#(roughly 30k in roughly 2 weeks)

[strangeswift]

if you're waiting for a fic update: ao3 has a sub feature and that will notify you when the fic updates, that way you don't have to harass the author about when it will update. because you will know when it updates because you will receive an email. and you can just be patient until then.

[tennessoui]

Hayyyy now that the foolproof foolhardy chapter is done (very very much looking forward to that) what’s brewing next?

a vacation 🥵

[ladykailitha]

Spellbound Part 4

Normally I would go back and forth between the two stories, but this one had more chapters backlogged, so it gets to go again.

Just a reminder, starting next week, I'll be taking a break from posting. I'm recovering from all the crazy writing I did this month. 12 ficlets, 1 multi-chaptered Christmas story, and a shorter one-shot of one of the ficlets. All total roughly 30k words in a month. So... yeah. I'm taking a well deserved break.

In this we have Dustin and Mike being teenagers, Robin spots a rogue Chrissy, and Steve has to deal with a very angry brownie (fae, not food).

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3

~

A curly haired boy came bursting through the front door and Steve glared at him. “Dustin, how many times do I have to tell you to not just barge in?””

Dustin skidded to a stop and looked up at Steve like he didn’t know his ass from his elbow.

“Bav lets me,” he said smugly crossing his arms and grinning with that stupid gap-tooth grin of his.

Steve put his hands on his hip and sighed. He looked up at the roof, pursing his lips as he fought back the angry response. “Bav is not the only being with thoughts and feelings and while she ‘lets’ you it doesn’t mean you should. Because I sometimes work on dangerous things and if you come barging in, you might get hurt.”

Dustin scoffed. “Like she would let me in if you were doing something dangerous or whatever.”

The walls seemed annoyingly smug and tinted a shimmering grey-green.

“If these walls could talk,” Dustin continued with a smirk, “she would be agreeing with me.”

Steve pinched the the bridge of his nose and sighed. The truth was, he didn’t want Dustin bursting in because he was trying to find a ‘don’t hate me’ spell or charm to get Eddie to ease up off him a bit. But while there were friendship charms and love potions, neither really fit what he was looking for.

“What did you need?” he asked instead. “Or are you here to harass me?”

Dustin put his hands over his heart. “Ah! I’m offended that you think the only two reasons I would come visit are harassing you or wanting something from you.”

“There is another reason you come over?” Steve asked with a huff. He walked over to the bookshelf and began skimming the titles. He pulled out a large blue tome and flipped to a specific page as Dustin watched with suspicion. “How quickly do you think I could brew a truth potion and slip it in your tea?”

Dustin held up his hands in surrender. “Fine. All right. Sheesh. I wanted to beat Mike to the deliveries today because Mr. Jenner is making his apple cider and he always pours a glass for the one who delivers your asthma medicine.”

Steve blinked at him for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. “Mike beat you by twenty minutes, man. In fact he should be back here in about five minutes.”

“Nooooo...” Dustin wailed, “that’s so not fair!”

The walls drooped and turned a pale blue. Steve shook his head. “It’s good thing I love you both,” he huffed stomping over to the icebox.

He pulled out an earthenware jug and took down two glasses. He filled both of them with a cool amber liquid and handed one glass to Dustin and then poured the other glass out the window and on to the foundation.

Dustin looked down at the cup and took a cautious sip and then a more enthusiastic gulp. “When did you get this?” He shook his head. “Wait before you answer that, did you just pour out a perfectly good cup of Mr. Jenner’s cider out onto the ground?”

Steve stroked the door frame to the back garden. “Sure, Bav deserves some too.”

The house seemed to get a little bit bigger as the walls turned a pretty, happy dusky pink.

Dustin blinked a moment before he finished the rest of his cider. “Seriously, though. I thought Mr. Jenner doesn’t make the cider until the afternoon.”

“The perks of being the town witch,” Steve said sagely. “People are very superstitious and I’ll often get the first wool or the first bag of flour. In this case, the first jug of cider.”

Dustin looked down at his empty cup and then up at Steve. “That’s actually kinda badass, you know?”

“Thank you,” he murmured. “I was about to make lunch if you would like to stay. Mike will be joining us...just...about...now.”

There was a knock on the door and Dustin went to go answer it. Sure enough on the other side of the door was Mike Wheeler.

Dustin looked back at Steve in shock. “How did you know it was Mike? Did Bav tell you? Can you see through walls?”

Mike just shoulder past him to get into the house, greeting Bav briefly before sitting down at the tea table.

“None of the above,” Steve said placing the cold meat sandwiches on the table. He pointed to the window. “I know how long each of you take on your runs and when I looked out the window, he had just passed in front. No sit down and eat your sandwich.”

Dustin grumbled but did as he was told. He took a big bite and hummed happily around his bite of food. “You make the best sandwiches, Steve.”

Mike nodded. “Thanks for the food. I just get so hungry these days and my mom keeps threatening to rehome me because I eat so much.”

Steve chuckled and sat down with his own plate of food. It was actually a normal amount because he hadn’t used magic today. “I remember what that was like, I’m not much older than you two, so I don’t mind sharing a meal or two to take the burden off your parents a little.”

“I think that’s why Ma doesn’t mind me hanging out over here,” Dustin said around a bite. “She knows you’ll take care of me.”

Steve smiled and shook his head, taking a bite of his food. Claudia Henderson was notoriously protective of her son. She wouldn’t trust the Pope with Dustin and she was Catholic. But somehow, someway she trusted Steve to take care of her Dusty.

He sent them off with full stomachs and cakes for their moms. They didn’t need to know that the cakes, which he was with absolute certainty never actually made it home, were just little charms of be nice to your mom magic. Karen Wheeler and Claudia Henderson deserved a day of their sons being so sweet to them.

Which was the real reason their moms were okay with Steve. Because they were always so nice when they came home from spending time with him. Or on the off chance the cakes did make it home, they had a nice cake to eat and were nicer to their families afterwards. All in all, win/win for everyone.

Robin chose that moment to come home. “I’m in love with your house, Steve. She made the journey home take a little bit longer so I could avoid the buttheads.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah, she’s great like that.”

“So guess who I saw coming out of the Munsons’ house on the way home?” she said, putting away the groceries she had into town for.

Steve paused his clearing of the lunch mess and straightened up. “No...really?”

Robin pursed her lips and nodded. “Apparently Chrissy Cunningham is branching out since her dramatic break up with Jason Carver.”

Steve finished the dishes with a sigh. “It’s no surprise that his confrontation with Eddie and Bav was public knowledge by breakfast the next day, but even I think visiting another man so soon after your ex went insane and tried to break into someone’s house is little reckless, honestly.”

Robin winced. “Ooh, yeah. I didn’t even think about the crazy ex. Yeah. Ooh. Maybe she was trying to come here and, I don’t know, apologize?”

“I don’t put the ‘no return’ spell on the love charms,” Steve said, drying his hands. “I like it when they find their truelove and they come back all happy and smiles. If she was looking for me, she missed the mark a second time.”

Robin spun around. “Wait is that why?” Steve nodded. “Are there other charms you don’t put your ‘no return’ spell on? Or is it just that one?”

Steve just shrugged. “My medicines, I guess. That’s where I make the most money or get the best trades. But as for the other things, I saw what happens when you don’t set a boundary with people asking for charms. They’ll start asking for charms for everything. They’ll want to be cured of every ill, want everything handed to them, so I created the spell myself. It’s unique in all the world.”

“I didn’t know that,” Robin said softly. “About...well any of that I guess. You really don’t talk about your past. Of your life before Hawkins.”

Steve sat down at the table and placed his hands palm down on it. “Look, I don’t talk about it because for the large part, other than a couple of years apprenticing in her shop in the city, I grew up in a town of witches.”

Robin’s eyes went wide and she sat down next to him. “So you can’t talk about it?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know if I would say can’t talk about. But it’s hard sometimes when I say something and everyone stares at me blankly, like I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“And with each look and with each comment about how weird you are,” she said softly, taking his hand, “the less you want to bring it up. I’m sorry, Steve.”

“And with there being trouble in town with the whole Chrissy situation...” He sighed. “I’m think starting to wonder if Bav sensed something about her and tried to keep her away.”

The house seemed to shrink on itself a little and the walls turned a light grey.

Steve looked up at the ceiling and cooed, “I’m not blaming you, Bav, I’m blaming myself for not taking in everyone’s advice and giving it to her. Merlin and Circe didn’t like her either. Especially Merlin.”

