#<- it counts. i do highly recommend that fic sometimes i read it when i'm sad and want to cheer myself up

[zukkaoru]

hi grace! i don't go to bsd yet but what r ur thoughts on transfem kunikida :3

hmm i would say it's not like. one of my go-to headcanons but i do very much respect it. i have read a few fics with transfem kunikida and enjoyed them (shoutout to How To Wreck A Schedule In One Easy Step by valleykey which was the first transfem kuni fic i read and a fic i have gone back and reread many times bc it's so much fun) so it's one of those headcanons that like. idk i don't have any strong feelings towards it myself one way or the other. i don't know that i would ever write a transfem kunikida fic but i also don't want to say for sure that i never will bc i never know what i'm going to write next lol

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Some Kind of Disaster - Preview

Gally (TMR) x Fem!Reader

Concept: You saw Gally take a spear through the chest, and you are more than shocked to find him alive and well, in front of your eyes.

Preview Word Count: 970

If you like this preview, follow my writing blog @sundrop-writes and turn on notifications there as the full fic will be posted there sometime within the next few months when I have the time and energy to edit it. I may or may not make a TMR taglist, I'm not sure??

A/N: This is based entirely on the movie version of Gally, as I haven't read the books and don't plan on doing so. The title comes from an All Time Low song of the same name - which I would highly recommend listening to in order to get the vibes for this fic. Also apparently this is the same concept as a dozen other Gally fics, but I don't really care right now - because I got inspired to do it and it's entirely self indulgent, and this is my take on the concept lmao. I am currently on hiatus, but I've been working on fics as a form of stress relief during this time - but I haven't been editing fics. This fic will be posted after its edited sometime within the next month or two. (And there is already a sequel in the works, shhh.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and feedback is much appreciated!

Warnings: the full fic will be smut, but this is more of a tease of that; the reader character uses she/her pronouns and has a vagina; spoilers for the films if you haven't seen them; arguing that turns into kissing; Gally has a self-deprecating/insecure inner monologue; mentions of Newt x Reader (it's one-sided in this fic, but may be something more later on ;)); Gally being possessive, Gally being rough (but the reader likes it); mention of Gally masturbating to thoughts of the reader; implications of Gally being taller than the reader (which I think is likely for most people cause Will Poulter is pretty fuckin tall); technically virginity loss (but it's not a big focus of the fic) - it's more about two people naturally enjoying their first time together (and I wrote this the same way I would write a first time in a relationship with two slightly more experienced characters) - and also nothing majorly sexual comes up in this part; this section: heated kissing with intentions towards sex, and that's pretty much it.

...

“Look, I’m sorry I’m not like them, okay?”

He spat out these words bitterly when you didn’t speak, and this left you confused. “I’m sorry I’m not some dumb brave hero guy-” 

You reached out and roughly shoved the middle of his chest again. Unknowingly, this aggravated the healed scar where the spear had gone through him, sending a dull ache through him at having the tender pink skin so roughly prodded without his chest armor on this time. 

“You’re so stupid!��� You barked back, utterly insulted by his words. 

He thought this was par for the course, that you would begin hurling more insults before storming out. He thought that you would tell him his supposed ‘death’ had been the best thing that had ever happened to you, and the longing looks Newt had given you were truly something more. 

“God, you’re so-!” 

You choked on your own words and tears welled up in your eyes, and you took a sharp breath before you continued. 

“You are that dumb brave hero guy!” You yelled back, speaking like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Gally gaped at you, and you continued. 

“What do you think all that was?” You gestured vaguely behind yourself, obviously speaking about the events earlier in the day - when he had rushed into heavy bomb fire to drag you and the others to safety. “That was the dumbest hero guy thing I have ever seen.” You said, putting a stain of emphasis on the word ‘dumb’, pinching his own phrasing for it right in the ass. 

“That was nothing, I just did that because you were in danger, and-” 

“And that’s exactly what Thomas would have done.” You replied, quickly cutting him off. “You’re every bit as good as him. You are.” 

There was a tense moment where you stared him down, deep contemplation knit across his features while you waited for him to agree with you. 

“I wasn’t when you left the Maze.” He added on, quiet guilt floating through his voice. “I wasn’t brave then. I was a coward. I couldn’t be what you needed-” 

“You have always been what I need, Gally. When will you get that through your thick shank skull?” 

You were done rehashing the past. 

You were done contemplating the details of what could have been. It hit you truly then - all that mattered to you now was the fact that Gally, your Gally was in front of you, somehow alive and well. And though it was something you never could have predicted, you wouldn’t let such a beautiful thing slip through your fingers. 

You reached out and grabbed the front of his sweatshirt, pulling him forward roughly. At the end of that jerking motion, he was met with your lips, and he sunk into the kiss without a second thought, closing his eyes and letting out a soft sigh that shouldn’t have suited him so well. Adding to that softness as he reached up to gently cup your cheeks while you gnawed at him with a feral passion. 

This is exactly what he had been waiting for. This was the reunion he had wanted all along. 

In a moment, the touch, your desperate grip on the front of his shirt, the way you ran your teeth along his bottom lip, edging toward something more - it triggered something within him. A possessive streak over you that had long been dormant; something once fueled by rage and jealousy and fear over the bad things that might happen to you if he wasn’t constantly looking over your shoulder. Now, it came from something much deeper. 

That immature love he had felt for you that had only grown and matured during your time apart, adding to a hungry passion for you now that he had you back in his arms - now that he could feel the heat of your skin, smell you, hear the whimpering patter of your breath and know that you were so damn real. (Not just another falsehood of his imagination with the details poorly filled in that he tried to soothe himself with, while he had a hand on his cock.) 

He was the one who charged at you this time, shoving you backwards and walking tightly with you, crowding you back until you hit a wall. You hadn’t truly taken in your surroundings, and if you had half a mind to, you would have noticed that this was some kind of dingy store room - used for scavenged spare parts for the vehicles and old guns that needed to be repaired in order to be put into use. 

But your brain didn’t take any of that in when your back made contact with the wall, Gally still kissing you fiercely, making you downright dizzy. You didn’t have time to think when one of his hands took a possessive hold on your thigh, hiking your leg up around his hip while his presence loomed over you, like the perfect protective wall you always felt that he was. He continued the heated liplock for a moment before he pulled away for air, and then, a particular query couldn’t be contained within you. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” You asked, half-teasing, still holding your death grip on his shirt. 

There was a particular hum between your thighs - something hot and beating and alive, a calling that demanded to be answered. You knew that you would be devastated if Gally stopped too soon or didn’t rise to that call. So you had to know what his intentions were now to prepare yourself for the potential disappointment. 

“Showing you how much I missed you.” He answered firmly, entirely certain, leaning in to capture your mouth again - pressing his whole body tightly against yours now. 

It sent a thrill through you - knowing that he would answer that call and thensome.

[zukka-fic-recs]

Hello! I am totally new to reading Zukka and would love some recommendations. If you've already done this, please feel free to just link to another post! I would love a few recs of what you consider to be "must-reads". I'm open to any length or rating (although I tend to read rated E), I would just love to start with a few that are phenomenal :)

Hi stavro!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Zukka fics!

Here's a Zukka starter pack for you, I limited it to 10 fics to stop it from getting too unwieldy, but it was really difficult to keep it so short tbh, so if you want more lmk!

Zukka Must-Reads

Blue by blacklipscurse

Available on Ao3, Complete (Part 1), Teen, Slowburn, Canon-Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Blue Spirit Zuko, Secret Indentities, Ba Sing Se, Angst, H/C, Homophobia, Physical Disability, Humour / Humor

Wordcount: 192,682

This fic is a whole damn phenomenon in this fandom and it's phenomenal to match! The way the characters are written really draws you in. It's a very emotive fic and I truly cannot emphasise how funny blacklipscurse's writing is, I laughed a lot. Especially at Zuko, and sometimes Sokka. 😅 There is a sequel but it's a WIP and Blue can stand alone. :)

absence of heat, excess of destiny by theycallmesuperboy / @baegarrick

Available on Ao3, Complete, Gen, Canon-Compliant, Alternate Universe - Soulmate, AU - Soulmate-Identifying Marks

Wordcount: 4,336

Absolute classic, and I love soulmate fics so for me this is top tier.

Real Slow by surveycorpsjean (Ao3) / zanimez (Tumblr)

Available on Ao3, Complete, Mature, Post-Canon, Fluff, Smut, H/C, Angst, Ambassador Sokka

Wordcount: 21,490

The way their relationship gently unfurls in this is very satisfying. Highly recommend!

Hallowed by HairCrescendo / @sword-and-stars

Available on Ao3, Complete, Explicit, Smut, Fluff

Wordcount: 4,615

Smouldering smut and fluffy feelings. I'd recommend all of HairCrescendo's work tbh, they're a fantastic writer and they have about a dozen more Explicit works. ;)

three words that become hard to say (I and love and you) by overcomeeithlongingfora_girl / @overcomewithlongingfora-girl

Available on Ao3, Complete, Explicit, Smut, Praise Kink, Subdrop, Domdrop, Light BDSM

Wordcount: 2,977

This fic is hothotHOT, and yet also so sweet and emotional it makes my heart hurt. Bring a fan and some tissues.

Courtesan by lesbianophelia / @mendontprotectyou

Available on Ao3, Complete, Explicit, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Light Praise Kink

Wordcount: 2,200

So scrumptious I just want to eat it. Prepare to feel things. 🔥

For Peace and Zuko by BeersForQueers / @omgbeersforqueers

Available on Ao3, Complete, Explicit, Slowburn, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Future Fic, Canon-Divergence

Wordcount: 43,277

Speaking of classics, honestly you could read anything and everything by BeersForQueers and I would recommend doing so! They're a longtime member of the fandom. They were there for this ship when it needed it most (I want you to know that I just blew a kiss to the sky). Having said that, For Peace and Zuko is one of my absolute favourites. The sequel Ice Cave makes for a lovely epilogue.

when the prison doors are opened by alternatedoom

Available on Ao3, Complete, Explicit, Underage, Sickfic, Angst, H/C, Voyeurism, Animal Killed for Food, FWB, Imprisonment, Dub-Con

Wordcount: 164,648

I don't know if this counts as slowburn given... ahem, the progression of things. On the emotional front, perhaps. Their relationship development is messy in a delicious way, really twists you around into such wonderful spirals... Idek if I'm making any sense, that's what this fic does to my mental capacity! Every character interaction is just so so good and the way the tension gets ratcheted up and then unwound is captivating. I could gush about this fic all day, but instead I'll just leave it at: it's really, really good and you should read it.

In the Soft Light by CSHfic and VSfic

Available on Ao3, Complete, Teen, Slowburn, Pining, Canon-Divergence, Alternate Universe - War Ended Early, Angst, H/C, Firelord Azulon, Miscommunication, Pining, Underage Drinking, AU - Moon Spirit Sokka, side Bakoda, Sickfic, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Bed-Sharing

Wordcount: 83,904

Some of my absolute favourite authors in this fandom and all of their work is fantastic quality. In terms of spot-on characterisation, wonderful descriptions, plenty of humour to balance out the angst... Their writing is masterful, and this is one of my favourites of their fics. They have more mature/explicit works as well. ;) (Side-note: I absolutely adore Zuko in this fic).

(do you take this jerk to be) your one and only by jatersade

Available on Ao3, Complete, Teen, Slowburn, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Arranged Marriage, Bed-Sharing, Misunderstandings, Pining, AU - Royalty, Alternate Universe - 100 Year War Ended Early, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse

Wordcount: 55,846

I love the arranged marriage trope and I love it when authors play around with the gang's status as the children of royalty and world leaders, and this fic does all of that so well. Jatersade's pacing and the quality of their charecterisarion really elevates this fic.

---

I wanted to keep this list to complete fics, but I do have to mention feels like we only go backwards by oldpotatoe, because although it's a WIP it is iconic.

Also, a personal favourite of mine that has been discontinued (but didn't end on a cliffhanger or anything) is invisible string by wilteddaisy (taotu). I have it saved to my phone as a PDF for when I need a comfort read, that's how much I love it.

[plusultraetc]

Fic Writer Interview

Thank you so much @starlightbelle for tagging me!! If there are any One Piece fans following this blog, I highly recommend Belle's fics!

-- How many works do you have on AO3?

Officially I have 18, but it's 19 if you include the Star Wars au (my beloved). I haven't taken it out of the anonymous collection yet because I promised myself I would only do so when I posted the second chapter, but I still count it in my head!

-- What's your total AO3 word count?

95,613 :') I know that's nothing compared to some writers, but I am unreasonably pleased with it. I'm wondering if I should do something fun when I break 100k, which should hopefully be soon with chapter 2 of 'now i'm glad i get forever' 🤞

-- What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

there's no good tricks but old ones

i'll take what i can get, i'll take what i am given

you've got no fear of the underdog

write me a list of how it is

every battle, every day

-- Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do!! I'm a smidge behind on literally everything this month, but I eventually respond to them all <3 I really do appreciate every single comment, they literally make my entire week and sometimes it takes me so long to reply because I am editing my response four hundred times to take out all of the !!!s.

(I also love getting to talk to others in the fandom, even if it's just for a single exchange--MHA is actually the Most Involved I've ever been in a fandom, and I've met so many really cool people by commenting and replying to comments on fics!! Thank you ao3 comments section, I love you ao3 comments section.)

