Hands In Denis Sarazhin’s Art

demiromantic neil josten i did for the #ABpride2024

What if Ronan asked Gansey to shave his head? What if he needed help huh?

neil: hostage or not, sometimes it’s nice being held

Wonder why he’s so happy? 🤔

jeremy saying “why are all the ravens the same major!! that’s terrible!!” while he himself could only choose from a few majors bc of his family is wild btw. brother look AROUND

Reader Appreciation

I’ve been seeing a lot of amazing posts lately thanking fanfic writers for that good, good content that we’re all disappearing into right now. And I love these posts, and FUCK YES, the healing power of art during these rough times, it can’t be said enough. But I feel like there’s something missing from these posts, and that’s the readers.

A lovely friend of mine recently shared something with the caveat that they “contribute basically nothing to fandom” and I was fucking floored. Like. This person has made playlists for fic, and shared art, and reached out to me to talk about my stories and other stories and like - that is the Work. They made me feel like my shitty writing was good enough to share, and that made me write more, and connected me with more people, and that sort of contribution doesn’t get acknowledged enough. I don’t write fiction because I have to, or for the likes or hits or whatever; I write it because I have a story I want to tell. On the days when my brain is cooperating, writing is a pleasure. On the days when my brain isn’t cooperating, comments from readers make my words feel meaningful anyway. This isn’t a one-way street, a producer/consumer situation. Or at least, it doesn’t feel like that to me.  And my best writing has been done when people are holding me accountable, or are pushing me to do better and I’m so grateful for that. And so grateful for you.

So. To the readers who comment on every chapter. To the readers who leave thoughtful essays in the comments and the readers who leave 😭❤️😱 or keysmashes. To the readers who are inspired for the first time to make art or write something themselves. To the readers who leave kudos. To the readers too anxious to comment (I’ve been there, sat in a space where I had no idea how to express how a story made me feel) and the fandom ghosts who dip in and read and vanish.

To readers who like or reblog or share or rec or send messages or don’t do any of these things.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for building this community.

Thank you for reading.

The only colorful thing in his closet

so you know how in the championship game with the ravens, andrew proposed that neil play backliner to take over for matt who'd mildly injured his ankle? i know it's mainly for practical and logistic reasons but you cannot convince me it isn't some sort of symbolism too.

all year long andrew had been staunchly refusing to accept anyone's protection of him, adamant that he doesn't want nor need it. he was particularly unappreciative when neil had tried twice to protect or spare andrew from harm to the point that neil sacrificed himself and got hurt in the process.

but then in the last portion of the championship game, andrew volunteered the idea of taking neil away from his role as offense/attacker and replace it with defense/protector instead, to keep the opposing striker's attempt at goals away from andrew at neil's back. and that? that is andrew asking for and accepting neil's help and protection!!

you know what that is? growth

lmao haven't been here in a long while Today I offer: Howl's Moving Castle redraws

neil josten ignoring death threats from the fucking mafia just so he can keep playing stickball with his deranged friends