuterie board?” Emily and Penelope nodded their agreement. JJ always knew the best things to order at a wine bar, and they trusted her judgment. The waiter nodded and said, “Wonderful choices. Is there anything else I can get you?” Penelope spoke up, saying, “Yes, Can I also get a shot of espresso?” Again the waiter nodded and added the coffee to his list for the table. At the mention of coffee, Emily cringed but waited to jump into why. Inevitably the story would make a full appearance while they were together. 

Once the waiter had gone, Emily turned to Garcia and asked, “How was your day in the office, Pen?” Garcia smiled and replied, “It was fine, but honestly when the team isn’t on a case it can be so boring. If the BAU isn’t needing my magnificent services, I can’t ethically ignore Stevenson’s Tax Crimes team. Stevenson’s research only requires me to code break and unencrypt, and as good at that as I am, it’s just boring. That’s junior hacker stuff and it rarely pushes me.” JJ smiled at that response and teasingly said, “Oh come on Penelope, you can just say that you miss having Morgan in your ear all day.” At this, Emily and Garcia laughed. When they had laughed it out, Garcia turned to JJ and asked the blonde agent, “Soooo, how is Will doing these days? Any updates for us?” JJ gave a small sigh and said, “You know I love him dearly, but he can be so uncertain at times. He’ll have an idea about where our relationship is going and then when I bring it up, he’ll backtrack. I know he loves me and wants to be with me, but it gets annoying you know?” Both of the other women nodded their understanding. Emily responded empathetically, “Maybe you should go and see him in person again soon? Even if you’re talking on the phone, tone can get mistranslated, and forget about texting. But I can tell he’s a good guy, and I hope it works out in the long run.” JJ smiled at her friends and their support of her and Will’s burgeoning relationship. 

The waiter returned and set down three plates and a bucket of ice on the center of the table along with three long-stemmed wine glasses. The lean man then said, “I’ll be right back, ladies.” Emily, JJ, and Garcia refrained from talking about anything super deep because they knew the waiter would be back in a moment which he was. The man set the charcuterie board on the center of the table, then placed Garcia’s espresso in front of her, and finally poured each woman a glass of wine. He then nestled the half bottle of wine into the bucket of ice. The man took a step back and said, “I’ll leave you all to your conversation, and if you need anything, just call me over.” The women thanked him and watched him as he moved back inside. Garcia, Emily, and JJ took their glasses and clinked them at the center of the table saying, “Cheers!” They all took a sip of the dry wine and passed the glass plates around. When each of them had some food on their plates, JJ turned to Emily; who quite frankly, they were all here to listen to. After a moment of anticipatory silence, Garcia said, “Alright Em, are you telling us or what? I personally can’t wait much longer.” Emily chuckled, appreciating her friend's concern. 

This whole girls' day had happened because on the Monday of that week, she had come into the office particularly gloomy. JJ noticed it immediately and asked what was up. All Emily had said was that she had had a bad date. That was all she needed to say apparently because due to that, JJ had asked Garcia if she had heard anything about this terrible date? By 5:00 p.m. that afternoon, Emily was being badgered by Garcia and JJ for details. Emily had acquiesced and agreed to tell the story of the date over drinks on Friday, but not before then. And now it was time to dish. Emily took a breath, and another sip of wine before saying, “Well. I had a date planned with someone.” Garcia could tell Emily was being evasive and said, “Come one Em, at least tell us their name. I promise not to stalk them online.” Emily gave Penelope a questioning glance to which the technical analyst said, “I pinky swear not to look this person up.” With this promise made, Emily said, “Well her name is _y/n_. We met sort of by accident in the Moschino dressing room. JJ, you were actually on the phone with me at the time.” JJ took on a look of understanding and said, “Wait, that’s the person! I didn't know you met her again!” Em nodded saying, “Yup. I actually ran into her again after the dressing room incident. She got me a coffee and we talked for a bit. It felt really natural, and I asked her out for a real date. Which happened last Friday.” At this point, JJ and Garcia were hanging onto her every word. It was a pleasure to have such attentive friends, and Emily continued, “Well we had a day and time set up, and I was really looking forward to it…” At Emily’s hesitation, JJ moved a hand over Emily's wrist saying, “But it didn’t work out with _y/n_? What happened?” Em gave her friend a soft smile and said, “No. It wasn’t _y/n_. She was great, but fate threw a few wrenches in my plan for a perfect date. I’ll give you all the details…” 

Flashback to Friday Afternoon 

Emily had secured a reservation at Noir 75th. It was one of the hardest spots to get a table at in D.C. She was getting ready in her Moschino dress to meet _y/n_ in half an hour at her apartment. This was when the first of the minor disasters had started. Emily heard her phone ping, and she swiped up to her messages. It was _y/n_ and the text read: “Hey, Emily. My car has a flat. I’m calling a cab and hope to be there in around twenty minutes. Sorry if I’m a bit late.” Emily blushed at the consideration and replied: “No problem. Sorry to hear about your car. See you in a bit. I’m looking forward to it.” Emily wasn’t worried about _y/n_ arriving on time. There was a leeway for their scheduled reservation and as long as _y/n_ was actually on her way, it would be totally fine. Emily turned back to her own pre-date ritual. She sat in front of her vanity and she pulled out her assortment of makeup. The next setback was when the restaurant called her, informing her that they had accidentally overbooked their reservations for the evening. Emily asked if there was any other way for them to get a table at the restaurant, but the maître ‘d had told her that he was extremely sorry, but there was nothing he could do. Em really had no backup plan for dinner. She knew that _y/n_ wasn’t expected to be wined and dined, but it had been so long since Emily had been on a real date that she wanted to make it special not only for herself but for _y/n_ too. 

Emily decided that she would ask y/n_ if there was a place she liked that they might go to instead. There was really no reason to tell _y/n_ about the cancellation while she was on her way over. With a final swish of her lipstick, Emily finished her makeup and put away the cosmetics in their proper place in the cabinets near her sink. Just as she was closing the drawer, there was a knock on the door. Emily did one last check over her face and moved to the front door and opened it for _y/n_. _y/n_ was standing outside with a bouquet of roses and the most beautiful expression Emily had seen in a long time. _y/n_ was wearing black form-fitting pants and a _f/c_ turtle neck with a charcoal grey coat that accentuated her shape. It took a moment for Emily to realize that she was blocking the door, and she composed herself saying, “Sorry, please come in. You look amazing.” _y/n_ blushed and said, “So do you, Emily. I got these for you. I know roses are cliched, but all the other flowers at the store were wilted.” Emily nodded and took the flowers from _y/n_’s hand. As their skin brushed against each other, there was a jolt that shot up Emily’s arm, and from _y/n_’s expression, Emily could tell that her date felt the same thing she did. Given the chemistry they felt for each other, Emily leaned down slightly and kissed _y/n_ on the cheek before stepping back and saying, “Nothing is cliched if it’s coming from you _y/n_. You could pick some weeds from the sidewalk and I’d still be overjoyed to have them.” At the compliment and the kiss, _y/n_ flushed and said, “You’re so sweet, Emily.” They stood there for a moment, each transfixed on the other. Finally, the spell was broken when Emily moved to put the flowers in a vase with water. As she did this, she said, “I have some bad news.” _y/n_ who was now walking around the sleek space turned toward Prentiss and said, “Oh? What is it?” Emily sighed and said, “The restaurant accidentally overbooked tonight and our reservation got canceled.” _y/n_ let out a breath. For some reason, she had been expecting something worse. She replied, “It’s okay. We can go somewhere else.” At this point, Em was done with the flowers and had moved to _y/n_’s side. _y/n_ was looking at a picture of the team Emily had framed on a bookshelf that was half knickknacks, half Zadie Smith books. Emily was relieved that _y/n_ was cool about having to change plans on the fly. Not that Emily had expected her to throw a tantrum or anything; it was just that she personally had a hard time when plans didn’t work out. With the news shared, Emily asked, “Is there someplace that you like that we could go to instead?” _y/n_ thought for a moment and replied, “There’s a great Thai spot about five blocks from here if you like Thai. Their curry is unmatched.” Emily smiled at _y/n_’s enthusiasm and replied, “That sounds amazing. It is the perfect weather for some comfort food.” _y/n_ wanted to ask Emily about the photo. She wondered if the people in it were part of her family or extended family. None of the six others in the still looked much like Emily. She held off on the question, just in case their conversation stalled at dinner. Then she would have something to fall back on. 

The two women made it down the hallway at to the elevator which was the spot of the next misfortune. With three floors left to the ground, the elevator jerked to a stop. _y/n_said, “Wow,” a bit out of surprise at the sudden stop. Emily and _y/na_ waited a moment, expecting the doors to open and someone from floor three to join them. However, after a few minutes, Emily softly said, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” _y/n_ looked over to her date realizing that they might be stuck in the elevator. Emily moved to the litany of buttons near the doors and pressed the open door button with no response. She pressed it multiple times with the same result. Emily then pressed the help button. There was a momentary silence and then there was still nothing. Emily turned to _y/n_ and let out a small laugh at the ridiculous nature of their evening so far. _y/n_ joined in the laughter. Emily returned to _y/n_’s side. They both leaned against the railing and _y/n_ jokingly asked, “You’re not claustrophobic are you?”That got another laugh from Emily, and she was sincerely glad that _y/n_ was taking this all with a smile. Emily replied, “Thankfully not. I am, however, a bit upset that the elevator gave up the ghost right now. My neighbor told me it’s been finicky the last week, but he’s always complaining about something in the building so I didn’t really believe him. Maybe someone on the third floor will try and use the elevator and the doors will open?” _y/n_ nodded along and thought of something, saying, “There was a doorman that let me up to your unit? Could you call the front desk or something?” At this, Emily facepalmed and said, “I’m such a dummy. Why didn’t I think about that before.” Emily pulled out her phone and dialed the front desk. For a moment it seemed that the call was going through, but then it dropped. Emily tried once more and the call didn’t go through again. She took her bottom lip in her teeth saying, “The reception must be bad in here.” It took a half hour before someone on the third floor pushed the down button, releasing the two trapped women. At this point, Emily and _y/n_ were a bit tired and very hungry. Emily proposed just getting some takeout and staying in, to which _y/n_ readily agreed. 