-- What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm this is tough bc I don't write a lot of angsty endings, and most of my fics are canon compliant anyway so the angst is relative? With this in mind, it's probably 'there's no good tricks but old ones'--it's one of my only fics where there isn't some kind of emotional breakthrough or connection reached (or even the start of one) and it's pre-Paranormal Liberation War arc so we all know Hawks is headed for A Really Bad Time 😬

-- What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

All of them,, but I did write about Shinsou finding out he'd been accepted into the hero course in 'every battle, every day' which might take the cake (Brian from TAZ voice I'm so proud of them etc)

-- Do you write crossovers?

Do crossovers have to include characters from another media? Bc I've written aus set in other universes, but none of the characters from them appear 🤔

-- Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Thankfully no! I did once receive a comment that was just like. A Statement with no tonal indicators, In All Caps, but I'm 99% sure it was meant to be taken positively. okay 98% sure.

-- Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope! (I also don't read E-rated fics even though I get so many interesting looking recommendations with that rating 😭 If you've ever recommended me an E-rated fic and I just never brought it up again I'M SORRY)

-- Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of?

-- Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also no!

-- Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I think it would be fun :D

-- What's your all-time favorite ship?

It feels like cheating to say erasermic on the MHA blog, but like. I'm going to say erasermic on the MHA blog. I don't think I'd ever written anything for a ship in my life before them. To be loved is to be changed but to have a ship is also to be changed.

-- What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Never say never but rip time travel fic lol.

-- What are your writing strengths?

IF I SAY SOMETHING YOU DISAGREE WITH LOOK AWAY. But. I think I write good dialogue, especially banter, and that I am occasionally funny. I also think I'm pretty good at describing places, but only if I have a clear mental image of them, so I feel like you can always tell when I'm not sure what a room looks like (which is most of the time).

-- What are your writing weaknesses?

Second-guessing and self-doubting myself into genuine writing paralysis. Also internal monologue/narration, like a character thinking about and articulating their feelings :')

-- What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I'm a little confused about this question?? But I also only speak one language fluently so I can't do this anyway 😭

-- What was the first fandom you wrote for?

When my sister and I were kids we used to pick our favorite characters from a bunch of different movies/books/shows and tell stories about them all going on some kind of gigantic crossover adventure, so it was probably something along the lines of 'Scooby-Doo, Batman, and Jedidiah from Night at the Museum vs Firelord Ozai'

-- What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I have a few Demon Slayer WIPs I'd love to figure out one day!

-- What's your favorite fic you've written?

This question is so hard bc like. Does it mean my favorite fic while I was working on it, or my favorite result? The fic that was easiest to write, or most difficult but most worth it?? The fic I've reread the most, or the fic I'm afraid to reread in case it doesn't live up to the memory I have of it??? Can I do a top 3????

This was so much fun!! (even though it did give me several small crises staring at my stats page--run 'i'll take what i can get, i'll take what i am given,' 'there's no good tricks but old ones' is right behind you!!) No-pressure tagging @machiroads @blinkeasy @kyurilin @karliahs @poppy5991 @ifyougoillfollow and anyone else who sees this & wants to participate!! I was scrolling through my following tab but omg it's a long list so I def missed some writers 😭

[buttercupjosh]

The Journey of Loving You

(Gif credit to @mattymartin)

Word count: 4,376

Genres: strangers to lovers, fluff

Warnings: none

A/N: I've had pieces of details of this fic in mind for a few months and I had a difficult time figuring out who to write it with so I ended up choosing to give Josty another fic. It is not intended to be a sequel to star-crossed (which you still read and check out and if you want this to be a sequel to that, you can interpret it that way). It did take me awhile to get this fic done because I decided to write other stories before completing this one. This story is based off of the songs “Not a Bad Thing” and “Mirrors”, both by Justin Timberlake and the title is something I came up with. It did take me awhile to get this fic done because I decided to write other stories before completing this one. I also have a bunch of other songs linked throughout the story and I highly recommend listening to them when you come across them during reading. It’s not set at a specific moment in time (It's taking place in a fictional future but you could also say that it's set in the future and this season. However, the season is still ongoing at the moment and anything can happen or change so don't hold me to what occurs in the fic and if things do change (ex. Tyson goes to another team), I'm not going to update this fic to reflect that). It’s written with a female reader in mind because I’m a female of color but the reader doesn’t specifically have to be a POC or a woman and there’s little dialogue. As always, I’m open to any and all feedback, comments or questions; just put them in my inbox or dm me. Thank you so much in advance for reading, I appreciate it😌

(P.S. I have other stories (linked here) that I have written for other players as well if you want to check it out)

“I want it all with you and if I'm coming on too strong, it's 'cause I've waited far too long for someone just like you” -“Share Your Address” by Ben Platt

In your role as the social media manager for the Buffalo Bills, you got to interact and meet with many different types of people. You would have never imagined that something as simple as doing your job would lead you to meet the love of your life. During the Bills season, some of the Buffalo Sabres players had come by to watch a game and you were responsible for capturing their experience at the game. Through mutual connections in the industry, you knew the social media manager for the Sabres but you only watched hockey occasionally. Before the game started, the guys were given a tour of Highmark Stadium and you were trailing around as the guys made their way around your workplace. Throughout their time there, you had noticed that a particular curly-haired hockey forward named Tyson Jost kept being close to you; as one of the few single guys left on the team, his teammates were shifting around and nudging him to talk to you. Tyson walked at a much slower pace to keep up with you instead of with the guys. He asked you a lot of questions and it was a bit odd to you that Tyson was more interested in paying attention to you than the football stadium tour was occurring. Tyson seemed curious about you, which you thought was cute, but you couldn’t quite be as flirty with him on the clock. The tour was only for an hour and concluded at the sidelines before the game officially started. You still had a lot of work to do since it was gameday so before going back to your office to review the content you acquired and what the team photographers captured, you discreetly exchanged numbers with Tyson to talk to him later on. During half-time, you checked your phone quickly and saw a text from Tyson that read “Thanks for answering all of my questions back there, I appreciate it. Can I ask you some more over coffee sometime?”. You were slightly taken aback by him asking you out so soon but you weren’t going to let that opportunity slip away so you agreed to go out with Tyson. 

On your first official date, Tyson forgot to bring flowers because he was nervous. You didn’t mind that he forgot and understood his nervousness. Over drinks and pastries from Five Points Bakery, Tyson asked you a lot of questions because he was so enamored by you and you got to ask him a lot of questions in return: you even made each other laugh a few times. The conversation flowed so easily and effortlessly from topic to topic. As you chatted, for some reason, it felt like you had known each other for so much longer. The time that you spent together went by so fast that you ended up closing the bakery. Neither you nor Tyson wanted the date to be over so you ended up strolling around the leaf-riddled streets of Buffalo, making a stop for some additional fun at Lock and Key Escape Room and popping into Mythos for a last-minute dinner date. After dinner concluded, you mutually agreed to call it a night. You learned a lot about each other in the hours that you spent together that day. By the time the date officially ended, all Tyson had wanted was to see you again the following day and whatever days he could after that; you felt the same way. He walked you to your car and before going your separate ways, you shared a long goodbye embrace; a kiss would be saved for the next date. Speaking of which, on your next date, Tyson brought you flowers for the first time, and for the rest of your relationship, he would never forget to get them for you ever again. 

With the both of you working in sports, your schedule was never really consistent but despite that, you and Tyson still kept in constant contact and made time for each other whenever you could. You would go to some of Tyson’s games and some team events and Tyson would always hype you up on Bills gamedays. You even surprised Tyson once at an away game; the Bills had a bye week so you flew out to Boston to cheer him on. Whenever your schedules aligned in Buffalo, you and Tyson would go out on different dates around the city and suburbs; these dates were always guaranteed to be an enjoyable time and all of those dates eventually turned into a deeply committed romantic relationship. 

Being loved by Tyson and loving him was like your dreams coming true; your relationship worked well because you admired each other so much and neither of you could imagine being with anyone else. You were both used to people making promises to you and turning around and breaking them, used to giving your heart to others and they just cut you and leave you bleeding all over the place. However, this relationship was different and all you had to do was try; this time, trying paid off well because being together made those realities not true anymore. The relationship you shared was determined to heal you both from those who had hurt you in the past and you both felt safe with each other. You were worth the challenge of mending together a broken and tender heart for Tyson; his heart was ignited for you and he would do everything in his power to continue to pursue you and you only. Your relationship also had no moments of wasted time or any broken promises and you were always honest to each other. You both had waited so long through dating around and heartbreak for the right person to come along into each other’s lives but the wait was worth it because you ended up together. Falling in love wasn’t a bad thing at all; as expected, it was scary to give your heart to someone else but like a rollercoaster, it was also thrilling and exciting and you got to fall into the arms of someone amazing. Of course, things weren’t always sunny and there were some setbacks and struggles while you were dating. You and Tyson did disagree and argue sometimes but you could compromise when needed; you also had to balance your relationship with the demands of your job and Tyson constantly being either home or away but being with him was worth those challenges. Like anything in life, there would be a moment that would test how strong your relationship is.————————————————————One Saturday afternoon, you and Tyson decided to get ice cream after Tyson was healthy scratched from that afternoon’s game. Unfortunately, the person who served the ice cream used the same scooper that was used to scoop ice cream with nuts in it and you had an allergic reaction. Thankfully, you had an EpiPen in your bag and used it to help you. Your symptoms began to slowly subside but the instructions mentioned that you should visit the ER if used so Tyson took you. The ER doctor put you on an IV and decided to keep you overnight for observation. Tyson begged the doctor to let him stay in the room with you and they surprisingly agreed, even though you weren’t married and common law marriages weren’t a thing in New York. You were so grateful that Tyson stayed with you instead of leaving to go sleep in his comfy bed and just picking you up whenever you were discharged, not having to deal with the nurses and doctors coming in and out of the room throughout the night, interrupting whatever rest he got in that uncomfortable hospital chair. You were awake and observant for a while but you eventually drifted off to sleep. Tyson was tired but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep because he was so worried about you. As he saw you lying in the hospital bed, Tyson thought to himself that you should never have to go through any sort of health crisis alone. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to be there all the time but he would be there for you as much as he could. This whole experience opened up Tyson’s eyes to realizing that he wanted to share your address and move in together and also to be your emergency contact. 

To say that Tyson was in love with you was a bit of an understatement; he was so smitten about you and everyone around him could pick up on that immediately. Tyson would see things that would remind him of you and his heart would swell with so much joy and the light in his eyes shined differently whenever he talked about you. Tyson truly and deeply loved you so much that he couldn’t lose you. His heart would beat so fast whenever you were around or if someone mentioned you and you were the one that he adored. To him, it felt like days would go wasted without you in them. He wanted a house with kids running around that shared both of your traits, to travel across the world, and grow old, all with you. In that moment, Tyson privately vowed to himself that he was going to marry you one day.

Months down the line, after waiting for your lease to be up and for the hockey season to be over, you and Tyson rented a house together. Living together meant that you got to see each other a little bit more frequently, which you both liked. You settled into a comfortable routine with Tyson and had mild complaints about your cute roommate; sharing a space wasn’t so bad. Tyson got to cook for you, serenade you on his ukulele, and slow dance in the kitchen with you as often as he could. You got to taste all of Tyson’s recipes, annoy him with your purposefully bad singing, and wake up next to him on the rare days you were off together. You and Tyson even began hosting a monthly trivia night at your home with your friends and some of Tyson’s teammates. Moving in together also meant that you were around to help Tyson whenever he was injured and always there to comfort him after a disappointing healthy scratch or game loss as well.

Combining your lives together meant that your families would mix at some point. Tyson’s mother, Laura, visited frequently and came down for the Sabres’ Moms’ Trip and stayed for a week afterward so you got to know her more and she got to know the person her son was so lovestruck about. You also got to meet his sister, Kacey, when his mother returned for Christmas and also brought Grandpa Jost along. You had a good relationship with Tyson’s family; they adored you and liked you with him. In regards to your family, your parents only came to Buffalo once in a while and you would go back to your hometown for holidays but your parents talked Tyson through video calls and knew how much he meant to you.

While you were still dating, your parents ended up contributing to a significant memory for Tyson and you weren’t even there. When the Dads and Mentors Trip came around, for some reason, Grandpa Jost couldn’t be there for his grandson so your dad flew out to Buffalo to accompany Tyson on the trip. This was going to be your father’s first time meeting Tyson in person and it was intimidating at first but that intimidation faded away as your dad and Tyson got to know each other. Tyson was so thankful that your dad took the time to be there for him. Before returning to Buffalo, Tyson had asked your father for your hand in marriage and your dad agreed to let his little ray of sunshine shine their light into someone else’s life. If there was anyone else in the world that he would walk his precious child down the aisle to, your father was glad that Tyson would be the guy on the other side.————————————————————After getting your father’s approval, calling your mom to get her blessing, and telling both of your family and friends about it, it was time for Tyson to propose. Tyson arranged a fun scavenger hunt for you around Buffalo during the NFL off-season and at the end of the NHL regular season. This scavenger hunt was bittersweet because Tyson was going to be a free agent that upcoming off-season and there was no full guarantee he would return to play for the Sabres so you both prepared for the likely possibility that you would have to move away for Tyson to play with a different team. It was going to be hard to leave behind the place that you both called home and also your job but you would follow Tyson wherever he would go. Thankfully, you still had some time left to hang out with your friends and former co-workers before leaving for the off-season.