Robin nodded. “As my familiar I should I have listened to him, too. He’s been giving me the cold shoulder ever since she showed up, as well. It’s a whole mess.”

Just then Circe came bursting through the window cawing angrily.

Steve buried his head in his hands. “Fucking hell! As if this day couldn’t get any worse.” He sighed heavily. “Tell Dustin to keep his shirt on and I’ll be right there.”

Robin sighed dramatically, throwing her head back. “Who would have thought that a Roman Catholic would even have a house elf to anger? Scratch that, who would have thought that house elves even existed?!”

Steve stopped half way to rising. “Like everyone knows that house elves exist. We don’t have any because Bav thinks they’re pests, but like even my dad knew better than to insult Mom’s house elf. Her name was Nora and best seamstress I’ve ever met.”

Robin stared at him blankly. “You want to run that past me again?”

Steve just rolled his eyes and got out a cup of milk and a little bowl of sugar, setting them carefully in a basket. Then he added honey, walnuts, and mint. He wanted to cover all his bases he didn’t know what this elf favored and wanted to make sure they weren’t offended further.

Then he went over to the bookshelf and after skimming the titles for a moment, he pulled out a small green book. He handed it to her. “Read that while I’m gone. The whole thing is useful, but I’d start with page eighty-six. The chapter on house elves.”

Then before Robin could even squawk a protest, Steve was out the door following Circe at speed, running to keep up.

He skidded to a stop in front of the Hendersons’ door to find that Dustin and Walter had been locked out of the house while screams could be heard from inside.

It didn’t sounded pained, it sounded indignant.

“Stand aside please,” Steve said sternly. Dustin and Walter looked back at Steve, thinking he meant them, but suddenly the screaming inside stopped and the door opened. “Thank you.” He turned back to the Henderson men. “Please wait here.”

But before either one of them could protest, Steve had already walked into the house and closed it tightly behind him.

He surveyed the damage. Claudia Henderson stood on the kitchen table battling a broom with her rolling pin. It was worse than he feared. He set his load down on the counter and began unpacking his treats.

The broom stopped moving, and then was slowly, cautiously put down. Once Steve had finished unpacking the honey, suddenly there was a little round faced woman about the size of Steve’s palm standing next to his basket with a red flower as a hat and bright clothes.

“What is that?” Claudia hissed, jumping down from the table.

“You’ll excuse her manners, little one,” Steve murmured, “it appears that she’s never heard of house elves before.”

The elf glared Claudia over her shoulder and then turned back to paw over Steve’s prizes.

“I didn’t have any cream,” he continued. “So I hope the milk is fine.”

The elf put her little hand in the milk and then stuck her hand in her mouth. “It’s good milk. You do your mother proud.”

Steve grinned at that. “So I take it you know Nora then?”

“Who’s Nora?” Claudia asked drawing closer to the two of them at the counter.

“Of course I know my own sister!” the little squeaked. “I’m Nona by the way. Please to meet you, Stevie.”

Claudia stopped dead in her tracks as she realized what was going on. She turned on her heel and began rummaging around in her ice box. “Eureka!” she cried.

She brought over a bowl and set down on the counter next to Nona. “I’m sorry little one. I wasn’t raised with knowledge of your people. I’m new to this town and was not aware of its different ways.”

Nona turned around and sniffed at the bowl cautiously. She looked up at Claudia in awe. “Clotted cream!” She put her hand in and pulled out a handful of the cream. She shoved it in her face with a contented hum.

“I didn’t know your family wasn’t from Hawkins,” Steve murmured. But he turned to Nona. “Would you please let the boys in, they must be so worried about Claudia.”

Nona looked up from her feast in wide eyed shock. “Oops!” She snapped her fingers and suddenly both Dustin and Walter spilled out on the ground as the door opened under their weight.

Steve went over and helped them to their feet. “Sorry about Nona, she didn’t know you weren’t familiar with house elves and thought you were actively insulting her.”

Dustin and Walter shared a shocked glance then looked over at the little woman eating their clotted cream.

“This is a house elf,” Steve said as Nona curtsied. “Her name is Nona and she helps out around the house. This has been her home for longer than this particular building has stood here. She will do the laundry or any chores left over the night. All she asks in return is a treat of her choice.”

“Does it have to be clotted cream every time?” Dustin asked as she wiped the mess of cream from her face with her apron.

“No,” Nona said. “But it was nice apology, though. I like honey and milk. So as long as you keep a bowl of of one of the two out, your food will never spoil and I will help out around the house.”

The Hendersons all exchanged glances and then Claudia nodded.

Walter stuck out his finger for her to shake. “Welcome to the family, Nona.”

~

Tag List: CLOSED

1- @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @cryptid-system @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006

5- @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon @fearieshadow @thesecondfate

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

9- @wheneverfeasible @micheledawn1975 @gloomysoup @dotdot-wierdlife @tartarusknight

10- @ollyxar @yesdangerpls @two-vampires-kissing @themoonagainstmers @estrellami-1

[sincerely-sofie]

Forever thinking about how I started a 30k+ word novelization fanfic of Hyper Light Drifter 2 weeks after it came out because I saw a blue cat person running around without a canonical personality and said “I can work with this.”

Enjoy some old fanart of the game that was my hyperfixation for roughly 3 years straight

[greycappedjester]

Schedule Update

Hey, everyone. This past month I've been finishing up a story chapter when I realized it had been way longer betwen updates than I remembered.

To give you a heads up on my month plan (end of September and October)

Roughly next weekend, the next chapter of Hq at Hogwarts should be up. Might be a few days after the weekend since I'm out of twon on the actual weekend.

Other than that, I'm currenlty working n the After th Fall of Olympus chapter to post within the next few weeks.

Finally, I'm planning for a short (under 30k, 2 chapter) fic of the new Investigations Inc story for Halloween.

Hope all of you are doing well!

[t-lostinworlds]

you know, i do realize how hard i can be on myself when it comes to writing. particularly when it comes to finishing a series bc i see other writers being able to complete fic series so easily and i always get so critical of myself over it like, maybe i should write more or maybe i should spend more time on it etc.

but then i thought, usually these fic series have an overall word count of at least 30-40k words. so i'm like girl, you literally just wrote a 30k word "one shot" in roughly 2 weeks. i think you're writing just fine.

[iressails]

I rarely have this giant structure for story, well never actually. It's four interconnected ones, some more there than others. Crime (light) storyline in the background that runs through all of them, but it's romance.

I don't think the four are full length novels unless I put it all my current disconnected scenes together and it's bare bones and adding scenery and inner thoughts might ratchet it up. All of them same place so it's easy to draw it out over the four stories, might cut it down.

(I haven't written anything more than 30k before so... yikes. But I rarely have more than a sex scene or two held together bit a spit of a plot. This is weird af for me.)

It's smut stuck together with story, and a bonkers bit of the environment (research black hole there). The sex is absolute fire (so I say and it is for me lol) but it's not erotica. My usual style, I guess.

No.1 is m/m, scenes scattered, but characters fixed and romance sort of fixed

no 2 is f/f, whole deal dot pointed from beginning to end, including how they change over time, what the impediments are, the sex scenes plotted but nothing written. Harder to flog from the mm. (Age gap, diverse)

no.3 m/m/f here is hazy but it's more the crime thing. Characters mostly there, the start (second chance romance, you left us! or then we were 2), the plot is there. the crime progresses, led by what the characters are doing. investigator/undercover and potential criminal (mafia type), plus clueless idiot drugs and law enforcement plot that's familiar (diverse)

no.4 m/nb I've got to solve the crime. I know it's solved roughly but who is going to solve it? One character on the crime and also in the setting, one works in admin overseeing that environment (we've one of them in the first story), romance light, characters light. I'm hoping with a bit more progress on the previous three it sort of falls into place .

There's sort of a historical element that's super light, maybe family members, needs a fair bit of work but easy to ditch. low reward.

ANYWAY! Job and fatigue and health stuff and family stuff is in the way and I get the space to write maybe 5k a week (garbage, scattered scenes I'm inspired by that day) not when my usual approach is to get everything down fast before I lost motivation 10k a day. 10k a day.

The medical professionals were "hmm have you learnt nothing about pacing during this intensive program where it's about pacing? 4k a week is good, sustainable."

NOOOOO I am 0 or 100 I know this. I am afraid it'll go before I get it down and it will nag at me forever more like my homicide happy end amongst others.

[intubatedangel]

Awakening : Chapter 2

Only a week late for Valentines, but here it is. I will actually be taking a break this time to work on other projects. My current plan is to get a good 20k-30k words written before I return to the Anna Swift universe. Hopefully won’t be too long if I get on a roll.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this ‘little’ nugget, (3.8k words, I got carried away again),  and that it will tide you over until I return.

