#Even though I haven't finished the art for the last chapter yet...

[gethoce]

A Knightmare in the Underworld: No fighting on the Train

[Prev] - [Next]

[First]

As the train moves on Axe Knight tries to keep the mood steady, pointing out notable locations to Meta Knight as they appear and explaining things along with Blood Knight. Meanwhile Papi just watches the situation disgruntled, only occasionally chiming in with an addition or correction if an explanation seems particularly off to him. Both of the other underworld warriors laugh it off, especially Blood Knight.

"I swear Papi isn't always like that. He's actually a really nice kid, it's just that he really really hates me."

"Everything goes wrong whenever you're involved. The pattern doesn't lie."

"At least I am involved."

Both Axe Knight and Blood Knight begin to laugh heartily. Not even Meta Knight can resist a chuckle, meanwhile Papi's expression darkens even further. Instead of engaging with the insult he looks outside the window to see for how much longer he has to endure the company of these knights.

"Stop at the next station. We'll have to go on foot from there on out."

At that moment a light in the upper corner of the train's dashboard begins to shine and a monitor displays the name of a station. Blood Knight takes a look at it while addressing Papi.

"Looks like we're gonna stop there anyway. Someone ordered a ride."

He tabs the monitor to switch to a different screen which shows a camera recording of the station and is immediately met with a close up of Morpho Knight's face. Holding back a laugh he turns to his guests pointing at the screen.

"Oh, it's… You know. The one we're looking for."

Papi moans, rolling his eyes annoyed about the waste of time he just experienced. Axe Knight chuckles while Meta Knight tilts his head in confusion.

"That I did not expect from them."

"Morpho and I have known one another for a very long time. We're comfortable enough with each other to be silly like that."

"I see. It's like with my crew."

Upon hearing these words from his boss Axe Knight almost explodes from happiness, he can hardly hide his excitement. Papi, still sitting next to him, begins to slowly move away in dismay.

Meanwhile Blood Knight has his eyes on the upcoming station and notices Morpho Knight waiting, however, unexpectedly, they are not alone. Next to them stands Galacta Knight, the Greatest Warrior in the Galaxy!

"That's Galacta Knight. Galacta Knight is with Morpho Knight."

"Galacta Knight is here!?"

He mutters, followed by all three of his guests. Blood Knight brings the train to a halt at the station shortly after and opens the door for the two ancient warriors. Both enter, Morpho Knight smiling at Blood Knight warmly at first greeting him, yet upon noticing Meta Knight they immediately turn hostile and draw their sword.

Galacta Knight jumps into a corner with a flap of his wings and holds up his shield defensively. Without hesitation Meta Knight lets his cape fall back and draws his treasured sword Galaxia from within it to counterattack. As the two swords clash Papi withdraws his own weapon, a nasty looking mace and attempts to swing it in Meta Knight's direction only to be met with Axe Knight's axe.

"NO FIGHTING IN THE TRAIN!!"

"NO FIGHTING ON MY FUCKING TRAIN!!!"

With sudden brute force Blood Knight pushes Morpho Knight out the door using his water ability to help wash them outside the vehicle. The lighter warrior had no choice but to leave the train immediately. At the same time Axe Knight kicks Papi with full power and he as well gets washed out before he can react. Immediately after Blood Knight pulls a lever that shuts the train's doors and additional water is shot from the train's sides to push the two butterfly warriors further away.

The train begins to pick up speed leaving both Papi and Morpho Knight in the mud. The remaining warriors look at each other with heavy breathing. Axe Knight points at Galacta Knight dramatically shouting.

"We found Galacta Knight! Mission successful!"

To that Galacta Knight does a little victory dance akin to Kirby's classic dances with his hands in the air.

"I have been found! What does that mean, though?"

Meta Knight shakes his head in dismay with Galaxia still in his hand.

"That was only one of our goals. I also meant to ask Morpho Knight why they attacked Magolor, Marx and I at The Divine Terminus. Admittedly I should have expected them to be hostile towards me once again."

Then Blood Knight points at him still trying to figure out the situation in his head.

"You! You acted in self-defence!"

"Yes?"

"Great. This is how I'll justify this to Morpho Knight."

He then turns back to his dashboard to check in on the current status. At the same time Axe Knight sits back down followed by Meta Knight and then Galacta Knight. The skull-faced warrior shrugs even though he himself had been concerned for a moment.

"Morpho Knight and Papi both know as well as you and me that fighting is forbidden in here. Lord Meta Knight, however, didn't and is therefore excused."

"Sounds about right."

Blood Knight nods while watching his monitors in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Morpho Knight in the camera footage with no success.

"You see, this used to happen a lot and the train has derailed because of that far more often than I wanna think about. I began to insist on a no-fighting rule in here, anyone who doesn't follow this rule gets kicked out immediately."

"I've been in here while it happened one time. It was almost as bad as that one time the Halberd crashed."

Axe Knight nods along approving of every word his old friend says. The remaining two warriors listen carefully before addressing one another, starting with Galacta Knight.

"Last time we met, when you were travelling with that noddy and the halcandran, what happened?"

"Morpho Knight… absorbed you and then attacked us. We defeated them, but you didn't reappear. We were worried about you, Galacta Knight. I should be the one to ask what happened."

"Apparently Morpho Knight brought me here to fight someone or something. Typical."

To that Blood Knight joins the conversation again.

"Dark Nebula. A negative Matterborn, Darksouldream hybrid. If you guys don't mind I'll bring us there and we quickly take care of them so Morpho has less reason to be mad on us and then I'll bring you all back to the overworld. Deal?"

"Deal."

Everyone agrees, eager to get this whole thing over with. The pressure of the Underworld lays heavy on both the souls of Meta Knight and Galacta Knight, neither wishing to stay for longer than they need to.

[unofficial-underfell]

Hey guys, I've been thinking about making this post for a long time and I think its finally time I do so. After realizing that some of my last work was done over a year ago, I don't think I can really ignore it anymore. While I haven't quite thrown in the towel on this quite yet, it's pretty evident to me and I'm sure to everyone who still follows this blog that my fervor for the project has drastically decreased. And has been kind of dead for a while. The comic has not been a priority to me, or posting online much at all actually. I did some soul searching and found that I'd started relying on outside approval for my art instead of doing art for the sake of wanting to tell a story and express myself throughout my work. I have limited energy and depression and sometimes it feels like i get such little progress done even though it takes all of my energy. While I'm trying to go to the gym more and build better habits my energy levels and mood still have a lot to be desired, and I'd rather use the limited energy I have to work on something I'm more passionate about.

I've been trying to grow my skills and absorb more stories and I've moved around a lot and started to listen to what I really felt, and I found that a lot of the art I want to focus on deals with heavier and more mature topics. I do love this story, and all of the characters and I feel like I could make a really clever subversion of what is expected from an Underfell comic. But I feel like in these uncertain times with the world and with all of the stuff going on right now, I'd like to use my energy to work on stories that hit closer to the things that I feel are important. So that's why I've not been posting much.

I'm working on a book, and I've actually got quite a lot of progress done on it, but because of all the horror stories online about people stealing author's original works, I'm kind of holding off on publishing any chapters before I can copyright the first draft of the novel. So my online activity will still be pretty scarce for a bit, though I'll still post occasionally on my @cosmicpixel01 account. I'll try better to not be so radio silent though lol. Even if that means I'll post something boring about my dog or books I'm reading just so everyone knows I'm still alive.

I don't want to call it quits on the story. But I also feel like you guys have been kept waiting to see what happens for a really long time, and that makes me feel so guilty. I will try to finish up the pages I have in the works, and I'm probably going to switch to a different format that is some drawings, some writing to finish the story. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to finish it the way I intended for you guys, even with all of the support and kind words and even the fanart that I've kept in a folder on my desktop. I am letting a lot of you down, but I feel like the radio silence is probably more irresponsible than just going out and saying something. And I'm sorry I've kept you all waiting for a not-so-happy update on the blog.

I hope that some of you will continue to follow me for some of my other exploits and see whatever other things I have going on, but I understand that you all followed me for Undertale so I don't want you to feel any sort of guilt if you decide not to. I'm just happy you all supported me for so long.