The scavenger hunt started with an index card on the fridge that read: “Good morning, my love. Look for the next clue inside our home on a masterpiece hanging above.” Tyson had gone golfing with his teammates for what could be the last time so these little notes were the only communication you had with him that day and you read all of the clue cards in his voice. You found the next note that read on top of a painting you made: “Remember when we went to that art class and you painted the most beautiful sunset? Go to the visitor’s desk at Buffalo AKG Art Museum to find out the rest.” 

You headed to the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and the guide at the visitor’s desk handed you an envelope with a prepaid admission ticket inside; there was also a sticky note inside that read “Your reflection is a work of art. Go to the mirrors exhibit and see how your beauty captured my heart.” The heat rushed to your face as you read Tyson’s note; he wasn’t there but he still made your heart skip a beat through his words. You headed straight to the mirrors exhibit and took a bunch of cute photos while you were there. After the mirrors exhibit, you continued to look around the art museum and ran into Danielle Okoposo, Kyle Okoposo’s wife, while you were there. She mentioned that she was visiting the art museum because her kids were taking an art class there and told you to stay with her until the class was over because one of her kids had the next clue for you. You didn’t wait long for the kids to come out and all of the Okoposo children showed off to their mother and you what they had created in class. Livia, the youngest Okoposo daughter, gave you a personalized drawing of you and Tyson with a lot of hearts on it. Written in Livia’s youthful handwriting, the back of the drawing read: “As you can see, we are surrounded by lots of love, and no matter what happens, that will always be true. Head to Five Points Bakery for a snack pickup and your next clue.” You departed from Danielle and the Okposo children and headed to the spot where you and Tyson had your first date.

The bakery wasn’t as busy when you went to pick up your order; although Tyson had already placed the order for you, you still picked up a sweet treat for your sweetie as a reward for all of the things he’d done with this scavenger hunt. Your next clue card was inside the bag with your order that stated: “After my snack has had their snack, don’t be perplexed by my request for you to ask your parents for where to go next.” You followed Tyson’s instructions and your mom texted you: “Summer is approaching and we can’t wait to see you soon so go to the Botanical Garden where the flowers bloom.”

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens was a special place to you and Tyson; it’s where you celebrated your first year of dating with a cute couples photoshoot and also had membership to the space. Your favorite part of the Botanical Gardens was the koi fish pond so of course, you would find your next clue taped to the back of the bench near where the pond was. “I know you’ve been out for hours but I have you running around for a reason. Now, go home, there’s something fun that we need to do before we go to Canada for the off-season.”, the clue card read.

You went back home; all of the nostalgia from visiting some of your favorite spots around Buffalo made you feel both happy and sad at the same time. Even though the scavenger hunt was a final trip for you to go to the places you enjoyed in Buffalo, you wished deep down that Tyson would have been there to experience them with you for one last time. Tyson still wasn’t back yet and his location indicated that he was at a restaurant near the golf course; you tried to call and text him throughout the day to check on him but he didn’t answer at all. You walked into your bedroom and saw a note on the closet door that read “You’re going to want to dress your best for this next part (as the kids say, make sure your look serves) and when you’re done, meet me at Tifft Nature Preserve.” The last part of the note confused you because the nature preserve would be closed by now but you showered, got ready, and went there anyway. 

Inside the Tifft Nature Preserve Education Center was a trail of lights that led you to a projector with a Kahoot game, ready to be played. Tyson, looking handsome in a crisp polo and jeans, was surrounded by blankets and snacks. You hadn’t seen or heard much from him the whole day so it was nice to see the face of the man that you loved.

“Tyson, you did not ask me to dress up and drag me all this way to play trivia when we could do it at home or go to trivia night at the bar.”, you stated.

“This might be our last time playing our monthly trivia game in Buffalo so why not go all out?” Tyson responded.

Trivia was amusing as expected and you won the game so you asked Tyson what your prize was; your prize was Tyson was going to sing you a quick song on his ukulele. The notes sounded familiar to you and then you recognized what your lover was serenading you to.

“Cause I don't wanna lose you now, I'm lookin' right at the other half of me. The vacancy that sat in my heart is a space that now you hold. Show me how to fight for now and I'll tell you, baby, it was easy, comin' back here to you. Once I figured it out, you were right here all along. It's like you're my mirror, my mirror staring back at me. I couldn't get any bigger with anyone else beside of me. And now it's clear as this promise that we're making two reflections into one.” Tyson sang during the chorus of Mirrors by Justin Timberlake. The lyrics were right for describing your relationship with Tyson; you were separate individuals but your relationship intertwined you together and also allowed you to change for the better as people. Music was something that was important to both of you and Tyson had sung to you several times before, including love songs, so this wasn’t much of a surprise to you. After he concluded singing, Tyson handed you over one final clue card that simply read “Will you marry me?”.

Tears of joy began to fill your eyes and Tyson was down on one knee, holding out your dream ring. The sun was going to set soon so the golden hour sunset hue coming through the windows was a nice natural touch to the proposal. You had thought Tyson was going to propose on your planned trip to Banff that summer so this was definitely a huge surprise. You were both speechless because there just weren't enough words to describe the feeling of love that was flowing between the two of you at that moment. After over a year of dating, you were moving on to the next step of getting married and like the lyrics of the song said, merging your two reflections into one. After your engagement/farewell dinner with some of the Sabers players and their families, you and Tyson returned home and had an impromptu dance party in the living room with your new fiance to “Let’s Get Married” by Bleachers, “Slow Dance” by Saint Motel, and “Just The Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. featuring Bill Withers. Your time in Buffalo was coming to an end but it ended in the best way.————————————————————Just as you both suspected, the Sabres did not choose to offer Tyson a contract so he ended up signing on a short-term NHL contract elsewhere as a free agent and you moved away from Buffalo. Tyson was used to moving away and starting over more than you were but you both knew that home would always be wherever you were with those that you loved. The move and the wedding planning did add some additional stress to both of you but it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle. You both adjusted well to your new life in your new home city; you had good relationships with the other WAGs and their families and continued your career as a social media manager for a local sports team. Tyson meshed great with his teammates, got more ice time and his play improved. You and Tyson rented a house again and added a dog named Maverick to your little family.

The wedding planning time went by in such an exciting and enjoyable blur and before you both knew it, it was time to marry the love of your life. You and Tyson decided on a destination wedding at a Four Seasons Resort in Florida. Both of your families helped out with the wedding in the many different ways that they could and were delighted to unite together on behalf of your love. It was also nice that all of your friends and some of Tyson’s former teammates were there for your special day as well.

The details of your wedding day were so beautiful and perfect; your something new was a diamond necklace given to you by the Jost family, your something borrowed and something blue was a blue bracelet from your mom that she wore on her wedding day to your dad. You floated down the aisle with your father by your side to meet with your soon-to-be husband, waiting for you in his black tux. Tyson saw you, walking towards him, and he got a little emotional. Tyson’s parents’ relationship didn’t work out and he was terrified to face a similar doom in his life but being with you restored his faith in relationships and marriage. Seeing Tyson cry made you tear up too but everyone knew that those were happy tears. Even though there was an audience of other people in the room, it felt like you and Tyson were the only ones there. Your vows to each other were like the most poetic song lyrics and were sealed with a sweet kiss. You had dreamed of your wedding day for a while, unsure who would be the one to greet you at the altar but finally, you knew.

Your first dance as a married couple was to the Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross cover of Endless Love (originally performed by Diana Ross featuring Lionel Richie), which was considered one of the greatest duets of all time. Like the vocals in the song, you and Tyson debuting as a married couple to a duet made sense because you were complementary to each other and brought out each other’s strengths. The rest of your wedding was spectacular. You danced the night away to a variety of tracks from a carefully curated playlist, enjoyed delicious food, took plenty of photos, laughed, and happily cried a few more times too. You also both mixed and mingled with your guests and were swept into all different directions around the venue.

Towards the end of your wedding and before you walked out to say goodbye to all of your guests, Tyson pulled you away for a surprise private dance as newlyweds. You and Tyson would get plenty of time alone together on your honeymoon in Greece but the private dance without the pressure of any other eyes on you was much appreciated. You swayed back and forth with your husband to “All My Life” by K-Ci and Jojo, “You’re Still The One” by Shania Twain, and “This I Promise You” by *NSYNC, and sang along to all of them together. Just like the lyrics in the songs had said, “All my life, I’ve been waiting for someone like you” (“All My Life” by K-Ci and Jojo), “we’re still together, still going strong” (“You’re Still The One” by Shania Twain), and “and with this vow, forever has now begun” (This I Promise You” by *NSYNC), all that you had been waiting for, for so long was right in front of you and it was true that your forever love was just getting started. In a whisper, you asked to play a song and chose “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion as the final song for your private dance. The song served as a thank you to each other by summing up the journey of your relationship so far and how your love helped you both grow as people. Getting married allowed you to write a new chapter in your love story. You made it this far as a couple and there was so much to look forward to in your future together.

[altraviolet]

Out of curiosity, do you have any tips for writing a long multichapter fic?? I have recently come up with a fic idea that I realize is going to take... multiple chapters. How do you stay motivated/what's your process for planning? Tysm for answering and if you've answered before sorry! Do you have a tag for your writing advice?

Hi!

I have a lot of tips :)

I do have a tag for writing advice. It's "writing advice." My writing advice is on my pinned post and I just double checked and made sure all the posts under "Writing Advice" are properly tagged. There's a post there that talks about my organization, which is something you've asked about, but you may find other helpful info there as well. If, after you read the answer to your ask and all the writing advice posts, you still have questions, feel free to hit up the ask box again :)

Cut for length!

>How do you stay motivated?

Sometimes I don't, honestly. People who read TEG while it was being updated know this xD There were a few times when 6 months passed between chapters, and then 3 chapters would be updated within a week. Since it's fanfic - it doesn't have due dates or deadlines and you're not getting paid - all that motivation really does need to come from inside. And if it's too draining? Then maybe fic doesn't get written that day.

I can honestly tell you that motivation on TEG waxed and waned quite a bit. It didn't help that right as I started posting it, the pandemic hit. Seeing as how we in the US are about to embark on a newly destructive four years, I say: if you don't have have the motivation, if you're really drained, don't push yourself. Fic is supposed to be fun. There were a lot of times TEG really wasn't fun, but I pushed through it because I felt a lot of pressure to do so.

That might not be helpful, lol. But I'm giving you permission to go easy on yourself.

But, let's say you don't want to go easy. Here are ways you can stay motivated:

the story won't get completed unless you complete it. so if you want to see it done, you HAVE to do it. logical and sound reasoning. there is no escape. get to work. call this the Shockwave Motivation Method, lol

excitement. oooh if you're excited about your fic, that will help a lot. getting to write out the scenes you're most looking forward to may help you get through the boring scenes [note: if you the writer find a scene boring, the reader probably will, too. consider changing or removing that scene]. this is probably the most healthy and enjoyable way to keep yourself motivated while writing fanfic

watch videos/read books about writing. or podcasts, or whatever kinda thing you like. absorbing information about writing will help you feel more knowledgeable and confident, even if just a teeny tiny bit

related to 3: go back and read/watch the canon that you adore. rekindle your love for it. remember why you want to write the fic that you're writing

spite? let's be brutally honest, here: if you read something popular that you think sucks, and you think you can do a way better job at it, prove it >D write that thing. show everyone that Premise X can actually be done well, and you're the one who's gonna do it well

schedules? some people do well with scheduling. actually this is what pro novelists do: they have word count goals they meet extremely regularly. if you write 500 words a day, you'll have ~2 novels a year done. make some goals and stick to them. self-imposed deadlines will stick as much as you can make them stick, which is why they don't work for everyone, but the people who can use this method WILL get results

There are tons of videos out there about any/all of these methods (especially scheduling/word goal/sprints related topics). I highly recommend you check some out. It comes down to this: you gotta write in order for the thing to be written. Anything you need to do to get that done is what needs to be done. Barring, like, you know. Illegal stuff. lol

Oftentimes for me, starting is the hardest part. If I can get my damn brain to start, then things will usually flow.

One thing I've found recently that helped jumpstart brainstorming (which isn't the exact same thing as Motivation To Do The Entire Writing Process, but bear with me) was changing the way I usually get my thoughts down. I always type at my desktop into a word processor. That way everything is digital: easy to move around, delete, duplicate, etc etc. For the new fic I'm working on, idk, I just felt like writing on paper with lots of different colored pens. It was soooo fun. I got these pens. Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel 0.7. I'm heckin' not sponsored but I LOVE these pens. They're super vibrant and actually dry pretty quick, and they're pretty. I love them so much I got another 10 pack of just the purple color xD [Note: the pens are thicker than normal gel/ballpoint pens. If you have arthritis or other hand issues, they might be too big to be comfy.] What I enjoyed was being able to write "Rodimus" in red pen and then writing a bunch of stuff about him, then drawing a line, writing "Soundwave" in blue pen and writing a bunch of stuff about him. Which sounds incredibly trite but the colors made me happy, and the full effect on the page lends itself to another layer of organization. I found I couldn't get myself to sit at the computer and write, so I wrote in a notebook. I'd show you some pics of how nice it all looks, but it's spoilers for the next fic.

tl;dr if the current literal method of writing isn't working, try another one. One of my good fic writing buddies goes for walks and takes her phone and records snippets and thoughts as they come to her. Maybe there's a method that will spark your motivation out there :)

Okay hopefully that helped with the motivation question. I didn't get super personal about it - I don't mind, and can, if asked - but let's keep moving.

>what's your process for planning?

Oh boy. Okay. My process will probably not work for you, because it is a MESS. I can describe it for you: maybe something in it will help.

First, please read this post: I've been curious what program(s) you write with and how you manage the organizational part of writing such long works.

