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imakemywings · 9 months

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Analysis of Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth

The Athrabeth is one of those things which spawns endless fandom discussion, but a lot of it seems to misunderstand what's going on in Andreth and Finrod's discussion, which is understandable. There's a lot going on and the language can be difficult. Athrabeth serves two purposes: 1) on a meta level, it is Tolkien exploring the differing fates and beliefs of the peoples of Middle-earth; and 2) on a textual level, Finrod is both having a cultural exchange with and seeking to comfort Andreth about the loss of Aegnor, his brother whom she loved. The two discussions are necessarily tied together, because Andreth's bitterness and anger over the mortal fate of Men (which she believes to be unnatural, imposed on them by Melkor) is tied into her feelings about losing Aegnor.

I want to focus on the relationship we're shown between Andreth and Finrod.

The Cultural Exchange

Finrod first engages Andreth, a wise woman among her people, in a conversation about the beliefs and mythologies of the Beorians. I have often seen Finrod criticized for being condescending here, and while I suppose you could read that attitude into it, I don't. When Andreth accuses the Elves of condescension, of considering Men beneath them, Finrod agrees with her:

"Alas, you speak near the truth," said Finrod. "At least of many of my people; but not of all, and certainly not of me."

He freely admits many Elves wouldn't bother with Men because they do consider them "creatures of less worth." But Finrod is among Men, asking questions about their culture and their belief system, because it interests him. From the very beginning, the story tells us Finrod's interest in Men and their culture is genuine, whether or not Andreth believes that.

Finrod (son of Finarfin, son of Finwë) was the wisest of the exiled Noldor, being more concerned than all others with matters of thought...and he was eager moreover to discover all that he could concerning Mankind.

And he seems to respect Andreth as a keeper of her people's knowledge, even if he doesn't always agree with it. The story very much sets them up both as respected individuals among their peoples, with even the Elves acknowledging Andreth's intelligence and knowledge:

[Andreth] was wise in thought, and learned in the lore of Men and their histories; for which reason the Eldar called her Saelind, 'Wise-heart'.

This exchange between them has always come off as one of deep respect on both sides, to me. It is precipitated by Finrod's grief for the death of Boron, a lord of the Beorians, and his struggle with the seemingly short lives of Men. He and Andreth compare the views of the world of their respective species and share beliefs that each side has in the nature of the world.

A number of things Andreth says Finrod knows are false, because he grew up in Aman, he's met the Valar. But even where he challenges her assertions--such as her belief that Men were not always mortal, but were made so by Morgoth--it isn't done with some effort to triumphantly prove her wrong, but rather advising caution or offering a different perspective.

"Beware of the chaff with your corn, Andreth! For it may be deadly: lies of the Enemy that out of envy will breed hate. Not all the voices that come out of the darkness speak truth to those minds that listen for strange news."

And there is a deep bitterness and resentment that arises around the notion that Morgoth robbed Men of their rightful immortality. It absolutely comes through in Andreth's tone throughout Athrabeth. It must be very easy for mortals to perseverate on this rather than taking mortality as the natural state of being and processing it through that lens. Andreth resents that she is mortal, and she sees her mortality (imposed on her by Melkor) as the reason she could not have Aegnor.

Andreth and Finrod like and respect each other enough to have a discussion/debate like this and still consider each other a friend at the end. Further along, Finrod even suggests Andreth may not be entirely wrong, but is deeply troubled by the notion that Morgoth could be powerful enough to do such a thing. In short, he is listening to Andreth, and while her assertions may not immediately make sense to him, he considers them and how they might impact a person's view of the world.

Andreth too, allows for some flexibility in belief:

"You speak strange words, Finrod," said Andreth, "which I have not heard before. Yet my heart is stirred as if by some truth that it recognizes even if it does not understand it."

While each of them already has their own ideas about the world and their species' relationship with each other and with death and hope, they listen to one another. They aren't simply arguing to prove themselves right--they are having a genuine discussion (which necessitates being willing to oppose each other on some things). Amid the discussion on mortality and the nature of death for Elves and Men, she says this:

"Hope, that is another matter, of which even the Wise seldom speak." Then her voice grew more gentle. "Yet, Lord Finrod of the House of [Finarfin], of the high and puissant Elves, perhaps we may speak of it anon, you and I."

There is some culture clash between them, as some of their views and beliefs are mutually exclusive, but although their discussion gets emotional at some points, it never, to me, feels mean or disrespectful. Here was a clear spot for Andreth to cut off the conversation if she felt talked down to, or upset, but instead she encourages it to continue. They may occasionally get intense with their discussions (Andreth does shed tears at a few points)--and Athrabeth implies in my view that this is not the first of these cultural discussions they've had--but they still like each other.

And that is part of the key to the Athrabeth for me--they are friends.

In the days of the peace before Melkor broke the Siege of Angband, Finrod would often visit Andreth, whom he loved in great friendship...

He comes to her in friendship, and goes out of his way to speak with her about the end of her relationship (whatever it was--the text isn't clear on that) with Aegnor. He opens this talk by asking her about things Andreth is known to be knowledgeable about--paying respect to her wisdom, and regarding her intellect highly enough to even have such a debate. He wants to understand her perspective on the world, and it does shape her reaction to her relationship with Aegnor.

Finally, Andreth, for her part, seems like she would be more than willing to tell Finrod to fuck off if she didn't like him or didn't want to talk or felt like he was being an ass. This is not a soft-spoken person; she is very upfront with Finrod when she wants to be. The fact that she continues to engage him both in the discussion about Mannish beliefs and about Aegnor suggests to me that she also considers him a friend, or at least that she feels generally amiable towards him

Explaining Aegnor's Choice

The other big criticism of Finrod that seems to come out of Athrabeth stems from this effort, which often seems to be a misunderstanding that Finrod is making an argument that Aegnor made the right choice, which is not at all how I read this discussion.

However, before that, I do want to say: Aegnor was not wrong to leave Andreth. There is, to me, an uncomfortable fandom attitude that Aegnor was obliged to stay with Andreth because she loved him, or that he somehow wronged her by choosing not to be in a relationship with her. No one is obliged to be in a romantic relationship they don't want, no matter what the reasons are. That Aegnor loved Andreth does not mean he was forced to be with her. There were other considerations in his life and I don't think it was invalid of him to place those first. Neither is it invalid of Andreth to be bitter about it--especially considering where she starts this discussion.

Andreth, early on, still believes that the reason Aegnor left her is because she isn't an Elf--that she isn't immortal. She talks about how she wouldn't have made herself a burden to him in her old age, how she would have only given him her youth, etc. She is 48 at the time of Athrabeth.

"I was young and I looked on his flame, and now I am old and lost. He was young and his flame leaped towards me, but he turned away, and he is young still. Do candles pity moths?"

You can see here her anguish over her own mortality, which ties irrevocably into her anguish over losing the love of her life. What Finrod tries to tell her is that it was nothing about Andreth that ended it. Aegnor's decisions were not based on his feelings about Andreth or her mortality, but on various cultural factors among the Elves (such as their disinclination to marry during wartime) and his obligations, in his mind, towards the war against Morgoth. Finrod tells her that "if his heart ruled" Aegnor would have run off with Andreth, but that he chose to put his duty above his desire for her.

"Adaneth, I tell thee, Aikanar the Sharp-flame loved thee. For thy sake he will never take the hand of any bride of his own kindred, but will live alone to the end, remembering the morning in the hills of Dorthonion."

He isn't trying to say "Aegnor made the right choice" or "Elves shouldn't marry mortals" but he is trying to give her context for a decision that's already been made. Aegnor is already gone; Finrod is trying to relieve Andreth of feeling that it was somehow her fault, or that she didn't live up to Aegnor's expectations.

"Then why did he turn away? Why leave me while I had still a few good years to spend?"

"Alas!" said Finrod. "I fear the truth will not satisfy thee..."

Here, he gives the explanation about customs of the Eldar and marriage, and about Elves and memory (specifically about how Aegnor, as an Elf, may prefer to dwell in the happiness of their memories rather than proceed to a grim future). Andreth does not seem especially comforted by this. It's understandable. Andreth is very bitter, and not unfairly: She's bitter that her people are mortal while Finrod's are not; she's bitter that this mortality (in her mind) cost her the man she loved; she's bitter that Aegnor left her. Andreth's life has been hard: it's very understandable that she's angry about it. So it makes sense that Finrod's words don't really reach her where she is now. She isn't ready for that; she's still dealing with all of these other feelings. But I do believe that someday, this conversation will mean something to her. Someday, when Andreth is older and has more distance, I think it will mean something to her that Aegnor loved her, and that it was duty, not contempt, that kept him from her.

