#Here's a rare WIP from me I'm just really excited

[b-eye-sexual]

I had to give him sketchy hair because I draw hair last and otherwise he'd look bald

[revalition]

OCT 15 - ENDURANCE Take the blows. Don’t let the world kill you.

Endurance!! I don't love him, but that's okay. He's just not as interesting to me as the others, and spearheads the fascist questline. that definitely does him no favours. but I do cherish all the skills nonetheless, including him

Quotes under the cut!

endurance fun facts from my spreadsheet:

- swear score of 8 - damages and heals an equal amount of morale - says "we" more than "I" (almost double) - Endurance says "sorry" just once, when you're about to die

the heart attack endurance quotes are really really sad. which makes them excellent. but it's too painful for me to look at and I want to be able to use these posts as references so they're being omitted!

anyway, endurance quotes!

endurance definitely directing the blame back up to the intellect group here haha

this is so funny to me. endurance begrudgingly letting you have both kim and dora in his hypothetical aerostatic

I wasn't sure if I should give this one to endurance or PT, but I really like it. lovingly adorn him in a ceramic shell

your stomach doing his job well

uhm, is that how it works honey?

what is wrong with this skill?? (so, so many things)

see, there's 'what's wrong with him' said with utmost affection, like when I look at electrochemistry. and then there's without the affection. that's the version endurance gets. sorry my guy

(if you have your badge he confirms it's not your birthday haha) just the idea of harry asking one of his own skills if it's his birthday...

this heartwarming dialogue about being sober! I'm pretty sure it's not implemented in the game but I love it all the same.

this is a godly endurance check for some reason?? (maybe it's a fail? I can't tell on Fayde...)

endurance no! they're all idiots...

hghh endurance ew

this is too funny. tutorial agent not you too...!

this is so totally not here just because volition said it (picking "wait, get who back?" immediately damages volition btw, poor bby) ultramarathon is such a funny nickname. fitting enough, I suppose.

endurance is so stupid...

also endurance compromised!

amazing. ty endurance. I'm sure that's making Harry feel better

alternate:

YOU - Oh my god, I'm going to die! ENDURANCE - Yeah, probably, one day. But not this very minute.

endurance knowing what a focal epileptic seizure is and where it's occurring and then just going i'unno when asked if it's dangerous... why is he like this.

also you're *probably* going to die one day? cmon buddy

instead of asking why, you can also say:

YOU - Don't you sass me. Get on with the story.

hehe. Zone of Irredeemable Catastrophe! :(

of course your gut does, it has to do with gary... savvy having no interest in it is wonderful

as always much love for this infra-materialism book shutting down everyone's methods of thinking (except inland's)

running reservoirs haha. extremely rare polite endurance

I *think* I understand what he's trying to say... Volition has it right. Sometimes you need to be unmade to heal.

stupid endurance...

seagull dialogue has to be in here cause it's awesome. the body remembers... (also endurance saying good boy??)

first endurance line is the antipassive (failure) and the second one is the success. I don't think he's super impressed...

this is so random, just in the middle of talking to klaasje on the first day. uhm good job endurance...

what a normal, straight thing to think! all the skills chiming in on the smoker is so funny to me

don it and live!!

I have two screenshot spots left so here are my WIPs :)

he's just in the background in the banner one (the second one). I think he came out pretty cool in the spring storm one though (first one)

that's it! endurance is my least favourite of the fys skills by a landslide. I'm very excited for the rest of them :)

[moonlight-prose]

wip wednesday!

thank you for the tags @ovaryacted + @guiltyasdave! i'm doing this a day late cause i wasn't here yesterday but i'm more than excited for what's coming up soon.

right where you left me ch.8

A creak echoed in the living room, your door left ajar in case you had to run. But the cadence of her footsteps had grown familiar to your weary ears. The drag of boots across hardwood, a shuffle here and there in her attempt to stay quiet. She hardly left your apartment anymore. Taking a spot on your couch like a guard dog you never asked to keep - a protector who took on the role her father was meant to fill.

