A mirror, nothing more.

My name is Hunter and I live on the weast coast she/her currently obsessed with Sotha Sil, not sorry.

[ellery-six]

One Piece bedtime story feelings 😴

[satansonmyside]

I know I just called you dude but I’m trying to flirt with you

[utopianoverlord]

sweet dreams.

[v4mpyrsp1t]

the way he pronounces words just tickles my brain

[firrestar]

ASTARION + puppy eyes

[leopardmuffinxo]

It felt like heaven to flirt with hell.

[the-demon-huntress]

Your Faith has always been your weakness The Light is holding you back It’s time to forge your own Path

[pedro-pscal]

favorite pedro pascal pics (1/∞)

[notallmensheviks]

catholic pez

[rat-mama]

[mitski-miyawakis]

[shoelace-and-friends]

[spacecrygirl]

[veeaziel]

every day i am percieved™️

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

There is a reason for this though!

The original tweet summarizes it pretty well. Fanfic tends to be popular among certain types of neurodivergent people (aka people most likely to read excessively as a child, and have burnout as an adult) for the same reasons that we tend to hyperfixate–neurochemical signaling (I hope I’m using that phrase correctly). What I mean is, for people who are really dependent on changes in dopamine/serotonin/neurotransmitter levels, who have low levels or wonky neural reward systems (perhaps the most common types of neurodivergence)…people like us rely on dependable external sources of those neurochemicals. In order to function, we spend a lot of our free time trying to level out our brain chemistry using things that can reliably bring us a steady stream of joyful moments (rewards) without costing too much of the mental effort that is already in short supply. 

significantly: the investment of reading has to be balanced with a steady “return on investment”–and this return has to start fairly quickly. because again, we don’t have a lot of attention/energy to invest on tiring things. we have perpetual “low batteries” in that regard.

that doesn’t mean these stories are “simple,” or that they lack complexity or value–only that the reward has to come in short regular intervals, and it has to have a low “upfront cost.” these stories are only “easy” to read in the sense that the effort we put into them is rewarded in a timely manner. which is why fanfic stories are so perfectly formulated for neurodivergent readers–they are often beautifully written, but skip a lot of the upfront costs (of introducing new characters, of world-building, of getting the audience emotionally connected to the story elements).

the nature of fanfiction is that the reader has a pre-existing relationship with this world and these characters. that–combined with the shorter average length of fics–means that fan fics very quickly start rewarding the reader in a way that traditional fiction struggles to. that’s not a bad thing! and maybe it’s something more traditionally published writers should be paying attention to.

Fanfic, as a genre, has been uniquely helpful and accessible to many neurodivergent readers who would otherwise struggle to immerse themselves in stories. I’m glad so many of you have found a way to love and enjoy reading again! The important thing is that you are spending time inside stories you love–the way those stories are published or presented to the world is just one detail. The fact that you find joy in the process of reading (or listening!) to stories–that is what matters.

[driverdaily]

Adam Driver mentioned for the third time on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (4/12/20)

[kyloren]

Kylo Ren’s beast mode was always just Ben Solo, feral prince extraordinaire ⚔️

[catchymemes]

[myrcella]

💡 THE CLOCKWORK CITY, also known as Sotha Sil, after its creator, is said to be a great and intricate mechanism that duplicates the mythic structures of Nirn in metallic miniature. Only Seht himself knows its true purpose.

[esofantasy]

The tweet that started it all....

Which turned into...

Which inspired me ....

and we ended up with this....

[quelfabulous]

V A P O R W A V E A L M S I V I

Vivec, Almalexia & Sotha-Sil, the living glam-rock gods of Morrowind in this retro-aesthetic crossover! I am so excited to share the finished 3rd installment to my personal series. I had so much fun and I hope folks really like it!

Full process walkthrough & wallpaper on patreon! It's also available as a HUGE 19x24 print in my store!

[i-had-a-gotdam-plan]

if you think i’m done lusting for cowboys u are dead fuckin wrong partner