started playing pokemon sv and wow

Proof of Usopp and Nami being Luffy’s vice/co captains? I would (genuinely!) love to see your thoughts and evidence, bc big agree

(Context:)

Hello anonymous tumblr-using friend!

As someone with a lot of knowledge of & a great passion for real-life historical piracy, I have VERY STRONG OPINIONS about how the Strawhat crew would fit into an actual golden age crew structure. When I said "I have proof" I was jokingly referring to my knowledge of historical piracy and how the characters slot into those trends, not any sort of "in-anime/manga proof" of Usopp and Nami being ""co-captains"" with Luffy, so if that's what you're here for then sorry lol.

BUT if you want to learn a little about golden age western-world piracy, (and my "au" of sorts for how each crewmate would be recognized in that context,) stick around! :)

(extremely long explanation under cut LMFAO)

First off, as i said in my heated/j tags, "captain" did not usually mean what Oda makes it mean in OP's world. I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN Oda is just as passionate about & did plenty of research about historical piracy, and is clearly pulling a little from wakō history, but mostly from golden-age western piracy (specifically mostly the post-spanish succession period, to my estimation).

That being said. Why he puts so much emphases on Captains and First Mates is BEYOND me, because irl they were not as important.

The captain WAS important, don't get me wrong, but they weren't the sole reigning commander of a ship. They were more like a figurehead, most of the time. This is a sortof flimsy metaphor, but think of Captains like the modern-day king or queen of England; They're hyped up as the #1 leader, they're an important charismatic face for the group, and they technically have last-say on important matters, but they are beholden to two other groups (like the cabinet and the prime minister).

During the golden age of piracy, most crews were commanded by a group of three people. These three people were usually the Captain, the Quartermaster, and the Bosun. Each filled a different role on the ship, and all three were democratically elected by the crew. In all important matters, the three would discuss together how to proceed/solve the current problem, and though the Captain COULD overrule the other two at any time, that typically got him handily shoved overboard via mutiny. By technicality there was a heirarchy of power between the three stations, (with Captain usually being the top dog, then the Quartermaster, then the Bosun just above the rest of the crew,) but in practice they held equal sway in decisions that would effect the entire crew.

HOWEVER, outside of "big crew-wide decision-making moments" where you needed to assemble the three leaders, they didn't always have to coordinate. Depending on what situation the crew was currently in, one of them would be de-facto in charge of the crew, and the other two would step back unless the one currently in charge did something that needed to be challenged, like they made a bad decision or (in a more extreme case) broke the articles.

The Captain was in charge during times of battle. The captain's primary role was as a fighter, performer, and military commander! If the crew was attacked or about to attack someone else, the Captain would immediately take charge. (Now, real pirates weren't actually violent in practice as frequently as pop culture would have you believe, but that's a whole other topic. The reason "performer" is listed in the Captain's "jobs" is that part of their responsibility as a captain worth their salt was to scare enemies into surrendering without a fight through theatrics and reputation.)

The Bosun was in charge when the Boat was damaged or needed upkeep. The Bosun was not always the greatest carpenter or shipwright in their own right (in fact, in larger crews, they usually weren't either of those things), but they would be the one to get together with the shipwright and worksmen and assess damage, organize repair teams, and keep the boat running as well as possible. The crew followed their lead during repairs, and they were the go-to authority on any matters concerning the physical boat.

The Quartermaster was in charge the rest of the time. The way the Bosun is in charge of the physical boat, the Quartermaster was in charge of the crew. They were responsible for enforcing the articles, dealing out discipline, and the crew's general well-being outside of battle. In that same way that a bosun didn't have to be a shipwright, a quartermaster wasn't usually a doctor or cook, but they worked closely with them. Being in charge outside times of battle meant that the Quartermaster was also in charge of headings and navigation, and more often than not they were the ship's navigator, or head navigation/deck officer if their crew was large enough to have more than one nav. They also usually handled the crew's finances/pay and cargo. Is this starting to sound familiar yet.

So. After establishing the roles. I don't think I have to persuade you that while Luffy is most definitely the Strawhat Captain, Nami is our Quartermaster and Usopp is our Bosun. At the VERY LEAST this is true on the Merry Go.

You could possibly persuade me that Franky takes Usopp's place as Bosun once they get the Thousand Sunny, but I would be hard to convince. (I could be persuaded that Usopp loses his position as bosun on the Sunny, but Franky does not behave like a bosun as much as a head carpenter, and Usopp functions like his carpenter's mate. It's almost like, post-timeskip, they don't have a bosun anymore, and Zoro fills the newly empty position on the leadership trio?)

Now, these roles are not concrete, and they didn't always make up the "management trio" on a pirate ship. Some very small crews just didn't have enough people that they needed to single out their three favorite guys; they could just all vote on important decisions together. Sometimes the management trio included the surgeon or the first mate instead of the bosun. There were many crews where the Quartermaster was considered the top-dog highest authority instead of the Captain at all times. Even during the golden age pirate crews varied greatly, but the Captain/Quartermaster/Bosun trio was most common.

As for the ship hierarchy, there was a trend you could rely on no matter who the "three leaders" were. Everyone was generally considered of equal importance on a crew, (hence the elected offices and avenue for mutiny,) but there was a chain of command of sorts? Or at least people who would be shown greater respect and responsibility based on what they provided for the crew:

Captain and/or Quartermaster

Bosun and/or Surgeon/Doctor, and sometimes the First Mate

Everybody else, including captain's other mates.

Speaking of Captain's Mates... On larger crews, every important role on the ship had a "mate," or an apprentice chosen by the person in question to replace them if they should die, or otherwise be out-of-commission. Quartermaster's Mate. Bosun's Mate. Doctor/Surgeon's Mate. Carpenter's Mate. Etc. However, the Captain had MULTIPLE MATES, because his job was front-line combat focused. Ergo, he could easily die and need a replacement. Quickly. And his replacement could need a sudden replacement! So, depending on the size of the crew, the captain could have anywhere from two to eight mates, who were ranked by number. That's why the captain's highest-ranking mate is called the First Mate. Because there was usually a Second Mate. And then some more of em.

The First Mate's job is to be a good ass fighter, and back the Captain up on whatever they're currently doing. They hype the Captain up and enforce the Captain's decisions, no matter what that decision is. This is why they were usually not put in the management trio on most crews, cause you could imagine. The conflict of interest. (There's supposed to be three of them so that no one member has too much sway. Which could be sabotaged if two of the three are captain and captain's favorite soldier LMFAO)

I have no idea why, in the world of One Piece, all of the emphasis seems to be on Captains as the end-all-be-all leaders of their ship and the First Mate as the second in command. Especially when Oda clearly KNOWS about the other roles, since he's written characters that fall into them like perfect puzzle pieces!

...Well, okay, I have some idea. This is a shonen series for teens and being the captain/king/etc is wish fulfillment, and wouldn't be as cool for the projecting readers if you were part of a leading council with two other mooks. But. I can still be salty about it LMFAO <3

So a while ago I did a poll on who Mark Chasity should date

For some reason, Ted Spankoffski won???? With Gary Goldstein (Attourney at Law) in second place.

Anyway, Officer Bailey made third, and I'd like to make my case for him and my opinion on the rest of the relationships.

I think that Officer Bailey and Mark Chasity would be so cute because they'd balance. Bailey is intense in an overcompensating way, and Mark Chasity is a sweetboi. Like it's such 😠👬😸 and I'm here for it.

I think that they could have a nice, domestic relationship, that Mark could make Bailey open up and be vulnerable.