I'll try to work on this blog again soon, and if anyone has any questions, my asks are open, though I'll probably keep the asks private. Until then I hope everyone stays safe out there. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

-Avery

[innerpalaces]

The Doting Love Story's Female Supporting Role Has Quit - 11

Chapter 11: Lone Wolf

"...Master Yan, I won your things back."

The girl looked him down at him, and her face was so pale that it was almost transparent, but her eyes were unusually bright.

It was like a glimpse of moonlight when you were walking alone in the dark. It's a blessing to see it once in your life.

He had seen such moonlight once by chance when he was a teenager, and he dared not forget it even all these years later.

And now, this moonlight was staring at him.

Yan Weixing looked up and almost reached out his hand, trying to catch the moonlight in his palm.

He was distracted, and the Wu Ku sword at his waist vibrated slightly, which finally called him back. Only then did he realize what he had just wanted to do.

He was startled and blamed himself for being greedy, but he couldn't suppress his longing. He could only look at those bright eyes and say softly: "...Miss Nian, of course you will win."

Nian Chaoxi chuckled when she heard this.

With so many people in Du Heng Academy today, Yan Weixing was probably the only one who believed she would win.

She was in a good mood and jumped down from the stage.

The crowd of onlookers involuntarily made way for her.

A cultivator in the crowd seemed to have suddenly come to his senses when he saw this, and hurriedly said, "Vice City Lord, please stay!"

Nian Chaoxi looked over when she heard that, and Yan Weixing also looked over.

He narrowed his eyes, looking at the cultivator with a dangerous gaze.

The cultivator waved his hands and stammered, "No, no, no! I don't mean anything else. I just want to ask, Vice City Lord, was the last move you used sword energy?"

When he finished speaking, everyone else fell silent.

When a sword practitioner's comprehension of the sword reaches a certain level, the sword and his own spiritual power blend with each other, the sword and the human mind communicate with each other, and sword energy will appear in every move.

It had nothing to do with strength, and everything to do with comprehension, but it does determine how far a swordsman can go in the way of the sword.

Most of the sword practitioners in this world have practiced the sword for their entire lives but have not yet found their own sword path, so how can they have sword energy?

But this Vice City Lord's last move just now used sword energy.

Gorgeous and cold as moonlight.

Even though that sword move was unpolished, it was clearly the power of a sword.

Everyone looked at Nian Chaoxi, as if they would not give up if she didn't give an answer.

Nian Chaoxi looked around, smiled gently, and said only one word.

"Yes."

That was the sword skill she had practiced day and night, her own unique swordsmanship.

As soon as the word came out, everyone almost exploded.

"Sword energy... I haven't even touched the shadow of swordsmanship in my life."

"The Vice City Lord is so young and can use sword energy, so who said that the Vice City Lord is a waste?"

"This... isn't that what everyone says?"

"Just because one's body isn't in good condition doesn't mean one's comprehension and strength are not good. Your body is in good condition. Why don't you try to use your sword skills on me?"

"How can I put it? Even though she was born with deficiencies, she can still achieve this level. This is the true bloodline of the God of War!"

"The Vice City Lord is suffering from her weak body now. If she were healthy, what could she achieve?"

Nian Chaoxi stood among the crowd, just like the sword energy she had just used, gorgeous as the moon and captivating.

Mu Yunzhi stood on the high observation platform, watching the scene in silence.

Several headmasters behind him could not help but stand up when Nian Chaoxi used her sword art. They were silent for a while. Suddenly, someone said, "When I met the Vice City Lord eighty years ago, she was still too sick to lift a sword. Now eighty years have passed in the blink of an eye. I didn't expect that I could see the shadow of the God of War in the Vice City Lord."

The martial arts practiced by Nian Chaoxi and the God of War of that year were completely different, but when she swung the sword just now, everyone seemed to see the God of War from that year.

After taking a deep breath, someone asked Mu Yunzhi: "City Lord, may I ask, when did the Vice City Lord learn her sword art? We don't know anything about it."

Upon hearing this, Mu Yunzhi remained silent.

It was reasonable that this master hadn't seen Nian Chaoxi for more than eighty years and didn't know when Nian Chaoxi learned to use sword energy.

But he was Nian Chaoxi's fiancé. They lived in the same house and spent everyday together. In the eyes of outsiders, he should have been the person closest to her since the death of the God of War. It was impossible for him not to know about this.

But at this moment, he was no different from a stranger who hadn't seen Xixi for more than eighty years.

He didn't know when Xixi learned these sword skills.

In his memory, Xixi seemed to have never changed. She was as willful and spoiled as before, as frail and sickly as before, and as hopeless on the path of cultivation as before.

He most often saw her sword not in her hand, but hanging in her study as a decoration.

But how could a sword cultivator let their sword leave their side?

So in his eyes, she was still a weak person as before.

What the weak need is not an opponent, but shelter.

So every time Xixi wanted to challenge him to a match, he was afraid of hurting her and refused.

Gradually, she stopped coming.

He felt that he was a qualified fiancé and fulfilled the promise he made in front of the God of War to tolerate and protect her.

She has the final say in the City Lord's Mansion and a high status in Yuejian City. He is always  looking for precious elixirs for her.

At some point, he felt that he had done enough.

But now, even though they were living under the same roof, he didn't even know when she had learned the sword arts.

He thought about it carefully, and suddenly realized that, since he didn't know when, the two of them seemed to have nothing to talk about except official business.

Although they lived under the same roof, it felt like there was a chasm between them.

Mu Yunzhi's heart gradually sank.

He didn't speak, and someone became puzzled and whispered, "City Lord, you..."

Before he finished speaking, Mu Yunzhi suddenly stood up and walked down towards the stage.

On the viewing platform, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zong Shu was silent for a moment and then followed.

Seeing them leave one by one, the headmasters glanced at each other.

"This... This is really..."

Could it be that the rumor that the City Lord and the Vice City Lord are an engaged couple but have a bad relationship is actually true?

Zong Shu grabbed Mu Yunzhi before he went to the arena and whispered, "City Lord, this is a martial arts competition."

Mu Yunzhi frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "I'm not going to quarrel with her, I just..."

"No matter what you intend," Zong Shu interrupted him, "after what happened yesterday, she won't want to see us until she calms down. Even if you go over now, we'll inevitably have a quarrel. Xixi will have another match later. No matter what you want to say, wait until she finishes the competition."

Mu Yunzhi stopped and looked over.

Nian Chaoxi had already left the crowd and was standing under a tree waiting for the next match, talking to the young man in black.

He didn't know what she said, but the young man smiled, as if agreeing with her. Her eyes and expression instantly became lively, and even though she was pale, she looked energetic.

Mu Yunzhi was a little dazed.

He couldn't remember the last time the two of them talked like this.

It seemed that when they were together, they always became more and more silent.

When Nian Chaoxi was talking, the young man looked down at her. Even on his expressionless face, one could see his attentiveness, an attentiveness that was almost worshipful, like a lone wolf looking up at a moon that belonged to him alone in the night.

Mu Yunzhi suddenly felt that this scene was particularly grating.

He was silent for a moment, then said to Zong Shu, "Go check her pulse. She just finished a match and doesn't look well."

Zong Shu was silent for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice: "City Lord, Xixi hasn't been to my medicine house since the incident with Kunlong Abyss."

......

"...So I took advantage of his weakness and decided to make a quick decision." Nian Chaoxi was sharing her experience of fighting her opponent at this time.

Yan Weixing listened very carefully and nodded, "I see, Miss Nian is very smart and decisive."

She wanted to laugh every time she heard this.

This young man was much stronger than her, and the little experience she had in fighting enemies was something he could see through at a glance, but he still listened so seriously.

However...

Nian Chaoxi sighed, "It's been a long time since anyone has stopped to listen to me."

It doesn't matter whether you're understood or not, and it doesn't matter whether you understand or not. What matters is that there is someone who is willing to listen to you seriously.

Yan Weixing may have noticed that her expression was not right. After thinking for a while, he actually said, "I haven't talked so much with other people in a long time."

As soon as he finished speaking, the monk next to him interrupted: "Come on, no one talks to you? I am a living person and I have said a hundred sentences, but you haven't replied to a single one. You don't want to talk, right?"