Story Index  

Required Reading - Code Red

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 (Conclusion)

Awakening

Chapter 1

* * *

It was early in the afternoon when a nurse opened the door tentatively. Carl immediately looked around. He'd spent the intervening time sat there, statuesque in his vigil, in a trance like state. He barely moved, but part of him was constantly alert for any alarm or change. Nurses came in often, but always with purpose. It had taken them only a few hours to get used to ignoring his presence. Most recently they had reduced the sedation again. It was the hesitancy with which the door was opened that drew his gaze.

She was young, her white tunic marking her as a student nurse. He raised an eyebrow at her as he tried to remember her name. "Err... Her parents are here. Um.. Sir."

Her flighty, nervous manner reminded him of who she was. "You.. You don't have to call me Sir, Tilly." He reminded her for the third time. He also realised how dry his throat was. "I'll be right there." He stood, closing the ring box and slipping it into his pocket as he did so. The door clicked as Tilly retreated, while Carl poured a cup of water from the pitcher on a rolling tray. Anna certainly wouldn't be needing it today. He swirled it around his mouth before swallowing, clearing his throat slightly. He leaned over Anna, laying a gentle kiss on her forehead just below the halo of small electrodes. "I'll be right back." He whispered. His hand brushed hers as he passed, heading out of the door.

Tilly was stood by the nurses’ station, offering hot drinks to the couple that stood with their arms linked as if to support each other. They weren't old old, early 60's but aging well. Anna's parents. Her father was a shade under 6 foot but had probably been taller in his youth. His broad shoulders told of a man accustomed to physical labour, though he was also hedging towards portly. A builder, who was starting to take things easier so that he could enjoy his retirement.

Anna's mother was of a height with her husband, with a willowy build. Her hair was a light blonde that made the few streaks of grey look like silver highlights. He knew from some of Anna's pictures that she would often wear it styled, but here it was bound in a simple, expedient tail.

Carl took a steadying breath as he came to a stop behind them. "Mr and Mrs Swift?" He asked. They turned towards him. "We spoke on the pho...oof" Anna's mother had gathered him into a crushing hug. She clung to him for a few seconds, then pulled away, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, looking him in the eyes. It was clear that Anna had emulated her mother, who had also been a nurse for a considerable portion of her career. The way she not only checked on others first, without considering herself, but also looked for what they might not be saying, were identical to her adopted daughter.

Carl tried to say something, but his throat seemed to close, and he had to swallow roughly. Anna's father stepped in to help. "Dear, none of us are okay right now." He gently pried his wife’s grasp off Carl's shoulders, and reached out to give him a firm handshake.

"Sir." Carl found himself saying, pointedly ignoring the flat look Tilly gave him.

"Please, Carl, call me Colin."

Carl nodded, reaffirming the handshake.

"Diane." Anna's mother said, placing a hand on his shoulder again, barely restraining herself from giving him another hug.

They stood there for a few moments, until Tilly placed a pair of sleeved paper cups on the counter. Finally, Carl spoke again. "She's this way."

* * *

He'd seen her at her worst, when she was pulseless, bloodless, literally open, and utterly lifeless. Her parents hadn't. Where he was able to take comfort in how much she had improved in the last two and a half days, they were totally new to the situation.

Diane let out a strangled noise, between a sob, a gasp and a cry. "Oh, my baby!" She rushed forward, pushing Carl's chair out of the way with a quiet squeak. She leaned over the bed, reaching out and stroking Anna's hair. Colin was more hesitant. He approached from the opposite side of the bed, his gaze flickering to all the tubes and wires as he approached. He reached out, his hand hesitating until he looked at Carl.

Carl nodded. "It's okay, you can touch her." He said. "They've reduced the sedation. You should talk to her. She might be able to hear you."

Colin laid his hand on the crown of Anna's head, leaning close to whisper something, his thumb stroking gently. He looked at Carl "Is she....?"

"She'll live." Carl said, but he knew it was his responsibility to give them the full truth. "But... We don't know if she'll still be...." He looked down at his feet, his hands clenched on the bottom rail of the bed.

He broke.

It all hit him, Carl, the boyfriend. Dr Teague had processed it logically, and had contained the efforts of Roger and Trish. He suddenly understood why they had been so concerned, as his head dropped and he felt the tears overwhelm him, streaking down his cheeks to fall on to the floor at the foot of the bed.

He wasn't even aware of anything else until he felt hands pulling him away from the bed, pushing him down while still supporting him, until he landed in the chair and practically folded in upon himself.

"Carl...Carl." He finally managed to raise his head, greeted with Anna's mother. "I'm sorry. But you...you need to tell us everything. Everything that happened." Her eyes were hard. Filled with pain, made worse by the love she felt for Anna. But she had experience far beyond Anna or Carl. This was the best way, for all of them. To confront it, head on.

* * *

This time, Anna floated up towards that near consciousness. There was so much to take in. Quite literally a near lifetime of memories had returned to her. It would have felt great, if it weren't for the gaps. The best way she found to describe it was like a grand tapestry. Long, continuous, and detailed. Except some rogue arsonist had burned out parts of it.

She got flickers of context, but beyond that, the torched memories were gone. Pieces of herself that were nothing but ash. The biggest of these was right at the end, like a huge, obliterating scorch mark.

The last thing she remembered was a night, a lovely night, where her and Carl had shared an intense fantasy on the living room floor. After that, there was nothing but the sense of lost time. Her next memory was that feeling of utter wrongness.

She still didn't know what had happened. It must have been bad though. To have that significant a gap, and to still have that pain through her belly and chest. Wait... The pain across her chest came into focus as she suddenly realised what may have caused it. Oh shit... Did they have to resuscitate me? She started to piece more things together. The abdominal pain, it must have been some sort of trauma. A car crash maybe? She thought. It didn't fit though. Her limbs were basically fine, the paralytics stopped her from using them, but they weren't broken.

I didn't have a SCA. She thought. There wouldn't be much abdominal trauma there. She felt something though. Something significant, something that wasn't just beyond her grasp, but was intentionally being hidden.

WHAT HAPPENED! She wanted to scream. She could hear voices. Someone was there. Why couldn't she just ask them!

There was a small period of quiet. Not silence. Monitors and machines still beeped and bonged all around her. But she was alone. Please... Someone just talk to me.

She would have cried if she'd been capable. Instead, she was trapped within an unresponsive body, unable to communicate, left alone with nothing but her own thoughts. To some, hell is fire, brimstone and punishment. They have lived lives where true hardship is something that happened to others. They don't realise that the true hell is awareness, without a shred of agency. To know all consuming pain and fear, with absolutely no hope of doing anything about it.

She was wrapped up in impotent panic, surrounded by it, until something broke through. Three words, and a touch.

"I'm here Petal." A whisper. A hand on her forehead, rough and hard with callous. Yet so gentle, and so comforting.

Daddy?

Other voices. She recognised Carl's voice, but it was so broken. It hurt to hear him speak in such a tone. And then came her mother's voice.

"...Everything that happened."

Anna was caught. She hated to hear the pain in those voices. Yet she needed to know what had happened to her.

* * *

She was intrigued, but also apprehensive. It was a strange dichotomy. She'd wanted to know what happened, and now that she was going to get the answers, she was terrified of them.

"We had a patient. An OD. Anna recognised her. We...We couldn't save her. But her boyfriend...he...he followed Anna. She fought. God did she fight. But he stabbed her. Twice." Car's voice was thick, and she could hear him gasping as he tried to collect himself. Oh, how she wanted to reach out and hold him.

"We...We didn't even know. Somehow she tossed him over the railing. We thought he jumped. I'm so sorry. We didn't even think of her."

"You didn't have a reason to." Her mother said, so tender and loving.

"She... She might have saved herself." Carl let out a strangled groan. "We were about to leave the stairwell, and...and this hit one of the nurses."

Anna couldn't see, her eyes were still bound shut by the paralytics, but she felt a connection to whatever it was he was showing them. It felt ... more than significant.

"I gave it to her.” An image of the heart shaped necklace sprang to her mind. “Just a few days ago." His voice shattered, and her heart reached out to him as she heard his sobs. Slowly he seemed to regain control. "I found her. She'd lost so much blood. I thought she was gone, but she saw me."

More sobs. A distant whisper. "It's okay, keep going."

"Trish, the nurse, she went to get help. I held her, held her as she faded away. I'm so sorry. There was nothing I could do..."

