dark pessimistic cloud

hockey, f1, heated rivalry and bunch of other things (dynamics) julia - any pronouns (18+ please) for mobile: my tags + ao3 profile

[gloomyraincloud-deactivated2022]

welcome to my blog im annoying

[meyhew]

sometimes i look at how other people behave and realize how well my mom raised me

[onlythebravest]

I just wrote 85% of a fic on my phone these last two days and I don’t know if I want to know how many words I wrote. the first part isn’t even written, its made as bullet points because it wasn’t supposed to turn into an actual fic. and especially not this fic. oh well

[nicolegendary]

sometimes you just gotta fuck up your sleep schedule by reading all 100k words of a fic you're not even enjoying, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise

[jup1t33r]

[onlythebravest]

if strawberries are less sweet when you eat them from the fridge rather than room temperature, that makes the statement “strawberries change taste in the fridge” true, right? because something becoming less sweet counts as a different taste, right? it’s not just me who thinks that?

[pangur-and-grim]

I think some of the loneliness of autism is that you feel like you hurt people just by Interacting Wrong, but you don’t know how to Interact Right, and the more effort you put into it, the more exhausted you are and the more artificial it comes across (with the end result of people still being upset with you). and it’s not anyone’s fault for not liking Being Interacted With Wrong, and it’s not your fault for doing it so wrong, but it is very, very lonely.

[kaizsche]

TWISTERS (2024) / TWISTERS SCRIPT (2022) dir. Lee Isaac Chung, written. Mark L. Smith, story. Joseph Kosinski

[giveemhales]

How to show appreciation to fic writers ❤️

At a time when we are constantly having AI slop pushed in our faces, I think it’s more important than ever to show your appreciation for people who create for free and for fun. If you want human-made creations, you have to treat the creators like humans!

Comments/interaction really are what makes putting your work out there feel worth it. So I encourage you to interact when you can with any fics you enjoy. I know that new people are discovering fanfic everyday (heated rivalry especially has been growing like crazy!) and may be unsure about fandom etiquette or simply not have an idea of what to comment, so I wanted to offer this little guide.

What to comment?

Here are some specific ideas if you feel unsure what to say, starting from lower to higher effort. I can basically guarantee every one of these will bring immense joy to an author (especially on a fic with few comments).

Key smash or screaming

Emojis (I often just do ❤️❤️❤️❤️ but 😭🥰🥹🥵 or anything showing how you feel works!)

You can keep it short and sweet. “Loved this!” “So good!” “Great writing!” “I wish I could leave more kudos” “Chef’s kiss” etc.

A gif or photo reaction (instructions)

Thank the author for writing and sharing their talent

Say how the fic made you feel. Did it make you emotional? Are you angry or sad or happy or turned on? Sharing physical reactions is especially great. Did you laugh or cry or scream into your pillow? It’s so special to hear from a reader the impact you had as an author. (To be clear, do not comment if you are genuinely angry at the author, but “this character made me so mad” or “I’m so mad at you for making me feel so much” are great)

Say how you found the fic, such as from a rec list, a rec from a friend, or someone discussing it on social media. Very special to know people are talking about your writing!

Share a funny joke or thought you had while reading

Feel free to get aggressive or hyperbolic. I love to say shit like “just stab me next time” on an angst fic or “you are actually so evil for writing this, I love you”. You can add a /pos (signifies your meaning is positive) if you are ever nervous you are too aggressive

Always let an author know if you’re rereading. Such a good compliment. Definitely let them know if this is a fic you regularly think about

Pretty much anything you like about the fic! The writing, the characterization, the plot, the imagery, the themes, whatever you enjoyed! People love compliments!

Reference the source material. Remember these are fandom friends! We all love the same characters/media and it’s always fun to bond over that! You can say how you wish this is how it had gone in canon, how everyone felt very in character, make a joke, etc.

Quote your favorite lines and say why you liked them/how it made you feel/that it was your favorite line. Such specific compliments are so special and really are a special reminder to authors that someone is genuinely reading and enjoying what they wrote. You can even use an extension for a floating comment box so you can comment as you read the fic! (I personally just use two separate browsers on my phone when I want to do this, but the extension would def be more efficient lol)

Expand on the universe. Share what you like to imagine happens next in the AU. Who knows, you might even inspire a follow up chapter (I’ve had this happen!)

Say what you think was going on during the fic in the background. Feel free to make guesses or ask questions. Most authors love to talk about the background info that didn’t make the final cut. You can also make guesses for what will happen next on a WIP

Share a way the fic has personally inspired you or was relatable or helped you in some form. This can be that it helped cheer you up on a bad day or that it brought you comfort/catharsis for your real life. I’ve cried over comments that said my writing helped them heal or work through their own emotional issues. Truly I don’t think there is any better feeling than knowing your writing positively impacted somebody. So if any fic has ever positively impacted you, let the author know!!