Yan Weixing: "..."

He unsheathed the sword from his waist and said in a calm tone, "Jing Wang."

Jing Wang, who was called by his name directly, acted very timid and said, "I talk too much, I'll shut up." After saying that, he got a piece of white cloth from somewhere and wrapped his mouth with it.

Yan Weixing: "..."

Nian Chaoxi could almost see the black lines hanging down from his forehead, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Yan Weixing was stunned by the laughter. He paused, then silently put the sword back.

Nian Chaoxi laughed even harder.

At this moment, the gong sounded again, and Nian Chaoxi's second martial arts match began.

She only participated in the competition on the fourth day, and the first round was almost over. If she wanted to enter the second round, she had to win two games in a row today.

Nian Chaoxi stopped smiling, stood up and prepared to draw lots for her opponent.

As she stood up, a hand suddenly reached out to her, holding a round, snow-white pill.

Nian Chaoxi paused and looked at Yan Weixing who handed her the pill.

Yan Weixing pursed his lips and said, "A pill to replenish spiritual power. It's not good for you to compete twice in a short period of time. You will feel better after taking this pill. If Miss Nian has any concerns..."

Nian Chaoxi didn't wait for him to finish speaking, she took the pill and swallowed it.

She lowered her head again and met Yan Weixing's surprised gaze.

Nian Chaoxi smiled and said, "There's nothing to worry about."

She stood up and left, leaving Yan Weixing with a look of surprise on his face.

...

Coincidentally, Nian Chaoxi's opponent in the second match was the cultivator who had advised Yan Weixing to think carefully when they placed their bets just now.

She still remembered his words now.

'Not everyone can become famous overnight.'

Nian Chaoxi, who had already made a name for herself, smacked her lips, looked at the cultivator opposite her, and said sincerely: "What a coincidence."

The cultivator was speechless and forced out a laugh that was uglier than crying: "...What a coincidence."

Three gong sounds marked the beginning of the match.

After the two fought, Nian Chaoxi discovered that although this cultivator cried loudly, he was actually more difficult to deal with than the physical cultivator she faced in the first match.

Moreover, he already knew Nian Chaoxi's strategy and understood her weaknesses. He did not hold back at the beginning and was determined to wear her down. He mainly relied on defense from beginning to end, hoping to tire her out until her energy was exhausted.

But Nian Chaoxi did something even more ruthless. After probing for two rounds and discovering his plan, she actually stopped.

Then, she gathered all her spiritual power into her sword.

She couldn't fight for long in the first place, and this time, she had used up all her spiritual power and could only strike out with this one blow. After this one strike, she would not have a second chance unless she won.

This was a desperate tactic, but it also turned one's disadvantage into an advantage.

A moment later, Nian Chaoxi thrust out her sword.

Like the moonlight revealing itself, danger was lurking in its gentleness. When the cultivator saw her attack, he knew he could not withstand it.

The next moment, his defenses were broken and the sword was placed against his neck.

The girl raised her eyebrows: "You lose!"

"The winner of the second match is Nian Chaoxi!"

Nian Chaoxi withdrew the sword.

She only used this move because she didn't need a second one.

After winning the second match, Nian Chaoxi's spiritual power was almost exhausted, and the last trace of blood in her face disappeared.

She looked a little dispirited and almost missed a step when she was walking off the stage. A slender hand immediately supported her.

Nian Chaoxi seemed to hear a soft sigh, and the next moment, a hand stretched out in front of her, with a few snow-white pills in the palm.

"Miss Nian, eat it."

It was Yan Weixing.

Nian Chaoxi didn't bother to be polite with him. She reached out to take the pill and was about to put it into her mouth when a cold shout suddenly came from behind her.

"Xixi! What are you eating? You can't just take pills given by outsiders!"

Mu Yunzhi.

Nian Chaoxi paused, turned her head, and saw Mu Yunzhi's cold face.

The next moment, she stuffed the pill into her mouth in front of him.

Then she chuckled and said, "If you came to congratulate me, I will naturally welcome it, but now to me, Yan Weixing is not an outsider."

Upon hearing this, Mu Yunzhi pursed his lips tightly.

He raised his eyes and met the young man's gaze.

Dangerous and indifferent, like a lone wolf whose territory has been invaded.

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[adragoninshiningarmour]

A Dragon in Shining Armour's 12th anniversary

It's the 12th anniversary of A Dragon in Shining Armour!

First of all, thank you so much to all of you who have been reading. Knowing that there are people who enjoy reading my stories and receiving your support really means a lot to me.

Thanks to all of you. I'm grateful to all of you who have been sticking with me for all this time. It really means a lot, especially those that have been here since the beginning. Thank you to all new fans. I'm always happy to see new people finding my stories. To all of you, whether you simply read the chapters, like or engage on social media, review with your thoughts, or draw fan art of my stories - thank you so much! I can't say how much I appreciate it.

On one hand, I'm proud that I've been able to keep writing for all this time (even if I've been a bit slower recently). On the other, I'm a little disappointed that I still haven't finished yet. xD That said, I can see the end in sight. With less than 15 chapters left, I'm more determined than ever to finish Holy War. Sorry that it's taken me longer than usual to post new chapters. The end of last year and the beginning of this year were pretty slow for me. I'm trying to get back into a steady rhythm though, and I think it's working.

A little update: I'm still working on the final part of the latest chapter. I'm trying my best to write a little every day, and I think I'm making good progress. It'll probably be another couple weeks, but as long as I can keep building momentum, I should be able to finish it. Thanks for your patience!

[goosemixtapes]

max's top books of 2023 :3c

as usual, these rankings are based on some arcane mix of objective quality + my personal enjoyment (previous year's lists)

it was another weird reading year! i did a lot of reading for school, more so than in the past; some of it was really good and some of it was, uh. well, some of it was william wordsworth. nothing i absolutely loathed, though (most of the reads i disliked were books i could at least appreciate on an art/history level), which is cool. so i'm bringing back the runner-up category. did not make it onto my top ten list but were really good anyway: beartown by fredrik backman (books that no joke made me understand why people are insane about sports) and the GORGEOUS re-release of my dear @yvesdot 's debut, something's not right, which i have read before but will always gladly revisit again.

my top anticipated release for 2024 is alecto the ninth again.

(but shoutout also to just happy to be here, king cheer, and henry henry. trans people! shakespeare, even!)

and the list! in increasing order of enjoyment, with pictures this year!

10. The Common Liar by Janet Adelman

no, i can't believe i'm doing this either. i can't believe i did all that preamble and the first book on my list is an academic thesis analyzing shakespeare's antony and cleopatra. but also? it's the only book anyone ever needs to write about shakespeare's antony and cleopatra. janet adelman said it all. which is cool, because i have a fixation on that play, but also sucks, because i was also trying to write an essay on it and mine wasn't nearly as good. btw if anyone wants to buy this for me, somehow, for the $120 it costs on amazon because academia is awful, i will send you my address,

9. Robert Icke's Oresteia

i don't need to say anything about this play, because it's the source of "this was always going to happen. she's been dead since the beginning." that should be enough. but after becoming deranged about the oresteia last year, i finally read this, and holy shit, this adaptation of the story is so fucking genius and icke's writing is so fucking good. it's antiwar! it's about mental illness! there's gender! the fucking ENDING! (i have a pdf if anyone would like it. anything to plug this play bark bark bark rufrufruf grrrrrr)

8. Down Girl: the Logic of Misogyny by Kate Manne

this is a little bit cheating, because i haven't finished this book yet, so maybe in the final chapters manne will say something like "what if we blew up every orphan" and i'll have to retract this. but right now it's fucking excellent! i've been making an effort to read more nonfiction lately, and this one shines; manne sets out to analyze misogyny not as a personal hatred of women that some men harbor, but as an intricate and structural system forcing women into the role of Giving (attention, affection, power, etc; sometimes their lives). and it's sooooo smart. some of it is stuff i already know (and some of it is Academic Philosophy TM that goes right over my head), but manne articulates her point excellently and i can feel it rearranging my brain, so it's going on the list for longevity and skill!

