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idanit · 3 years

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possibly underappreciated Good Omens fics I enjoyed once upon a time

Indirectly inspired by a video series about fanfiction I watched, I decided to pull together a list of Good Omens fics I have bookmarked as stories I enjoyed, but which have less than 250-300 kudos at the time I’m writing this. No particular order. They’re accompanied by short excerpts from my private fic reading notes (not originally intended to be read by anyone but me, mind), sometimes slightly edited for clarity—and, sometimes, the comments I left on the fics.

This list sat in my drafts for a long time and the recent S2 announcement reminded me of it. I’d love it if it inspired you to do something similar! Spread the love.

And mind the tags, please.

△ = general and teen ▲ = mature and explicit

thermodynamic equilibrium ▲ 7K the author has such an ear for dialogue and is unapologetic about what they want to write the characters like. They think of the characters as a mix of TV and book canon, but they feel like a homemade blend to me. (...) It’s very funny.

such dear follies ▲ 6K I can really picture this Aziraphale—Crowley as well, but her especially. She’s rather distinct. (...) Nice writing.

The Words Were With - △ 1.2K post-Blitz vignette, Aziraphale realizes what he feels and wonders if they're human enough for this. I liked it, and I liked the tag "transhumanism, but in reverse?", too—what an interesting idea. I'd say it's a vignette in a dire need of a follow-up, but, well, there's the show. The show is the follow-up. It fits very nicely within the canon and I totally believe it could have happened, like a deleted scene.

Gossip and Good Counsel △ 19K/? I love their companionship and how they're set up to be opposites by the management even though they get on pretty well. It feels very in keeping with the canon, but I feel like the fact that it's an F/F set in this particular time period adds a meaningful layer to the situation. It's women supporting each other in the world of men, working with the personas that are created for them, but, privately, being normal, well-rounded people. (...) and of course your writing is always a pleasure to read. (...) SDHDGDHDHDG Maisie is truly an Aziraphale.

Crowley Went Down to Georgia (he was looking for a soul to steal) △ 6K This was nice. Based on a song I didn’t know. Crowley goes to a funeral in the USA, one of a fiddler he knew and lost a bet to once. (...) The fic has not one but two songs composed for it and embedded inside it and that makes it even better. I really enjoyed the experience.

The Thing With Feathers △ 18K WARLOCK you'rE HORRIBLE AND I LOVE IT I would read an entire novel-length fic just of Crowley fighting his battles with Warlock. Written like this? It would be a blast. (...) The OCs are believably characterized and well-loved by the story. (...) Everyone seems to need a friend in this house. (...) This was so fun, and at the same time, their mission has weight here (...) We wonder about what the future holds even though we know it.

Here Quiet Find △ 11K This fic aimed for my head and the aim was sure precise. It was a story of Crowley sensing Aziraphale's distress and finding him in a self-quarantined English village in the seventeenth century, tired and anxious. It's hurt/comfort, so there was washing and bedsharing and I had to love it, so I did.

outside of time △ 2K Post-Almostgeddon, (...) nicely-written, short, but strung with a soft kind of tension and unspoken words. There's no drama, just "can we really", and "do you really" of sudden freedom. They fall into being inseparable. Book canon, which I like for this story (sitting on a tarmac). I liked the footnotes. There's a mention of Eliot. All in all, very much yes.

She'asani Yisrael △ 2K It’s Crowley going through a two-hour service and drinking blessed wine. He also keeps an eye on a boy he was asked to. It’s 1946. It was pretty good, so far the best Jewish GO fic, I think, from the ones I’ve read.

To Guard The Eastern Gate △ 11K I loved it. You really made Sodom feel lived-in; the description of Keret, Hurriya and Yassib's house and relationship were great. I got attached to both them and the city (...) Aziraphale and Crawley’s interactions were generally very entertaining. I laughed (...) Your rendering of their voices just lands so well (...) But then oh, the entire ending (...) hurt, hurt a lot, and your descriptions are so vivid.

If you’ve been waiting (for falling in love) △ 14K AAAAA a good ending line. The whole paragraph, in fact. I love a good smattering of philosophy in my fics, and this was really nice. I can get behind Thomas Aequinus's and Crowley's view on eternity. It's (...) a pretty simple fic (...) - the courage to express yourself and take a risk is awarded with winning what was at stake by the virtue of reciprocity - but the way it was intertwined with a study of how they would experience a forever was done well.

Holy unnecessary ▲ 2.2K It's well-written. (...) this is my type of sexual humour if I have any. So subtle. Blink and you'll miss it. Lovely.

The Parting Glass △ 17K Through the ages, they're dancing around their relationship until after the Armageddoff. (...) Wow, this was really, really nice. Very simple in its concept and nothing I haven't read before, but very well-executed. (...) AAAAH I LOVED the first chapter. I always like abbeys as settings, that's a given, but the banter, the good writing, the moral ambiguity!

Name The Sky △ 33K This Crowley is different, but very intriguing. Without his sarcastic talk, and much more animalistic. (...) I love how expressive Crowley is. (...) This fic has a very nice balance of drama and levity. I don't love Crowley-before-the-Fall stories very much, but with this execution I can read about it. (...) Okay I've read Crowley offering fruits, and even Aziraphale biting fruits, but the two of them sharing the apple? Outstanding. Ingenious. What a take.

A Flame in Your Heart △ 5K post-Blitz (why are so many dance fics post-Blitz?), they go to the bookshop and have an actually believable conversation. Then they dance the gavotte. It was really nice! Believable writing, emotions, the dancing! (...) Of course it's too early for them, (...) but the author's note? yeah.

Put down the apple, Adam, and come away with me ▲ 32K At this point it's just reading original stories with characters with names and some personality traits that I recognize. (...) I really enjoy this, the careful dance, the opposition between their views. (...) This is well-written, wow. (...) it's not an easy read (...) this story feels very believably 50s, but also reaches out to the present time.

Liebestraum ▲ 10K/? It really is like music. I'm enjoying the writing a lot. (...) oh my actual god. This, this? Wow, uh. This came for my throat. (...) THE MUSICAL COMPOSITION, THE MOTIF RETURNING, THE AUTHOR KNOWS WHERE IT'S AT (...) Excellent. This hits the right beats so precisely, (...) and with feeling, too.

Down Comforter △ 2.4K and they lay down in angeldown, a soft rug ‘neath their heads– alright. Well, Crowley lies under Aziraphale's wing on a Persian rug after the Apocalypse, and they talk (...). It was sweet.

The Corsair of Carcosa △ 5K Crowley wakes up from a nap, visits Aziraphale for some drinking, and they read The King in Yellow that he happens to own. Good writing, so I'm bought. Aziraphale mentions Beardsley, so I'm bought twice over. My god, a discussion of etheral/occult madness? Caused by some wrong/true reading? Yes.

Very Good, Omens! △ 6K It's rather well-written, well-pastiched. People don't do that too often, nowadays - try to write in the style of a particular writer. (...) I love wordplay like this.

Reviving Robin Hood: The Complicated Process of Crème Brûlée △ 30K it's well-written (...), has a rhythm to it, and quiet humour. (...) Finally some nice, good, light writing. The attention to detail! (...) I'm still reading most of it aloud, the rhythm of it compels me to. (...) okay this does sound like Pratchett&Gaiman, the Good Omens itself (...) The fic is meandering, hilarious, sensitive in all the right places, and overall lovely.

my dear acquaintance △ 1K Oh. Oh. Yes, yes! Aziraphale in Russia, Russia I've never been in, but I can feel the snow and the evening of. Very real, and the bar, too. Attention to detail - vodka flavoured with dill, what on earth? Yes. He would totally have a distinct taste in operas and he would totally complain about a subpar one. I'm glad Tchaikovsky's there.

there is a crack in everything △ 1.8K This was good! Ah. Inspired by a comment (...), I went looking for Mr. Harrison and Mr. Cortese fics—really, what a big brain moment someone had and why have I never thought to look for them? This is Crowley getting suddenly anxious and Aziraphale going out of his way, through all his layers of not-thinking and denial, to console him. I also really liked how the Arrangement is a carefully unacknowledged partnership-marriage.

Scales And Gold And Wings And Scars △ 6K No conflict, no plot, one tiny arc like a ripple on the surface of water on a calm sunny day - of Aziraphale discovering Crowley’s scars. It's the South Downs and it's early summer. They bask and swim in a spring. Non-sexual nudity, love in the air like a scent. Nice.

Nineteen Footnotes In Search Of A Story △ 0.4K This is a Good Omens story told only through footnotes. Your mind can fill in the gaps. Fascinating (...). Also, it’s an experiment so apt for this particular fandom.