Now, if you're uncomfortable with shipping characters played by the same guy, worry not! Many of us have decided that the cop in TGWDM (the guy who's not Sam lol) could easily be Bailey. And if that helps, do that. Because I love the idea of them.

Opinions of everyone else under the cut.

Okay, we're gonna talk about how these relationships would go, and I'm gonna go in decending order of who won. Which means:

Ted Spankoffski- I think that maybe it'd be a gay awakening hook-up? Nothing long term for them. Mark doesn't deserve that, honestly.

Gary Goldstein- This I think could be a longer term relationship, where they meet bc of some legal trouble or something like that, and they date for a few months, but Mark is overall neglected by Gary's busy worklife. They have a civil breakup, and maybe even a comforting relationship if they need a shoulder to cry on.

Offer Bailey- I already said, but I will continue to say: Bailey is someone Mark would consider separating Karen for. Someone he can just be with, and who keeps his life interesting without being abusive or rude to him, and who will be emotionally vulnerable with him, even if it's probably only with him. I think of of ever broke up, it would be so bittersweet. I think it would be Mark picking his religion and family over Bailey, and Bailey holding back tears while supporting him because he knows that his family means so much to him and since Bailey may have wanted something like that for so long (imagine him with a little girl omg) he'd understand even more

No one, he will never be happy- Sad, but realistic.

Dan Reynolds (with Action News, weekdays at 10 pm)- He's someone I highkey put to fill slots, so I'm surprised he made 5th. But like... I can sort of see it? Like, I feel like one would flirt with the other, and the other would either not notice or ignore them.

Bill Woodward (tied with Gerald Monroe)- I have mentioned how I think Bill is straight, and how it makes me sad bc I like him and Paul, but it's prolly one-sided. But it would be cute if he were queer. Someone said they met at church, which I love, but I just think Bill is (sadly) straight.

Gerald Monroe (tied with Bill Woodward)- I feel like this would be more of a similar relationship that he'd have with Max’s dad; a not-even-friends with benefits that's out if the public eye because they are bigots who happen to be attracted to men. They would both not treat Mark like a person, and while he might even enjoy that for a short period of time, he would realise that it's unbalanced and would eventually leave like he deserves.

Kyle's Dad- So, we don't know Kyle's Dad, I just thought it was a silly, cute idea. Besides Bailey, it's either Kyle or Jason's dad that I could see, just based on how nice their kids are when given the freedom.

General John MacNamara- Okay, I get it, it's a cute idea. Uh, Jon McNamara is married though and I don't wanna fuck that up.

Other (Put in Tags), AKA President Howard Goodman apparently- I think this is silly, but I actually like it. Especially if he is with Mark during/after his meeting with Wiggly. Because hooo boy, imagine that conversation. A stuck, frozen, breaking down Howie calling his long distance hubby and telling him 'I just met a dark god and almost died,' and Mark doesn't want to belittle his experience or preach in a moment of absolute madness, so he just doesn't know what to do? I see the appeal 100%

Hello!! I wanted to ask some advice 😞 I have a fic idea but I've never posted any writing before and its like a very very specific band au and I'm scared no one will care to read it because of how much music context it requires 😭 I really admire your writing so like...what do you suggest...

(Also super excited for next kickoff ! I've never been this invested in a fic)

hii my love!! omg a band au sounds like so much funnn are you kiddinggg i would eat that UPPP. my advice would be to just go ahead n write it!!! it's super nervewracking to share work, especially if you've never shared before, so for the time being you can just write w the idea that no one else will read it except for yourself! that'll help you establish a healthy relationship w your writing & your hobby in general even before you post should you choose to post

as for the specificity n music context, i personally think thats SO FUCKIN RAD!!! i love a story where i can enjoy a romance but also have aspects outside of it that i can learn something new from or take something away from. i have read some pretty incredible fics & books, but the ones that have always had a lasting impact on me are the ones i went into knowing nothign ab a specific something, but then i leave it feeling like i've learned something i wouldn't have ever known before!!

it's a totally valid feeling though, esp in fanfiction where you might think readers want to read ab only their fave characters or specifically romance. i felt this way a lot with including the film major & photography aspect to kickoff, i feared readers would find it boring and would just want to read ab gojo x reader. i think in ch9, gojo only had like 40% of the chapter screentime and didn't even make his first appearance until like 5k words into the chapter, but i'm still really happy w the chapter and the response i got was great too. i see some of my writer mutuals break the norms n experiments w their stories all the time too, and honestly, i think that makes for some of the BEST and most MEMORABLE stories :)

as for fears that people may not see your story, i totally get that. keep in mind, i think the jjk fandom specifically doesn't really have too many long fics, at least compared to what i've seen in other fandoms, n tends to steer towards oneshot content (i could be wrong ab this but it's just what i've noticed! at least on tumblr. long fics always get lots of love on ao3 tho) so don't worry too much if you're not getting as many notes or reblogs etc as some other authors, bc if you choose to post series content, then you'll technically be in a niche category for this specific fandom. BUT i have noticed that the quality of interactions w longer stories is very amazing and totally worth being a part of this writing community for that reason!!

when i first started posting, i really didn't know what to expect since the last time i had a fanfic blog was for like two months when i was 12 on deviantart LOL. and now i'm just extremely blown away n humbled by the support. but that's the thing- you'll never ever know unless you try! again, just write and picture it that you're the only one that's going to read it, so put all that juicy music context in there n really write w that passion in mind!! (i'm assuming you're into music or bands n that's your inspiration? don't be afraid to let that interest show!!) and that's really the only thing you need to get started, after that it's just simply copy pasting n then posting :)

if you do get around to posting or sharing it then feel free to tag me bb!! i'd love to read it n support you. good luck to u n much love!! <33 i hope this helps in anyway

and thank you for looking forward to kickoff :)

ps. in case you want any specific writing advice i have some on my page here (sorry bb i just realized i wasn't sure if you were asking for actual concrete writing advice haha my bad if i misinterpreted)

Content notice: this post is going to discuss sexual violence, sexualisation and kink related to Astarion's storyline and personal experiences

When making certain posts + writing my fic about Astarion, I knew it was only a matter of time before people would come at me for the content. It was never a question of if, but of when. Because we all know the internet lacks nuance when it comes to certain topics and there are a lot of people seem very invested in being the online morality police

Today I received the following comment on one of my Astarion posts. And whilst I don't wish to give air time to rando's on the internet and don't need (or quite frankly want) to defend myself, there are some points I would like to make in relation to this

The first point being a big reminder that: if you don't like something, DNI. There are plenty of other posts and fics about Astarion that are all fluff and love and treating him like a pretty little princess. Currently, my Astarion content is not that. There are many reasons as to why that's the case. And, again, if you don't like it... go somewhere else cause I ain't about to stop posting what I'm posting just because people disapprove or want to label me as problematic or "not giving a fuck about victims of SA"

I hate to break to ya but life ain't so black and white. Cause here's the thing - trauma + kink are irrevocably intertwined with one another. There are a lot of academic works and smarter people on the internet who will have said this better than me, but the main point that I want to make is that people who create particular kinds of content are often playing in the spaces that they were forged in. It is in the very act of creation that we process things we've experienced, and it's up to us what kinds of narratives we want to explore/tell and what kinds of experiences we want to have (on and offline)

Not to get all TMI on main but I am someone who is actively and unashamedly engaged in many kinds of kink. Do you know what I adore? Being treated like shit in quite domineering and violent ways. Do you know what else I love? Topping little brats who need to be forcefully put in their places. And do you know what else I have? A lifetime of experience of domestic, intimate partner, and sexual violence. This is actually incredibly normal and okay. People who have experienced trauma are multi-faceted beings.