It's not your fault. Anna thought towards him.

"It's not your fault." Diane said in a gentle tone.

It took him a few moments to collect himself, before continuing his recount of events. Anna simply listened. There wasn't much more she could do. Lying there, unable to show any kind of response to the information she was receiving, the details of the fight to resuscitate her. She felt his fear, and it fed her own fear, despite the fact her contained consciousness was evidence they had been successful in the end.

Then he got to the part that gave her all sorts of complicated feelings. "We...We couldn't stabilise her BP, there was too much bleeding, and the surgeon couldn't find it. We…had to open her chest." Carl's voice came close to breaking, thick with pain. "We needed to stop the blood flow by clamping her aorta. Once...Once I did that, I had to...I had to pump her heart myself."

Holy shit. She thought. He had my heart in his hands.

She didn't know what to feel. Terror, for one. She'd been so close to death that tearing her chest open was a good option. Yet. He had literally held her heart. Pumped it, manually. She had been more than willing give it to him emotionally. He had been forced to take it physically. How many times had she fantasized about that exact situation?

He was still talking. "They...We...were going to call it. It had been so long. And she wasn't responding." He paused. "Four seventeen. That was the time." Anna felt her father's hand tighten upon her own limp fingers. "I don't know if it was a delayed reaction to the drugs. Or if it was her. If she was giving us one last chance. But it worked. One last shock, and her heart started again."

* * *

She hadn't paid too much attention to the details of the following surgery. Carl's account had become dryer, as if he was reading a script, which made sense. He wouldn’t have been there for that part. At some point he had finished the story. She'd been too busy thinking about everything before that. All the steps he'd described as they battled for her life. Everything she'd ever dreamed of. Carl forcing air from his lungs into hers, chest compressions, defibs. Intubating her. Directly massaging her heart.

She was trying to reconcile that with the physical pain she still felt. The emotional pain she'd heard in Carl's voice. Fear of damage that might not be apparent yet. What kind of recovery she would have, and how long it would take. Thinking of the future made her nervous. What would her relationship with Carl be like? Would he still share their special interest, after everything he'd had to do to her? Would she still be into it?

Would it change the dynamic of their relationship? They'd had plenty of time before their revelations to be confident they were good together, but if either of them lost that element that had taken it to the next level, would they be able to get back to where they were? Or would they mourn that loss?

At least he isn't mourning YOU!

It was a fair point. It didn't totally stop her from dwelling on all those questions, as she drifted away. They occupied her so much she didn't even consider whether they'd pushed more sedative, or if she was slipping into a natural sleep.

* * *

It had been cathartic, reliving the events of that day. It had also been draining. Carl had planned to stay until well into the evening. He was broken out of a doze by Colin gently shaking his shoulder.

"Perhaps you should go home and get some rest." He said.

Carl looked at his watch, it was barely after 4:30 in the afternoon. The thought of his bed was compelling.

But Anna was here.

Colin could clearly tell what he was thinking. "It's okay, she's not going anywhere, and she'll have company."

Carl finally nodded, sitting up. He'd taken a more comfortable chair in the corner, letting Anna's parents take the bedside. "Do you have anywhere to stay?" He asked, knowing how something like that could slip through the cracks.

"We can sort a hotel." Colin replied.

Carl shook his head. "I have a spare room, you're more than welcome to it."

Colin and Diane looked at each other, having a wordless conversation, before eventually nodding simultaneously. "Thank you, that would be good." He walked over to his wife and placed a hand on her shoulder. She leaned her head against. "I'll see you later love." He told her.

Carl got his feet, flexing his knees slightly to get more life into them, and walked over to the bed. He pulled out the necklace, rubbing his thumb over the locket. He leaned close to Anna, lifting her head slightly to slip the chain under neck, clasping it and rearranging it so the heart shaped locket rested on her chest. He gave her another kiss on the forehead, then retreated with Anna's father.

* * *

The next few days fell into a routine, the three of them taking overlapping shifts by Anna's bedside, each of them getting some alone time for a few hours, but still having someone to talk to for a while. It turned out that Colin was a proficient cook, so even though all three were being emotionally eaten by worry, they had some good food to sustain them.

On the 6th day since they had nearly lost her, Thompson had given the go ahead to remove the sedation. He'd wanted to give her injuries time to heal, just in case she had an adverse reaction to waking up. Colin had stayed for an extra couple of hours, but she hadn't woken and he had been forced to relent and head back to Carl's for some sleep of his own.

That just left Carl with her. It was another agonising wait. Logically, he knew it could take half a day for the drugs to wear off and for her to come around. Seeing no response after three hours was perfectly normal. Every minute that passed still gnawed at him. He fell into that trance-like awareness again, near motionless, but acutely aware of every monitor, every machine.

He sensed the change on the ECG as soon as it happened. Her heart rate quickening.

* * *

Each time she had risen to that semi-consciousness, she had spent a while fighting it, trying to move or open her eyes. Her body had remained frustratingly still every time. Eventually she would settle into another period of listening to the people she loved. She was never alone. She could feel them holding her hand. But if it was quiet, she would try to sort through her memories.

There were still the torched gaps, but as she explored she found other small pieces, fragments, that were missing. Sometimes it was akin to a scratched disc. She'd be thinking of an event, playing through it in her mind, then it would suddenly skip. In other cases, it was like a newspaper that had something spilled across it. Words that had smudged and become unreadable, images that were mostly clear, but had a chunk that was distorted.

There was something else too. Something that seemed to be after the great scorched hole in the tapestry, but before her recollections of this half consciousness. While she was being resuscitated. An empty space. A void. But she was within it. Feeling everything they did to her. A greater more present darkness waiting for her. There was terror. And anger.

Had it really happened? She didn't 'remember' it until after she heard Carl explaining the details. Was it just a dream? Her subconscious taking the pieces she'd heard and trying to process it? Or had she actually crossed into some sort of Limbo? She didn't know. She never would. It stuck with her though.

She had no idea how long it had been. She 'came around' again, rising from unconsciousness to her half-awake state. She began the usual fight, as if it was part of her routine. It took a few moments to realise something had changed. Usually, she effectively flailed against nothingness. This time though, she met resistance. It was thick, like treacle without being sticky. She pushed against it, and though it impeded her, she felt progress. It made her fight harder, made her throw more effort into it.

"Anna? Can you hear me?"

It was Carl! He must have felt something or seen something.

"That's it. You can do it baby. Just open those beautiful eyes for me."

She wanted to scream with exertion as she pushed against that resistance. Going further. Getting closer to something.

With a mental chime, she felt something connect.

The darkness peeled away.

* * *

He was already stood over her when he felt the tiniest twitch of her fingers. The monitors, ECG and EEG, both showed a huge increase in activity. She was almost there.

"Anna? Can you hear me?" He called. He heard the nurse outside poke her head into the room, then rush off. He didn't look around, his attention locked onto her face. Her eyelids rippled.

"That's it. You can do it baby. Just open those beautiful eyes for me." He told her.

Her eyelids fluttered. So did his heart.

They slid open.

* * *

The light literally blinded her for a few moments. She couldn't see anything in the bright expanse. Then things began to take shape. Her eyes adjusted to the light gradually. Over the course of a few seconds, it faded from dazzling to normal, but everything was still blurred. She had to blink a few times, each time the shapes resolving that little bit more. One shape in particular.

Carl.

He was leaning over her, the concern clear on his face. He must be wondering if she even recognised him. She blinked once more, her vision fully clearing, and stared into his eyes. With a push of will, she nodded ever so slightly, not even enough to lift her head off the pillow.

He smiled.

"There you are."

She nodded again, more to one side. It caused him to look at her, confused.

She twitched her hand. The one that once again had the small box in it. Gave another nod, with a slight frown, frustrated by the tube in her mouth.

He glanced down at it then back at her, his eyes widening. She nodded again.

"You...you heard me?" He whispered.

Anna nodded again.

Her gaze trailed to the ring as he lifted it out the box. He picked up her hand and she gave it a squeeze.

* * *

He looked between the ring and her eyes. Those wonderful chestnut eyes, and the mind behind them. She was still there. Whatever things she might have lost, that look, those small expressions, told him all he needed to know. Anna was still there.

His mind whirled. She knew about the ring. She'd heard him. In the space of a second all his hidden fears surged to the surface. What if things would be different between them? If the experiences of the last week changed their relationship. Changed their intimate life? Maybe even everything beyond that? He'd meant what he said to Thompson. He would not walk away from her. But would she still want him, if there were longer term problems with health, both literally and euphemistically?

