#[ooc] though this *is* one of my favorite things i've written for him so far

[moonshadowed]

@dannsa-dotair​ inquires:  [ DISCUSS ]

’ THINGS DONE WHILE DANCING. ‘ always accepting.

He’s never liked Starfleet functions. He can put up with them for a short while-- a polite smile, a friendly nod here and there, attempting to drone out the idle chatter of the day-- but when it was a days-long event such as this, he often wishes for anything to take him back to the quietude and relative safety of the Enterprise and let him escape his torment.

At least he’s not alone this time. Beverly is here, suffering in this heretofore undiscovered circle of hell with him, and while he always is appreciative of her companionship, he feels all the more thankful for her presence when she grasps him gently by the hand, pulling him upright and toward the dance floor, away from the admirals and their petty gossip. His heart lightens with every step they take. 

Dancing doctor she may be, he finds himself falling comfortably into the rhythm of the steps and the music, one of his hands clasped in hers and the other hand resting on her hip. 

“I’m very grateful for your rescue,” Jean-Luc begins, “though, do I take it you’re just as bored by this as I am?” he inquires, eyebrow raised and a teasing smile playing across his features.

#ic. #answered. #dannsa-dotair #jean-luc picard [muse.] #dynamic [beverly crusher.] #[ooc] he's an actual child honestly #[ooc] though this *is* one of my favorite things i've written for him so far

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for bitching about fics I dislike on my blog?

as a foreword, this is kind of a non-issue and no one's ever told me to stop, but I'm curious what other people think of fandom etiquette.

the fandom: a fairly small one. 2.4k fics on ao3 small. I recognize most people posting in its tumblr tag small. if I tell you the name of the source you'd almost definitely be able to find me small.

the source: pornographic, which means everyone involved is or should be an adult. it's BL with a switch MC, but the fandom overwhelmingly prefers bottom MC/top LIs (love interests), to the point where I've had people be astonishingly rude to me because my favorite character is a bottom LI and some of my friends have been outright harassed for the same. I used to not care about sex positions in the slightest, but now when I see bottom MC fanworks I can't help but remember how poorly I was treated.

the fics: wildly and inexplicably popular, even though they are, frankly, poorly written. it's eternal bottom MC turned up to 11, complete with copious amounts of OOCness in order to turn every ship into the worst ye olde yaoi gender roles dynamic you can imagine. it's things like MC, canonically a 23yo plank of a dudeguy, being written as a big titted milf in his 40s (which is made more confusing by the fact that one of the LIs is already a big titted milf). it's also things like the MC being written as disliking sex and having to be coerced into it when one of the most charming things about him is that he's a hilarious sex pest, or writing the LIs sexually harassing the MC when they really would never do that. I've likened it to replacing the characters with OCs that share the same name and my friends have agreed with me. I'm honestly convinced that the author and his readers don't actually like any of the characters if they feel the need to change everyone so thoroughly.

why I might be an asshole: it's assholish to hate on free fanworks, and I've bitched about these fics on my public tumblr blog. the fandom is small enough that there's a non-zero chance of it getting back to the author and a reasonable chance that fans of the fics have seen my bitching. I'm probably projecting the hostility I've received onto someone who's done absolutely nothing to me, and I am absolutely just straight up jealous that their fics get better stats than mine. I may also be being an asshole to myself, because being critical of other people's fics has made my hypercritical of my own.

why I don't think I'm an asshole: I think everyone has the right to be bad at things, but I also think everyone has the right to be a little hater. I don't put the fandom tag on these posts; they stay on my blog and my blog alone, and if later on I feel like I was unfairly vitriolic I'll delete the posts. I only post on tumblr because I'm certain the author in question only uses twitter, which dramatically lowers the odds of him stumbling across my posts. the fics are so popular that it's definitely possible that their fans would see my posts, but I think it's unlikely that they'd bother looking at my blog because 99% of my posts are about one of the bottom LIs. I have never and would never leave comments on the fics themselves, and I generally try to keep the bitchy posts to a minimum; it's far from a constant thing.

tl;dr - I publicly bitch about fics that (in my opinion) are poorly written and extremely OOC, under the assumption that it's unlikely the author would ever see it. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[literallyjustchi]

Akademiya Chronicles

Chapter 1

Hi! My name is Chi, and I am a seasoned writer. :3 I've written a full novel, 20 chapters, and 44k+ words. I'm here to give you quality writing (fanfics and not) that you don't often see here on Tumblr... without all the grammatical errors and simple typos. I hope you enjoy my first chapter ever posted *here!*

tumblr keeps messing up my formatting and IDK WHY, SEND HELP!!!!!

(MC is female, and characters may or may not be OOC. I tried to keep them as in character as I could.)

______________________________________________________________

Kaveh burst through the Akademiya’s library doors dramatically and collapsed at the nearest table, which coincidentally happened to be mine. My fellow classmates gave him a dirty look but went along with their work, most likely used to–or tired of–Kaveh’s antics.

As for me, I was too busy studying for one of the many upcoming exams. It annoyed me how Alhaitham was at the top of the class without studying or trying, and I wanted to be better than him. I knew I was smarter… I just had to put in the work. Ultimately, it would all pay off, and I would get bragging rights.

Kaveh groaned. “I should just drop out. This whole Kshahrewar thing is hard.”

I rolled my eyes, flipping a page in my book. “Keep going. You’ve already spent so much money getting where you are.”

“Easy for you to say, miss perfect grades. At least you aren’t as dreadful as Alhaitham.”

“Please stop enunciating your words. It’s very annoying.”

He sighed. “I mean, how can someone be as ignorant and… dumb as him? I never knew someone could be as dense and arrogant as him until I met him!”

“Keep your voice down. We’re in a library.” Alhaitham was anything but dumb, but I didn’t feel like arguing.

Kaveh moped. “Nobody understands my woes.”

“I understand, Kaveh.” I just don’t care. Ouch. Is that a little harsh? I closed my book with a defeated sigh. “You wanna go get something to eat for lunch?”

“Together?” He gasped, earning another sharp glare from the others. “Of course! You’re paying, though. Right?”

I put my book into my tote bag and stood up. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

______________________________________________________________

To my luck, Cyno and Tighnari were both at Puspa Café, with Cyno animatedly over-explaining the inner workings of Genius Invokation TCG even though Tighnari already knew all the nitty-gritty details.

Kaveh beamed. “Look, Cy and Ti are here! Let’s go talk to them.”

“I think I’ll pass.” If Alhaitham had one thing right, it would be that socializing was draining. I already finished my quota with the few words I exchanged with Kaveh.

Kaveh linked his arm with mine and dragged me to their table in the far corner next to a window, the sunlight filtering through. “Too bad. You need to get out more–have fun, y’know? Don’t want you to end up like Alhaitham, all moody and gloomy.”

Tighnari set down one of his cards and waved to us. “Look who decided to show up. My second favorite pair.”

“Who’s your first?” Kaveh asked.

Tighnari lowered his voice, “Cyno and Sethos, but you can’t tell them,” he said teasingly.

Cyno grimaced. “Gross. Sethos.”

I stifled a laugh. Cyno, though he’d never admit it, even if you put a musket to his head, had a soft spot for Sethos. It was mildly adorable.

Kaveh plopped on the bench, sitting next to Cyno. I, more gracefully and less rambunctiously, sat next to Tignhari with a small nod of acknowledgment.

Cyno shoved a stack of cards at Kaveh. “You’re playing. Here’s your deck. You know how to play?”

Kaveh took the deck and examined it. “Uh, sorta.”

“Good. Tighnari isn’t that good, so I hope you’re better.”

Tighnari rolled his eyes and slid an iced coffee my way. “I had a feeling you were coming.”

I took the coffee into my hands. I almost always came to the café to de-stress or as a break from my never-ending studies, so it was nice that Tighnari remembered, even though he didn’t often come to this side of Sumeru. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to agree to come with Kaveh.

The boys played a few rounds of TCG, with Kaveh losing to both of them. Tighnari had no idea what he was doing, but he was doing it better than Kaveh. It was funny to watch Cyno oneshot all of Kaveh’s active characters in one fell swoop, and Tighnari accidentally wiping out Kaveh’s supports and draining him of dice.

Tighnari leaned over to me and whispered while the others were too focused on their game to pay attention, “Don’t make this obvious, but Alhaitham just walked in.”