Things seemed to be looking up when their Chinese takeout arrived and they were happily eating with chopsticks and talking about whatever suited their fancy. _y/n_ swallowed a bite of low mein and looked back at the picture from before. She asked, “Can I ask who those people are in that photograph over there?” Emily’s eyes turned to the aforementioned picture. Seeing it brought a smile to her face, and she replied, “That’s my team. We took that picture at Friendsgiving last year.” _y/n_ nodded and asked, “I guess in your line of work you kind of have to be close-knit, huh?” Emily pondered the question for a moment as she took a bite of her egg roll. She wiped the sweet and sour sauce which she had managed to drip on her chin off with a napkin before she said, “Not always actually. The BAU team works well and we are friends, but it takes a long time to get close like we have. Even if we do spend a good bit of time together. Our team has integrated well, but I know other teams have lots of internal conflict and don’t get me started with inter-office relationships. I’m very lucky to be where I am at the Bureau.” After a moment, Emily said, “I assume  it’s not the same dynamic at _y/f/s_’s office?” _y/n_ laughed hard at the suggestion, almost choking on her sip of water. Once her throat was clear, and she had wiped away the few tears that had escaped her eyes. _y/n_ said, “Are you kidding me? Even being cordial to some of the people I see every day is hard. I’m sure you have to work through a lot of bureaucratic red tape at the FBI and get annoyed with it. Well, I am that red tape. Being attached to a political party is a surefire way for half the people you're working with to hate you.” _y/n_ paused for a moment then clarified, “I don’t mean hate, hate. It’s just that you're working against them and there are inevitable winners and losers in politics. And the scandals, Emily. You have no idea how much we have to run around these people to stop them from ending their own careers.” Emily chuckled at this and said, “That bad?” _y/n_ nodded saying, “Talk about it. If you read the paper and you think that’s bad, the real thing would terrify you. It’s shocking we even have a semi-functioning government.” The conversation continued through the meal. 

Emily took the empty take-out containers from the table and threw them in the trash can. She turned to _y/n_ and asked, “I’m going to make a cappuccino, would you like one?” _y/n_ said, “Yes please.” Emily moved to her espresso machine and got the grounds set up while steaming some milk. When the drinks were finished, Emily carefully moved to the couch where _y/n_ was seated. Unfortunately for Prentiss, she did not fully notice where the carpet and hardwood floor met. The lip of her sandal caught in the rug and she fell forward spilling the contents of both cups on _y/n_. _y/n_ was not expecting to be sloshed with the hot liquid, but she was more concerned about catching Emily before she fell into what looked like a very expensive glass table. Emily gave a little grunt as she fell into _y/n_’s arms. There was a moment where _y/n_ just held Emily who seemed to be a bit stunned. After that moment, Emily snapped back to herself, righting herself saying, “Oh my God, _y/n_ I am so sorry? Are you hurt? Did I burn you?” Her words were coming fast, filled with worry and concern. _y/n_ assessed her condition. She felt hot and wet and her skin was a bit red, but the pain had mostly gone and she replied, “I think I’m fine. Are you okay, Emily?” Prentiss nodded and said, “I’m fine, just a bit embarrassed. God, I am so sorry _y/n_” _y/n_ gave her a soft smile and said, “It’s okay, Emily, it’s just clothes.” Emily nodded and asked, “Do you want to borrow something of mine for now?” _y/n_ nodded and said, “That sounds nice.” Em stood and gestured for _y/n_ to follow her to her bedroom, which she did. Emily turned on a lamp moved to her closet and found one of her oversized sweaters and a pair of sweatpants. She offered the clothes to _y/n_ who took them and moved to the bathroom to change. As _y/n_ stripped, a loud crack of thunder rang around the room. _y/n_ was feeling cozy in Emily’s sweater, cozy and tired. She wasn’t sure how much longer the night would be, but she felt like relaxing and called to Emily through the door, saying, “Em. Do you mind if I take off my makeup? It kind of got smudged with the coffee.” From the other room, Emily said, “Of course. There are some clean towels in the drawer under the sink. The drawer on the left.” There was a contented, hum, and Emily heard the a drawer opening and the sink running. Emily took the moment to change herself. It felt a bit silly wearing a fancy dress at home when she could be in something comfortable instead. Just as Emily was finished changing, _y/n_ headed back out to the bedroom. 

Emily looked over at _y/n_ and flushed. _y/n_ in her oversized shirt and pants was so cute. Emily moved forward and said, “Hey there.” _y/n_ took Emily’s hands and tipped her head up to which Emily leaned down and gave her a kiss. When they pulled apart, _y/n_ asked, “I’ve had such a lovely time tonight, but I don’t want to impose? Would you like me to head out soon?” Right after she asked this, there was another spectacular clap of thunder and lightning so bright that it momentarily filled the room with light. Right after this, the skies opened up in a torrential rainstorm. This wasn’t just a few drops or even a shower. This was rain pounding hard against the window. Rain that even with an umbrella trying to get in one’s car, the individual would get soaked. Emily looked out the window, and then replied, “_y/n_, you're not imposing. At all. Why don’t you stay the night? I don’t love the idea of you being in a car in this weather.” _y/n_’s eyes widened slightly as Em made the suggestion, and she asked, “Are you sure?” Emily nodded and said, “Of course. Why don’t you go to the living room and pick a movie for us to watch to wind down the night while I take off my makeup?” _y/n_ agreed and moved back to the living room. _y/n_ found a towel in the kitchen and cleaned up the spilled coffee as much as she could. She also moved the dropped cups to the sink. While Emily was washing off her makeup, _y/n_ asked, “How do you feel about horror?” While she patted her face dry, Emily responded with, “It’s okay with me, _y/n_.” Emily grabbed _y/n_’s stained clothes and hung them up so they wouldn’t wrinkle on a clotheshorse she kept in her closet. After a few minutes, Emily returned to the living room. She grabbed a blanket from the hallway closet and then moved to the fridge and got a bottle of wine and some glasses. She settled next to _y/n_ and set the blanket over both of them. With a glass of wine for each of them, they started watching _y/f/h/m_. 

Just as they were settling in and getting ready for the scary part of the movie, the power shut off. Emily had her arm around _y/n_’s waist and was enjoying the warmth coming from her date. This time she couldn’t hold it in anymore and said, “Are you freaking kidding me? What do the fates have against us having a nice date?” _y/n_ chuckled again and said, “Em, I’m here to spend time with you. I’ve been happy this whole time, even when we were stuck in the elevator. Getting to know you and spending time with you is what’s important to me.” _y/n_ took Prentiss’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Emily took a moment to calm down and said, “I appreciate that, _y/n_. You really know how to handle these situations with grace.” _y/n_ hugged Em softly and said, “Thank sentator _y/f/s_ and his staff.” This had Emily laughing and when she regained her voice she said, “How about we head to bed? I don’t think anything too bad can happen there.” _y/n_ agreed saying, “Sounds good to me.” Both women disentangled themself from the blanket and Emily put the half-finished bottle of wine back in the fridge. With their phone flashlight to light the way, they made it to Em’s bed. Emily pulled the covers back and _y/n_ slipped off her socks before getting onto the mattress. Doing this, sleeping in Emily’s bed for the night had not been how she had expected this night to go. However, she didn’t mind. She was being bold, and putting herself out there, and doing that with Emily felt good. _y/n_ was surprised that Emily hadn’t taken her socks off, and she jokingly said, “Are you sure you’re not a psycho, what with you wearing socks in bed?” Emily replied back, “Hey. My feet get cold alright?” _y/n_ smiled in the darkness and said, “Well I could help you with that.” There was another comfortable silence as Emily moved closer to _y/n_. Em started slowly by grabbing _y/n_’s hand, and when _y/n_ nestled closer to her body, she pulled her into an embrace. They didn’t need to say anything. In the simple act of holding each other, they said all they needed. Before, _y/n_ and Emily fell asleep, _y/n_ ran her foot up Emily’s leg slightly and Emily sighed at the feeling. Emily hoped they would have other nights like this. Hopefully with a better start to the evening. When sleep took them, the rain lightened slightly, and the whole night felt okay, no matter how many bumps in the road there had been. 

Back to Present 

Emily had told it all, minus the fact that _y/n_ and slept together in her bed. That was a bit too private to share yet. Garcia was staring wide-eyed and asked, “So… are you seeing her again?” JJ, added on, “Yeah, that sounds like a pretty rough night for both of you.” Em finished her sip of wine and said, “We are actually. The date didn’t go as planned, but we both had a good time getting to know each other. She’s really nice and kind.” At hearing this, Garcia gave a little squeal, and JJ asked, “What are you doing for your second date? If you tell us will you jinx it?” Emily laughed and said, “We’re doing something very safe. I’m going to her place and we’re ordering pizza and drinking beer and finishing watching that movie.” ‘And we might just get snuggled up together in bed,’ Emily thought, which brought a blush to her face. Garcia clocked the color rising in her face and said, “JJ look, she’s blushing! When do we get to meet her?” Emily rolled her eyes and said, “Y’all, It’s too early for that. I’m still just getting to know her.” Garcia pouted slightly and said, “But we met Will for the first time with JJ.” Emily, slightly exasperated said, “Garcia, we were on a case.” Now JJ laughed and said, “And what a case that was. But to echo what Penelope said, if or when _y/n_ is ready, you know we’d love to meet her.” The ladies continued their conversation and got another bottle of wine, and in the cool afternoon, Emily felt that life might just be okay; and she really meant it.

[littlethingwithfeathers]

How to Use A03 if you're used to Algorithm Fed Content: A kind primer.

There's a post making the rounds where someone, I'm going to assume earnestly, asks the question, "How do people figure out what's good to read on AO3?" And predictably, while there have been some people trying to answer that question assuming that it's being asked in good faith, there have been some people ridiculing this person. Basically, spewing out the fandom equivalent of "git gud noob." Like I said... I'm assuming this person was asking out of actual ignorance and curiosity, mostly because I see a lot of people also lamenting the fact that algorithm-fed apps and fandom spaces are creating a generation of fans who don't know how to actively search for and curate the content they consume. So when they get on a place like AO3 or even Tumblr to an extent, they don't know how to find the things they want and how to curate their experience. And so I guess that's why I pulled up short when this person's question has been getting so much snark. Here's a teachable moment. Even if they are being a troll in this case (which I doubt) here's the chance to give the facts on how AO3 works so they can use this amazing archive themselves. And not just them but anyone who happens upon the post. So... I'm not an AO3 whiz by any means. I don't spend a lot of time digging around in the tags and tools and bells and whistles of the search engine. If someone else wants to reblog with some tips there, go for it. It's the best thing about AO3 in my opinion... other than the lack of censorship. But here's my tips on how to find something you'll like. This is pretty much what I do.