That post explains how I organize medium and long length fics. It answers your question from the organizational aspect. There are screenshots xD Here's the tl;dr from the top of that post:

tl;dr I currently write in a free word processor called OpenOffice. I use Headings to generate an index and use that to navigate around a single document. I have multiple documents that each serve a different purpose- at the minimum, there's a doc for the story, Notes, and Graveyard.

And here is the broad summary from the bottom of that post:

To be really honest with you, I enjoy this system because it keeps things broadly organized, but within the docs there is a lot of messy stuff happening. I think of things, jot them down. Forget them. Rethink of them again later, jot them down. Now I have 2 scattered, slightly differently phrased similar ideas. If I think of things while at work, I scribble them madly onto scraps of paper and take them home, then try to fit them into the Notes somewhere. (Then I tape all the little papers into a notebook like a weirdo, lol, but I can't let them go!) I also have a ton of notes in my phone for when I think of stuff while in bed. I move it into Notes or write it into scenes as needed.

I write scenes out of order. I try to make timelines. I write more scenes: the timeline is no longer correct. I try to make a new timeline. I write more scenes. There are words everywhere and I just do my best :'D

The way I wrote TEG partially included keeping everything in it in my head. Obviously not every single sentence verbatim, but, when I was writing it, I knew exact phrases (the phrases are starting to fade, nearly a year later now). So if I was writing a future chapter and wanted to go back and double check what an earlier chapter said, I would do a search for the phrases I knew were in that scene. Towards the end of writing TEG my brain literally hurt. This isn't a method I advise, lol, but it works for me. I've tried to be more organized in the approach for my next fic, but it's already spiraling words over various docs and journals and I even have an ornate diagram going on in Photoshop right now.

You may already know the terms "planner vs pantser" or "gardener" or... whatever the other terms are. There's a spectrum of approaches to planning for writing, with "planner" on one end and "pantser" on the other. Planners do what you think they do: write intricate timelines, write chapters in the order they occur in, stick very strictly to the plan. Pantsers (from "fly by the seat of your pants") just start writing. Haphazardly. Pantsers tend to have to do a lot more editing at the end.

Most people fall within this spectrum somewhere, and many are towards one end for one story, then maybe flop on down to the other end for another story. There are a zillion videos about "planners vs pantsers," so that's another subject you could look into watching. If you know you're definitely on the planning side, you can search for videos by people who are also planners, and may have hints for you.

I'm definitely a pantser that tries really really hard to plan and stay organized. And, interestingly, as a fic goes on, it becomes way easier to plan for me. So maybe it would be more accurate to say: the brainstorming stage and writing the beginning and middle are more pantsy, and writing the end is more planny, for me. It could be any kinda thing for you :) once you know, you'll be able to work to your own strengths.

Hopefully you found something helpful in all the above. Check out the links, find some videos, relax, and dive in. If you have more specific questions, feel free to send 'em.

Happy writing! :)

[stashandtell]

Some Recommendations for Fics That Influenced My Weasley-Ship Rankings

I ranked all my favorite Hermione/X Weasley Sibiling in my most recent post Nobody Asked For This: My Rankings of the Hermione x Weasley Ships with REASONS. Here are some recs to back my completely biased opinons. And now, you can read my fic, Ranking the Weasleys on AO3! - - - - As I sometimes mention on the internet, I keep a WILDLY long and fairly detailed spreadsheet of all the fanfics I've read. I've not been in the fandom long at all but due to life circumstances, I've had too much time on my hands since diving in and have allowed this special interest to wash over me and my whole life like the warm, scented water in the Prefects' giant bathtub. (I hit over 800 works read on my spreadsheet a few days ago and am going to do a numerical analysis and breakdown no one requested, so come back for the data if you're curious.) I've pulled some of my fave fics for my main Hermione x Weasley Sibling pairings -- though I have SO MANY MORE. All of these are mid-length to longfics (~30K-100k+ words, except for one) and are complete, unless noted. Normally I'd copy-and-paste the author's summary but since I'm going to be recommending many here-- I'll give you my 1-3 sentence take on the fic and encourage you to read the author's summary and tags. We're going in descending birth-order by sibling here to keep things tidy: Billmione: What's nuts to me about the Billmione ship is that I don't have a ton of fics I would enthusiastically recommend that explain why I love this pairing so much. I'm not a huge werewolf-ish fan, the age-gap isn't something that inspires my reading that much, and, to be completely honest, sometimes Bill is dry toast in a fic and replaceable with almost any other character. That said, for those of us who love a rare-pair, we feast on the scraps. We love the moments that fuel our headcanons and it's the cumulative experience of developing our own understanding of these characters that drives us into the arms of these fics more than anything. I had a difficult time pulling general recs for this ship, only because so few encapsulate what's I love about Hermione and Bill together (in my mind) in a singular work. I'll keep searching though and plug away at adding my 3 Billmione WIPs to offerings out there, to keep the flag flying. To be perfectly clear: These are GREAT fics I highly recommend. I just don't think of any one of them as the touchstone fic for my love of this pair (imo.) Still Strong by DietCokeofEvil, inspired by I Am Strong by floatsdelicately

Word Count: 38,780 / 19 Chapters

Summary: When Ron leaves Hermione without an explanation a month before their wedding, Bill returns the friendship and care she gave him when he and Fleur separated. They fall in love and build a life together.

My Comments: I read I Am Strong first and I have to say, I loved the two stories together. It's maybe even worth reading I Am Strong before Still Strong because that's how the publishing/inspiration-order goes.

Through the Ages by LadyBlack3

Word Count: 30,301 / 11 Chapters

Summary: Hermione and Bill team up to help research possible causes for a disease spreading through Charlie's dragon reserve and find themselves drawn to each other.

My Comments: This is a fun fic with a plot that keeps things moving. I love them coming together as full-fledged adults with their own lives.

I was torn on recommending Cairo Nights by GillianSteele instead of Through the Ages because they're both excellent examples of this ship, so I'll drop it here as an honorable mention if you're looking for more!

- - - - Charmione: There are SO MANY good Charmiones on my list but I need limits. I would say none of these are exactly emblematic of the typical well-loved Charmione fics, as they don't spend time on the Reserve-- but if you're looking for more recs, feel free to ask me on tumblr or leave a comment and I can happily suggest many more. Last Christmas by KittenShift17

Word Count: 17,079 / One Shot

Summary: Last Christmas, Hermione drunkenly snogged Charlie when she mistook him for Ron and shortly after she broke up with him. This Christmas, she's back at the Burrow and anxious to see Charlie again after thinking about him all year.

My Comments: This was one of the very first Charmione works I read and I recommend it to most my friends looking to get into the ship. As a hefty one-shot, it's a pretty satisfying fic with great Weasley banter and it's on my list of fics to re-read this winter when it's time to get cozy around the holidays. If you like this, check out I Saw Mummy (mind the tag) by Amebb42. Last Christmas is the shortest of all the fics I'm recommending.

Creature Comforts by neilstic

Word Count: 34,588 / 5 Chapters

Summary: Hermione and Charlie are both Hogwarts professors and are into each other. They are also good friends who get to do some fun time travel exploration thanks to the secrets of the castle.

My Comments: This fic is SO well written and snort-out-loud funny. I think of it often and it's not the typical Charmione fic, which is why I wanted to shout it out.

The Eventually Ever After Series by Huffleclaws19 deserves an appreciation post on its own and I HIGHLY recommend it of you're a fan of Charmione and Theomione. It's worth reading it in order. Merry Christmas to Me (the first in the series) is already on my Top-Tier List of all-time faves but the whole series arc is so, so good. Consider this a MOST honorable mention.

- - - - Permione: The Always Series by Simply_Lovely_Reader consists of two stories: Unlikely, which is Hermione's POV and Possibly, which is Percy's.

Word Count: Unlikely - 15,537 / 11 Chapters Possibly - 26,754 / 13 Chapters

Summary: Percy catches Hermione pleasuring herself to thoughts of him in his bed in the Burrow immediately before they start working together at the Ministry. Romance and pining occur.

My Comments: I was overjoyed to find that there was a Percy POV fic for this story but if you only pick one, read Unlikley, which is Hermione's POV.

Reflector by Calebski

Word Count: 39,692 / 7 Chapters

Summary: Hermione seeks Percy's help in finding career her path after the war they're both so changed by. He finds himself seeking her out as well as they develop a friendship and so much more.

My Comments: This author wrote one of my all-time top 3, won't-shut-up-about-my-love-for-it fics, Flourishing Devotion, a Nevmione canon re-write. I really dig their style (Venus Flytrap, another Nevmione is great too.) This Permione delivered.

- - - - Fremione: Fremione recommendations tend to fall in to a few buckets, which often overlap 1) Fred Lives 2) Fred Dies, per the canon 3) Canon rewrites of Fred & Hermione developing feelings during the Hogwarts years There are several WONDERFUL canon re-writes I'll include a few as honorable mentions.

Salve Amor by moonfairy13

Word Count: 31,974 / 20 Chapters

Summary: Hermione saves Fred's life with a bonding spell that can only be cast by someone who carries love for the person they're saving. She doesn't want Fred to know or feel tied to her so of course miscommunications and meddling ensue.

My Comments: The author, moonfairy13, has so many great fics worth checking out. What was great about this one is that the whole fic centers around the Fred Lives turning point.

I Can Love You Like That by LSU Sweetie

Word Count: 31,357 / 12 Chapters

Summary: Fred and Hermione are the last two single people in their friend group at the winter holidays. Hermione wants a relationship and is interested in Fred but has also started to get gifts from a secret admirer.

My Comments: I love a grown-up Fred and Hermione. LSUsweetie has some great works with different pairings and I particularly absolutely freaking loved Festive Fates. This is worth reading because the pairing is undisclosed, so you gotta read it to find out. Paraphrasing the author's summary: Hermione ends up pregnant after a night with a mystery man at New Year's Eve masquerade party right before she has to leave for a year-long work assignment. When she returns the following Christmas, she brings a baby with red hair to the Burrow and hopes to find answers.

Honorable Mentions, Canon Rewrites:

Don't You Know You've Got the Best of Me by raquains

Deal or No Deal by LetticeDouffet

Steel and Soft Smiles by TricksterGhost7 and its companion work, Little Glimpses

Oh So Many Years by fanfictionaries*

The Two Dropouts by tryingsss*

*Denotes a partial canon rewrite (aka ends early or starts later) - - - - Geormione: There were several great Geormione pieces I wanted to recommend but both of my recs relate to navigating Fred's death in very personal ways. That has tended to be the majority of what I've been reading in the Geormione space though there are other dimensions to this ship worth checking out. Like Fremione, there are some great canon-rewrites as well.

I have not started tackling the behemoth that is The Arithmancer by White_Squirrel yet or the rest of the series, though it's queued up as a reward once I finish some very longfics I'm working through... so I know I've read a lower % of the total completed fics on AO3 in the "Hermione Granger/George Weasley" relationship tag than Billmione, Charmione, and Fremione.

To Those Who Wait by Fictionallizzy

Word Count: 56,233 / 9 Chapters

Summary: After Fred's death, Hermione and George spend a forbidden night together which leads to much more than they both expected.

My Comments: In my ridiculous spreadsheet, I give a rating for my personal love of the story and another for the spice level. This is one that has 5/5 on both counts, the smut smuts 💋 and there's some juicy angst in there (my fave.)

In Case You Don't Life Forever by xLoveMx

Word Count: 24,724 / 12 Chapters

Summary: After the battle, Hermione and George are together and apart in their grief. She tries to prepare WWW to reopen and they finds she has to deal with Fred's ghost literally and metaphorically.

My Comments: I've read a few ghost!fred fics but I really loved this one. It was hard to select just one George-Falling-In-Love-While-Grieving fic and the extra dimension Fred's ghost added to this story made it stand out for a recommendation.

- - - - Multi-Weasley Pairings: In fics with multi-Weasley ships, they tend to fall into three buckets: 1) Siblings in competition 2) Love triangle or triad (v-shaped or triangle-shaped) 3) Reverse harems or multiple hookup partners I basically had to read through the majority of all the enticing completed long fics with ALL of the individual siblings I wanted to read paired with Hermione before I started reading multi-Weasley fics. BUT I'm glad I went there because there are some really interesting works that I enjoyed. Here's a fic rec for each bucket: 1) Siblings in Competition: Yours Til The Stars Fall From The Sky by Ronsboggart

Pairings: Fremione, Charmione

Word Count: 64,178 / 7 Chapters

Summary: Hermione and Fred are going to be together until a chance meeting at the World Quidditch Cups finds her and Charlie inexplicably drawn to each other.

My Comments: Mind the tags! This fic definitely has the underage warning on it, which I totally understand isn't everyone's thing. That said, the story of Fred and Hermione falling for each other despite the magnet-pull of Charlie really got me on board with reading Fremione works. Truthfully, I sort of didn't "get" the appeal of Fred until I read this story and for that I'm so grateful. I ended up loving the characterization of Fred and Hermione's love so much in this fic, it's definitely worth it imo.

Honorable Mention: Hot Girl Summer (shorter one-shot) by Anonymous 2) Love Triangle / Triad (V-Shaped): Hic Scunt Dracones by Amebb42 & ShadowAlt

Pairings: Billmione, Charmione

Word Count: 118,498 / 29 Chapters

Summary: On a curse-breaking expedition in a tropical paradise, Charlie, Bill, and Hermione find themselves working a case that puts them face to face with old magic. Both brothers find they care for the same woman and try to encourage her to choose between them.