Finrod does express belief that marriage between Men and Elves is destined to be sorrowful, but this isn't an illogical position from the half of the equation doomed to live on without their partner, or from one of a species who may literally die from grief. Naturally Andreth thinks of how she could have spent her youth with him at least, while Finrod thinks of how much pain Aegnor would have been in as Andreth grew old and neared death.

"I would not have troubled him, when my short youth was spent. I would not have hobbled as a hag after his bright feet, when I could no longer run beside him!"

"Maybe not," said Finrod. "So you feel now. But do you think of him? He would not have run before thee. He would have stayed at thy side to uphold thee. Then pity thou wouldst have had in every hour, pity inescapable. He would not have had thee so shamed."

It is also relevant that they both speak, on this matter, in ignorance. Neither of them has experienced or even seen a marriage of mortals and Elves (none occurs before Finrod's death in Tol-in-Gaurhoth). They are both speaking only from the heart, from what they feel would be true about it. It's also relevant to remember the decision has been made. Finrod is perhaps trying to explain how hard the marriage would have been in part to make Andreth feel better about its nonexistence, because he knows Aegnor will not go back on his choice.

And on some level, Finrod sees that he isn't going to radically change her view on this one visit, and that's when he backs off.

"And what shall I remember?" said she. "And when I go to what halls shall I come? To a darkness in which even the memory of the sharp flame has been quenched? Even the memory of rejection. That at least."

Finrod sighed and stood up. "The Eldar have no healing words for such thoughts, adaneth," he said... He took her hand in the light of the fire. "Wither will you go?" she said.

Athrabeth ends on such a tender note, it has always in my mind contributed to seeing the conversation as an overall positive: that Finrod looks forward to seeing Andreth after death, that he places himself--almost tentatively (and what is the meaning of that em-dash, Tolkien?)!--alongside Aegnor in her future. He knows her time on Arda is short, compared to his own, but he doesn't want this to be the only time their souls have together. It ends with his holding her hand in her grief and giving her this blessing:

"Wither you go may you find light. Await us there: my brother--and me."

This is why I've always seen Athrabeth as such an intimate conversation which speaks to a deep level of friendship and respect between Andreth and Finrod. It deals with a lot of emotionally volatile things, which I think makes people inclined to see either of them (Andreth especially) as upset by the conversation, rather than the issues that they are discussing in it. But to me, again, that they were willing to have such a raw, open discussion with each other speaks volumes about how positively they see each other. They are so clearly trying to reach out to one another from two very different places in the world.

"Yes, Wise-woman, maybe it was ordained that we Quendi, and ye Atani, ere the world grows old, should meet and bring news to one another...indeed, that you and I, Andreth, should sit here and speak together, across the gulf that divides our kindreds..."

"Across the gulf that divides our kindreds!" said Andreth. "Is there no bridge but mere words?" And then again she wept.

They don't always make it, and sometimes they wound, but they are trying. And that counts for something.

#Finrod #Andreth #The Silmarillion #meta #mine #okay I did it #this is really only concerned with the relationship between Andreth and Finrod #not an analysis of their actual beliefs #tolkien tag

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writing-for-life · 6 months

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Writing Is The Loneliest Art...

A couple of days ago, this piece of art with a Neil Gaiman quote flickered across my desktop, and it made me think, so longish post about writing, mental health and human connection ahead..

The actual quote says:

The hardest part of being a writer is that you get lonely. It's just you and the stuff in your head and nobody else can do it for you.

I used to be a performer. I spent a good 10 years of my life in theatres and on stage. That can be lonely, too, but in very different ways. You find a "family" for a short while, and then the show is over, and you all disperse to heaven-knows-where again. Some of these friendships last, others don't, but even the ones that do are hard to maintain because of the nature of the job (if you a very lucky, your paths may cross again for another show).

But the difference, to me, was that I had a physical outlet. That's also stressful in many ways, and being a performer is hard and emotionally taxing (plus, the industry sometimes makes you want to vomit). But it is a very different feeling to channel creative energy into something that is physical.

When I write, I only have the words in my head and the blank page; if I am lucky, the words will come out in a way that stops the page from being blank. And although I wrote "Writing Is The Loneliest Art" as a headline, I imagine this must be quite similar for visual/graphic artists.

I was a writer before I was a performer. I came back to my first love, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Writing always was, and still is, the most truthful form of creative expression for me. I am also lucky enough not to have to earn an income with it (although I do) because I have a job that takes care of that (and thankfully one that comes in handy for character development and world building). But it is very easy to become trapped in your head and thoughts, to stop engaging with the life that is out there. And that life is important--for inspiration, for self-care, for human connection. To break these connections, knowingly or unknowingly, is a real issue for many writers. If I am not careful, it happens to me, too. I have a family, and I am constantly teetering on the edge of spending time in my head or with the blank page when I should be present with them. I can snap myself out of it, but it is not always easy to do, and most writers can probably relate. Because thoughts are thoughts and ideas are ideas. They don't care when they pop into your head, and they will try to claim space, whether the moment is "right" or not.

I have a self-care routine in place to prevent myself from getting trapped in my own head (that's maybe for another post), but it takes effort and constant reminders to get up from my desk, get out, get fresh air and move. Because I'd rather be in my head and write. I am an introvert, like many writers, but that's not a big blanket permission to stop connecting with life. Introversion and loneliness are not one and the same, and writers (everyone really) need to understand the difference. You need to pick up that phone, see people and surround yourself with humans from time to time for your own sake. Not just through your job. You need humans around you whom you truly connect with.

But back to different art forms: As a performer, I had the direct interaction with my fellow performers, and with my audience. I cannot stress enough how important the latter is, and I have said this on here many times: Art comes alive through interaction and communication. It connects us through shared humanity. And there are art forms out there that take care of that connection by default--I have felt the difference, and it is profound.

Yes, we can still write or create art as a form of processing emotions, and from a psychological viewpoint, this is healing and helpful.

But art needs to be both created and experienced. Every art ultimately becomes meaningless without the viewer/reader/audience. Art is never a one-way street.

Writers tell stories, but these stories don't exist in a vacuum. They exist because we can't help writing them, and we would always do it anyway, but they also exist because we want you to read them. And it means something to us to know they moved you, made you laugh, made you cry, made you find out something about yourself you didn't know yet, or they just helped you forget about the troubles you are going through for a little while.

So if you appreciate art forms that don't have direct audience interaction, let the artists know you did. It is not annoying us. We are happy about it. Most of us want that communication. And writers probably need it most...

#neil gaiman #writers #writing #writer life #writer problems #writerscommunity #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writer self-care #writers and poets #writing community #author #writers on tumblr #let your writers know what their stories mean to you #writers mental health #artist struggles #artist problems #artist mental health

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freedjustineshipping · 7 months

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so, Freed vs. Mirajane aftermath moment. Every once in a while I think about it and how important the scene is. talking about this right here; [manga panels for reference + full text + some other appreciation/art posts while I'm at it talking about this fight [1] [2] [3] [4]]. reposting this as text only post because tumblr does the weird thing of completely swallowing posts that have an image in it atm.

Three quick things because, in my humble opinion, this is still one of Fairy Tail's most beautiful scenes.

Firstly, Freed recalling things his guild mates have said to him, showing him that they accept him and want to spend time with him? That he's truly not been alone or had to limit himself to his team and Laxus as outcasts? It's a shame anime-only watchers never got to see this because there's also so much information in it.

Erza has sparred with Freed in the past and clearly considers him S-Class worthy? Makarov telling/trusting Freed to look after Laxus? Natsu finding Freed intriguing enough to challenge him for a fight, Cana wanting to share a drink in good company, Reedus complimenting his appearance? It's asll so good, there are so many factors at play there! Definitely should have been in the anime too because it adds not only information about Freed himself but also how others may view him and relationships between characters.

Secondly, Mirajane crying and Freed then also bursting into tears finally allowing himself to feel this emotion and process Mira's eye-opening words. And how they both can relate to it so well. With Mira and her background story, her feeling for a long time as though she had to isolate herself to not hurt anybody and Freed building up armor around his heart because we can only imagine what powers like his, powers like the Raijinshuu's, had them go through and deal with. We may not know their backstory but we know it's tragic like everybody else's. Dark. Troubled. The She-Devil and Freed the Dark, they both must have felt so incredibly lonely for a long time and had/have to learn how to open up their heart again, let other people in. Truly. And after Mira had her eyes opened at some point, she was now able to open Freed's.

