🌟🐙 An Approaching Askblog🐙🌟

Askblog for the cast of An Approaching Madness | SF/DAWTDE AU | banner image by Shioko

[an-approaching-askblog]

the stars incline their silver heads to you.

hi, i'm Avery Hastings (you can call me Aves)! this is the askblog i'll be running for me and my friends. please feel free to send in your questions. we're excited to answer them!

Some of us are a little more excited than others, Aves.

hey man speak for urself i love answering questions. most of the time. send me questions guys i'll give the coolest answers trust.

I'm not sure how well I can answer the questions, but I'll do my best.

hi everyone! i'm talon, the author of An Approaching Madness, and this is the official AAM ask/rp(?) blog!

in-character the blog is run by Avery, but will feature replies from all of the main cast (Avery, Derek, Alex, and Deanna). their text cues are as follows:

Avery - regular text. "Dialogue in quotes."

Derek - bolded text. "Dialogue in quotes."

Alex - bolded and italicized text. "Dialogue in quotes."

Deanna - italicized text. "Dialogue in quotes."

AAM is only published up to chapter 18, so some questions the crew may not be able to answer until more of the story comes out, but they will do their best!

Tag List:

#[answered asks]: answered asks

#['character name' says]: Avery, Derek, Alex, or Deanna posting

#[they're all in the car]: posts featuring the whole crew

#[post that doesn't exist]: canon AWTDE discussion/references

#[an approaching post]: GitM/AAM discussion/references

#[left at the post]: interaction with other AWTDE blogs

#[break the walls]: long rp post/thread

#[draw the sigil]: end of thread

#[gitm/aam]: author's posts about the fic universe

#[talon's eldritch ramblings]: exactly what it looks like

Have fun!!!

[an-approaching-askblog]

In the eldritch expanse between the stars, a pen that is also a blade is laid against the shoulder of a waiting knight who breathes out words of starlight and shadow.

'Do you accept the burden of this tale, knowing its magnitude and scope?'

'I do.'

[congratulations to Fen on being officially promoted to AAM coauthor after 10 chapters as the world's greatest beta reader! this story belongs to him as much as it does to me and we are so excited to continue sharing the tale we both love so much.

also, a HUGE thanks to @nejmenmej for illustrating this INCREDIBLE scene of Fen's 'knighting' lol. ik you said this was a shitpost but it is one of the greatest pieces of art i have ever received and i am obsessed with it.

<3 talon]

[an-approaching-askblog]

HIIII TALOOOOONNN GUES WHO IT IIISSSSS

(guys guys get ready for the long ass ask wait)

SO! Hello! Chapter 20 made me hate Him more than ever. Did you? Yes. Okay. Good to know.

QUESTIONS FOR MY BOYYYSSSSSSSSSSS (its 10:30 pm and my birthday is tomorrow. I am tired, so I am sorry if this sucks. 😓😓 PLUS, im adding the Derek questions from before to be answered. Pls bro.)

FOR...... AVERY!!! AWWW AVERY MY BABYYYYY MY KINNIE haiii averyyyyyy: how are you feeling? did you sleep well in the cuddle pile ;) also, I hope you know derek will be here for you. Please, be there for him. I want you to keep him safe any way you know how. Please. You're his boyfriend tether to the world, like soulbonded. So please, keep him safe? [[To lighten the mood—I need ideas to do for my birthday tomorrow, you have any ideas? :)) ]]

FOR.... Alex :))) hi alex!!! haiiiii: what did you imagine for the King's little world? like the one my baby boy Derek was trapped in for like... days.... also, what would you have said if Derek HAD died? like, would you cry or.... ((to lighten the mood; Alex, what's your favorite thing to do that you haven't had time to do? Unrelated, but just wanted to know.!!))

For.... Deanna!!!! :)) hi!!!: What do you think of Derek being trapped in the King's dimension while he sleeps? Did you know of anything like this from living with the DMS? :))) Also to lighten the mood, which do you prefer, rainy days or sunny days?