Hell on Earth △ 6.5K Oh, I loved it! How could I not love it: it's Beelzebub-centric, it's historical, it has classical painting, and even a hilarious scene with a cuneiform phrase, as if I didn't enjoy this story enough already. There are so few Beelzebub fics out there and I find searching for them very difficult (I accept recs if anyone has any), and it's such a shame, so this was really like a gift to the fandom. I absolutely adore the way you portrayed them, small, frightening, powerful, and confident. Also, it was super fun to see how different Crowley seems when we're not in his POV or in a story about him and Aziraphale. (...)

Go Up to Ramoth-Gilead and Triumph △ 24K Daegaer is... pure class. (...) hdhdhdh what pfttt why you so funny (...) I love this Crowley. (...) This got unexpectedly intense. (...) I love the little nods to the fact that Israelites, especially the poorer ones, still believe in other gods. I also really like that they sleep on roofs. It's just the kind of detail that grounds the story and shows that the author is, in fact, a historian.

#good omens #good omens fic rec #fanfiction #fic rec #idanit reads #i also have a multifannish F/F rec list in the works #all my bookmarks are private but i feel the need to share the love

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travllingbunny · 3 years

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Thank you for the tag, @ryder616!

This tag game has unexpectedly led to an interesting discussion about what exactly an “Endgame Ship” means... which seems to be largely open to interpretation. I’m still not sure how I see that term, but for the purposes of this post, but to narrow it down and not mention way too many ships, I’ll take Endgame in two different meanings: for “Favorite Ship(s) That’s Endgame”, I’ll take it to mean pairings that were together and in a happy relationship at the end of the story. But for “Ship(s) You Wish Had Been Endgame”, I will take “Not Endgame” to mean that the ship was not treated as these characters’ main romance at the end of the show, or at least there was a lot of ambiguity and/or a rival ship for one or both characters was instead the current one at the end of the story. (A lot of my favorite ships have the tendency to end up unhappily in spite of being portrayed as the main romance of the story..)

Warning: this post contains spoilers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Agents of SHIELD, The Hunger Games, The Leftovers, The Americans and The 100 (though if you’ve spent any time on my blog, you’ve certainly already been spoiled for the ending of The 100) and .

1. First Ship - When I was about 4 or 5, I was obsessed with Lady and the Tramp (I had a book version with a few pictures and it fell apart from how much I was reading it - it may have been my first book that wasn’t mostly a picture book), so I guess my first ship was two dogs (which is really appropriate, since I love dogs). If we’re talking TV, again going back to my childhood, before puberty and before I even knew what “shipping” was, I remember being pleasantly surprised when Raquel first appeared on Only Fools and Horses as a love interest for Del Boy - the show was an episodic comedy where the two brothers, in the early years, usually didn’t have a serious love interest. I thought “oh, he really is in love with her! And she feels the same, and they are so cute together.” I hoped she’d come back and wouldn’t just be a one episode character but a long-term LI. And then I was so happy when that very much did happen. I guess this can be considered the start of my TV shipping (and also an early sign of my love for contuinity and longer arcs on TV).

2. First OTP - Ignoring pre-puberty: at the age of 12, I was really obsessed with Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff and Cathy and read the book who knows how mny times. Regarding TV, I’ve shipped over the years, but I guess the first TV ship I would really call my OTP was in This Life, a 1990s UK drama about a bunch of 20-somethings in London, which I watched on TV in 2001. which now sadly seems almost forgotten. Anna and Miles had an on-off, love-hate relationship throughout - they were sexy, snarky, and it was painfully obvious that they were in love, but these idiots had trouble admitting it to themselves and even more to each other. If it had been a romcom, they would’ve been certain to end up together, but it was a realistic drama.

3. Current Favorite Ship - Bellarke - oh, what an OTP of all OTPs that was before it was stupidly destroyed out of spite. Over the last couple of years, Dark (season 3 mostly) made me really love Jonas and Martha (the first pairing I’ve made gifsets about), and most recently (last month!), I binged Halt and Catch Fire and fell in love with the show and with Joe and Cameron’s relationship (which, I just realized now, shows that my taste in OTPs hasn’t changed in 20 years).

If we’re talking current as in, in current shows rather than finished ones, then Kanej (Shadow and Bone), Harlivy (Harley Quinn), Gereon and Charlotte (Babylon Berlin) and Roy and Keeley (Ted Lasso).

4. Your ship since the first minute - I really rarely ship anything from the first minute (unless we’re talking Morticia and Gomez, who are of course already a perfect couple and nothing ever changes there). It usually takes time for me to fall for a ship. A rare exception is Roy and Keeley - their first one-on-one scene in S1 already had huge OTP vibes.

5. Ship(s) You Wish Had Been Endgame - Do I even have to say it? BELLARKE. A hundred times Bellarke, who were portrayed as endgame before the showrunner decided to retcon and ruin them together with the show overall.

Others: Jessica and Luke in Netfix Narvel shows, May and Andrew on AoS, Willow and Oz; or, depending on how you interpret Endgame, Willow/Tara (some argue that it is Endgame as Tara is definitely portrayed as the love of Willow’s life regardless of everything else). Spuffy (again, there are different opinions as to its status as both the show and the comics ended ambiguously and tried not to have a clear Endgame pairing for Buffy’s character), Xander/Anya (if you take comics into account).

6. Ship You Wish Was Canon - Some would say Bellarke, again, but I tend to consider it canon. It’s debatable, for sure (if you only consider making out/sex and/or “I love you” as markers of canon, it is not canon; if it is enough for the show to make it so blatant in the first 6 seasons that you have to actively search for ways to deny it to make it sound platonic, and for actors to confirm it was portrayed as romantic- than it is.)

So my answer would be: Kastle (Netflix Marvel shows), QuakeRider (AoS), and Octavia and Diyoza (The 100) and maybe Faith and Buffy (mostly in the sense that canon could have explored the nature of Faith’s feelings for Buffy a bit more and a bit more openly).

7. Ship that Most of the Fandom Hates, but You Love - Angel and Darla, May and Andrew, Coulson and Rosalind (hated how it ended though). Miller and Bryan (because they were more interesting than Mackson, and Bryan had a personality), Though “ships that most of the fandom ignores” would be a more apt term. The one that most of the fandom does hate and I like it is Octavia/Ilian - I liked it for what it was, two damaged people finding comfort together in what could have grown into something more - instead of the “we’re ve just met and talked to each other once and we’re already IN LOVE!” trope that the writers of The 100 were so fond of.

8. You Don’t Even Watch the Show, but You Ship It - Why would I ship something from a show I don’t watch?

9. Ship That You Wish Had A Different Storyline - BELLARKE (duh - the ending). Veronica and Logan (the ending, again). Coulson/Rosalind - they had such an interesting and fun dynamic that could have been explored much more; instead, the writers opted for one of the worst tropes there are, and I hated that entire plotline for so many reasons. Tyrol and Boomer on Battlestar Galactica - what they did with Boomer was crap. Baltar and Caprica - all the bad writing in season 4. This is a weird example of a ship that I shipped so hard for 3 seasons and that was given Endgame in every sense of the word, but, by that point, I barely cared anymore, because the writers forgot about their relationship throughout the final season and made it seem like they didn’t even remember each other, and then slapped a last minute happy ending. Plus they retconed/explained their connection in such a stupid and anticlimactic way that ruined it retroactively.

10. Favorite Ship(s) That’s Endgame - Everlark, Nora and Kevin (The Leftovers), Philip and Elizabeth (The Americans), and Josh and Della on Night and Day (a really obscure early 2000s UK show that was watched by maybe 100 people.) Some others worth mentioning: FitzSimmons, Niles and Daphne, Tim and Dawn (original UK The Office), Jake and Amy, Memori (the only bright spot in a rubbish ending). And of course, there’s Morticia and Gomez, though they are less Endgame and more AlwaysGame.

Tagging: @jeanie205 @kizo2703 @poppykru @sheigarche @weareagentsofnothing @sometimesrosy @misskittyspuffy @otp-armada @carrieeve @sexy-zeitreise-detektiv @jonaskanwalds @immortalpramheda @ladyofthefrostfangs @tennyo-elf @fandomkru @natassakar @hadrianvonpaulus @sillier-things @angearia @thekawaiislartibartfast @foolishnymeria @erikiara80 @heartbellamy and anyone else who sees this - sorry I didn’t tag you and please consider yourself tagged. :)

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waifstarion · 3 years

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So I scrolled through your anti dean winchester tag and I honest to god cried. I’ve been critical of dean’s actions for a long time but I’ve had a sense of blind loyalty to him because I was literally 12 when I started watching but Jesus Christ he’s so much worse than I remembered. I think the weirdest part is I rp, and I love the version of Dean that I’ve created, but he’s emotionally mature and kind to people and I’m realizing now that that’s nothing like Dean SPN (1/? I’m upset sorry)

Like jfc he was so terrible. I hated him for the way he treated Jack and that’s really when my distain for him started. I used to relate to him because of our shared responsibilities of an eldest child, but then when he started abusing Jack in a way that I reacted so badly to, I hated him. I still do. The finale and fandom attitude convinced me that maybe he’s not as bad as I thought but then I remembered the malak box and I got angry again (2/?)