My Comments: If you read my Ranking the Weasleys post, you know that I don't give a toss about dragons half the time and I REALLY loved the dragon storyline here. I sing the praises of Amebb42 in just a bit but ShadowAlt also has great stories. I enjoyed reading their author's notes in this too.

3) Reverse Harem: Where the Heart Is by Mother_of_Chaos

Pairings: Billmione, Charmione, Fremione, Geormione

Word Count: 40827 / 12 Chapters

Summary: Hermione, who has special abilities and works as an Unspeakable, receives a claiming werewolf bite while helping save a member of the Weasley family and becomes part of their pack.

My Comments: This work was recently completed this past August and was inspired by The Weasley Pack by Mrsmarauders02. Both are worth reading and center around werewolf and pack power. Mind the tags!

Reverse Harem Honorable Mention: Weasley Magic by Amebb42 I included only completed fics here but I have to shoutout the WIP that lives in head rent-free on a regular basis and that's Weasley Magic by Amebb42. This author has so many great works worth reading but this fic completely sold me on the Weasley reverse harem structure and inspired me to give other works a try. Plus, it's not based on a werewolf pack. Yes, the smut is smutty which is great fun, however, all of the characters are so well developed in this massive ensemble work. The Molly bashing-to-redemption is one of my favorite kinds of family angst and there are more relationships beyond Hermione + all of the Weasley siblings that adds delicious complexity to the story. Most importantly, the world mechanics, especially when it come to the Wizengamot, the inherited Weasley family magic itself, and Bill's new status is so, so interesting! I live for this fic . - - - - As For All The Other Hermione x Weasley Family Member Ships: You'll note from my post "Nobody Asked For This: My Rankings of the Hermione x Weasley Ships With REASONS" I don't consider myself well-read in ships with Hermione/Ginny or Hermione/Ron or some of the other family members, so no recommendations at this time. If you have recs, please share! I'd love to know what I'm missing out on or what your fave works are for different pairings.

Don't forget to check out the newest fic, Ranking the Weasleys on AO3!

[jovenshires]

You’ve probably been asked this before but what’s like your fanfic writing process?? Like how do you end up writing your fanfictions?

i actually haven't but i'd be happy to talk about it!! i'm actually writing fic right now, so here's what i've done in the past like. hour. im gonna put it under the cut bc its EXTREMELY long but if you ever wanted 'katie's guide to fic writing,' here it is!

i'm pretty easily distracted, so i've gotta make sure i'm in like. The Right Conditions. that means phone face down or away if i can (rn i've got to be on call in case my boss needs smth but you get the gist) bc i WILL just open tiktok or play a mobile game. even just now writing this answer i have picked up my phone and opened pinterest. i cannot be stopped so i try to stay off it and put it down when i catch myself!!

more and more often i cant even listen to music while i write - partly bc i tend to read my work aloud to myself to make sure it sounds right and partly bc my brain will be like "you know this song omg the words are in your brain" or "you should go look at what song this is bc you kinda like it". cannot trust myself even with sound. if i AM listening to music while i write, it's either the specific playlist for that fic, playlists with the right vibes (ex: rivals-to-lovers for iwks), OR anime openings bc. less likely to get distracted when it's not in english tbh.

(huge on all of the senses so i also usually have a candle lit. im super sensitive to smells so if there's an unpleasant smell somewhere around me i will be unable to focus <3)

all that being said about distractions, i think it's important to take breaks - dont just FORCE yourself to write. that's why i'm huge on setting goals for myself - deadlines, word count goals, timed breaks. like "okay im gonna sprint write for 10 minutes and then after that ill watch some of this danny gonzalez video" or "i'll write until 3:30 and then i should go take a break and read a book." im not always faithful to my goals but i try my best!!

as for the actual writing itself, i typically just go for it. i can usually see an image in my mind and i try my best to write that out/describe it as best i can. and then if it sounds wrong i just reword it again and again until i've got it. this is kind of where my reading aloud bit comes in - if it sounds right when you say it out loud, that generally means it sounds right in the text.

sometimes i'll just have a certain scene or just scraps of dialogue and i'll write that out and be like "okay how did they get here." i never embraced writing out of order until recently, but now that i have. no going back tbh i highly recommend it. rwylm and iwks especially had scenes WAY later down the line that i wrote first. just write what comes naturally and go from there.

occasionally i do outlines, but not super often, and when i do they're vague as hell. i think a lot of my iwks outline was just "game" and then "another game but tommy is there this time." i think outlines that go too in-depth kind of take away from the freedom of writing so. if it's for you then slay but its usually not for me

i try not to worry too hard about. the style/grammar/little things as i go. of course im guilty of this and i'll stop and edit my own works along the way sometimes but i've found it's best if you keep writing and then go back later!!

sometimes when i'm writing a new smosh cast member i'll go back and watch videos/compilations of them just to reorient my brain. i've done this a lot with chanse recently!! but i also think. it really isn't that deep too NSDKFNKNK like these are fictionalized versions of fictionalized selves and so on and so forth so don't worry about 'voice' too much im trying to kick that habit myself

EDIT: oh i've talked about this before but. as for ideas/where my fic ideas come from?? i truly try to grab from my every day life. oh i went to the grocery store today? what if smosh member a and smosh member b went to the grocery store. i watched a horror movie and you know who else could do that. otherwise i pull from music/movies/tv shows/other media and be like 'this but for smosh.' i really just be pulling from my life and repackaging it thats all. start small (haircut fic) and work your way up (homoerotic soccer epic)!

and i think that's it?? i'd like to think im pretty chill about the whole thing. (read: i am not chill in any way at all but im trying my best.) anyway, it's something i'm always happy to talk about - thank you for asking!!

[raichett]

Fic Writer Interview :D

I was tagged for this by @definitelynotshouting :)

How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 101 works on my Minecraft | MCYT account, and 41 on my "every other fandom I'm into" account. That's 142 works published in total!

What's your total AO3 word count?

329,763 on my Minecraft | MCYT account, and 371,183 on my other fandoms account. That's a total of 700,946!! And there is so much more in WIPs...

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Ashes, with 2403 kudos. This is by far my most popular fic, which still astounds me a little as I don't consider it to be my best work. One I'm proud of, sure, but not my best work. Still, seems like it was a hit :D There is also a much, much better version of this fic that lives rent free in my head; of course, it is also a much longer version and I don't currently have the time or energy to dedicate to it :/

Well It's Not Quite Narnia, But -, with 2398 kudos. A deeply silly little rom-com of a Scarian fic. I remember this one very well, because I posted in the morning of the hottest day of the fucking year where the temperature hit a high of 40C in some parts of the UK and I was boiling alive in a trampoline park with no air conditioning while comments were rolling in on my phone's email. The heat was muggy and humid, btw, in case you thought I was getting off clean with dry heat.

Apple Cinnamon Pies, with 1946 kudos. This fic is the first part of an ongoing series btw :D It is also one of the fics that I, as the author, would recommend as part of my fic library. If you like Third Life, and you like Scarian, then I highly recommend you give this one a shot.

Highway Robbery, with 1728 kudos. Okay, so, funny story: this is the first explicitly Scarian fic I ever posted. The scant few earlier fics on the account sat in a "you can interpret their relationship either way, I left it ambiguous" zone, but this one had no ambiguity. A silly little fic with a funny meet cute, really, but quite enjoyable if I do say so myself.

The Day After, with 1656 kudos. Hey so you know those "everyone except Grian forgets Third Life when they go back to Hermitcraft" post-canon fics? This isn't that. This is, in fact, "everyone but Scar forgets Third Life after it's over and they're safe back on Hermitcraft (Scarian edition)" and I would also recommend this one :D

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I used to be very studious about responding to every comment I got, but I've since become a bit more lax. The thing is, sometimes there is no real way to respond to a comment. That being said, I strongly appreciate any lovely comments that get left, and I have a set of the best ones saved so that I can re-read them any time I want <3

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Judging by the tearful reactions in the comments, I'm going to have to say nursed itself well (or died) which is a DSMP fic with a bittersweet ending. Cathartic, and actually probably the best ending for all involved, but even the best possible ending can still be achingly sad 😢😢😢

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics have happy or hopeful endings, to be honest, so I wouldn't really know how to measure this one, sorry.

Do you write crossovers?

I want to, but I haven't actually committed yet. I do read them, though.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Oooh boy. In one of my fics for my "other fandoms" account, I wrote a courtroom scene (culminating in the guilty party being able to continue their road to redemption via reparative and restorative justice without denying or minimising the horrors they had caused) where the context was the idea of reparations after a huge and long war in which both sides canonically committed many horrific war crimes.

When this got brought up in the dialogue, just the idea that it takes two sides to make a war and that both had committed horrors (which, I reiterate, is canon), one commenter stopped reading the fic right then and there and came down to call me a genocide apologist without finishing the fic or even engaging in what it was actually saying. That was quite a nasty shock. I have since deleted the whole comment thread because it was just so horrible and ignorant (and I was not the only one who thought that because others replied to that comment), and everyone was being exposed to it.

There was also one other incident of someone being transphobic in the comments of another fic that had a trans character in it, which I deleted as soon as I saw because no one gets to use my fics as platforms for their hate.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Oh, boy, yes I do! More on my "other fandoms" account, I must admit, but most of them tend towards having dom/sub undertones in some way, with a couple of explicitly dom/sub scenes proper. Shout out to that 15.4k tentacle robot smut pregnancy kink (only the kink) pseudo-oviposition oneshot I wrote and didn't even post on anon. That thing shamelessly has my account name on it lmaooo.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, no.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! Apple Cinnamon Pies was translated to Chinese, and the next step was translated to Russian.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not really. I've definitely co-planned fics before, but not actually written anything in full conjunction with someone else. I have done some beta-reading for friends, before.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

I don't really have one, to be honest. I'm happily a multi-shipper, and will try anything that strikes my fancy. That being said, I do have a very obvious soft spot for Scarian, and for some other pairings.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I have this fic idea/WIP that I can only really describe as "Scarian but it's Bagginshield" which is a longfic in a fantasy world based off of the Quest for the Lonely Mountain in "The Hobbit" (but not 1:1 with it, and not intended to fit into LOTR worldbuilding). Scar is Bilbo and Grian is Thorin and I don't know if it will ever really be published but know it forever has a place in my heart.

What are your writing strengths?

Worldbuilding is a favourite of mine, and people keep telling me I'm good at it :D In addition, I feel like I do pacing well, and I'm able to convey complex emotional states for characters and how they change and learn and develop their interactions and relationships with each other. My dialogue, especially in the last year or so, has really started to sound like things people would actually say, which I'm happy about.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Balancing more than three characters in a scene 😭 Also I sometimes just totally lose motivation partway through writing something and leave the WIP alone for months or even years.

I have also been known to occasionally write myself into timeline corners by keeping things too vague on my end so I accidently overlap events or by not checking back at previous instalments, though I am getting better at that.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Make sure you get the translation correct, perhaps by asking someone who knows the language to proofread it.

Ensure there is some way for the reader to understand (via hover translation, footnotes, etc.) if the POV character is supposed to be able to understand. If you don't intend for the character and reader to be able to understand, then "the man turned away and said something to his partner in a language [POV character] couldn't understand" suits perfectly fine.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Pokémon, and I'm not ashamed of that.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

The Legend of Zelda! But I do not have time or energy to leap into a whole new fandom right now, not if I want to keep writing for MCYT at least!

What's your favourite fic you've written?

Again, I don't really have one absolute most favourite nothing else compares fic, but if I have to point to something then I do have a soft spot for crown of broken bones, as I feel it's a little underrated and I really enjoyed writing it.

[silverskull]

I'll Always Be

(long notes ahead - it's the last day of Chenford Week!)

Chenford Week 2023

Day 7: Free Day

Inspired by a quote and a song & Chenford + that UC life.

This was originally going to be my Day 6 fic, but I really liked how it turned out, and it had the emotional punch I wanted to end my Chenford Week contribution with, so I did a swaperoo.

The song that inspired me was Lover Please Stay - Nothing But Thieves and the quote below is from Steve Goodier:

As much as I enjoy romance, it’s commitment that I need the most. I need to know a love I can depend on, a love that says, “I will be with you through it all. I love you. And I will love you even when you may not be all that lovable, for sometimes I'm not very lovable either. You can count on me - always." - Steve Goodier

I would highly recommend you listen to Consolations of Philosophy - Max Richter (Black Mirror, Nosedive) while you read this. It's got the painful but hopeful undercurrent I felt while writing this.

And lastly, Thank You for Chenford Week, to the organisers, the creators and participants, and most of all - you - the people who read and reblog and leave comments and generally keep the encouragement train chugging along. You have no idea how much your kindness and enthusiasm means to me when I see it. My thanks, as always, to Amanda, for being a listening ear and an eager cheerleader whenever I needed it. 💖

Full fic below the cut (3,800) or here on AO3.

.

.

The Teska case was just the beginning.

Of course it was. He knew it would be.

Lucy was so good, that soon other stations started requesting her services.

It started with Noah Foster, something small, up in Victorville. Tim had no reason to be there, and besides, she’d be going under with Noah. Tim trusted Noah.

Or, at least, Tim trusted Lucy.

So he waited in Mid-Wilshire, biding his time with drug seizures and cartel deconstruction, celebrating the wins by sharing his steak with Kojo and, at the weekends, taking Tamara out for whatever weird popup restaurant took her fancy.