Laura often fell asleep on the leather piece of furniture never meant to be utilized as a bed. You peeked your head out once to check if she needed anything, only to find her laying with her body faced closest to the door - a cracked picture frame of a much older version of your Logan placed on the table beside her. Her brows were furrowed, face pinched in fear, and for the first time you understood her relationship to the Wolverine.

She shared much more than his DNA.

She was plagued by his nightmares as well.

Your heart cracked a bit more at the knowledge that she might never have another night of peace in her life. Forever taunted by a past that should have been happy.

Sighing, you turned onto your side, staring at the neon glow of your alarm clock - a polaroid of Logan propped against the lamp. Wade took it months before you got the chance to meet the man who would drastically shift the course of your life. Two days ago you found it on your pillow - a chocolate bar beside it. Wade's attempt at making you smile.

Even if all it managed to do was make you cry.

Broken wet sobs that left your body wracked with shivers, your heart numb to each emotion that might have existed before he walked away. You'd gone over their explanations in your head numerous times. Mulled over each word and soft whisper of why. Yet nothing registered but the emptiness - the hollow ache that spilled over with grief.

No matter how often you patched it back up, he still managed to break his way back in. The reminder of his absence only served to split you down the middle - rendering you incapable of anything but pain.

"I miss him too."

Your body jolted at the soft sound of her voice practically filled to the brim with melancholy. She stood in your doorway, hands limp at her side, and for the first time you saw her as who she really was. A child who lost her father not once, but twice. Wordlessly you dragged the blankets back from his side of the bed, rolling to face her as she clambered onto the mattress still clad in jeans and a t-shirt.

You offered your own pajamas a week ago in the hopes of making her more comfortable. Only for her to reveal she slept in her clothes even at the mansion.

Just in case.

"What was he like? Your father." The topic of the older Logan rarely came up for you, his memory somehow entwined with the man you fell in love with. But Laura knew him best. She'd seen him at his worst, only to watch him become the father he was always meant to be. "You don't have to talk about him if you don't want to."

She sighed, shifting around as if to shed the layer of vulnerability that scratched at her. "Angry."

You smiled. "Always?"

"No," she breathed. This breached onto territory she wasn't used to, memories she never liked to look back on, but for some unknown reason…it made you smile. So she persisted in spite of the discomfort that gnawed at her stomach. "He took care of Charles for a long time before he found me. Or well before I found him. But he had a lot to be angry about."

"I imagine." And you could.

tagging: @cavillscurls @eupheme @ozarkthedog @elflutter + whoever else wants to do it!

[lumosatnight]

Year in Review 2023

I did this for 2022 and I couldn't pass up the opportunity for more stats. Thanks @oknowkiss (x) for the tag! Here is my year in review: 2023 edition 🥳

Stats

Word Count: 339,585 (86,974 new)

Hits: 136,378 (68,393 new)

Number of Fics started and finished: 12 over 1k and 49 under 1k

Number of WIPs started: idk... like 10? 20?

Ships I wrote this year (not including background ships): Lots and lots and lots but mostly Drarry (8), Snarry (2), Drarius (2), Fleurmione (2), Lunansy (2), and Cissamione (2)

Favorite ship(s): This year maybe Narlily, Snarry, Luther, Mollytrix

Least favorite ship(s): This year I was introduced to Marylily and Rosekiller and idk they just don't vibe with me.

AO3 Fic Writers/Artists/Creators/Readers who have inspired me and my writing this year:

@itsphantasmagoria for their incredible Drarry video game

@sleepstxtic for her incredible range of fic and nuanced depictions of canon including my fav fic of the year!

@anaxandria-writes for binding my fic!!! I am so grateful and inspired.

@givereadersahug for organizing @hprecfest and always being so joyous and enthusiastic about rare pairs (you will be very missed, my dear 💗)

Countdown

5️⃣ Top 5 works I’m most proud of from 2022 (not necessarily my most popular)

For I have Found Salvation [Snarry, E, 7.1k] — for @snarryauctoberfest with priest Severus and parishioner Harry. My very first Snarry fic!

Of Dreams and Death [Dronarry, T, 2.3k] — for @dronarryfest and had so much fun plopping the characters into the Sandman AU.

up here, i'm floating [Mollytrix, M, 1.2k] — for the @hpsaffics Secret Santa Exchange. This is possibly one of my fav ships. I'm glad I got the chance to write them as angsty as I wanted.