He’s just UGH he’s the worst. I’ve literally daydreamed extensive scenarios where I, ME, Y/N, has saved Jack because I was so upset. I’ve never had to do that with any other character except the creature from Frankenstein and as much as I hate Victor, somehow, he’s a better person than dean winchester. Okay, I’m done, thanks for listening to me rant. Im also sorry because you didn’t ask for this but I hope you understand <3 (3/3)

Don’t apologize, i’m always happy to receive asks from people, especially in regards to dean’s behaviour towards cas and jack as i feel like the true severity isn’t discussed enough. another thing i notice is that people tend to be more judgmental, and can sometimes be critical of people who still hold onto that nostalgia. what’s important is the realization that dean is a very abusive individual who actively harms those around him, and acknowledging it rather than arguing it or denying it as spn stans are apt to do. there’s nothing wrong with continuing to engage in certain fanon works, such as your rping, with the knowledge that this is a character independent of the one to be found in canon. it can be helpful to go through the anti dean tags when you find yourself falling for the narrative woven by dean stans to justify his abusive behaviour without repercussions. i would recommend @/endiness, they make very well spoken posts on dean’s behaviour. dean himself is an incredibly manipulative character who intentionally employs the use of his “charm” to lure people into a false sense of security (significantly in the early seasons, he seems to give up and drop the act later in the series). additionally, the show has a dean centric narrative and regularly retcons itself to show dean as the hero and absolve him of all his sins. don’t be too hard on yourself for not realizing it sooner. what matters is that you realized at all.

#sorry for taking so long to answer!#i promise i wasn’t ignoring it #just busy with school #but anyway reclaiming him in a sense through your rping and writing can be helpful #ik i have friends that find it beneficial #anti dean winchester #dean’s a+ parenting #i prefer the word trusting. less dumb. less ask.#dean winchester #dean critical #dean negative

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just-the-hiddles · 4 years

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Tip Tuesday | January 14, 2020 | Why Your Story Isn’t Getting Attention

We have all felt it. We have all seen the posts. My latest story is not getting the interaction, likes, reblogs, expected...etc.... Everyone hates it, I am going to stop posting. There are so many reasons why your story is not getting the attention you expected. Here are some reasons why:

1. You write for a rarepair or small fandom. Listen, I know it sucks, but statistically speaking, if you are writing in a small fandom or a less popular ship, you are going to get less interaction. I write within the Hiddles fandom, which includes Tom RPF as well as a variety of his characters. My Tom and Loki stories, by far, get the most comments, likes, etc. My Magnus Martinsson fics (Wallander) and my Luke Windsor fics (British Actor RPF) get far less interaction. I know this, I expect it. I’m not mad. Such is life.

2. You are posting in an offseason. So posting after Christmas and New Years, I discovered those stories got less interaction than my usual stories. There was nothing different about the one-shots except the time of year. Because people weren’t on Ao3 or Tumblr, they were with their families. Take that into consideration.

3. You are a new writer or been on a long hiatus. Visibility is key to getting people to read. When you are new, people don’t know you. It doesn’t mean you are any less awesome. What it does mean that you have to work harder to get your story in front of people. That is why it is important to tag appropriately. Same if you have going on hiatus or been absent for a while, people don’t realize you are back. So it may take some time to get back to your former glory, you will get there.

4. You write on topics, themes, people, tropes, etc. that may make people uncomfortable/squick. Not everyone likes to read dubious consent, or non consensual smut. Or gore and violence. Or rape. I could go on. If you are writing some of these more difficult subjects, people may not be as apt to read them. That doesn’t mean don’t write them! Just means that you may have a smaller demographic. That is okay.

5. You are writing or doing something that is turning off your reader. I would suggest looking at my post on Reader Pet Peeves. Not using a Read More tag, for me personal, turns me off of reading fics. I’m sorry but it does, I find it a sign of laziness because it takes no time to add it. A lot of reader don’t care for first person reader stories (and even less care for first person RPF written from the celebrities perspective). You could be like me and have a Loki fluff fic accidently tagged on Ao3 as Loki/Tom Hiddleston/Reader in the relationship. You could be using a weird format or have glaring spelling errors that make your story hard to read. Take a critical look at your story and see if there is anything you might be inadvertently doing causing people to not read. I AM NOT SAYING STOP WRITING YOUR STORIES YOUR WAY. But everything has trade-offs.

I know everyone wants their stories read and liked. Just because one story got more likes than another, doesn’t make your story any less valid or worthy. Don’t compare yourself to others. You are not them. And I always say, you shouldn’t be writing for the likes or notes. Write for you. Write for the love of the fandom. Write to share your joy with others. The followers will come. The readers will come.

#tip tuesday #tumblr tip tuesday #writing advice #writing tips #tumblr tips #tumblr tip #writing tip #reader interaction #fanfiction writing #fanfiction advice #tumblr advice

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flibbertigiblet · 5 years

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Episode 1: FORESHADOWING GALORE

Was it a perfect episode? No. The pacing is still a bit iffy, the dialogue bland, and important scenes felt rushed/undeveloped. But did it give me hope and/or satisfaction? Yes. Light on action, but heavy on foreshadowing, this episode lays the groundwork for three of our favorite theories – Dark!Dany, Political!Jon, and Jonsa.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I never thought that we would get all our theories openly confirmed in the first episode. The showrunners are giving us the last moments of calm before the storm, and it makes sense that they allow the viewers to enjoy Jon’s homecoming and the various reunions between several beloved characters before they hit us with the major twists those theories entail. What they do instead is pepper the episode with strong hints of these outcomes. In this post, I’ll be highlighting the plot points and dialogue that support these theories, rather than going through the premiere scene by scene.

Let’s jump right into it. This is a long one.

Arrival at Winterfell

After a heartfelt hug with Bran (and thank the gods that we finally get a semblance of humanity from the Three-Eyed Raven in this), Jon turns to Sansa, who had been watching their reunion with a small but fond smile on her face. As Jon rears up to embrace his “sister”, the camera makes sure to cut away from them to focus on Daenerys and Jorah, watching them from a distance. Bran is kept in frame, observing their reactions. Sansa too, turns her gaze on the newcomers, even as she wraps her arms around Jon.

I will admit to being disappointed that the reunion hug between Jon and Sansa was much briefer and less intense than what we got in the HBO trailer, but in retrospect, that fact makes me go “hmm”. After all, they chose that particular sequence to be the first and only snippet from S8 to show in that trailer, despite the episode’s truncated version of the hug (or any other scene from the season, really) being a possible option. A photo of this scene shot from yet another angle from a Spanish(?) publication was circulating the internet only days ago. D&D want us to pay special attention to the relationship between Jon and Sansa.

Podrick Dany certainly is.

Dany and Sansa eye each other from across the courtyard, before the former approaches the Starks. As Lyanna Mormont and Lord Royce stare at her with suspicion, Jon makes introductions.

“My sister, Sansa Stark, the Lady of Winterfell.”

“Thank you for inviting us into your home, Lady Stark,” Daenerys says with a fixed smile. “The North is as beautiful as your brother claimed, as are you.” (You know, one way of interpreting this line was that it was Jon who told Dany that Sansa is beautiful. Because, well. She is.)

Sansa is not impressed by the transparent attempt at flattery. She looks Dany up and down and leans back slightly in thinly-veiled disdain, but her words and voice are perfectly civil. “Winterfell is yours, your Grace.” Take note: neither she nor anyone else in the courtyard bends the knee to their would-be queen.

Daenerys doesn’t buy Sansa’s act for a second, but Bran doesn’t have time for this catfight and tells everyone what’s what. The Wall has fallen, and the Army of the Dead (+ dragon) are marching to Winterfell. That sobers them up quickly.

Meeting the Lords

Everyone is gathered in the Great Hall. Pay attention to the framing. At the head table, Sansa has been relegated to Jon’s right, where Davos, as the Hand of the King, used to sit. Daenerys has taken up Sansa’s former seat to his left, where the Lady of Winterfell typically sits. In this first shot, however, Dany is standing by the fireplace, leaving a visual and metaphorical gap between the Northern pair and Team Dany, represented by Tyrion, who is seated at the far end of the table.

As acting leader of Winterfell, Sansa is the one running the meeting. She establishes the fact that she has called on all the banners to retreat to Winterfell, and asks for an update from Lord Umber, last of that once-mighty House. A young boy no older than Bran was in season 1 pops his head out from behind one of the nameless Lords. He is small, and cute, and has been singled out by the script, so clearly he is doomed.