I nonchalantly looked toward the direction of the entrance. There he was, in all his glory. And sweat? Archons, save me.

It got much, much worse because Sethos was with him. Of course, Sethos was with him. He just had to be. This day couldn’t possibly get any better.

I winced, whispering back, “You didn’t tell him you and Cyno were here?”

“I didn’t know Kaveh was coming. Just you,” he replied.

“Well, what do we do?” “Reap what we sow, I guess. What is there to even do?”

“Prepare your shield of indifference and act like you saw or heard nothing.”

“Acting oblivious has never worked…”

“Today it will. Hopefully. Just act normal.”

Sethos was the first to spot us, his gigantic, shining smile vanishing like a smoldered flame once he saw Cyno. I averted my gaze and pretended I saw nothing.

My plan didn’t work because he and Alhaitham immediately made his way towards our table. Cyno and Sethos’s eyes locked in a fierce gaze, and I could’ve sworn that the pair wouldn’t pounce at each other like rishboland tigers if it weren’t for the fact that they had a crowd. I didn’t dare to look at Alhaitham, but I could see Kaveh scowl from the corner of my eye as I looked down at my lap.

After a long, awkward pause of silence, Tighnari spoke, “Hey, guys. Would you like to join us?” Kaveh and Cyno both muttered a “no,” while Alhaitham and Sethos said “sure.” It was almost comedic.

Sadly, Alhaitham was a freaking sadist because he sat next to me, leaving the only spot left for Sethos with Cyno and Kaveh. There was not a single doubt in my mind that he did that on purpose. The benches were supposed to only seat two people, but they could take three. It was a little cramped as Alhaitham’s thigh brushed against mine, and his hand would’ve done the same if it wasn’t wrapped around my coffee cup.

Definitely on purpose. And I hated that he pretended like nothing was happening.

Cyno pushed a deck into Sethos’s hands. “Join us.”

Sethos took the deck, looking at it like a challenge. Because it was.

Then, Cyno gave another to Alhaitham. “You can join, too, if you want. I think you’re a good player.”

Yeah, he was a good player.

Alhaitham took the deck. “Thanks. I’ll play.”

Cyno looked at me. I shook my head, and he shrugged. “You play really well, too. You could probably beat Al if you tried.”

I narrowed my eyes. He was definitely trying to egg me on, and I wasn’t going to take the bait. It was obvious bait–only an idiot would fall for it.

Alhaitham scoffed. “She couldn’t beat me if she tried.”

I snatched the spare deck from Cyno’s hands. “I’m in.”

Tighnari shook his head. “Here we go again…”

#genshin x reader #genshin #genshin impact #fanfic #genshin fanfic #alhaitham #kaveh #tighnari #genshin cyno #cyno #al haitam x reader #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham x female reader #alhaitham x oc #i dont know #how to use tumblr #first post #hope you enjoy #enjoy #random tags

[the-oc-lass]

Cody Day 2024

So APPARENTLY it's Cody day and I just missed that, but if you think I'm going to skip out on an opportunity to write about one of my favorite little clone guys, you'd be SORELY mistaken.

I'd love to draw him too but there's like 6 hours left in the day and I have other things to do, like eat and shower and homework.

ANYWAY, those of you who know me know that I'm the OC lady and for that reason, I'm going to write a little drabbly thing about Cody and my OC, who is like an adoptive mom to him and many other clones (see this post if you want to learn more about her). If you aren't interested in ocs, feel free to skip, the drabbly thing will be under the cut. Oh and also, the clones call her "mum" because Temuera is from New Zealand and that's how they refer to their moms (or, that's at least how my old friend referred to her New Zealander mom). Also, no idea if it's ooc, it's been a while since I watched anything with Cody in it.

Anyway, happy Cody day to all, now enjoy the first bit of Star Wars content I've written in months. Btw @langsnscraps since you've been asking for SW content for a while.

It's late in the night cycle. So late that The Negotiator is practically silent. His general and most of his brothers are blissfully asleep in their barracks, but Cody can't bring himself to do the same. He can't sleep yet. There's a cup of caf nearby, though he can't remember when he got it or if he finished its contents. Doesn't matter. He's too focused on the work in front of him, ignoring the insistent tug from his eyelids. When he hears something behind him—the door opening followed by footsteps, he quickly realizes—his hand jumps to his blaster and he whips around, ready to draw it if he needs to. But as quickly as his fight reaction was triggered, it's soothed. Onteile Tiax is standing a few feet away, a calm expression on her face even as she holds up her hands. He exhales, hand falling back to his side.

"Sorry, mum," he mutters. She lowers her hands as well, folding them in front of her as she tilts her head.

"It's alright, Cody. I should know better than to creep up behind you," she says. He frowns slightly at her.

"I could've hurt you." The calm expression shifts to one of soft amusement, and she raises her eyebrow slightly. Alright, that's probably not true. He sighs and turns away from her, looking back at the holotable in front of him. He can hear her moving again, and she eventually appears at his side.

"Can you not sleep, Cody?" she asks, voice gentle and concerned. He shakes his head and looks down at his data pad.

"I just have a few things I need to do," he mutters. Her gaze weighs on him, but he resolutely keeps his eyes on the information in front of him.

"I worry for you," she says suddenly. He lifts his head to look at her, met with a look of apprehension. She lifts a hand, gently cupping his face. "You put far too much on yourself. I just want to make sure you're alright." He leans into the affectionate touch, just a bit, and offers what he hopes is a comforting smile.

"I'm fine, mum," he says. Bright eyes inspect him carefully, and he feels her stroke her thumb across his cheek for a moment before her hand falls away again.

"Would you like some help?" He considers denying her offer, telling her that she should go back to bed, but he admits that company sounds nice. So, he nods, and she smiles softly before picking up a data pad of her own.

~~

When the work is done—or, at least acceptably lessened—she finally convinces him to go to bed. He walks at her side through the empty halls, The Negotiator humming around them. He takes a moment to look at her as they walk. She's not much taller than Cody himself, but the way that she carries herself makes her seem towering and important. She doesn't hold any official military rank, but she looks like she holds a great deal of authority. People respect her most everywhere she goes. Walking at her side always makes him try to stand just a bit straighter, hold himself with more confidence. A small, unspoken of part of him wants to make her proud. They stop outside of her room—because Cody is a gentleman and promised to walk her to her door—and she turns toward him.

"Promise me you'll rest, Cody," she says. He smiles slightly at her.

"I'll do my best, mum." She smiles back at him.

"That's all I ask." She reaches out, and he allows her to tilt his head down slightly so that she can press a warm kiss to his forehead. "I'll see you in a few hours, Cody." When she releases him, he looks her in the eye again, nodding.

"Sleep well, mum." She nods as well, and he steps around her to walk to his own room.

"I love you, Cody." He pauses, looking back at her. "I just wanted to remind you." His chest is filled with warmth at the affectionate look on her face, and he smiles at her again.

"I love you too, mum."

#the clone wars #the clone boys #star wars tcw #sw tcw #tcw #star wars #star wars the clone wars #clones #clone troopers #commander cody #cc 2224 #tcw cody #tcw commander cody #cody day 2224 #Cody day #marshal commander cody #cody day 2024 #original character #star wars oc #oc: onteile tiax #aka CLONE MOM

[rosietrace]

❅ I lied I will send you another cause I miss AzureCarol a little

I HAVEN'T DONE THEM IN SO LONG OMG 😭 MY HEART

Snowed in

(Central) Characters Featured: Azure Ekoms, Carol Ann

↳ { Carol belongs to @/fumikoyasaki }

Others mentioned/featured: Sumeragi Yuuta

Pairing: Azure Ekoms & Carol Ann

Event: Valentine's Day 2024 💌

↳ Type: Requested Oneshot! 「 ❅ — Muse cuddling up to my muse on the couch 」

Synopsis: With RSA being completely snowed in, Carol had little choice but to stay a little while longer.

Warning(s): Potentially ooc, Yuuta mentions, YuuRen is implied but Miren isn't properly mentioned by name, this plotline probably doesn't make much sense but shhh enjoy the fluff, written before Azure's profile revamp

[ Apologies for any out of character moments ]

[ Reblogs > Likes ]

†•°•══════ஓ๑「📚」๑ஓ══════•°•†

Carol huffed in silent frustration, sitting down on the couch situated in Azure’s dorm room.

“You’re in a rather sour mood,” Azure sat beside her, not looking up from his book. “Then again, I can't exactly blame you.”