He looked into her eyes. She was looking into his. Communication flowed, just like it had between her parents. They'd both been thinking the same thing. And they were both in agreement. They loved each other. More than anything else in the world. They would deal with it, together.

They nodded to each other.

He took half a step back, and went down on one knee, holding onto her hand.

"Anna Swift, will you marry me?"

She squeezed his hand. Nodded her head. And blinked her eyes twice, the yes they always used with patients who couldn't speak.

He couldn't help but smile, and he saw her lips do the same, as much as they could around the blue tube holder. He hurried to his feet, leaning close to kiss her just above it, his lips practically on the side of her nose. He held her, until she finally tapped him with her hand. He pulled away to see her glance down pointedly.

He grinned as he held up her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

[itsevanffs]

Fic Writer Wrapped - 2022

I got tagged by duplicity, metalomagnetic and possibly a few others (I'm really shit at remembering, apologies) so thanks for that here is my contribution, um, almost 2 weeks late.

How many stories did you complete?

Same as last year. No stories really completed, just oneshots posted, of which there were 5 this year.

What is your total word count for the year?

I actually update my spreadsheet about once every two months(?) so I can tell you pretty much the exact number, give me a minute:

139797 words. So. 140k. Of which you have seen... possibly 30k?

It's actually more than my usual just 100k average, which I wasn't expecting? I was actually expecting less. Probably because I haven't been super satisfied with my writing; but I think the weekly livewrites in my server definitely added to that count, so I'll be keeping those going.

What fandoms did you write in this year?

Just the one, I think. Harry Potter by Hatsune Miku. If I wrote anything else (outside original things) I definitely didn't post it.

Did you write more, less, or roughly about what you expected?

I don't set expectations for myself, really? I don't have a set goal for words, because my writing is vibes-based. (It's why it's so good /lh). Considering I almost wrote 1.5 times my usual, though, I knocked it out of the park with this year.

What's your favourite story of this year?

Definitely At the expense of the world. I love writing gritty, horrible stuff in a refreshing way, kind of like eating raw cockles and getting a bit of shell between your teeth, yknow? It's incredible, and the taste is still super fresh. I dunno how to describe it, but there's a reason I pumped out, what, fifteen thousand words in 2 weeks? That's a lot, especially for me.

What is your most underappreciated story of the year?

I'll confess I don't look at the stats much, not for any particular reason, but I just forget. As it stands with vibes, however, probably, hmm... Well, I didn't really start anything that could be considered 'underappreciated', because I think if it reaches the people it's meant to I'm happy. I think if one person (even if that were just me) takes joy and meaning in my work it's about as appreciated as it could be. One piece I'm especially proud of (even though it is pretty much a remix of the work I listed as inspiration) is Rot, on which the author of the original work complimented my prose :D I was very flattered.

Biggest fanfic-related disappointment of 2022?

Good question. I think it's that I've kind of lost interest in ITD, even though I still hold love for it. It's just become very hard to work on. I'm hoping I'll somehow manage to wrestle my way through it, but as it stands I think I'm gonna have to rework a lot of chapters. We'll see.

Biggest fanfic-related surprise of 2022?

Becoming friends with toast and metalo, two writers who I deeply admire :D I'll be dead honest, it was quite a shock. But I'm super happy and grateful to both of them for being awesome people <3

Something you look forward to working on in 2023?

I really want to push Expense through its first arc this year and finish Anabiosis. I've been getting a lot of encouragement for both, so who knows? Maybe I'll manage it. It'd be nice to definitely finish Anabiosis' main story, because that'll be the first 20k+ fic I'll have ever finished. Like, the first non-one shot. (Even though it was supposed to be a one shot, once upon a time.) I think it'd give me a lot of confidence in my ability to actually finish things.

I don't know of anyone to tag, but if anyone feels inclined, feel free to use me as your excuse to do one too.

[syoish-aot]

Hi, no rush or anything 😁 I was wondering if you know roughly when the next part of I found you too sequel is coming (I love the book soo much) I do know earlier you said you were suffering from writers block and I wanted you to know you shld still take your time and (although I may be one person) I love your work and what your doing is honestly amazing💞💞 (tbh it's rlly impressive writing a whole book I have so many ideas but can't even complete a whole page yet I've got it planned out so what you do is literally unreal😭❤️❤️)

I wish wish wish WISH I had a good idea of when the next part would come out but I honestly have no idea at all!!

My brain is so weird when it comes to---

*sudden realization that I forgot to take my meds this morning* one sec

ANYWAY - like I was saying: because of my ADHD writing is a very "come and go" kinda process for me. I'll have a few weeks of INTENSE motivation for a specific project and then I'll go crazy stupid working on it (which is how I wrote 30k of that fic in a 2 week span) but then in the blink of an eye that motivation is completely gone or switched to another project.

Unfortunately, unless I'm feeling that brain buzzing, vyvanse enhanced, knees weak sensation of extreme hyperfixation - I can't write a single word.

And if I do it's either a) shit or b) I hate it so much that it makes me never want to write again.

All I know is that I will FOR SURE finish the fic eventually!

The only reason I wouldn't is if I jump fandom, which I don't see happening anytime soon (especially because I'm refusing to let myself watch any new shows out of the fear that I'll latch onto something else and my AoT spark will disappear).

I have the rest of the fic planned and the majority of the next chapter already written, but I've kinda shifted my focus to my Jean/OC fic "The Letters She Wrote" since that's where I'm feeling that ADHD motivation right now. Which also explains why I haven't been as active on tumblr (the insta community is more OCxCC inclined, whereas tumblr seems to be more into xreader fics, so I'm normally more active on whichever platform my current hyperfixation project would get the most engagement).

Honestly though, asks like this really motivate me!

Like you already mentioned, I was having some really shit writer's block recently and I couldn't work on ANY of my projects, but then I made a friend on insta who started reading Letters and she was commenting on every chapter, once she caught up with the fic I was so motivated to write that I wrote almost five pages last night between clients at work.

I do write for me and for the sake of getting an idea out of my head and onto the screen, but it's also really validating to know that people enjoy and look forward to the things I work on.

As far as your comment on how you struggle to write, even when you have a plan, my biggest advice is this:

Don't start at the beginning. Start with the scene that you're the most excited for and go from there. The first scene I wrote for I Found You was the scene where Eren and MC are dancing in chapter 8 and then I worked backwards.

[metamoonshots]

Bitcoin saved placing the stress on and tapped a brand new multi-month peak at $30,400 hours in the past however has misplaced some floor and at the moment sits slightly below the coveted $30,000 mark. The altcoins are principally within the inexperienced once more, with LINK, APT, and AAVE rising as at the moment’s high performers with notable double-digit worth pumps. BTC at $30K Bitcoin pumped and dumped laborious on Monday amid false information that the US SEC had lastly greenlighted a spot BTC ETF. In a matter of minutes, the asset went up and down by round $2,000. Nevertheless, the bulls didn’t hand over after the information was confirmed to be faux and saved pushing the cryptocurrency north. As such, it maintained $28,000 and began heading upward on Friday night, which resulted in leaping above $30,000 for the primary time since July. After a quick retracement, BTC went on the offensive as soon as once more on Saturday night, which resulted in touching $30,400 – a brand new multi-month peak. As of now, bitcoin trades inches away from $30,000, however its market capitalization has maintained above $580 billion. Its dominance over the altcoins, although, has declined barely, however it's nonetheless north of 51% on CMC. BTCUSD. Supply: TradingView LINK, APT, AAVE on a Roll The altcoins additionally adopted BTC on the best way up throughout the enterprise week. On a day by day scale, most are barely within the inexperienced as soon as once more, too. Ethereum, Binance Coin, Solana, Cardano, Dogecoin, Tron, Toncoin, Polygon, and Polkadot have all charted minor good points of as much as 2%. Whereas most different mid-cap alts are additionally within the inexperienced, some, resembling Chainlink, Aptos, and Aave, have produced mind-blowing will increase. All of those three have soared by double digits, with LINK skyrocketing by 18%, APT by 14.5%, and AAVE by 14%. In consequence, LINK charted a multi-month peak of its personal above $9, whereas APT is near $ and AAVE is at $75. These surges have helped the full market cap add roughly $20 billion day by day, and the metric stands at $1.140 trillion on CMC now. Cryptocurrency Market Overview. Supply: Quantify Crypto SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored) Binance Free $100 (Unique): Use this link to register and obtain $100 free and 10% off charges on Binance Futures first month (terms).PrimeXBT Particular Supply: Use this link to register & enter CRYPTOPOTATO50 code to obtain as much as $7,000 in your deposits.Disclaimer: Data discovered on CryptoPotato is these of writers quoted. It doesn't symbolize the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether or not to purchase, promote, or maintain any investments. You're suggested to conduct your individual analysis earlier than making any funding selections. Use offered data at your individual danger. See Disclaimer for extra data. Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.