7. Dictator by Robert Harris

does this book objectively deserve to be on this list? you know what, yeah. i'll say it with my whole chest. i don't like how harris writes women and there are plenty of things to pick at in his cicero trilogy, but i had so much goddamn fun reading it that i can't not put it on the list. this was my year of being really really into cicero, and this was fun to read alongside e-pistulae. harris is sooooo good at making ancient roman politics gripping. the last scenes of this book. augh. ack. ough!

6. Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters

there are a lot of valid critiques of this one (a lot of bad critiqus, too, but such is writing literally anything about transness), but i fucking adored it. i LOVE dual timelines, i LOVE unlikable characters, and i FUCKING LOVE TRANSSEXUALITY! moreover, i love that peters isn't afraid to Go There, to poke at the messy ugly sides of transness (and queerness in general) that i think a lot of us don't like acknowledging, especially to cishet people whose view of the community is already skewed. i don’t think this is the One Great Trans Novel; i think there are a lot of great trans novels, and we need more. but this one did hit me RIGHT in the chest, and i couldn't put it down.

5. Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane

the iliad but achilles is a trans woman and she's fighting the war on both mortal and divine levels and she and helen have an insane homoerotic half-god rivalry and everybody is fucking crazy. pitched as "for fans of TSOA" but as i said in my review if TSOA is a pleasant but watery iced tea then this book is gasoline laced with crack. there is a bisexual transgender threesome. i fucking love women. book of the fucking summer

4. White Teeth by Zadie Smith

i probably enjoyed wrath goddess sing more, but i can't not rank this book highly on this list. this book is such a fucking masterpiece. it's tolstoy for the modern age. it's a sprawling multi-familial multi-cultural multi-generational epic about race and gender and religion and science and humanity and britishness. smith's prose is fucking amazing; her character work is even better; this book has no plot but it uses its length sooooooo well. the first zadie smith i've read, but by god there will be more. she wrote this at TWENTY-FIVE. that's fucking CRAZY. do you know how much control over your craft you have to have to write this at twenty-five. bonkers. it is also the only enjoyable book i read in my modern literature class, so shoutout to white teeth for keeping me sane,

3. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel

this book is ostensibly about bechdel's relationship with exercise. it is actually about bechdel's relationship with her own body, her own soul, her desire for individualism in the style of the transcendentalists, transcendentalism in general, mortality, and aging. i can't really tell you more than that because i didn't actually "read" this so much as i absorbed it through my skin like a frog while trying not to tremble like a little purse dog. i am not gonna lie man i did not have a very good. um. august. or september. or october november december. so this book really could not have come at a better time. alison bechdel i am obsessed with you

2. The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

ALISON BECHDEL I AM OBSESSED WITH YOU!!!! this one narrowly edges out secret to superhuman strength because... well, i'm sort of rating the entire comic strip's run, and dude. holy shit. i love lesbians so much. this strip is such an important piece of lesbian history; it reminded me that a lot of the things lesbians (and LGBT people in general) argue about and deal with today are... the same things we've always argued about and dealt with, from intracommunity label discourse to global politics to hitting on women badly. but history aside--it's also just really fucking good! it's really funny! if you are a neurotic leftist, as so many of us are, it's hysterical! it's smart! it's hot! it's heartwarming! i read it over the first half of the year, in little bits and pieces, and by the end i felt like i really had gone decades with these characters. really just. so good. the power she has the range she has

1. the suzanne collins reread

okay. this one is definitely cheating. because i usually like to keep this list to books i'm reading for the first time, and i HAVE read the hunger games and the underland chronicles. but i read them, like, almost ten years ago, and i was not prepared to be so thoroughly fucking bodied by them this time around, now that i have critical thinking and analysis skills. we all know the hunger games is a fucking banger, so let me pitch the gregor the overlander series: something of a modern alice in wonderland setup, where the eleven-year-old main character falls into an underground world full of strangeness, except this world isn't whimsical, it's dangerous and stuffed with giant talking animals like bats and rats and cockroaches. there's a war on. there are plagues. there are war crimes. there is a plotline that is extremely explicitly about ethnic cleansing. there is some of the most heartbreaking fucking shit you've ever read in your goddamn life. there is also a rat who quotes macbeth and the underlanders revere a guy named bartholomew of sandwich. this series is for middle schoolers. i cried. not when i was a middle schooler reading it the first time; i mean now. so i'm breaking my no-rereads rule, because it really would be a lie to say that my best reading experience wasn't revisiting all of collins' work with my friends (yes, i read TBSOS; i think it's fine but not great). sorry to give publicity to an author who definitely doesn't need my help, but a few years ago my #1 spot went to shakespeare, so.

if you've read this far: thank you! please tell me your thoughts! tell me your favorite books of 2023! tell me which books you're excited for in 2024! and have a very lovely new year :)

[littleladymab]

Fic Authors Self-Rec!

Ahhhh thank you @fourteenfifteen for the tag! (You can find Hen's post over here!)

Rules: When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love

Also I'm totally going to CHEAT, because I absolutely LOVE my two big series that are NOT popular at all LMAO

the scars that we're made of series! This is my "Star Wars Rebels S5" fic. This is my "did you hate the ahsoka show for yes girl giving us nothing??" this is my "do you also want to know what happens after rebels but don't want it to be EXCLUSIVELY thranto?" THIS IS MY FAVORITE SERIES I'VE WRITTEN like the whole thing top to bottom bangers imo It's not yet finished, I still have to write my Eli prequel but honestly, if you love Rebels, read this! Here's the tumblr post for main fic, far from the world that i made.

inside every open eye series! This is a fantasy Magnus Archives fic, in which Sasha steps in to take over the role of the Archivist after Jon goes missing during a ritual for the Beholding. I love a lot of the visuals from this, and I loved writing for Sasha -- plus there's a lot of fun side-stories. This one is complete! Here's tumblr post for the main fic, tiny cracks of light.

my place to land. What is UP SIGNET/ECHO NATION, ALL FIVE OF YOU! I wrote a novel for my rare pair because i am actually three bodyguard AUs in a trench coat captaining the good ship I made up. Twilight Mirage is still my favorite fatt season, because it is exactly my aesthetic and also, Signet is there. This is still one of my favorite fics, even though I can think of many things that i would change upon a rewrite. I got a lot of amazing gift art from friends when I was updating it, too, and I treasure everyone who came to read it!! It is currently still the longest fic in the fatt tag, but not for long it does look like there is someone rapidly catching up with 74k on a 6/14 chapter fic. It was fun while it lasted! Unfortunately, twitter moments went kaput so I will have to figure out some other way to put all the wonderful fanart everyone made for me!

'til my lungs burn bright. Affectionately called my "regency magic spies AU" for Ace Attorney, specifically this is for AA4/Klapollo!! This is a sequel to a fic I haven't finished yet! (Someone encourage me to finish the main fic! it's what i'm supposed to be working on this month!!) I love this setting SO much and I loved making all the little references to in-game moments. Here's the tumblr link to the fic ;) I had a hard time picking between this and my sleeping beauty klapollo au.... Also shout-outs to Joanie for doing the WONDERFUL art for it!!! (I should actually go put it in-line with the fic text too oops)

Theseus' Ship. The Anders Defender has LOGGED THE FUCK ON. That's it that's the post. No okay, it's an Anders character study and i think it absolutely slaps. Here's the tumblr link to the fic!

Bonus very short fic that I still enjoy, which you can also read even if you're not in the fandom, but Five Steps To Ensure Your Soulmate Becomes a Ghost from Rusty Quill Gaming.

Honestly I love everything I write because I am an audience of me first. The current version of my masterpost has links out to a lot of my fics from different fandoms -- like some of my other friends at the table content and my jgm labyrinth au and my lockwood fic! That's my best piece of advice: love what you write, and write for yourself first! And then the two little freaks in your group chat second 💞 I wouldn't have been able to do most of these fics without the besties, so thank you to everyone who has read my novel-length fics.

Tags: Scrambling to think of any of my fic writing friends let's goooo @luukeskywalker, @mariusperkins, @lesbianahsokatano, @redtailedhawk90, @bardicspiration, @krisseycrystal , @strangeharpy and there's so many of you i love you all, please go flaunt your writing and talk about your five favorite fics!! and tag me!!