“Being snowed in isn't an ideal situation.”

Carol sighed. “Yes… I can only hope Yuuta doesn't cause too much of a ruckus back at Ramshackle.”

Azure hummed, his arm wrapping around her shoulder to bring her closer to his side.

“I'm sure Yuuta won't make too much of a fuss.”

“You're too kind when it comes to saying things like that.”

“I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Azure cracked a small smile, the edges of his lips quirking upwards. “He's nice.”

“When he wants to be,” Carol clarified. “Yuuta's nice when he wants to be.”

“True.”

Azure couldn't deny that fact. Plus, Carol knew Yuuta for longer than he had. It wasn't like he knew the Machiavellian man that well, though.

Carol looked over to the contents of the page Azure was currently reading, tilting her head in intrigue. “New book?”

“Mhm,” Azure nodded, pushing his glasses up. “It's an Author paperback copy, since… Well, I wrote it. I'm just reading it to spot any mistakes.”

Carol smiled slightly. “Could I read with you?”

He could only chuckle, pressing a kiss to the center of her forehead. “Of course,” Azure agreed, going back to the very beginning of the book to reread it.

Carol's eyebrows raised in both surprise and slight guilt. “Oh-” she cleared her throat. “You… Didn't need to do that.”

“Well, too bad, Miss Ann,” Azure was filled with amusement, using the top of his pointer finger to push up Carol's glasses, this time around.

Soon after, he looked down at her with a soft, reassuring look. “Besides, I don't quite mind.”

“You don't?”

“Of course not. Why would I?”

“Well,” Carol paused, drawing in a breath. “You were quite far into the book before I asked to read with you. At most, you were ⅓ of it.”

“And?” Azure arched a brow at her, not really seeing what point she was trying to make.

Not wanting to argue over something so petty, Carol drew out her breath, leaning against him.

She smiled to herself as Azure pulled her somewhat closer, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“Forget what I said.”

•📚°─────────°📚•

“You're quite the observant one, My Dear.”

Carol stifled a laugh, feeling teasingly skeptical whilst looking up at him. It wasn't like she did much, only pointing out several writing errors and plot holes in the book one after the other.

Well- It wasn't much to her, but to him? It meant a lot.

Frankly, Azure felt himself falling in love with her all over again. Knowing her, she'd ask why, but Azure was always much softer, much gentler than Carol; Someone who was both things, but knew when to be stern when need be.

“I don't think I've accomplished much,” Carol mumbled in reply. “As much as I hate to admit it, I believe Yuuta's more observant than me.”

“Oh?” Azure felt a story coming along. One he'd happily listen to from the lips of his girlfriend.

Settling herself in for a moment, Carol began. “Well… He's quite attentive. He notices when I'm feeling particularly stressed, has my favorite food memorized so that he could make it for me while I was sick, and…”

Azure waited patiently, but couldn't resist chiming in with: “And?”

Carol chuckled. “And, he somehow always knows when someone's in the botanical garden. Quite odd, that man is.”

“Perhaps. Is he still seeing that other guy?”

“Oh, very much so. Yuuta likes teasing him, but they're quick to forgive once they're given some concoction involving a lot of spices.”

“Huh,” Azure tried to imagine Yuuta in a scenario like that, but couldn't find himself to properly grasp that idea. “How… Interesting.”

“He gets more interesting the more I learn about him.”

A light scoff fell from Carol's lips. “If by interesting, it's likely you mean discomforting…”

“... But yes,” she allowed some semblance of herself to properly admit it. “I suppose he is, in your words, ‘interesting’.”

“He did bring us together, after all, My Dear.”

“In his own way, at least,” Azure placed his bookmark on the page they were currently on, setting the book down on his lap.

Carol wondered what he was up to, her gaze flickering between his eyes and the book he just put down. What was he up to, she must've thought.

Fortunately, Carol got her answer rather quickly; As Azure cradled her face in his hand, pressing a quick, yet gentle kiss against her forehead again.

Then her nose.

Then, inevitably, her lips. Carol was almost impressed that Azure had enough confidence built into his system to do such a thing.

But she didn't fight it. Hell, she embraced it, letting herself be brought into his arms and smiling softly once her head was on the crook of his neck.

Azure’s soft smile widened a little. He picked up his book and continued where he left off.

Only this time, not long before he reached the book's climax — Carol had rested her eyes, snuggling against the crook of his neck.

Azure looked down at her, carefully taking off her glasses. “You deserve a nap, my dear,” he whispered to her. She wasn't going to hear him, naturally, but some part of him hoped she somehow did.

He gave her one last kiss on the forehead right as he was about to continue — and eventually conclude — reading.

†•°•══════ஓ๑「📚」๑ஓ══════•°•†

Taglist

—

Written for

@fumikomiyasaki

—

🥥

@starry-night-rose || @jasdiary || @authoruio || @nem0-nee || @sakuramidnight15

—

「 Etteilla ♢」

@geminiiviolets || @hallowed-delights / @terrovaniadorm || @twsted-princess || @absolutelyobsessedkiya / @twistedsongstressofstarz || @mystery-skulls-ghost || @abyss-wonderer

#twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #mutuals <3 #twst ocs #azure ekoms #carol ann #oc x oc #oc asks! #mutuals oc #mutuals' ocs #friends' ocs #asks! #twst #disney twst #ツイステ #ツイステッドワンダーランド #twisted wonderland #twistedwonderland #[2024] rosie valentines day ❣️

[those70scomics]

As requested by @hydesjackiespuddinpop

Tell Me About Your OTP

I've written a lot of metas about Jackie and Hyde over the years (a sampling):

And many more that can be found here (on my meta master list page).

I'm a firm believer that canon stems from character consistency as well as growth and change that is grounded (or set up) properly in storytelling. Writers for a show can and will force characters to act against their long-established natures to fit a plot idea, and T7S unfortunately does this a lot with J/H in particular during the last part of S5, beginning of S6, and too much of S7.

I can't and don't consider canon the choices, actions, and feelings that inherently and significantly contradict previous years of consistent character building -- not without a carefully written storyline that substantiates those changes from the core of the characters. Just because people who write for the show put out-of-character episodes or scenes onscreen doesn't make that writing canon.

If X character is firmly established as someone who would never do Y, but that character does Y onscreen because a show writer decided to make it so ... that's bad writing and breaks the fictional dream. In novels, an editor would (hopefully 😅) catch such an error and tell the author to revise.

I've seen plenty of non-canonical writing disrupt or even wreck otherwise consistently (well-) written shows. It's frustrating.

I've made a few comics where the T7S characters react to the OOC actions their show counterparts were forced into. Those were fun. ☺️

I've also read plenty of T7S fanfic where the authors write the characters in a far more canonical way than the T7S writers eventually did.

What we see onscreen doesn't automatically make a plotline or character development canon. Story elements must not break the fictional dream. If they do in an episode (or season) that airs on TV (or streaming service), then it's a non-canonical episode as far as I'm concerned, and I dismiss it; otherwise the internal cohesion of the fictional universe unravels. Only by embracing cognitive dissonance and not engaging in critical thinking can one accept all the contradictions as being canon.

#that 70s show #that '70s show #steven hyde #jackie burkhart #jackie x hyde #my meta #my essay #meta #essay

[weakforarwen]

More fic recs! I have to share them before I forget what I read. Arwen fics are usually so short that I can read many of them in half an hour...

A Time of Joy by Nebula5030: This is a baby fic, but it's very cute! It has Gwen and Merlin plotting together, an oblivious and stressed out father-to-be Arthur, Arwen (they're very cute but honestly not super prominent), uncle Elyan!, and the other Knights as well. It's very well-written, with great characterization.

say it first by sadpendragon: I don't read a lot of modern day Arwen fics but I liked this one. Gwen was a bit OOC (on purpose, I believe), but modern day Gwen would probably be like this Gwen anyway. I liked that Arthur was aware of how shitty Uther was and chose to free himself from his father's influence.

The Rising Sun by AliveandMel: Another modern day fic. As it often seems to be the case, Arthur's characterization was better and more accurate than Gwen's imo. I think fic Gwen is usually more aloof and assertive than real Gwen, specifically in her relationship with Arthur. But the story's very sweet from Arthur's pov.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by 1917farmgirl: Gwen isn't even in this story though her and Arthur are mentioned in the beginning. It's kind of a dark fic and it's just Merthur (platonic). I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it was interesting, engaging, and well-written.