And thirdly, and that's a more self-indulgent than analysis - don't lie to yourself by saying you've never considered how this very moment would have been such a good one to start investing into their relationship. Be it platonic or romantic. God knows Mirafreed is a ship with so much wonderful potential and for some time I know you and I both had hoped that a ship would be developed between these two, and I say this as a major Fraxus shipper. 'Let's try to have fun at the next Harvest festival' - The thought of Freed and Mira having a date at the next Harvest Festival? Absolutely wonderful. Splendid. Them teaming up in the future being the badasses they are and understanding each other's troubles with their powers? Like, Freed and his team mates all have to deal with their eye magics (that I'm certain aren't 'learned' and eye magic as a whole is a touchy subject) but there's also that part of Freed's dark eye magic that lets him transform and he said himself that his Darkness form is forbidden. Likely because there's always a chance of losing control or losing himself and who if not Mira would understand that fear and trouble more.

Alas, they didn't end up having many interactions after this. Freed was kept more to his team and Laxus and Mira more to her siblings. But man, one way or another, this moment is beautiful and I just know they get along well in whatever form that may be.

#fairy tail #freed justine #mirajane strauss #fried justine #raijinshuu #mirajane

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thatswhatsushesaid · 2 months

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god i feel weird going on anon because i never do that but i'm like scouting waters here so thoughts on 1) zhancheng 2) chengxian

(nothing to ask about jgy to you tbh it's all just written on this blog and he's not my blorbo fixation of the week alas)

also thank you for your service. i'm constantly browsing your tags rather than going armed into the general tagpost and you cant believe how nice it feels to scroll without being attacked by shitty takes

awwwwwww bless you, anon, this is a really nice message to receive!! 🥹 i'm very glad that my multi-yearlong hyperfixation on jin guangyao makes things a little bit easier/more pleasant for some people in this fandom, even though i know a lot of people desperately wish i would just shut up. unfortunately i don't have many thoughts at all about zhancheng or chengxian as romantic ships, though i've seen some frankly stunning fanart rendering both relationships. in terms of their platonic canon dynamics, i think it is hilarious that lwj and jc spent so much time together hunting for wwx pre-timeskip, just after the sacking of lotus pier, and came away from that time spent together having learned almost nothing about each other in the process.

platonic chengxian is definitely more interesting to me, and i imagine if i didn't have such a terminal case of jgy brainrot (and if wwx didn't just annoy me personally due to /gestures @ the state of fandom discourse), i would be nuts about them. there was so much love and devotion between them in spite of a childhood and adolescence where they very much should not have been friends! they have diametrically opposed priorities and can barely say a civil word to each other towards the end of the first 'act' of the book, and yet they also make tremendous sacrifices for each other.

my personal read on their post-canon dynamic is one i know isn't shared by everyone even in my little patch of the fandom, but i do think that theirs is an example of a relationship where the mutual hurt runs so deep that reconciliation may not be possible, even if the love is still there. and i believe that if either of them were ever in danger again in the future, they would both drop everything to protect each other. that devotion just isn't enough to mend the things keeping them apart.

#asks answered #not going to deposit this in the tags because i don't want no problems lol

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marshmallowprotection · 10 months

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Hello, its me again telling the story of my beef with Cheritz for how they completely shoved Saeyoung's trauma under the rug.

It still feel angry and resentful that even in his own timeline his trauma and his mental condition was not addressed at. all.

Many of his decisions were not healthy for neither himself nor Saeran but it was bcs he didn't know any better. He knew he had to make a difficult decision and he did it.

As his mc we weren't allowed to do anything for him even when we could see how he clearly didn't care for himself.

Seeing Saeyoung doing everything alone all throughout Saeran's recovery was really hard for me. Perhaps because I relate to him so much, I could feel what he must've been going through. Always on an edge trying to make the correct decision so that nothing falls apart. Seeing Saeran in such a way must've been so unbearably hard for him but he had to stay strong for the both of them ignoring all the feelings of guilt, shame, anger, self loathing and so much more filling him to the brim. Making sure that Saeran is safe no matter what. Also completely ignoring his own health in the process.

Saeyoung should've had an arc dedicated to him at least starting to unlearn his trauma. I know it would've taken time but I didn't mind, they already addressed everyone else's trauma. They could've definitely gone another mile for him and involved mc too.

This is just something I always struggle with as a Saeyoung MC. Whenever I play any route or after ending or backstory or literally anything in the game. Nowhere is Saeyoung's trauma addressed and validated. It's implied but never addressed. Rather treated as a noble sacrifice on his part. Pain that he would happily take on for Saeran's wellbeing because he is just so selfless. But that is so wrong, there is so much guilt and trauma behind it and it feeds into his extreme paranoia making him unable to see that he is not only holding himself back from healing but Saeran as well.

I felt so useless throughout the whole sequence. I just wanted to be there for him in any way, be it bringing them something to eat or just sharing a simple phonecall with Saeyoung asking him how things are going, to let him talk about his feelings. But we were just made just spectators unable to do anything but see them.

I'm sorry for dumping this onto you, I saw your post about Saeyoung's parentification and had so many thoughts I wanted to share. I knew Saeyoung had deep rooted trauma that made him completely disregard himself and his needs but didn't have a word for it. You explained it perfectly. And I appreciate you for that. These aspects of him are hardly ever talked about so I was really happy you did.

So even if you might disagree with me on this, but I believe Saeyoung deserved to have an arc to unpack his trauma. Alas it's not possible anymore.

Thank you again Kait 🫶

I'm not a Saeyoung MC by any means, but that doesn't mean that I don't love him and want better for him. I love him like a brother and I have a hard time seeing him suffer over and over again when he has the ability to reach out and ask for help in his route and subsequent after ending.

I get why he does what he does, and I've had the time to understand him as a person to know why he made a lot of... well, reckless choices in the name of doing the right thing. He knows that sometimes, there is only one option, and it's taking the road that's just a little less worse in comparison to the other road you could take. That's just the way it works sometimes, and there isn't another way around it. But, in most situations where Saeyoung is suffering—

He could've gotten all the help in the world if he asked for it. He has trust issues and he's fraught with paranoia, but the RFA will not give up on him no matter what. If he asks for help, he'll get it. That's been proven countless times. But, it's his trauma that makes him deny the help every time. He doesn't want to help himself. He wants to help his baby brother. That's his reason for living.

But, he doesn't need to be selfless to the point where he suffers, and I wish—I wish so often—that Saeyoung could've been allowed to have a lot more agency over his trauma, as well as the ability to talk about it and confront it. He deserves love and to be helped the way he helps his family. He shouldn't deny it. He shouldn't run away from it. That's a huge narrative arc of his route and we all know it.

The Secret Ending could've done well to have added that to his MC. Something, anything, just a snapshot of MC trying to help him and him taking that help. Even if that help was as small as bringing him dinner to share with Saeran. It makes sense why he would be wary of MC being around Saeran or Saeran being around MC just on the off chance that it would be traumatic, I get his reasoning there and I'm sure many Saeyoung MCs don't blame him for that.

But, MC needed the ability to do something. That is probably one of my only pieces of blunt criticism when it comes to that. Saeyoung is someone who just promised to be honest, open, and clear with you about his feelings and identity. I'm not saying he shouldn't regress or struggle, because God knows he would fall into old habits, but where in the hell is the scene where Saeyoung has a goddamn meltdown in MC's arms because he is so tired of being strong?!

Something! Anything!

For the love of God, allow Saeyoung the opportunity to heal from his trauma in a healthy way, and grant him the chance to be vulnerable with the person he loves more than anything because that's what the Saeyoung MCs want! Saeyoung, you've been fighting long enough. I think it's time to rest. You don't need to be the only one who carries a burden on his back. Let's carry this fear, together.

#it's what i want too #mystic messenger #mysme #mm #mod kait #mysticmessenger #saeyoung choi #choi saeyoung #luciel choi #choi luciel #707 #seven #character analysis #I love my brother-in-law. I really do. I want him to be happy.#Saeran wouldn't want him to live this way.#ask #lusree

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raysletters · 5 months

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2023 Character Wrapped

Rules: share your top 9 characters of 2023

tagged by the lovely @suseagull04 (like, so long ago, but i had forgotten to do it so here i am)

1. Alex Claremont-Díaz (RWRB)

i wish i could explain to you the deep connection i have to this fictional man. he is me and i am him. he probably has been my favorite character since i first found him on 2021 (which is the longest hyperfixation ive ever had, funnily enough) and has actually shaped me to be more confident in myself and all that mushy stuff, so yeah, im just missing a henry kinnie that wants to put up with this mess.