He addresses first Sansa - “We need more horses and wagons, my Lady,” – then Jon – “and my Lord,” – who flashes him a quick smile – “and my Queen.” – and only then Daenerys, who does not love being third on this list. “Sorry,” apologizes awkwardly. His business is sorted out, and he is sent off.

Jon instructs Maester Wolkan to send ravens to the Night’s Watch to summon them to Winterfell. “At once, Your Grace,” says the man, out of habit, probably, but it’s all the excuse Lyanna Mormont needs to stand up to sass Jon for renouncing his crown (mostly because D&D have designated her the improbable mouthpiece of the North and have not bothered to introduce us to any of the other lords).

Jon tries to make his case, but nobody is convinced, not even when Tyrion tags himself in. As he tries to sway the Northern lords, the camera cuts to the other three – Jon in between the two women, Stark and Targaryen, black and white. They really couldn’t be more obvious about the symbolism here, but in case you missed it, the showrunners give us more evidence that we’re not about to get The Hair Braiding That Was Promised.

Sansa is facing the lords, addressing Tyrion, but is clearly speaking to Daenerys when she asks just how Winterfell is supposed to feed Team Dany’s massive armies and the dragons. Like the responsible leader that she is – take notes, kiddos – Sansa had spent the past few months stockpiling supplies to help her people through winter. Was the North expected to support these newcomers too? “What do dragons eat, anyway?”

“Whatever they want,” says Dany.

The two women look at each other with no further pretense at friendliness. Battle lines have been drawn.

(Jon sits there, pretending not to notice.)

A Proposed Proposal

Davos, Varys and Tyrion are discussing how to salvage the alliance between their respective sides. Davos tells the others that Northerners do not trust easily, that this trust needs to be earned. But he is hopeful that it can happen. “On the off chance that we survive the Night King, what if the Seven Kingdoms, for once in their whole shit history, were ruled by a just woman and an honorable man?”

He is talking about a possible marriage between Jon and Dany, but at this point the audience knows the truth of their relationship, and by the end of the episode – spoiler – Jon does too. Whether or not the GA realizes it yet, this makes the conversation equally applicable to the Jonsa side of the triangle.

Plus, le gasp! A Stark-Targaryen marriage? How dreadfully romantic.*

*Okay, I am actually strongly anti-Rhaegar, but the show plays them as some kind of grand romantic pairing so I will try to contain my antipathy for the purposes of this review.

A Darker Turn

Down at the courtyard, Daenerys is feeling somewhat put upon.

“Your sister doesn’t like me.”

Jon tries to mollify her. “She doesn’t know you. If it makes you feel any better, she didn’t like me either when we were growing up.”

“She doesn’t need to be my friend. But I am her queen. If she can’t respect me…”

WHAT, DANY? IF SANSA CAN’T RESPECT YOU, WHAT WILL YOU DO?

We’ve been saying it for a long while now, but guys. Dark!Dany is coming. While certain elements of the fandom persist in denying the obvious trajectory of her character arc, the foreboding undertone of this line is hard to ignore. What made this even more chilling was that she said this to Jon, a member of her family, who doesn’t yet know at this point in the episode what Dany’s extreme reaction tends to be for insubordination.

(Oh, but we know.)

When Sam learns of what Daenerys did to his father and brother, he could barely hold it together long enough to excuse himself from her presence before falling apart. Despite what Dany stans would have you think, this is a perfectly human and normal reaction to hearing such dreadful news. Also human and understandable? Mistrusting the kind of ruler who would execute a man for not bending the knee. Especially since Sam has personally seen a more humane sort of leadership before in Jon, who he later urges to take up his birthright as the true heir to the Iron Throne.

Other metas have discussed Dany’s approach to leadership and her increasingly draconian (an apt word, no?) attitude towards what she feels is her rightful position as Queen of the 7K. That she can and will take what is hers. A sense of entitlement not dissimilar to that which she attributed to her dragons earlier in that public display which did not endear her to her Northern subjects…

Side note: We’ve seen the indiscriminate destruction that an unchecked dragon can reap before when one of them – then only half-grown – killed the young daughter of a goatherd in Meereen. We even received a handy reminder of this straight from the mouth of Dany’s staunchest supporter and ally only in the episode before this one: “Dragons don’t understand the difference between what is theirs and what isn’t. Land, livestock, children…letting them roam free around the city was a problem.” – Jorah Mormont, S07E07.

And because it hasn’t been hammered into our heads enough, we are reminded of this again later on, when her Dothraki riders list exactly how much her dragons had consumed just that same day (“only eighteen goats and eleven sheep”, which apparently means “the dragons are barely eating”). This is followed by a powerful shot of said dragons surrounded by the charred bones of the livestock that could have fed dozens of people.

The same people who cowered as the dragons flew over Mole’s Town, and whose fear she appeared to relish.

Foreshadowing much?

That Dragon Flying Scene

Oh boy. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t excited to see this one at all. In the end it was both more and less awful than I imagined it would be. The dragon riding scene is bound to be controversial. Thrilling to some, pandering of the worst kind to others. To me, it smacks of fanservice, but let’s give the show the benefit of the doubt and try to parse its storytelling purpose in the greater scheme of things.

Despite Daenerys’ unsubtle threat towards Sansa in the previous scene – which Jon was conveniently prevented from addressing due to the interruption of the Dothraki – and the sight of Drogon and Rhaegal apparently sulking whilst surrounded by the remains of the food they are “barely eating”, the showrunners made the odd decision to play this scene with a note of levity.

Out of nowhere, Dany oh-so-casually encourages her lover to try riding her dragon, a foolhardy decision based on what, exactly? The one time Jon had a moment with one of her “gorgeous beast(s)”? Dany teases him about his initial reluctance, and laughs at his ungraceful attempts to hang on as the two dragons freewheel over the snow-covered lands of the North before landing in front of a beautiful waterfall for a “romantic” moment.

In dialogue calling back to Jon and Ygritte’s famous cave scene (listen, are D&D just going to troll us by recycling all of Jon’s best hits?):

“We could stay a thousand years, says Daenerys, looking back at Jon. “No one would find us.”

“We’d be pretty old,” says Jon with uncharacteristic humor.

I believe Jon’s lightheartedness stems as much from his being home with his family at long last as the thrill of dragonriding with a pretty girl by his side. The two flirt using cheesy lines straight out of bad fanfiction before sharing a kiss which I suppose will please the stans.

Not me, though. Romantic music playing in the background or not, like in boatbang, the supposed passion of the moment is interrupted by a third party which makes the whole thing awkward. The final shot of Jon’s eyes widening as he sees Rhaegal staring directly at him as he kisses the Dragon Queen made me snort, but it is unclear whether it was played for a laugh, is meant to underline the awkwardness of this romance, or be an ominous portent of the revelations to come.

And Now For the Good Stuff

That terrible unnecessary Disneyfied brightly lit, panoramic, even mildly comedic sequence contrasted sharply with the scene between Jon and Sansa only minutes later. We are treated to a Jonsa staple: a warm, candlelit scene full of tension, fluttering eyelashes, and heaving bosoms. This time, the air is shimmering with a new emotion – jealousy.

The two start off by discussing a message from Lord Glover, who “wishes (them) good fortune but he’s staying in Deepwood Motte with his men.” This immediately sparks an argument between them about Jon having bent the knee. They’ve had variations of this fight before, and to be honest, it’s a little tired. While I fully understand Sansa’s reservations about the presence of Dany and her armies in the North in terms of logistics, I tend to be more sympathetic to Jon’s insistence that the discussion on Northern independence needs to take a back seat for the moment given the gravity of the threats they are facing. But Sansa clings stubbornly to this old argument, and she (rather unfairly) lays the blame for Lord Glover’s desertion at Jon’s feet (let’s blame who is really at fault here, Sansa – the disloyal lord himself).

But of course, that’s not really what they’re fighting about.

“You didn’t tell me you were going to abandon your crown,” she says, voice shaking with anger as she turns her back on Jon.

Jon, frustrated, moves several steps closer. “I never wanted a crown. All I wanted was to protect the North. I brought two armies home with me, two dragons.”

Sansa spins around. “And a Targaryen queen?” she spits out.

Ah, and here we come to what appears to be the true cause of her wrath. Jon reminds Sansa that without Daenerys (and her martial strength), they don’t stand a chance against the Army of the Dead. Sansa is silent. She cannot argue the need for the armies and the dragons, but she takes particular exception to the woman who leads them. Why, Sansa? TELL US WHY.

It’s in their eyes as much as their words.

Jon heaves a deep sigh, closes his eyes. “Do you have any faith in me at all?” (Y’all, this line just about broke my heart cause he just wants her to love trust him.)