What the Heart Wants by 1917farmgirl: By the same author, baby fic, interesting to read, well-written, Merthur-centric, again not sure how I feel about Merlin's characterization, Gwen appears in the beginning, I liked Gwen, Arthur, and Arwen's characterizations.

Please Believe That I Speak True by Moonflower999: I branched out with this one. There's only a trace amount of post-5.09 Arwen (but it was very much appreciated), a good scene between Gaius and Merlin (spot-on characterization) - the rest was Merlin and Mordred. I liked that Merlin was a bit angry Arthur forgot about him after Gwen was freed from Morgana, and that he felt torn between just being happy that he helped his friends and wishing for acknowledgement of some kind - and also torn between wanting to trust Mordred and thinking he shouldn't. I think Mordred's characterization was pretty good and I liked that he was given a chance to change his fate; I liked that Merlin decided to trust Mordred. Honestly, Mordred and Merlin had many similarities and an interesting dynamic that the show did very little with (some of the most interesting parts of season 5 were Mordred, Mordred and Merlin, and Mordred and Morgana - but, unsurprisingly, the writers fucked it up). Merlin and Mordred had good chemistry, some good scenes together, and Mordred clearly admired Merlin a lot, so it wasn't a stretch to imagine he could've felt more for him. The romance in this fic happened a bit too abruptly but it was very well-done, in a way that felt truthful to both Merlin and Mordred. I enjoyed this fic a lot. It was one of the best and most memorable Merlin (the series) fics I've read so far. I wouldn't mind reading more fics like this. I don't care for Merthur-centric fics, but maybe fics with Merlin and Mordred, Gwaine, or Lancelot could be interesting.

The Queen and the Frog by writerwriting: This was the craziest yet most brilliant fic I never expected to read, my second favorite after the previous one. It's crack but so well-done and thought-out it could almost be canon. I loved Merlin's characterization, loved the humor and genius of the plot, loved Gwen's characterization though it was crack in many places, loved Gaius's characterization, loved Gwen and Merlin's friendship, loved the more serious ending and how the writer chose to make a statement that wrapped things up so beautifully and made the whole fic feel even more like it should've been canon.

Naming Contest by silence_since_silence: Super short but cute and sweet. Just read it. It'll only take a second.

A Golden End by tailysnaily: Uncle Merlin... that's it. I don't know how I ended up reading so many Arwen baby fics, but, yeah, this was cute and super short.

Please by BlackMamba: Just well-written Arwen smut, that's all.

There's a lot more Merlin than Arwen on these fics, but I still enjoyed them and wanted to rec them. I think my recs are pretty diverse this time so there's probably something in here for everyone. Maybe the Mordred/Merlin fic isn't for everyone, but please read The Queen and the Frog at least!, and A Time of Joy.

Dunno if these fics are massively popular and everyone's already read them, but I'm sure I'm not the only newbie to Merlin.

#bbc merlin #merlin #bbc arwen #arwen #arthur pendragon #gwen pendragon #guinevere pendragon #mordred #fic rec #recs

[chocoenvy]

From Dawn to Dusk

An order for the 900+ Follower event

Order for @xyliope !

They ordered a popsicle (drabble) with a standard envy flavor (soft/regular sagau) with an added syrup with a flowery aroma (flower tag). They sent Diluc the same thing from regular reader.

*~Synopsis: You run away to Dawn Winery for a moment of peace and Diluc ends up joining you.

*~Notes: HI ILY/P XYLI I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS!! I've never written for Diluc so sorry if it's ooc or bad. Either way, I hope this is too your liking <3!

*~Warnings: Fluff, could be interpreted as romantic or platonic Diluc x reader

The roof of Dawn Winery was the last place Diluc would've looked for you. But when Amber from the Knights of Favonius had frantically ran for the winery, informing him that you were nowhere to be found, lo and behold there you were. On the roof, looking down upon those that passed with a small smile and your legs dangling off the side. A few stray birds nestled on your shoulders (Diluc believed you had his falcon resting on your arm), and a few flowers tucked into your hair.

You soon noticed they were staring at you and you grinned, waving down at them.

Diluc sighed as you swung your feet in glee, “I’ll go and retrieve them. They’ll be safe here, thank you, Amber.”

“Of course,” She nodded with a kind smile, “I’ll tell the knights that their grace is safe and at the winery. Thank you, Diluc.” She waved and ran off.

Diluc waved after her and briskly made his way onto the roof.

“Nice of you to join me Diluc,” You giggled, his falcon leaving you and fluttering onto Diluc’s arm.

“Your grace,” He muttered, sitting next to you, his legs dangling over the edge of the building. He held onto your arm gently, and you could feel the worry behind the gesture, “Please, get down. I don’t want you to injure yourself.” His lips tugged down into a worried frown as his grip tightened ever so slightly, yet the care behind his actions didn’t diminish.

You giggled, “It’s not even that far up, I’ll be fine.” You waved your hand dismissively with a cute smile.

Diluc huffed, slightly annoyed, but he couldn’t hide the slight blush on his cheeks, “If you get hurt while under my care-”

“I love you Diluc but please shut up,” You pointed up at the sky, slowly dimming down into a darker color, “Watch the stars with me.”

He blinked, an odd mix of emotions bubbling in his chest. It was always with you that you’d cause him to feel this way, his beloved god.

He patted you on the head, “Sure, your grace.” He smiled softly, and held onto you. As though afraid you would somehow fall off, “By the way, why’d you come up here of all places?”

You sighed contently and placed the little bird resting on your hand on your shoulder, where it nuzzled into your neck. You smiled fondly and leaned against Diluc’s shoulder, “I just… love the music here.” You said softly.

Diluc blinked, puzzled, while you gazed at the stars, “...the music?”

You nodded, humming, “Mm-hm, it’s hard to explain but the music here at Dawn Winery is one of my favorites in all of Teyvat. It just… feels like home.” Your voice was wistful, almost a whisper, as though you were remaining as quiet as possible to not interrupt the “music”.

Diluc opened his mouth to respond but the whispers of a tune brushed past his ears. The sun setting with the delightful whispers of a tune so familiar and yet so alien. So many emotions swirled in his chest and, once again, it was all because of you.

Flowers bloomed in his chest and in his hair, decorating him beautifully. The world went hush as you hummed along to the music at the winery, and no matter how many emotions Diluc felt in the moment the only thing he knew was that he finally felt at peace.

#sagau #Choco event orders #genshin cult au #genshin self aware #cult genshin au #genshin sagau #Diluc #diluc fluff #diluc x reader #i can't believe i've finally written for diluc #the baby filter man-

[addictedtostorytelling]

Personally, there's one subject I never "visit" in my head pertaining to GSR, and that's their divorce. I've always felt it was OOC and it was the one time TPTB screwed up. I've read you essay rationalizing it, and you've done a brilliant job, the best take on it I've read. I'd love to know- have you personally "accepted" it, eg do you believe that now that we've had (hopefully perpetual) happy ending for them, did divorce have a place to be at the time that it happened? Thanks very much!

hi, anon!

oh, god, not even a little have i accepted the divorce!

never will i.

it is by far my least favorite storyline of any on the whole show (and probably even of any of the shows i’ve ever watched), and episode 13x15 “forget me not” is, imo, one of the worst hours of television ever written—just a tire fire of a script.

though i’ve penned a rationalization of the divorce that begrudgingly tries to make sense of the canon, i will never believe it was the right move for the writers to have made and don’t think that my rationalization really works if we truly take into account how the characters actually would function, were they not being wielded by morons incorrectly.

grissom and sara, whose whole mo is “i literally cannot stay away from this person for long, even when i actively try to, as my love draws me to him/her like a super magnet and consistently, inevitably has done so for 15+ years now,” would never under any circumstances have chosen to live on separate continents from each other to begin with, so the entire premise for the divorce is a flawed one from the get-go.

the divorce was ooc, it was lazy, it was a bad-faith storytelling action, it was a poorly executed maneuver even for what it was trying to be, it was cruel to the fans, it was senseless for the characters, it was retrogressive for their developments, it was thematically indefensible given their histories*, it was narratively unnecessary, and ultimately it proved absolutely pointless since nothing about sara’s characterization or usage changed in its wake and it was eventually “undone” by the events of the original series finale anyway—to the point that the writers of the reboot could and did all but retcon it out of existence in csi: vegas s1.