[thotpuppy]

WIP Tag Game!

tagged by @dear-massacre ! AND @whimsicalmeerkat! WHIL i was writing my post lolol

This is sorta smth i track regularly? but i have it all sorted by word count akdgjkajdg it's part of my progress tracker server w some friends. Adding words is the easiest way to track 'working on a project' so that's what i do! I also have a (separate) doc in my drive folder that tracks just, general prompts, so when i have ideas i slap them in there.

Current (Teen Wolf) WIPs:

TriReign: Shepherd, Lamb, Wolf: small outline, chapters 1-4 complete, 5 wip - 16,575 - Sterek, Medieval Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, Omegaverse, Political Drama, Sex and Politics, Duty and Honor and Subterfuge, etc. my current current current WIP. Baseball AU: Collab? outline - 331. MOSTLY this is just. a Roster and some thoughts about a general plot concept. I want to illustrate this but i can't do a comic. It's also a Sterek concept. FratBoi Stiles x RA!Derek: 52 - this is just straight up a PWP with the prompt borrowed from a TWT moot that ive been meaning to work on for ages and just haven't yet. Higher Education 2: 2,821 Sciles, trans!Stiles, post-canon college AU. Also PWP, but also my gross unhygenic sloppy AU kinda. it's just. its grossnasty wet n sloppy porn. i wanted to finish this and then write a Third part for Sciles week this year and i didn't. whoops There's a Werewolf Tradition for That: 72 - Sterek didn't know they were dating AU. Alive!Hales but Werewolves are still a secret. Stiles and Derek are good friends and roommates, they're both idiots pining for each other, and out of the blue Derek's Mom sends them a formal invitation to celebrate their engagement. Stiles doesn't even know Derek's a werewolf. total ROMCOM, kinda inspired by My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but only in Vibes. Lone Wolf Wild West AU: Chapters 1, 2 posted, not outline - 3,670. Sterek, Lone Ranger!Derek, son of the sheriff Stiles. Mystery, adventure, romance. I miss cowboy...

Somewhere in here I will also put my Collabang fic and any other events i sign up for, because I'm gonna have to pause my major WIPs to work on them lol

1920's Mafia AU: Outline only - 1313 - Stiles is a city detective, the sheriff is the Police Commissioner, this takes place in Los Angeles. There are tunnels running all through the city, albeit underneath (real). There's been an uptick in gang activity lately. Stiles secretly 'runs' by which i mean, owns and protect, but isn't involved in Actually Running, an underground speakeasy in the heart of the city. He doesn't let any gangs runs their trouble on his turf. Until one day, a Hale is shot by an Argent right outside his doors. Sterek SuperBat ComicCon MeetCute: WIP One Shot - 1,049 Inspired by MultiE's art. nerd x nerd solidarity Sciles Ancient Greece AU: 192 - this is a friggin poem and is probably gonna stay a poem. New! Sex For Work: Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 - 23,228. Part 5? Sterek BDSM CEO x Personal Assistant AU. Originally intended to be kinky prompt fill series but Caught Plot. I meant to rewrite it last month to convert it into a standalone story, but uhhhh didn't. I DID do reformatting though. I just need to get writing on it again, but i tend to be kinda singleminded.

Other Fandom WIPs:

Big Blue Boyscout: 47 - Superman x Nightwing, xenophilia fic. "He's Big and Blue in more ways than one..." Bruce Wayne Visits Smallville: 685 - I got distracted while bingeing smallville for the first time and haven't gone back, but this was just supposed to be a one shot but my outline grew legs DP/YJ Crossover: 220 - this is more of a concept than a real specific fic, but i REALLY like comparing danny phantom to specifically the young justice animated series, and i wanted to try and come up with a cohesive clone comparison plot, rather than just making it a lil joke. Maybe it'll be Danny x Conner because himbo tee shirt conner is my baby boy baby boy Not So Blushing, Not So Virgin: 40 - SuperBat role reversal where everyone expects clark to be this sweet inexperienced things and then he absolutely blows bruce's back out.

Hiatus Projects:

Universal Law of Gravitation: Chapter 1 WIP, significant outline - 3,080 - Sterek Lifetime fic. I wrote out this huge long super comprehensive timeline and got super caught up in it. It's supposed to be about how, despite their best efforts, Stiles and Derek just can't stay apart, so there are a ton of messy breakups and fights in between. I just never put together an actual proper Plot, so when i started writing it, i got SUPER bored. It has a playlist! and i made a bunch of pseudo-science chapter titles hehe A Fever You Can't Sweat Out: Chapter 1 posted, Chapter 2 WIP, significant outline - 9,911 - Sterek, Marrish, Scallison, post-canon AU, surprise mpreg! Similarly to ULG, i wrote out a huge big timeline and outline and got super nitty gritty into the details, but literally Chapter One i went Off Track and it just killed my motivation. It's HUGELY ensemble, and i picked out jobs and hobbies for like 12 people to all live in a big ol estate together. It also suffered from "world building but no plot", but i DID try to make a plot, it just. wasn't good haha. The entire concept is, Lydia gets pregnant which makes Allison baby crazy so she gets pregnant and Stiles wants a baby so, so bad, but he's dating dating/married to Derek and therefore would have to adopt or something, but he wants it so bad he magics himself up a contraception.

Prompts!

Derek is moody, Stiles teases him about the fact he like, never smiles. Kisses him on a whim to get a rise out of him. And then proceeds to have a existential crisis after because "oh shit did he just kiss DEREK".

Werewolf!Stiles’ Pavlovian Pleasure Response to Scott’s Click (iykwim)

Stiles x Jeep crack smut oneshot

Post Nogi stiles is having trouble feeling like himself again. he feels a sharp disconnect with his Self that he didn't used to have, like he's lost touch with his humanity. He needs someone to remind him how it feels to be human.

unspecified/platonic - In this kind of weather, it makes more sense to stay inside. Or rather, stay inside somewhere else. Stiles sets up shop in a bookstore's cafe to while away the time warm espresso, a good book, and his own company. Until Someone/Something Else comes knocking.

Supernatural Boarding school (circa 2005-2009 role-play forum vibes)

Bastard Prince Jackson and Freedom Fighter Stiles (see doc)

Stiles’ mythology professor bites off more than either can chew - The Great Beacon Hills Custody Battle

“Teenage Dirtbag” Loser!Stiles Sterek fic

all of my prompts literally only exist in a single document where i put Ideas i like adkgjakjg everything in wips has a dedicated doc, but most of them dont have much written yet.

There's also 1 absent prompt here that im now saving for the collabang so ive omitted it from my counts because its technically a wordcount of 0 until i get to start working w my artist (:

no pressure tags! @renmackree @lavender-lotion @like-lazarus @geekmom13 @endwersed

[recurring-polynya]

Writing/Art Update 1.9.2024

Bleh. I was holding off doing this update, hoping I was going to be able to report that I had finished That Stupid Scene that I have been working on since before Christmas. I had so many thoughts in my head while I was cooking dinner and then, when I actually sat down to write, they had departed. Maybe they'll be back tomorrow.

In any case, I did make a huge amount of progress this week. It was hard! I had a lot of writing time, which was nice, except that I spent a lot of it staring out the window or clicking on my other browser tabs, which is always very irritating. However, I did manage to get most of it written, and it hit all the bullet points I needed it to. I basically just have to wrap it up and transition into what happens next. It shouldn't actually be that hard, I'm just tired and I'm not sure I can swing it right now. It's a big scene, too-- I clocked 4,375 words on it this week in addition to the 900 I already had, so it's probably going to be about half the chapter.

I've had a feeling for quite some time that I had not actually budgeted enough space in the outline for the back half of this fanfic. The thing is, though, it is nearly always the case that an extra chapter manages to sneak in somewhere along the way. I decided to just leave the outline as it was, and that way, if an extra chapter appeared, then my pacing problem would sort itself. That...may be happening. I am not entirely sure. I'm in sort of a weird place where I simultaneously feel like I am very close to done and also very, very far away from being done. Hopefully, in the next week or two (that is, when I finish Ch 7), that will sort itself out. Either that, or I'll just keep writing chapters, like Zeno's fanfic. I sincerely hope that doesn't happen. I will die.