Sansa’s eyes are soft and slightly glassy. “You know I do.”

Jon takes another step or two towards Sansa, never breaking their gaze. “She’ll be a good queen. For all of us.” His eyes move away briefly. “She’s not her father.”

Sansa looks down, gathering herself with a deep breath. “No, she’s much prettier.”

Jon gives a pained smile of acknowledgment. It is his turn to avoid her stare.

“Did you bend the knee to save the North?” Sansa asks him, her eyes unfocused. “Or because you love her?”

Jon glances up at Sansa, but doesn’t respond.

END SCENE.

(Let’s give a standing ovation to Sophie and Kit for acting the hell out of this scene. I want a hundred gifs of this, people. Please get on it.)

The subtext is rich, rich, rich, my Jonsas. The dream is still alive.

One Last Thought - The Importance of Sansa Stark

Nothing made me happier than seeing our Queen in the North Lady of Winterfell given all the credit and respect that is her due after seasons of anti bullshit. See:

The people’s deference to her position and the role that she plays in the North

Tyrion’s acknowledgment of her survival skills - “Many underestimated you. Most of them are dead now.”

Arya’s steadfast defense of her - “She’s the smartest person I ever met.” - when Jon (Jon???) himself was expressing frustration towards her (check out @athimbleful 's recent ask for an explanation for Jon’s behavior in this scene)

Even Dany’s behaviour towards Sansa (first with that cringey introduction), and later when she singles her out for not “respecting” her, despite the fact that none of the Northern lords were showing her any warmth is an indication of her awareness of Sansa’s alpha status, which is right and just and exactly as it should be.

As recent promo materials, cast interviews, etc. seem be strongly pro-Sansa, I am reasonably optimistic that this all bodes well for our girl. For that alone, I will breathe a little easier...

...at least for one more week.

#got spoilers #got episode review #anti daenerys #dark!dany #political!jon #political jon #jonsa #jonsa is coming #got s8 #got s8 spoilers #jon snow #sansa stark #sansa stark defense squad

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mcwriting · 5 years

Text

starstruck (2)

Heyyyyyy so I stuck to my word lol.

I’m basically unable to function after seeing far from home this evening but also it was so good. I teared up when tom did and my mom made fun of me but its okay because his acting was awesome! Highly recommend y’all see it (even tho ik you probably will if you haven’t already lol)

Ps this is my first time linking one post to another so please lmk if it doesn’t work, but if it’s not, you’ll always be able to access this through my starstruck tag!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

Fandom: Tommo Holland

Ship: Tom Holland x Reader eventually

Setting: LA

Word Count: 1386 (lol it’s shorter this time srry)

Warnings: i actually don’t think there’s any here, but lmk if there should be

Rating: K+ still

Background: part 2 of my DCOM inspired fic

B/f/n: your best friend’s name

__________________________________

Previously on starstruck...

The faint remains of his cologne wafted to your nose and you couldn’t help but breathe it in. You relaxed further into his grip and stayed comfortable until you heard a buzz on the table next to you.

You decided to ignore it until it happened two more times. Finally, you decided to wiggle out of Tom’s grip and succeeded without waking him. You picked up the cell and noticed it was 10 a.m. and all three texts were from b/f/n

Hey I’m coming over

I’ll bring ice cream since you said you weren’t doing too hot yesterday

I’m on my way

“No. No, no, nonoNO,” you exclaimed, getting louder and louder, causing Tom to sleepily ask,

“Could you keep it down, darling?”

“No, I can’t ‘keep it down,’ Thomas, because b/f/n is ON HER WAY HERE!”

“What!?”

He sat up fully awake.

“We have to get you out of here without her seeing, and she’s probably gonna be here in like 5 minutes.”

Tom rushed to get up and find his keys that were in the pocket of his discarded jacket while you hurried to brush your hair and take a makeup wipe to your face.

You clambered down the stairs and hurried Tom through the kitchen and into the laundry room when you heard the doorbell ring, and when you didn’t answer in apt time, it began ringing like crazy.

Panic stuck your chest and you looked at Tom.

“Open the garage and leave in 5 minutes, then text me so I can close it.” You commanded, beginning to walk towards the entryway.

“Wait, wait,” he grabbed your arm, “I don’t have your number!”

You scrawled it down on a sticky note and ran, hoping he would get out safely and quickly. You opened the door to find b/f/n holding two pints of ice cream, raspberry sorbet for you and coffee ice cream for herself.

“My gosh what took you so long? I about started searching for the spare key with all these goods melting.”

You were about to reply when the door between the garage and utility room shut loudly.

“Uh, who was that?” she asked, knowing your parents were at work.

“Oh, uh, a friend from dance. We’re working on a piece together and we decided to talk about it last night since I hurt my head,” you lied.

B/f/n furrowed her brows for a second before letting it go and coming inside to set up your typical movie day in the living room. Meanwhile, you headed back to the kitchen to grab spoons and check your phone, where a new number had sent a message.

I’m out so you’re good to close the door. Thanks again for the great night ;)

You smiled and sent back

That makes it sound soooo much worse than what really happened haha. You made it out without suspicion too :)

You decided to put his number in as a contact, disguising him as “Clara Twinkletoes” after a joke made late into the previous night, then headed to the living room.

__________________________________

After finishing one movie and your separate ice creams, you both decided to take a break and were looking at your phones.

“Hey, I know you hate talking about Tom Holland,” you gave a side-eyed glance to the bringing up of his name, “but guess what? He liked my picture last night! I just remembered to tell you!”

B/f/n held up her phone to show you the notification, then went back to staring at it excitedly.

“That’s actually really cool. I’m happy for you,” you expressed, leaving out the fact that you had asked Tom to like it when you were talking about the post at 1 a.m.

A few minutes later, b/f/n breathed out a soft “woah.”

You looked at her in confusion.

“Y/n, look at this girl Tom was photographed with yesterday, she looks like your twin!”

Dread filled your stomach as you stared at the picture of you and Tom in his black Audi A8, that stupid ballet skirt wrapping your head.

“Yeah, maybe if I took ride alongs with celebrities and wore nineteen fifties headscarves,” you quipped, “you only think that girl looks like me because you want it to be me, b/f/n.”

“Hmm, I guess…” she trailed, taking back her phone to continue scrolling through Instagram.

Not long after, you got a text from Clara twinkletoes.

Have you seen the picture??? I’m getting tagged and you are too

Like… everyone thinks that girl is you

Psh as if. We can talk about it later, I’m busy with my gal pal

Fine. Also, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to the beach tomorrow? I wanna talk about all this in person

Hmm. Maybe. Probably not ;)

“Hey, b/f/n?” You asked tentatively.

“Yeah?”

“Is it cool if you don’t spend the night tonight? I need to go to dance early tomorrow since I took the day off and I’ve also got this head injury so…”

it wasn’t a complete lie. You did have a head injury and your plan was to go to dance at some point, but you decided to leave out the part where you might actually go hang out with hot shot Holland.

“Oh, uh yeah, sure. My sister is coming into town this week so it’s probably for the best, you know how my mom is about cleaning the house and stuff,” she said, obviously trying to hide her disappointment.

Around 4 pm, she got up to leave. You had watched two more movies and eaten plenty more snacks throughout the afternoon.

“I guess I’ll see you later, y/n. Hope you’re feeling better tomorrow,” she smiled.

You returned the gesture and gave her a hug, then watched from the doorstep as she mounted her bike and rode off to her house only a few neighborhoods away, you feeling queasy about lying so much.

__________________________________

You headed upstairs after a light dinner and some TV. It was only about 8 o’clock, but the combination of a head injury, late night, and slight emotional distress (from lying to b/f/n) made you feel exhausted, not to mention you would be waking early the next day.

You changed into sweats and flopped into bed, checking your social media for a little bit to wind down.

Your snapchat was just pictures from friends, only a couple of them joking to you about the whole Tom Holland situation (but of course none of them knew the truth)

Twitter and Instagram, however, were a different story. After the premiere, you had chosen to turn off notifications and were especially happy to know it was the right choice.

On Twitter, fan accounts and other people were replying to a joking tweet you had made days before the premiere in reply to b/f/n where you said “Why be friends with that tom holland guy when you could hang out with your superior best friend hmmmm?? He’s lame compared to me lolol”

People were going nuts about it, divided over whether you were just messing around or if you really didn’t like him. Most of them chose the former, though you knew you had meant the latter. Other people were tweeting about you separately and debating about that picture from the day before.

You almost deleted your Twitter in a rash decision but realized how suspicious that could look and instead closed it and moved to instagram.

It too was overflowing with tags and comments and follows and likes. Your stomach churned as you realized how big this was becoming. Finally you made the choice to meet Tom tomorrow, even if it risked being caught again. You sent him a single text to let it be known:

Alright twinkletoes. Let’s go to the beach.

