maverickk

if a fic contains heavily triggering/taboo topics that are not properly tagged, but the author uses “creator chose not to use archive warnings”, then that tag alone means they’ve already tagged everything ao3 requires from them, even if they don’t tell you what these taboo topics are. so the only way to find out is to actually read their work. it means you know the risk and still choose to read their works. you cannot be mad at the author, because they’ve basically told you to proceed at your own risk.

Im gonna be honest here, i’ve never had an m&m in my life

normalize fans being reminded that boundaries between fandom and creators exist for a reason.

normalize fans recognizing their own creative potential without seeking canon validation

normalize the idea that fandom is a hobby, not an identity to threaten and fight and harass people over

normalize a healthy understanding of the boundaries between fiction and reality

The proper response of the creative person shouldn't be "please respect my story/vision" it should be "please respect me and my position as the paid professional in this relationship."

New fans don't know this - and I entirely blame the immediacy of communication of socmedia - but creators of media tended to keep the fans at arm's length because of a very real legal risk that listening to the headcanons, etc could result in.

Like, with Beckendorf he doesn’t even attempt to give him a general description where he recounts his hair or eye color or something like that, but he immediately dives into rather intimate details, like how muscular he is, how tall he is, what his usual expression is like and what exactly his hands look like:

Beckendorf was head counselor for Hephaestus. He was this huge dude with a permanent scowl, muscles like a pro ballplayer, and hands calloused from working in the forges. He’d just turned eighteen and was on his way to NYU in the fall. Since he was older, I usually listened to him about stuff… (The Demigod Files: The Bronze Dragon)

And with Silena, who is often framed as the prettiest girl at camp, he’s just like, “she has black hair and brown eyes, and most guys find her attractive, I guess:/” which is like one of the most basic descriptions for a beautiful girl imaginable:

Then Silena Beauregard, the head counselor for Aphrodite passed by. Beckendorf had had a not-so-secret crush on her for three years. She had long black hair and big brown eyes, and when she walked, the guys tended to watch. She said,” Good luck, Charlie,” (Nobody ever calls Beckendorf by his first name.) (The Demigod Files: The Bronze Dragon)