Such a Sweetheart [Fleuratrix, T, 2.4k] — for the HPFC server Untagged Fest. A horror coffeeshop AU!

Kinktober 2023 [Multiship, E, total 15.5k] — technically a series but my first time participating in Kinktober. I was worried I wasn't going to finish all the days in time.

4️⃣ Top 4 current WIPs that I’m most excited to release in 2023

Honestly no idea yet. I have a lot of ideas on the back burner but none that are MUST DO RIGHT NOW. But I will say that I'm excited for bunch of fests like @hptransfest @ladiesofhpfest @hptriadfest and @hp-rarepairs

3️⃣ Top 3 biggest improvements in my writing over the past year

Smut!! I've developed my smut writing a lot. Kinktober really opened my eyes to a lot of kinks as well 👀

Tone: I think I'm getting a lot better at matching tone in my writing for consistent characterizations and building atmosphere

Estimating word count: I've gotten so much better at looking at an idea and predicting how long the final story is going to be.

2️⃣ Top 2 resolutions (ways I wish to improve my writing/blog) for the new year

FINISH A LONGER WORK!! This was on my resolutions from last which I didn't complete lol. It's okay, I'll try again this year.

Create a more consistent writing schedule

1️⃣ Number 1 favorite line I’ve written this year!

Harry Potter has a tiny dick. It’s just a fact of life. The Chosen Microdick, the Small Saviour, the Boy with an Itty Bitty Package. And oh, how Draco loves it.

From The Chosen Microdick [Drarry, E, 500], part of my Kinktober 2023 series and I just love the play on words here. A banging start to a banging series 🤣

Not sure who has already done a stats roundup/fic review/2023 thingy, so I'll leave the tag open.

Happy 2024! 💖

[honeybewrites]

WIP Excerpt Tag

Thank you @kaylinalexanderbooks for the tag!!!!

Rules: Post some writing!

Since I haven't really posted anything about Legend of the Ancients, I thought it would be fun to change it up!

Her door opened and Emaeh glanced up from her book. The party was in fully swing by now so no one should really be anywhere near the dorms, let alone her room. Maybe Faralt, but even they had seemed excited about the celebrations. She was even more surprised when Vern stepped in, closing the door behind him. He looked good. Really good. A traditional Tanimoriem suit, complete with pack specific jewelry and paint. The suit itself was a deep velvety, midnight purple with silver accents to give it a pop. His wings were adorned with jewels and chains, folded neatly behind him like a cape. The same jewels and chains decorated his horns and flowed beautifully into the paint on his face and arms. He looked like a god of beauty, divine and elegant, effortlessly ethereal. Emaeh had to fight to keep her face neutral. "What are you doing here?" She closed the book, eyeing him. "Looking for you." His eyes trailed around the room, not that there was much to look at. Ancients, even his voice sounded like the honey of gods. How could one being be so beautiful? "Why aren't you at the celebration?" "I hurt my leg." It was a lame excuse and they both knew it. Emaeh wasn't one to let an injury stop her from something, especially something like this. It was rare to have other beings here, and everyone knew Emaeh never missed a chance to learn more about the Tanimoriem culture. With this many Tan gather in one place? She could learn a lot more than her books could teach her. She could actually ask questions. "Right, and what's the real excuse?" Emaeh rolled her eyes. Even though she knew it would start an argument, she couldn't lie to him. She had too much respect for him to do that. "I can't have anyone finding out I'm Tanimoriem." Vern's oozing annoyance filled the room like a suffocating gas. "And how is anyone going to figure out you're Tan from a party?" Emaeh got up from the bed, pulling her dress out of its box in her dresser. She held it up to show him. It was the same dress she'd worn at Ryuk's gratitude feast in Rorrut. "It's backless and strapless. It'll show off too many of my scars. You've seen the ones on my back. Those scars are pretty self explanatory. They even look like the base of wings. I've worn this dress before I got those scars and you know Ryuk and Faralt aren't going to miss those giant things. It'll raise questions. I can't." Vern sighed lightly as she put the dress away. His annoyance, surprisingly, started to disperse. "What are you going to do in here all night then?" He once again looked around the room as if expecting some kind of feat to appear. "You don't really have anything in here to do."

