Adverbs Feel Like Anathema To Me, Which Is Weird Because I Fucking Love Them. It’s Just Been Drilled

I think that we live or die under the tyranny of perfection. Socially, we are pushed towards being perfect. Physically, beautiful to conform to standards that are cruel and uncommon, to behave and lead our lives in a certain way, to demonstrate to the world that we are happy and healthy and all full of sunshine. We are told to always smile and never sweat, by multiple commercials of shampoo or beer. And I feel that the most achievable goal of our lives is to have the freedom that imperfection gives us. And there is no better patron saint of imperfection than a monster.

Happy 52nd Birthday, Guillermo del Toro! (October 9, 1964)

Jeremy Brett was easily the best Holmes

I had to download the episode and cut out this scene because I need this clip from Granadas The Speckled Band. It's the scene that made me fall in love with Jeremy Brett. <3

The laugh! The smile! This man was such a treasure. <3 <3 <3

Camellia Station

Name: Camellia Station

Fandom: Stardew Valley

Ship: Elliott/Shane

Status: Ongoing

Notes: Chapter 8 preview. Not edited yet.

Read the whole fic on AO3

Someone else was with her and Shane couldn't bear to look at him in anything other than a side glance. Elliott wore a somber smile as he stepped forward and held out his parting gifts. A composition book, not one of the kinds with metal spiral binding, but one stitched together on the inside. The other was a leather-bound copy of some old book that Shane didn't read the title of because he was too embarrassed to be getting gifts at all.

"Thanks. Uhm… super thoughtful," Shane said as he set his bag down, took the books, then rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

"My pleasure. I'm… we're all very proud of you, Shane. This path is a thorny one to walk, but you have the strength to see it to the end. I believe that whole-heartedly."

"Fuck's sake," he huffed, eyes stinging.

The past four days already left him feeling like an exposed nerve end. Three days in the clinic to detox and wait out a 72-hour hold, one spent at home so he could pack while his paperwork got approved. Harvey worked quick to make sure there was a bed ready for him at a six week program in Zuzu. Shane suspected the good doctor planned for this well in advance.

Now he stood here, belly full of pancakes Marnie helped Jas make, and had to endure an unexpected going away party. They might be there to actually see him off or they could be there to make sure he didn't walk in front of the train. Maybe both. Probably both.

Emily got the balloons off the basket's handle and pressed it into Shane's open hand. He had to readjust his things, stuffed the books into his bag so he could get out his ticket when the train came. Once that was settled, Emily pulled him into a big bear hug. He froze, stunned for a moment that she was hugging him at all and that she was so damn strong. Then he returned the hug with as much strength as he could muster. Over her shoulder, he met Elliott's eyes and held them for a moment before looking away.

"When did you start lifting steel beams for fun? What the hell?" He asked, wheezing a little for effect.

She pulled away, took a step back and wiped her eyes as she giggled.

"You'd be surprised what carrying kegs around can do for a girl."

Shane picked up his bag, felt the extra weight of his gifts in it. Felt the extra weight of other people's expectations. Or maybe it was their genuine good will? As he looked between the two of them, Shane honestly wasn't sure what was better or worse.

Was he suppose to say something now? Make a speech or cry or gush about how much their support meant? He had no idea how to behave and it didn't look like they did, either. At least he wasn't the only one who wasn't equipped for this kind of thing. The three stood in relative silence, Emily only chiming in now and then with a word of encouragement or a remark about how the fog started to clear up.

Elliott tried to keep up the conversation, but it kept petering out, returning them back to uneasy quiet periodically. But Shane appreciated his effort. He appreciated Emily's, too, but Elliott held more weight in his mind right now. After all the weird shit that went on between them since the Spring, it continued to amaze him that the guy would keep showing up. That Shane kept wanting him to show up.

Faint anxiety stirred in Shane's chest. It occurred to him that Elliott might use Shane's stint in rehab as an excuse to put some distance between them. It was his life, sure, but the thought that Elliott might choose to stop coming around made Shane nervous in a way he couldn't quite understand. It was like the feeling he had right before he got the results from all the x-rays and CT scans when they were trying to figure out if he could play gridball again. Like something bad that he never anticipated was just around the corner.

A train horn sounded in the distance. Almost time.

He decided to see what a little courage might feel like.