You figured you could reply to whatever he sent in the morning and put your phone on do not disturb before plugging it in and checking the alarm.

You snuggled into the sheets and buried your head into a pillow. A sweet and musky scent drifted into your nose and you took a deep breath.

Tom’s cologne

You sat up, sniffing around the sheets, pillows, and covers, realizing he had left his scent everywhere.

“I need to wash these sheets tomorrow” you breathed to yourself in an annoyed tone.

With that you laid back down, glad that b/f/n wasn’t there to ask whose scent was all over your bed. Though you tried to convince yourself that you wanted the smell gone, had anyone been watching, they couldn’t deny the way you sunk into the bed and the faint smile that made its way to your lips as you drifted into slumber.

__________________________________

A/N: there’s chapter 2!! Hope you guys enjoy. I don’t think I’ll post 3 until this weekend but who even knows haha. Love y’all and am so happy to have your support!

Tag List: @marvel-lously

#starstruck #tom holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #marvel #spider-man #spider man #Spider Man: Homecoming #SPIDER MAN FAR FROM HOME #SPIDER MAN: FAR FROM HOME

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lcvcillcur · 4 years

Text

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is: canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO.

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom? YES / NO / IDK.

Are they underrated? YES / NO.

Were they relevant to the main story? YES / NO.

Were they relevant to the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG.

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO.

How’s their reputation? GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL.

How strictly do you follow canon?

I try to be quite adherent to canon? But I’m not at all above taking liberties. Most of the time, when I do, it’s for matters that the canon has not been specific upon or addressed at length. For Alisaie, that is pretty easy to do, as her development had been quite neglected by SE or been contingent on Alphinaud’s character.

In the past, I have been far more apt to give canon the old middle-finger, but here, I am a bit more reserved and am willing to use canon as the launchpad for development.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutual.

Alisaie is a kind-hearted, strong-willed, feisty teenager who would look the Gods in the eye and flip them off. She is a prodigy, but don’t let that fool you! While she is a mastermind, she has no patience for the politics of nations, instead preferring to be out on the front lines, believing it is not the words of one that matters, but their actions. With all the conviction of a top-grade soldier but the personality and sense of a pirate, Alisaie Leveilleur is an absolute treat and will surely capture your heart without you realizing it!

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).

Alisaie, in treatment as in canon, is subject to the fact that she is the less-favored of the twins. As such, her character may seem a bit shallow or repetitive with her themes. In truth, I do try to fix this by building on her personality and giving her more than these character beats and flatter aspects of characterization, but that does not appeal to many. Especially, of course, those who have made their mind up that they do not care for Alisaie.

What inspired you to rp your muse?

Her growth. I had originally not cared much for Alisaie, but that was because I was disappointed by the lack of characterization she had been given. When slight hints of it was shown at the end of Heavensward, I felt it was rushed and forced. But, the more I got to see her grow, the more I became endeared to Alisaie.

Shadowbringers was the final straw, where it finally clicked for me. I knew I wanted to write this wonderful, willful young woman as she tried to figure herself and the world out.

What keeps your inspiration going?

Pure passion for writing. For the character. For the opportunities, she may have and the questions she wants to be answered. For the possibilities that may unfold before her.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice? YES (?)/ NO.

Do you frequently write headcanons? YES / NO.

Do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO.

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO.

Are you confident in your writing? YES / NO.

Are you a sensitive person? YES / NO.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?

I like to think that I do? I used to be really sensitive about critique and criticism before learning the differences between them and how to handle them. Though I will also absolutely stand up for myself if I feel the need to.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?

I love them!! I often do a lot of building based on those questions!

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?

I would say only if they are vocal to me about it. At that point, I would rather like to hear why they feel that way.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?

Same as above. I mean, I generally don’t care about that sort of thing. Everyone has opinions and ways they would go about such. But if someone is vocal about it to me? Then I would likely take it... badly? Not like I would internalize it, but I’d be a bit miffed that they are getting so belligerent about what should be a creative outlet and hobby.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?

Not personally. But also... why would they follow me at that point? That just seems... weird.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?

Oh, certainly. I use spell-check and Grammarly, but they aren’t infallible! Though some of it really is style...

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?

I try to be? This is a hobby, after all. Not work. Not something to stress over. At the end of the day, I just want everyone to be nice to each other and have fun, myself included.

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

Tagged by: @breselin Thank you <3

Tagging: Everyone! Anyone!

#♢𝓐 𝓜𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽'𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓿𝓮♢ (OOC)

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yaz-the-spaz · 5 years

Note

Hey Yaz! Drag me back into the Ziam fandom I got a bit lost hahahahaha... Hahaha.. ha.

hey nonnie! so when i first read your ask last week i def thought you were just looking for an update on what’s been happening with ziam/in the ziam fandom lately (admittedly i was distracted and not all there in the head while reading it cause i had a lot going on lol) but on re-reading your ask now i’m realizing i’m not actually sure if that’s what you were in fact looking for lol? and if it’s not, then i’m not sure what exactly you were asking for me to do and how to answer lol but i’m just gonna go ahead and do an update post anyway and if it’s not what you wanted just let me know but anyways onwards to the update…

so apologies if i’ve missed anything as i’ve been pretty out of the loop myself the last couple of months and really only know the highlights, which isn’t much, so for anyone else seeing this who’s been more on top of things if i left anything else major out that’s happened since my last glee update please do let me know or feel free to add on yourself, but anyway for those who’ve been out of the loop like me, as far as i know here’s what you missed on glee in ziam news:

liam:

released a fashion collab campaign with hugo boss on the 4th of july (shortly after he was also named a brand ambassador for them) - go check out the merch, it’s amazing (and features lots of chevrons 😏just like someone else’s merch of late) and there’s also really cool promo stuff all over his ig!

performed in saudi arabia, which got some backlash cause according to idiot twitter users performing in saudi arabia now = supporting the entire country’s anti-lgbtq policies/agenda…in other words, haters gon’ hate and make fools out of themselves in the process

performed in miami (as part of the hugo boss collab promo campaign), which sources tell me was mad packed with fans and had a higher turn-out than anyone, including his team, seemed to be expecting which is always great to hear :) :) :)

zayn:

tweeted support for unicef relief efforts in sudan

tweeted the phrase “enna sona” seemingly out of the blue but which quickly raised a lot of eyebrows cause it was literally hours (i think early in the morning on july 5th if i remember right?) after liam’s hugo boss campaign was officially released and not only translates to “very sweet/very beautiful” but is a reference to a song (from a bollywood movie ofc cause it’s zayn), the main lyrics of which include lines like “why did god make you into such a beautiful/sweet person”…could be ziam related, could be just zayn reaching out to his desi fans but either way the timing of it all was very 👀👀👀

tweeted a thank you message for his teen choice awards nom for ‘a whole new world’ - which was released in may and if you haven’t listened to it yet it’s a bop and you should definitely go listen to it right now :)

officially listed his ny apt for sale which i’m taking to mean that the goat rodeo that is the Z*gi Farce Press Tour is finally, finally officially over

also wasn’t sure which one of them to put this under cause it kind of involves both of them but the hugo boss account also liked a manip of zayn in liam’s merch, which was…interesting. though to be fair they were also tagged in it and it included the hashtag too so it’s possible it was just part of a mass-liking campaign of anything that tagged them and/or included the hashtag without really paying attention to what it was, or maybe they even just figured liking something 1d related was good promo…orrrr *tinhat on* it’s also possible the person/people who run the account are dark ziams lol

stuff i forgot:

zayn and liam were the only ones to post anything on the 9 years of 1d anniversary - zayn posted a selfie on ig (after months of radio silence) and liam posted a thank you message to the fans on twitter

thank you to @dddarklarrie for reminding me of this!

zayn posted a picture of this poem/passage on ig back in may about love and marriage that sounded very much like how we all think of ziam and their relationship

thank you to the nonnie for reminding me of this!

zayn also posted a selfie to ig with the red wolf tat clearly in view later that same day (may 5th)

#asks #anons #ziam #updates #glee updates #as always:#if i missed anything else major please do let me know and i will update it #(or feel free to just add on yourself)

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livvywrites · 5 years

Text

11/11/11 tag

I was tagged by the lovely @waterfallwritings. Thank you so much <3

1. How do you come up with ideas for your WIPs?

I put my headphones on, pop some music on, and pace around. And then I play pretend.

No, really, that’s what I do. I pretend to be my characters, in different situations, and I just... play around. I mess with things. I put them in modern situations. I put them in my favorite TV shows/books/movies/games. I have them switch places with a character in that show/book/movie/game. Sometimes I find them narrating their backstory to their future kid, or their friends, or whoever. I dunno. All sorts of crazy situations.