Kink is often a place where people can safely experience untold levels of catharsis (and by extension I am including writing + gameplay in this too). This isn't the case for everyone, though it is certainly true for me, and ofc there are healthier and unhealthier ways of doing this. There was a period of my life not too long ago when I was putting myself in very risky situations to get my kicks, and now I write about fictional characters experiencing these instead bc that's what I want to be doing with my life right now

And nobody gets to tell me shit about what I enjoy, or tell me how to enjoy it, or try to make me feel guilty for it

When I say that I get off on seeing Astarion bloody and bruised, when I say he deserves to be punished and write fic about that, when I play in the space of ownership and toxic relationships, I do so from a place of lived experience. I do so from a place of being well-read and well-practiced in kink. I do so from a place free from shame and fear of what other people will think. Because I have every right to say what I say, to write what I write, and to enjoy what I enjoy. And actually, it doesn't and shouldn't matter. Even if I didn't have those experiences or knowledge, I'm still allowed to create whatever the fuck I want to create and it doesn't make me a "bad person" bc it doesn't subscribe to this puritanical moral agenda that's been seeping all over the internet (Side note: I put this in the tags but it bears reiterating here. This also reeks of the kind of shitty comments that get made about how dom's are perpetrators of abuse and violence, or that subs are victims who are being taken advantage of, which I don't even have time to go into here bc there is a lot of history behind that. but just fyi. don't. just... don't. and if you wanna know why go ask google)

I also say/write/create from a place of my personal interpretation that I think Astarion gets off on masochism too. Have you met the guy? There's so much in his character that indicates that he likes to get slapped about and teased. And yes, I do know his story, I know his background, I know him. Because there is a lot about Astarion which is a mirror of myself. And I am playing with that reflection in lots of different ways (yes, that's an Astarion joke)

There will be a time when I have a very different kind of romance with Astarion, but that's not the kind of experience I want to have right now and maybe, in some ways, I'm not ready for it. Just a few weeks ago I wrote the below piece at 3am (which is now part of a sakuatsu piece about self-acceptance and love) when I woke up crying my eyes out and needed a creative outlet for how I was feeling at the time

Not that he calls it quits. Because the messages never stop coming, they flow freely from the tap. Anytime, anywhere. Whenever he wants it. He's always in demand. Because they all want him, they all want something from him.  But he doesn't care. Sometimes he loves it, gets off on it, can't get enough of it. Sometimes it leaves him feeling cold and empty and broken. At the end of the day, what does it matter? It's all that he's good for anyway

And tonight I got hit with Astarion essentially saying something very similar:

The moment I met Astarion, I knew that what we were seeing is a cleverly constructed performance. It's a facade, stitched together of hypersexualised behaviour, witty banter and a charming smile. I would know that performance anywhere, because it's one I've been playing for over a decade. It's a survival mechanism, a mask; something which endears you to others, which makes them like you, sometimes even love you. This performance is something that Astarion has become so very good at that it's become etched onto his soul. He doesn't know who he is without it, he doesn't know what he wants. But now he has the chance to find out.

And here's the thing: he doesn't have to suddenly become some super reformed character or stop getting his kicks in sadomasochistic ways. You can be all about bodily autonomy, self-love, and healthy boundaries, and still also have big ole' ownership, degradation, pain, and praise kinks actually. And there sure as hell ain't nothing wrong with that. Because, again, people are multi-faceted.

There is space for people who want to give Astarion a hug and tell him that he's loved, to have a really tender soft romance with him. And there is space for people who think that Astarion is a horrendous little man who is in need of objectification and punishment. Both of these stances are super valid and fun.

So now, if you'll excuse me, I shall depart from this very long personal essay (that probably no one will read, but which needed to be said anyway). I've got a dungeon scene that's not going to write itself.

okay, here’s something that has always bugged me:

It’s unrealistic for Grayson to have gotten over Emily enough in the first two books to date Avery. People here have… dealt with death, right? At the start of TIG, it’s been just over 1 year since Emily died, the boys became social pariahs, and family relationships became heavily strained. On top of that, it’s been merely ~1 month since their beloved grandfather passed.

Those wounds are still fresh. Deaths of the people you love already cling to you as they are, but now imagine you blame yourself for some said death?

There’s a quote in the first book where Nash tells Avery that you need to excise a wound before it can heal. In Grayson’s case: how can you excise a wound that you refuse to allow yourself to admit even exists? Grayson’s whole character shtick that people love is that he’s never saying what he feels out loud (see tags). Truth be told, outside of fiction, that shit is NOT conducive to a healthy life/relationships.

I’ll try to keep this short, so I won’t elaborate too much on why I think Jameson fared better. It comes down to the fact that he grieved the context and blamed Emily and the situation more than himself, and he also released his emotions verbally/physically (even if in unhealthy manners), showing that he recognized how this event affected him.

Also, please note that, while people thought this was cute and made them soulmates, Avery being able to read Grayson’s emotions based upon his body language isn’t communication. It isn’t Grayson dealing with his emotions either; it’s merely Avery interpreting them. Only one of them is acknowledging their existence— and it isn’t the right person. On the other hand, Jameson and Avery made a code word to increase communication to overcome that vulnerability obstacle— *that’s* what builds healthy love.

Tldr; Death takes a long time to get over. You need to explore your emotions. Communicate = cope better. Don’t communicate = uh oh.

edit: you can tell I wrote this after not sleeping for days bc I put exercise instead of excise whoopsies it’s fixed now

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

Aww!!! I love your new Ayato story. To be honest, when I read the tags and the description, it was very hard for me to imagine a combination between Ayato and drugs, but I was very wrong, because now I started to get addicted to this story as well as Ayato. The idea feels so real and doable. I'm even now convinced that if Ayato was human in the canon universe, without those supernatural powers and vampiric sadism, he'd handle the situation in a similar way, since there's no way he'd be the asocial loser in class (-: However, his super beauty as a vampire doesn't work here, and it wouldn't be realistic just to exist to have friends :-*

hey anon! thank you so much! i'm excited to continue it, hoping i get another chapter in before christmas. here's the fic for anyone wondering, it's called the basketball diaries and i'll ramble a lil bit here, don't mind me.

putting it under a cut for discussions of drugs

so i've been writing drug addict fics for a real long time now and i generally consider myself able to make any character into an addict, primarily due to my wide scope of knowing and under the pretext of "it can happen to anyone", and in dialovers, i've now written shu, reiji, laito, subaru, ruki, kou, yuma and azusa. hence i moved to ayato.

ayato has gone up a lot in my heart since i first found dialovers in 2017 and especially since my re-obsession era in 2021. the more i read him, esp LE, the more i learn about his strengths and weaknesses. he's vulnerable, he's got academic trauma. he wants to do well, he does, but he's scared of trying because he doesn't want to make himself look stupid.

and contrary to the ayato can't read joke on my DL server, ayato can read and i think he's pretty smart if he really wants to do something. i.e. his MB after story he DOES get a degree but it's for yui's sake. he has to have a reason. and without said reason, he's void of motivation and frankly doesn't really know HOW to try.

you're right, ayato acts like a silly goofy big strong vampire because he's convincing himself he's The Shit. he bigs himself up as Yours Truly, pretends he's the best, because his entire self-worth growing up was based on the assumption he was going to be The Best. and if he's not The Best, then he's a failure.

when you combine that mindset with a situation where he obviously isn't going to be the best, you have a perfect recipe to write a drug fic i think.

he can't possibly be that guy with no friends, he wants to be liked and the best. but most importantly, he has a deep intrinsic desire to be the best academically too. but he never learnt to study, he has zero self-worth, and starting uni away from his closest brothers (laito n subaru in this case) in a difficult degree is challenging. couple this with the fact i gave him ADHD bc ADHD ayato has my heart, he's lost. and because being the best in his mind is more important than his own health and sense of self, he'd be willing to do anything to maintain that. and if he found a drug which does that for him, why wouldn't he use it, yknow?

i won't spoil too much about the fic there by mentioning yui's role in this (bc yui doesn't appear until ch11 unfortunately), but this is an overview of why i'm so excited to write an ayato addict fic finally.

on a similar note, next up Might be shin, actually. shin has potential, mostly from stuff in his LE. because of endzeit, shin very much has this mindset where he needs to prove he's sick in order to get validation. like he needs to be sick to prove something about himself. obviously if this weren't canon then endzeit can't be a thing, but i could talk for hours and hours and HOURS about the "needs to be ill to get validation of health" trauma (mainly due to personal experience) and it'd be really interesting to write in the context of drug addiction!