Ugh, I want to post. I am wallowing in the pit of it's been so long since I posted, I feel like I have literally stopped existing, and I keep getting dumb urges to "just take a little break and write a short one" (note that I do not actually have any ideas towards "a short one", it's 100% urges only). Anyway, I definitely do not want to do that, because I want to finish this one very, very badly, and it's taking long enough as is. What I should probably do is polish up Chs 5 and 6 and send them to the beta, but that would require coming up with a name for the art museum that I placeholdered a bunch of times in Ch 5. I actually named it in Ch 1 and then decided I didn't like it and needed to rename and I just haven't yet.

Speaking of names, I've also fallen into It-Needs-a-Title Madness, where I start to go Actual Nuts because I can't think of a title for this stupid fanfic. I forgot that in addition to staring out the window, I spent a lot of time looking through the lyrics of songs on my Ductwork playlist and googling for, like, "phrases with injury" in them. I hate this. It's such a waste of time and yet I do this every time. Why can't you pay someone $10 to name your fanfic for you? Can I just call it "Ductwork"? Does it even matter? (it does matter. I regret every terrible title I have ever slapped on a fanfic in a fit of "Fuck It, We Post")

In other news, I drew all seven days last week (the theme was fruits and vegetables). I took yesterday off, but then I drew a can of soup today, which was hard. It's cool. The people in art club are very nice. I am really hoping to draw a Rukia for her birthday. I have never drawn a bankai Rukia, and I'd like to give it a shot. I bet it would be a lot easier if I could resist doing a full body shot, but somehow, I always do a full body shot. We'll see!!

[revenantghost]

[20 Question Fic Writer Game]

Tagged by @faindri and @pancake-breakfast!

How many works do you have on AO3?

18! Most are poetry collections, so a lot of smaller stories in one anthology.

What is your AO3 word count?

75,144

What fandoms do you write for?

Trigun is my main squeeze atm (and biggest in general, I have four projects for it which is double anything else--and the highest wordcount, too), but I've written for KinnPorsche, Sabikui Bisco, Danny Phantom, Vampire In The Garden, Sasaki to Miyano, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Goncharov (yeah... yeah), The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, Signalis, Omori, Lycoris Recoil, and The Executioner and Her Way of Life

What are your top five fics by kudos?

No idea and I ain't looking! Trad publishing has me extremely scarred from some nasty comparison wars, so I have kudo and view counts blocked on ALL fics, including mine. From my kudos emails, though, Hallowboned has to be my top fic for sure. Last time I was paying attention most of my other fics didn't pass into triple digits by a long shot

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do!!! I adore comments, and I love chatting with folks, it really keeps me motivated and chugging along. I am... very behind on replying to the comments on my last chapter rn because I feel so awful and guilty about having to quit writing

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uh... I don't write a ton of narrative fics, and I do love me some tragic poetry, but I guess the angstiest collection might be my Signalis one, Observable System Transcendence? But my Omori poem and the Trined Soul collection might be contenders, too

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

I mean, Trembling Hands is a Trimax fix-it fic, so? Though the Sasaki and Miyano collection, Effortless Dreams, is definitely the most tooth-rotting fluff I've ever slapped onto the page

Do you get hate on fics?

Oh yeah, I've had my poetry called pretentious and also not good enough to be poetry lol. It's been a hot minute since that's happened, people are just jerks sometimes

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I used to! Porn with plot, my beloved. It would be interesting to explore in poetry format, but we'll see if I have the time who wants to commission some poetry porn from me lmao

Do you write crossovers?

Nah, not my cuppa

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah, many moons ago

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but that is one of the coolest things fandom does. Loving a thing so much you spend the time to painstakingly transform that art into something you can read and share in another language, bro??? Translators are amazing

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I've worked pretty closely with artists a loooong time ago, but I've only written fics where I'm the sole writer. I have used other writers' ideas and outlines (with their permission, of course), but that's the closest

What's your all-time favourite ship?

I DON'T KNOW?!?! Shipping has never really been my main focus of media typically, but when one digs its teeth into me I go rabid in a completely feral but different way each time.

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will?

))): All of them

Life feels kinda... really dire atm, it's hard to see ever writing again. However! God I want to finish Hallowboned SO BADLY!!! I have so many chapters written for it that I haven't even posted!!!!! Y'all haven't met Livio yet!!!!!! GAH 3:

What are your writing strengths?

Uh... ??? I'll be real, I've got no idea. I feel like I write so weirdly atm, it's hard for me to analyze in that kinda way

What are your writing weaknesses?

I tend to get really excited/into things and flit around and forget to explain or describe things sometimes. Thank god for having been well-trained to edit my own work. Not that I catch it all, but I try!!!

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it'd really cool, but I'd need a native speaker on hand to make sure I don't fuck it up in my own fic

First fandom you wrote for?

I think my first piece of written fanwork was a Danny Phantom Quizilla thing lmao, I'm old. I don't remember what it was about, just that it was ANGSTY

Favourite fic you've ever written?

Ah?!?! Honestly, each project is so different and written from such a different place, I've got no idea. I'm proudest of Observable System Transcendence being my longest, most consistent project (outside of my Smaugust collection, which isn't a fan project), Hallowboned being the first thing that really inspired me in ages--and the most indulgent one lol. But each collection and fic and poem comes from such a different place, and it's hard to pull them apart and pick???

Tagging:

Whoever wants to hop in! :3

[citrus-cactus]

Howdy, all! I can't post my art summary quite yet because it contains part of someone's Secret Santa gift, so I thought I would fill out the fic summary template created by @reliablejoukido (see her original post here!). Even though I didn't publish (or finish!) much, I did start writing again this year, and that feels like a huge accomplishment, so it seemed like it would be fun to look back and talk a little bit about what I have in the works.

First, the finished fic!

My er... grand return to writing (I wouldn't call it that, but I did have a lot of fun writing and drawing for it, even if it took 6+ months from start to finish ^^;). I love these three characters as a trio so much. It was really hard to pull out a quote I liked and have it make sense in context, so I put the summary in there... but since I brought it up in another post, I thought I'd share what one of my editing drafts looks like:

(ok, so maybe not the tiniest font imaginable, but sometimes there are cross-outs to the cross-outs and sometimes I DO run out of room near troublesome paragraphs and in the margins!)

Now, onto WIPs!

Hmm, well! That sure is a title, isn't it? ;) I wanted to write Junzumi and came up with this idea late last year, and finally started trying to figure it out. It's meant to be fun and flirty and a bit awkward, but the ultimate goal is to be kind to JP, because he (and his body) are given so little love overall. And even though JP and Zoe are not actually hooking up in this fic, it is meant to show the relationship between the two of them in college, and how they could start going from friendship to dating. There IS nudity, but it's meant to be tasteful and respectful, I promise!

Oof. I haven't forgotten this fic, I swear (even though I published Chapter 4 three years ago!). I got really excited to work on it earlier this year (flush with success from actually publishing something, rotfl!) and then let it continue to languish (orz). Upon reflection, the reason it's been stalled is I was having a hard time figuring out the flow of action, but after re-outlining it in September I think I know now what Maki needs to be doing in order to experience the emotions I always meant her to be feeling in this chapter. And yes, she and Meiko meet (yay!).

Chapter 6 has been done for YEARS, and Chapter 7's probably pretty close to done as well, so it really is just this chapter being the hold-up.

AKA, Garg Fic #1. Been mulling over ideas for fic for this fandom all summer, and finally decided to write one based on some minor characters from the SLG comics (that I didn't even read, and can't read now because they're out of print). But I AM reading the new Dark Ages comics, and I'm proving to be a really good guesser about certain details, so actually, I feel INCREDIBLY validated about my original vision and characterization, ahaha.

As you may be able to tell from the quote selection, this is not a happy story. But I believe it's a story worth telling. It's about preserving customs in the face of tragedy, and mourning, and extinction, and love.

AKA, the thing that pulled me away from writing Garg Fic #1. I was possessed. I was writing something in my head about Macbeth's relationship with Demona this summer, and suddenly (VERY suddenly) it morphed into this. Dang, but they're fun to think about. This fic is weird, it will contain one MAJOR narrative trope/cliche, and it's definitely going to be NSFW if I end up getting that far. But I reeeeeeally like this paragraph I wrote for it XD

Thanks for the template Zuz, and thanks to everyone else for letting me ramble about writing! See you again for the art roundup!