2. Percy Jackson (Riordanverse)

i binge read pjo and hoo these last months, and the way ive become attached to this kid is something else. i want to protect him from anything.

3. Nico di Angelo (Riordanverse)

like with percy, i became attached to him from the moment he showed up, and i would protect him with my life even from rick riordan. he cant do no wrong ever.

4. Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor (RWRB)

henry has specially gained a piece in my heart lately, but i have to be honest, when i first read about him, i thought nothing of him more than the perfect companion and love interest in alex's story. i have to say that getting a glance to his mind through both the bonus chapter and really fucking good fics gave me the insight i needed to comprehend him: his actions, his motivations, and everything in between that made him who he is and made me realize how many things we have in common and how many things i could learn from him, which is always a beautiful experience

5. June Claremont-Díaz (RWRB)

theres nothing i wouldnt do for her. even though i absolutely HATE how i wrote the fic that has june's pov, im still in the process of learning about her and comprehending her more. still, she reminds me so much of my own sister, even though i should kin her more than alex because of the whole sapphic latina journalist who loves her sibling very much, even when they annoy the shit out of you, but alas, im a younger sister and june has so much vibes of my own sister except with my tastes, so yeah, nothing i wouldnt do for her

6. Iris West-Allen (The Flash TV)

in case you didnt know this about me, i had a not-so-recent hyperfixation on the flash (and it can absolutely be seen in my sky high au), and she was half the reason of it. i wish i could put into words how much i fucking love her in every sense of the word. like, i'm in love with her but i also want her to be happy and protected at all costs and i would do anything for her to actually get those things. she can also step on me and i would thank her, but that is unrelated

7. Annabeth Chase (Riordanverse)

what you dont get is that for her i would become like a rabid feral gremlin or maybe that dog that takes a sword in its mouth and starts swinging carelessly. thats how ready i am to protect her from absolutely everything, even spiders, no matter how fucking scared i am of them

8. Imogen Heaney (Heartstopper TV)

yes, i am absolutely biased because the actress also has t1d and my hc is that now imogen also has t1d, but also because i, too, affirmed with my whole chest how i was an ally and totally straight and then slowly realized i was sapphic bc of one cute girl in my friend group that called me out on my bs 💀

9. Barry Allen (The Flash TV)

yes, we dont acknowledge that other version by that other actor. yes, he's last because i had a love-hate relationship with the way he was written. but season 8!barry became one of my favorite versions of him, and i absolutely thank grant (the actor) for the way he made me love the character once again

i missed so many characters that i love but just not like i love these ones. the only one who could easily take barry's place on the list would be nick nelson my absolute beloved, but since flash tv ended this year, it had me in my feelings and i couldn't not put him there, so yeah

DISCLAIMER: i am at the moment reading trials of apollo (im just like 1/4 of the first book) and if somebody spoils me anything i WILL become a rabid feral gremlin, this is your only warning, thank you very much.

anyway, you can consider this an open tag and do this and tag me in it bc i always love to read about yalls favorite stuff. still, no pressure, but im still tagging beautiful ppl so i can read about your favorite characters @anincompletelist @inexplicablymine @read-and-write- @sherryvalli @14carrotghoul @formorewishes

#tag game #2023 character wrapped

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kurolini909 · 1 year

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Alright! OC introduction time!

! Please do not use/repost my art and characters without credits and permission !

Meet Mycelium! I have had him for a while now, but again, too lazy to write a proper post :"""""D

He was a monster archimage back in ther surface before wartime. His Magic is Foresight, basically, he can see the future, but not do anything about it.

🍄 * Name: Mycelium.

🍄 * Classification: Mushroom Monster.

🍄 * Gender: Male. (He/Him)

🍄 * Age: Unknown.

🍄 * Stats:

HP- ???, DEF- 30, ATK- 10

* Archimage of Fungus Depths.

*... Does not wish to talk.

🍄 * Skills: Mycelium can see into the future with the aid of his magic powers and crystal globe. He can also share these visions through said globe, if he wants to.

Aside from that, his magic is able to accelerate processes such as decay and fungi growth. He may also make any of the kinds of mushroom that are a part of his body sprout rapidly from just about any soil, though this ability is mostly used for defense. It is also said he can cause paralysis and mild hallucinations with spore-based attacks, however, very rarely has ever made any sort of offensive use of it.

🍄 * Currently: ... No. :')

🍄 * Personality: He's described as good natured and kind, albeit unpredictable. Mycelium is very hard to read, his expressions usually concelead by the shadow of his large inky-cap hat. He's seldom ever seen without his signature mild smile, and the mysterious aura that surrounds him and his power put many at unease to be near.... He does has his heart in the right place, though.

🍄 * History: History does not see Mycelium kindly. During the war, he's been known to refuse to aid the Monster forces of any kingdom, not sharing any of his visions for future battles and outcomes to the conflict. He shut himself away and isolated from other monsters of relevant positions, avoiding meetings, requests and even threats for his collaboration as much as he could.

As to why he did that, it is unclear. Some rumor he was a traitor, leaking that information to the humans to save his own skin; others that he was just mad, no rhyme or reason to what he did or didn't do, just sheer insanity; and there are still those who believe he witheld this information as a mercy, because he knew they'd lose. Alas, no theory was ever confirmed.

Mycelium has always thought of his magic powers as a curse. Whilst he did see things with incredible clarity, there wasn't virtually anything he could do about a vision, either as a countermeasure or warning. If he told others about an event, it would always be slightly altered or come to more devastatingly than the original course, and anything aimed to prevent it would inheritedly fail. All he could do was think of solutions to mend the damage that came after; without sharing them with anyone not to trigger one of these butterfly effects.

That made his decisions as archimage rather questionable, as he would often ditch orders that had no apparent use, and make requests that seemed to come out of nowhere. Most of the times these always came in handy after a problem already struck (so let's say, he'd ask for a stock of construction materials when nothing was being constructed, and then after a storm that damaged many buildings, these were already available for immediate damage control. After the event however, most seemed to disregard ther they were there by Mycelium's order in the first place.) Rather than impeding it's happening, which was what most people expected of his visions.

He didn't want to become a mage at first in his life... His Foresight was just too valuable a resource to waste without proper development, so he was recruited into an apprenticeship against his will at a young age, eventually climbing the ranks to the position he occupied for the rest of his life. Deciphering his prophecies have always posed a challenge, as he insisted on encrypting them as much as possible.

Some sources say he was the one to deliver the 'Fallen Angel' prophecy that used to be all over the Underground, carrying on the the Secondground in Luminoustale. This can't be confirmed because, as of now, very few monster remember Mycelium, and records of his existence and doings are few and far between: As a result of the bad reputation his passive stance during wartime had on his image. Most historians and record keepers of the time have obscured him from memory as much as they could, in what could be described as spite.

•

! Please do not use or repost my art and characters without credits and permission!

Likes are appreciated, reblogs are better! <3

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frutavel · 1 month

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i saw you tagged an oc named samaela on my post. who are they im curious. please share with the class 👀

(aka “i made that post about a character archetype i love and getting to hear about new characters that fit that archetype is literally the best case scenario for me”)

Oh hi for the love of god hello!!!

This is Samaela. My babygirl. I desperately wish I had more recent art of her to share, but alas I don't. A quick scroll through my blog also shows that Most of the posts I've made talking about her are also a few years old and outdated at this point but rest assured I think about her Constantly.

Samaela is a World of Warcraft OC, and also one of my oldest OCs in general regardless of fandom/universe. Long story short, she's a Forsaken hunter with little to no memory of her past life but Vivid memory of her death (by werewolf) and a history of making bad decisions in the name of Living Deliciously.

She was resurrected post Death By Werewolf, and the process caused her to Become Werewolf. Sorta. She's a weird little fiend and an abomination even by undead standards, which leads to her necromancer running All Sorts of Tests and Experiements. Now those aren't as bad or nefarious as they sound, really, but Samaela gets tired of being a science project pretty quick, so she moves as far away from her necromancer as she can, makes a few friends and enters a 2-ish year long situationship with her Boybestfriend, during which she indulges in many bad habits such as hunting living humans for sport and eating them, which garners her a reputation for being vicious and needlessly cruel. She regrets some of it sometimes, mostly she doesn't care, and gets off mostly scotch free because she's very good at weaving stories that paint her in a good light, and her folks don't like humans anyway. Which just emboldens her.