-Go to your fandom of choice's tag. Filter for the rating you want (Teen, Explicit, etc), and then just start scrolling. Take a peek at things that sound interesting from the tags or summaries. You might have to scroll for a bit, and you might hit some stuff that's not for you, but you'll find something eventually. Especially if it's a bigger fandom like SPN, MCU, Hannibal, or Critical Role. -If you discover/know that there's something that bothers you (unfinished work, ABO dynamics, whatever) you can filter for those tags! This is how you curate your experience. It's an active process and there are no shadow-bans or anything in place to keep sensitive content corralled into a certain area. There's a rating system, and there's tags, but nothing to actually make those mean anything unless the user blocks them. While it takes more thought than mindless scrolling, you get to play a role in actively searching out new things for yourself that an algorithm might gloss over. -Likewise, if there's something you really like or are in the mood for, search for that tag in particular. Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Coffee Shop AU... whatever your jam is. -Be careful using metrics like views, comments, and kudos as benchmarks. They fluctuate wildly by pairing, and from fandom to fandom, and are heavily influenced by date of publishing. And just because the majority of people like something, doesn't mean it's for you. If something sounds interesting... read a few paragraphs and see what's up! -Check out the Collections page under the "Browse" tabs. Often these are curated lists either from individual fans or from fanfic writing events like Big Bangs, Zines, and gift exchanges. Fanfic events like these often attract pretty experienced writers so not only is the quality likely to be very good, it's also likely to have some pretty prolific authors -When you find an author you like, and have read your fill of their offerings, see what they have bookmarked or what collections their works are in. You might find some similarly interesting stuff. It's also worth seeing if they have a blog or other social media listed on their about page. They might post some links there or be part of communities elsewhere on the internet that can open up new search avenues for you. -Don't be afraid to read old stuff. Fandoms change and evolve. There's a golden age of MCU fanfic in the 2010s that's just unlike anything else. And the Hannibal fandom has been and always will be a trip, but man it's been a wild ride through some interesting places and obsessions. -And lastly... for the love of god, comment on old stuff. It's not creepy or weird. In fact, if you like someone's writing who hasn't written in a bit, leave them a nice comment. There's this magical thing that happens when you do. Sometimes... THEY START WRITING AGAIN! (saying this from experience here.) Remember... the A in AO3 stands for Archive. It's not a social media platform. It's a library. There is -supposed- to be old stuff there. And you are absolutely allowed to read it and enjoy it and tell the author that. In fact... please do. As I said, feel free to add on if you want to give tips of your own. But be kind. I see a lot of talk about how algorithms are changing the face of fandom and how people interact with fan made content. Let's reach out and educate instead of ridicule.

[greenticklerdreams]

20 Questions Ask Game for Lers!

because we want to answer questions too and too many of these lists are heavily lee-focused, if I'm being honest.

Use this as an Ask game, or just answer some or all in a reblog if you want! I tried to make them interesting (maybe TOO interesting... these are a bit writing-prompt-ish, lol).

Where do you think you fall on the gentle/sadistic tickler spectrum? (ex. 60% gentle, 40% sadist)

Favorite position to secure a lee in?

What's your favorite tool? It has to be an actual tool, now. Fingers/mouth/other body part doesn't count.

What's a tickle spot or scenario you realized you've been underappreciating, and now you're coming around on it?

What's the best thing a lee could say to you before any tickles start? (as in a lead-up, or invitation, etc.)

What's the best thing a lee could say to you while being tickled? (Nonverbal is a valid answer!)

What is your dream lee wearing when they show up for your session? (Even if some or all of those clothes are going to come off.)

We all know all laughs are beautiful. But what's your favorite kind of laugh? Or at least one of your faves? Describe it.

Imagine that a very attractive complete stranger decisively indicates to you that they want to be tickled, right that moment, no room for doubt. How would you want this to go down? What's your dream “I can’t believe this is happening” scenario?

If you could get away with tickling someone in a particular place, 100% guaranteed to not get in trouble, what's a location you've always wanted to tickle someone in? (ex. library, office, classroom, etc.)

What would be a fun profession to tickle? (ex. doctor, lawyer, magician's assistant, etc.)

Celebrity you'd love to tickle? (They're ticklish. If they ever said they weren't, they lied.)

Fictional character you'd love to tickle? (They're ticklish. No one can deny your headcanon.)

You have been granted a superpower - not to use for justice or evil, but for tickles. What is it, and how do you use it for tickling? (Feel free to crib an existing superhero or other fictional character's power for this one.)

What sounds like a good after-session snack? (I was having trouble coming up with a 20th and now I'm hungry.)

During your next session, you have to either be blindfolded so you can't see the lee's reactions, or wear earplugs so you can't hear the lee's reactions. Which do you choose?

A lee who never shuts up, or a lee who never says a word?

A lee who tells you they like it, or a lee who tells you they hate it (even if they secretly like it)?

Your teasing style: Are you more likely to gush about how cute and sweet your lee is, or to mock them for being so so ticklish/fighting back and failing/getting embarrassed/etc.? (I know both are fun!)

Is there a specific someone you'd like to tickle right now? You don't have to name them, we won't pry 😉 (Seriously, askers, don't pry 🙈)

Ask me any of these!

[bilbao-song]

(all credit for the original idea [and a significant portion of this text] goes to @quiet-beatle​!)

ho ho ho, classic rock fans! Christmas is coming and so is The Secret Rocker Santa project! if you are looking for an opportunity to make new friends who love classic rock, or just want to make someone happy, this is your chance!

❅ ❆ ❅ ❆❅ ❆ ❅ ❆❅ ❆ ❅ ❆❅ ❆ ❅ ❆❅ ❆ ❅ ❆❅ ❆ ❅ ❆

What is Secret Rocker Santa?

Secret Rocker Santa is a tumblr-wide “match-maker” in which you will anonymously send asks to (and hopefully befriend!) a tumblr user who is assigned to you. you will also be assigned to someone else, who will send anonymous asks to you. the event will run from december 1st through december 25th. while this might seem complicated, it’s actually quite simple, and you will only need to answer a minimum of two questions to sign up.

How it works:

you must read these instructions!

the deadline to sign up is november 28th. there are two ways that you can sign up: the first is to send me a submission (or an ask) with your completed questionnaire (found here). while the first two questions are required, you can otherwise provide as much or as little information as you want. the second option is to sign up via google forms.

please reblog this post! (this isn’t a strict requirement, but it would be greatly appreciated and helps to ensure that enough people will participate!)

your ask box must be open to anyone! this means that anon asks will have to be enabled. if you want, you can wait until the first day of the project (december 1st) to change this setting, but please make sure you remember!

your blog doesn’t have to be classic rock-related, you just need to be a fan. (this project will also be using a very broad definition of “classic rock,” so nearly any music from 1950s-1990s counts.)

(more info below the cut!!)

during the last days of november, i will be assigning people to their Secret Rocker Santas. you will receive a message from me telling you who you have been assigned to, either in the form of an ask or direct message.

you will start messaging the person assigned to you ANONYMOUSLY on the 1st of december and continue until Christmas (december 25th), which is when you will reveal your identity and (hopefully) have made a new friend!

you can send your partner whatever you want (as long as you do not reveal your identity). your job is to make your partner feel happier! (some ideas: lyrics, pictures, facts, play games, chat and of course do things that are not only associated with classic rock).

be careful - make sure you are messaging your assigned partner anonymously.

please tag messages that you receive from your secret santa and any other related posts as #SRS22, so your santa will be able to find your answers more easily.

REMINDERS:

some people might get more than one santa or will be assigned to more than one person, depending on how many people participate and how many suitable matches i have for certain people. if you are certain you will not be able to be a secret santa for two people, please mention this when you submit your form (you can also let me know if you would prefer to be a santa for two or more people! anyone who volunteers for this will get first pick if the need arises)

if you’re not committed to sending asks to your partner and/or responding to your santa at least a few (2-3) times a week, please do not sign up.

while the primary focus of this project is classic rock, any additional interests you list may be used as a secondary way of helping to find a good match for you. with that in mind, don't hesitate to list any interests and hobbies you might have, whether they relate to classic rock or not! this will especially come in handy if there are many applicants who like a particular band, or if i am having trouble finding a match for you based on your favorite bands.

if your santa has not contacted you in over a week, message me and i will gently remind them or find you another one.

as a general rule, be nice! anyone who is rude to the another participant will be removed from the project.

make sure to answer all of your santa’s messages! you don’t have to answer right away, but don’t ignore them.

please let me know if you experience any problems at all (for example, if i have made a mistake, or you are having problems with either your own santa or the person you are assigned to)

if you are not already following your partner’s blog, you probably shouldn’t do it right away, because they might guess that you are their santa.

it’s useful to have an easy-to-find “about me” page so that your santa will have a better chance of finding something to talk to you about!

please try to keep a note of who you’ve been assigned to! you’ll also get a personal number which you will have to remember, so please make a note of it or save the message i send you.

IF YOU CHANGE YOUR URL DURING THE PROJECT PLEASE LET ME KNOW. if you don’t let me know about your new URL (or otherwise make it clear that you have moved), i will not be able to assign matches for you.

please be patient! i will assign matches and answer questions as quickly as possible, but please keep in mind that i have other responsibilities too!

you don't need to be following me, but i will be sharing updates here, so it would be a good idea to at least keep an eye on that page.

please don’t hesitate to participate! this is supposed to be a fun, lighthearted, seasonal activity, and if you do encounter any issues, i will help you.

again, click here for the questionnaire, and click here to submit it! if you would prefer to sign up via google forms, click here!

if you have any questions or want to ask for advice, do not hesitate to message me!

please spread the word if possible! :)

[questforgalas]

Hellooooo ✨ I'm here for the TBB Finale celebration!!! I can't believe we got here...

My favorite episodes are:

S1E1: Aftermath - this one has to be among the list. It's the one that started it all, and the way this episode sets everything up and the way it's written is top tier for me.

S1E4: Cornered - one of my most rewatched episodes. Even though there's no Crosshair in this one, it's a major comfort episode for me. When I think back to the times I rewatched TBB season 1 in my room back home, I often picture this particular episode.

S1E11 & S1E12: Devil's Deal and Rescue on Ryloth. I love the Ryloth arc for many reasons: Crosshair, Hera, Chopper, Howzer, the Tech TurnTM, but also, Rescue on Ryloth was the first episode of TBB that physically made me cry. It was the moment when Crosshair looks at the ship Hunter and the others are on and then he looks away for a moment looking so sad - hey, I lost it. Before that, I never actually cried with anything fictional before, so I was shocked (all teary and weeping over Crosshair but also questioning "why is liquid coming out of my eyes???") that it had happened but I also realized just how much the show meant to me.