Noah’s handler emailed him daily. All fine, no updates. It wasn’t very informative, but he hung onto the first two words for dear life.

One day, the email was late, and he allowed an hour, then two to pass, and was pacing in the tiny path of his office, his thumb hovering over the call button, when the phone sprang to life in his hands. All fine, takedown has begun. Sry for delay.

She was home within the week, and though he’d been on the phone with her almost every hour since she’d dropped her cover, there was nothing like being able to hold her in his arms. She completed her debrief in Victorville so she could go straight home to him, and despite all the promises he’d made on the phone, he found all he wanted to do was squeeze her into him, meld their bodies together right there where they stood in the living room, until she was part of him and he’d never have to let her go again.

***

Three weeks with Noah paled in comparison to a month and a half under, somewhere out between Hollenbeck and Monterey Park.

It was too high-level for him to get away with being her handler again, and his only consolation was that this time, instead, it was Nyla. He could accost her for updates whenever he wanted (even though she’d literally set her phone to forward texts from Lucy’s UC number to his), and whenever there was movement, she’d call him over to observe.

He wasn’t going to say anything, but watching Lucy on the screen probably didn’t make it any easier. At least when she was in Victorville, he knew so little about what was going on, that his mind would spin from one crazy possibility to another with no coherent thought. This time, knowing what she was getting into, seeing footage from the hidden cameras of the squat houses and factories she was spending her days in, it sent his imagination into overdrive; picking one link from what he’d seen and tangling himself up in a chain of morbid scenarios.

He was staying in Lucy’s apartment this time - closer to the station, and with traces of her scent in every corner. Tamara came back from college for a week, and it was good for him. They watched movies and went for a hike - things they’d have done anyway if Lucy was there. She made Lucy’s sleepy tea for him and, somehow, it helped. The herb and camomile taste on his tongue, Lucy’s pillow under his nose, Tamara humming along to her earbuds out in the living room. 

He woke one night to a panicked call from Nyla, his legs engaging auto-pilot and dragging him down to his truck in his pyjamas before he had even unscrambled her words.

“There’s been a shoot-out! We’ve lost contact! Lucy’s hurt!”

They were gathered around the monitors on Nyla’s desk, nothing to do but wait for a signal from Hollenbeck Division that they were clear to move out. Harper replayed the footage for him: a night-vision camera in the corner of a meth lab, flashing between light and dark as gunfire sprayed throughout the room. Lucy flew into the frame, throwing her body over a young man crouched behind some pallets, and he could see her shirt rip when the bullet hit, billowing out from her and knocking the two of them over. Something hit the camera then, and it fell, giving one spinning whirl of frantic black and white spirals before cutting out altogether.

He didn’t want to leave, but Nyla suggested that he’d be more useful in his uniform than his pyjamas, and he sprinted to the locker room to change out. He was just tightening the belt on his pants when she burst in through the door, yelling at him that Hollenbeck had finally called for backup. He’d grabbed his duty belt and bodycam, requisitioning Officer Jan and his already-stocked shop, and finished dressing in the passenger’s seat as they sped down the I-10.

It took less than thirty minutes to get to the scene, but it felt like hours, his skin crawling and his muscles cramping with anxiety. Jan wisely stayed silent, his eyes on the road, following the line of shops ahead of them.

She was shot.

She was shot.

She. was. shot.

They’d been lucky so far, and it might have been naïve to imagine such luck would hold out forever, but he knew her better than his own hands, and she could talk her way out of any situation. Why did she run into this fray? Why did she risk her life for some random kid?

It didn’t matter that he didn’t know the boy. He knew the answer: She was Lucy. She was a good person, and she was in this job to help people.

The vehicles ahead of them pulled into a parking lot, and Tim was out almost before Jan had put the shop in park. Ambulances and cruisers littered the area, and he could see a short line of handcuffed suspects, bloody and dishevelled, waiting to be loaded off to lockup.

“Bradford!”

Nyla was running towards him, an unfamiliar man at her side - no, not unfamiliar; he was Lucy’s handler.

“She’s okay, Tim. She’s okay.”

They directed him to an ambulance, and he jogged over, yanking the door open before the EMTs could stop him, and there she was.

Sitting on the stretcher, a medic wrapping thick gauze around her upper arm, and before he could think, she was in his arms, her good hand stroking through his hair and down his back, whispering a steady stream of reassurances into his ear.

A flesh wound. A small chip in her humerus. Surgery to remove the bullet and bandage up the tear. A few weeks of physio and reintegration therapy (for her and him). Slow and steady return to normal work operations.

She needed more than twenty-four hours this time. So did he.

But they managed.

They pulled through.

***

She graduated to P3. Passed the Detective’s exam (her second attempt) a month later.

Moved out from Grey and over to Carradine, and suddenly she was practically her own boss. Picking and choosing from the cream of the caseloads, fending off offers from other departments and divisions. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before. Nyla stood beside him in the breakroom, watching through the window as Lucy gave a talk to a unit from West Valley in the briefing room. They had their own UCs in play, but when she’d declined their offer to enter the field, they jumped at the chance to hear her speak instead.

“That’s my girl,” Nyla said, folding her arms and smirking like a proud mother hen.

“That’s literally my girl,” Tim grouched, gripping his duty belt and stamping his foot petulantly.

There were multiple short-terms after that. A week here, two or three there. Nyla or Angela always took point, their trio as smooth as a well-oiled machine. They kept him looped in, set up small meet points where possible. Just about refrained from calling them ‘conjugal visits’ - to his face at least.

And they carried on.

***

He brought up the topic of kids first.

Something about grandchildren; linked it back to her joke from their early date nights. Tried to make it sound as unrehearsed as possible.

She smiled, curled closer into him, tickled her fingers under his jaw.

Saw right through his ruse.

“I can’t go undercover if I’m pregnant. I won’t. So… not yet, okay?”

He pulled her in close, pressing kisses into the crown of her head.

She was right there in his arms, and he was already missing her.

***

Her longest assignment wasn’t even planned.

It was another of her ‘two-to-three week’ stints, and (as always) he was willing to believe the lie.

He should have sounded the alarm.

Going into month four, she was no nearer to upending the operation, and she was contacting Nyla less and less often. They were clear on their objectives, and she’d unearthed the names of most of the main players, but as she wove herself in closer to the command structure, the more time they gave it, the better the opportunity for a takedown grew.

All the same, he could see that it made Angela uneasy.

Nyla was better at disguising it, but she’d chewed through every pen on her desk at that point, and Officer Francis in Stationery Supplies refused to give her any more.

He’d only met with Lucy three times - barely even once a month.

It would start with a hug, him trying to see through her eyes, into her soul, to check that she was still the same. She was usually more physical, latching herself onto him and pulling at his clothes until he gave in and let her have what she wanted.

It seemed like them, as they lay there afterwards. It was their skin, their sweat, their smell… But it felt like they were only playing a part. She was sweet and gentle, smiling up at him and brushing her fingers along his neck and collar bones. He was calm and steady, relaying innocuous news about the children they knew, or Kojo’s new buddies at the dog park. 

He wanted to stop her, wade in and beg her to drop out. Ask her to come back with him and leave this life behind. Run, run away, far away, before it was too late.

The only thing that stopped was her steady reassurance.

“I’ve got this, Tim. You know I do. You trained me.”

He laughed at that. He’d given her a real-life interpretation of the rule book, backed her up the first times she ever encountered basic situations.

This? This skillset she’d developed and become discreetly famous for?

This was all her.

She was more talented than anyone he’d ever known.

So he trusted her.

And he let her go at the end of each of their nights together.

***

The showdown came almost unexpectedly.

Lucy barely had time to forewarn Harper and Lopez, and suddenly he was on the response team coordinating with Patrol and SWAT and Metro. Even Garza and his people from the FBI dropped in, lured by the promise of a tri-state takedown.

One week after her warning, they descended on the warehouses. Armoured vehicles and helicopters, sirens and bullhorns and ambulances all converging in the same square mile.

He hadn’t seen her for over a month at that stage. Six months - plus - undercover. 

Nyla intervened to arrest her when he stalled. Lucy had emerged from the warehouse like a wraith, dirty, with her clothes torn and her shoes scuffed. There were bags under her eyes and she’d gotten thin - thin to the point of boniness. Her face was drawn, and there was no recognition in her eyes.

Harper packed her into a shop and drove them straight to St Stephens.

He’d stayed with Grey and Carradine, mentally reeling and allowing the other two men to issue the orders. Grey could see right through him, and Carradine knew enough to give him space. Gil had eventually returned from the warehouse and, on seeing Tim, offered to take command of the Metro unit. Grey had agreed with the idea, and shuffled Tim over to Nolan, ordering him to drive straight to the hospital.

Incredibly, Nolan was silent, offering only one small encouragement before he put the shop in drive.

“She’s still Lucy. She’s still our Lucy.”

It may have been as much for his own benefit as Tim’s, but Tim clung to it, repeating it over and over again, mantra-like, in his head as they neared the hospital.

She’s still Lucy.

She’s still Lucy.

She’s still Lucy.

***

Nyla met them at the hospital doors.

“She’s dehydrated and exhausted. Definitely malnourished. They’ve got her on an I/V and bloodwork report is underway.” She held out a hand to stop him, her fingers firm against his chest. “Be careful with her, Tim.”

He tiptoed up to her room, hovering in the shadows beyond the window in her door before he entered. She was framed in the glass, portrait-mode, surrounded by wires and tubes. They’d changed her into a hospital gown, and it drowned her, the fabric pooling in deep folds around her tiny body. Her skin was still dirty, her eyes glazed and far away. 

Even her fingers were still, sitting in her lap like wilted flowers.

He knocked softly, pushing the door open and meeting her eyes as she looked up at him.

His words lodged in his throat at her expressionless gaze, and he nearly stumbled as he forced himself to walk to her bedside. Her eyes were dry, but he could feel his own welling up, and he turned to look for a chair, clearing his throat and giving himself a moment to swallow the tears.

“Tim.”

He almost tripped again, turning and falling back into the chair in his hurry to respond to her. She unfolded one small hand, holding it palm-up on the bedspread for him to take. He did so without looking, wrapping it in both of his and drawing it up to his lips. 

“I don’t want to do it any more. UC. I’m out. I’m done.”

He tightened his grip on her hand, the tears returning and falling on their joined fingers as he nodded, slowly at first, and then more emphatically, his tears tracing streaky paths along the dirt worn into her knuckles.

***

It had taken much longer for her to come back to herself this time.

Her psychologist praised her, and he knew in his heart that her methods were good, but she’d still get that faraway look that frightened him sometimes, zoning off in the middle of a movie, or when they went on walks around the neighbourhood with Kojo.

Being active drew her back into herself. Taking sunset hikes, camping beside running water, even the rhumba class that Tamara had signed them up for at the community centre.

Carradine signed her off as ‘fit for duty’ within a few weeks.

Harper and Lopez were diligent, assigning her to cases that had nothing even remotely to do with her UC stint, and ensuring that one or other of them was always with her in her first few months back. Nolan and Thorsen played their usual selves, laid back and calm, throwing around silly jokes that soon got her laughing again.

Genny took her out almost every week. She didn’t know the details of the case, but she’d missed her confidant, so it was good for both of them to have some non-cop heart-to-hearts.

And Tim was always there.

Beside her, or in the next room, or at the other end of the phone.

She slowly got used to talking to him again. Started dropping tidbits from her op when they were alone together. Phoned him up when her breath started to get shallow. Dug her nails into his muscles and tried to crawl into his flesh at night.

After the first month back, her nightmares got bad.

The psychologist said it was a good sign; that she was comfortable enough to switch off completely in her sleep and work through the issues haunting her subconscious.

Soon, he was the one with bags under his eyes.

He’d wake up, her fingers scrabbling at his chest or his face, her breath hitching in panicked sobs, and he couldn’t tell if she was back in the barrel or undercover, but he’d soothe her, smoothing her hair away from her face and talking to her in a low murmur until she either woke up, or gasped and settled back into sleep.

The times she woke, the look in her eyes scared him. Far away and lost; a frightened creature rather than his Lucy.

Once she knew him again, she’d crawl into his chest, tap tap tapping at his heart to make sure it was real, and he’d keep rubbing her back and whispering in her ear until her breathing steadied and she’d fallen into slumber again.

Slowly, she changed.

Her laugh came easier, her eyes grew brighter, and her cheeks filled out into the smiling dimples he’d missed so much. 

She grew more affectionate, reaching for his hand, or bumping him with her shoulder when they were out together. More like her old self.

One day he caught her humming in the kitchen, dusting off the glasses on the high shelf. She’d decided to have a party and invite their friends, and he was willing to do anything - anything she asked. Even suffer an evening of Nolan and Bailey yammering on endlessly about their honeymoon.

It all went surprisingly smoothly, only one averted panic attack in the bedroom, which Harper and Lopez easily covered for.

After that, it was like she’d broken the ice, and she started doing the things she loved once more: going for coffees with the rookies at the station (“Everyone needs a mentor, Tim!”) or signing them both up for yoga retreats at the weekends (“We need a detox from tacos, come on!”).

Soon she started broaching narcotics cases again, dipping her toes into cartel infiltration from the safer side of the desk. Her therapist was on call, but she found she was able to take it, handing over to Harper only once or twice when the memories bubbled too close to the surface.

Within the year, he felt like she was truly back to herself. A little layer of darkness, ringed into the story of her life like circles on a tree, but she’d survived and grown, and so had he, tangling the branches of his life ever closer with hers.