(Here seen with her Boybestfriend, Tari, my other babygirl, after a bad hunt)

Eventually her Boybestfriend has to leave, and she is Very Sad about it but they part amicably. Unfortunately having her voice of reason and only person whom she trusted in this whole wide world move away makes her Worse. She continues to be Very Good At Lying, but still ends up in trouble with the authorities a handful of times, some friends turn their back on her as a result and she makes self preservation her number one priority. This leads to a sleuth of Decisions which eventually end up putting the life of someone at risk, someone Very Important to her Boybestfriend, and once he finds out their relationship cracks even more. She jumps to anger and resentment straight on and continues to push people away and make more Choices, until her own life is put at risk and she's forced to rethink.

Currently she's at this rethinking stage. She doesn't regret most of the things she did, but she regrets the things that affected her personally. Empathy is a hard concept for her to grasp, but she's willing to make an effort for her own sake. At her core she still wants to survive above all else, and if that means letting people help her..... well, she doesn't like it but she'll think about it.

Samaela is Difficult, and she will never not be. She needs a strong support system to help her, but unfortunately the mere thought of letting her walls down and being vulnerable makes her sick. She is hard to get along with and harder to like.... but a handful of people have gone through the effort it takes to love her all the same. That's enough for now to keep her from spiraling more, but her fate is very uncertain. She has many amends to make and she's not exactly willing to make all of them, but her self preservation instinct is so strong it might as well push her in that direction even if just to keep herself alive.

Despite her many Ls she has many Ws. Women want her. Men fear her. She fucks hard and nasty. She makes dioramas in her spare time. She is surprisingly good at keeping people safe. She likes the color green so much she always has at least One green acessory on her at all times. She's not very good at swimming but still loves the beach. She has a gender that can be best described as Indescribable. Woman, but watch out. She can also pretty effectively communicate with her hunting dogs due to her mutations, and her insides are so rancid due to the Experiments that getting bitten by her in an immediate death sentence, and she is quite fond of biting. Because of this some have taken to calling her Plaguehound <3

As for her previous life.... well that's a whole other mess. All I'll say is that she has two living siblings, one who hasn't given up looking for her, but neither one would recognize her now, and it's unlikely she'd recognize them either. She barely remembers enough about her human life to know her name, much less about her family.

In fact, she has met her older sister in the past. It didn't end well for the sister in question. Dog fights are gnarly 💖

#asks answered #gumy-shark #oc:samaela #she is a mess and i am deeply obsessed with her #her voiceclaim is glaze/woodentoaster. yes the rainbow factory/awoken/beyond her garden/nightmare night/prototype vip guy #her sister survived the encounter also but not unscathed and possibly traumatized #granted she attacked sammy first and sammy didn't know it was her sister but also #chances are nothing would have changed if sammy did know.#they never had the best relationship and sammy might not remember the reason but she remembers the spite #she and tari are sorta making amends. they will probably never be as close as they used to be anymore but they're making steps #not sure where they're going but they're goinf #she sorta made amends with her necromancer too. sammy still doesn't trust her with anything relating to her body tho

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stickyspeckledlight · 2 days

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just finished reading waxing, waning, my unraveled body beheld by the moon (genuinely beautiful title btw) and i want to gnaw at my pillow and cry. i thought mc's pov in onset was heart-wrenching but nah, aven's just gutted me like a fish. so many details to pick and point out but in fear of losing my sanity, i shall compress all that desire to say that it's magnificent and a masterpiece. gotta admit i was scared of scrolling bcs i didn't want the fic to end but alas, the last line was marvelous. and so are the composition in which the scenes transition from one another. i stuck around since destroyed onset and honestly, even if you don't write about aventurine anymore, i'll still stick around bcs why not. your writing can be so macabre & grim yet so light-hearted and surreal like two sides of a coin - i like it. thank you, thank you for writing and sharing it.

also, unsure if you listen to this type of music in particular, but i thought it's worth-noting that strangers by ethel cain was playing through my head the entire time i was reading it. do bear in mind that the song referenced the association of love (?) with cannibalism, although vaguely. it's deranged and fittingly, it reminded me of these (points a shaking finger at onset!mc & aven) two sillies who've lost it. may they both get therapy, amen; ratio, where art thou during these dire times.

ikr for once my horrible naming sense does not haunt me

gotta admit i was scared of scrolling bcs i didn't want the fic to end but alas, the last line was marvelous

O.O 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳 Anon, you didn't need to go for my heart like that (ty tho; I am genuinely proud to have elicited that sort of feeling from you. few pieces of media leave me wishing it wouldn't end, and all of them which have have a rather special place in my heart. alas, all good things do have to come to an end; should one stubbornly cling onto something, then you risk its stagnating death. ....still, even with that said, there are still plenty of things I don't want to end, lol. pls continue making fire emblem)

your writing can be so macabre & grim yet so light-hearted and surreal like two sides of a coin - i like it

Anon, you are a vicious archer, hitting my heart with cupid's arrow. Very delighted you enjoy my style! I admit, I still don't feel like I a solid grasp upon it, but like. I've got six decades of life left or something. writing's a lifelong journey, so I ain't gonna go tear my heart out over anything, lol. I would elaborate more on my writing itself here, but there's a slew questions someone very sweet has left in their reblog, which include my writing process. And this is a meaty ask, and it would only be right to give a thorough answer in turn, yes? (most of which is right below that read more!)

(spoilers for waning moon below. waning moon is my placeholder until I decide there's a better way to shorten it rofl)

DUDE WRITING AVENTURINE POV AT TIMES WAS.....*sobs* my beautiful babygirl......

honestly the composition was a bit of struggle just bc of...how much I wanted to stuff into this fic. i generally have a really bad habit of starting a project and then seeing it explode in my face with words. Destroyed Onset was originally written, and I naively thought it'd be a mere 6k. It's 10.5k. AND THIS FIC WAS MEANT TO BE SHORTER THAN THAT. I didn't really have a proper outline going into this, since I was thinking of only accomplishing these things:

aven and reader's first meeting...someone it became 2k words. tbh, what else did I expect when I chose to listen to the always sunny theme for writing it.

an interlude scene that would become the balcony choking scene. it's A LOT different from how it ended up; originally I intended to tackle a sort of 'love and hate are two sides of the same coin' approach, and so the scene was just going to be aven coming home to see that reader fell asleep on the couch. and he admires them, for a little while, until something comes over him and they wake up to a lesson on how it feels to be choked! yippe for education! they've hit ratio's quota with that one *gets chalked*

ahem I'm awake now. sorry. that piece of chalk had me out like a light for awhile

in any case...the circumstances around the choking and the emotions involved ended up a lot more different than I expected

aven pov of onset's ending + waxing's current ending scene (but ofc it's MUCH longer than it was originally)

another scene. i won't divulge too much since I'm thinking of reusing it somewhere else, but it would've been where the tower metaphor introduced in the first scene hit its climax

In total, it was four scenes, plus maybe another more comedic one if I felt it fit. But as you can see...woof, I deviated HARD. but hey, I ended up cooking one hell of a feast, so I think it's still a W. in the realm of fanfic there's no need to reign myself in---well, as in reign myself to the confines of an assignment. if you drag on or stuff a piece with too much stuff, it can really make the reader experience suffer. i enjoy a good ol 35k word oneshot as much as the next person, but it's a LOT. but yeah. i did rearrange and scrap some scenes to make the transitions work; in the end it did not blow up in my face, and I'm taking that win with me to the grave.

strangers by ethel cain was playing through my head the entire time i was reading it

I don't really keep up with music and artists, so most of what I listen to is VGM, anime ops, with a few other songs I listened to when I was a kid, lol. i gave strangers a listen, and you are so RIGHT. it fits this series perfectly...right down to cannibalism as a metaphor for destructive love, rofl. and the calm yet eerie sort of tone/singing fits reader so well, especially when they've gone insane. at first, it's sort of a 'inevitability,' and then when they've met that 'inevitability,' there is only a sweet (and perhaps fleeting) calming yet brutal bliss.

personally, while writing this, i mostly listened to:

the always sunny theme for the first scene, because it needed some good sitcom energy in my opinion (the good place theme would've worked too, but the always sunny theme is so cocky and sarcastic and a classic in this internet age of ours)

theme of laura from sh2 (which is a WONDERFUL song in general. if you haven't listened to it, go listen to it!!!! it was the song that singlehandedly convinced me to play sh2. baby's first horror game and maybe it'll be your first too)

the sh2 soundtrack is honestly my go to whenever I need to put myself in a creepy, scary, tense vibe

ESPECIALLY lurking in the fog; hands down my fav of the ost, along side white noiz/mirrored guilt, nurse piper, mary's twin, and ashes and tears.

and who can forget rondo across countless kalpas. do I even need to explain. no. i don't. this song is what singlehandly drove me through the first fic ALONE. it's on repeat in my head constantly. such beautiful animation and music and the imagery....any yan hsr writer should keep this in their back pocket for when they need to brainstorm a brain worm, in my humble opinion

jkjadkdjfajlfajd this was an uber long reply but I love talking as you can tell. honestly the tags on my posts are walking biohazards. they can get sooooooooo long at times.

anyways, thanks you sending in an ask! hope you have a lovely day, week, month, year, decade, and life :)

#speckled blabbers #speckled answers #destroyed onset #waning moon #idk if i should make that a tag yet but I'll just tag it now to keep it in my backpocket just in case #probably not #but ig it could make navigation slightly easier?