As much as I desperately want my fics to be up to the same standard as a traditionally published work, I’m not a literary editor.

I’ve been an editor of professional copywriting for many years, but I’ve come to learn that there is a gap between the skills needed for professional/technical editing and literary editing. Maybe not a vast gap. It’s still there.

All that to say, fanfiction gives writers and editors an opportunity to learn new skills. We should always keep honing our craft, no matter what that looks like.

I hate that there’s a stigma around fanfiction writing because it presents such a rich opportunity to grow as writers and editors.

And I hate even more that such a stigma stems from misogyny. There’s a pre-conceived notion that writers who are women (often queer women) and young don’t have anything worthy to offer. Of course, it swings in every direction for women of every age. Misogyny is no respecter of age, but the way some folks talk about young women’s writing makes me want to throw hands.

You — yes, you, fanfic writer reading this — need to keep doing what you’re doing. There is no more noble endeavor than creating something you love in earnest.

Don’t stop. Please.

I have read fanfics that have left me in tears, both happy and sad, had me laughing my ass off, wanting to scream. Fanfics might be seen as weird and taboo (weirdly enough) but no one can say that some fics aren’t so well written it feels like you’re reading a best selling book!

So excited for this!! And I have some of my pairs picked out 👀

* Fake Relationship: Shane/Sam

* Close Proximity: Leah/Abigail

* Opposites Attract: Shane/Elliott

* Forbidden Love: Caroline/Jodi

* Free Day: Haley/Penny

Still noodling on Enemies to Lovers and Second Chances. The inspo will surely come… maybe. We’ll see!

INTRODUCING RAREPAIR WEEK: 21ST - 27TH APRIL 2025

We have been teasing this on the server for a while now, so I am excited to announce the prompts below.

RULES AND FAQ HERE

Happy writing everyone!

I’ve gotten a friend into A Stain and I cannot overstate how fast I texted her about this update!! Like I saw the post and my consciousness beamed directly into hers basically.

AND GODDAMN WHAT A CHAPTER

It nourished my soul ❤️

Stardew Valley - 57/? - A Stain that Won’t Dissolve - Alex/Sebastian

Title: A Stain that Won’t Dissolve Rating: Explicit Pairing: Alex/Sebastian Tags: Hurt/comfort, aged-up characters (mid 20s), minor character death, angst, injury, grief, miscommunication, bullying, enemies to lovers, dubious consent, internalised homophobia, closeted character, past child abuse, dyslexia, antagonist farmer, unrequited love, pining, acceptance, top!Sebastian, bottom!Alex, power dynamics, happy ending.

Summary: Alex hates Sebastian – which is great because Sebastian more than returns the favour – and what starts out as revenge fantasy turns into unironic lust, which evolves into unrequited love. Alex gets a job, Sebastian marries the farmer, and both of them lose almost everything before finding each other again. A story of two mutual bullies who learn how to messily grow up.

A Stain that Won’t Dissolve - Chapter 57 - End a Fight With Flowers

In which Sebastian finally gets Alex to talk to him, but not without some pressure first, and Alex reveals a lot more than he meant to. At the end of their conversation, Sebastian presents Alex with something unexpected.

Finally someone said it

hey when you make posts, i just want you to know, thou/thee/thy/thine/ye are like he/you(object)/your/yours/you(subject) okay? "thou art wearing shoes," "i will wear shoes for thee," okay?

you say thine if the next word starts with a vowel and thy if the next word starts with a consonant and they both mean "your" so "thine own shoes," "thy shoes," okay?

and ye means you and refers to the subject of a sentence, "ye members of the brotherhood of shoes," okay? you need this information to create better knight yaoi. i'm personally more interested in nun yuri but we are a community

Adorable! I love this for him.

And relatable because this is the standard reaction I get from anyone I make listen to The Decemberists.

Hi, hello.

All this recent talk about Shane coded songs made me think about Harvey a bit. I’m of the opinion that he’d be a fan of the Decemberists, and from that thought came what has got to be the most self-indulgent little thing I’ve ever written.

Look below the cut for some SFW fluff.

Contains: domesticity and conversations best suited for those of us whose musical tastes crystallized in the 2006 indie folk scene.

Harvey had a vinyl collection. It was endearing, his dedication to physical media. Mostly jazz albums, smooth and smoky, all warm and rich through his speakers.