Emaeh sat back on her bed, picking up the book and going back to her reading. "I'm going to read." The bed dipped as Vern plopped down on the edge. "Well are you at least going to read out loud for me? Or should I just ramble to myself?" She looked over the edge of the book at him. There was a teasing smirk on his lips now, the light scent of his amusement filling the air. "No, you're going back to the party." She turned back to her words. "But you're not going." It almost sounded pouty, whiny. "And I have my reason. Go be social. I'm sure you can find some pretty woman to your liking. Have some drinks, dance, have sex. Maybe then you'll make some friends Angel." Some emotion she couldn't place tinted the air. "Is that what you would do if you were going?" Emaeh snorted. "Do I look like someone who can dance?" "I meant hookup." Her face scrunched up. "No. Everyone down there is at least twice my age or half stupid. Even the women down there aren't the brightest, in my opinion. I'm sure they're quite beautiful though. Carlun has a good eye for that kind of thing. No, I need a little more of a connection to have sex with someone. Not really a one night stand kind of person." "Who's to say I am?" he asked defensively. Emaeh set her book to the side once again. "Angel, relax. It was just a suggestion. You don't have to get your wings in a knot, okay? You don't need to pull some "you're judging me" bull, because you can tell there is no judgement in my voice or body. Relax. I don't care either way. It's not like I'm going to stop talking to you if you hookup." She nodded to the book. "Now, this is an old play from during the Dragon War. Do you want me to read it or would you rather pick something else?" The tension in his body eased up and his pleasant, puppy dog self lit up once again. "Oh I'm fine with that, please continue." He laid on his side, watching her expectantly with a bright smile. Emaeh fought a smile of her own as she picked the book back up and began to read aloud this time.

Tagging @ink-enchanted @fractured-shield @minamaybe @halfbakedspuds @diabolical-blue @illarian-rambling and anyone else who wants to hop on!!

[slytherinlives]

WIP Tag Game

A big Thank You to @holdmymallowsweet for the tag! (sorry it's a bit late, i've been very busy)

Rules: Share a snippet from whatever you're working on, then tag 5 people.

--

I've been currently working on three different main projects and a few that I do just for fun but this is a scene I wrote for the next Sebastian POV for my current running Sebinis FWB fic. it was my favorite to write so far and made me giggle and kick my feet. Anyway, I'll stop rambling and and get on with it.

Sebastian glanced over the various options, locking in on his favorite side of roasted potatoes and blueberry pastry dessert. "They have blueberries today." He spoke in awe, eyes wide and sparkling at the food. His mother used to make blueberry and lemon pastries for breakfast when Sebastian and his twin sister were children. He missed it dearly, the smell of the berries swirling around the house filled him with warmth and happiness. Sebastian never wasted an opportunity to eat something containing the berries, since they weren't always in season and the school rarely got them. Just as Sebastian was about to grab the last one, another hand beat him to it. He watched in disappointment as a second year student happily munched on the pastry. "Oh." Sebastian sighed, not at all trying to mask the hurt he felt. After the emotionally taxing day he'd had, the dessert would have really cheered him up. Ominis turned to face Sebastian, "What is it?" He reached over to take Sebastian's hand under the table, stroking the back of his hand with his thumb. "That slimey second year took the last one." Sebastian spoke bitterly, frowning in the direction of the child. "And there isn't anymore at the other end of the table either." He sighed, glancing around for more pastries. "Accio Pastry." Ominis muttered under his breath, and Sebastian watched as a piece of the dessert flew across the room from the Ravenclaw table and into his hands. "Here you are." Ominis smirked, handing the pastry to Sebastian. Sebastian's jaw dropped, staring at Ominis in fascination and shock. "I can't believe you just did that." He breathed, taking the pastry greedily and biting into it. Sebastian let out a satisfied moan into the pastry, his eyes slightly rolling upward as he enjoyed the warmed dessert. "Ominis, this is so delicious. I could just kiss you for procuring it."

--

I'm so excited for this one because other emotions will spur to the surface for them!