When that doesn’t help, I go and read. Or watch something. Or play something. I give it a rest for a bit. Something eventually comes to me.

2. How do you get past gaps in the plot?

Same answer as above, I guess? Letting myself really feel the characters, really be them, helps me view the situation as they would. I can generally resolve gaps pretty well that way!

3. What motivates you to keep writing?

My characters.

Sometimes it feels like they live in my head, just waiting for me to tell their story. I think about it all the time.

But other than that...

I mean, I was hospitalized a bunch as a kid. I got pneumonia a lot. And bronchitis (which developed into the former). A common cold could turn into bronchitis. I was a sickly kid with a terrible immune system. So I read. I read a lot. I read anything I could get my hands on. (Word of advice: Jurrassic Park and Stephen King novels are not really appropriate novels for a 10 year old to read. Or at least not one who hates gore. Like me.) A lot of those books touched me, influenced me and how I behaved growing up. I want to do that for other people. I want to write the novel they pick up and find themselves needing.

Also, you know what?

Sometimes my writing is pretty damn good.

4. Do you do any other kind of creative writing?

I write poetry!! My favorite poems are:

Death (lightly nsfw)

Wolf-Women (feminist poetry with werewolf themes)

Lonely Ghosts (Travelin’ Endlessly)

This poem I wrote about the main character of TMQ

I also roleplay for a favorite fandom of mine, and I write fanfiction. (You can find my stuff on my main blog, which is linked in my bio.)

5. Do you have any other creative hobbies besides writing?

I like to take photos! Usually of flowers and such. I’ll reblog this with some of my favorite ones~

I also like editing photos. By which I mean throwing lots of filters on them and trying to make them look ~artsy.~

6. What do you do when you’re stuck on a scene and don’t know how to get it out / write it?

I whip out my brackets. And I write a short scene description. Here’s an example off the top of my head--

[Fight scene. CHARACTER A gets injured pretty badly and begins to sway. CHARACTER B is so absorbed by their lover being hurt that they don’t notice when CHARACTER C is grabbed behind them. By the time they realized C has been kidnapped... it’s too late. CHARACTER A dies in their arms, but not before making them promise to save CHARACTER C.]

That’s a really emotional scene, fraught with tension and violence. Maybe I wasn’t feeling it, so I skipped it. But I want to remember what I was doing, hence the summary. Then I move on to the next scene. What the next scene would be in this scenario, I have no idea.

7. How do you decide how to end your WIP?

I’ve never really tried to put it into words, but because you asked, I’m gonna try.

So the first thing I think about is what my protagonist wants. In THE MARTYR QUEEN, Alinora wants her home back. She wants her people free again, and her family/loved ones back. Unfortunately, most of said loved ones are dead. But she can still save her people, so that’s her primary goal. To save her people, she needs to defeat Kai’os, and get him off of her throne/out of her homeland.

Now, let’s look at the antagonist. Kai’os wants to end the world and start a new one. Well--he doesn’t really want to do that, but he believes it’s a necessary evil, because that’s what Fate told him. What he really wants is to keep his family--his two daughters--safe. And that’s how he can best do that. According to Fate. In order to end the world, he has to be able to get to the World Tree. And to get to that, he needs Alinora.

So obviously, at the ending, the two of them are going to clash.

But what happens during/after the clash? Well, now, that’s where I have to think about the OTHER things going on. Alinora’s personality, for instance. What her friends are doing. The “bigger” players in the game--Death and Fate. What I have planned for the next books, and what I need to have happen for Alinora’s character arc.

I hope that was a good explanation ^^;

8. When in the process of writing do you decide how its going to end? Or do you kind of just wait til you get there?

I generally know my endings before I’m even halfway through the story. TMQ’s I knew before I even started writing it. Sapphire Dreaming’s I realized pretty early in the game as well.

9. Why did you decide to join writeblr?

I have been looking for a supportive writing community for so long. I found one on a fantasy forum called Worldsmyths that’s lovely, but people are more apt to talk about the technical aspects of writing on there. Which is great, and all of the advice on there is really good and well thought out. But I also really, really like hearing about other people’s WIPs and talking about mine in turn.

So when I found out that was how Tumblr’s writeblr worked... that’s when I decided to start getting involved in the community. And I’ve found so many WIPs that way!!! And found people who like my ideas too, which was like: what? Because while I’ve met supportive people before this is different. And it’s really nice.

10. What’s your favourite food?

Favorite... food?

I have to... I have to pick?

But, but ToT I can’t.

I’ll try anyway though, I guess, because you asked :P

Let’s see... my favorite dessert is a toss up between tiramasu and cheesecake, but I also really, really like brownies.

Breakfast wise, it’s hard to go wrong with blueberry pancakes or a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. Or omelets.

For lunch, I really like sandwiches. Lately I’ve been on a subway kick, and I’ve been ordering a tomato basil wrap with rotisserie chicken, mozz cheese, spinach leaves, ranch dressing, and green peppers. It’s so good.

For supper... Oh, jeez. I eat a lot of chicken and pasta, but I also really like steak and bbq!!

I’m not a big fan of fruit, but I like blackberries and raspberries!! I also really like peaches and cherries.

I love vegetables. My favorites are peas, broccoli, and cucumbers.

...what. was that not in the spirit of the question?

11. If you had to kill off a character in your WIP, who would it be and why?

Um.

So in Sapphire Dreaming, if I had to kill a character off... fuck. I dunno. Maddock, I guess? Side characters are okay right? His death could be really fun, though it would absolutely destroy Aura.

I mean, if I had to choose a main character... I guess it’d be Chase. I love him a lot, I really do, and he is important to the story but. I can’t get rid of Aura or Melantha or [SPOILER].

In The Martyr Queen...

Um.

I actually answer that question in the story itself, so, uh.

I’m just gonna. Move on to the tags & new questions now.

I tag:@witchywrite; @marniebalboa; @quartzses; @she-writes-love; @idreamonpaper (lemme know if you want to be added or removed. yes i know this isn’t eleven people. get nervous about tagging people in things ^^;)

My questions are:

1. Do you have any ideas for future WIPs you’re excited about?

2. What’s your favorite part of writing?

3. What’s your favorite aspect of the genre you write?

4. What themes/tropes do you find show up in the majority of your ideas? (E.g. found family, belonging, love triangles, etc.)

5. Do you have a routine or ritual you do before writing? (E.g. lighting a candle, putting on a playlist, making a specific beverage)

6. What would your ideal place to write look like?

7. Do you sort your characters into, say Hogwarts Houses or Meyers Briggs Types? (Or other kinds of archetypes?) If so, which characters fall where?

8. Have you ever participated in a character chat? (An almost roleplay chat where you introduce your characters to other characters. Sometimes they’re focused around a time limit with specific questions, as on Twitter, but sometimes they’re more free form.)

9. How much prewriting do you do before you start writing?

10. What’s the last book you finished reading? Would you recommend it?

11. What’s your favorite piece of writing advice, or favorite quote about writing?

#tag games #thank you for tagging me!!!#i love this particular tag game #((i love all tag games))

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gabbalot · 7 years

Photo

Sooo @merriemelodie I’m replying to this ask here because I hardly use my main 🙃.

Here we go!

1. Rosehip tea: Which book did you love when you were younger?

Let’s see, when I was really, really young? I loved the Ptolemy Turtle picture books, which I’m just now realizing were only a Jamaican thing?? How did I go my whole life living in this bubble. I also loved Amelia Bedelia books, because she was just so…bad at like everything! But!! She was earnest and pleasant, and as such she was loved deeply in return.

2. Peppermint tea: What is your favourite gif at the moment?

asdfjklkshsijdo HOW COULD I CHOOSE JUST ONE!?

But if I have to…

(that’s me everytime I read your tags on the drabbles from the wonderful , talented people of the YOI fandom.)

3. Hibiscus tea: What is a song you can always hear?

Ahhh another unfair question. I think that maybe it would have to be Yellow by Coldplay, Numb by Sia…..or Mr. Brightside by The Killers (I’m sorry, but I get hype every time).

4. 24 flavors: What is your favourite word?

-One (1) favourite? Why must I struggle so-

So, after a lot of thought, I am finally putting my foot down. I refuse to pick just one. But I will say that among my favorite mouth-sounds, a few that immediately come to mind are any and all of the words defined by @dictionaryofobscuresorrows. But really, my top 4 are:

Morii, n. - the desire to capture a fleeting experience.

(This especially resonates with me after hearing that your current favorite word is Ephemeral.)

Lutalica, n. - the part of your identity that doesn’t fit into categories.

Kairosclerosis, n. - the moment you realize that you’re currently happy—consciously trying to savor the feeling—which prompts your intellect to identify it, pick it apart and put it in context, where it will slowly dissolve until it’s little more than an aftertaste.