I fear Ted might go back to Kansa because of Henry and because Dorothy leaves Oz and Mary Poppins goes back to wherever she came from, so if the series does that, I couldn't really say it came out of nowhere, but I'm also really hoping as hard as I can that it isn't the case, because Ted needs his found family and friends, and thinking about him alone in Kansas (even with Henry and Beard) just breaks my heart, so I wanted to say I really loved reading your meta about it!!!

I'm so glad you liked it, anon! Honestly, it's nice to hear that I'm not alone in thinking this. There's been so much meta lately arguing that Ted will go back to Kansas - which, as you say, I think is both likely and something the story has set up long term - but it doesn't feel like many fans are talking about whether he should. Given how focused the show is on these bonds and the growth everyone undergoes... damn, it would feel really bleak to me if Ted were to simultaneously leave the community and effectively go back to where he started: Kansas, (American) football, a rocky relationship with Michelle, Henry. I'm just imagining a finale that carts Ted off to where he's not only got to deal with everything he's still got going on (anxiety), but also is smack-dab in the middle of new struggles (many more "Who's playing dad and giving Henry money?" interactions + "Oh yeah, I'm perpetually reminded that my former therapist broke his professional oath and is dating my ex 🙃"), all without the support system he's built. Maybe he'll have Beard with him but god, that's so depressing to me!! I'm praying the writers have picked up on all the negative implications here and the return setup is just a red herring... but I'm preparing myself for that disappointment. Unfortunately, Ted Lasso would not be the first show that got caught up in the idea of a circular ending, not realizing how much that undermines the core messages at play...

Also, I just want to highlight some of @queen-mabs-revenge tags on the post. I didn't have the energy earlier to delve into the intricacies of why the Mary Poppins parallel doesn't work for me, but this lays it out succinctly:

#fr the mary poppins point like the metas are great but it's the idea of it that just deeply depresses me#bc honestly in mary poppins — it's not about mary poppins when it comes down to it#you don't really learn anything about her life because it's not about her it's about the family she leaves behind#like it kind of would feel like a slap to be brought so deeply into ted's inner life and journey for them to pull a mary poppins#like part of the reason why it's ok when mp leaves is bc she's already practically perfect in every way#she doesn't need the family so it's ok for her to leave#you're not invested in her character growth bc she doesn't really have any#that very much doesn't translate over to ted's story!#he needs the richmond fam as much as they need him#it's qualitatively different!

Bolded for emphasis because YEAH. THAT. Mary Poppins is almost more of a narrative device than she is a character. Which isn't to say she doesn't have personality, but that she exists to forward the growth of the family she visits, not develop herself. That is explicitly NOT who Ted is. In fact, the show has gone out of its way to say that Ted's tendency to put everyone else before himself and power through life with an endlessly positive, one might say "perfectly perfect" way is deeply unhealthy. He's had a whole arc about unlearning that! So to have him just leave like Mary Poppins does... oof. As for the Dorothy parallel, that just feeds into what I was arguing in the original post: Ted no longer thinks that there's "no place like home." You can love and miss a place deeply while recognizing that it's no longer where you need to be and I very much think Ted has hit that point in Season 3.

Plus, uh... there's the fact that Dorothy's journey is all a dream and she/the audience realizes that every loved one she "left behind" was really just a fantasy version of the family she already had. Dorothy was only and always going home to her family, not leaving a new family because they're one-in-the-same. Ted would just be leaving, period. There's no real - and therefore superior - version of Rebecca, Roy, Trent, Higgins, Keeley, Nate, Mae, and all the boys waiting for him in Kansas.

((just ranting abt writing fanfics you can ignore me lmao. I'm just in a weird place atm but I'm feeling kinda passionate abt writing rn so I'm gonna vent

originally I wrote a lil of this in the tags but then decided to just chuck it under a readmore so people aren't subjected to it against their will. then it got really long.

I'm not actually expecting anyone to read this im just sorta venting to myself. it helps me get my thoughts sorted if I write them down. I can also look back through my #.vat file tag in a few years from now and hopefully be like "wow I'm doing so much better than THAT now", so if that's the case, hi future Vatta! I hope you're having a good day. and if you're not future me, then I still hope you're having a good day, I love you, and this is your chance to turn back bc my rants are boring and LONG

(not turning back yet? ok. your funeral)

so, I haven't been online much bc I've just been in a weird limbo lately and I'm really busy when I'm at home either sorting stuff out or, with my PDA, doing anything I can to avoid my responsibilities lmao

I've been rereading my Tokyo ghoul light novels (I only have Void and Days ? I think they're called), rewatching Zankyou no Terror, and Bungou Stray Dogs (plus the live action Beast film which was? hilarious but I don't think it was supposed to be), and just suffering lmao

(you're still here? wow. you need a hobby. jk. ily)

I've been locked out of the systems at work for a bit, but I still need to be there and wait for the IT ticket to be sorted, so I've gotta be at my desk, cant have my phone or anything, so instead of sitting there doing nothing, I've either been reading, doing codeword puzzles, or I've been writing up 'drafts' for potential fanfics.

in this year of our sufferer 2024. I've been writing up some self indulgent homestuck college AU lmao. I've written over 60 sides of a5, (not inc the inbetween sections where I wrote some stuff on the chromebook at home) some notes, some accidental first draft, bc I wanted something to take up the time. but my handwriting is terrible, I don't write fast enough for my brain, I have a lil dyslexia so the letters and words get jumbled sometimes, and I have this weird thing where I don't do spaces right. but I've been trying to upload it to Google docs with Bixby's photo text extraction. it's pretty good considering how bad my writing is, then I just need to go through and touch it up, the main issues are things like names, there's some letters I do weird like my v turns into an r, or every p it thinks is a capital, but overall. amazing how technology do that.

(see my long ass rambling isn't just confined to venting. I also pretend to write actual things. you can still leave you know. I'm not holding you hostage until you read all this. you have free will)

can't remember how I ended up back in fanfic hell but I read back through like all my old published fics (aside from the cringe ones I orphaned) and the writing isn't terrible. I don't think I actually finished any of them though, which really shows my true nature lmao,,, but I've picked up a few things on my writing style now. and I've got a few things I see other people do that I wanna avoid bc I personally don't like it, and it's mostly about balance, like using names too often/not enough, being too descriptive like All The Time and making the writing really nice, but not much happens in the story so you take like an hour to read each scene, vs not enough description so everything is happening but you don't really get a visual or a breather to appreciate what's happened so far. I've been working on finding my right balance, which is imo easier if you're writing fanfic bc first up you hardly ever have to describe the characters. if someone's reading it they already know who they are. and for scenes you can take some inspo from the source material. does the original work put alot of effort into setting a cool scene? if not, then you don't have to either! if it's 90% scenery then you've gotta do it too I don't make the rules

I'm losing steam now I'm so sleepy and I've gotta go to work in a bit ugh.