Tagging: anyone who wants to participate!

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Hi there! i just wanted to make sure tumblr didnt eat up ask! Did you happen to recieve the request for f!reader x protective!newt? Thanks!!!

Hi! Yes, I did receive your request, and in general, I prefer if people don't send me asks like this. FYI, you have been very polite here in this message, and I have no problems with what you have said, but I am not a fan of the practice of asking a writer 'did you get my request?' - because it feels as though you are rushing the fic. And I have stated many times that I don't prioritize or rush requests.

Because it is very, very rare that Tumblr 'eats' asks before they can get where they're going, so when I receive a request, it sits in my inbox unanswered until I can get to writing it.

Requests for me are casual (as they should be) - not a fanfic ordering system. I don't prioritize working on requests, I work on them at my leisure when I am bored or when I need to be inspired.

A request can sit in my inbox for months before being completed, but I will come to them at random times. And when I do work on a request, if I answer it with the fic on it (like I would with headcanons) or if I answer it just to say that I am working on it (like I would with a longer fic) - I don't answer a request until I have completed it. Because I don't like the trend of answering an ask request that I am interesting in working on, having it become a WIP, and then having people go 'oh, where is this fic? have you finished this fic? when are you gonna finish it?' - and it's not finished, it's just one of my casual WIPs.

(and don't get me started on people chasing down fics that don't exist yet and bugging me about those in comments and then when I direct them to similar fics I have already completed/written, they don't comment on those fics. that is a other annoying whole thing)

also, I am on a hiatus. I have been writing during that time, and I am going to come back from that hiatus with over 37,000 words worth of fanfic to post (and it should be 0. but the stress of moving got to me) - and when I finish the oneshot that I've been working on now (which does feature Newt - it's a threesome with Gally, Newt, and a fem reader character) - it will be closer to 50k. so I don't think that you'll really be missing out on anything if you like my work lmao

I haven't been prioritising requests, I was just looking to them because I was stressed and my brain wasn't coming up with ideas well even though I had the urge to write, and @star-mum helped me brainstorm and helped to solve that problem. (and I like to keep requests in my inbox for times when I feel uninspired - but I am never in a rush to complete them.)

so just a PSA to everyone in the future - please don't chase down requests with me. it is always my opinion that if you want your request completed in a rush, you should write it yourself or go to another writer who has less inspiration and more free time and will prioritize it more.

and I know some writers complain about people sending the same requests to multiple writers, but I'd rather you just not send your request to me in the first place (if you want the fic to be rushed), because I have stated multiple times that I don't rush requests, or - send me another message telling me that you would rather send your request to another writer/that you already did.

I always make it very clear what I am working on and when, and if I am working on a fic based on a request, I will state that it is requested, so you should know by the idea/outline that it's your request coming up - and then when it's finished, I will post the request and say 'hey, it's done! get excited!' - otherwise, like I said, people chase me down for unfinished fics and this has just worked better for me.

(and I'm probably gonna get so many messages saying I sound like a bitch for this. but I have been a tumblr writer for too long not to state my opinion on things like this lmao.)

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Hey! emoji asks game, 🙌🌠🍎🥘 (❓for this one I’m really intrigued with your As Below, So Above fic and would love to know more, you can share anything you want (e.g. how you came up with the idea, a snippet, was you listening to music at the time when you wrote it, anything like that.)

Hi! Thanks so much!

🙌What's a line or paragraph of yours that you're proud of?

Oh no, this question again! 😆 I swear, every ask hit this one today.

From Enigmatic Confections, because it's my favorite and I'm tired and lazy.

"No wonder you hate me." Nikola said bitterly. "Not anymore." Helen insisted. "Hating you--" "Which I deserved." "Was easier. Then I built more on top of it, with our rivalry."

It's a favorite because it was a huge emotional journey and reveal up to this and one of the original bits that I wrote for the story. It was really the springboard for Helen and Nikola's dynamic in the entire story, so it's a favorite.

🌠What are your top three most commonly used tags on AO3?

Fluff, Alternate Universe, Friendship (Flufftober 2023 is 100% responsible for the fluff tag)

🍎What's something you learned while researching for a fic?