S1E15: Return to Kamino - painful as it was, this is one of the episodes I've rewatched the most for the great writing, the music, and all the good Crosshair moments.

S2E3: The Solitary Clone - CROSSHAIR EPISODE YAY

S2E4: Faster - TECH EPISODE WITH PHANTOM MENACE POD RACING NOSTALGIA VIBES YAY

S3E3, S3E4, & S3E5: Shadows of Tantiss, A Different Approach, The Return - this arc where Crosshair and Omega escape and return with Clone Force 99 made me physically feel the chemicals coursing through my brain. These three episodes just have so much soul to them and it was also incredibly meaningful to see Crosshair going home. In case you don't know this about me, the whole subject of "going home" is really near and dear to me so these three episodes were hitting all the soft spots in my little heart.

THIS TURNED OUT VERY LONG hehehe thank you for doing this little celebration ❤️ I had a nice time reflecting on my favorite arcs.

FENNEC SHAND MY BELOVED ughhhh Cornered, such a good episode! I loved getting to see the boys first dealings with the galaxy as civilians and learning the hard way that some children need to be put on a leash (coming from a former leash child)

I’m also a sucker for the Ryloth arc. I in general loved the series pattern of one episode mid season being very world building and less about the Batch, let alone young Hera and meeting Howzer was SUCH a cool story to do.

Solitary Clone my beloved. Shot down the barrel? Marry me please

The beginning half of season 3 was perfection and I love the episodes you chose. The Crosshair and Omega dynamic was so touching and so well done. And The Return replays in my head constantly, I love it so much

Thanks for playing!!!

Reblog, reply, or send an ask of your favorite TBB episodes and/or arcs!

[house-ofhope]

8, 19, 23, 29 for fenric and zalith :))

omg jay <3 ty for the asks!! these were very fun questions

8. Did they romance anyone? Who's the lucky companion(s)?

Fenric: Yeeeees and it's Astarion. They are a chaotic little duo and the rest of the camp lowkey finds it rather annoying when they try to outfox each other but it's all in the spirit of romance <3 Zalith: Gale <3 though Wyll did catch some feelings there. Zal just has this natural gravity that pulls people in despite them not being aware of it. Because deep down they've got a good heart.

19. When talking to people, which sort of answers do they go for? Eager to help, sassy and sarcastic, apathetic?

Fenric: Mmm sarcastic to the max. Mx. Devil's Advocate, Mx. Steal Yo Girl. Will go from hot to cold based on what they ate for lunch that day. Zalith: Is more apathetic, but easily gives in to offer help. They have more pressing matters to deal with but can't ignore people in need. Their conversations are rather succinct because they're just trying to move on with their day.

23. Did your Tav's dream visitor manifest as anyone in particular, or someone random that they've never seen before?

Fenric: Just some random guy they thought was hot like a century ago LMAO Zalith: Ok... honestly I didn't know how I wanted to design the Guardian before I started Zal's run, but now that I've spent more time with them, their dream visitor looks like their mother actually. They've been very distrustful of their little guest from the beginning, and part of it is some deeply harbored ill emotions that have for their mother leaving. They've basically been doing the opposite of everything the Guardian has told them to do. And Zal does their best to be civil but the more time the visitor pops up, the more annoyed and curt they get with the visitor.

29. After Baldur's Gate is saved, what will your Tav do?

Fenric: Fen likely decides they've had enough of the pact after tasting freedom with the tadpole, so they're dead set on figures out how to get out of the pact. Also, I do like the idea floating around of finding the Ring of the Sun-Walker for Astarion. So they both set out on another adventure to find the answers to their quests together. Zalith: Zal would set out to right their wrongs. It's been a few months since being attacked in Baldur's Gate by those mercs and losing track of Symon... though they have been doing their own investigation into his whereabouts since they returned to the city. Gale helps them--he'd follow Zal anywhere--and they both make their way back to the viscounty so that Zalith can get closure. Afterwards, they both settle down in Waterdeep... Zal as a member of the Dekarios clan :')

if anyone wants to reblog the question list... here it is!

[ilikekidsshows]

I don’t have fandom friends so I’m coming in ur ask box with this hope you don’t mind. Basically adrien was my favorite character ever. ML my longest fandom fixation, and I never really shipped anything before lovesquare. now it’s like a gaping hole from betrayal. I don’t find new favorites easily and I’m terrible at watching tv, I never finish series. Plus I’ve never been a writer, it scares me,I don’t have that faith in my ability. if i could start a new creative phase that would be amazing. I don’t know how or to make friends on tumblr.

do you have any recommendations or advice?

Hello! Okay, don't take this as definite correct answers for everything ever, but I've been around the fandom and creative block a few times, so I'll just share my experiences and maybe something there will be of use to you.

I’m going to say this about writing: your work is always going to look like a work in progress to you, because it’s your work and you saw the entire process of creating it. My advice is to pick something you really like and be as self-indulgent about it as possible. If you’re having fun writing it, it matters less if others don’t like it. However, there’s a big chance that those who do like it will like it for the same reasons that you do, that they’ll like the same things you do in general and you can have some fun conversations about those things.

As for how to make friends on tumblr, you’re kind of already doing a part of it. Interact with people. Make contact. Ask questions, state your own opinions and keep doing those things. My tumblr friendships are based very much on sending prompts for ask games and responding to posts made by people I think are cool. The ask game thing is a good tip for determining who to try this with too. If they reblog a lot of ask games, that means they want to be sent asks and be interacted with, otherwise they wouldn’t invite people to do so.

Now for the recommendations: I don't watch many romance-focused shows, but I do watch a lot of superhero shows and I have a preference for strong character dynamics, especially found families and friendships, so I have some recommendations I think might work. I'll give some details about how they're similar to Miraculous and the biggest differences in case you're looking for something very similar in a particular way.

Ultimate Spider-Man: I made an entire post series about how this show has the exact same energy as Miraculous. It's very kid-friendly, a more humorous take on a hero who often comes with a lot of emotional baggage, and Peter will not chill about his bestie Harry. The main difference is that big parts of the series are a bit more like the New York Special in that Spider-Man spends a lot of episodes meeting different Marvel universe heroes. The show is kind of a crash course on the big names of Marvel in addition to being a Spider-Man show.

Spectacular Spider-Man: This one is more romance-focused with some love triangle drama and secret identity hijinks. The target audience clearly veered more towards older viewers and it ended before its time so it doesn’t really have a satisfying conclusion. Although most shows on this list don’t really have a definitive ending, this show has a flagrant: “come join us for the next season (that never came)!” vibe. This is generally seen as the most high-quality Spider-Man show.

Teen Titans: Fun superhero team show with an actual main couple. On the other hand, it doesn’t really do anything with secret identities and the romance is only focused on sporadically. The team dynamics are really varied with the kids on the team all having different personalities that mesh and clash in different ways.

X-Men Evolution: Romance and high school hijinks with superhero action. This is a team show like Teen Titans, but actually has a double life thing going on. The show clearly telegraphs to you who the final couples will be, even if the way getting there might have some drama along the way. Far more focus on things to do with school than the other recs on this list. Not really secret identity hijinks since all the heroes and villains know who each other are; it’s the normal students who are being kept in the dark, so it’s more of a “don’t let anyone know this different aspect of the world exists” secrecy thing.

Danny Phantom: A Spider-Man clone with ghosts. This one also telegraphs who the main couple will be in episode one, but there isn’t really much development there, so the characters spend a lot of time focusing on other stuff. Like X-Men Evolution, this one also has more focus on school stuff, although with the whole “superheroics make school even harder for an awkward teen” angle. Some secret identity hijinks with Danny trying to keep his ghost-hunting family in the dark about his ghost powers, but his best friends are in on it from the get-go.

Batman Beyond / Batman of the Future: So, funny story: this team got told: “make a Batman show where he goes to high school” for relatability points, and their solution was: “a new Batman goes to high school in a cyberpunk dystopian future and gets mentored by the original”. This show is a sequel to the Batman the Animated Series, but you don’t need to have seen that show to follow this one, since it’s set so far in the future. Just having a concept of Batman and his usual supporting cast will do. Terry has secret identity hijinks, gets stuck between two girls, neither of whom he feels understands him fully, and saves the day from some pretty creepy villains. This one is definitely for an older audience because, as I just stated, the singular episodes can get creepy.

Kim Possible: This is a banger of a girl power show. The main premise is “Kim Possible: she can do anything. Ron Stoppable: he can’t.” Kim’s sidekick is her main love interest even if they take forever getting there and, despite his sidekick status, Ron is treated with a lot of respect as a character by the writers. He frequently gets his own focus episodes and he’s allowed to have opinions that go against Kim’s and this aspect of them is really showcased in how different they can be. Even so, you never question whether or not these two adore the heck out of each other even while they’re still trying to keep their relationship platonic. No actual super powers or secret identities, but there is some drama with trying to schedule your civilian life around your hero one.

W.I.T.C.H.: This show has peak “guy who starts off as strictly the love interest suddenly becomes a major player in the plot” development in addition to having another guy who’s there for the action from the get-go while also having a major romance arc with one of the main girls. In addition the girl team gets secret identity hijinks with their families and friends although they all know each other’s secret identities. Gets more serialized in season two, like the comic it’s based on, but each episode still has a bunch of meat to it.

Winx Club: This show is a bit more of a changeling fantasy story than a superhero story, but the main characters do need to save the day a lot and even start to view themselves as heroes the more the series goes on. The main point is the main lead having a Normal Teenage Girl perspective in a magical school. She and her friends basically all get their own romance arcs, all with different flavors so there’s something for everybody. Each season has a self-contained story that gets concluded by the end, but the quality of said stories decreases from season four onward (kinda like another show), so I recommend watching only seasons 1-3.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: This pick is mostly if romance is not a key factor. It doesn’t matter which one you pick; there’s barely any. The focus is on family first and foremost. But, the thing about this franchise is that it’s been relaunched so many times and the different versions are so different that there’s a high chance of there being a version for everybody. The 87 cartoon is kid friendly, until the edgy retooling that was panned and the 2003 cartoon is grittier until the lighter-toned retooling that was panned (almost like you shouldn’t mess with a working formula). Fortunately you can skip the seasons that don’t work, because of the “and the adventure continues” nature of Turtles shows; there is never a conclusive ending. The 2012 show is a zany CGI cartoon and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the most anime-esque with Studio Trigger-like action scenes.