-

okay..... slowly approaches derek because I worry for him

DEREK. MY CHILD.: ARE YOU OKAY!??? DUDE. WHAT THE FUCK HAS THE CUCK BEEN PUTTING YOU TRHOUGH, TORTURING YOU LIKE THAT??????????? AUDXHXHJSJSN DUDE okay.. Im gonna ask some things from before, but I'm honestly worried for your health. My sweet BABY. augh.

Here are some questions I left for you while you were asleep. Answer as many as you'd like! I don't want you to push yourself, baby.

[[[[To my beautiful baby boy Derek, even if he can't move right now (I am DEVASTATED at this news actually this makes me weep) but this is so he answers whenever he feels ready to and whenever he's feeling better! : Do you hate the King even more for putting you in that situation? Did the Knowledge course through you easier than normally, or nah? also do you think the King hates you, because he was being a straight asshole to my baby Avery about being his vessel. Are you angry at the King for being pushy with Avery? (also) Finally, Derek, are you ok?? :C I hope you feel better, you are ALWAYS my favorite (sorry guys but its true he goes through SO MUCH SHIT). Sorry if my comments make you feel uncomfortable though, Derek. I just say this because I feel like you should know there are TONS and TONS of people willing to help you!! just take averys help, please. Also I won't ask how the King looked when he appeared to you. I don't want you feeling worse than you are already. I love you (platonically).]]]]

[[[[Also, you should be with Avery more often dude..... 😕 he cares about you and I know you care about him but you HAVE TO KET PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF YOU ONCE IN A FREAKING WHILE.]]]]

I love you baby boy. Never forget that. Other people love you too. Please don't die. Please. If you die I will come to your funeral and sob so badly you'll get annoyed with how badly I'm crying. You are my child now. The Cuck in Yellow can catch these hands. I will be your mother bro this is not an exaggeration.

okay BYE AMIGOATS!!! love you all! stay safe! (please) and tell Avery he's also my adopted kid if he wants to be!!! okay bayyyy

-Mex.

---

Hi talon! you wouldn't BELIEVE how fast I ran to your fix the second I saw it update. its so GOOD??!!! also congrats on the fen addition!! so happy to see a cowriter! ><

OKAY OKAY! so, what gave you the idea to make Derek be.... IDK chased? why didn't the king torture him more or just not torture him at all, even though that wouldn't be entertaining... if he hated Derek so much?

LOVE YOUR WORK! if you're okay with it I want to @ you in my intro post because I love you?? you are my favorite author forever and ever??

love you SO much, if you have no fans I am DEAD AND GONE

(P.S. sorry if this sucks! 11pm now, um I have 2 go 2 Boston for my birthday and yk... its my BIRTHDAY. plus waking up early.. yada yada whatever.)

((p.s.s. THANK YOU for the early birthday gift, made me giggle and kiss my ipad. LOVE YOU!!!! <slimeknight are my children. they are MINE now. they can keep their original parents though>))

-Sincerely, Mex, self proclaimed #1 talon fan

WHOA. hi! wow this is a lot of questions i'll do my best to answer them all oh man okay here goes. uh...i slept okay. didn't wake up until 5 AM. guess Derek was right about me needing the rest. he usually is, even though i kinda hate it this time. had to wake him up again. it was...rough. he's up now, though. i will keep him safe. no matter what it takes. man, happy birthday! glad you've got good stuff going on. we could use a little of that here...if it were me, i'd wanna spend my birthday with my best friends, doing something we all love. maybe we'd all go to the mall, or go to a cool museum, and then we'd get dinner from Luca's -- that's the best Italian place near here. maybe you could do something like that. you're up, Alex.

oh boy my turn. man, i don't know what to imagine. Derek's description was gross and horrible. i don't wanna think about what he has to deal with in there. he's been through way too much already. god, if there were some way to just...make this all end... i um. i have no idea why you would ask me this? of course i would cry. Derek is like a brother to me. i can't even think about this or i'll lose it. favorite thing to do...i mean, i love playing guitar, if that counts. i don't get to practice as much as i want to 'cuz of work. i'm honestly amazed my hands still remember how to play. ...good to know there's still some of me left.