Apomakrysmenophobia, n. - fear that your connections with people are ultimately shallow, that although your relationships feel congenial at the time, an audit of your life would produce an emotional safety deposit box of low-interest holdings and uninvested windfall profits, which will indicate you were never really at risk of joy, sacrifice, or loss.

(I admit, I struggle to pronounce this one, but what an apt name it is for a feeling that I’ve struggled to rationalize all these years.)

I honestly just love that most, if not all of these words aren’t immediately recognizable by sound alone, but they are immediately recognizable by feeling. And although they aren’t quite as popular as words defined in published dictionaries, I find that they serve their purpose quite well, and they hold just as much worth (for me, anyways) as any other mouth-sound published in some outdated reference book, as John Koenig explains here.

(and while we’re being Extra, tell me that Adronitis and Moment of Tangency don’t just scream Victuuri???)

But alas, that’s all I have! If you’ve made it to the end, thanks, and I love you.

#The last question took me approximately 4 hours to narrow down #and I'm still not even sure if I'm satisfied #but at least I live up to my name #(Gabby....meaning I talk. too. MUCH)#regardless #thank you for the lovely ask 😍#long post #personal #asks

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mysticdragon3md3 · 7 years

Text

9:49 PM 11/24/2016 (after watching ep7; before watching ep8) I feel out of sync with the rest of the Yuri on Ice fandom.

I feel like 45% of the fandom is losing their minds over the shonen ai (maybe even getting insulted that I used the term "shonen ai", even though, compared to "yaoi" or "BL", that's the most literal reference to the male/male romantic subplot, while still also referencing anime being more apt to pander to fujoshi than portray realistic or at least dignified male/male romance), another 45% is ready to attack anyone who isn't also using the series as a talking point against heteronormativity, 5% are insisting it's just a sports anime with no romantic undertones, and another 5% want Victuuri's bond to develop further before we'll jump head-long into saying they're "totally in full-blown love right now". I'm in the last camp. And maybe that's made 95% of people stop reading this essay.

But quite frankly, I'm exasperated with how quickly the Yuri on Ice fandom became this landmine, where any little literary criticism was labelled as being against homosexual romance stories. Please stop doing that. Any good story is worth analyzing and standing up to criticism. And I won't say Yuri on Ice is a flimsy series. I'm all for any type of good romance, as long as it is not a cliche, "harlequin novel", shallow rom-com type of romance (which happens to be about 90% of the Romance genre stories out there). So maybe you can see why people in my camp are reluctant to just jump in from the very beginning and say that protagonists have been in love since first sight. That's not enough for us; that's not meaningful for us. That's not the type of story we enjoy. (Unless we're in the mood for shallow smut---Let's be sex positive here: Sometimes that's just what we're in the mood for. I suppose in the same way, shallow romance, which just gets immediately to the "romantic situations", is just what the Romance genre geeks are in the mood for, 24/7.) And when we see a story with such character depth and potential for an actual, emotionally substantial portrayal for romance, like Yuri on Ice, it feels sad to just rush it and assume all aspects of the story should be interpreted as rooted into the romantic subplot, rather than to wait for it to grow. After all, rushing to romantic interpretations implies that deeply intense platonic relationships as invalid, rather than equally significant. And in this romance-obsessed society, it's getting kind of tiring seeing all deep relationships assumed to end in Romance, and that result taken as being the norm. (Maybe I'm gray-A-romantic? Who knows.)

It's dumb of me to feel exasperated with everyone so strongly asserting their interpretations of Yuri on Ice, because a story can have multiple interpretations. And the more meanings that people can read into a story, the better proof of that story's quality. That versatility (rooted in a fundamental human experience) is what enables a story to "speak to" people. Like when "Frozen" was interpreted as an allegory for multiple repressed ways of life, by everyone from introverts, to homosexuals, to people with social anxiety disorder, even though the writers explained in interviews that they were intending a portrayal of artists who needed outlets of expression. The fact that that movie could be interpreted in so many ways, and mean so much to so many different people's issues, was proof of the story's power, relevance, and catharsis. So it's actually a good thing that Yuri on Ice's interpreted themes can have such versatility. I just don't want to feel like I'm going to get pounced on for disagreeing with anyone---even slightly! o~o

Like for example, here are some criticisms I have for the argument that Yuri on Ice should be treated as just as a "shonen ai" series, as 90% of the fandom has made me feel:

1) Yuri is an extremely introverted, socially cut-off type of person with few friends and difficulty maintaining bonds with the friends he has. His whole conflict with getting the music for his free program, revolved around him still needing to learn to be more open to people, whether that meant staying in touch, depending on them, sharing his vulnerabilities, or understanding that they wouldn't reject him for it. As such a private person, it seems out of character for him to jump at Romance, at the first chance. If he does feel it, it would be more reasonable for him to not even realize he was in love. This is why he lumped-in Victor along with his family and friends, during the press conference where he stated his season's theme as "Love". Yuri was just now learning to be aware of, accept, and mutually reciprocate the platonic bonds he had. He wasn't about to be totally in romantic love now. And without that conscious awareness and acceptance of any love he feels (whether romantic, platonic, or subconscious), it can't be fully realized until he consents to his own feelings. If (Romantic) Love is such an advanced form of human relationship, often cited as the realm of the mature, then how can detached Yuri, of all people, have fully realized it yet (halfway through the season 1)? I think the enjoyment of a "character study" series like Yuri on Ice is to watch Yuri gradually develop those emotional senses, so it would be a shame and a foregone conclusion to the plot, for Yuri to come to that mature developmental level too early in the series. I want to watch Yuri go from becoming comfortable with his familial relationships, to his friendships, then to deeper friendships, then to intense platonic relationships, then to romantic love. I'm here for the whole show, and when Yuri on Ice presented itself more like a "character study" than anything else, it set itself up for that higher expectation.

2) Let's face it: Most of the Victuuri scenes (first half of the series) have been just pandering to fujoshi. I've seen enough BL; I recognize it when I see it. And as some other people have noted, a lot of the Victurri scenes so far, have been played for laughs. How is that different from all the sex comedy gags from harem genre anime? I'll take Victurri seriously, when the series stops treating their sexual tension scenes as just comedic or fanservice.

3) There need to be more scenes of Victor and Yuri building a rapport and defining their characters to the audience, for us (or at least me) to believe they're really in love. There's been a lot of "character study" scenes on Yuri since the series began. And there have been glimpses of what deep-seated issues and needs Yuri has, that Victor happens to fulfill. We need more scenes like the one at the beach where Yuri's monologue noted how when he opens up, Victor meets him half way, and after learning what a struggle it is for Yuri to open up, we feel how significant Victor's outreach to him is. We need WAAAAAYYY more of that, to get to levels substantial enough to call Romance. And we need to know more about Victor too. What do we know other than he's flippant, playful, and impulsive? What does he value most, and does Yuri coincidentally embody those same values? Some characters have mentioned in-passing that Victor values surprising the audience while he skates, more than anything. But "tell vs show" doesn't cut it, especially when the series itself has established precedent of good "show vs tell", when it comes to portraying characterization. The series has already gotten us to _feel_ along with the characters before, so it can't skip out on that level of portrayal now, especially on emotions as advanced as romance. We need to not just hear second-hand about what they're like and assume they must be feeling this. When Victuuri happens fully, consciously, and consensually, it better be as equally visceral as Yuri on Ice has made us feel hesitant, self-doubting, afraid, and surprised with ourselves, along with Yuri's internal journey, regarding everything else in his life.

All that said, I _am_ very eager to see some true Victuuri. (After the debacle of some series sinking seemingly canon ships, I'd more than welcome Victuri canon.) I'm just willing to wait until it's fully baked. I won't settle for raw cookie dough, after what this series has already proven to be able to do with characterization. And I expect that when it does come, fully cooked, it will be the most savory katsudon EVER.

On Nov 22, 2016 2:36 am I reblogged http://mysticdragon3md3.tumblr.com/post/153512094252/rainbowcitrin-i-don-t-care-what-people-are and commented in tags: #same #i'm picky about believing characters are in love #if yuri on ice gives enough reasons to believe then i would get behind victuuri all the way #too many romance stories expect you to suspend disbelief & just accept romantic scenarios #i'm watching yoi for character study & sports anime & not for a hollywood rom-com movie #yoi has potential for romance on a believable foundation

On Nov 30, 2016 4:21 pm I wrote: http://mysticdragon3md3.tumblr.com/post/153882409577/i-cant-be-excited-about-the-new-episode-of-yuri

#please ignore my idiocy #md3 watches yuri on ice #platonic love #romantic love #reasonable relationship progress #picky with my OTPs #2017-04-22 edit: I just realized I got the most important word of my 3rd paragraph wrong #OMG typos

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