Hmm. Off the top of my head, I can't actually think of a lot that I've researched for a fic. 😅

I did learn that it's possible to have excessive amount of amniotic fluid during pregnancy and that can be harmful, but not necessarily. (I was researching pregnancy complications)

🥘What wip are you most excited about?

I'm torn between "Hold My Hand (It's A Long Way Down)" aka Henry + the Cabal is a cult and my long Ranna fic.

The Henry one is newer and is very intriguing for me to tackle and it's going to be painful at points, but I'm really looking forward to really delve into. I'm also writing it in the present tense, which is something I don't usually do.

My Ranna fic is a very big passion project of mine and I've written lore for Praxis and how life is there and I really like what I have. And I love Ranna's character a lot, so it's a very interesting piece to explore.

❓(for this one I’m really intrigued with your As Below, So Above fic and would love to know more, you can share anything you want (e.g. how you came up with the idea, a snippet, was you listening to music at the time when you wrote it, anything like that.)

As Below, So Above, thank you!!! (I do fully intend to continue and finish this story, it's just kind of taken the back burner to other stories and my mental health recently)

I came with the idea through a series of things. I love Ranna's character and the Pavor Nocturnus and the line that started it came from this ask game. I brought those things together after seeing the "colorless" prompt for AU-August.

I was probably listening to music when I wrote the first chapter, but for the life of me I can't remember what it might have been. I think I was looking for songs for it and I never settled on anything. (This is actually really bugging me, because I *know* I was listening to something, but for the life of me I cannot remember what it was).

Here's a snippet from chapter two, which I've been working on on and off for a while!

They were both silent, Ranna stepping more confidently through the darkness than she did the streets above, feeling herself relaxing because this felt more like home than anything else, even though Praxis's streets hadn't been all that different than the ones on the surface. But knowing that she was underground was comforting, even if she thought about the men behind them, the men that had wanted to do things so horrible to them that Ranna knew she couldn't even conjure everything they would have done. Fallon was flagging, that taste of danger robbing her of strength, though it was no where near the first time they'd faced deadly danger. Usually it was rabisu, admittedly. Rarely had it been a pack of men. But they couldn't stay here and Ranna had never been one for much comfort towards anyone. Fallon was her chief council, emissary of Kali, one of the greatest forces of their world. She needed to remember that and she needed to act like it. Those things hadn't gone away since their city had fallen and they had come to the surface. Perhaps if Ranna had said those words, they would have been helpful. But she didn't, instead pressing her lips together tightly as they continued to the next station. She did boost Fallon up on to the platform when they reached it, because the platforms were high enough to be difficult in general, then clambered up herself. She surveyed their options. "Shall we continue underground or return to the surface?" she asked crisply, looking at Fallon's pale face . She didn't think that Fallon was going to be able to make herself go much further without a break, but she wanted to put as much distance between them and the men as possible. And she needed Fallon to remember her place as her council. "Underground for another station or two." "Which way, then?" Ranna prompted. There were three options open to them, since the platform was double sided. "Which way is north?" Fallon finally asked, after far too long in silence. Ranna pulled the compass out and Fallon a flashlight, shining it on the face so she could see. "That way." She snapped it shut as she gestured, tucking it away again. "Then we go that way." Fallon hesitated for a moment and Ranna had the feeling that she wasn't going to get anymore decisions out of her right now, so she walked to the other side of the platform and dropped down.

__ I could ramble about my half-formed ideas for this story, but as stated above, kind of tired at the moment. But it's really going to delve into Ranna's character, her and Fallon's relationship, and survival, which I am very pleased about.

I am also going to include flashbacks to show what things were like in Hollow Earth and Praxis before they left.

But getting this question really makes me want to review what I have and maybe start working on it again soon, so thank you!!

[darkpoisonouslove]

1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 19, 26, 33, 39 for yet another writing ask game (I tried to pace myself, believe it or not 🤪)

(Mhm, I can see that! XD)

yet another writing ask

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Why would you do this to me? Don't I already have enough WiPs on my plate? You know this is only ever going to end one way.