* how could tptb possibly think it was okay, given sara’s backstory, to have the one person who had ever consistently loved her and who had become her touchstone and family and home abandon/reject her? how could they take away her happy ending that way and just act like it was nothing or even like it was fine for her? and especially when it would have been so easy for them simply not to do so? had they not been able to reverse the decision later on in “immortality” (i.e., had sara actually finished out the show alone, never having reconciled with grissom), the final message of her storyline would have been, “the girl who grew up believing that no one who fully knew her would ever love her forever and/or choose to stick around for her when things got hard was ultimately right to think that way,” which is just an egregiously shitty through-line; utterly cynical and mean.

* and don’t even get me started on why the divorce was thematically unforgiveable on grissom’s side of things, too. 

while there are many other reasons why i disdain the later seasons of the original csi, as well—personally, i think tptb screwed up a lot during those days—the divorce is one of the biggest reasons why i do.

not only did it not need to happen, but it should never have happened at all.

in my personal headcanon, i completely ignore it.

it is not a part of my mental schema for these characters at all.

and in fact, i go as far as to reject basically anything that happens from episode 09x10 “one to go” on—or even prior to sara leaving vegas in s8, if i’m honest.

so while some fans have come to accept the divorce, i can’t and won’t. given how i understand these characters and the beats and themes of their story, it just doesn’t make sense to me. there’s nothing good about it. nothing justified. nothing that rings even a little bit true.

i’m more than happy to pretend the whole shitshow of a story arc never happened at all.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

#answered #anon #asks: csi #** #my meta #meta: csi #meta: production #later seasons #season thirteen #let's talk shop #csiverse

[egg-emperor]

Do you have a favourite Eggman? From voice, personality, media? And any type of Eggman you're not keen on? Or, do you just love the evil scientist regardless?

I'm actually rather picky when it comes to my Eggman/Robotnik versions and have a very refined taste because I've always believed that there should be a specific criteria in design, personality, portrayal, tone, etc, regardless of the redesign/universe/media, otherwise it just doesn't look and feel like him to me and sometimes it strays so far that it might as well be an entirely separate character and series. There are versions of Eggman/Robotnik that feel that way and they lack what made me like him in the first place, taking away the appeal.

I love modern Eggman most, he's always been my absolute favorite and always will be! He's endlessly entertaining with his thrilling (but unfortunately often downplayed) evil, his underappreciated plans and creations, both his badass and funny memorable moments, his charming voices from Deem Bristow and Mike Pollock (they're tied as my favorite voice for him), his absolutely GORGEOUS design, and more. He always steals the show, has all the best moments in the best games and makes even the worst games worth my time for him. I feel he's the most consistently well written and interesting character in the series and I feel very lucky.

I feel the same way about classic Eggman because he's the exact same guy and version, just with a different look. He has the same personality, a different but still very cute design that only makes the great evil he's capable of even more impressive and impactful, and his creations and plans are just as great as modern's. He has a special place above all others in my heart too. My first game was Heroes so I saw modern first but I got the Mega Collection shortly after, so I got to fall in love with him across both versions at the same time.

06 Eggman isn't really a separate version from classic/modern, he's just a different variant of modern but I think there are enough differences to separate him for the list. Anyway, I think he's overhated. His golden nipple caps on his jacket are hilarious but his design isn't that bad. I'd make a few alterations and it obviously doesn't beat modern and classic's but it was fine for a one off. His blue eyes are the best part and I wish they'd show them again. I don't like how his humor and fun energy was played down for the tone of the plot but he still had a few moments of fun. It's unfortunate that he didn't get to do much in the levels and story, though.

I like him in the X show for the most part, he was evil, funny, and entertaining. Except for when he got awfully OOC in season 3 for no reason and contradicted his own actions even in the very show like a hypocrite and yet it gave people the wrong view of him and his evil, that's my biggest criticism. But other than that, I personally have a blast rewatching X to this day. I watched it back when it was still airing and I was getting in the games, so nostalgia and it being a part of what helped me fall in love with his character helps make him one of my favorite versions.

The X comics really bad though because they're not canon to the show, don't have the same writers, and the characters are OOC- even for their different versions in the X universe. Eggman's characterization was much worse there than the show Imo, there are few parts story wise that I like at all. The only good thing to come out of it was the good (non traced stuff because that was a huge problem in them) Eggman art and his outfits. And while I like going back to admire it to this day, it's not enough to forgive the bad writing portrayal.

I liked a good amount of Archie Eggman, in much later issues of the pre reboot and and the post reboot specifically. I didn't think I'd miss Archie much when it ended and we got IDW but now I miss that later Archie Eggman. It makes me wonder what the hell happened with Flynn's Eggman writing and interpretation (Sega and mandates are not the ones to put all the blame on because he has misinterpreted scenes in the games by himself) because there's actually quite a lot of scenes in Archie that I thought were fantastic. His evil was thrilling, I loved his darkest moments and he had his funny moments too. I miss him... :')

Boom Eggman isn't my favorite but he's one of the most acceptable to me as one that differentiates from my Eggman criteria. He's not as much of my thing for just being humorous without as much evil because the balance is what I like about classic/modern. I'm also usually not for redesigns slimming him down but he's at least one of the designs closer in other aspects of classic/modern's designs. He's also entertaining and funny but there wasn't much of my interest story wise. Overall, he's good in my book but lacks a bunch of what makes classic/modern best to me. He isn't much different portrayal wise from the show in the Boom comics but his design worked better there than 3D.

I'm aware of all the manga series but it's hard for me to have a solid opinion on any of their portrayals of Eggman when there's no easy way to find any of them with every part translated in one place and some haven't been at all and are super rare. I've only seen bits and pieces of them all over the years out of order and I question the accuracy of the translations at times on some of the sites I've visited. I've seen good pages and bad pages of some in terms of writing and art. The best of what I've seen of all the mangas (I've seen at least a bit of them all) are the Shogakukan and Dengeki Eggman though, for being closest to game self in terms of art style, once again XD

There are versions I don't care for as much, such as AoStH Robotnik. I know it's popular but I'm not big on the unusual design, mostly because of his head and black and red eyes. Some of the comedy was legendary and it's awesome that he was voiced by Long John Baldry but the version isn't what I look for in a version of Eggman/Robotnik. It's been a long time since I last watched it and I don't feel a particular drive to see it again. But going back to certain scenes every now and then can be entertaining and funny and good memes came out of it.

I don't like Fleetway Robotnik, he failed to interest me in the first place and I forgot most of it as a result but I have no interest in returning to it. The writing wasn't interesting to me, the common art style in that comic was also super unappealing. There's a pattern of me not enjoying versions that feel so detached from the games to the point it could be a different character. I know they're supposed to be different universes and non canon but it can get to a point where everything that captures my interest is gone.

I dislike IDW Eggman's portrayal because in the early days post Tinker, it seemed he was going to be a great threat taken seriously and had some really cool moments, but then they had to make him OOC for plot convenience and have been making a total joke of and treating him as insignificant since. It's unfortunate that I can't like it as a whole because of what they did as there are still moments I've absolutely loved but he has to weirdly stray so far from his game self, despite the way these non canon comics are supposed to take place after the games. (It's due to Flynn's blatant misunderstanding of game canon Eggman's actions)

I'm not a fan of SatAM, I haven't watched it in years but it's not my idea of how I want an Eggman/Robotnik to be portrayed. He feels way too different again, he's more of a generic evil villain and that fails to interest me when classic/modern Eggman is so refreshingly different from your typical villain with his cartoony design and perfect balance of both fucked up evil humor and humor. Just making him only one or the other of evil and funny takes away the appeal for me. I'm also not a fan of his design with the odd shaped head again and red and black eyes, also the way he's a cyborg. I'm really glad that isn't the case for classic/modern.

I don't like Underground show as a whole, it was boring to me and now I also have uncomfortable real life memories associated with it which isn't to blame for it but it's why I'm never going to revisit it to possibly change my mind. (Though I really don't think I would anyway.) I don't remember liking that Robotnik or any character and story, it just wasn't for me. I still don't like the design and personality as he lacks what appeals to me in classic/modern.

I dislike movie Robotnik because he just feels like typical jim carrey to me in both acting and looks, he might as well be a different character to me. I don't like the design choices made, regardless of how he ends up looking in the end. They recognize aspects of game Eggman like his egotism, yet don't portray it in a way that actually feels like him. I can only see jim carrey even in the second movie, I don't like how it seems they shaped the version around carrey instead of making him feel closer to the character he's supposed to be playing.

