Oh my god dude I am SO GLAD I found your Tumblr. I am so ***utterly obsessed*** with Nothings Wrong with Dale. You have no idea how much that story lives in my brain. Like I would charge rent for the space it occupies permanently right now but I should have paid you because how did I read that for free???
Its so good I reread it 3 times over in 24 hours, ranted at my sister for a good hour, my 55yo mother is reading it now (she loves it too so far, you should have seen how she cackled at the ending of chapter 1!!), and I am considering making fanart in blender (is it cool if I do that actually??) because I love the characters so so much. Like not even just our delicious demon husband, I love EVERYONEEEE in this story.
Grandmother and Grandfather were easily my second favorite pair after our main leads, Callalily and Marigold made me think of my own older sister, the steward was perfect in what scenes he had (Id kill to see the wedding chapter from POV of him and maybe any other staff that knew a Demon was now Lord Northridge and their new boss), even the a-hole characters like Dr Louisa and Drunk swordsmaster dude was enjoyable to read despite wanting to smack them at points.
Not to mention the world building?? The consistency in the plot?? I want to know more about The Depths my god. Literally spent a hour daydreaming what it would look like and what I would do if I was there. I settled on the Voidstorm zone from World of Warcraft Midnight expansion. I want to know more about the lore of this world, like I want to know more about Dale's Parents and that Demon friendly college and that sunken temple and like ANYTHINGGGG more about The Depths.
The story was just so beautiful and funny and amazing that it had me screaming into my pillow like its a decade ago and Im still 16. Had me kicking my feet and giggling, had me cackling either at absurdity or just the mental image. (Tail eating cheese is peak cinema and you will not change my mind). Ive been learning blender for my youtube channel, and Im like literally on the edge of trying to model Dale and Reader and trying to make fanart. Ive been meaning to take the next step in blender but hadnt been inspired by anything yet. I have no clue if it would be rude or not though cause Ill have to make Reader into a OC if I want scenes of her and Dale together, and that feels R U D E. If I could pretty please have permission to do that, if I succeed I promise to send it to you?? Ill have to make a new blog not connected to my teenage years for privacy reasons but Id totally send you anything I make of them 🥹😭
I am so sorry if this is weird to say and just randomly drop in here, I am so ferally in love with Nothings Wrong with Dale. I want to crawl inside your brain and live there for any spare thoughts and headcanons I can steal. I hope your pillows and blankets are always your preferred temperature and I hope your leftovers always reheat well.
Again, I am so sorry if this is weird to wake up to/find in your inbox. Hope you have a good day whenever you see this!
-🌸
Thanks so much for sending in this lovely message!
Anytime someone takes so much time to message me about something I wrote, I’m so excited. Plus I lik the reminder that after Dale existing only to haunt my brain that I was able to successfully inflict him on others lol (especially ppl who say the re-read, which is so flattering) Also I love that you also decided to pass along the obsession to ur family and that they liked it too (i'll probably send it my sisters after its fully edited, although i will not b showing it to /my/ mother if i can help it lol)
Ur totally free to make any art that u want about it – that’s awesome! I’m very much not an artist so I always find it super fascinating what people can make.
Grandmother and Grandfather were a lot of fun to figure out and write and were probably the next set of characters I fleshed out after Dale and Reader and I really like how their dynamic end up. Callalily and Marigold both hav parts of them inspired by my older sisters and I drew on our relationship to help inspire the Reader’s relationship with them. The steward was one of the other early characters because him and Reader pointing at each other to figure out the other knew was an early idea. Writing annoying characters can also give such great opportunities for funny situations and anxiety—we all know people like them lol
The worldbuilding is one of my favorite parts of writing and so its outlining the plot/chapters. I had to google that WOW expansion but I like the vibes for the Depths. I want to do more in this world and will definitely bring in more info on the Depths. (the next story will probably b the one about the accidental demonology grad student and their definitely not possessed mentor but we’ll have to see what pulls my focus in once I can get around to it) I have a whole doc for my Depths notes to try and help me keep track of what was going on
I’m so happy you enjoyed the story so much! It makes me really glad I actually stuck with it and wrote it all out and posted it instead of just rambling to my friends in a covid induced haze and moving on or something. It was also originally a lot more funny and less anxiety so I’m always glad when people comment on the humor still shining through lol
I know literally knowing about making digital art but please go for it! Feel free to check the #dale appearance #fanart for some of the wonderful pieces people have already made if your looking for inspiration. Since I’m gonna publish in 3rd person, Reader is already an OC essentially lol so u completely have my permission just tag or send me stuff so I can see too!