[star-spangled-bastard]

tagged by @phenanthreneblue and @wondrouswendy

Thank you both!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

7

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

51,300. probably about 53,000 by the time I finish uploading the last chapters of Sacred Geometry

3. What fandoms do you write for?

So far only Control currently, though sometimes I'll think of like one (1) line for a potential fic for other fandoms. I just haven't turned them into anything.

4. Top five fics by kudos

After Hours: Trench/Darling - sort of a "missing scene" from The Time Between

The Time Between: Trench/Darling - A look at the evolution of their friendship/relationship and its tragic trajectory

Anathema: A character study of Trench slowly learning to come to terms with his new paranatural abilities and learning how to resent them a little less in the process.

A Stolen Moment: Trench/Darling drabble from a prompt list

Point of Contention: A Marshall-centric fic set during Trench's final days as Director, with Marshall trying to navigate the complicated fallout of Trench and Darling's friendship on a personal and bureaucratic level

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, always! I appreciate comments so much and that people take the time to write them!

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

It's probably between Point of Contention and The Time Between but- oh god here comes Sacred Geometry with a steel chair!

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

Anathema, I think. Though it is a little overshadowed by what we know ultimately happens later.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, thankfully

9. Do you write smut?

Very rarely and even then it has to be a character study

10. Craziest crossover?

I don't tend to like crossovers most of the time so I've never written one

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

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

I haven't! I've done art collabs but never a writing collab

14. All time favourite ship?

Obviously I'm a fan of Trench/Darling but Ash/Northmoor has seized me in a vice grip lately

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

I currently don't have any solid wips like that, just scraps of one or two sentences. Two of them are two different Westworld ships that make me feel feral if I think about them longer than 5 seconds so I'd like to actually write something about either but. It hasn't happened yet!

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think dialogue is a strength, as far as getting the characters' voices right.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

This applies to original writing for my ocs more than fanfic but worldbuilding

worldbuilding worldbuilding worldbuilding world-

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I don't write it myself, because I don't trust that the translation will be correct. I don't mind it too much in other fics, especially if it's just common words that are likely known without the need to translate. I've also seen writers provide footnotes with translations at the end of works and that's always appreciated!

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Fallout, I think? I have a little bit of it posted here actually, because I didn't have an ao3 yet.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Sacred Geometry by far. I've never written anything multiple chapters before, and probably never written that much of a continuous plot before. (my original writing was very much skipping around through different parts of my plot outline so it never existed in a continuous structured form)

Writing this fic has gotten me way more invested in Ash and Northmoor as characters and I already want to write more about them. It was challenging to write something with so little material to work with in canon but it was also wide open for interpretation which was fun!

edit: forgot to tag anyone

tagging @disastrouscanasta and anyone else who wants to answer these! I think most other writers I know have been tagged already

[snek-panini]

At long last, I've finally finished a new book! And it's actually not a fanfic this time! This is a bind of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days. This was supposed to be my fourth book for Binderary, but I didn't finish it in time. Procrastination's a bitch. Fun fact: the first thing I ever bound was a public domain short story called The Machine Stops, but since it was the first it is...not a good skill showcase. This one is so much better. More pics and process talk under the cut!

Close-up of the cover, and a pic of the spine. The blue bits are cardstock, and brown ones are faux leather left over from when I bound Pray for Us, Icarus. The images and author's name are in black embossing ink. Something weird happened with the texture on these--the author's name came out nice and smooth and solid like always, but the stamped images have a bumpy texture to them and some leather visible through the powder. They were done with rubber stamps on an ink pad and the text was done with an embossing pen, so I think it's a difference in the ink. It's a nice texture though, so I don't mind. I had originally thought to put the title on the front, but I really liked both stamps and I like how it came out.

Top view and endpaper. I'm really pleased with how the case fits; that's been something I struggle with on a lot of projects and I think I'm finally getting it down. The endpapers are a floretine print that I bought from Hollander's and cut to size. They got a little wrinkled when I cased in, especially in the back. It's my first time working with this kind of paper and I used too much glue. I also tried stitching them to the text block this time, but I don't think I'll bother with that again. I didn't like how flimsy the single-sheet signature felt next to the thicker ones in the text block. Fun fact for those who've seen an adaptation of this story but not actually read it: there is actually no hot air balloon in the book, even though it's in all the adaptations. There was a movie made in the 1950s which added the balloon and it's been in every version since then.

Title page and chapter header. I've been saying for a while that I wanted to up my title page game, and I really love how this looks. The image here is a free vector pulled from Seekpng.com. It's the same image on both pages, the one on the chapter header is just smaller and in gray instead of black. I've also chosen a name for my bindery, largely because other people had names for theirs and I thought it was cool and wanted my own. It's Paper Snake Press, you can see it at the bottom of the text. I want a logo too but haven't gotten around to making one yet. 2d art is, uh. Still not a strength for me.

The text I used was pulled from Project Gutenberg. Typesetting it was and interesting experience, surprisingly different from typesetting fic. When I do fic I keep the editing very light, just really obvious things like misspelled characters' names and quotation marks that are flipped the wrong way, but it always needs something. This one didn't need any of that, which was nice. It also has way longer sentences and paragraphs than fic, and I thought that might be a product of its age, that writers just wrote longer sentences and were more verbose in 1873 than they are now. But then this week I started working on another fic that has the same features, from someone I've suspected for a while is a published author, so I wonder if it's actually a professional author thing instead of a shift in reading tastes over time. I'm not really going anywhere with this speculation, I just thought it was interesting.

I have two more works-in-progress printed and waiting. One is an author copy and just needs casing in, the other's in a halfway stage and has a lot to be done, so it might be a bit before I have more books to post. But there's a whole stack of things I've typeset that I'm waiting to print, so there are good things coming.

[soopsiedaisies]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you sm for tagging me @lovelymasks and @strugglequill <3

How many works do you have on AO3?

16, though one is still hidden for fest.

What's your total AO3 word count?

140,294. Counting my, ahem, other/abandoned account, it's about 520k. Counting my drafts I think we've reached about a million.

What fandoms do you write for?

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Batman, and Harry Potter. I've got some WIPs for Bridgerton and Teen Wolf in my drafts as well though.

Top 5 fics by kudos?

an eye for an eye, a leg for a leg. A Batfam fic in which the Joker gets got.

drawn together. Another Batfam fic lmao, with Damian & Bruce being good at art.

yet, never, in extremity, it asked a crumb of me. Sirius & entourage saving little 5yo Harry from the Dursleys.

i watched as your life just fell apart. Charlus & Dorea Potter adopt Harry after Halloween and ensure Sirius gets a trial (with the help of Orion Black)

boy, you've been a naughty girl. Feysand Court of Nightmares smut.

Do you respond to comments?

I try to!! Sometimes I get a notification but I don't have the spoons to write out a deserving reply, but then I forget and then the next time I get a comment... it's been months and I'm too embarrassed to reply after such an enormously long wait. I also have a tendency to not reply to comments under the last chapter of multichaps until I've posted the new chapter.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

grim-old-place, I think, even though it isn't really angsty. I enjoy writing happy endings and hopeful open endings far more. Big fan of fix-its, personally. But yeah, grim-old-place is probably the one with the angstiest ending (despite being only a drabble) because it's just so. Hopeless, I suppose?

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

an eye for an eye, hands down. Hopeful and happy, which is not something you'd expect for a angry&angsty revenge fic full of grief.

Do you get hate on fics?

I don't. Not yet, at least (I'm sure it'll happen though? It's part of posting your stuff online for the world to see). Very thankful I've not gotten any hate yet.

Once I got 'hate' on my attitude towards JKR (in which I think she's awful), but that was not on the fic itself, more on my author's notes.

Do you write smut?

Yes. It's very awkward for me. I'm not a very sexual person lol.

Do you write crossovers?

I haven't! No inspo for a good crossover yet either. I'm more an AU person (Bridgerton Prongsfoot, anyone?)