Which fics to comment on?

All fics will appreciate comments, but be aware that some fics can only be commented on if you have an account (pls join the waitlist for an ao3 account if you haven’t yet!). Some fics will say that comments need to be approved first, but don’t be put off by this. The author is just filtering for hate or bots, and still would love a comment.

You also can leave comments on tumblr fics, or leave a compliment in the tags (reblogs are always appreciated)

Don’t stop yourself from commenting on anonymous fics—the author can still read and reply to comments! This is not the case for fics from orphan_accounts, but still feel free to leave a comment

If you don’t feel confident in your skills for the language of the fic, you can still comment in your native language. The author can always use Google Translate, and it can be extra special knowing someone read your fic even though it wasn’t in their first language

How else to show appreciation?

Want to do more than just comment? Here’s some more ideas

Send the author a private message or ask about the fic if they linked their social media

Recommend the fic on social media or in a discord or to a friend (with a friendly reminder to comment). Make sure to tag the author if possible

Add the fic to a collection on ao3. You can either invite the work to be posted to the collection, which the author will have to approve, or bookmark it to a collection, which will not notify the author

Reblog/share if the author made a post for their fic on social media, and leave a compliment in the tags/comments/replies

Offer to beta for the author. I would only ever do this if the author explicitly stated that they don’t have a beta and if you’re actually willing to make that commitment. This can be a fun way to connect with the author and get involved in their process. Plus you get to read their writing first!

Translate or audio record (podfic) the fic! Ask for an author’s permission first for this one, but this is a way to make their writing more accessible to others!

Write about the fic. AO3 has an option to mark your fic as “inspired by” another fic for a reason! You can write something based in the universe or just simply something you came up with while reading the fic. Or post about it online, start a discussion about the fic or share headcanons for the specific AU!

Make art based on the fic. This doesn’t have to be a drawing (although that is obviously amazing). Moodboards, gifsets, covers, memes, or any other visual medium is great! (But do not use AI!!!!!!! The point is that the fic inspired you to create something). Make sure to tag the author or leave them a comment so they can see it

What NOT to comment?

Like I said, almost any comment will be appreciated. The only exceptions I will note are:

Do not offer criticism unless solicited, and always keep it constructive

Do not demand updates. Keep in mind that “I’m so excited for the next chapter” or “I could read another 100k of this” are likely appreciated. “Update!” or “is this abandoned” are not.

Do not use AI in any capacity for any of this please. Not for writing comments or creating artwork or anything of that nature. Many authors are staunchly opposed to AI and would hate that. The human connection is what this is all about!

Don’t accuse people of AI. Even if you are 99% sure, just exit out of the fic. We do not need to be spreading negativity

Anyway, I have no idea if anyone will find this helpful, but if it inspires even one person to start leaving comments on fics or otherwise interact more in fandom, I’ll be happy 😊

[onlythebravest]

love the ask game, very curious about 12 & 20 👀

hi, and thank you! and I kinda got carried away and maybe didn't even answer 12, oops?

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

at first I could only come up with the opposite, popular characters that I don’t like, and that was easy (esp in the heated rivalry fandom). then I had to turn and look at my bookshelves to figure out what I even like because I couldn’t think of a single thing. this isn’t heated rivalry, bc I couldn’t think of a single character that I like that other people don’t, at least, wait, I can do that. people hate JJ, that’s so easy. (yes you go my actual train of thought here) anyway, I was going to go with Gale Hawthorne from the hunger games. people hate him and blame him for things that isn’t, at least solely, his fault. he got radicalized by the people who took him in after they bombed his home and killed so many people and gave him a home with reliable heating and regular meals, something he’s never had before. they saw his anger and used it. I’m not saying he’s blameless, but I am saying that you can not blame him for Prim’s death. he might’ve thought of the idea delayed second blast bomb, but come on, it’s not a wow what a genius only he would’ve ever thought of it kind of idea. and he wasn’t anywhere near a command center to make the decision on when to deploy them or who to kill with them. he’s not innocent, but he’s by far not the worst.

okay, well, that wasn’t the plan. let’s still go with JJ anyway. another misunderstood guy. he’s also not blameless or innocent, but he’s not as bad as everyone’s making him out to be. he’s by far a better friend than Hayden. people look at his anger for not being told about Ilya, which I agree, he shouldn’t have been mad at Shane for not outing his fiancé. people say he accuses Shane of throwing the game, he’s not. he asks if it was a mistake before he risks his career to stand up for him. do you know who else asked if Shane’s throwing games? Yuna. I don’t see the outrage at her for the very same question, and she didn’t ask it at an adrenaline-crashing moment after a devastating loss. do you know who the first one to believe Shane about the trip being a mistake? JJ. not a single person openly believed Shane until JJ said he did, and out of everyone in that room (that we know of) was the one who could lose the most by doing so. JJ’s consistently the better friend throughout the entire book. he shows up for Shane in many different ways, he’s so supportive. not sure if these are reasons why people should like them or more so forgive then, but these are the answers you’re getting 🙈