[ailtrahq]

As the final quarter of 2023 kicks off, the cryptocurrency market has shown remarkable growth, particularly Bitcoin (BTC), which surged 15% in the last two weeks and 9% in the past three days alone. This uptick follows a disappointing third quarter, where BTC dipped by 12%, ending the Supermoon cycle last week at a low of 26,500, down from a high of 31,500 at the cycle’s start on 4 July. While many are optimistic that this could be the beginning of a much-anticipated Q4 rally—especially given that October has historically been a strong month for BTC—QCP Capital, a full-suite crypto asset trading firm, remains skeptical. In an article published earlier today, the firm outlines four primary reasons for their caution: Exogenous Factors Fueling the Rally: The recent surge in BTC prices is largely attributed to external elements. Initial enthusiasm was sparked by the impending U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approvals for the first Ethereum (ETH) futures Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). This was followed by lower-than-expected core PCE inflation figures and a last-minute Continuing Resolution (CR) deal that will keep the U.S. government operational until 17 November.The ETF Effect: Drawing parallels with the launch of BTC futures ETFs two years ago, QCP Capital notes that such events can create short-lived highs. In the case of BTC, the price peaked at 69,000 roughly 25 days after SEC approval for its futures ETF. The firm argues that futures ETFs can dilute the spot market by introducing synthetic coins without affecting the actual supply.Government Shutdown Scenarios: While the CR deal may seem like a positive development in the short term, it could be detrimental in the medium term. QCP Capital suggests that a government shutdown might have been more favorable for the markets, citing historical data that shows the S&P 500 trading positively during each of the five government shutdowns since 1995.Influence of Real Yields and Gold: According to QCP Capital, real yields and gold are the true market indicators to watch. If the CR deal triggers an upward movement in real yields, risk markets could face significant downside pressure. A break of 14,500 in the Nasdaq or 4,250 in the S&P 500 could be a trend that BTC cannot afford to ignore. In light of these factors, QCP Capital is using the current rally as an opportunity to purchase downside hedges. They anticipate that the BTC price will face resistance at the 29-30k level and suggest that the current low volatility offers a cost-effective option for preparing for any sharp downward reversals. Market Update – 1 Oct 23 🧵1/ We are into the final quarter of the year, and crypto markets have taken off like a rocket. In the past 2 weeks, #BTC has rallied 15% and up a staggering 9% in the last 3 days!— QCP Capital (@QCPCapital) October 2, 2023 Featured Image via Midjourney

[lilithsmom]

If I could have emailed back how I truly felt to the tenant who sent me the mean email today:

You know what? Fuck you. Yes I made a mistake, people make mistakes. And yes my boss also did not catch it, no one did, not even you and you are the one who should be going over the invoice the most since it’s your money in question. You signed a contract agreement which stated your tenant expense to be $117k BEFORE the additional alternatives you chose. You. chose. You chose $50k in alternatives alone and your base was starting at $117k. The math is right in front of you. I know you’re a doctor and not a mathematician but fuck I’d think you’d know basic math. So after signing that contract you get an email from me with an invoice, I think you’d know roughly what to be expecting - no? And you’d read over that invoice (1 of 2 - paying half each invoice) to make sure it seemed accurate to you. And when you see it’s only for $30k when you are expecting around $85k (sorry more math, doctor) wouldn’t you think to ask? Wouldn’t you question it? Oh no, you wouldn’t, because you think you got lucky and don’t have to pay as much. But then when I send you an email stating that my invoice had an error and corrected myself to align with the document YOU SIGNED you are mad at me? You are blaming me? You’re shocked by this sudden invoice? Are you fucking kidding me? And then you blame me because you based your financing off of my invoice, instead of the document YOU SIGNED. THE LEGAL DOCUMENT. I really hope you’re a better oculoplastic surgeon than you are a businessman because you clearly don’t comprehend the legal documents you sign. I hope you stub your toe for a week straight.

Thank you,

[twstgameplay]

Scalding Sands Fireworks

July 12th 16:00 - August 4th 14:59 (JST)

How to Play

Very similar to the 1st Anniversary event, but longer. Collect Sparklers during Lessons (History / Flying / Alchemy) and use those to read the Event Story. Complete Stamp Card missions for rewards.

Event exclusive items:

The event is divided into 5 Episodes and we should get a new rhythmic some time later.

Episode 1 & 2: already unlocked

Episode 3: unlocks on July 19th

Episode 4 & 5: unlock on July 26th

Event Characters (Jasmine Silk)

The event cards this time don’t seem to have any special bonus as there’s no battle or special drop. For event freebies, we have SR Cater and R Trey, but only Trey is available so far.

Making the cards permanent:

R Trey: Complete the Event Story (obtainable on Episode 2-1)

SR Cater: Complete the Event Story and collect 500 Sparklers total (not obtainable yet)

Story Info

Spend 5 Sparklers to unlock the Event Story episodes, some need you to collect a certain amount of Firecrackers to unlock:

Episode 1-4: 30 Sparklers total

Episode 2-4: 70 Sparklers total

Episode 2-9: 120 Sparklers total

3-4 should already be unlocked if you completed the 1st Stamp Card.

Episodes 4-4 and 4-8 should already be unlocked if you completed the 2nd Stamp Card, we don’t know the exact number, but should be somewhere between 270 and 400 Sparklers.

Episode 5-2 is a Rhythmic. Only the Easy version is currently available and it’ll be added to the other Rhythmics with Normal and Hard difficulty once the event is over.

1st Stamp Card Info

Click on the Stamp Icon on the bottom left of the Event Page, there will be a total of 3 Stamp Cards and the first 2 are only available for roughly 1 week.

The first stamp card only goes until July 19, 14:59 (JST), so pay attention to the time limit.

2nd Stamp Card Info

The second stamp card only goes until July 26, 14:59 (JST), so pay attention to the time limit.

3rd Stamp Card Info

The third stamp card goes until August 04, 14:59 (JST), so pay attention to the time limit.

Shop Info

This event has 2 different shops: one for Sparkler and another for Coconut Juice. Don’t let the icon trick you, this is the same Sparkler item dropped during lessons. Coconut Juice is obtainable by completing certain parts of the story, as well as stamp mission rewards, and is capped at exactly 34 to buy everything in the shop.

Coconut Juice Shop

Jasmine Silk is used to groovy the free event cards: 3 for SR Cater and 1 for R Trey

There’s a total of 4 exclusive event backgrounds that you unlock as you advance the Event Story, the first one should show up in shop after completing Episode 2

Card Set includes: 10 Nectar EXP L and 30k madol

Book Set includes: 8 notepads, 4 textbooks and 2 grimoires

Sparkler Shop

Extra copies of the event characters will be available once they’re made permanent.

You must be asking yourself where you can find the Dirty Lamp. It’s in the Gems Shop for 100 gems as a special set:

It’s, apparently, a collection item and serves no purpose in the event.

Magic Level Info

One of the Stamp Card missions requires you to level up one of the event card’s magic to level 5 (Trey for the 1st card, Cater for the 2nd one), here’s how many Sparklers you need to level up their magic (only one is needed for the mission though):

[cyncity2000]

heartbreakordeath's (unnecessarily long) Bastille Fic Masterlist

Hello! I decided to make a comprehensive (probably too comprehensive lol) list of all the bas fic I’ve posted to my ao3. I figured because some of them lack context due to inside jokes, etc, that it might be a fun way to waste some time and yell about my writing some more 🤪

Long post so everything is below the cut :)

Dan/Kyle

Series: wwcomms, soundtracked by hdyfn?

note: It’s hard to explain unless you’re familiar with the AU, so feel free to dm me for extra info if you’d like to get into it but are confused by the concept :)

1. every word i'm screaming is another going unreceived

The first in my WWCOMMS series! Inspired by “Bad Dreams” by Joywave. Introduces the universe of WWCOMMS and most of the characters involved.

Words: 3590, Oneshot, Status: Complete

Rating: T for swears & dark themes

Warnings: N/A

2. next to somebody new (don't wanna ever wake up)

The second installment in my WWCOMMS series, inspired by “Somebody New” by Joywave. Picks up right where the first left off, focusing less on the worldbuilding and more on Kyle’s Retuning and his complicated relationship with Dan.