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littleoddwriter · 2 years

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Hi hi! <3 Could I request a fic with Otto where he is comforting reader who has an arm/hand injury? (He takes care of him, helps him with the bandages and oiintments, does things for him and lays beside him in bed etc., trans male reader, and yes this is because I have an injury fjkn)

Support | Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus x Trans!Male!Reader

Hi there! <3 Of course! Sorry it took me a bit. I hope you like it and I hope your injury is getting better! <3 <3 <3

summary; See above, basically.

notes; Trans!Male!Reader; Hurt/Comfort; Injury; Taking Care of Someone; Fluff.

After tripping over your own feet and falling onto your hands and knees, you fractured your wrist. It was almost a stupid accident; although Otto assured you that this could have happened to anyone, himself included. And perhaps he was right.

It annoyed you to be unable to do a lot of things on your own, though; especially because it was your dominant hand that got injured. But alas, you couldn't use your hand at all, now that it was all bandaged up and stiff.

That was when it was Otto's time to shine. Ever the attentive and supportive partner that he was.

Of course with you being handicapped for the time being, he was ready to take helping you upon himself. He went to each doctor's appointment with you and asked for extra information on taking care of you properly. And then he went to buy everything you needed, including some pain medication because you kept complaining that it hurt like a bitch.

He was a dream come true, really. And exactly what/who you needed in this trying time.

"It's time to change your bandages again, my dear boy," Otto's voice ripped you out of your thoughts, as he came into the living room where you sat on the couch, staring at the television.

"Already?" you inquired, slightly annoyed and surprised. It felt like you've just done that.

"Mhm, it's been almost twenty-four hours," he told you gently, leaning down to plant a chaste kiss on your lips. "Come on."

In the bathroom, you sighed and sat down on the closed toilet seat.

It was a quick ordeal by now, at least. Otto was so used to the motions of exchanging the bandages, after applying a new layer of ointment on your skin to help the healing process, now. Once he was done, he pressed a soft, feathery kiss to your newly bandaged hand. You couldn't suppress a smile then.

"Thank you."

Afterwards he made dinner for you both, cutting up everything that needed to be cut into bite-sized pieces for you when he was plating it so you could dig in without having to worry about that. He did that before you injured your hand already because he loved taking care of you in the smallest ways; although now it was a bit of a different story, of course. It never failed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Later, you wanted to take a short nap. Ever since that accident you've been increasingly more tired. Perhaps it was the medication or the stress of having to be careful, while still being in mild pain all the time, or perhaps it was something different entirely. All you knew was that you would not make it through the rest of the day if you didn't nap at least once.

Taking Otto by his hand, you led him to the bedroom to lie down on your shared bed, then. Spooning you from behind, Otto stroked his hand over your stomach lovingly.

"Are you okay?" he asked after a short while that you tried to drift off, but simply wouldn't, which made you fidget a little.

"Hm, I'm tired and can't sleep. So, not really."

"What's on your mind?" he prodded gently, kissing your neck ever so softly.

"Nothing," you lied. Perhaps you were thinking about how it happened again. You felt really ashamed and embarrassed of it. Who trips over their own feet and injures themselves this badly, after all?

"No, I think I know exactly what you're thinking about, sweetheart," Otto murmured, "I promise you, you're not the only one this has happened to. People are injured in many different ways all the time. Falling and fracturing your wrist is quite common, actually. The doctor said that, too. Remember?"

Defeated, you sighed, "Yeah, I remember. Still, I just feel stupid for it."

"You're a lot of things, but stupid certainly isn't one of them, my dear boy. You are handsome. Strong. Brave. Different. Kind. Passionate. Smart. An amazing person to be around. Shall I go on?" You could hear the smile in Otto's voice.

Feeling your face heat up, you shook your head, "Thank you. For everything. Not just this, but also the way you've been helping me."

"Nothing to thank me for," Otto said, kissing the back of your neck, "I enjoy taking care of you; although I wish you weren't hurt, of course."

"Well, don't let me stop you if you wanna keep it up once it has healed," you grinned, craning your neck as you turned your head to capture Otto's lips in a small, short kiss.

Putting your head back on the pillow, you closed your eyes with a content smile before drifting off to sleep at last in the safety of your love's arms.

#i hope this is okay enough #trans male reader #doctor otto octavius #otto octavius #doctor otto octavius x reader #doc otto #doc oct #doc ock #doc ock x reader #doc ock x you #doc ock x y/n #alfred molina #fanfiction

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darthnell · 3 months

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20 Questions for Writers

Oh This looks fun.. ty for the tag @wordspin-shares !!

How many works do you have on AO3? As of right now, 19 !

What is your total AO3 word count? Well.. you see.. 501,371. ..Huh I the chap I just posted cracked the 500k count ! Congrats to me ig !

What fandoms do you write for? The Hunger Games ! I have some Star Wars fics on my AO3 from years ago, but 96.2% of those words are THG so. hjvbdhvhbddfbh

What are your top five fics by kudos? Sighs really heavily. So I pretty much only write OC stuff for THG, which means that the 3.8% of Star Wars fics are taking 3/5 spots on the top 5 kudos ranking. F in the chat. So starting at the most, we've got: Lessons Unlearned (SW), Is That Really Me? (SW), True Vengeance (THG), Widow's Bite (THG), and Take My Hand (SW). None of those SW fics are over 2k while True Vengeance is probably going to hit 300k by the time it's over... Really interesting to see the statistics of what it looks like to write in a larger fandom vs a smaller fandom tbh :0

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Absolutely !! I love reading what people think about my writing. It's neat to see what sticks out to them and how they feel about my characters or plots or everything really ! :D It makes my day to see them <3 Also I love chatting about my writing and the thought processes behind it, so if you every get an essay in response to a comment u left on my fic, uh.. sorrie... bdjfvbhdb

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hm.. Maybe Reparation Clause or True Vengeance? Granted, I haven't written the ending of TrV yet but given that I've killed off all of Ven's arena friends uhh.. yeah. The Bridges We Burn could also possibly fall under this category... Turns out there is no shortage of angst when you write for the child death pageant fandom jdvvbhdf

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Now that's a harder question, rip. I do generally try to end my Victor Exchange fics on happier notes (Destined to Fall, Desiderium, The Bridges We Burn). I think Widow's Bite and No Sleep for the Wicked also end on more positive notes..? I wouldn't exactly call it Happy though.. (maybe some of my Star Wars fics would qualify, but I do not feel like talking about them LMAO)

Do you get hate on your fic? No, I'm perfect (insert sunglasses emoji here) /j I don't think I've ever gotten straight-up hate comments on my fics before though. I've gotten some criticisms (one person wasn't happy about the fact that the Games continue after the events of True Vengeance, according to the other fics on my profile hvfhvbf), but nothing that's ever put me down about my writing. ...Do affectionate death threats count as hate? (my friends are Goofy bhjdfbvhd)

Do you write smut? If I do, you'll never know BHVF. Ok for real though, it's not really my jam as a writer. Worth trying probably to step out of my comfort zone, but definitely not something I'd ever post. Sorry guys.

Do you write crossovers? Nah.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Afaik, no. Not in terms of straight-up ripping the text. I think I've had some ideas borrowed, but like. Who give a fuck LOL. As my one friend likes to say often, there are no new ideas in THG (in terms of things like arenas, quell twists, tribute concepts). What makes something unique is having different authors writing and interpreting said concepts !