I don't like anything inspired by the Sonic bible, the kintobor concept is lame and not a single one of the official designs for it looked good. The skinny = good and fat = evil thing is awful. The idea of him literally fusing with an egg too and only being evil because of it, instead of by choice like he canonically is... wtf. It's bad and wrong and I'm very glad it isn't canon, it would be a terrible origin story and I don't know what SoA were thinking, it doesn't seem like anything close to what SoJ would envision.

Those are all the versions I can think of right now. So yeah, it's pretty clear that if they're not very close to his game self in design and personality, I don't like much. I understand they're non canon entirely separate universes but I can't say I'm a fan of when they feel drastically different from the source material. And since the games are the main media of the video game series, it makes sense for me to see it as the definitive version and not to find the ones that differentiate from the source material as appealing.

There are versions I don't like, some where there are things I like and dislike about them, and some I don't care for much. But I love absolutely everything about classic/modern game canon Eggman, he'll always be the best and my absolute favorite! 💜

#asks #dr eggman #eggman #dr robotnik #dr. eggman #opinion #my post

[imaginationstudios8]

Hi! I saw your TAWOG reblog and I was wondering, can you recommend any GOOD TAWOG fics? I've been scouting AO3 and FF.net and so far I could only find 1 (one! - its name is Take Five by giolato on AO3) that was in-character and was actually believable for the TAWOG universe. Anything else I've found so far is either very OOC, very badly written or just straight up porn. I'm okay with any genre (except for smut)

Ah yes fanfics. Alright, here’s some of my favorites.

The Heroes on Fanfiction.net: It’s about Rob using this powerful stone that whoever touches it will gain superpowers for well, evil. Gumball, Darwin, and Anais all end up touching it as well and gain their own powers, so with the help of a few of their friends such as Penny or Bobert, they try to stop Rob and get the stone out of his hands. It’s a fun read, and pretty funny, if not show accurate.

The Loop on Fanfiction.net: I’m sure you may have heard of this one before, as it’s one of THE most popular Gumball fanfics. It’s about Gumball being stuck in a time loop on one of his worst days, and having to figure out a way to get out of it. It’s very good with its emotions and storytelling. Though it is 22 or more chapters, it’s a pretty long read if you go through the whole thing.

The Gift on Wattpad: I dunno if you use Wattpad, but there’s a wonderful story titled The Gift. It’s about Gumball who has inherited Nicole’s abilities, and him and his mom connecting with each other, with him feeling anxious about such abilities, and her trying to help him. It’s very well written and has wonderful emotional scenes in my opinion. Oh and heads up, it does have meta jokes and refers to real life places and whatnot. But it’s very good.

The Old Tricks on Fanfiction.net: This one may be a crossover, but it’s very enjoyable. After a bad day, Gumball meets Felix the Cat, and the two become friends, with Felix teaching him the ways of zany cartoon physics, and the two using them to get Darwin out of detention. It’s pretty funny and can be creative with the cartoon jokes it uses, and has some funny humor overall.

Those are a few I can list at the top of my head, at least the good ones I like that aren’t shipping stories lol. But I hope this helps you! ^^

#is8asks #asks #is8fanficsask

[utterlyinevitable]

omg omg okay okay so i FINALLY watched the finale and oh my GOD do i have thoughts.......

first of all that scene with anthony breaking down after he found kate was okay fucking BROKE me like i was genuinely crying too wtf??? and the fact that he hasn't cried since his father died??? that scene..... fuckin phenomenal

also HMMMMMM dont like theo that much anymore the way he's all like 'i knew you were all of them' like its giving very woe is me and my love deserves better.

ALSOO can i just say so far i do NOT ship pen & colin? like every chance he gets he absolutely says he's not interested in her and yeah..... idk how that story will go but so far not really into it.....

speaking of pen..... that pen & eloise scene YIKES!!! i completely understand eloise though i would be hella pissed too omfg really excited to see how their relationship will progress next season!!!

okay okay back to the most important thing--- kanthony!!!! when he called her KATHANI SHARMA i swear i died and went to heaven please theyre so cute???? and the way he's always smiling around her AHHHHH my heart-- also also i LOVE that they dont loose their competitive banter with one another post marriage cause i HATE when couples like that become all super mushy to one another all of a sudden like its so ooc

and lastly HSHSJJA i genuinely tried to buy the book today but currently broke so im saving up to buy it in the coming weeks hdjsks okay bye gonna go rewatch this season all over again! <333

YAY I'M SO GLAD YOU'VE FINISHED!!

Every single time edmund was even hinted at I was in tears. Poor baby anthony. I've been rewatching my favorite episodes this weekend and can i just say that johnny's facial expressions are my favorite?? so nuanced and even more expressive than his words. like the shrug when he says he loves her at the end of his speech and the way his face contorts in that scene where he's crying. and the DEFEAT when she rejects his proposal. the poor man can't catch a break.

I have a feeling Theo was just used as a driver for Eloise to get into politics and find out about Pen's secret. Honestly don't think we'll ever see or hear of him again. I am HOPING that El deserves more than sir phildumb crane. She deserves so much better than a man that treats her like a personal blow up doll and nanny.

Even in their book I did not ship Polin! They're just........... the blandest book of them all tbh. Friends to Lovers is my bread and butter and I was not feeling it. Still not feeling it tbh. Next season Colin best be groveling for his besties forgiveness for being a twat. I absolutely HATE in the book that colin doesn't see pen as anything other than a good friend to his sister and the family. he comes back from greece and she's 26 and lost some weight and he's like 😲 pen's a Woman! then tries to get jiggy with her in a carriage after finding out she's lady w. let us pray the show does them better 🙏

> ok so tumblr deleted all that i've written after this point so lets try again!!!!! <

as for pen and el... i'm already so emotional about season 3 and how frigid el is going to be. and omg.... how is el going to react when she finds out the bestie she isn't speaking with anymore is marrying her BROTHER??????

YES YES YES WHEN HE USED HER BRITH NAME !!!! the only time it was used all season and it was by him in this moment and he's the only one who knoes it and we didn't and it was GREAT. Brilliant. Fantastic. Magnificent. Excellent work, I approve.

I cannot stop thinking about the 'how many fingers' moment and the little mouth thing he does when he changes to 4 fingers. The playfulness between them owns my heart. and the foreshadowing of how many children they have!!!! three and then one surprise.

i love them. i love them i love them i love them.

wishing you a very full wallet 💰💰💰

#askboxed #bridgerton.tv #i am bridgerton trash #sorry for rambling but i need an outlet

[spanishrose2002]

Hi! I've been reading An Innocent Man recently and so far have not reached a half of it. I am absolutely fascinated by the ways you shape characters and build up Caryl's relationship. You re amazing! So this wonderful story makes me want to know what drives/inspires you to write it? And I notice the Daryls in some alternative universes you create(e.g. Backwards Love, As Dixons Do, Keep Me Warm) share some common traits like domestic, considerate, mature and sweet characteristics. I wonder if the role shaping is encouraged by your own understanding of TWD Daryl as well as your imagination in which you feel like Daryl will become such man under different circumstances(when Merle is less like an asshole and love his baby brother more) or other reasons? I ask this just because I am really intrigued by the Daryl you create who is so different from others in their fanfiction:) Hope it is not a weird question.

Firstly, I'd like to say thank you for your message. Secondly, I'd like to say that I'm very flattered that you're enjoying the story so much. As for what inspired me to write the story, it's a bit of a "fix-it" story to a story that I wrote years ago called "Of A Certain Age." At the time, there were some influences in my life that kept me from really doing what I wanted with some of my stories. I have, since then, been really bothered by the stories that just weren't what I had wanted them to be because of that. "An Innocent Man" is my attempt to rewrite and reclaim my story. @faceofboe has really been the person who convinced me to write it, and to reclaim it, and she probably encourages me daily (or nearly daily) to keep going steadily on that one. LOL

I am enjoying, though, the act of redoing something that disappointed me, and I do like feeling like I have that authority back over something that I felt like I lost my authority over in the past. It makes me really want to redo some others. My Daryl is, frankly, who I want him to be. I do not have a great deal of praise for the TWD writers when it comes to being consistent with character writing. I'm always amused when people say fic characters are OOC for any reason because, honestly, characters are all over the place in the show. That being said, I tend to base Daryl on the potential I saw in his character early on in the show. I also tend to base pieces of Daryl's personality (and Merle's) on what I imagine they could be if they were written as three-dimensional characters with the varying life experiences that I give them. We have seen true potential from both Dixon brothers, but I do feel like the show writers are guilty of flattening out their characters sometimes (all the time). I guess that one of the things that I love most about fanfiction is that I get to be in control, and I get to really play with and explore all the possible facets of characters' personalities. I know that everyone sees their favorite characters their way. Some will like my interpretation of the characters and some won't. Ultimately, I guess I'm writing for those that like my interpretation and want to share more universes with me where those characters can experience things together. It’s not a weird question at all.  Thank you for asking!  I hope that I’ve given you at least somewhat satisfactory answer!!