Definitely not weird! This message made my day and multiple subsequent days and I shall hoard it away with all the other lovely comments and messages I get ^^
Thanks again for the lovely well wishes and I hope you have a absolutely wonderful day! 💙💙💙
I love the dale vs lestat sexuality comparisons because they represent two different sides of bisexuality and how they approach labels. Dale would feel freed and secured to be able to put a name to who he is because part of his struggles was not being able to understand why he felt the way he did being able to make sense of it will help in his personal growth and confusion even if he still has to hide is sexuality he has a name to what he feels while lestat would hate labels lol because he would feel boxed like he has to conform to societies view of him and maybe won't even identify with any labels hence he probably would just stick to queer if he has to choose because its broad enough to not be labeled while still saying his not straight he knows what he likes who he wants to be with so why would he want labels for himself even if there were one. Dale and lestat represent two sides of discourses where some like having a label and finding comfort in it while others find it constricting and rather not have labels because they don't want it or don't connect with any even if it does describe what they feel. I could see lestat despite being bisexuality he won't want to name himself that label because he always just does what he wants he doesn't bend to any rules it kinda just follow what the costume designer said about lestat he is everything to everybody because he never settles for norms he rather be this genderless being that just floats whichever way the wind takes him not binded by anything other than being himself and living however he wants.
(x)
I totally agree, anon. It must be really interesting to play with that sort of spectrum too for Sam given he was pinballing between the two roles for a few years there. I wonder if in some ways it helped him ground these characters in their differences, given Dale and Lestat's arcs are in some ways a little similar (both grounded in loneliness and a fear of being fundamentally broken and unloveable, and both hiding parts of themselves because of that), even though they are of course super different characters too.
The fact though that Dale really would probably feel freed to be able to name what he is (in no small part I think because it would mean he wasn't alone), while Lestat would likely feel constrained by it because it would ultimately pin him to something in a way he never wants to be, really does motivate them quite differently. The fact that it's basically the two sides of these sorts of identity arguments, like you said, it's genuinely pretty fascinating too.
You know, when I heard you'd agreed to help out with the publicity, I thought we'd be having you attend fairs or something, not... Also getting a Tumblr blog.
- Dale, SDN PR
// @sdnshouldpaymemore
hey, everyone else was doing it! I certainly wasn’t going to be left out. Besides, i think I’m pretty damn good at it.
So i just read Nothing's Wrong With Dale for the 4th time, and I just wanted to say thank you. I fucking love that story so much it's insane!!
I have a few questions that I keep thinking about of their life after the story ends. (Some of them are silly, sorry!)
1. Would you ever consider doing a sequel?
2. I feel like personally Dale would be an amazing father, but do you think they would ever have children in the future? If so, would they be half demon?
3. How would Dale react if another woman hit on him? I have a feeling he would be so oblivious at first.
4. What would Dale do if 'reader' is jealous of said woman?
5. What do you think would happen if someone in the 'readers' family accidentally found out?
Sorry if this is a lot, I'm just love this story so much! You are such a wonderful author 💜
Damn! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story enough re-read multiple times! That's so sweet!
i love questions about my stories, especially Dale! Since some answers will be spoiler-y and speculation, please see below :)
(Mild disclaimer: all of this is just speculation and half-baked ideas, nothing is canon because nothing is written etc even if i am the author. if anyone personally disagrees with any of this for their version of the reader and Dale--I fully support you)
I have considered it and while i do have ideas for some little spin off/side short stories, currently i don't plan for a full sequel. I just don't have a compelling idea for the overall plot/character ? Some of my bonus ideas are: POV story from Miss Adir&Mr Murray called "Peculiar Creatures" about reader and Dale; Dale hunting down Two; dale confronting the patrons of the assassination; a Midwife POV story; and a mini-romance story with Breighton and Teresa. I also do want to write more stories about different romances set in the Dale universe, with potential cameos by Dale and reader (each with at least 1 human and 1 demonic person).