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

that people closest to Shane find it so believable that he’d throw games that they have to ask. but tedious or boring isn’t the right word to describe that, so instead let’s go with the fact that I honestly wasn’t the biggest fan of the smut scenes in the book. I kinda mostly skimmed through them…

send me numbers from the violence ask game

[yekokataa]

🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥

the character everyone gets wrong

a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

worst discord server and why

which ship fans are the most annoying?

what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

worst part of canon

worst part of fanon

number of fandom-related words you've filtered

the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

worst blorboficiation

that one thing you see in fics all the time

that one thing you see in fanart all the time

you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

there should be more of this type of fic/art

it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

part of canon you found tedious or boring

part of canon you think is overhyped

your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

ship you've unwillingly come around to

topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

[highdownforce]

Charles is asking bryan to please tell him what he did right to have a deployment advantage on those in front

[freakeduploser]

can i be honest the way a lot of people talk about the closet in this fandom is quickly becoming a pet peeve for me. as brave as it is to come out, that doesn’t mean it’s cowardly and selfish to not. let’s have a little empathy maybe

[vesnuszki]

the only thought in this boy's head is don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come don't come do NOT COME

[lavenderprose]

It always flabers my gasters when someone is like "Oh wow I never thought of it like that before" with regards to Hollavov CNC or TPE or even just general D/s. And a lot of times these people follow it up with "Oh yeah it's not really obvious in the show but now that I think about it, it makes sense" like oh??? Oh good. But like. Question. And I'm going to put this as kindly as I possibly can. What do the words "I know how the staff likes to be treated after all these years" truly mean TO YOU. Like. What did you think he meant. When he said that.

[onlythebravest]

I’m sorry but I would’ve preferred Kimi to be the one to crash out like this, for the championship. not because I want george to win whatsoever, more so that I want someone else to win it

[onlythebravest]

not sure if it counts as a snippet, because i'm not sure if it'll end up in a fic, but it is a snippet of sorts. i present: captain shane hollander regretting his move to ottawa

He wishes someone would’ve said something to him before he signed the contract, that someone would’ve sat him down and said, “Shane, you signing a contract with Ottawa, this contract specifically and at this point in time, will look like confirmation that you fell on purpose. Signing this contract will cause irreparable damage to your career, it’ll destroy your reputation much worse than it already is and your legacy will be one of a traitor. Are you sure you want to make this decision?”

But there is no such person in his life. Not a single one. The morning after the game 7 loss last spring, when he was upset that his team actually believed he threw the game, Ilya immediately suggested him leaving, moving to Ottawa. Shane’s sure Ilya didn’t do it on purpose, but suggesting it and talking practicalities in a moment where Shane was so raw and vulnerable from everything that last 24 hours and the last month was a little manipulating.

Shane wonders if that’s why he made the decision, or if it was because everyone around him seemed to expect him to leave Montreal. But leaving, signing this contract with Ottawa, is the biggest regret he’s ever had. It’s the worst decision he’s ever made.

If he’d just waited. It wasn’t as if Ottawa would’ve retracted their offer, they barely paid him anything, the risk of waiting until training camp to fill the spot he’d potentially fill was barely a risk. If he’d just waited, it would’ve looked a lot better even if he ended up signing with Ottawa. It’d give the illusion of holding out to get an offer from Montreal, that they abandoned him and not the other way around. The move would still be destroying his reputation, but it wouldn’t have been this bad. But no, he signed it as soon as he could and now he has to live with that.

Ilya seems happy though, or happier at least. He talks to Shane, opens up more about his bad days, and that’s so good. And not having to hide their relationship seems to do wonders for him. Shane wishes he could say the same, could say that it makes him so happy that he doesn’t have to hide anymore. And yes, it has eased some worry, but the price he had to pay for it doesn’t make it worth it. The price was too high. Maybe it’d been worth it if he stayed in Montreal.

Then he’d be captain. The empty spot on his jersey is like a stab to the heart every time he sees it, another stab and twist when he has to put it on and go out and play. It’s the most visible reminder of just how much he’s lost, how ruined his career is. It’s a reminder that even though Shane signed an embarrassing contract to come here, Ottawa still doesn’t trust him enough top even give him an A. He never thought he’d be without a letter again, he never thought that he’d play a game of hockey with a bare jersey.

But here he is. And he can’t tell anyone about it. Ilya teases him about acting as a captain without a letter a lot, and while Shane knows his husband isn’t cruel, he’s too worried that he’d tease him about this too to tell him. He doesn't think he would, but then he's realised he expected someone to speak up about the contract he signed and no one did.