(bet you're sleepy reading this too huh. told you it'd be boring)

I've been thinking about trying out writing some BSD fics but on an anonym not linked to my main Ao3, bc the themes are doozys and I kinda just wanna have the freedom of anonymity. also I'm a baby and if someone publicly criticises my stuff without it being a requested critique then it makes me bleh (I've had a few comments in the past of just general negatives, not even constructive feedback, not that I asked for any anyway...), but the abilities are tricky to write for, so it's effort lol

anyway I'm gonna stop now ive gotta get ready for work

(if you actually read this then thanks for going on this emotion deep dive with me. tune in next week when we'll get back to my usual mental breakdown)

the bitch is back. hi! ! i’m gonna start by saying this is a terrible fking idea bc i’m the worst and i ghost a lot but… i love to write so here i am posting this again. i need people who are willing to jump IMMEDIATELY into writing. too often i spend a ton of time plotting or talking about characters… we can do that WHILE we write lol

i’d love to find a few chill rp partners! i’ll start with the other important things 1) i rp on discord only. 2) i can be a little flakey. i’m sorry. i cannot and will not reply every day. so if you’re looking for someone who will consistently reply to threads 10 times a day, that’s not me. HOWEVER i love, love to talk headcanons and about our ships on the daily in between replies! (you want someone who will make you a tumblr tag and a pinterest board? that’s me lol) i’ve also been loving discord for fast / fun text threads so if we do that in addition to threads, you’re likely to get a response from me every day. 3) if you’re looking for someone who will write 4 paragraphs per reply, that’s not me. i sometimes write long starters or sometimes i get in my feelings and write a lot, but a typical reply from me is 1 paragraph! 4) if we’ve tried writing / plotting together before and it didn’t work out PLEASE feel free to reach out! i’m just very shy and i think people hate me for ghosting so i feel awkward reaching out to them. I’M USING A DIF DISCORD NOW THO SO PLS MESSAGE ME ON TUMBLR.

i’m 30 and prefer partners close to my age. but at the min, 21+ muns only! i’m looking for some chill stuff, where we can try a plot/thread or two together and see if we vibe. if we do, i will want 30 ships with you. if we don’t, no hard feelings. we just might not be the writing partner for each other and we can part ways! you can always tell me if you’re not feeling something, and i ask that you be receptive if i do the same.

below the cut i’ll put some more info about me / what i’m looking for. plots, faces, ships i’m into, etc. it’s VERY long and has more info than anyone needs bc i add to it all the time. you DO NOT have to read it all! (kudos if you do lol) it’s just in case you want to learn more about me! like this if you’re interested and i’ll reach out via IM!!! or if you see anything below that catches your eye, feel free to just IM me as well! (you will get a response faster from me if you IM me instead of liking the post just fyi)

i love being friends with my rp partners, so please know that i WILL message you periodically to check in with you (not on your level of interest in the plot, you as a person lol), send you gifs, posts, playlists, whatever, talk about our plots, etc. i’ll make pinterest boards, instagam templates. all that. please know it is NOT me attempting to rush you into replying! i’m so patient and don’t care how long you take. i genuinely just want to be your friend lol. so if you will be annoyed by me messaging you, i’m probably not for you. and if you give me no enthusiasm in response, i’m less likely to want to write with you. it is what it is.

i’ve been more into creating a new muse with every plot lately. but i’m happy to play against any of your muses if you like to write with pre-established muses! i also LOVE mumus/having multiple plots in the same universe. i love real life plots, i love creating fantasy universes, i love scifi, horror, angst, fluff… literally anything. i’m open to nsfw and dark themes (no rape, incest, abuse, or grooming) as well as long as we talk about everything beforehand. i’m down for smut as long as it’s part of a plot, but if it’s not your thing, i’m fine not including it!

i’ll write m/m and m/f. i’m open to f/f, but i go for m/m and m/f more. always here for platonic things also!!! i do have a preference for playing men bc  like getting in touch with my masc side. i don’t care if you only want to play women just let me know up front. i’ll play muses 18 to 118. (ok mb not that old but i have had muses in their 60s before.)

here are some faces i love as well as ships and plots i’d love to do! i’m 100% not limited to these things!!! but if you’re curious as to what i like or if you want a jumping off point to start plotting, it might be helpful for you!!

M O S T   W A N T E D aka i will do anything in return if you give me any of these!! - i’d literally give my first born for this. i’ve tried it so many times but i suck and it keeps falling through! - i wanna use my oliver jackson-cohen muse in something like dark and angsty and smutty and like mafia-ish. idk if this sounds remotely interesting i can give you the pinterest and tag and stuff i have for him/the plot!! - also this, this, this, and this okay thanks bye. - rudy pankow x madelyn cline in a bffs to lovers just wait i can explain this!! - i also wanna use manny montana. maybe an age gap? maybe dark, maybe angsty, maybe smutty idk like the usual YOU KNOW  - i need a m/m hockey rivals plot i have ideas too!! - will give my second born for anyone who lets me play as or against milly alcock, emily carey, and/or olivia cooke in something fantasy/historical bc... obsessed with them in HOTD O T  H E R   P L O T S - books i’d love to do plots based on: red, white & royal blue!!!!, the selection plssssss, anything based on the grishaverse (especially SoC or wesper or helnik omg), the house in the cerulean sea, falling kingdoms, shadowhunter universe (OCs mostly, but i would also play matthew fairchild or an older kit rook!), captive prince, all for the game, the raven cycle, the winner’s trilogy, the lunar chronicles, IT (18+ eddie x richie bc i’m trash?), the crown’s game, the night circus, an ember in the ashes, the kiss of deception, the song of achilles, throne of glass, the cruel prince... proably more lol. tbh you don’t even have to have read any of them i can just scream the plot at you lol - i would KILLLLLL for a plot based on young royals on netflix! - absolutely a n y t h i n g enemies to lovers. especially if it’s like slowburn enemies to friends to lovers. pls. - bodyguard plots!! bodyguard x royal, bodyguard x politician’s kid, bodyguard x actor. anything. - any kind of age gap plot with an older woman x younger man pls  - SPORTSSSS. i’m absolute trash for hockey and baseball. (but will do any sports honestly.) olympic stuff!! gimme figure skater/hockey player. give me teammates secretly crushing on each other/hooking up after the game but no homo/etc. give me rivals. two people competing for a captain spot. etc. - rom com plots!!! (sweet home alabama, the proposal, just go with it, set it up, while you were sleeping, the girl next door, trainwreck, clueless, bridget jones’s diary, chasing liberty, LITERALLY ANY) - fake dating!!!! (or fake married or anything like that!!) any kind. in any plot. in any scenario. can’t promise not to cry if we also include the only one bed trope bc i don’t care how often i see it, i consider it literary genius every damn time i encounter it. - i live for friends to lovers. especially if they’re both really dumb and if it’s gay. - college! sororities! frats! sports! - i love any sort of crime plot. mob. mafia. anything like that. - royalty anything. real life or fantasy. - historical plots!! literally from any era. i just love history ok. - stuff with older muses! a couple of divorcees. single parents, second chance romance.. idk anything lol - anything in my PLOTS tag

i generally prefer to pick a plot THEN a face, but just to get an idea of the kinds of faces i usually go for, they’re down below! honestly i’ll probs suggest a lot of faces not on this list