I guess it's my turn. No, I hadn't heard of anything like this when I was at the DMS. Honestly, I don't know that there IS anything like this. I don't know if an entity like the King has ever had a Vessel like Derek. From what he's said, most Vessels get...erased by the process. But Derek is still Derek, mostly. Although...that's becoming less and less true the longer this goes on. It scares me. He scares me. I don't want him to kill me, and I also don't want him to die. I prefer sunny days, most definitely. They're the best for taking walks outside and seeing the world around you. Rain is all right, unless it comes with lightning and thunder. Storms can get intense in the desert.

...I've been out of commission for a while, it seems. I'll...I'll do my best to answer these questions. I'm not sure I can accurately explain what's been happening inside the...internal world, I guess I'll call it. I will leave it there. I...don't really want to think about it anymore. I do hate Hastur. More than I think I have ever hated anyone or anything. For a multitude of reasons, but mostly because none of this is necessary. Not the hide-and-seek, not those people's deaths; all the way back to me finding the gates in the first place. None of it. And I hate that I'm going through it, but I especially hate that my friends are going through it. That Avery is. God, I hate it. I was not conscious during...what happened. I was...somewhere else. I only remember a lot of screaming. Pain. Eyes, teeth, hands, flesh...no, I don't want to think about this, either. Am I okay? .......... ...... ...No. No, I'm not.

[HELLO MEX!! i knew there would be an ask as soon as i saw your comment and you did not disappoint <3

actually, Cotton TYIPCS gave me the idea for the Hastur hide-and-seek! we were discussing how Derek's dreamscape would change after AAM19 and they mentioned the idea, and Fen and i went a little feral. as for why Hastur chose this specific method of torture? well...you'll see, hehe.

Fen says thank you for the congrats, and it would be lovely if you @ me in your intro post! i am so flattered by the praise and so glad you enjoy my writing this much!

i hope you have a very very happy birthday! much love from me!

<3 -talon]

[an-approaching-askblog]

finally, we get to...rest.

[thank you SOSOSOSOSO MUCH to @grey-washere for this INSANELY amazing commission which they completed in SEVEN (7!!!) HOURS OH MY GOD WHAT DRUGS ARE YOU ON AND CAN I HAVE SOME /POSPOSPOS

now that AAM20 is up i can finally share the AAM Snuggle Pile in all its glory <3 my children, getting a moment of the rest they deserve.

THANK YOU COTTON I LOVE YOU <3

-talon]

[an-approaching-askblog]

poof! Alex now has a tubr of neon green face paint and a brush. Go ham

Why…would you do that…??

because it’s fuckin hilarious is why. c’mere Deanna i just wanna talk

KEEP THAT AWAY FROM ME—

*various delighted Avery noises*

awww you look so cute! like a Martian.

You are going to regret this.

omg he’s right that is really cute! and funny! and wait Alex why are you coming toward me—HEY—

[an-approaching-askblog]

Hey guys! Question for all the peoples, what’s your dream job?

(Hi Talon :) )

honestly, i haven't thought much about it? i'm still only in 10th grade. i think maybe something to do with other people? i like meeting people and helping them.

Derek still can't answer for himself, but he told me he used to want to be a history teacher. he's getting a degree in computer science, though, because his mom wanted him to do something that was 'more flexible.' i don't know if he actually likes it. he says he does, but...hm.

bro, i have no fuckin idea. i work at a cafe right now. the last time i was conscious, i was Avery's age. i wanted to be an astronaut or some shit. i gotta figure out who i am first, and then i'll worry about that.

I...thought my dream job was to work at ArchIve. And I did that, and it was not what I thought. I think I still want to do something research-related. It's what I'm best at, and I'd like to use my skills to actually help people. Maybe data analytics? At least there's plenty of options.