Power Rangers: @infinitysgrace and @chronicallylatetotheparty keep telling me early Miraculous and Power Rangers have a lot in common, so I’m downloading Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as we speak. Can’t say much more than that yet.

My tip for not wanting to deal with shows letting you down: wait until you can be reasonably sure of what the show is going for before you get into it. The thing about Miraculous though is that season four was a retooling of the series so it introduced some pretty bad curveballs that few people saw coming. Of course, that’s why my recommendation list is full of shows that have already concluded. Sometimes works that are already finished are better because the drama has already passed and you can check beforehand if you should be concerned about a particular character’s treatment in the show.

[aelaer]

Just saw your post about having to block the doctor strange x reader tag, and I must agree it's become the predominant DS fic that comes up as recommended on my feed as well. There are several authors I enjoy reading in that category (although lately the overall amount of fics is overwhelming), but I only started writing them myself as my stephen x ofc fics could never gain a bit of traction. I have a theory that if I went back and changed my ofc's to reader inserts, I'd probably gain a lot more readers--but I can never bring myself to doing that as I wouldn't be true to myself as an author.

I suppose that's just a writerly woe I'm sharing with someone who might understand.😏 But I'm curious; are you open to reading non-romance fics featuring original characters? I've found that tumblr can be quite snobbish towards that species of fic.

I wanted to reply to this ages ago but it requires my computer and some thinking, so I kept pushing it off again and again and again and whelp, here we are. My bad. ><

I'm the same way where being true to myself as an author is writing what I want, so I get you there. Doesn't get As Much Engagement as other tropes would, but y'know what, I can live with that. If anything, I've actually found that the fic I compromised most on (because it was for a themed exchange) is one I want to reread the least. So if anything, a lot of me writes for "do I want to reread this in the future" and that has helped me since.

It's funny since OFC romances used to be pretty popular way back when, but I guess "reader" took over that audience over the last decade because the majority of the people just wanted to insert themselves into the position instead of reading about a full-fleshed character? Honestly not sure.

Right, I keep delaying the reason I took so long to get back to you - non-romance fics with OCs. The answer, by the way, is yes. Great OCs are fantastic, but you don't tend to see many OCs outside of romance, or you only see them as side characters in another pairing's fic. They don't often have starring or co-starring roles. But I wanted to find examples with great OCs which would take time.

And now I'm taking that time. Here's some good OC-starring fics that I scoured through the tag. They're difficult to find. I had to smudge that requirement after a while. Then I gave up after I got to 2 years back in the tag.

Some of the stories that I know have very good OCs are also IronStrange, but I know that's not your cup of tea so I left it out. But I found a handful.

Keshwyn was the author that came to mind when you originally sent this ask, but I wanted to have more than one author when I wrote this. Read their series, highly recommend, top-tier OCs across the whole spectrum, with the main star being female.

This fic by LexLemon is technically PalmerStrange, but the OCs are her parents, so it's basically a delight in my eyes as Stephen's fish-out-of-water act is always funny to me.

Dragonnan writes good OCs, usually the mean sort though, the ones who hurt Stephen rather than befriend him (male and female lmao), but if you're in a whumpy mood at some point...

This isn't technically an OC, but I don't know the character from the comics, so she's an OC to me! This Stephen's new apprentice is Casey Kinmont fic by Stratagem. They just updated recently too, need to cheer them on at some point.

*sigh* Sorry love, I ran out of good OC fics that didn't have background/primary IronStrange that I could find/remember. But yeah. There's some fic/author recs.

(If anyone wants to add to the list, feel free to leave a comment or reblog. I was avoiding IronStrange for the asker in particular but I don't think the asker sees reblogs so go for it if you'd like).

Also, I love the OCs that I've come up with for my various stories in both LOTR and the MCU. I'll ramble all about them if you (or someone) wants me to, quite happily.

Hope that answers the question/reason for the ask, mostly.

[jimines]

Whats actually happened between you and taemaknae? I read about it on the tea blog and still confused

This is an insanely long story so I'm going to put it below the cut so for anyone interested in this absolute shit show, continue on.

Essentially, I posted these headers about a month ago:

It was a set of like 8 colours and it was the first time I had ever posted any headers or anything. The issue nic had with these, was the ripped paper bottom. Because apparently you can trademark that. I had asked a (now ex) “friend” of mine if she knew where I could find the ripped paper effect because I had seen the effect on the header of her network blog and I had been trying to find a similar thing for months and google images never gave me anything good. She ended up referring me to google images anyways and after like an hour of dedicated searching, I found this ripped paper effect and used it. This ex “friend” went on to tell another friend of mine that I had "asked where nicole gets her resources for her headers" and then screenshotted my dm as "proof", which still confuses me because I never mentioned nicole there lmao. I've seen the screenshot.

Tell me where I said nicole. It was literally just a question born from seeing the header they had on their network lmao. I feel it’s important to mention I didn’t know this person ran said network at that time, which is why i said “these people”.

This other friend then came to me and just said my headers "may be seen as similar to nic's” and said she noticed it on her own and never mentioned my other “friend” approaching her. I was confused because other than that ripped paper effect that I know many people on tumblr use, I saw no similarities. Nic's headers are usually more complex and more than just a coloured background with a little effect in it. I just wanted to make some simple headers for fun because I was bored. But, regardless, I messaged nic about it to make sure she didn't feel the same way. I told her a friend of mine was worried nic might think my headers are similar to her's and I assured her that if she found them similar I would take them down, no questions asked. Nic told me she was surprised this friend brought it up and told me that it was entirely up to me if I found the headers similar. She never once told me she felt they were the same, never mentioned anything about them, she insisted it was up to me to do as I pleased. So, since I genuinely found no similarities, I left them up.

About a week went by and things between nic and I were fine, or so I thought, based off the fact that she was interacting with my posts, sending me cute asks and replying to a lot of my comments and stuff being kind and whatnot. Then, I decided to post a small list of my creations and the series I had running at the time. 

After that, all of a sudden I got an influx of rude hate anons:

To anyone I mentioned the anons to, they agreed with me, you cannot trademark circular icons. This anon also accused me saying “just the fact that you had an anxiety attack about it proves you copied them” Like no sweetie, it’s called three strangers walked into my house and I got anxious.

Despite me not seeing the issue, I messaged nic, assuming she wouldn't care about the icons (it wasn't like I was taking her exact work and copying and pasting them as my own) and that made her very upset. When she responded to me, she was incredibly heated and gave off the vibe she was waiting for me to message her about it. 

She said things like "this has actually been bothering me for a while", "i expected you to be able to read between the lines and delete the headers", "i don't know who that anon was but clearly they recognize my style". For starters, she never told me that she was annoyed with me, she was being very kind to me publicly. And I have no idea how I was meant to “read between the lines” of what she said especially considering how kind she was to me the following days. I also never accused her of knowing this anon, she just insisted it wasn't her and she didn't know them right off the bat. She also insinuated that I copied my gifs from others as well, which ticked me off because I made my 100+ layer psd myself thank you very much. But I kept my cool, and I told her I had no idea she felt the way she did, and I told her I would delete the headers (which i did as the conversation was going on), and that I would stop posting my icons and bringing attention to them because no one ever paid it any mind before that point. And I asked her “please tell me straight up the next time you have an issue with me because I am generally pretty dumb with social cues”, I have my adhd to thank for that. And instead of replying, she just blocked me. And conveniently, the hate anons stopped dead right after we blocked each other and I haven't received any since.

Also, these are the kinds of icons I posted:

Looks pretty generic and idk, universal, right?

Then, as I've recently found out today, she was in an "anti-loverjimin" groupchat with at least 2 other bloggers. 

Which explains why this all went and fell into place. I know who the two other bloggers are because of what happened two days later but I won't name them just yet, but these two people had been "friends" with me for several months. So, a day or two after nic blocked me, all of a sudden some good friends of mine were blocking me and not talking to me when I asked what was going on. I found out soon after it was because nicole and those two now ex “friends” of mine had taken old dms I sent them and were showing them to people. And I will go into detail about them but I won't name the people they are about for privacy reasons.

Before I move on, to clarify some lies nic has been spreading about me, I never once shit talked nicole to my friends. One of these ex friends also said I was trying to get people on my side. I would have reacted to this all very very differently if that were the case. I would be dragging everyone through the fucking dirt but I don't get off on drama or micromanaging what my mutuals do. My issues are with these people, if you're still friends with them that's your decision i could not care less. So, back to it, the only thing I said about nic was that she and I had a stupid small fight over icons and that she was spreading lies about me, based off of what nic said to jordan.

That exact message, or slight variations of it, was sent to anyone I interacted with because I didn't know if nic was going to stop at jordan or try and get to everyone I fucking knew lmao. Some of the people I messaged this to told ME nic had done this kind of thing before, that she has sent hate anons, launched hate campaigns, cancelled people, etc. Over stupid shit like icons lmao.

Here are some responses I received after I mentioned nicole:

And nic or one of her friends also took it upon themselves to send anons to that tea blog to blow shit up and named everyone and made it an even bigger mess when they saw no one was actively trying to fight me after the dms got out. 

I also love that in this following ask, they named my two “friends” that were behind the whole dm drama and backstabbed me, as well as two other people I never badmouthed, that story was twisted. But we’ll get into those details shortly.

And she also told people I clout chased big blogs and only cared about notes. At one point, yes, I did care a lot about my statistics. However, never once did I think clout chasing was worth my fucking time or energy, Nic is the biggest clout chaser on this damn site and there are receipts of that, ask jordan lmao. And I couldn’t give two shits about my statistics anymore lmao, much less anxiety that way. Do I still crave validation sometimes? Sure. But it's not a driving force of my tumblr experience like it used to be.

But, moving on to the dms, the first one was sent when I first came back to tumblr full-time and didn't understand why people self reblogged things, I found the pretence of self reblogging annoying and greedy and I complained about it and it was a comment fuelled by two bloggers that i would see sr a lot on my dash. But I never thought THEY were annoying, as these people are saying I did, it was self reblogging I found annoying and as you can see I have come to understand why people sr and I do it myself too. I didn't even know these two bloggers at this time either. That dm was cropped to hide the fact that this "friend" agreed with me and hid the date as well so it seemed recent, and was sent to one of the bloggers I mentioned as an example, someone I had since become good friends with. 

I didn’t befriend one of the people I mentioned there until mid to late June. That friendship is now over thanks to this drama and all the lies. The second friend of mine they went after was never spoken about in dms, they went and turned her against me through lies and manipulation so that friendship has ended too. And while those two were doing that, nic went off to try and turn jordan against me.