F A C E S aaron paul, alex fitzalan, anthony mackie, aron piper, axel auriant, bill skarsgard, charlie gillespie, cody christian, dacre montgomery, dev patel, diego luna, dylan sprayberry, felix mallard, freddy carter, hero fiennes-tiffin, ian bohen, isaiah mustafa, joel kinnaman, jonathan daviss, logan shroyer, lorenzo zurzolo, lucien laviscount, manny montana, matthew daddario, maxence danet-fauvel, octavio pisano, oliver jackson-cohen, oliver stark, oscar isaac, nick robinson, rafael silva, rege-jean page, ronen rubinstein, rudy pankow, ryan guzman, suraj sharma, taron egerton, taylor zakhar perez, thomas doherty, timothee chalamet, tom holland, zethphan smith gneist.

adeline rudolph, aisha dee, amber stevens west, anya taylor-joy, aslihan malbora, benedetta porcaroli, brianne howey, bruna marquezine, chloe bailey, cindy kimberly, constance wu, dove cameron, dua lipa, eiza gonzalez, ester expósito, geraldine viswanathan, january jones, josefine frida pettersen, khadijha red thunder, katheryn winnick, kristine froseth, lovie simone, madelyn cline, maia mitchell, marilyn lima, meg donnelly, milly alcock, natacha karam, natalia dyer, paulina singer, precious mustapha, rachel hilson, romi van renterghem, ryan destiny, samantha logan, sofia bryant, sydney sweeney, tessa thompson, veerle dejaeger, yael shelbia, yara shahidi, zion moreon.

you can also look through my FACES tag for more ideas! but honestly, i’m open to a lot!!

S H I P S aron piper x omar ayuso aron piper x manu rios axel auriant x maxence danet-fauvel brandon flynn x richard madden bridgette lundy-paine x fivel stewart cody christian x dylan sprayberry evan mock x thomas doherty (x emily alyn lind) jonathan daviss x rudy pankow madelyn cline x rudy pankow oliver stark x ryan guzman rafael silva x ronen rubenstein savannah lee smith x zion moreno

u’ve got me interested in hoffstrahm now! what r some good hoffstrahm fics from marks pov vs peters pov? also how do you think people tell them apart writing style wise bc i feel like they r similar (i have read no fics i don’t trust going on ao3 blind without recs so even just the basic fics everyone has read are good to rec)

So I haven't actually read as many fics, because I tend to just reread the ones that I like a lot lol. That being said, I do have some recs! All of these are actually from Peter’s perspective, that seems to be the one most people enjoy writing from when it comes to Hoffstrahm, myself included.

I will say beforehand to answer your other question, as someone writing fics from both their perspectives, I think the biggest difference is that Hoffman is a man of Action, vs Strahm being a man of Words. And what I mean by that is that if you have a dialogue going between the two of them, Strahm’s going to be the one carrying the conversation more by a long shot. The guy never shuts up, both internally and externally. It’s just a part of his more neurotic nature. Hoffman meanwhile is a Lot less verbose, and doesn’t talk as much compared to Strahm. His thoughts don’t get externalized as often, and he’s more likely to just Do something rather than Say something. It makes for an interesting time writing for both of them tbh, and presents unique challenges either way.

With that said tho, here’s my list of favorite fics for the two of them that I’d recommend to you:

“I’ve done this before (show me your teeth)” by nucodiangelo is one of the first one’s I ever read for Hoffstrahm and one I come back to quite frequently. It’s a longer one shot that diverges from canon with the events of Saw V and goes into Peter’s internal struggle with accepting what he knows about Mark and what he’s willing to let slide in order to have a relationship with him. Truly represents just what I love in a more canon compliant relationship with these two.

Literally every Hoffstrahm fic by Doztoevsky is Amazing in it’s own way, but I particularly recommend the “Street Cats” series and the one shot “I’ll run (but I’ll come running).” “Street Cats” is a very fun exploration about how things could go with some canon divergence past the point of Saw V and onward and includes some great domestic slice of life stuff intermingled with everything else. (@/Jadenvargen also drew some truly stunning artwork for the series, and if that summary doesn’t sell you on reading it, the art will.) “I’ll run” meanwhile is a one shot about Perez interrogating Strahm about his relationship with Hoffman and what all he knew about him while they were together, very good little character study piece for Peter.

“Cosmo’s Top Ten Dating Tips” is a five part series by the wonderful @carouselcometh and is a series that’s both funny, but also has some really really interesting insight into how neurotic Peter Strahm can be, and it’s one of my favorites for that reason. It definitely helped to inspire how I’ve gone about writing him for my own fics. Remy has a unique voice for writing Hoffman that I haven’t really seen with anyone else either which makes it a very fun read compared to everyone else.

Last but not least, I will put “Strahm Dies At The End” by @romanromulus on this list as well. I’m putting it last because it does come with a warning: Unlike the others on this list, this fic is considerably Extremely heavy, and if you chose to read it you need to heed every warning that’s tagged on it. It goes to some very dark places, and is not at all a lighthearted or even Nice fic for Strahm and Hoffman. It’s fucked up, and it doesn’t romanticize that point either. But the fic as a whole is a Wonderful case study on both Strahm and Hoffman as characters and gets really deep into some detailed meta on who they are as people thanks to their circumstances, and it’s a really well done tragedy story as well, which I always like reading. Hell, my last art piece was an illustration of a scene from this story, that tells you how much of an impact it left on me. It’s definitely not a story for the feint of heart, but if you can handle some touchy subject matter, I do recommend it.

These aren’t ones I can give you links for yet, but I will also add that I’m currently writing a three part Hoffstrahm series for the Jigsquad Au that I share with @tibby, and once those are published I’ll be posting links to them here as well, so keep watch for those in the future~

I wish you well on your Hoffstrahm reading journey, and should you have any thoughts about them or these fics you’re more than welcome to come back to my inbox and talk about them with me :)

How do you plan out your stories/form an outline for what you’re gonna write? Any advice for it?

Hi Hello! Thank you for the ask! I love talking about my weird process for writing long fics. Hopefully you find even a bit of this helpful. Everyone is different and my process isn't going to be the same as what might work best for you.

I went through part of this a while ago for a different ask, so I'll reblog that after I answer in case I miss something (my head isn't really on today) Forgive me if there's overlap.

OKAY!

The first thing I do once I've got a good idea in my head and its fleshed out enough that I think "This is good! I will actually write this!", I start a new notebook (if the fic will be long) or grab a couple pages from a partially filled one (if its going to be shorter). I am a visual person when it comes to writing, so I like to see my story built out in front of me. It helps me organize, plan, and keep track of character arcs/specific events/details I want to include.

Issho's original story map got nearly destroyed with the amount of edits and notes I added over the course of writing it, but here it is in it's delightful, disgusting glory:

As you can see, I am a messy person. This works for me. I am sure some people will see this and want to scrub their eyes out of their heads.

But the important thing is that I have noted down where events happen across the timeline, where the chapters are marked, the three main arcs (if you can see them, good lord) and have a note at the top about what the main theme of the fic is, and Points to Make. Below are some notes on Toichiro and Serizawa that should have been on another page but ended up there somehow.

I tried to be more ... legible... with Nightjar's story map, and even color-coded it by location. It keeps track of each group of characters, when they interact, when the big events happen in conjunction to those meetings, and bc i am like this, the weather.