You weren’t much for jazz. He had some other options too, but you weren’t sure those were for you either.

“Why do you listen to music about dead babies?”

You’d asked it while washing the dishes. Harvey nearly dropped the plate in his hands. “What!?”

You shrugged. “I put on one of your records and the guy was singing about a dead baby.”

“You… what album?” Harvey’s eyes were crinkled in bemusement.

“It had a boat on it?”

Harvey thought for a second, then his face lit in recognition. “The Decemberists! They’re wonderful!”

You laughed. “Didn’t know your taste was so… edgy?”

“Oh no no no.” Harvey was blushing. “That track… not a good representation. Here.” He dried his hands, grabbed yours, pulled you into his hobby room. You leaned against the door, trying to control your smile as he rifled through his albums. He made a small “ah” sound as he pulled one out. “This is a better starting point.”

Strings filled the room, and you settled in on the floor to listen. You liked this one a little better, but…

“Is this a song about a couple jumping off a cliff together?”

“…yes?” Harvey ducked his head, an embarrassed smile playing on his lips.

“I mean, I like it better than the dead baby one…”

“Hmmm…” Harvey fiddled with the player again. “They’re known for this one. Might want to sit down, it’s long.”

You appeased him, doing your best not to knock into the model that was drying on the table next to you. Harvey joined, picking up a bit of sandpaper. He worked away at a few small pieces of wood as you spent the next nine minutes trying to follow the action of a rambling nautical tale.

“So let me get this straight,” you said as an accordion reeled through its outro. “This dude bankrupted the kids mom and gave her an std or something, so the singer took to sea to kill him, but then they both got swallowed by a whale, but he’s still gonna kill him?”

Harvey nodded, keeping his eyes on his project. “Yup. That’s… that’s about it.”

“Huh.” You sat and watched him for a moment as he smoothed away at a rough edge. The track transitioned, a gentle guitar picking, the lead singer’s lowing tenor sliding through a simple melody.

You recognized it.

“I think I know this one?” You tried to place it. It sounded a little different in your head. Softer. Hummed.

Harvey was blushing again. “I get it stuck in my head sometimes. It’s one of my favorites. ‘Of Angels and Angles.’ Makes me think of you.”

“Awww…” You couldn’t help the slow smile. That was exactly it. Harvey would hum it sometimes around the house, or, now that you were thinking a little harder, when you were in bed, head on his chest, the melody rumbling beneath you as you grew up warm and tired and relaxed.

Harvey’s lips were moving, singing without singing as he brushed away a bit of dust from the wing he held.

There’s a swallow

There’s a calm

Here’s a hand to lay on your open palm today

You stood, wrapped your arms around his shoulder, buried your face in his hair as the song wound its way to its end. “Alright,” you said. “That was a lot better than the first one I heard. What else you got?”

Harvey tilted his head up at you. “Ever heard the story of the crane wife?”

You hadn’t, but now you couldn’t wait to hear all about it.

Far and away my favorite trope.

Like what do you mean they’ve moved from simple friendship to deep, unconditional love so seamlessly that neither of them noticed? That their lives became irrevocably entangled without a second thought?

I’m feral for it. Rabid. Shaking these two back and forth in my jaws like a delighted dog with its favorite toy.

"Didn't know they were dating" is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite tropes. What do you mean, these two characters who are soulmates haven't actually been in a long-term relationship like everyone thought? What do you mean they didn't know? Everyone knows!

I have writer's block this weekend, so I thought I'd post my OTPs!

Some rarepairs, some popular pairs. Just a general mix 'em up.

I'll throw in some other fandoms outside my mains rn just for giggles

Stardew Valley

Haley/Penny

Shane/Elliott

Fear & Hunger: Termina

Daan/Marcoh (shout out to the five other Daarcoh fans lol)

Abella/Olivia

JJBA

Jotaro/Kakyoin (specifically in everyone lives Part 4 AUs)

Jonathan/Speedwagon

Johnny/Gyro

Rohan/basically every man lol

Suikoden I/II

(A lot of these are based on my headcanon playthroughs)

Riou/Jowy

Viktor/Flik

Leona/Hilda

Eilie/Nanami

Rina/Oulan

Death Mark

Mashita/Yoshiki

This is an incomplete list and I might come back to it later :)