#caryl #caryl fanfic #caryl fanfiction #daryl dixon #carol peletier #my stuff #thanks anon!

[charrfie]

Alright now that its officially Forzen Friday let's try this post again since it didn't show up in the tags last time-

I'M FINALLY MAKING A FORZEN HC DUMP (kinda AU-ish territory but not really idk exactly) AND NONE OF YOU CAN STOP ME

There are also a few other hcs sprinkled in here related to other characters (like Darnold and Sunkist for example) but Forzen is the main focus!! Despite him being a minor character I latched onto him and fleshed him out sm yall have no idea

Everything under the cut bc this shit is gonna be LONG (and there's also some more doodles that take up a bit of space!)

Also uhh if people like this I might take one for another hlvrai character later bc I have a lot to say about everyone!!

Forzen moved from France to the US with his parents when he was around 12 or 13 (yes, I'm aware that Scorpy and Holly are French Canadian and not France French but that doesn't mean Forzen can't be, I'm just being sure to say this now before someone says something to me about it)

He wanted to go to college and eventually become a game dev, but he didn't have the funds or the support for it (his family thought anything to do with games would amount to a career that would go nowhere).

Because of this, he instead was recruited in the US military. He originally had no intent to join, but after constantly being harrassed recommended to join and being entertained with the concept of being able to afford and pay for college, he caved (hence him telling the science team that his only goal is "to graduate").

He doesn't like his job very much if that wasn't clear.

And neither do most others that have the same job like him.

He was put on a "team" of his own, Team Nice, which was likely arranged as a guaranteed way to get Forzen in the way of danger, and with no one else fighting beside him, he would be easily dealt with- no one would have to worry about him bothering them again. However, he somehow manages to survive all of this, of course. Somehow. He likely knows the real reason he was assigned his own team (if you can even call it that), but refuses to fully acknowledge it for his own sanity, and instead pretends that he's some big, important person on a team that ranks so highly, he's the only one qualified to be in it. (I apologize ahead of time for giving one of the most shitposty and throwaway characters in hlvrai this much depth and angst, there was just potential there leave me alone)

Fast forward to the actual events of hlvrai though. This hc is a little outlandish but I really like the concept!!! So, at one point, Forzen is killed, presumably by some kind of creature that was out and about due to the RenCas. The science team + Benrey stumble across him (act 2 part 2 at around 13 min in for anyone curious), and Benrey decides to use the healing beam Sweet Voice on him. While Benrey and Forzen may not be on good terms anymore, Benrey still very begrudgingly cares about him and didn't want to see him get injured or die. Forzen wakes up a minute or so after the science team exits the room, assuming that he just passed out, nothing more, and goes along with things as normal.

He meets Darnold a while after his first (concious) run in with the science team. Darnold has recently dealt with the science team and helped them out, but is pretty bummed that he couldn't travel with them, as everything was far too scary and dangerous for him. Forzen, wanting to escape Black Mesa and the military altogether, ends up making a deal with him that he'll handle all the dangerous stuff if Darnold can show him a way out.

Now, meeting Darnold is a very new experience for him, since Darnold actually enjoys his company, and actually wants to befriend him! At first, Forzen openly tries to act as if Darnold is a huge deal to put up with- he goes along with with the whole "if you're escaping outta this hellhole with me, you better keep up" kinda deal (despite the fact that he kinda NEEDS Darnold to escape and show him the way out). His walls are still very much so raised, and he doesn't let his guard down as he's not used to others caring about him and his safety. But as time passes, he begins to realize that maybe Darnold DOES want to be his friend, and the tough guy act becomes less apparent.

To preface this next one- Sunkist sensed that something was up (he has a next-level sense of danger when it comes to Tommy's safety) and got to BM as fast as he could, searching every hallway for his boy. This is when Forzen finds him!! He figures that taking Sunkist as a hostage would be enough to get extra info out of the team that's been practically plaguing him lately.

Darnold doesn't know about Forzen's plans to take Sunkist hostage, so is completely fine with traveling alongside him. At one point though, Forzen and Darnold get separated (Forzen occupies him, makes sure hes safe and then runs off to deal with Sunkist). Darnold immediately uses his surroundings to model a quick little teleporter device to get Forzen back, because, you know, the man's a genius. Idc if its logical or not just go with it shhh I've gotta fill in the plotholes with something. That's why Forzen disappears all of a sudden after he's cornered by the science team. He just pops back in front of Darnold suddenly, all confused and loopy from the whole teleportation thing.

As things begin to wind down, Darnold and Forzen make it out of BM and start making a break for it, no idea how they'll get away from BM and to safety somewhere- they didnt really think things through.

Fortunately (or unfortunately for Forzen really), however, G-man picks both of them up. He means to drop Darnold off at Tommy's party, as he observed that Darnold helped his son to safety and is grateful for it. Forzen, though, he intends to "deal with" for messing things up so badly with Tommy, Sunkist, and all of Tommy's friends. This is where Darnold finds out about everything Forzen did and frankly gets really pissed with him since he thought he only had good intentions??? Luckily though, Darnold convinces G-man to give him a second chance, let him go to Tommy's party and apologize, and try things again. G-man, for some reasons agrees- probably bc hes in a good mood, as it IS his son's birthday.

The party is pretty uncomfortable to say the least. Tommy's extremely hesitant to talk to Forzen, but he does, and they end up on neutral terms by the end of it. Uneasy, but neutral. Tommy and Darnold hit it off though, and Tommy opens the invitation to Darnold that he can visit his place anytime now that everything at BM is over with.

As everyone's getting ready to leave, Forzen mentions to Darnold that he doesn't have a place to stay, seeing as the entire military was kinda. Yknow. Wiped out. Obviously wouldn't wanna go back to check anyways. And he has no interest in going home to his parents. So Darnold agrees to let him stay with him since they've become good pals over the course of everything.

Over time, Darnold visits Tommy more and more often. He starts bringing Forzen along, which Tommy is iffy of at first, but their dynamic starts to change and become more comfortable once Tommy sees that Forzen isnt interested in being enemies anymore.

Sunkist and Forzen still don't get along for a very long time. Or, well- it's moreso that Sunkist is very wary about Forzen, despite him not doing anything to harm either Sunkist or Tommy.

Oh yeah and almost forgot to mention one of my favorite hcs (that I PROMISE you started out as a joke but then I got attached) is Sunkist can talk!! So his first spoken interaction with Forzen after Forzen comes over to visit for the first time is literally just him being all threatening and laying down the ground rules bc he doesn't want Forzen to hurt Tommy at all in any way. And of course Forzen about has a heart attack bc "HUH??????? THERE'S A DOG THAT IS SPEAKING HUMAN WORDS TO ME"

UHH I HAVE MORE (I've written out so much shit about dynamics and what I'd think would happen even after all of this) BUT I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE TOO LONG like it already is SO I SUPPOSE I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW!!!! I hope this isn't too ooc either, I just have Emotions about this series and write too much so why not share it yknow

#forzen #hlvrai forzen #hlvrai #hc time #PLEASE let this show up in the tags this time i will actually cry if not i spent so long on this

[fansplaining]

Hello! I'm curious to know your opinion. I've been working on this long fic for months. Ever since I started writing there has been a bunch of anon's under different names telling me how to write each chapter. Saying things like "make (A) do this", "(b) needs to do that." "I expect this to happen to (C)" Etc. On one hand I'm grateful for the feedback, after all what writer isn't, but of 10 comments, 9 are like this. I'm starting to feel my writing isn't good enough for my readers.

