*flails*

[twist_shimmy]

We've been open for a week, and I thought I'd post and share some stats that are just making me-- okay, I'll be honest. They're making me gape. Every time I have noticed one of these I have gone :o because you all are turning this into so much more than I'd even wanted to hope for!

Stats!

• 50 subscribers, most of whom appear to have been directed here by scarylady, our one-woman People of Thedas Auxiliary Club.
• 17 intro posts. Thanks to lenna_nightrunner and elysium_fic for starting this trend.
  
• 85 journal entries in one week. They've covered art, fic, gameplay, modding ideas, you name it.
• 1590 comments and counting.
• The most commentary received was 148 comments on a single post.
• The Alistair tag has been used 27 times.
• The Zevran tag has been used 16 times.
• Our most popular PC, according to tags, is the f!Tabris.

Conclusion!

So I'm sitting here, sipping my coffee, analyzing this data, and coming to a conclusion:

WE ARE RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME.

And because we are ridiculously awesome, I declare the next few days to be Zevran Love Days! There's already a lot of Zev-love here, but if you've been meaning to post art, prompts, or fic that is Zev-related, let this be your cue to do so.

Caveat: We're the People of Thedas. You can post stuff even if it's NOT Zev-related, but if you want to participate in the Antivan Love-In, have at it. :D

TL:DR!

Keep doing what you're doing, darlings. Comment, post, have fun. We're so awesome because YOU are, omg. If you haven't pimped the comm and want to, banners are here. If you're pimping to an LJ comm, please warn me beforehand so Lenna and I can be prepared for sudden influxes. If you're scarylady, you are amazing. That is all.

Questions, comments, ideas for comm things you'd like to see implemented this week? Comment here and let me know. I'm working out the details for a kink thread, so let me know if you've got thoughts on that score, too.

Just here to flail/dance/congratulate each other? Comment. We can have a sexy, sexy party. Zev would be so proud.

::EDIT::  Okay, you guys, the sexy, sexy party has been had and my inbox is weeping. Why you do this? Why you so awesome?


Don't you deserve a rest? Wouldn't it be nice to just... nap for a while?  The comm will go on without you....

Shimmy: "Hey, thanks Sloth."
Sloth: "Can I eat them?"
Shimmy: "Didn't you just have Niall?"
Sloth: "...I'd hate you, but too much effort involved."


*goes back to working on this oneshot before elysium_fic  kills her. :D*

Comments

[scarylady]

I'm even worse. I'm not even a fan of the Living Warden who gets a place in the Fanfic.

NPC's are sooo much more fun.

[cave_fatuam]

But you've got your silly troupe of Orlesians at least.

[scarylady]

Yeah, but they are genuine made-up chars, created for the purpose of making the story interesting.

They are not my PC, my char who I played and invested in. I dunno, I find a few, a VERY few, of the Wardens in other people's fanfics interesting, but most of them are only of interest to the person who played them, imo. Which I why I almost never read re-tellings of the Blight.

[cave_fatuam]

I know, I know. And I adore them for it.
I can't hardly read anything that occurs during the Blight... it's like, I did that. I can only read those if I like the character starting off.
To be honest with you, since we're deep enough in comments that no one will read this, I hate doing Unhappy in Our Own Way now...like for serious. If people didn't keep bugging me about it I'd just let it drop. I've tried to make Maeve absolutely disgusting (which I hate, b/c I love Maeve at her base level) and every one is still like, oh yay!UPDATEPULEEZTHX! In the next three pages I have sketched out, she almost kills Anders, admits to fucking the queen, and breaks Alistair's arm. I'm just trying so hard to just be awful at this point... which I hate. [---end rant---]
-sticks thumb in mouth-
I just want to play Cowboys and Wardens and draw smut.

[twist_shimmy]

If it's not fun anymore, don't do it. Seriously.

[twist_shimmy]

(Also I didn't read this far in, I just get notifications in my inbox cuz this is my post. Ur sekrit is safe with me)

[cave_fatuam]

Hehe
I forgot you could see all the comments. I was trying to remember what I last said to you.

It was really fun at first, but it was more of an art experiment. Then people wanted something from it that it was never meant to have. It was Alistair and Maeve having cute little conversations with jokes about a literal S&M queen.
I think I've just gotten better at what I sought out to learn from it, so meh. I mean, I love WYW!. It's fun to write, and draw. I have a ten page sketch buffer. Also, there's Cowboy!Anders. I like doing it.