Nightjar has a lot more moving parts, so I just put a couple words in each spot and wrote the notes for those events in full on another paper. Nightjar has a very organized notebook with labeled tags and everything, with sections on Character Arcs and Emotional Progress, The Government's Response, Counter Attacks by Claw, OCs, and a whole back section of maps that correlate to where in Seasoning they are.

When I have a basic idea of what I want to happen and when, I go ahead and get a word doc going with the whole outline in one place. I just shorthand write down everything I want to happen as messily as I want. It doesn't matter what it says so long as i know what it means. If i get an idea at any point that i want to include, I throw it in the appropriate place asap. It could be a cool scene, a specific line I want, or a point of progress I need a character to make. Anything. The Outline Doc gets LONG. like 30 pages.

When I sit to write an actual chapter, I go to the outline doc and copy/paste the selection of events I want in that chapter into a new doc and work from there. I keep both docs open so i can throw ideas in anywhere or move events around if I need to change where the chapter ends.

I try to be open minded and flexible with my story construction. And I sure do call it Construction. I tend to change events and move chunks of story and plot around like puzzle pieces until it feels Just Right and makes the most sense.

Sometimes I do this more on paper than on the word doc bc my brain likes seeing things a lot less... up and down? Than a computer can provide. Like this section of notes I have on Issho Teru's emotional state after his parents leave:

I wanted to have a map of Teru's 5 Stages of Grief along with events that move him along toward accepting Reigen into his life and which chapters those events happen in. This got abandoned before I ended up writing any of it, so the top part about him acting out against Reigen never came into play. Originally he never went to the Children's Center, but I couldn't pull that off, so i had to send him away for his Angry period. It worked better.

Obviously not every story needs this level of attention and mapping! My Issho side stories get a few notes in the notebook and then go straight to a word doc. Anything that's only a couple chapters tends to go right to the computer bc I don't need to move events around or map out arcs.

My brain has run out of juice at the moment, but I got more out here than I expected. If you have any follow up questions, feel free to ask!

🔥 + ST

I love that you still sent this to the Taylor blog lmao but HERE WE GO

(Also a lot of these will be hot takes within the Byler community but may be agreed among other fans idk I’m just in this corner of the fandom 90% of the time)

Steve actually IS that good a character? Like I understand it can be annoying when he clogs up every tag and ship but there’s a reason he’s that popular. He was basically DESIGNED to be the fandom’s favourite and it worked, I don’t think anything’s wrong with that. I adore this funky bi himbo and his kids and lesbian bestie and loser bf. And I *will* continue to project parental issues on him based on like 4 lines of dialogue bc frankly in this fandom that’s so far from the biggest leap we’ve made it’s not even funny. He’s my second favourite character and if he dies I will be genuinely inconsolable.

The only Byler proof I need is the s3 finale moving scenes. Finn’s acting choices in the El vs Will scenes, the parallels to the quarry scene, the shot of him looking back at the house? That’s all it took to solidify it for me. And the master doc is fun but I do think a solid 70% of the stuff on there is a huge stretch and is honestly harming more than helping our case lmao. If I want to convince people I just use that one scene and it works 90% of the time.

If you ship H*rringrove I think you’re genuinely a bad person. He’s a racist abuser and I’m glad he’s dead <3

STEDDIE IS SO CUTE MY FAV STEVE SHIP EASILY? It’s such a fun dynamic to work with, Eddie is CLEARLY queer coded much more than certain other characters we will get to, and the tropes that emerged in the fics post s4 were super fun and also SO interesting. Genuinely some Steddie fics I’ve read are just some of the best fics I’ve read period. (If anyone wants recs ESPECIALLY if you love a time loop fic hmu).

I wouldn’t hate them bringing back Eddie if they could pull it off in a way that made it seem genuinely planned and not just fan service. His death actually did piss me off (not just bc I was sobbing lmao) bc it seemed so rushed, and only getting to see Dustin’s reaction just felt like either terrible writing or a very purposeful lose thread. Also I’m still thinking about the profile picture colours bc I feel like we moved on WAY too fast.

Stonathan is fine. Good even but I just don’t see the appeal the way the rest of y’all do. Same with Ronance, I just genuinely prefer their dynamic as friends. I do love Stoncy in theory but post s3 I just don’t see it really working anymore, early Stoncy fics still hit though.

Lumax>Elumax>>>Elmax. The girls are adorable together ofc but I think Lumax is easily the best written relationship in the show rn and completely ditching it just seems odd to me? Obviously ship whatever you want I just can’t imagine not liking them together? I’m not blanket stating it’s for racist reasons but we all know Lucas is treated like dirt by the fandom in a way none of the other kids are

Dustin is my least favourite of the kids. I still love him, I just find him by far the least interesting. I obviously adore him and Steve but I feel like separating him from the party really has put him at a disadvantage these last few seasons. I’m really hoping the loss of Eddie will take him in an interesting direction though.

I will be genuinely upset if Jancy aren’t endgame but also I’m equally worried their issues won’t get addressed next season, idk they were my fav couple in s1/2 so I just hold them very close to my heart.

Flickergate is the superior Bylergate, especially if I had to pick one to actually happen in the show, it’s so romantic it makes me want to pass out.

I definitely have more but this is already way too long and I have 1989TV Clownery to get to so take this mess I guess

2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 21,22 and 24 for that writing ask game :)

Fun fact it took me ten thousand years to answer this bc this ask was apparently long enough to crash the app multiple times whilst I was answering it lmao

*cracks knuckles, cracks neck, cracks spine*

2: Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

Augh I want to. Hurry to get to the interesting bits of An Unconventional Sort Of Enployment quickly!!! I’m editing the chapters that were already published bc I must’ve gotten so excited to publish them that they came out rushed :/// what I’m looking forward to most is developing relationships! I plan for everything to remain non-romantic bc I’m not good at writing romance lmao but that doesn’t make it any less fulfilling! Developing platonic relationships is actually one of my favorite things to write so I’m really looking forward to it

3: What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

It’s actually a whole fic idea and also it’s vocaloid so maybe you wouldn’t find it very interesting but anyway. It’s like:

Kaito: have you ever wondered what it’s be like to be someone else

Len: ???? Are you depressed again

Kaito: no I was just thinking about it

Len: I can help you with that

So Kaito changes his name (well, barely, it’s only one letter off) and pretends to be a girl but! He’s inadvertently committing identity theft bc the lady he’s pretending to be already exists and is actually related to him but he somehow completely forgot, and all his friends know her but either they actually thought he was her or they also forgot that she exists too

5: What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

(Previously answered) Do ocs count? Madeleine wasn’t supposed to be a self-insert at all but at some point whilst I was drafting I was like “ah fuck that’s me innit” bc I realized her personality was far too similar to mine lol

6: What character do you have the most fun writing?

(Previously answered) Germany. I love making him miserable in particular. Also Japan, the way he speaks is so satisfying, same with Russia

8: Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Generally yes, but—and I don’t mean to come off as someone who doesn’t read books—why is smut in fanfiction often better written than smut in published books? Is it censorship? A stylistic choice? Published smut often feels so weird and cringe in the way it’s written and I don’t understand why…In fact, fanfiction and standard published books really hit different in general, for better or for worse

11: What do you envy in other writers?