Dale will certainly put his all into being a father. Not set in stone, but I think they'll have three kids and they are all part demon. If i ever was to write a full sequel it would probably combine some of the above short stories into one longer story covering readers pregnancy with their first born and the ramifications of a partially demon pregnancy lol while learning to take over Northridge. Dale felt very alone when he was young and so he'd put a lot of effort into making sure his child wouldn't feel that way--especially since the kid will be singular (no swarm) which Dale would see as very lonely. Both want multiple kids so that gets alleviated in time. They do have to be careful about letting Dale's grandparents around their children until they can control themselves lol
You're right, he likely wouldn't pick up on the nuance between "general manners" "sucking up to powerful people" "general flirt" and "flirting with him specifically". If he did notice, he'd be relatively polite but also ignore it or, if persistent, just leave to find the reader lol. If reader was there, he'd just be like "my lovely spouse" in greater and greater frequency/emphasis--like the other person is oblivious to the fact that he already has the best spouse.
I don't think reader would be jealous, they're married and stupid in love, but Dale'd probably just be confused if they were. Like, jealous of what? lol (I mostly find jealously fun to write/play with either before the couple is together or if its about non-romance things)
Reader's family finding out is a very interesting idea. It would definitely depend on who and when they find out. Callalily is the most protective so she'd be worried about the danger to the reader and generally everyone, not just violence but also manipulation. Douglas would be suspicious and wary and would need to interrogate Dale directly--fearing the reader being controlled in some way. He's seen the damage demons can do and takes it super seriously, but knows individual demons vary wildly. Marigold and Asher are both the most likely to hear the reader out and not jump to conclusions, for different reasons. They have more open minds and trust the reader to know themself/trust their judgement the most. All are more likely not to run screaming the longer they've known him/any children the couple has. The reader's parents would immediately tell everyone, they would have to be actively kept from spreading the word.
thanks for sending this ask and these questions in! It was a lot of fun to think about and share, especially since i hav basically no time for anything but work (which i should be doing now lol)
It is a statement of how good the story is that I was like "Oh, now I'm gonna reread NWWD and comment as I go :)" but suddenly I'm near the end of the story and realized I just automatically kept clicking next chapter because I had to keep reading hdkshskshs So I guess a third reread of the story is soon to come with actual comments XD
In the meantime! I had a question! So Bilmont is my favorite secondary character in the story. I know he doesn't appear that much after the first act but the moment he established himself as an ally I couldn't help but become very fond of him haha
So I wanted to ask! If I'm not mistaken, protag doesn't tell Dale during the story that the steward knows of his identity as well. (Obviously there wasn't much of a chance), but afterwards if she does tell Dale, what is his reaction? Especially since that now means not one, but two humans found out on their own about his nature and decided to help him stay hidden. (Even if of course it was the protag that carried most of that responsibility). Bilmont was the one to warn protag of Archibald's suspicions after all.
Though the thought of both Dale and Bilmont continuing to coexist around each other with that small piece of info unrevealed is also pretty funny XD
Oh! And I had another thought that technically Bilmont is one of the few people that the peotag and Dale wouldn't have to worry about when they eventually have children because he would not be a cause of worry if they accidentally showed their demonic nature around him XD
@roaring-letters
Thanks for sending in this ask months ago! Between work and tumblr inbox errors/spam, I didn’t hav a chance to answer until now so thanks for ur patience!
aw, that’s such a wonderful compliment to the story! thank you! I’m glad it holds up on multiple re-reads ^^
Bilmont is an interesting character, even if he might not seem like it on the surface, because he’s kinda boring? (but I like characters that on the surface seem boring lol) He’s just trying to do his job and manage everyone in the castle as best he can with the least amount of drama. He is also supposed to representative of the attitude of a Northridge servants in general in the story: they do their jobs and try not to get involved in noble shenanigans. They see the nobles as sort of, prone to lofty ideals/games/messes and prefer to stay out of it which is really why Dale hasn’t been turned in. Northridge servants in particular are very good at just, I’m cleaning this fireplace and I don’t see or hear anything else lol There are a couple of reasons for that and it does have to do both with the general culture of the area and the Northridge family in general, who are less interested in petty rivalries—except human Dale, which he learned more in the palace when he was training to be a knight, spending a lot of time away from home, without parents/siblings/etc to discourage that sort of thing and with highly dramatic friends who encouraged it
Everytime human!Dale came home, the servants did notice that attitude and were mildly concerned for when he’d take over, especially given how quiet things had been the last decade with grandmother retired and before that, spending as much time in the legislature away from Northridge—letting the fief run itself more/from a distance. Which is what they hoped Dale would do, go be frivolous in the capital and leave them to themselves lol
Digressing from all that and focusing on ur actual question lol, Dale knows that Bilmont knows. Bilmont doesn’t know that Dale knows he knows. His valet, Mr. Murray, knows—hard to keep it a secret from someone working so closely with you and Dale asked Murray about how he was found etc. Human!Dale did know the servants in general knew about at least some of his demonic studies, he just correctly guessed they’re mind their own business and was enough of a self-centered and short-tempered man to have arranged for the one person who did said something to his grandparents about some books he definitely didn’t have sent very far away and injured. He bribed/threatened Mr. Murray while he was “sick” after possessing Dale’s body and knew Bilmont was involved in finding him. Originally, demon!Dale was in survival/getting the hang of things mode, trying to see if he’d even be able to keep his identity under wraps and he hadn’t decided if he would stay. He was testing Bilmont to some degree in chapter 4, to see what made him take notice and what didn’t, to see if he (as a standard northridge servant) would try to spill the beans. Bilmont didn’t, but he might have—if the reader hadn’t talked to him, not that Dale knows that.