[an-approaching-askblog]

heyyyyyy gang how we feelin? (don't answer that actually i can infer that the answer is bad) i think you guys deserve a question on the more mundane and sillier side right about now SO: what's everyones favorite time-waster phone game (if you have one)? ive personally been putting an embarrassing amount of time into block blast recently >_<

oh man yeah...thank you for this.

my absolute all time favorite phone game is Candy Crush. i love it so much. don't tell my mom but i play it at school if i finish my work early and there's nothing to do. i'm at like level 5470 or something like that. hitting combos is so satisfying.

also Derek can't really answer right now but i know his favorite phone game is Sudoku. he likes trying to figure them out without using his Knowledge. he says it's a nice brain exercise, and i think it makes him feel more like his old self.

i really like the game Duet, if you've ever heard of that. you control these two circles that are linked together, and you gotta flip them to maneuver through obstacles. it's all about reaction time. if you mess up you have to start the level all over again and i've definitely crashed out a couple times because of that, lmao.

My favorite phone game is Project Makeover. It's a match-3 game like Candy Crush, but you get to use the rewards to do makeovers for contestants on a fake reality show, kind of like Trading Spaces or What Not To Wear. I like the little stories that go with each level.

[an-approaching-askblog]

Do you guys know about Wifies? The guy that freed Alex from the original mind control before Derek fixed his brain.

[Also if there is an AAM Wifies, is he a youtuber or does he fuck with the DMS for the love of the game]

wi-who? i have no idea who that is. but if he freed Alex from the DMS then he's my friend regardless!

I was told that Project ETERNAL ended because of a server crash. There was a person responsible for it?

Yes. Someone who found out what was going on and thought he was setting Alex free by stopping it. He had no idea...well.

that i was basically a vegetable?

I wasn't going to phrase it like that.

it's the truth. and they would've kept my body there until it just stopped working like my brain did.

...Yes.

[there is no AAM Wifies the YouTuber, mostly because the logistics of making the videos canon to the series didn't really work. however there was a hacker responsible for shutting down the DMS server that Alex was imprisoned in -- a person who learned about ETERNAL and launched a counterattack to set Alex free, not knowing how badly his mind had been damaged by the experiment.

thank you for the ask!]

[an-approaching-askblog]

Hi you guys! Question for all the cast, would you guys ever try therapy once y’all are safe and sound? (Also, hiii talon! Your adopted lil sis here. If you need to take a break from writing, that’s completely okay. Take care of yourself before you take care of others! Love you platonically forever! 🥰)

i don't know that there's a therapist on this planet who could deal with what's wrong with us at this point.

Alex!

what?? i was psychologically tortured for 6 years, Derek has an infinite being in his brain, you grew up in a cult, and i have no idea WHAT the shit is going on with Avery but it's SOMETHING. and you think a regular therapist can help with that?

I mean...maybe not. But maybe it wouldn't hurt to try.

...yeah. maybe.

[hi Rose! i love you forever <3 thank you for the support and encouragement!]

[an-approaching-askblog]

It's pride month, you know what that means

huh what

do you want us to like...stop a gay eldritch ritual

[an-approaching-askblog]

This is js to Talon highkey. Are we ever gonna see a canon drawing of Eldritch Derek? From the writing of a scene in chapter 19 it would be cool to see pretty much exactly your idea of Derek but Hatsur-ified because it was INCREDIBLE to read🥺

[hi!

if by 'canon' you mean a drawing done by Miza, then that is entirely up to her! she has done all of the character art as an expression of love for AAM and i am so grateful and delighted for all her hard work! if she wants to draw a 'canon' Eldritch Derek then i will be excited to see what she creates!

there actually are drawings of AAM Derek being eldritch already, done by readers of AAM! if you want to see some really amazing fan work, check out these by Kaz and this one by an anonymous fan! as a fan creator myself, it absolutely blows my mind that people have read my writing and been moved to create such gorgeous art based on it. i love the SF/DAWTDE fandom and the AAM reader base so much!

much love,

talon <3]

[an-approaching-askblog]

Hi! This is for all of y’all and sorry if this is an imposing question, but what are your pronouns and/or your sexuality?

hi there! uhhh...i think we can just list them? is that okay with everybody?