One morning, with Kojo still at Genny’s, he took her for a hike. She muttered and complained - too dark, too early, too far away - but she dressed in her hiking gear and knotted her hair into a bun on the top of her head, following him out to the truck with her backpack and dozing in the passenger’s seat while he drove.

Runyon Canyon wasn’t far, but in the early morning darkness it seemed more ominous than he’d have liked. She didn’t complain however, realising his plan was to arrive at the overlook by sunrise, and he rattled his backpack at her with a smile, indicating that breakfast was inside once they stopped.

It was a climb they’d done often before, and she held his hand for most of it, only letting go when the trail became too narrow and they had to take turns leading or following.

The view at the top was spectacular.

They arrived just as the sun was spreading its rays across the city, golden tendrils reaching through the sandy dunes of the mountains to their left, through the concrete spread of the city and all the way out to the sparkling ocean glinting on the horizon. She shaded her eyes and gazed out, enraptured.

“Wow.”

It took her a moment to realise he wasn’t beside her, and when she turned around, she almost tripped over a root below her feet, her breath leaving her in a gasp when she saw him kneeling with the ring.

He rose to catch her, drawing her onto steadier ground and laughing self-consciously at his own embarrassment.

“It doesn’t mean we have to get married. We can decide all of that later.” He still held the small jewellery box between them, and she took it from him, her bun tickling his nose as she gazed down at it. “I just want you to know… I choose you. Every time. Over and over. Always.”

She flicked her eyes up to him, settling her hips into the circle of his hands.

“You do?”

“I do.” He kissed her. “If you’ll have me.”

She tugged the ring out, dropping the box into the large pockets of his shorts, and testing it against the tip of her ring finger.

“Let me.” He took her hand in his, reaching for the ring before she pulled it back abruptly.

“No, Tim. I have to say something first.”

He swallowed, not trusting his voice and nodding at her instead.

“I… I love you,” she said, pulling his knuckles to her lips and kissing them, fixing him in place with a steady gaze. “You don’t have to do this just because you feel some obligation, or you’re worried I’ll disappear into UC again.”

He shook his head, but she was still talking and he closed his mouth quickly.

“I got what I wanted from that life. I excelled at it. But it’s not going to define me. I still want you; you, and me, and the future we talked about together.” Her eyes got shy and she bit her lip, and he bumped his nose against hers to get her to continue. “But I want that whether we’re married or not; with or without a ring. As long as I’ve got you.”

And he couldn’t resist kissing her again, the sun rising up the mountain and setting off flashes of fireworks behind his closed eyes. She was warm in his arms, and soft, and dappled with the golden dust of the desert.

“You’ve always got me.”

She grinned at him then, her nose scrunching up in excitement as she handed him back the ring, and he couldn’t help but copy her, his cheeks aching with the force of his smile.

It fit her finger perfectly, an equal partner to her moonstone ring.

As they ate their breakfast in the warming light of morning, she held her hand up to the sunshine, leaning into his shoulder and letting the glinting stones spread shards of light across their faces.

Right now he felt bliss, and he knew she did too.

But he didn’t want ‘bliss’ forever.

He wanted her.

Him and her.

Them.

With all their fights and lies and secrets. With all their jokes and pranks and laughter.

The good and the bad. The dark times and the light. Their past and their present and their future.

He wanted all of it, and he knew she did too.

All of it.

Always.

[hayleytheewriter]

fic writer meme

the biggest thanks to fic writer queen @vinelark for tagging me :,) <3

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 61!

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 463,074 so less words than war and peace

3. What fandoms do you write for? for the last two years, Batman (with one unfinished Daredevil matt/foggy fic featuring Spiderman)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

No Hetero (the first Voltron fic I ever wrote, I also remember writing this fic with perfect clarity, like I became conscious of my writer brain when I wrote this)

Tim and Kon v. The World (I actually wrote this in like an hour while procrastinating sleep)

The Failure of Tim Drake (the first Batman fic I ever wrote)

Keith is Broken

Champagne Problems

5. Do you respond to comments? sometimes, when I post a new chapter I'll respond to comments on the previous one. But for every single comment, I get such a comment notification high <3 I've printed out several, too and they live on my bookshelf and provide joy and motivation.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I've never written a sad ending intentionally, but I have so many unfinished fics that end in the middle angst section. Of the fics that I'm pretty sure I'll never finish, I'd say my My Hero Academic fic Date Me (For Justice) which was my first attempt a really long fic and stops on such a mutual pining, getting blackmailed, sad note. Now that I'm writing this, I'm like-- I should finish that.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I love the ending of Sore Loser, and not just because it's a little spicy.

8. Do you get hate on fics? there's such a culture of, "if you don't like it, keep scrolling" so I've never gotten real hate, but I have gotten critique comments that point out places that I didn't get canon right and places where I contradicted the facts of my own story lol those guys are basically my beta readers <3 <3 <3

9. Do you write smut? Yeah, I actually started last year!

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written? Yeah, not really for Batman, but I have in the past. The craziest is probably my Wandavision Supernatural crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I think the second fic I ever posted (Spideypool) which couldn't have gotten more than like 1,000 reads, I got a comment that was like, "just so you know someone posted this on Wattpad."

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, honored that someone translated Tim and Kon v. The World into Chinese!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No but I'm so down for real, that sounds fun!

14. What's your all time favorite ship? You'd think by my ao3 stats, it's TimKon-- but I write fanfic for things I wish were different. There's a lot about their canon dynamic I love, and their fanfic is top tier, but for my favorite canon ship I'd probably say like Percabeth (especially with the Disney plus show, they're so back)

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Probably my Daredevil Matt/Foggy High School au. I'm just not that into Daredevil anymore. I have so many Batman WIPs, but when I think of them I'm like, one day I'll finish it, baby!

16. What are your writing strengths? I love how I write banter. I also like to think that I give the supporting cast or characters who might be reduced to comic relief their own interior life and mini arcs-- but that might be more aspirational than actually in my writing as of now lol. I think I also write friend groups really well!

17. What are your writing weaknesses? structure, and related to that pacing. Also, the way I shy away from editing even though writing is rewriting or whatever that saying is. I'd say there's like five fics of mine that I've genuinely edited, but I'm working on it. I've been reading such a great book about writing lately called A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, and I highly recommend it.

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics? I think the only time I've done that was in one of my Supernatural fics. I wrote Eileen, who's deaf. Originally, I put all her dialogue in italics to signify it was being signed. But I got such a kind and helpful comment on that fic being like it's weird and frowned upon to have her ASL lines formatted so differently, so I changed it! I think if I ever did another language again, I would research it more thoroughly first.

19. First fandom you wrote for? it was on fanfic.net and it was Percy Jackson, he and Annabeth were middle aged (which I obviously had great insight into at 15) and the main character was their daughter. Although as a child, I would write my own episodes of my favorite tv shows which was way before I knew what a screenwriter or fanfiction was. I love that one of my oldest instincts is to create the shit I wish I was seeing.

20. Favorite fic you have written? Hm, of my completed fics, I'd say a tie between To All The Vigilantes I've Loved Before and Capture the Flag (to the Death). I like the first one because it's the longest romance I've finished (at 27k) and there are certain scenes I really love. The capture the flag one I like because it feels the most like a real miniseries DC would publish (out of everything I've written) and I'm really proud of the ways I hid each of their flags and all the betrayals.

I'm tagging @thief-of-eggs <3 and anyone else who wants to do this! ~ please tag me in your post because I'm always looking for and loving writer mutuals <3

[ehlnofay]

20 Questions for Writers

tagged by @everybodyknows-everybodydies and @wispstalk :) thanks guys! answers under the cut

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

58, in the account connected to this one :)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

152,370... more than I would have thought honestly damn. I knew I had a good few hundred thousand words rattling around in the bowels of my computer but I didn't know I'd posted that many

3. What fandoms do you write for?

primarily elder scrolls (to everyone's surprise, I'm sure) but I've taken up writing for bg3 over on @spellsparkler recently... evidently playing rpgs Does Something to me. the combination of preset narrative and freedom of interpretation of character makes some evil little cog in my brain start spinning and sparking. I have also, on a completely unrelated ao3 account, written exactly two fics for pentiment... might do more of that in future. it's a beautiful game and surprisingly easy to write for. highly recommend

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

All's Fair in a Burning House , Welcome to my Table (Bring Your Hunger), the glarthir fic, Comfort and Etienne Rarnis Goes Home. an interesting batch

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try! sometimes I forget for too long and then I feel guilty for forgetting and I put it off more because I feel guilty. it's a supremely unhelpful thought process. but for the most part I do. I always read them, often multiple times, and they bring me great joy

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmm. to be honest I don't think I've ever thought about this before... I've never set out to write something that ends sadly, just to say whatever they need to say. there's also the issue that the majority of what I post is shortform - they're snapshots of a wider narrative, not a whole cohesive arc in themselves - so much of what I write doesn't HAVE endings. the pieces that do tend more than anything to be bittersweet, I think. I guess I would say A Study in Self-Immolation? I wouldn't call it "angsty" but it definitely has more of a downward trajectory than anything else. it has a catastrophe and everything

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

same problem here! I have plenty of short pieces with more cheerful tones but a lot of my more self-contained stuff tends to have a certain Atmosphere. I think I have to say the glarthir fic... the whole point of writing it was to give him a more realistic and empathetic portrayal and a chance at a happy ending (I am forever hitting whoever writes about mental illness in tes with a big stick. I hate them with all my heart)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

ONCE. when I was 10 or 11 I was called a slur in the comments of a minecraft fic and it has brought me much amusement ever since (they were angry that I kept saying "shone" instead of "shine") (to be fair I for sure overused the word at that age. but it was PAST TENSE. I WAS RIGHT) (and also it was a minecraft fanfiction obviously written by a child. do you really have nothing better to do)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I am. literally only just now beginning to get past my mental block for writing romance let's not get ahead of ourselves here in all earnestness in my efforts to practice writing romantic relationships I have found that I'm fine alluding to or mentioning sex, but the idea of writing a play-by-play sex scene sounds awkward and uninteresting for me, and I highly doubt that I could write it in a way that didn't feel stilted and trite. maybe in the future I will find some purpose for it and will endeavour to figure it out! but for now... absolutely zero appeal. I'm still working on getting confident enough to post the pieces where people kiss on the mouth or whatever

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

never have! never plan to! I get why it would be fun for people but it's just not that interesting an idea to me

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I would be IMMENSELY flattered. but no

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I haven't. it's not something I would be opposed to but it does sound difficult... I'm used to hashing things out on my own and working at my own (occasionally very slow) pace, I'm not sure how that would work with someone else

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I am entirely too aromantic for this question. don't get me wrong I love mashing two characters together it's just that whether they kiss about it is not even remotely a concern for me? number one question is it at least a little bit fucked up number two question what is the symbolism and narrative devices about it. no follow up questions. does a ship have to be romantic? or do I have to be specifically invested in the romance part of it for it to count? I have a truly endless list if the answer to either is no

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

all the old things I started when I was a kid and never finished. I'm pretty good about eventually getting things done now that I'm focusing on more short-form stuff... there is the thing that I'm working on (in the loosest sense) that I'm taking a long ass break from but I honestly believe I will get back to it and finish it. eventually

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at building layered and interesting dynamics between characters - I've gotten compliments on that before (blushing curtseying etc) and it's probably one of my favourite things about writing. relatedly I think I'm pretty good at subtext and showing things without stating them outright

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I mentioned earlier that I'm trying to get past my awkwardness when writing anything to do with romance - I don't like that there's something that is a significant part of a lot of peoples' lives that I don't really know how to write. I'm working on it and I think I'm getting better at it already though... I think it's more of a mental block and the worry of getting it wrong than anything else. fingers crossed I'll be confident enough to post some of my attempts soon I think staying committed to writing longer-form pieces is also something I'd like to improve on, in the future. I could also use a lot of improvement in the editing department - in that I barely do it, and I think coming into things with more intention and being better at paring them down and keeping to that goal would be really helpful, especially with more ambitious projects

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I think when it's done well (and sparingly) it can really add something to the piece, but my monolingual ass could not do it well. I've tried; it's a difficult thing to implement without it feeling clunky, and it's not something I'm prioritising improving on. I do like to see it when it's done right though

19. First fandom you wrote for?

minecraft when I was like 10 or 11 (it had all this weird mythological worldbuilding and my main character was annoying as hell) (I got called a slur over it, as you may recall)

20. Favorite fic you've written?

man I think I have to say Comfort. it's just over a year old now and it's probably not the most technically skilled thing I've written, but the concept and subject matter is really close to my heart and I'm proud of it. it was born out of a lot of my own experiences with and perspectives on mental illness, as well as an effort to create something with more humanity and understanding than tes shows its disordered caricatures - both to humanise them and to try to write a version of the idea of mental illness (as sheogorath) that doesn't have to be a monster. I'm glad I wrote it

[maebird-melody]

Fic Stats Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most bookmarks, fourth most comments, fifth most words, and your fic with the least amount of words.

Thank you so much @aowyn for tagging me! I’ve seen this one going around and it seems fun!

First most hits: The Last Time

After settling into his new anonymous life, Peter picks up a new coffee habit. But is it really just for the sake of routine, or is it an excuse to see his old friends? Peter resolves that today is the last time, and then he will truly cut ties with his past. After all, that's what he wanted, wasn't it?

You may not know this about me, but Spider-Man is my oldest and deepest obsession. I didn't like how No Way Home ended. I didn’t want to rewrite canon or anything, but I did want to explore how Peter (especially MCU Peter) would do a terrible job at staying away from his friends. Most likely this fic only has such a high hit count because the fandom is massive.