There was a particular user on here that I did say some nasty things about but we weren't friends, as many people have been made to believe. I was particularly mad at this person in those dms and was hurtful, I admit, and I have since apologized and owned up to all of it to these people. I did call them fake and/or two-faced. 

And what in the gassing me up bullshit was their response though lmao. I also sent this following dm before I even talked about the issue with this person. They urged me to continue and to name drop the person, and I stupidly thought they were trustworthy.

My reasoning for what I said wasn't unwarranted though, I don't make a habit of going around shit-talking people, unless they do something to me first. I vent when I am upset and this person had sent me a passive aggressive ask and then denied sending it when I asked and I thought that was just very fake, especially since she was so kind to me in dms before the ask came in. But all of these dms were cropped too to hide timestamps and responses, and in most cases, like those screenshots prove, these "friends" either gassed me up or egged me on to continue ranting or to name the people i was mad at and they had agreed with me on several, several occasions. Turns out they were trying to get dirt on me to use in their cancel campaign. But the point is, nic has made me out to be this horrible person that befriends "big blogs" (an overrated statement) and then shit talks them behind their back without remorse. Yet it was one person I said rude things about and I, again, owned up to it all and apologized to them the first day. I would've done it sooner had I a) remembered feeling the way I did all those months ago or remembered the dms themselves or b) felt that way still after meeting them. But neither is the case.

I find it really amusing though that these people wanted things to be kept quiet and didn’t want anyone they spoke to to talk to me about it because I was going to “out them on my blog” and “make a big scene”, then they three went and made it a big fucking scene and ruined my friendships. I’m familiar with this pattern of manipulation as it has happened to me in real life before and it’s the most childish bullshit to witness.

Before this callout day for nic, I had never once been directly rude to or about her, same goes for those ex “friends” that betrayed my trust and friendship. The fact that they plotted against me in a group chat while still actively talking to me and being all buddy buddy is just disgusting. Both of them were talking to me that day at the same time they were sharing the dms and shit-talking me to my friends. But yeah, that's my side, the untwisted side, of the whole story. I tried to be mature and talk to nic and when I didn't do what she wanted me to do, she blocked me and launched the hate campaign with dms and the power of photoshop. I’ve been hesitant to make any of this public because it was meant to be a silent ordeal but I’ve grown tired of her constantly publicizing everything without consequence while I remain silent like I promised.

[thatwritergirlsblog]

Dealing with negative feedback as a writer

I've recently gone through the critique partner/alpha reader/beta reader process. I gave people the book I'd been working on for 4 years and asked them to criticize it and pull it apart. To give me their honest opinions. And even though I asked for it, getting negative feedback still sucks every time.

So, here are a few ways in which I've tried to lessen the blow:

1. Rather than sorting feedback into negative/positive, sort it into useful/not useful

You may think that only the negative comments are important. Because that's what you need to fix, right?

Well, I've come to recognize that not all criticism is helpful and not all positive feedback is useless for editing.

The important question when sifting through feedback is: does this point out a particular aspect that can and should be changed?

Some negative comments that are actually not helpful include subjective preferences, generalization and mean-spirited criticism.

If someone says: "I don't like the swearing in the book." - this is subjective. This reader does not like books with many curse words. However, other readers might like the candid narration or dialogue you've achieved with the swear words. Of course, if many of the readers point out that the swearing is so intense that it distracts from the plot, that could be useful feedback. But if it's just one reader, you shouldn't change your manuscript to suit them. You should also keep in mind that readers of a different genre won't always like your book, but that's completely subjective.

Broad/general negative statements also aren't useful. This would be something like "I don't like the book". This can hurt very much, but you have to realize that it's fine to throw out this type of feedback and forget it ever came your way. Because it doesn't help you make the book better. It doesn't address any specific aspect. It doesn't help you understand the problem. And it sure as hell doesn't indicate what you should edit.

99.9% of the time, a mean-spirited comment won't be useful. Because that person isn't trying to help. They're tearing you down and being a prick. Realize that this is more of a projection of their own insecurities than a reflection of the quality of your work. I had a beta reader who gave me incredibly condescending/mocking feedback and I removed him from my beta list immediately. I can take constructive criticism. I don't have to tolerate a dick.

Then, there could also be positive feedback that can help you edit the manuscript. If some comments: "I love character Y, because she has a very clear goal", that may indicate that you need to strengthen the goals of your other characters.

2. Consolidate the useful feedback

I know that when getting negative feedback you just want to crawl into a hole and never look at any of it again.

But, the whole reason you asked for feedback was to help you make the book better. So, you're gonna have to work through those comments.

Once you know which feedback is useful, I suggest making a separate edit document in which you simply list the things you need to look at during your next round of edits.

This way, the notes are in your own words and they are neutral. You don't have to look at the negative comments themselves ever again.

3. Don't disregard the positive comments

I feel like it's human nature to focus on the negative. Especially when looking toward edits, we tend to blind ourselves to all the good feedback.

Don't

Even though it might not be directly relevant to your next round of edits, positive feedback that doesn't point out anything you should change is still valuable.

For your writing career, it's always good to know what your strengths are.

And if you save the praise, you can always revisit it for a morale boost when self-doubt or imposter syndrome gets you down.

Reblog if you found this post useful. Comment with your own tips on handling feedback. Follow me for similar content.

[nightwingmyboi]

Hey so I was wondering about Dick's Romanian heritage. Is it mentioned a lot in comics or media? Is he dark skinned in any adaptations? Is it true he originally went to Juvie after his parents died? Where would I go to find this stuff out? Thanks!

Sure! So, Dick’s heritage is a pretty complex topic. I think it’s best to leave the explanation to [this post]. Since I know not everyone will click the link, just to briefly clarify something: Dick is Romani, not Romanian. Being Romanian means being from the country of Romania. Romani people are scattered across the world. Also, Dick is typically depicted with light skin in canon...him being Romani would not conflict with this, because the Romani people have a large range of skin tones. Not at all opposed to him being depicted with darker skin, but just so that you know. Very, very strongly recommend checking out the post for the whole story (edit: and checking the reblogs for the counterpoint to said post!!) 

Robin (1993) Annual #4

As for your other question...in one version of Dick’s origin story, following his parents’ deaths, Dick was sent to Gotham’s Youth Center. This center was essentially a juvenile detention center; most of the kids were sent there for committing what are described in comic as “adult crimes.” It was a very rough environment for Dick, especially in the aftermath of his parents’ deaths. 

Dick going to the center after his parents died is technically a retcon of his origin (ie it was something added later). I know for some reason certain people hear the word retcon and immediately are like “then it doesn’t count!!!” but I think that is very much the wrong approach. True enough, some retcons are bad--that is, those that completely ignore previously established characterizations or plot points, and in doing so often radically change the story for the worse. It’s fine if people want to ignore those bad retcons, I do so myself. But, that’s not true for every retcon lmao. I’d say the juvie origin retcon is a great example of a good retcon. It really helps to clarify and enhance the original story, and I don’t think it should be dismissed. Hear me out here: 

1.) The juvie origin doesn’t replace any previous origin story--it really only adds to and improves upon the timeline of Dick’s original origin. 

For the most part, in previous tellings of the story, Dick’s origin went pretty much straight from his parents dying to him and Bruce in Wayne Manor. It’s a pretty sudden, jarring jump; the in-between was largely left to the reader’s imaginations or implied to not exist at all. And I’ll be real...the pacing and immediacy of events is pretty wonky and unreasonable. In one of the most extreme speed runs through Dick’s origin I’ve seen, Dick’s parents die and Batman immediately swings down from the rafters and tells Dick that he’ll solve the case...while Dick’s parents’ bodies are still cooling a couple feet away (Batman #436). Yeah, that is absolutely ridiculous lmao, as is the idea that Bruce just immediately adopted Dick the day his parents died. I think that the juvie origin very nicely slows things down and helps to organically fill in the gap of time that would and should exist between Dick losing his parents and being taken in by Bruce. 

2.) The juvie origin helps to rationalize Bruce’s reasoning for taking Dick in. 

In previous origin stories, Bruce’s main motivation for taking Dick in is that he saw his own suffering reflected in Dick and wanted to help him. I dig the parallels between Bruce and Dick...but this is very flimsy reasoning to adopt someone lmao. With all the tragedy that occurs in Gotham, you cannot tell me that Bruce had not run across some orphans before. Bruce sympathizing with Dick certainly should be part of what motivates him, but there needed to be something more. If there is not some immediate, urgent reason to adopt Dick, then it makes zero sense that Bruce would try to raise him honestly. Why would Bruce tear Dick away from his remaining family and friends at the circus? Why would Dick want to leave? And even if Dick could no longer remain at the circus, why wouldn’t Bruce allow Dick to go to a good foster home, especially since Bruce is so laser focused on his solo crusade against Gotham’s crime that he doesn’t even allow himself to have a steady girlfriend half the time? Lots of plot holes here!

The juvie origin fixes a lot of these issues! Staying at the circus is not an option for Dick, not because Bruce just snatches him away, but because legally Gotham Juvenile Services says that the circus is an inadequate environment for raising a child. Dick is sent to juvie, and the comic makes a point of showing Dick nearly being beaten to death almost immediately upon arriving. 

Dick is in danger and he’s lost in the system, so there is no longer a possibility for him to land in a good home. Initially, when Bruce goes to find Dick, he’s still tracking him down only with the intention of getting justice for Dick by solving his parent’s murder. But Bruce is a good person at heart. When Batman finds Dick trying to escape from the juvenile hall, beaten to hell, he intervenes. The next morning Dick is taken in by Bruce Wayne. 

So now, taking in Dick isn’t Bruce tearing Dick away from the chance of having a loving family and throwing him into the dangerous life of a crime fighter; taking Dick in is Bruce saving Dick from a horrible situation, possibly even saving his life. The only way to get Dick out of the potentially deadly situation he was in quickly was for Bruce to take him in as a foster parent. Bruce’s actions actually make a lot of sense! And Bruce is forced by necessity to take on a fatherly role that he does not feel suited or prepared for, rather than him adopting Dick on a whim. The juvie origin gives this scenario the urgency and necessity that it desperately needed. 

3.) The juvie origin has been around for a long time, and pretty successfully adds nuance to Dick’s character without completely altering or changing who he is. 

The juvie origin is a retcon that has been established for about 25 years, fyi. Robin Annual #4, which is where this idea first came into play, was released in 1995. There are also references to this origin story in Nightwing Vol. 2, and that comic series ran from 1996 to 2009, so it’s not like the juvie origin is completely baseless or totally removed from the narrative. 