Have you ever had a fic translated? No, but I've thought about translating one of mine into French myself as a way of practice.. Never got around to it though, alas.

Have you ever co-written a fic? Ooh, so Technically, no... BUT. I do create tribute characters for SYOT (Submit Your Own Tribute) fics, which is more of a collaboration than co-writing. I also have three fics I've written for the Victor Exchange event in the SYOT Verses discord server where the pov victor characters were created by another author and I wrote their stories (and I received a fic for the victor character I created!) So again, not Reeeally co-writing, but. Collaboration !!! Uhh I was really into Barriss/Ahsoka in high school. FinnRey starwar is also<3

What's your all-time favorite ship? Scratches head uhhhhh.. all time favorite..? If my ocs count, I will say Maritrix (Venatrix and Mariposa) and also Oberon and Dagmara. Otherwise, uhhhhh..... I will be real, it has been a Long time since I've cared about any specific ships to the level where I need to read or write fanfiction about them LOL. I was really into Barriss/Ahsoka back in high school. Also FinnRey starwar<3

What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

What are your writing strengths? Ooh I love writing dialogue, and also fight scenes!! Description is fun too c: But yeah, I have been called the fight scene queen by a friend once so I think that counts as a strength LOL.

What are your writing weaknesses? I have no weaknesses I'm perfect (sunglasses emoji). /J bvhjfvfbh.. I'm Slow. I get hung up sometimes on structure/style things while writing and it makes the process take a bit longer. I think also sometimes I tend to meander a bit... I could use a lesson in conciseness jvhhbfv.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? It seems like good practice !! Like I said, I had wanted to translate one of my fics into French as practice.. Not sure if that's what this question is asking, or more of like. A bilingual character or something..? Idk ! I think if it's something that you want to get better at, it would also be wise to get concrit from a native speaker on how natural it sounds.

First fandom you wrote for? Warriorcats ! :3c

Favorite fic you've ever written? I /gen enjoy most of my writing.. I know not all people do and I'm not trying to brag or anything, I just. I pander to myself LMAO. But my Favorite TM has gotta be True Vengeance ;-; It's the longest thing I've ever written (and probably will be for a while), and I've spent every day for the past ~3 years thinking about it, so. That is telling hbvdhbf.

Tagging: @illegalcryptid @emeraldflower25 @rivalhughs @ladyqueerfoot @justafunctionalmess @conschintz and general tag for anyone who wants to answer !!

#nell clownery here #writing stuff #tag game #true vengeance 151 #hunger games #the hunger games #fanfiction #fanfiction writing #20 questions for writers

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sendpseuds · 11 months

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For the ask game: I'm going to be obnoxious and ask a shit ton but no pressure and just do the ones you feel like and/or have time for

How do you choose whose POV to write in?

What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

Is there a trope or idea that you’d really like to write but haven’t yet?

Does what you like to write differ from what you like to read?

How do you deal with writing pressure, whether internal or external?

What motivates you during the writing process?

Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

Dude. I have a surprise five-hour layover... I'm here to answer some questions hahaha

That being said, this first one...

1. I have no idea. POV is a real FEEL thing for me. I've noticed some patterns, for example, I tend to give the more tender smut scenes to whoever happens to be fucking Obi-Wan because I just feel like a soft Obi-Wan is more interesting through someone else's eyes, and Obi-Wan often gets his POV when he's hurting [of course].

This upcoming fic, [the infamous disaster threesome] has been a real lesson in perspective. Writing the same scene [especially a very intense and way too long smut scene] from three different perspectives has been WAY harder than I expected, but I really feel like it's only making me a stronger writer.

2. I'm really proud of the way my writing has evolved. I recently re-read a few early chapters and found myself desperately wanting to edit them. Not because I wanted to change any of the story or felt that my words weren't good enough, but because I can see how much I was clinging to traditional formatting.

I remember feeling like I needed to write in paragraphs and would get nervous when they didn't look as long as I thought they should.

Now, I've learned to embrace the return button.

Again.

And again.

Now, I'm writing the way I wanted to from the beginning but thought was WRONG.

I'm really proud of just letting myself write the way I want to.

3. I'm sure there are a million. The one my brain keeps coming back to over and over again is a Sith!Obi-Wan AU where HE is the one who tries to conquer Mandalore.

I have the vaguest of outlines and it's messy messy messy and maybe SOMEDAY I'll figure it all out, but alas, for now, it's just a mess

4. I... I don't read a lot. I'm a very slow reader which I've always been extremely insecure about [not that I think any of you would judge me on that but still].

This is actually one of the reasons I love fanfic so much.

With so many shorter works, I feel like I can consume just as many stories as my more literary friends in the same time.

5. NOT WELL! hahaha

Right now, the pressure I'm putting on myself is so intense, every time I open a doc I sort of just stare at the cursor until I close it. I actually haven't written more than a few sentences in, like, two weeks, because I just keep psyching myself out.

I'm working on it hahaha.

6. It was always FEEDBACK. Comments and Kudos are like a fucking drug that I need to ween myself off of, and what has replaced it had mostly been just fucking around? Just spitballing, brainstorming, and making stupid jokes and headcanons [mostly with @yourfavoritefridge who never yells at me].

7. A throwback to your second question: just write how you want to write.

Stop pretending that there is a CORRECT way to write. There isn't. Language is flexible. Grammar is made up. Punctuation is an incredible tool.

Write how YOU write.

🖤

#writing ask game #ask me anything #stuck at the airport

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scorching-passion · 1 year

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@wingsdreamt asked: "I'm just saying, if you've hidden snacks around Sleipnir or your toolbox--" Zack holds up a finger and waves it back and forth, "Ah, ah, ah. Labeling it with stickers vaguely in the shape of your name doesn't count-- as some kind of litmus test to make sure people haven't been messing with your stuff..." He trails off, fully leans his weight on his palms as the back of his legs cut against the brushed steel top of the workshop counter with an almost disappointed shake of his head.

"I'm still gonna find 'em and eat 'em just to mess with you." Unprompted Asks - ALWAYS ACCEPTING

Was this about that one time he’d so affectionately mixed bandersnatch urine in with Zack’s shampoo?

Roche was quite certain he’d apologised for that fiasco when the Second had unwittingly stank up the entire 49th floor, resulting in its immediate quarantine and sanitation for the following week or so.

Not Roche’s finest prank of all time - clearly he hadn’t thought it through, and it was possibly for the best that he not be asked just how he’d acquired bandersnatch pee, it was not a pretty story; at least one member of executives had gagged when he was forced to relive that tale in his disciplinary hearing - but certainly one of the most devastating after the hilarity had worn exceedingly thin.

A truly dark time for SOLDIER for sure.

Still, that was some time ago, so the Third was currently attempting to process exactly what he’d done this time to warrant one Zack Fair into his workshop with his threats of theft. Funny how the man knew just how much Roche detested other’s touching his belongings; an old habit he’d developed when he’d had little to nothing to keep for himself. The orphanage had always commanded that sharing was caring which in turn caused him to later become aggressively possessive.

And his Super Secret Snack Stash™ was certainly no exception to that rule.

But this was Zack Fair, why’d he believe the only way to obtain a tasty morsel from Roche’s Super Secret Snack Stash™ was to steal from it? Had he simply asked the Third would have certainly offered... Alas, Fair had not asked.

A furrow of blonde brows as he crouches there beside his steed, contemplating this dire threat between friends, when he would suddenly pull the lollipop he was currently savouring out of his mouth with a wet pop and offered it up to the raven-topped swordsmen leaning, oh, so casually against his workstation.

“I cannot possibly offer up my treasures, Zack Fair. Far too many hours and gil have I invested in acquiring it all. But never say I do not know how to share~” Though were Zack Fair ever to make good on his warning, then Roche can think of many things far worse than monster droppings to make his life exceedingly difficult~

#wingsdreamt #we really must do this again - ANSWERED ASKS #in case you weren't aware #Roche is all kinds of chaotic~#Mess with his snacks if you dare #😈😈😈

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freedjustineshipping · 7 months

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so, three things because, in my humble opinion, this is still one of the Fairy Tail's most beautiful scenes.

Erza has sparred with Freed in the past and clearly considers him S-Class worthy? Makarov telling/trusting Freed to look after Laxus. Natsu finding Freed intriguing enough to challenge him for a fight, Cana wanting to share a drink in good company, Reedus complimenting his appearance. It's asll so good, there are so many factors at play there! Definitely should have been in the anime too because it adds not only information about Freed but also how others may view him and relationships between characters.