Dale isn’t sure he can manage to stay/wants to stay until the tournament arc is done and he realizes he really really wants to keep this life. That’s when he revealuates how he’s handling things/people.
Dale was only surprised the reader knew because a) he’d specifically tried not to let them know (especially once deciding he wanted to stay and he decided he liked them) and b) the reader isn’t from northrige and so he thought they had no reason to do something for the sake of keeping peace in northridge, and c) is a noble who could enact change/be believed on a larger scale. He just never thought the reader would find out and do nothing without a “good reason” to keep his secret to which he didn’t see the reader having in the way he saw the servants did. Also he thought he was on top of who knew, again why so surprised reader did know without him realizing.
He was counting on Bilmont thinking he wasn’t any worse than human!Dale or at least not worth the trouble or too scared of him to do anything. In the beginning at least. Once Dale works directly with him more and is able to see past human!Dale’s more negative opinions of him, he switches from keeping Bilmont wary to bribery like the others lol. Very, if I take care of u, u take care of me and we can all just live our lives. He’s also able to better appreciate that Bilmont is damn good at his job, in a way human!Dale kinda couldn’t due to his own experiences/prejudice. Demon!Dale, while having the memories of a noble was not one. He’s been on lower ends of the ladder in different demon places and knows often you just let the boss do their own thing and keep your head down.
They do not have an honest conversation until, like you mentioned, the topic of kids who can’t control themselves becomes more of a thing that cant be ignored. Bilmont is very uncomfortable with the whole conversation and Dale is amused by that. They work better together when Bilmont forgets Dales a demon now and doesn’t get freaked out by it. And Dale isn’t the best at setting people at ease, if he even thinks to do so beyond general pretending to be human. The reader helps keep everything steady with them. Bilmont is very unsettled by the children though lol. One in particular thinks Bilmont’s very funny when he freaks out. that gets better as they get older.
Now, Dale does try to keep more servants from finding out once he decided to stay, but he knew that Murray, Bilmont, another footman, and a maid—Ms Dearden actually from chapter 2—all knew about his nature due to being involved in finding him/caring for him while he was still getting strength/control in the beginning. Again, he threaten/bribes them and then leaves it alone beyond keeping an eye on them. Bilmont is the highest ranking one which is why he tried to feel him out first. Murray of course he works with most closely in general.
Sorry for the very long answer, I think I went on a couple different tangents, but it’s a part of the story that I didn’t get to explore much on the page so to speak. The limits of the story being reader POV lol. I’m always happy to ramble about NWWD though!
Should we expect another chapter of Dale this weekend, or is it next weekend?
@roolsilver
this coming weekend is officially a Dale weekend. i should have put up the next Free Piano chapter this past sunday, but i'm behind (which is why Dale basically posted an entire week late).
work is still really busy (i'm at the office right now)
my plan though is that i'm gonna prioritize Dale and then post a few off sunday Free Piano parts to get back to my original schedule for that story, hopefully within a week or two cuz i'm also trying to do nanowrimo? which is probably a mistake? and work likely isn't gonna slow down, though i'm trying to catch back up with that too
i just don't want to get behind on Dale because January-March is The Busy Season for my work and i will be on hiatus for probably all writing during those months (which i did last year and is why there was that big gap between Part 3 and Part 4 lol) it might be more mid-Jan to mid-April but still a three month hiatus