I'd say Prey on the Heart. I do like the descriptions of the setting and the worldbuilding but *pinches bridge of nose* Valtor is SO OOC, I'm in literal pain. I don't know what was going on through my head but oh, boy! Then again, it's been almost three years since then and my understanding of the characters has definitely improved plus my headcanon game has evolved too!... Now I feel the need to add that to the pile of WiPs. I. Am. Mad. at. You! 😤

I'm also definitely touching up the three chapters of Gifts Are Given To Be Taken if I ever get to writing the rest. And same for Have No Name for My Heart. That one is such a downer. 😅 I need to rework the tone completely.

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

In general? Murder mysteries. I LOVE murder mysteries (though I'm somehow way better at identifying the red herring (as such) than the actual culprit)! But they require way too much research and that's literally the bane of my existence. So, uh, yeah... that Scream AU for Winx is probably not going to happen.

In particular I feel that I'm unable to write the Winx rewrite. Like, I want to! I have so many cool ideas that I'm excited about! But I lack the motivation and the sheer size of it scares me. Besides, there are so many rewrites out there that it feels like a waste of time to do that when I can be working on Griffin x Valtor (or a Griffin x Faragonda or Marion... or anyone really) fics, which are... mostly my niche (not to monopolize the ship but *looks at the Griffin x Valtor tag on AO3*).

5. What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

I can't think of one? If I don't want something associated with my account, I just don't post it. But I guess, generally speaking, I wouldn't want to tag something if it's spoilers. AO3 luckily has the "creator chose not to use archive warnings" and you can write an additional tag to the same effect if it's a trope you don't want to tag rather than an archive warning.

7. Your favorite ao3 tag.

I was gonna say I didn't have one but I'm afraid that if my answer here isn't angst, you will hunt me for sport. XD You know I love my pain and tragedy.

12. If you write in more than one language, what's the difference?

I write in Bulgarian very rarely anymore. I think the last time was in the beginning of last year and I have only written down a few ideas since then. But the key difference I feel is that I have a much easier time describing things in Bulgarian because the language itself is more descriptive. It's possible that I simply understand it a lot better than English since it's my mother tongue but I have also analyzed some Bulgarian texts and their English translations and while translations can rarely capture the full spirit of the original, I still feel that the Bulgarian language just offers more when it comes to how descriptive words are. Idk if that makes sense.

Another one is that I have a much easier time with varying sentence structure in English. Though, that might be because I've paid special attention to that while I haven't practiced it in Bulgarian... at all.

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

I want you to know that I have to try so hard to restrain myself from saying at least five different things about this:

She slid a hand between her breasts to touch only flesh instead of her monad necklace that was usually nestled there. Its shine was replaced by the gold she’d threaded into the plunging neckline of her nightgown with her own powers, all on Valtor’s insistence it would bring out her eyes. Despite the darkness trying to creep over her form, a smile was curling her lips at how right he’d been.

A draft disturbed the room, the air moving as if with something shuddering.

Griffin whispered his name. Only once. Like it was some cursed, forbidden knowledge. The power it held was immeasurable – greater than any spell.

Her fingers dipped under her neckline to trace a path for him directly to her heart.

As if offended by its thundering, a lightning tore through the blanket of clouds enveloping the castle.

The flash of light revealed in the mirror a pair of glacial blue eyes, pale skin and maroon fabric that would blend together with her nightgown perfectly if not for the gold threads distinguishing where her form ended and his began.

The darkness surged over the room once again a moment later, greedy, great enough to swallow even him, making it look like she was a lonely island surrounded only by empty air and the hazy glow of her magic. Yet, even that omnipotent cover failed to hide him from her.

He was silent, motionless, not even a gasp of breath coming from him to make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The magic that had clung to her day and night had evaporated, leaving only a hollowness behind, a cold that made her shiver as if she’d been thrown out in the storm.

It didn’t matter.

She was dressed for him, in her favorite nightgown she hadn’t worn for anyone else – a tribute to him. She’d only needed to call his name once and he’d come running. He wasn’t leaving here until she was ready to let him go, until all the cards were on the table, everything revealed. No more distant voyeurism and half-lies, only naked truth.