Nightwing (1996) #11

Also...Dick Grayson has been around for 80 years. In DC comics, I’m pretty sure he is predated only by Superman and Batman. You are inevitably going to have to add nuance to his character as time goes on. The juvie origin adds a very interesting complexity to the character and his fight against crime, considering he himself has been in the system...there’s so much untapped potential there!! So yeah, I feel like the juvie retcon is a very valid addition to Dick Grayson’s origin story. Plus, Robin Annual #4 is just a very well written and well thought out comic book that really fleshes out Bruce, Dick, and Alfred’s initial relationships to one another in a realistic way, and more people should check it out. 

What I’m saying...is that more people need to get on board and accept the juvie origin guys!! It’s my favorite origin for Dick, hands down. Thanks for giving me an excuse to talk about it anon. 

As for where to go for more info…well, you can always check out Dick’s DC wiki, or anyone else’s, for basic summary info. For me, I always like going straight to the source. You could find a comic rec list that focuses on what you’re interested in and just dive in and build your knowledge that way. Sometimes if you google around, you can find neat creator interviews that address questions like the ones you asked. If nothing else, I’m sure there are people on tumblr (like me :D) or elsewhere online who are willing to help you out and point you in the right direction if you’re curious about something in particular. Idk if other people know of a good resource for things like this?

[electricbluebutterflies]

Hi!! Saw that promp list you reblogged, so I'm shooting my shot for Nina + Matthias with this one: 'Learning what the other person likes sexually' thank you 😊

(Also...idk if you'd accept 1 or 2 more requests for this otp? Loved the prompts but I dont wanna spam your inbox. 😜)

I kinda love them... obvious smut ahead and also on ao3.

She’s broken him. He’s not sure how much he minds.

Look, objectively the fact that he is stuck in the frozen middle of nowhere and owes his continued survival to a witch who will not shut up and seduced him more out of boredom than anything that seems like actual desire on her part is… almost all of his worst nightmares come true. But all of that established and ignored, Nina is not the worst possible person to be stuck with. She’s beautiful, occasionally funny in a way that breaks the cultural barriers between them, knows what she wants…

They’ve stopped for the night, no closer to civilization than they were when they woke up but not going around in circles yet – and he’s left subtle markings at each fishing hut they’ve temporarily occupied, he would know – and he knows what happens next, and this time he wants to do better.

Nina is, he has learned over the past few days, a very particular combination of insatiable and bossy. When she decides she wants, and apparently physical activities are how she deals with her everything, she makes herself very clear and pins him to whatever passes for a bed wherever they are. (Or, very briefly yesterday, a wall.) And while Matthias is a willing enough participant in his own corruption, he can’t push away the feeling that the power dynamic is the truly wrong thing here. A man is not supposed to be passive, even when faced with… all of that. But as it is, he’s not sure he’ll get the chance to change it up.

And sure enough, after an improvised meal of probably-undercooked fish, she reaches out. Puts her mouth on his and starts taking kisses, and he’s so powerless and so into it and-

“Stop,” he breathes, unsure if the word even comes out.

To his great surprise, she freezes. She’s still clinging to him, but not actively doing anything more. “You okay? Did I do something-“

“You need to rest,” he murmurs, adding a little endearment in his native language. Yep, she’s definitely corrupted him. “If you want, let me give.”

Nina rolls her eyes. “Are you sure?!”

“I need to learn how to do this… properly.”

The look on her face is the most amused horror he’s ever seen and oh he almost loves her for it. “I am not passive. You do realize that, right?”

“You don’t have to be. I don’t know… tell me what to do.”

She takes a step back. “Alright. How detailed instructions do you want?”

“Tell me how to make you happy.”

Nina takes another step back and shifts her body into an open position. “Alright. Undress me. You’ve seen how all of this works…”

He has, and he steps forward and tries. The buttons of her vest are so tiny, and of course she’d done up all of them, and it takes a frighteningly long time for his fingers to get them all undone. Then her shirt, also made challenging with the laces done up too tight and oh the sight of her curves underneath it is distracting and unfair and-

Somehow, he figures out all the knots and gets it off her, gets rewarded with the sight of her soft skin and pointy breasts. Even this would be enough, and he-

“Put your mouth… somewhere.”

If nothing else, Matthias is good at following orders. Even if they are given by a… no, at this point he doesn’t think she’s a witch. Not like he was taught to believe. Definitely not normal, but far more human than he expected.

Not that it matters, he reminds himself as he leans down and tries to kiss her breasts. She’s even paler there than she is elsewhere, and her body is warm and unfair. She squirms a little, but the noises she makes are happy enough and she hasn’t yelled at him so he’s hopefully not screwing this up too badly and-

On instinct, he puts his mouth around one of her nipples and licks, and her noises turn closer to what she apparently sounds like in bliss. He’s still learning how that works, but if this helps get her there…

“Okay, I was just going to have you straight-up fuck me but nevermind you’re actually good with your mouth,” she says, yanking on his hair to pull him up and off. “This still…?”

“Yes. Keep showing me.”

“I’m not showing you, I’m trying to un-repress you,” she laughs. “Undo my skirt and get me on the bed.”

He does, and without being told he knows what she wants next. Well, this may be the strangest experience yet with her, but…

The space between her thighs is beautiful, swollen pink instead of ivory, already shiny with her warmth. He pokes around with his fingers – this, at least, she has let him do before – and makes a plan. If he’s wrong then he’s wrong and he still expects she’ll get mad at him at some point during this, but until then he-

“Head. Down. Now.” From this angle she looks magnificent, and he can see her desperation in a different way. “Keep going unless I grab your ear, no matter what else I do.”

In the recent past, in the time before she happened to him, all of this was foreign to him. It was, and remains, improper for a man of his status to know too much about the sacred beauty of women before marrying one. In that way he is ruined now, and he cannot imagine any of this being so good with some equally innocent creature. This one is so much better. This one is-

She kicks his shoulder, more out of annoyance than wanting to hurt. “I know I’m cute but get on with it.”

He complies, pressing his mouth to her outer petals. He is well aware he has too much scruff right now, and that might hurt where she’s sensitive… no, might hurt some lesser woman, won’t make this one bat an eyelash. Nina is different and Nina is herself. And she is perfect, he thinks as instinct takes over and he starts to lick. Beautiful wet nightmare.

This is a first attempt, not perfection. His desire to make her happy counts for something, he hopes as he tries different things, because that’s about the only part of this in his favor. This act she’s suggested is so new, something he’s surprised she even wants, and to have his world reduced to her womanly parts is… perfect for him, honestly. He is aware of his own body responding to it, but she hasn’t asked for that yet and maybe she won’t tonight and-

As he is learning is normal for her, Nina falls apart with a few breathless noises. Apparently this also includes clenching her thighs tight enough his head hurts and more of her sweet warmth dripping onto his tongue. For a moment he’s not sure he can breathe either, and-

The pressure lessens and instead of grabbing his ear like she said, she pulls him up to her level by the shoulders.

“Did I… please you?”

She rolls over to cover his face in wet kisses. “You need to have more faith in your abilities. That was nice.”

“What… what now?”

“Do you still want to have me?” she asks, putting her hand between his legs.

As if that’s a question. Matthias has been able to ignore his own body until now, but the slightest touch makes him squirm and he’s still fully dressed and she is unfair and-

“Always,” he breathes. Might as well admit it. “Is that alright? You already…”

“Great thing about having the parts I do is I can fall apart multiple times,” she shrugs like that should be too obvious. “I am perfectly fine with it if you are.”

“Please.”

“Good. Undress for me and… I wanna see what you do.”

It no longer feels awkward to feel her eyes on him as he sheds his layers. Her expression is appreciative, and he’s never thought too much about what his body might look like to other people but clearly the only person who matters right now is into it. Years after her, he thinks, if there is an after her, he will always remember this as he looks at his skin. Impossible perfect woman almost making him happy.

And sure enough, as he’d both hoped and feared, his prick is in full form. And to think he’d expected it would hurt her the first time she wanted him. There’s no fear of that now, but a near-inevitability he won’t last long enough to give her what she wants and-

He looks at her, spread out for him and waiting, and he knows whatever he does will be enough.

Soft beautiful his, he repeats as he maneuvers his body over her. Perfect woman, as he lines up his prick. More than he had ever dreamed of, as he covers her.

She feels perfect around him, and he rolls his hips against hers and tries to find a pattern the way she does when she covers him and he is so sure he’s doing it wrong but she keeps taking kisses anyways so maybe not. Perfect, and he feels himself tense up and no too soon he hasn’t given her everything he hasn’t-

He falls apart anyways, best intentions be damned, boneless on top of her even as their bodies separate.

“I didn’t mean to-“

“Do I look like I’m complaining?”

No, he thinks as he maneuvers his body so most of his weight is off of her, no she does not. If anything, Nina looks the happiest he’s seen her, pink and glowing and content. “You look beautiful,” he says before he talks himself out of it.

“Good.” She shakes her head, her hair flying everywhere. “Are you… was all of that okay?”

She gets under his skin like no one else ever has, and he almost loves her for it and he is undone. “I don’t know if I did it right.”

“There is no right. Not with this. There’s only… what I like may be different from what some other person likes, and each time you’re with someone new you get to figure it all out again.”

“That’s not what I-“

“You made me feel good. As long as you felt good too… that’s the important part.”

And he did, he lets himself feel as they maneuver themselves into a comfortable position for sleep. Dangerous woman. He is ruined for anyone else now, and… maybe that’s alright.

[nutellarghh]

29 and 35 for the ask game :)

Who sucks so bad? I suck so bad!

I'm so sorry @spruceoutoffive for the EXTREMELY late answer but here we go!

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Actually, yeah. I have a very short one-shot called 'The Wake up Call' which has a lot less hits than all my other works. All other pieces are around the same threshold, and I actually really like that one so it kinda makes me sad :c but at the end of the day, I write for myself as well as for practice for when I write my original work - so seeing the difference in response is kinda good as well to see what people respond to.

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

I cannot keep shit to myself to save my life. I get excited about ideas enough to share them almost immediately. I dont know the full list of people, but I for sure shared some WIP ideas with @seanchaidh7 and @princecharmingwinks and of course, with my pack - @tails89 @fairytales-and-folklore and @ash-mcj :D

Also, a lot of WIP ideas come out from our stupid converations on discord with fairytales, ash and tails so. They're at least 37% responsible for the bullshit I spew.

Full list of questions below if someone else wants to ask! I promise to be faster with responding -_-

Fanfiction Writer Asks

Most of the writer ask posts I come across are only like ten or so questions long so I thought I’d try to make a longer one because we like talking about our writing! Feel free to reblog!