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No! [knocks on wood]

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've only ever been asked (I think by a bot lmao), but no, no translations (to my knowledge)

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've tried and it ended in chaos <3 The other author and I are still friends, but our schedules just didn't align at all.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

Superbat! Prongsfoot is a close-second. (The ship I've shipped the longest is Zukka I believe)

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

I've got this time-travel Tomarry fic in my drafts that I want to completely write before posting, but idk if that'll happen lmao. There's a changed backstory to Harry that needs to be taken into account and it's just... a lot.

What are your writing strengths?

I'm very descriptive and (apparently) good at setting a vibe! It's always nice to hear that because those are, generally, my favourite bits in reading actual novels.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Sentence-structure variety, use of the passive voice, putting too much detail or far too little because I want to get to the fun bit, creating a well-rounded plot... many.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I've considered it before for another WIP, but... I do think it'll take a reader out of the immersiveness of a fic. I'm also not fluent in any other language than English, Dutch, and Frisian, which may mean I'll royally fuck up any sentences I write in, say, French. There's this skin that allows you to show the translation when you hover though which is cool!! If you're confident in the other language, that might be something nice to look into haha

First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter (unpublished) or Hetalia. I think I've still got a USB stick with some ancient files on there lying around.

Favourite fic you've ever written?

oh, my dear girl. It was really fun to write female Harry in a good relationship with her aunt and cousin, and I've got some really fun bits in the upcoming sequels/chapters (undecided how I'll do that still) as well.

(There's another WIP (still unposted) that I just really love, in which Harry's consciousness travels to an alternate dimension and he ends up in the body of Henry 'Harry' Potter, James' twin brother (who is younger than James by twenty minutes). Henry's consciousness is still there and they just work together, which results in a lot of chaos (with James). )

I also adore nightcourt.gov because it's just humour and silliness which you just need sometimes.

No pressure tagging (I'm so sorry if you've already been tagged or have done this!) : @v-a-l, @plecotusauritus, @the-lonelybarricade, @separatist-apologist, @velidewrites, and anyone who'd like to do this :))

[ravnloft]

writer interview

tagged @bardic-inspo (*´▽`*) thank u my friend these are so fun

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

3 lol. eventually i'll post more. probably. maybe

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

100,989 (not counting the original "draft" of wicked turns because a lot of that got reused in the current version)

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

girl (gender neutral) i don't even have 5 fics total... top kudos though is wicked turns :')

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes!!!! comments are so nice and they let me know i am not posting into a void and that other people are actually interested in what i'm writing!!!! if you have ever left a comment on anything i wrote you have such a special place in my heart and you make me so happy!!!!!!!

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

haven't finished it yet but it's going to be drowning lessons :)

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

also have not finished it but everyone in how to win friends will come out SO happy and well-adjusted. it's at a good little stopping point for now and i might skip into act 2 for the next chapter/s... idk it doesn't really have a plot it's just me giving myself like. writer aftercare from the stuff in drowning lessons or wicked turns fjgdfjjfdgj

7. Do you write crossovers?

not anymore but if you know the ancient piri lore of when i did tumblr rp......... the harley quinn/norman bates "it started out as a joke and now we're really invested" ship still makes me go insane from time to time...... i have a type and it is unhinged men who fall for somehow even more unhinged women

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

nah

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

yes. the kind where i get wine drunk or have an edible and then scream into my hands after typing each word because i hate writing smut but damn if it ain't relevant to the storyline

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no but i HAVE had my peebles art stolen/reposted on at least one site

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

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

if you count tumblr rp as co-writing fic, then yes

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

ough. waugh. how can i choose between my beautiful children

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

yeah so i have. the loose outline of a peebs fic. and it has been rolling around in my brain for years and years and years. but in order to truly do it justice i feel like it would be a full-on multi-issue comic series and the last time i tried making a graphic novel-style work (shoutout to princess huntress, your worldbuilding lives on but i'll never finish you) i got maybe 8/100+ pages done and then spiraled into art burnout for like 4 years

15. What are your writing strengths?

i like to think i am good at writing horror and gore teehee <3

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

sex scenes...... i don't like writing it, i don't like publishing it, i am ehhhh about reading it, but again, damn if it ain't relevant to the storyline

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

don't trust google translate. just use <> or whatever if you don't know the language.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

batman (stares wistfully out the window for 10 hours)

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

i REALLY want to write a skyrim long-ish fic. i have so many thoughts on it. there would be two LDBs (amma and sigg). both of them are cursed by daedra but in wildly different directions

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

wicked turns :)

[caramelcoffeeaddict]

Word Count Calendar

so, I wrote two additional sentences in the first scene of the last chapter. then I couldn't concentrate on writing anymore, so I took a break to work on the cover art for the story--even though I already created a cover art for the fic 6.5 years ago. but I just decided that I didn't really like that art anymore and wanted something else instead. I kind of got lost in the process of making new art (which I haven't finished yet) and almost forgot to continue writing. but when I did open the fic back up to write, I abandoned that first scene and skipped ahead to work on the next one, and managed to write about 1/4 of that scene. I'll finish writing that first scene later.

Today’s Word Count: 351

[lilbittymonster]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @crackinglamb, tysm 💜

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

Currently 33

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

110,421

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Currently writing for Final Fantasy XIV, but I have also written for Borderlands 2, Fallout 4, and Critical Role

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

Only A Thought Away - Critical Role, Widomauk, Soulmates AU.

This Is Home - Critical Role, Widomauk/Fjorester/BeauYasha, Domestic slice of life.

I Will Endure - Critical Role, Widomauk, background Yashagard, Canon Divergence.

Forgiveness - Critical Role, Genfic, a bit of catharsis that still ended up happening in game just not the way i first envisioned it.

Boy, Oh Boy - Critical Role, Genfic, modern au.

All of these were done for a discord event several years ago.

5. do you respond to comments?

I do, I make an effort to respond to every one I get. Only exceptions being a couple "moar plz" "when's the next chapter?" type ones that I just deleted.

6. what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Extinguishing the Last Light, my worst end Lightwarden AU where the Scions fail to defeat the final Lightwarden and the First continues to drown in Light.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Walk to the Water, a 10k Borderlands Gaingel MerMay AU

8. do you get hate on fics?

Not yet, but if anyone tries it they've got another thing coming :)

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

I've written plenty, I've only posted the one E fic though. Mostly gay elf porn.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, though I'd be fine with it as long as I'm added as a co-author with a link to the original English.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have, I was doing a pretty large scale Critical Role rp fic with four other people. It disintegrated from some interpersonal tensions and one person leaving the fandom entirely but I still think very fondly on it. Before that, I was doing a Borderlands OC rp with a friend.

14. what’s your all-time favorite ship?

You ask me, a bisexual, to make a choice? Lol. Lmao, even. I do not have a One True Pairing, I have learned the mature art of multishipping like a goddamn adult.

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

OOF well this is a tie between Sometimes Goodbye and A Thistle's Thorns, both being all but abandoned due to fandom drift and loss of motivation. I found the original outline I had (thankfully) written out for Sometimes Goodbye, and I have started another BL2 playthrough, but FFXIV has eaten my life at this point so idk if I'll ever come back to it properly.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Show don't tell, detail descriptions, I have been told my characterisation through dialogue has been consistently on point (which is a relief), worldbuilding

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Finding a good place to end. if left to my own devices I will Just Keep Rambling. That was actually one of the reasons I kept my FFXIVWrite entries so short. I needed to get over the hump of just letting things end.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I haven't had this particular problem yet, but I will once I start writing stuff for Stormblood, because Kitali is multilingual.

When I'm reading it, though, I prefer to just have a dialogue tag indicating which language is being spoken and then either a bold, italics, or both to show what's being spoken in what language. It saves me the trouble of scrolling back and forth and back and forth from the notes at the end of the chapter or trying to remember what was said where exactly and in what context.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Borderlands 2

20. favorite fic you’ve ever written?

That would be Dragoon Age: Origins, the telling of Kitali and Estinien's first clash which I definitely did not just spend the last hour or so rereading nope not me

Tagging: @captainsparklefingers @screamingvikings @ir0n-angel and anyone else who wants to take a shot, I have lost track of who writes and who doesn't lol