[twist_shimmy]

People wanted a full Awakenings Arc from Two Pups and a Bastard, but honestly, the story was to the point where it was more work than play to write it, so I wrapped it up instead. I wrote it with a specific goal in mind, reached that goal, and ended the story.

Move on to something new before it gets worse. You are providing readers art for free, and they have no right to complain if it is no longer worth doing. At all. And if they DO, let me know, because *trails off into indistinct, threatening grumbles*

[scarylady]

Go get 'em, tiger!

[cave_fatuam]

*shakes fist*
I swear, sometimes I feel very put upon for no reason. I mean this is free. I'm just giving you this. I just want to do things that are fun at this point. And everyone will just take what I give them.

[amhran_comhrac]

Seconding this! Seriously, isn't the point of fandom to have fun?

[ashstoner_021]

This. So totally this. I went through a similar situation awhile back with some of my other stuff (non dragonage related, so I won't go into details)

Anyway, I got some very personal and VERY horrible comments from some people, and it was at a point in my life where I was very depressed, so it made me feel like complete and utter shit. I stopped doing what I was doing all together and disappeared from the internet for months.

After taking a long hard look, I realized, I don't give a SHIT what they have to say. What, you don't like my work? Fine, but do NOT insult my personal life because of it! You do not know me, you have no reason to say such things!

Anyway, I got over it, and have begun to do what I was doing before. Granted I need to go back and fix certain things, but I'll be able to do that once I get some free time. People just have to be PATIENT. Which... you know, most of them are, but there are the vocal few who AREN'T. Lol.

Wow, look at me ramble. Anyway... I am so happy that this community is formed. I love you all, and I hope to continue to grow as both a writer and an artist thanks to you people and your inspirations.

[twist_shimmy]

Same goes to you as I said here. Such harassment is utterly unacceptable and, having dealt with it myself, allow me to say that it will NOT be tolerated here. This is a fun, supportive environment, and I am going to keep it that way, damnit.

<3

[scarylady]

Aw, poor baby.

*cuddle*

Do what you want to do and sod 'em all.

I did wonder why it was going in such strange directions. If pressure-hate is making you mangle your own story then it's definitely time to stop.

[cave_fatuam]

I'm just going to put it in a box shove it in a corner, and love the hell out of the first bit of it and forget the rest of it.
There's some kind of tragic metaphor in this somewhere.
I just wanted to draw Alistair with underwear on his head. hehe

[twist_shimmy]

You are in the PERFECT comm for that.

What? Alistair with smalls on his face.
Why? Because I wanted to.
A+++ post.

(You're under the reign of the woman who wants to write a fic dedicated to Duncan removing his belts.)

[cave_fatuam]

I am a fan of Duncan's belts, more so of their removal. ^_^

[elysium_fic]

Please to be doing this soon? Like, after Ignacio?

[scarylady]

That picture is even better in WYW though, cos then he can have BLOOMERS on his head :o)

[twist_shimmy]

I will KILL for an image of Alistair doing battle with a bustle, whether literally, or it got stuck in his hair. XD

[cave_fatuam]

Frilly ones with the poofy legs!

[twist_shimmy]

And then if you DO Write a PC Warden, all of the sudden you have readers trying to get you to make it THEIR PC instead.

Poor Evie. How unfair that she make mistakes, and poor choices, and experience an emotional breakdown when she was obviously meant to [insert Mary Sue option here.] And OMG she killed CONNOR how COULD she?

(I'm still getting over the shellshock of the Great PM Attack of Fanfics Past.)

[scarylady]

Mt favourite comment on T&S was someone telling me that they were sure Melissa was watching over Alistair and Maddy (from a fluffy cloud, one assumes), and that's how they got together. I mean, c'mon. Mel wouldn't give a flying fuck.

[twist_shimmy]

I am laughing so hard. Oh, wow. Ahahahahaha!

[scarylady]

Gospel truth, I promise. After all, it couldn't just be that him picking the oblivious little hedge-mage was the lynchpin of my entire plot-arc, right?

I am assuming at this point that you've read up to date, or maybe I'm spoilering like a git, here.