I feel a bit like I’ve stagnated. I’m writing the same things over and over again so I see someone else has written something radical I’m like “damn why didn’t I think of that” so I should really try doing something different…and while I know that the worth of written works is not in their length, I see so many writers put so much emphasis on the length of their works and it’s a bit discouraging as someone more used to brevity

13: Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

Yeah lol. My ao3 is here lol. But yeah I’ve been playing around with an original work for a bit actually. Might consider talking about it more. Anything else I’ve kept to myself are just things that I couldn’t finish

15: Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

It depends but mainly titles. Summaries I have the least problems with because if all else fails, I can simply make the summary a phrase that’s connected to the title, but that may become a problem if I don’t have a title lmao. In the case of gore however, that’s when I struggle a bit with tags, like “this isn’t extreme to me, but would other people find it too much?” because if it is extreme, I don’t want to want to have people let their guard down, but if it isn’t extreme, I don’t want to falsely advertise

17: Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

Yeah, I believe art looks a bit different depending on the eye of the beholder, no matter how slightly. I don’t think my motivations are very surprising or complicated—they’re pretty much along the lines of “hey you know what would be interesting?”

20: Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Okay first of all I’m sorry for talking about Welcome Back again, it’s my first completed multi chapter work so I’m a bit proud it, like it’s my firstborn child lol.

The way I went about it is actually something I want to repeat—taking a canon moment (in this case, Vene getting kicked out and later being sent back to Germany in a box) and going in a wildly different direction with it. It was supposed to remain a one shot but I suddenly decided to continue it, which is why the transition between the first and second chapter may seem a little odd.

Vene did kind of turn out to be kind of the antagonist though, not that he meant it. But it was a lose-lose situation i think, because he effectively fucked Germany up by telling him he was a country in the first place, but at the same time, it was really fucking weird that Germany would just live his life not knowing about a crucial part of his existence! Not really knowing what else to do, Vene just decided to wipe Germany’s memory just to put him out of his misery. Of course, that may not last forever—even though everyone was sworn to secrecy, somebody is bound to slip up, or Germany may become concerned as to why he hasn’t looked a day past 20 in years (though, knowing how he lived his life before, not once questioning it at all, this is kind of unlikely) but mark his words, Vene would wipe Germany’s memories as many times as he’d have to, even if it does hurt to do so

Also a big fan of how vene and Germany telling each other welcome back for different yet similar reasons—Germany when vene kept showing up at his house after being thrown out, even when he came back quite literally dead; and Vene, even though Germany didn’t technically leave, but he seemed alive again after being put back in the dark about his true nature

21: What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

Probably comics? I might just be saying this since my paragraphs and dialogue don’t tend to be very long most of the time, which would fit well in a comic strip

22: Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

(Previously answered) Occasionally. Some of them still hold up, but others? I Can Tell They’re Old.

24: Would you say your writing has changed over time?

Absolutely. I’ve gained a wider vocabulary, and just the general way I structure sentences has changed a bit since I started writing seriously again two years ago. They also increased in length somewhat and are just less sloppy in general

Nonexistent Meet-Cute

Hi gamers I’m back w another mikey fic that may or may not be out of character lawl. It’s based on and named after the song Nonexistent Meet-Cute bc I think it’s very mikey Core in its themes n stuff

Btw before you read some things to note: I use they/them for Mikey throughout this entire thing (bc slight projection. They’re also heavily implied to be afab in this), this is also spurred by me not liking renet n Mikey paired together (read ab it here), technically there’s art for this (here, I think it has some context for some things), there will be a line or two before the text bc for whatever reason sometimes when text is under the cut it replaces one of the first two paragraphs w the other (fix your site tumblr)

[i don’t think this should be said but don’t Tag as ship for Mikey n renet. It kinda misses the purpose of the fic]

[——————]

It should be easy, all Mikey needed to do was to tell her that they were starting to get uncomfortable with how close she was to them. They just… couldn’t put it into words that easily. Their thoughts were more like a mixture of ideas blended together into one, so it was hard for them to articulate their thoughts without sounding incoherent. They wouldn’t recognize it yet, but while they were anxiously thinking on how to say what they want. Their hands went from lightly rubbing their forearms, to picking at their arm wraps, to scratching harder and harder until- slice. Finally noticing what their hands were doing they looked where the damage was, which was in the gap between the wraps on their forearms and their elbow. Looks like they would need to ask Donnie for some bandages, he did warn them that if unkempt their claws could cause harm whether intentionally or not.

Walking to the lab they hadn’t seen or heard Leo or Raph, they should probably ask Donnie about that after they cover up the wound they created. They knocked, making sure he knows they’re coming in before they do; it was a system made so that in case of an accidental explosion, it happens while the doors are closed and not open. Luckily no ‘boom’ happens so they open the doors and come in, seeing Donnie at his computer. “Hey bro, where are the medical supplies? I kinda… clawed my arms too hard.” He looks up from what he’s doing and upon noticing the cut he pulls a face. “Yeesh, that looks bad.” He gets up, showing Mikey where the supplies are. “Are you sure you want your claws that long? If they’re strong enough to pierce your skin you should probably shorten them.” Grabbing what they need, they respond. “Nah it’s fine, I can probably just make it so that they’re not as pointy.” Unlike their brothers, they actually quite like how the claws look when they’re noticeable.

Speaking of their brothers- “Do you know where Leo and Raph are? I didn’t see them before I came in here.” Donnie’s expression turned to a more mad one. “They went out on patrol, they said it was a ‘A-Team only patrol’.” Oh. Of course. That stupid A-Team B-Team thing. They groaned. “I can’t believe they’re still doing this.” Yet some part of them can, they’ve always been picked on by their brothers, starting way back when they were named Venus. Their brothers never took them seriously, and Splinter barely talked directly to them outside of the dojo. If only they could just- “Uh, Mikey.” “Y-yea?” “You're digging your claws into your arm.” They looked and wouldn’t you know it, they were. “Oh.” They loosened their grip and as they did their arm started bleeding. “Uhh…” Donnie sighed. “Don’t worry I’ll help you with that one.” “Thanks dee.”

———————————————

They remember what it was like to meet Renet for the first time, they had thought she was so beautiful. They hadn’t thought about the implications of her being from the future yet, they were too focused on her. In a way, they could understand how Donnie felt when he met April, completely blinded by love. And yet, as time passed they had slowly started to piece things together about what she had told them. If them and their brothers would be legends, then how old were they in those legends? Were they teenagers or were they adults? All four of them are getting closer to being adults, and yet they don’t think they’ve done anything that would make them legends to be told many many years in the future. If they were adults in the story’s Renet has been told and she’s a teenager, then why was she okay with them being into her. ‘I haven’t even been born yet.’ Why would she say that so casually to someone. It's just… starting to make them think that maybe it’s not a good idea after all.

And so, here they are with Renet on a rooftop, about to tell her what they think. “Renet, I don’t want this anymore.” Wow off to a great start huh doctor Word-enstien. Whatever smile she had faltered. “What do you mean?” “I mean that I don’t think I love you anymore.” They could hear her talking, trying to salvage what was never supposed to happen, but they didn’t care. All of their thoughts were piling up, everything started becoming louder, and their head started hurting more and more until- “Shut the fuck up!” They snarled, baring their teeth. “Don’t you understand? It would’ve never fucking worked in the end!” They were getting closer, some part of them understood what they were about to do, but that wasn’t important. “So why don’t you fuck off!” And so, they sliced.

———————————————

Back in their room they had time to think about it. They didn’t mean it in a way, yet they did. It’s hard to sort out their thoughts and emotions on things, so it’s possible that some of that anger was because of their brothers. It’s just… difficult to deal with your brothers making you feel worse than them and excluding you. And yet they must hide this, everyone probably thinks they’re always happy and ready to make a joke, and if they’re not that then who are they to other people? They’re not sure. They almost forget about Renet focusing on who they might be. Almost. Something in them wonders if what happened on the rooftop really did. They will never know unless she comes back again huh. It’s better that way they suppose, they don’t really want to think about her anymore anyways.