#arathe's asks

[arathe]

★ Walk Before You Run?

I answered this one on the previous ask. :D

[arathe]

walk before you run ♡☠∞★

♡: my favorite part

Oh man, it’s so hard to pick just one? Gosh I have so many favorite parts. I really like John flirting with Karkat in chapter 3, and John’s subsequent troll meltdown, also in chapter 3. I pretty much love chapter 5 in its entirety because it was mostly silly lake shenanigans and really fun to write. Pretty much any time Bro and Dave have a pale moment is awesome. If I had to pick an absolute favorite, I think I’d have to go with Mom and Bro’s conversation in chapter 6. I just have a lot of feelings about that friendship, I dunno, and I was itching to use the "We sure made some beautiful babies, didn’t we?" line from almost the beginning.

I’m also really fond of the line ‘You lay there for a moment while your brain tries to reboot, watching a small glossy beetle trundle along just past your nose.’ from chapter one, for no real reason beyond the fact that trundle is such a good word.

☠: something i found challenging

Presenting the pale relationships in a way that didn’t read platonic, but also didn’t come off as celibate version of flushed. I can’t say whether or not I’m pulling it off (I know there was a bit of confusion after chapter 6), but I’m trying. I really wanted it to be obvious that yes, these people are very much in love, because it’s something a lot of fic kind of glosses over (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not usually the focus?) and I really wanted to make that clear.

I also really want to highlight how pale relationships aren’t always the same. You can already sort of see that in the way Karkat and John interact, compared to the way Dave and Bro do. Obviously they’re bringing a lot of baggage to things that John and Karkat don’t have, and even after they manage to sort their shit, the relationship is always going to be a little too intense and codependent to really be considered healthy, even by troll standards.

I’ve also got a third pale ship waiting in the wings, which may or may not make it into the fic, but it’s going to very much be a quiet, natural progression without any of the drama we’re going to see from the other two. Which I guess means the second biggest challenge will be to stop adding more ships self what is wrong with you?

∞: something i wish i’d done differently

Better planning, frankly. This started as a oneshot that was just going to be that initial scene with Bro and Dave, and it spiraled outta control like whoa. So if you find any inconsistencies (please let me know if you do so I can fix them!), that’s because the story evolved organically as I wrote it. When I posted the first chapter all I really knew for sure were the ships, a few scenes I wanted to write down the road, and I only had a very vague, general idea what the ending was going to look like.

As fun as it’s been to discover as I go, better planning would have prevented a lot of the floundering and scrambling to accommodate things I didn’t know were going to happen. For example, the addition of the Bro/Dirk/John ashen ship, and Dirk as a viewpoint character (starting next chapter!), is going to have a very significant impact on the events of the story that I hadn’t accounted for. It’s definitely going to make things more challenging.

I also wish that I’d make more of an effort to find the time to write, college or no, because my readers are all hella rad people and deserve better than a ten-month gap between updates. Luckily tacticaltempest is keeping me on track lately because she is a gift, and I’ve actually been getting a fair amount of work done because of it. So hopefully no more crazy update gaps. :D

★: something i’m proud to have accomplished

Writing as much as I have. WBYR isn’t the longest fic I’ve written (yet), but it’s going to bust past that mark and keep on running. I have a history of difficulty with longer projects, so I’m also pretty proud that I’m sticking it out with this one. I will finish this fic, no matter how long it takes!

And it’s not really a pride thing, but I have met a couple of really, really awesome people as a result of this fic, and my life in undeniably better for it. <3

[arathe]

HAPPY WRIGGLING DAY M'LADY.

THANK YOU MY DEAR. /AGGRESSIVE SMOOCHES

Also I think my asks might be borked because I’m pretty sure you sent this yesterday but I only just got it?

[arathe]

LOVES YOUR FACE.

*AGGRESSIVE SMOOCHING*

[arathe]

i guess i can tell you about my dokis too, aaah. theyre really cute, and have fluffy fringe that swishes to the side and short cut hair in the back, with thin glasses and a cute smile and they wear big button up shirts as jackets. but theyre in a lower grade and i cant talk to them.

Omg, they sound so cute! I mean, glasses and oversized shirts, all I’m getting from that description is adorableness.

You should talk to them nonnie! Even if they are in a lower grade, you should give your dokis a chance! <3

[arathe]

Damn, this is goin' to take a while, hang on. If I do it, gotta do it right. No half-assed attempts. #Violins, hell yes. #Dinner shall come later. #Tried to take a certain ring but there's a creepy dude following me around whispering "precious" and it's honestly disconcerting.

All this romance over here I can’t even deal. Take your time, make your preparations, (and ditch the creepy dude) I’m willing to wait. <3

Also you should totally come off anon so we can be bros, because I think that’s a thing that needs to happen and because people would probably appreciate it if I stopped spamming asks. :D

[arathe]

I reckon you're right. With my greyish good looks and your outstanding way around words, they would be set for life. And cool as hell, because -- this doesn't even need justification. In school, when learning about dinosaurs extinction they would declare: "Mom says they went the way of the dodo." #Can't let that one go #Shall I procure a ring?

Pfft, you sure know how to charm a lady. I’m all aflutter over here; downright swooning in fact.

I believe a ring would be in order. How else are we supposed to get internet married?

[arathe]

I will deny the inhuman squeal that just pitched its way out of my lips. It never happened. Fallen tree in the middle of the woods and all that jazz. Nope. Returning to the matter at hand, I'm goin' to extend the courtesy and be level with you as well: I shouldn't be as expectant as I am to read Dave in distress and fretting and, and-- Shhh, no regrets, just words now. Five thouSAND of them. Yes.

I love you anon, I think we should get married and have a thousand grey-faced, shade-wearing anon babies.

Lots of fretting Dave just for you. JUST FOR YOU. <3