Hello anon! Elizabeth here. Hooooo boy let me tell you, as I was reading this I went on a **journey**. When I reached “9 out of 10,” I went, “WHAT.” I have a few thoughts, and without knowing the full context (what your story is like, what fandom it’s in, etc etc) some of this might apply and some might not. But I think it’s all generally useful for fic writers and readers to think about.

This actually got pretty long, so I’ll put my thoughts under a cut.

 1) The story vs reader expectations

This is something I think about—and talk about—a lot. Here’s a bit of what I said while discussing what “OOC” actually means a few episodes back: 

Humans act irrationally, and I think that you can write a character acting irrationally well. But to me, that’s not a character acting out of character. That’s a character acting against character, irrationally... I think when we say “out of character” about characters we’re actually saying something different, which is: “Have you done the work to show why the character would respond to this situation X way or Y way?” And if he responds Z way, and you haven’t done any of the work to show why he might do that or any of the consequences if it is truly out of character the way we would say a real human acts out of character—then very often it is bad writing. It is people taking plot ideas and then imposing them over their characters without earning it.

These conversations are a huge part of our discussions about media in recent years—whether writing choices are good, whether they are earned, whether they are “in character,” whether they conform to what we expected. But the last one is where things get really murky—because there are *a lot* of readers and viewers these days who are kind of doing what I’m accusing bad writers of doing in that quote—imposing their expectations over the story without really grasping what’s been set up by the writer(s).

There are a lot of parts to this. We often pinpoint Lost as the place where the modern audience’s inclination to “solve” a show was born, and this has spread throughout viewing/reading cultures over the past two decades. The rise of “spoiler culture” is a huge factor here, too—as if knowing plot points is the only thing of value when viewing or reading a piece of entertainment. My least favorite thing in all of this is TV Tropes and the kind of rewiring of peoples’ brains to *only* look for those concepts (which are often weirdly narrow and reductive, unlike, say, the more categorical tropes of fic or the romance genre). 

Here’s an example: in 2017, Gav and I made our love of Black Sails the centerpiece of our fandom newsletter, The Rec Center, and in the process got a lot of people to watch it. And because we were the ones that inspired them, I had a fair number of people in my mentions/messaging me to give their real-time reactions as they went through the episodes.

While not every single writing choice on Black Sails is flawless, much of it is meticulously done, and so many of the plot points are carefully well-earned. But the things people were guessing would happen next in my mentions...were bonkers. Not everyone! But it was enough people (guessing different things) that I was kind of floored. I would think, If that’s what you think is going to happen next, I feel like you aren’t paying attention to the show? I should clarify that this happened with *a lot* of people, not trying to call anyone in particular out. But so many of the guesses felt like they came from expectations imposed by other media, especially stuff that’s signficantly more formulaic and tropey. 

This instinct—to predict, to vocally desire outcomes, to try and get ahead of the writers, to impose the structures of other media over the thing you’re watching—is *deep* in a lot of viewers’ and readers’ minds these days, and it comes out regardless of the quality of the writing. I think it’s not a great turn of events, to be honest—and it leads writers to make some really foolish choices in an attempt to “trick” viewers with something they never could’ve guessed. Which...generally makes for bad writing overall. 

2) Expectations within your fic

So this is the part where I falter a bit without context. Because some fic writers make it clear that they are posting as they write, and that they’re open to suggestions for plot choices. I assume you haven’t done this, or you wouldn’t be unhappy that people are trying to dictate what comes next. 

I’m curious if you are signalling that you’re...OK? with these kinds of comments by, say, writing nice replies that don’t make it clear that you know where you’re going with the story and you’ve already made choices about what happens next. There’s definitely a way to strike that balance, like a very polite evasion, something like, “Haha, thanks for the comment! I have the whole fic plotted out, so you’ll just have to wait and see!” If you start to signal that you’re in control of the plot, not the commenters, perhaps they’ll chill out a bit—because I gotta be honest, the fact that this is 90% of the comments...is wild to me. And I’m wondering if people are doing it because they see other people doing it. 

Again, total speculation without any actual context. I think that this sort of thing is likely more common in certain fandoms and with certain age groups. Even on AO3, fandom is not a monolith—I wonder if you’ve noticed this with other longfics in your fandom. It might be worth checking out how other writers have handled it, if they’re getting flooded with comments like these. 

I posted a longish fic recently, 75K over the course of three months, and let me tell you, no offense to any of my commenters, but a few of them reminded me of those Black Sails folks: What story are you actually reading?? I politely pushed back with one who asserted a whole bunch of stuff that was not in the story at all and tried to predict what would happen based on what was frankly bad reading comprehension. With others who expressed expectations about where things would go, I went the, “Haha you’ll have to wait and see!” route.

Talking to other people who’ve posted chapter-by-chapter longfics, I know that some of the bad predictions are par for the course: being absolutely certain the trouble in a section won’t be resolved, being convinced that any hint that the ship may not stay together will come to pass, even when, what, 95% of all shippy fic has the characters staying together? There’s a sort of performativity of immediate reactions in fic commenting, “OH NO, OH NO, ARE THEY BREAKING UP?” Like, duh, not forever. But commenting as real-time reaction is clearly the way a lot of readers engage with fic. Which is fine! That’s different from dictating the plot to you. 

3) The commenters vs your story

OK, so conceptually swinging back to the first bit, while my immediate response to, “I'm starting to feel my writing isn't good enough for my readers,” is NO NO NO JUST BECAUSE AN AUDIENCE IS SAYING SOMETHING DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE BAD AND THEY ARE CORRECT. But! I think it might be worth spending a liiiitttle bit of time with them to see what they are saying, and how you think that connects back to what you’ve written. 

When folks came at me with, “I think X will happen next in Black Sails,” I, as a person who’s watched it several times and also professionally deconstructs texts as a critic, can go through and be like, “Here’s why I think that’s a misreading of what you’ve seen so far” (though mostly I would just say things like, “Why try to predict the plot! Just enjoy it!” because I’m trying not to be a dick). Rewatching the show, I can see all the things the writers carefully laid out, and how they pay off eventually. Can I imagine alternate choices for the characters? Sure! But I can see why, with the specific context and stakes in which characters made decisions, the writers had them do what they did. If they made other choices, I’d want that similar sort of work-showing. 

Similarly, when I got the occasional comment like this on the aforementioned fic, I would take it seriously for a moment. Why are they predicting this? Is it possible I haven’t shown my work enough? As I was writing, I thought very carefully about the characters and their motivations and the way certain events shaped their choices, and how changing events would change those choices. Generally, those comments felt, well, unearned: they were more about the reader than about the actual story. 

It helped having a beta who is both smart and scary, and wouldn’t hesitate to tell me if something wasn’t working. A big issue with the “no feedback in fanfic” convo is decontextualized “feedback” from random readers is not really useful! You have people coming from all sorts of backgrounds, all levels of reading comprehension, all sorts of contexts. Everyone can give you their *reaction* to your work, of course, but without that context of critique—the thing you have with a beta/editor, or if you’re in a writing workshop or group—it’s rare that some rando can give you truly useful feedback. 

But! That brings me back to 9 out of 10. I think, with that many people weighing in, it’s worth doing a little bit of serious consideration. Just read back over the story. If you can see ways that you zigged when you were signalling that you were going to zag, then your commenters might have a point. If they’re guessing character X might do Y next, and you’ve planned to have him do Z but actually haven’t done the legwork to make Z seem like a sensible next step, then that might be a fair read. Especially when they say, “I expect X will do Y,” try to figure out to the root of that expectation. Is this about the story, or is it about them? 

Because no audience is some neutral set of readers, and fandom even less so. People might tell you to do something because they hate one character and love another. People might hate your ship and for some reason are choosing to read it anyway. People have a million different contexts they bring to reading a work and not infrequently, they are reading through sets of expectations formed by other pieces of media that have very little to do with your own. 

4) tl;dr

The ~wisdom~ of the crowd is not inherently greater than the wisdom of the writer. Many people in fandom are very thoughtful readers—probably some of the most thoughtful readers out there! But plenty...are not. And that’s fine! They’re obviously still free to comment. I’d love to say, “ignore them, write for yourself, you’re writing the story you wanna write,” but I know how frustrating this must be for you. So give them a little consideration, but not too much. And most importantly, if you have a beta, ask them their opinion of these comments—and if you don’t have a beta, get one! Because a reader you know and whose opinions you trust is so much more valuable than random anon comments, no matter the circumstances. 

#fanfiction #feedback #writing #asks