Words: 3427, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: T for swears & dark themes

Warnings: N/A

3. now that the deed is done

Third installment in my WWCOMMS series, inspired by “Now” by Joywave. Bit of a time skip from the last fic, with a bit more of the canon-typical action & violence i’ve seen in most fics in this ‘verse! This one’s a bit more complicated so hopefully it’s easy enough to follow. Apologies for the cliffhanger 🤪 I promise I know where it’s going but not sure when I’ll be able to write it.

Words: 4214, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: T for swears, dark themes, and non-graphic violence

Warnings: TW: Blood

~~~

‘cause the devil’s got my arms

My attempt at a Bastille fic heavily inspired by Supernatural (aka Bastillenatural), which unfortunately has had me in a death grip for the past…4 years maybe? It’s based on the concept of the “demon deal” from spn, where a character trades their soul in exchange for whatever they desire. They have 10 years to live after they make the deal, and then the demon comes to kill them and drag their soul to hell <3 nice light stuff here. Inspired by the random thought I had: what if Bastille got so popular so quickly because they made a deal? It is a Very Strange mix of crack and angst. Gift for @goodlesson <3

Words: 3784, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: T for swears & dark themes

Warnings: very minor non-con moment in the 2nd section, also just like. demonic possession, dan facing his death, etc. i promise it isn’t as horrible as it sounds???

one more slide (and then we're back to real life)

the iconic (jkjk) magic tour bus fic! the summary has a link to the Distraction Tactics episode this was inspired by, but long story short, it’s a multi-chaptered fic based very loosely on Howl’s Moving Castle. Basically, the door to their tour bus is a magic portal. Dan finds out about this. Kyle also finds out about this. chaos ensues. Set vaguely in Wild World era. Unlike bastillenatural, it sounds like crack, but actually has a whole serious plot arc bc i do love some Drama every once in a while !

Words: 16274 (my doc is currently sitting at just above 30k words- roughly halfway done with this monster), Chaptered (posted: 13/?, written: 18/?), In Progress

Rating: T, this thing is pretty wholesome tbh

Warnings: N/A

Dan/Charlie

Series: like the world is watching

1. Like The World is Watching

My first ever bastille fic! This was written near the beginning of lockdown and took me less than a week to finish, which is the first and probably only time that has Ever happened to me with a fic. It’s the first Big fic I’ve ever finished, really?? which is Crazy to think about. Anyways, it’s a canon-compliant story about Charlie joining the band, complete with lots of drama as he navigates his role as a touring member and tries to figure out what the fuck is going on between him and Dan. Spans the time between the Wild World and Doom Days eras.

Words: 13215, Chaptered (16/16), Complete

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

2. fall into the night with you

Timestamp #1 for LTWIW. Takes place in 2017 after the events of the fic, written & posted literally a Day after I finished the og fic lol. Just some Very Soft fluff & minor drama related to Dan’s inability to work social media <3

Words: 440, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

3. 'cause even there in a room full of faces (all I saw was you and I)

Timestamp #2 for LTWIW. Also takes place in 2017 after the events of LTWIW, either before or after the first timestamp, idfk. Just more shameless fluff bc WHY NOT. Charlie has a solo gig. Dan tags along :)

Words: 1291, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

4. back into the easy days

Another timestamp written ages ago that I decided to finally stick on AO3. Just fills in a bit of the ending more since it felt a bit rushed when I wrote the original fic :)

Words: 1018, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

~~~

Inescapable You

The first of MANY uni AUs!! In which Charlie is a uni student, and obsessed with that one random mysterious guy he sees everywhere on campus. Just a (hopefully) fun, humorous & cute lil story featuring Charlie & Dan as Complete Disasters (but what else is new!). Don’t think I specified a time in this one, but I imagined them how they both looked circa 2011ish.

Words: 2363, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

so many frights I've known (it's hard to let them go)

A fun lil ficlet inspired by the Many photos of Dan and Charlie on amusement park rides together, and Charlie’s admission that he’s definitely held his friends’ hands on scary rides before :’)

Words: 650, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Series: in your warmth I forget how cold it can be

1. a different chord, but the same refrain

Affectionately known (by like, Only me) as ‘hoodie fic', this is one of my personal favorites :) just some idiots getting drunk on tour, sharing clothes, and figuring out some Feelings. Decent mix of angst and Softness (and i’m not just talkin about the hoodie).

Words: 4509, Chaptered (3/3), Complete

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

2. easy to be, easy to breathe

Timestamp for “a different chord,” or an epilogue to the fic. Meant to be Soft and lighthearted, it’s a snapshot of their lives after they finally get their heads out of their asses <3