I wrote the first chapter of this fic as a oneshot, but it’s become a multi-chapter slow burn identity reveal fic now and I am atrocious at updating with any semblance of a reliable schedule. I’m trying to get a lot of it outlined and several chapters written before I start posting again.

Second most kudos: Glockwork

Sometimes, the answer is violence. In which Clockwork rescues Danny from the Guys in White in a more conventional manner.

Joining fandom events (especially for Danny Phantom) has resulted in several one-off crack fic ideas. This is one of them. My second-longest obsession after the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films has got to be Danny Phantom. I somehow managed to avoid phandom participation for nearly 20 years. And honestly, y’all are insane, but in a good way I think.

Glockwork isn’t even my joke. I just couldn’t think of a better pun than the meme this was based on. I am glad to have contributed any small part to fandom lore. Also, Clockwork with a gun is hilarious. The original art that inspired this fic was drawn by @ravenatural-art

Third most bookmarks: Waypoints

When an unnatural cold settles over Casper High, the trio know that something more than they can see must be going on. But their search for answers yields more than they bargained for. Ghosts are haunting Amity Park with their shattered memories. Only by reliving those memories can they free the mortal realm from ghostly influence, restore the broken cores, and ultimately, help the ghosts pass on. Yet there is a sinister force at work behind the scenes. Someone…or something…caused this. Who is pulling the strings? Why? And how do they make sure none of this happens again?

Another Danny Phantom fic! This is the piece I’m writing for Invisovang (yes, writing, as in present tense—I didn’t finish by the deadline it’s fine). My longest fic by far, it’s amazing what actually planning out your story will do for you.

Probably has so many bookmarks since I'm still actively updating it, and many people prefer to read completed longfics. Also, there are just so many Danny Phantom fics out there. If you want a fic that doesn't involve dissection, maybe this one's for you.

Fourth most comments: Geduldh’s Fate

In which Heisshitze learns of the consequences of his meddling in Ferdinand's affairs. SPOILERS FOR PART 4 VOLUME 8 It is the first Interduchy Tournament since Ferdinand left for Ahrensbach, and Heisshitze is feeling very pleased with himself for having orchestrated Lord Ferdinand's freedom from Ehrenfest. But as he is about to learn, no good deed goes unpunished.

My current obsession, Ascendance of a Bookworm! It’s a slice of life turned high fantasy political thriller light novel series. I highly recommend it. Let’s just say, I was unhappy with the turn of events in Part 4 Volume 8, so I wrote something to deal with that. Ironically, a lot of what I’d written and wanted to happen actually came to pass, if not in exactly the same way. This was also written at the turning point where I stopped waiting for the paperbacks and ended up reading all the way up through pre-pub. I haven't quite gone so far as to read to web novel.

Fifth most words: The Long and Winding Road

While traveling the West Road, Alistair becomes the unwitting guard of a merchant caravan. When he leaves camp later that evening to gather firewood, he meets a strange, enigmatic elf who is lost in the forest. They spend a brief time together before their paths diverge once again.

This was written for a Dragon Age event! It was a fic exchange in which people requested either romantic or platonic pairings with Solas. I picked the Solas & Alistair platonic pairing. I have them sharing a camp together for the night. It’s a very moody, contemplative piece, I like it.

Least words: Uthenera: Fen’Harel Ver Na

"I lay in dark and dreaming sleep while countless wars and ages past." This song blends the Lost Elf Theme and the Thedas Love Theme, and also introduces a new theme of my own devising which can be heard in the opening bars of the piece. This is a programmatic piece, which means that each part of the song represents an unfolding story. For program notes, see the end of this page.

Feels like cheating though cause it’s not words at all. It’s music. Dragon Age inspired music (though I did lift part of a theme whole cloth for this piece, it was too pretty to deconstruct).

Fic with the fewest words that is actually a fic would be A Terrible Bedside Manner.

By the power of fan fiction, the laws of time and space have been broken to bring us this little nugget: what if Richard Maxwell was working for Regis when he first came to Odyssey? This tiny bit of chaos was incredibly fun to write. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

It’s Adventures in Odyssey crack fic based on the two most compelling characters in the series, who also happen to be the villains (in a series that Did Not Need Any Villains).

I feel like most of y'all have already played by now. Well, if you've already done it, please feel free to ignore the tag! Or instead, share a fic of yours that you think is underrated and doesn't get the attention it deserves. :)

Tagging @imakemywings @seaglass-skies @the-oaken-muse @bibliophilea @sailorpunksenshi @theelibugs

[dayseternal-blog]

Heya! I think I may have mentioned this to you before years ago, but I love your stories! (Pardon me if I gush) White Lilies absolutely killed me with the angst, but it fits so well with canon, particularly Naruto realizing he's in love with Hinata because he's jealous of another man showing interest in her (since that's literally what happened in The Last, and was confirmed in the movie's official databook). I also love how you don't have Hinata stuttering over her lines in your stories, since in canon she stopped doing that in the Invasion of Pain arc, yet a lot of other fanfic writers, including fellow NH fans, still like to write her as a stutterer, which just regresses her. Please keep up the good work! I can't wait to see what else you'll write! 🥰

I'm starting to think about making my own AO3 account because FF seems to be dying out as of late (my FF moniker is the same as my Tumblr one, although I haven't updated either of my two stories nor my bio in years). I was wondering if you could maybe give me advice or the pros/cons of having an AO3 account? Any help is appreciated as I think about this! 👍🙏

💗💗💗 I'm so glad that you enjoyed White Lilies!!!! About Hinata stuttering, I do write her like that sometimes... Uhhh it depends on how old she is in my fics, but if she's high school age or younger, she sometimes stutters, like in "Last Chance" and "Little Samurai." But yeah, if she's older, I like to think that she is a stronger communicator. Thank you for your enthusiastic support 🥺💖

So about AO3!!!!!!!! ✨I love AO3.✨ I'm so happy with AO3, I don't feel the need to post my fics anywhere else, besides here on Tumblr. I highly recommend getting an account for these reasons:

name familiarity & building community - I love being able to recognize readers. I've been thinking about how writing is a fairly "lonely" type of activity. When I first started writing, I began to recognize the usernames of people who regularly commented or left kudos on my fics, and I just loved those people to pieces. It's just nice to have a sense of familiarity on AO3.

Bookmarking - If you want to save a fic for later, you can bookmark it and make a note of the chapter you left off on. It's a nice feature, especially if you're the type to keep tabs of fics you haven't read yet open. I use Bookmarking as like my personal favorites recommendation list because it's right on my AO3 profile. I also use other people's Bookmarks list to find good fics, and I've read a lot of random pairings in fandoms I'm not a part of due to Bookmarks.

Subscriptions - You can subscribe to a fic so that you get an email when a fic updates. You can also subscribe to users so that you can get an email every single time that writer updates or posts anything.

Archiving - You might want to consider migrating your old fics over to AO3 because it has a whole legal team and successful fundraising efforts to preserve your work, even if you might think your old fics aren't worth reposting. AO3 has so much strong, passionate support, there's very little chance of AO3 disappearing.

Preferences - You can customize AO3. So you can turn off the warning banners that always pop up on mature-rated fics and control what you receive email notifs for. You can also set a Site Skin from the AO3 options and the user-created ones, like the rainbow pink one I'm currently using. It just makes life that much happier. You can use all sorts of Site Skins that change the color of the background, change the text font to be easier to read, or hide your hit counts and other stats to protect your sanity as a writer.

History - Your account will keep track of all the fics you've read, so if you're looking for something you can find it again. Also, it's just interesting, but it will also tell you how many times you've visited that particular fic. Uhh apparently I've visited "21 Days" by BunnyHoodlum 455 times :D That must be partially because I've recommended it so many times.

Mark for Later - Besides subscribing or bookmarking, you can click a button that marks the fic for later. You would find this list on your History page. It tells you when you last visited the fic and whether there's been any changes to the fic since you last read it. So this is another cool way to keep track of all of the fics you're reading.

I've never posted on any other fanfiction site, so I can't compare, but I love how organized AO3 feels. The tagging system is to-die-for.

I love the posting features, like posting under different Pseudonyms, setting a fic as part of a series, linking in an inspired-by work, or gifting a fic to someone. I feel like AO3 put a lot into consideration so that it is user-friendly.

Another thing that writers can do is post challenges/claim challenges. I've never done this, but Sessakag has recently written for VulgarAssassin's prompts! This is one way that AO3 encourages community.

Another amazing thing that AO3 has is the ability to distance yourself from your own fics. You can orphan your own fic so that it is no longer linked to your page but will still be on AO3. The only problem is that you can't get it back. You can also add your fic to an anonymous collection, and I think if you ever wanted to, you could take off the anonymous hat and reveal yourself as the writer. I've never done this.

When I was considering cross-posting on ffnet and wattpad, people told me that I would reach way more people because people use those sites more. I mostly decided not to cross-post because I can't rationalize the extra work to upkeep multiple accounts and respond to comments. So perhaps the only downside to creating an AO3 account is that you'd have more accounts to manage and the platform has a smaller audience.

I hope you create an AO3 account!!!!!! I hope everyone makes an AO3 account!!! It's such a well-run site!!

[sardonic-sprite]

Hi, Sprite!

Today my brain went "alright we're doing another ask because the last one was really fun, and I need my brain juices to get inspired to write".

I really appreciate your dedication to not only your writing but everyone who supports you. All of the June of Doom fics are a welcome addition that I honestly take for granted because I remind myself that "oh yeah, authors are doing this for fun. They aren't obligated to write for us in any way, shape or form."

I currently have a fic that's been on the back burner because I can't figure out chapter three, but reading your one chapter fics made me remember that I'm not out here writing an entire novel.

So, yeah, thanks for the fics! And I saw your post on the negative comments and hate you're getting. If I ever comment something that's negative or hurtful, feel free to call me out on it. I've realized that I can be an extremely sarcastic person, so sometimes I sound more annoyed rather than me laughing and enjoying it.

You've been a huge inspiration to me, and I can't thank you enough for all your fics.

Anyway, onto the ask.

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

Heyo! 👋

Awww! You're so sweet! Dw, it wasn't you, and it wasn't many ppl. I am also a v sarcastic person (literally in my name lmao) but what I don't approve of is sarcasm that very thinly veils insults. Don't do that to people @ the generic, plural "y'all"!

And I feel you on chapter fics lmao. I just finished an outline for once in my lifetime??? But my first draft of Repletion ended up as long or longer than the first draft of my manuscript lmao, so don't count novels out!

GODDAMNIT A FAVORITES QUESTION /lh /nm 😂😂😂

I am famously BAD at picking favorites but let me see.

Ok, here's my best Good Dad Bruce line. Highly recommend reading Nothing In This World for context, but even without, I bet y'all get it:

"Jay... I can't, or won't, make some of the choices that you do. I have tried to take those choices away from all of you as often as I could, but not--" He waited until Jason met his eyes. "Not because I thought those choices would make you irredeemable. I did it because I never wanted you to suffer the feelings you have right now. ... So I want you to understand... Every choice that you have made Jason -- even after the Pit... and regardless of what choices they were - has been to protect and to help the hurt and the innocent. And that is the point. Whatever the Pit did to you, you turned away from that path. You chose to remain good in spite of it, and that, that is why you are good. ... And that is why I could never be more proud that you are my son."

Teared up when I originally wrote it ngl 😂

Thanks for the ask!

[m34gs]

For the fic writer ask: 3, 13, 25, 37, 40, 42.

Hi friend! Thanks for the ask!! (from this post!) Excited to answer!!

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

My creative process? Well, I have an idea, I try to summarize it in one sentence. Then I decide if I want to do a one-shot or a multichapter fic. If it's multichapter I start thinking about how I'm going to divide it up. Assign character roles, then I write out an entire bare-bones plot and divvy it up into chapters. When I start on a chapter I use that as a guideline and let myself work from point A to point B as organically as I can. Sometimes as I'm writing further in the chapter, something clicks and I scroll back to pop a detail in. For one-shots I usually allow myself a lot more freedom and just jot down a few concepts before I launch into writing the actual fic.

13. What’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

Learn the rules so you know when and how to break them. Seriously, the rules are important so that you can break them at the right times for maximal impact.

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

Hmm, I don't know if it really counts because I'm actually really happy with the response I got on it, considering it's a rarepair in a fandom that's still pretty new...but I am incredibly proud and happy with A Different Kind of Magic; my multichapter Kalim/Idia fic for Twisted Wonderland. I love it very much and am always happy to see that someone else has liked it or commented or bookmarked it 💜

37. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Well, I actually do this prior to even writing the actual fic. I have a detailed outline that allows me to group certain points together into chapters and then I highlight them in the work as I work through them, so that I know what I've hit and what I still need. I try to limit it to only a few points per chapter, but the actual amount just depends on how long I want to spend on each of the points. If it's a super important or heavy topic that takes a lot of work and words to get across properly, the chapter may only really have one "point".

Once I've hit the points in the chapter and covered them in the depth I want to, I end it.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

Honestly, if anyone ever draws anything based on my fics, I will cry happy tears. It's such an honour and I really can't pick or choose which ones I would rather have. I would be so flattered.

42. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

The last fic I read was...Just a Normal Citizen (Not a Dimension Traveler), a lovely Twisted Wonderland mafia au that I *highly* recommend everyone check out! It's so fun. (I love you friend and I love everything you write!)

Thanks again for the ask!!