#freed justine #fairy tail #mirajane strauss #fried justine #mirajane #ft100yq #raijinshuu

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koolkat9 · 1 year

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👀

(Also, wanted to take the chance to say that I love ur GerEng AUs and fics. When I first got into Hetalia (a bit over 2 years ago) and started to know England and Germany, my brain totally went “oh yeah they make one great ship” only to be disappointed at how little is out there of these two. Like how come ppl not see how great they are together - there’s just so much goddamn potential! And now over 14 years later since the anime, it seems the fandom as a whole still didn’t catch up on this. Alas, I found u and I’m infinitely glad for tht. Thanks for being here and not making me feel like the only one cursed with liking a rare ship.)

Sorry this took forever. These things took way longer than I thought.

Oh my gosh! This is so sweet thank you🥰.

There really isn't a lot of content for them and that's a shame... Though I think it's gained a bit more popularity thanks to the adlib the creator of Dreamtalia did in her play through of it which created a whole GerEng subplot (that's how I got into the ship) and then creators like Teethhoarder (who runs the blog asking-gereng and has made many great fanart and fics of them) and myself who has made so many little fics and headcanons for them specifically. But still, it is underrated compared to other ships.

That's actually part of the reason I started making content for them. There was so little of it. And now I've been going 3 years strong writing fics.

And don't worry there is actually a handful of us who ship it. Teeth like I've mentioned and there is a whole GerEng discord server (ran by yours truly). But listen to me ramble. You want an au.

---

Here's probably one of my favourite aus. GerEng Roadtrip AU.

We've got character arcs, slow burn, finding yourself. It's so good, I love it. The GerEng server was great for sharing ideas and we built on it together.

Anyway, Ludwig is going to university for engineering, but after his first year and after doing very poorly on an exam, he's devastated because perfectionism, but also something else bubbling underneath that he's yet to realize/acknowledge.

With the school year ending, Ludwig decides to go stay with his brother for the summer. After all, despite owning it for a couple years now, Ludwig never got to visit the record shop his brother opened and Ludwig needs to get away for a little bit so why not spend the summer in a small quaint town near a river?

Arthur is on of Gil's employees. He and Ludwig don't exactly get off on the right foot. Arthur's grouchy, prickly, a smoker. But Arthur catches Ludwig sifting through some rock albums and the two start to bond over their shared music taste, only to find out they actually have a lot in common and enjoy spending time together.

A little over a month before Ludwig is set to return to school, Arthur proposes they go on a road trip together. One last hurrah before they go their separate ways. Ludwig, feeling more and more anxious as the date of school approaches, agrees for the distraction.

They travel all over, to all kinds of little towns, seeing all kinds of sights. And in the process, learn that they're both kind of broken and lost but find comfort in each other.

Like one time they stay at a campground and have a campfire. Arthur brought his guitar so he strums a bit as they sit. Ludwig asks if Arthur can sing. And Arthur makes a weird face, but gives in and they end up singing together.

One time they stay at a hotel but because it's summer and there is a big event going on, almost all the hotels are booked up, so they have to stay in a room where there is only one bedTM.

They stop in the middle of no where to watch the sunset. And they may or may not share their first kiss in this moment.

They go to some big mall and they end up having to help a lost kid together. Ludwig falls harder seeing how Arthur is with kids.

But it's not all fun and games. Over the course of their trip Ludwig learns Arthur used to be in a rock band. They were just about to hit it big, in talks with fairly big record company only for Arthur to get a case of vocal nodes that changed his voice forever. It changed his sound, his range, and though he still sounds decent he hates how he sounds now. And even if he was find with the sound of his voice, he didn't have the vocal fortitude to be a professional singer. Just when his dream was about to come true it was all snatched away.

Gilbert, a fan of Arthur's band who had become a dear friend offered Arthur a job at the record store to try to help him back on his feet.

Singing with Ludwig during their travels was the first time Arthur sang after the damage. Ludwig thinks he sounds beautiful.

Arthur mentions in passing once that he used to be a singer in a band. So when Ludwig hears Arthur sing, he asks why he doesn't anymore. This leads to an argument as some of Arthur's old wounds open up, making him more defensive and Ludwig doesn't know the full story so he doesn't get why Arthur is suddenly angry.

But eventually Arthur opens up, reminiscing about going on little tours with his band to nearby towns. Ludwig of course listens intently to all the stories Arthur starts to share about his band. Arthur ends up getting a little emotional by the end and Ludwig just hugs him. They stay like that longer than they probably should but Arthur can't deny it makes him feel warm and fuzzy.

Ludwig has his own struggles. He is dealing with his first major failure and with a bad case of anxiety and perfectionism it isn't easy. But there is even more to it. Ludwig has long had the doubt that engineering and university in general is the right path. He knows he's smart enough to be there (even though his anxiety sometimes tries to tell him differently), but his just isn't passionate about what he's studying and if he was to change paths he doesn't know to what. Some of his shitty feelings from failing the exam are connected to this doubt though he's not fully aware of it yet.

Anyway. The car breaks down some time during their trip and Ludwig fixes it. Arthur notices how focused and in the zone Ludwig is working on the car. It reminds Arthur of how he would get playing music. He knows Ludwig is going to university and is struggling a bit, but there is much of story he's still missing. He doesn't even know what Ludwig is studying. So he finally asks about it. Since at this point Arthur has opened up to Ludwig, Ludwig figures it's only fair to open up to Arthur and perhaps finally confiding in someone will might make him feel better.

Ludwig finally admits he's not happy in his program, but he doesn't know what else to do and he doesn't want to disappoint anyone who had high expectations of them (everyone around him just assumed he'd go to university because he was so academically gifted).

"Fuck them all," Arthur replies, "Do what you want first. That's what I always did."

"It's not that easy for me," Ludwig fires back, "Plus...I don't even know what I want."

"I wonder why..."

"What?"

"Nothing. Look Ludwig. I couldn't pursue my dream job, now look at me. Wasting away in that old record shop. I don't want that with you. You have a chance to do something you love, take it. Pursue it until you can't."

"Arthur I-I don't..."

"If you won't do it for yourself, do it for me. If you need an idea, I think you'd make a really good mechanic

Ludwig thinks about it. Reflects a bit and takes Arthur's words to heart and decides perhaps a mechanic apprenticeship would be his best path. He always liked tinkering with cars and machinery and being hands on with it. Wouldn't hurt to at least look into the idea.

Ludwig, thankful for Arthur helping him onto the right path, wants to help Arthur find a new passion or a way he can embrace music in a different way. Ludwig recalls how Arthur taught him a few cords on guitar and how good of a teacher Arthur is. So maybe Arthur could give lessons or even go to school to be a music teacher. Arthur shoots him down, but Ludwig catches Arthur researching what it takes to be a music teacher.

Anyway. The road trip comes to an end and Ludwig has to make his choice. Return to university, to a program he dislikes, or take a chance and stay and get an apprenticeship in town. So just as Gilbert is about to take him back to the city Ludwig comes clean. How he doesn't like his program, that he wants to try an apprenticeship as a mechanic. Ludwig is terrified of Gilbert's reaction, that he'll be disappointed, but Arthur's words echo in his head, keeping him grounded.

Instead, Gilbert is happy for him. "You always did love working on cars," he notes, "Remember our old neighbour who let you tinker on an old, broken down car they had? If only we could have gotten a new engine, perhaps it could have been saved from being scrapped.

Ludwig is shocked, having almost forgotten that summer.

"I bet someone would love to hear that news," Gilbert says with a smirk.

Ludwig runs back to the record shop, but Arthur is missing from his post. Lud hears a faint noise coming from the back room and finds Arthur, next to the old record player, singing along to the song they sung together around the fire. He sits and listens, only revealing he's there when Arthur finishes and Ludwig applauds.

Ludwig tells him how he's going to stay in town and try to get an apprenticeship with a mechanic Gil knows. Arthur is elated, jumping to his feet and kissing Ludwig hard. Their first kiss since that one time on the road during the sunset that they had thought they'd never talk about again.

"But on one condition," Ludwig says, pulling away breathlessly, "You look into school for next year and become a music teacher."

"Ludwig..."

"If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for me," Ludwig smirks.

Arthur can't help but laugh and kiss him again. "Okay. For you then."

And in the end, Arthur does become a music teacher and Ludwig gets to take over the shop he did his mechanic apprenticeship at. They also date and eventually get married 🥰

#hetalia #hws england #hws germany #hws prussia #gereng #engger #geruk #au ask game #au asks #gereng road trip au

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