Fine with me.

yeah sure go ahead

Okay.

Avery: he/him, heterosexual

Derek: he/him, aroace

Alex: he/him, bisexual

Deanna: she/her, heterosexual

[an-approaching-askblog]

YOU.

I HATE YOU /silly /pos

WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO MY BABY MY SHAYLA 😭😭😭

anyways questions!! I'm keeping it real with the questions don't think this wasn't planned >:(

[Probably a long ask! sorry guyses :(]

----

To my dear sweet Avery because Avery, you are amazing and I love you and I am SO very grateful that you sent that warning to your friends: How the FUCK did your ahh not die talking to the cuck in yellow /joking

no but seriously how did you not absorb anything after everyone in the restaurant did?? was it because you'd already seen the KiY? or

also the king sucks ass Avery. Try to stay strong; the indomitable human spirit can persist even in the face of infinity!! which means the king in yellow better CATCH THESE HANDS—

~

To Alex! (sorry for bringing up Minecraft last time btw :((( ): You're highkey smart for dipping like you did like immediately lmao ✌✌ leaving Avery to carry you I see! But what did you hear when the people were lowkey dying? like screams and like bones cracking??? orrr what? also did you think the devastation was gonna be that bad? I sure didnt!

~

To.... Deanna! Sweet summer child, its okay :) I'm sorry.. but...: What was it li!e feeling the Sleeper's influence? Did you finally feel how Derek felt? And did any of them try to find you after they found you out, or did they not because of... yk the cuck in yellow.

~

To my beautiful baby boy Derek, even if he can't move right now (I am DEVASTATED at this news actually this makes me weep) but this is so he answers whenever he feels ready to and whenever he's feeling better! : Do you hate the King even more for putting you in that situation? Did the Knowledge course through you easier than normally, or nah? also do you think the King hates you, because he was being a straight asshole to my baby Avery about being his vessel. Are you angry at the King for being pushy with Avery? (also) Finally, Derek, are you ok?? :C I hope you feel better, you are ALWAYS my favorite (sorry guys but its true he goes through SO MUCH SHIT)

Sorry if my comments make you feel uncomfortable though, Derek. I just say this because I feel like you should know there are TONS and TONS of people willing to help you!! just take averys help, please

Also I won't ask how the King looked when he appeared to you. I don't want you feeling worse than you are already.

Love all of you guys! Please stay safe!!!!! :)

Mex, signing off. (..but wait... AUTHORS NOOOTE!!!!)

--

For TALON!!! yippee!!!! I can see why the fix wrangled with you so much, I ate it with tears and my eyes and screaming in my soul :) I appreciate being fed though!

What was the HARDEST part about writing this chapter? And what was the most exciting? I do hate you for what you out Derek through, but it isn't an awtde fic without anyone going through pain! Right?

also talon I ONKY saw the fic after I got home from my art camp so sorry for kind of a late ask!!! As always, you're one of my FAVORITE authors, and thank you SOSOSOOSOSOS much for updating!!! such a happy and joyous day.

Stay safe and jolly! And cool, because it's also summer

-Mex, signing off (forreal this time.)

i...i have no idea. i've always thought it's because Derek wouldn't hurt me even when he's like that, but...that wasn't Derek. i should probably be dead, but i'm not. i kinda...don't want to think about it. thank you for the encouragement. trust me i wanna punch Hastur in the face as much as you do.

hey man it's cool. you didn't know. uh. i mean, we saw what happened in the main room. and i figured the King wasn't gonna leave the DMS people alive. but listening to those screams...god. i'll be hearing it in my nightmares forever. and the...SQUELCHING. based on how their faces looked...i can guess what that was. ugh.