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction?

2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?

3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

4) What is your favourite genre to write for?

5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi chaptered stories, which would it be and why?

6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?

7) When is your preferred time to write?

8) Where do you take your inspiration from?

9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?

10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternative ending in mind?

11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?

13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why?

14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx? - You can ask about multiple stories.

15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?

16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx?

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?

25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?

27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec not the answerer)

32) Are any of your characters based on real people?

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?

37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written?

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.

39) Do you prefer first, second or third person?

40) Do people know you write fanfiction?

41) What’s you favourite minor character you’ve written?

42) Song fic - What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx.

43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it?

44) What is the last line you wrote?

45) What spurs you on during the writing process?

46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it?

47) Here’s a fic title - insert a made up title. What would this story be about?

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

[karliesbuzzcut]

So I don’t know how you guys feel about the ‘Realistic Kaylor Timeline’ that’s been doing the rounds on this corner of the internet. I’m guessing some of you might feel conflicted, others might strongly disagree with some parts of it - but do not worry. I’m here to tell you how to feel about it: you love it. Because it’s mandatory to love anything that can get such a feral reaction out of TTB.

Today I’m bringing you

Top 7 Moments from TTB vs. Swiftiesleuth 2020

Fair wairning: I’m going to be very biased - I’ve not made my adoration for @swiftiesleuth a secret at all.

1. TTB’s grand entrance. LLLLLET’S GET READY TO TUMBLRRRRR!

Her disjointed sentences already let you know she’s a bit shaken “FAKE NEWS! The author admits they do not have inside knowledge like I do! I have all the inside knowledge, they only have outside knowledge, which ew - it’s muddy outside, and there’s bugs.”

2. Married people don’t ‘bonk’ - they make respectful and dignified love to each other. Preferably from opposite sides of the room.

My favourite was definitely when she said “if you’re a queer woman then you should really think about how you talk”. I vote for unpacking this one.

That ‘if’ - because of course, TTB has to perform a background check on you before she allows you to join The Gays.

That ‘should’. Please, TTB, complete that thought for us. Why is it that, as a queer woman, swiftiesleuth should do something in particular? You are not implying that she has to be especially careful about her words because she’s queer, right? I mean, you wouldn’t 😱 you’re a Social Justice Warrior after all.

TTB doesn’t like to be called “dude” either:

Which is why I suggest we all start calling her ‘Our Dude’. She will be our collective dude. And we can all be her little Dudes! It’ll be delightful, I’m telling ya.

3. In the year of our lord 2020, TTB decides it’s a good idea to pull the “I can’t be racist; my best friend is black” - but make it Jewish.

On this one I want to take a bit of a more serious tone, so I’ll limit myself to only one fart joke. I had no idea there were circumstances in which you couldn’t say you ‘converted’ to Judaism. I genuinely love that this seemingly silly passtime of mine actually teaches me new things. Now, I’m going to take a wild-ass guess and say TTB didn’t know that either... but more on this coming up.

Right now, let’s all rejoice at her choice of saying “I have facts” and right afterwards “Kaylor is likely already married”.

Kaylor, the sole entity, is married.

4. TTB tells herself “You know what? I haven’t been racist enough today”

At this point, TTB has become a cautionary tale about what happens to a person when they get married to an idea. It’s genuinely scary for me to think that my brain could trick me to such an extent that I could no longer process information that contradicts my beliefs. Just imagine it, there’s something about someone else’s religion that doesn’t make sense to you, and you decide to draw your conclusions from there. Okay, cool. Then someone from said religion explains that thing that didn’t make sense. And your reaction isn’t “oh, I maybe I should think about that, this person clearly knows more than me about this particular subject”. No. Your reaction instead is “I am entitled to my beliefs”

ISN’T THAT TERRIFYING!?

But more importantly... Isn’t that fucking racist? Wait... what? You are saying that isn’t racist enough? You think TTB should’ve also said that people don’t get to be offended by a word ‘only because it has been used as a slur in the past’? And then suggest to the person who asked her not to use that word - a person who is directly affected by that kind of bigotry - to get a dictionary? Nooo, come on, that’d be overkill. We are not trying to build a cartoon villain here!

5. Whaler and TTB are disappointed parents.

Truly emps, how dare you have a mind of your own. We raised you better than that!

I loooove that this day and age a fucking reblog means unconditional support to the author of the post... I’d watch that Black Mirror episode.

6. Both swiftiesleuth & TTB leave the chat with a motherfucking BANG.

I thought that I had hit comedy nirvana when Swiftiesleuth asked if her LGBTQ flavour bothered TTB and I thought no way in hell would TTB respond to that. BUT SHE DID. Aren’t you glad to be alive to witness that? “I have no knowledge of your flavour” she says. Well, TTB, I have no knowledge of Swiftiesleuth’s flavour either, but I’m working on fixing that *double winky face*

BUT TTB was like “talking about someone’s flavour isn’t hilarious enough, let’s leave this conversation with my best material”. And reminded us all of the percentage of black people she has working for her. I wonder if she decided to do the maths right after assembling her team or after she realised she could use it as an argument. Either way, super normal behaviour.

Also, also. I’d love to know what she considers a minority “well... Gerald has a pet snake... that should bring my minority percentage up by a couple points”

7. Special guests!

You wouldn’t be able to tell by how late to the party I was, but this was a big event here on Tumblr. Everybody was there... I’m told. Because I already feel like I’ve been working on this post for the past decade, I’ll keep it short and cute.

In one corner we have whaler and swift-79,

Obligatory bulletpoint list about all the things I loved about this post:

It wasn’t enought that TTB questioned swiftiesleuth’s queerness. Whaler said “fuck it - I’m questioning this bitch’s name as well” “Nat?” “you don’t look like a Nat” “but if you insist on identifying yourself as a Nat...” “I’ll put it in air quotes though”

I’m sorry... “If we are judging from pictures”? Isn’t that all that Kaylors do in 2020? No. No. I’m sorry. You guys also have emojis, sorry!

“Even Enty has questions about his sexuality” 😱 What? Enty? A blog dedicated to posting a constant stream of celebrity gossip once said that someone, somewhere, might be gay? No! 😱

I think swiftiesleuth was accused again of working for Scooter? Conspiracy Theorists are so adorably predictable, every time anyone disagrees with them (worse if that person seems to have done some research) somebody has to yell “they’re working for the enemy!”

Anyway, time for our final guest: the lovely @youlooklikebadnews , who I could’ve asked to write this whole post for me because they definitely did a better job than me at summarising the whole thing. But not only that, they were lucky enough to get a response from TTB.

...At this point I’m fairly certain that I’ll get invited to a Secret Session before TTB ever acknowledges my existence.

Doesn’t this read like what the villain says at the end of a shitty movie? Teasing a sequel and everything?

“You have not seen the last of TTB! I’ll be back with more proof and no copyright issues! KARLIE AND TAYLOR WILL RISE! Then you will see! YOU WILL ALL SEE!”

*flourishes cape and disappears into the night*

[askgundamwingfans]

Oh my goodness the responses!!

Thanks everyone for taking the time to add your perspective. For everyone reading, feel free to reblog with your own answers to any of these questions, or send in some questions of your own.

Without further ado, lets do an easy warm up post this week. The answers are in no particular order, let me know if I should be keeping answers from a single responder together 

Did you take a break from GW fandom? If so, what made you come back?

I took a ~10 year break for school and work. The pandemic got me looking back on my old hobbies and I went looking fanfic that I used to love. It was supposed to be just a quick tip toe into nostalgia but that was back in November and here we are.

There have been periods when I've been less active (especially if you look at my publishing history), and I haven't always hung out in the most popular fandom bases, but even during my quieter periods if I'd been asked "are you still part of this fandom" my answer would have been definitively yes. I think one of the great things about fandom is that it's for us to participate in on our own terms and what it means to be "in" a fandom is a huge net.

A friend of mine wanted to read my old fics but I wasn’t on AO3, so I made an account.

More like I just drifted away. I'd peek back every now and then. But now my new good friends are all in the gw Fandom so I'm much more involved than before

Yes - I organically lost interest in fandom after I first got into GW (2000s) due to RL, came back because I finally had time to sit down and (re)watch the series during COVID.

Which characters/ships are you most interested in? What do you appreciate most about them?

Oh, gosh. I love a well-written rare pair or a seemingly crack ship that, when you read it, suddenly doesn't seem so far-fetched anymore. And likewise, the characters that you don't see being written so often. GW has such a rich ensemble cast to draw from, I like seeing fresh faces get a turn in the spotlight and treated with the same depth as the usual favorites.

I am definitely a 1xR fan first and foremost, but I also love all the GW ladies. Relena was always a favorite because she was probably the first female character I had ever really seen that stood her own with the male characters. She was just super interesting - a feminine, peaceful character that becomes a world leader? And not through magic? Sign me up! Coming back into fandom I started going over the ladies' personalities. I find Dorothy to be absolutely fascinating as a character with her shit-disturbing ways. Hilde, Catherine, Noin, Une. I love that they're given individual strengths and flaws, and each have their own roles that aren't necessarily just supporting the male characters. Even today it can be rare to find a female character that has a personality, history and role all to her own.

Quatre and I don’t have enough space to even go into this, haha. I ship him mostly with Trowa and Duo.

I generally will try most non 3x4 Trowa ships. I lean most towards 1x3 and 3x5, though somehow I got into 3x6 at the end of my first run in fandom, probably because the one writer who got me into it was so funny. I think for whatever reason, I just ended up in Trowa-centric mailing lists for 1x3, 2x3, and 5x3, and Trowa-centric, and the 1x3 and 5x3 lists were the more active ones. I do remember feelings those stories were really unique. The one 5x3 that I remember from my first run was actually super edge-lordy and ended with murder/suicide (it was a very messed up story!!!!). What stuck in my mind was how that writer managed to treat the pilots somewhat opposite of how most others wrote them - arguably straight up OOC for the sake of exploring a darker story, but it also was the first time I think that Wufei was the nice guy/hero and not just a side character wingman. This is similar to why I got into 6x3 - a specific writer was just a fucking hoot about the way they wrote both Trowa and Zechs, and whether it's OOC or not, it was probably the first time I had read anything that funny in fanfiction (especially in stories with sex/smut). So I guess the TLDR is that the stories that happened to really change my mind on characters and/or fic as a medium strongly influenced why I like certain ships. They were also probably arguably very OOC which also influences how I approach fanworks.

Duo will always be my favorite, cause I relate to him the most