Words: 932, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

~~~

there's a fire in your eyes, it's true...

A gift fic for a friend who has since deactivated her ao3, this is a lowkey-abandoned WIP that I still hope to finish someday because I was actually a big fan of the concept :(( features Uber driver!Dan, a bit of a coffee shop and also uni AU, and a very sleepy & probably drunk Charlie who ends up in the backseat of an attractive stranger’s Uber. As usual, chaos ensues (or it would, if I ever finished this).

Words: 1882, Chaptered (1/?), In Progress

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

life in stop motion

Not gonna lie, this is another one of my favorites! I think it could’ve done with some changes, but I think it’s the fic I’m the most proud of :’) it’s an Immortal!Dan and Immortal! Ralph AU- they’re not vampires but more like…ancient gods who have, over the centuries, lost/forgotten their old power and slowly became more adjusted to life among humans. They decide in this story to spend some time at uni, making this Also a uni AU (can you tell I love those?) featuring clueless mortal uni student!Charlie.

Words: 4413, Oneshot, Complete (but always open to a sequel at some point)

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

say something (it's only a matter of time)

Another gift fic I wrote with the friend who has since deactivated- you can probably tell which parts are hers because they’re AMAZING <3333 I’d say the majority is her work, so if it seems very different from my other fics that’s why :) yet another uni AU, featuring some parts from Luna’s POV (yes, the dog,,, trust me on this okay) and the two of them being complete idiots as per usual. Sort of written backwards, if that makes sense? It begins at the end!

Words: 2229, Chaptered (1/?), In Progress/Abandoned

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

when it ends, don't wanna let you know

Another of my favorites!! just some shameless fluff inspired by Dan & Charlie’s iconic ~smiley stage shenanigans~ (very aptly coined by @goodlesson) during “Of the Night” in the Doom Days era. Pre-slash. Disclaimer: I unfortunately am not actually a Harry Styles fan, I just stole his lyrics for the gift fic bc its recipient @moonbeanm is a fan :p

Words: 1437, Oneshot, Complete

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

so i want to fall into your web

Bad news: this one’s abandoned :( it was a joint effort by me and two lovely friends, inspired by this video (because let’s be real, does the beginning not look exactly like a Youtuber’s video intro??)

Good news: we basically manifested Youtuber!Charlie, because with his Patreon updates he’s basically a vlogger now and i’m SO here for it <333 we made this a uni au (shocker!) that takes place in 2009, where Charlie is attempting to make it as a Youtuber and happens to attract the attention of a certain fan: a fellow uni student named (gasp) Dan Smith.

Words: 4236, Chaptered (3/?), In Progress/Abandoned

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

i said maybe...

a gift fic for written_you_down that was meant to be for last year! i got inspired again after mtv unplugged and decided to come back to this! it's kind of a 5+1 format, with snapshots of moments throughout dan & charlie's lives where they wanted to give up on their dreams of making it as a musician. there's a bit of a twist at the end that i'm Very excited for 👀 and yes. i titled it after wonderwall.

Words: 8907, Chaptered (5/7), In Progress

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

all your colours start to burn

welp. what can i say about this one. basically just further proof i can't write pwp fics without making them a million words long. based loosely around the summer 2021 festivals & dan and charlie's wygd shenanigans (remember when we thought THAT was a big deal ??? we had nooo idea what the uk tour was gonna bring) and is the first E rated fic i've written fully by myself so yay?

Words: 3817, Oneshot, Completed

Rating: E

Warnings: N/A

tell me you're a book that I misread

another pwp except it's kinda dark and angsty this time and it's basically just enemies AND lovers.

Words: 3,244, Oneshot, Completed

Rating: E

Warnings: mildly dubious consent that honestly has more to do with a power imbalance than anything

wonder if your therapist knows everything about me

dan keeps disappearing, and charlie's the only one who notices. not as angsty as it sounds, more hurt/comfort & fluff and the beginnings of what could be more than friendship.

Words: 1272, Oneshot, Completed

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

feel like.

my attempt at some sort of indie tour store fic (we're ignoring the fact that it was ages ago at this point). like i said in the ao3 tags, this shit just writes itself, man.

Words: 1630, Chaptered (2/?), In Progress

Rating: G

Warnings: N/A

Misc. (gen fics & other pairings)

we’ll be good in another life

Angst-fest inspired by “Another Place”- a series of alternate timelines. Features a mix of Dan/Charlie and Dan/Kyle depending on the version; there’s 7 in total! Even though it was written way before the show came out, it’s kinda my version of the Marvel show What if…? where every section answers a different question. My questions range anywhere from what if Charlie never joined Bastille? to what if Wild World was never finished?

Words: 3603, Oneshot, Completed (though a sequel at some point is Very likely 👀)

Pairings: Dan/Charlie, Dan/Kyle

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

'til the morning breaks

The obligatory Doom Days-inspired “end of the world” fic. It’s my fictionalized interpretation of the album’s story arc, I suppose? Stuffed with all the lyrical references I could manage, of course (if it’s not clear, the bit with Dan & two people implied to be Doing Things is inspired by the album cover bc why not). Not the most original of my work, but it was really interesting to write :) prettyyyy sure it’s Not what Dan had in mind while writing the album, though, but who knows 😅

Words: 1517, Oneshot, Complete

Pairings: Dan/Original Characters

Rating: T for drug use i guess (ooo scandalous /j) and implied sexual content

Warnings: N/A

i've got you on a loop, i've got you in my head

Another gift fic for the wonderful @goodlesson ! This one was a fun venture into real rarepair territory, ever since I discovered yet Another perfectly-named ship tag of Peyt’s and decided I Had to write about them at least once. Takes place during Reorchestrated era (2018), when Kyle suddenly and unexpectedly gains the ability to hear Charlie’s thoughts. What chaos will ensue???

Words: 1516, Chaptered (1/2), In Progress (NOT abandoned, I love this fic, I’ll get back to it at some point I promise)

Pairing: Kyle/Charlie

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

falling.

Now THIS is rarepair territory, friends. This fic is one of only nine in the whole ship tag, can you believe it?? there’s SO much childhood/best-friends-to-lovers potential here, guys, c’mon. I started writing this because I adored Ralph & Dan’s platonic relationship in Who the Fuck is Keith (aka the best bastille fic Ever written, change my mind <3) and felt the urge to emulate/imitate the sort of writing style/general cozy vibe of that fic. I’m not quite sure if I’ve managed that, but in general I’m really happy with it :) I know it’s a strange pairing, but if you’re curious, give it a chance! Actual summary: Dan and Ralph are uni students (yes, again) and old friends, sharing a flat for the school year. Both of them are still recovering from an event that shattered the peace of their lives five years ago. Incredibly domestic, soft, and angsty all in one.

Words: 10305, Chaptered (15/15), Complete

Pairing: Dan/Ralph

Rating: T

Warnings: mentioned in author’s notes to avoid spoilers

you felt right to me

i'm not really sure how to describe this one?? it's my first ever E rated fic (ooo scandalous) and involves past dan/kyle, current dan/charlie, and a kyle who is Very Much not jealous of charlie for taking dan away from him :))))))))

Words: 11475, Chaptered (5/?), In Progress

Pairing: Past Dan/Kyle, Current Dan/Charlie, and (spoilers) eventual Dan/Kyle/Charlie

Rating: E

Warnings: tagged on ao3

[this will be updated whenever i remember to update it]

[swissmissficrecs]

Hello! I really like your blog, it's great. I'm wondering, since I already finished all the fics that you have in the Fake relationship section, can you recommend us some more? Those are my happy place, thanks in advance, you're great :)

Reply: Thank you very much, that’s lovely to hear. You’re right, it has been a while since that list, so let’s see if I can add a few:

Fake Relationship Part 2

A Promise Made to Be Broken by PlantsAreNeat (37K, E, Johnlock) A young John makes an ‘if we’re still single at 40, we’ll get together’ pledge to a woman who ends up all wrong for him. She keeps reminding him of the promise, and won't let go of it. John asks Sherlock to pose as his boyfriend at a family wedding, so as to dash her hopes permanently. Sherlock, who has at last acknowledged his feelings for John, reluctantly agrees despite knowing how painful it will be to ‘have’ John, but not keep him.

Bridging the Ravine by SilentAuror (58K, E, Johnlock) Sherlock and John go undercover at Ravine Valley, a therapy centre for same-sex male couples in an investigation into a possible human trafficking ring. As they pose as a couple and fake their way through the therapy sessions for the sake of the case, it quickly becomes difficult to avoid discussing their very real issues. Set roughly nine months after series 4.

Chaperones by MissDavis (34K, T, Johnlock) Right. Of course. Everyone assumed they were a couple and no one would question it. John put his elbows up on the table so he could rest his head in his hands. "You want to pretend to be a couple so we can chaperone a trip to Disney World with Rosie's class and you won't have to share a room with a stranger?"

Classified(s) by blueink3 (36K, E, Johnlock) Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger.See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she's also best friends with John’s ex-fiancee. Whom she's placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor.And John just happens to be Best Man.Bloody brilliant.

Cockaigne by HollyShadow88 (38K, E, Johnlock) When John’s contacted by an old uni friend about problems in his new art exhibition, he doesn’t think it will be worth Sherlock’s time. After a glance of the crime scene, however, they’re both pulled into the project in ways John didn’t expect. Will a week of erotic performance art finally be enough to bring them together in the way they both secretly hope? (Spoiler: it’s a tropey fic, of course it will)

"finally kiss the bloody idiot" by Salambo06 (30K, E, Johnlock) "John and Sherlock know the Yard has a pool going for when they’re finally going to get together. It’s been running forever, and it’s worth thousands of pounds. It’s all fun and games, hahaha, until they find out Lestrade is in dire financial straits (dog needs emergency surgery, he’s putting his kid through gymnastics training, I don’t know, something), and they decide to fake a relationship to win the pool for him. Sherlock figures out the day and way that Lestrade thinks it’s going to happen, and they act it out. It’s all for a good cause, fake relationship style, until it’s not."

Hello You by weeesi (21K, T, Johnlock) John kind of can’t believe he’s doing this and kind of can’t imagine doing anything else. He dips his head, heart pounding.

Mountebank by Odamaki (26K, M, Johnlock) “I am calm,” John snaps, leaning on the door to glare out at the dark streets around them. Sherlock’s not said where they’re going; all he knows is they came off the ring road to the west of London and have vanished somewhere into the depths of Berkshire. All he knows is that he’s been trussed up in a suit that wasn’t hired from anywhere and if brought new would edge up into the triple figure margins. “Be calmer,” Sherlock advises, with a trace of irony. “We’re going to a party.”

Roommates are for little people by alexxphoenix42 (69K, E, Johnlock) John was looking forward to seeing his friends back at uni, but a new year brings new complications, not the least of which is a dorm room with only one bed, and a stroppy roommate with an utterly spectacular arse. God, John doesn't need the headache.

Sherlock Is All Tied Up by wendymarlowe (13K, E, Johnlock) It was Sherlock's bright idea to go to a sex club while on the trail of a killer.  It's up to John to help them blend in.  Luckily, he's got some experience in this arena.

Ten Years by toyhto (28K, M, Johnlock) A friend tells Rosie Watson that her parents aren't together for real, because they don't kiss. But we do, John says. 

Thanks to the barbarians by queen_jadis (10K, E, Johnlock) John and Sherlock get married for a case, which both of them find hilarious - until they realise that they can't get a divorce. The offensive piece of paper has more effect on their relationship than John thinks it has any right to do.

Wars We Fought, Things We’re Not by blueink3 (55K, M, Johnlock) “Oh come, John. Could be fun,” Mycroft taunts, accompanied by an eyebrow arch he’s gotten far too good at. “Besides, it’s not as if it’s your first time pretending to be a couple.” Five months after John's world has fallen apart, Mycroft sends the consulting detective and his doctor on a case that neither is prepared for.

White Knight by DiscordantWords (69K, M, Johnlock) Green. The word green was used to convey a great many things. Illness. Envy. Inexperience.Standing there amidst Janine's chattering bridesmaids, watching Sherlock furrow his brow and study fabric swatches, watching him smile and simper and flirt, John thought it a remarkably apt colour choice. Because he felt quite sick to his stomach, he feared the source of said sickness might very well be jealousy, and he had absolutely no idea at all what to do about it. Or: Sherlock needs to fake a relationship for a case. He doesn't ask John.