I don't know that I'll ever understand how Derek feels. But this...I think I have a guess. I never want to experience that again. They were dragging me out of the restroom when Alex burst in. I think he shocked the one holding me enough that he let go. I was going to try to make a run for it through the exit door, but then we saw that yellow light, and then Alex dragged me back into the bathroom and said the King was coming and Avery told him to hide. And then...well. I think you know the rest.

uhm...Derek's not...he can't really...answer r-right now. i'll...i'll give him your questions when he's...better. thank you for sending him your support. he...needs it.

[hello sweet Mex!! thank you so much for your questions! i love getting to see them after i upload!!

the hardest part about writing this chapter was definitely the confrontation between Hastur and Avery. making sure to convey the surrealness of it while also making it an understandable exchange of dialogue was INSANELY difficult. i'm really glad it came out well!!

the most exciting part for me was writing the scene where Hastur-Derek steps out of the kitchen in full eldritch display! i've been waiting to make Hastur truly terrifying for ages and i had so much fun showing how scary the King can really be.

and yeah it's not an AWTDE fic without someone Derek suffering...

happy and joyous day to you as well my friend!! stay cool <3]

[an-approaching-askblog]

@ post chapter 19 Derek: how’s it going :)

uhm....Derek can't really answer right now. he...h-he's...

i gotcha Aves.

D's not doing good. he can't move. right now he's in the backseat of my car hopefully not dying.

also idk why there's a smiley face at the end of this?? that's??

[misseswallard]

Soooooo, I have been having a blast working on the official designs for the crew of Ghost in the Machine and An Approaching Madness fics that the wonderful @talonwings wrote on Ao3!!!

Please go read them!! My wonderful friend is doing an amazing job writing it~ 👏👏👏

[an-approaching-askblog]

hey...is that...us??? :D

Looks like it is.

ayo we look good!! or at least i do. hell yeah.

Oh, the rest of us don't?

idk is it possible to look good in the outfit you wore to kidnap someone?

.....No comment.

[say hello to the OFFICIAL character designs for the AAM crew!! brought to you by the amazingly talented Miza!! please give her a follow!]

[an-approaching-askblog]

For Derek and Avery, what's your favorite thing to do together?

literally anything. everything. i'm just glad that we get to hang out in real life now! we play a TON of video games together (not minecraft though....i think we're done with that one for a while). uhh we also have a couple shows we like to watch on Netflix, Derek got me into that stupid 'guess whether it's cake' one (I ALWAYS GET THEM WRONG). sometimes we go for walks around our neighborhood, not super long ones though (Derek can't walk for that long). honestly i'm glad to do anything with him. i'm glad he's here.

Basically what Avery said. I did most things alone before we met, which I...thought I was fine with. I've since realized that is...not accurate. I'm terrible at most of the games Avery and I play, but honestly I don't even mind losing because we get to hang out. And yes, I did convince him to watch Is It Cake with me, and yes, he is terrible at spotting which ones are cake (it's very funny). Honestly, although I hate to admit this to him, he could probably convince me to do most anything that isn't immediately dangerous.

you may end up regretting those words :]

...Yeah. I Know. :)

[an-approaching-askblog]

Hiii!!! I wanna ask what's your favorite song and why?? Aaand takes some cookies <3

oh man this is a tough one. there's so many good songs out there. uhhh. i think if i had to pick one it'd be My Blood by twenty one pilots. i don't listen to a lot of their music, but that one...means a lot to me, personally. it's about being loyal to someone to the point you'd do anything for them.

I mostly listen to music without lyrics because it helps keep things calm in my head. If I had to pick a song with words, I think it would be Halo, by Starset. Rock music isn't 100% my genre, but that song is about being pulled out of the shadow by your guiding light -- someone who won't let go for anything.

my fav is Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd. yeah yeah im unc okay i get it. it's a good song and my mom used to play it for me when i was a kid. said it's what she wanted for my life. ...hoping that can still be the case.

My favorite song is my mom's favorite song: Dancing Queen by ABBA. We used to do this thing called the 'Sock Dance,' where she'd put the song on and we'd clear all of the chairs out from around the kitchen table and then dance across the linoleum in our socks. It's one of my favorite memories. ...I miss her.