26. What would you describe as OOC?

A behavior or action that isn't properly supported by the previously established characterization. For fics specifically, a character isn't OOC if the story took the time to take them from their canon self to the person that they are in the fic but there has to be a hint at least of why they are the way they are.

33. Give your writing a compliment.

You know, I'm starting to like my descriptions more and more! I'm learning to focus more on the vibes and that makes it easier to pinpoint which parts I need to describe. I was panicking about this one description I needed to do recently and then I ended up getting it almost perfect right away!

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

I answered this here.

[zeawesomebirdie]

for the fic ask game :D 🙌 🥘 🦗

[for this ask game here]

Thanks for the ask J!!

🙌What's a line or paragraph of yours that you're proud of? I'm giving you two paragraphs, one from a posted fic and one from a wip >:)

From Distractions, Distractions [brudick, rated E, underage]

Bruce Wayne was not the kind of man who hid from others, particularly not when he had something he needed to discuss with them, regardless of what Alfred might say to the contrary. Yet he had spent the majority of his day in the Manor rather than in the Cave, even though Dick had the day off from school and had announced at breakfast that Bruce was welcome to come down with him. No, he was not the kind of man who hid, but at the same time, he was also not the kind of man who could picture himself walking down to where his partner was likely turning cartwheels, nor could he see himself telling Dick just why his costume needed changing.

(yes that is the very first paragraph shhhh I've never been more proud of an opening before 😌)

And from a brudick wip I'm writing for @ful-crum in which Dick and Bruce fuck in the Cave and Dick mistakenly believes that they'll be able to be together now, only for Bruce to ghost him for two months straight

That was the crux of it, in the end, the grit of sand that irritated his heart into submission: that night of The Incident had been a one-off, and it was obvious that Bruce had meant nothing by it, no matter what Dick thought would come of it. And that was fine, or it would have to be; after all, Dick had had a few one night stands before, and while it wasn’t his preference, he could understand the appeal of such things to people like Bruce. Dick was just going to have to take the L, then, because otherwise he was going to mope his sorry ass into nothingness, and then what would become of him? It would have to be fine, there was no other choice, even if he was going to remember that night forever as one of the rare moments he and Bruce were truly a team again.

🥘What wip are you most excited about? Um, well, does all of them count?? Because I really don't think I could choose just one to be most excited about, honestly. The closest to actually being finished is another little insomniac!coldflash one shot for Stories I Tell Myself When I Can't Sleep, after that, the aforementioned brudick fic for @ful-crum is the most complete, and I've got half of a 5+1 Dick fucks Bruce to distract himself from his emotions written, and for the brubarry Old West!AU I've got all of Bruce's arc plotted and half of Barry's arc at least planned. And then beyond that, there's a dickjay gameboy fic and a 5+1 times Riddler saves Robin!Dick in the works, both of which I'm also excited for (and don't even get me started on the three wips I have for Bad Things Happen Bingo, one of which is for MASH, one for Star Wars: Legends, and one for Gunsmoke). Which one I'm most excited about depends on my mood and my energy, I suppose (yeah that's a non-answer, sorry!)

🦗Do you write in sequence or jump around? Mostly in sequence, but I keep a notes doc for every longfic so that I can jot down scene ideas whenever they occur to me!! Though with the insomniac!coldflash one shots, those I'm writing out of order bc they really weren't meant to be more than a one-off thing, and I'm still plotting the whole longfic that'll eventually give context to the one shots; that's just not normally how I do things, normally I write pretty sequentially ^.^

[remyfire]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

I was tagged by @quordleona03! Thank you so much for the tag I know lots of people have already been tagged, so consider this a formal request that if you have NOT been tagged, you please come play! But off the top of my head, @onekisstotakewithme @cuddleswinchester @dreamingofspring :D

How many works do you have on Ao3?

40.

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

I think we might officially be leaving 2023 with 300,842 words. Not a bad count for only publishing since April! That's a novella a month right there.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

MASH. :D

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Scratching The Itch, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, To Have and To Hold, Anything You Say Can and Will Be Held Against You, and Tear Out All Your Tenderness. Good morning beejhawk nation I see you all hkdfds

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! Sometimes they pile up and I get overwhelmed and just click that "Mark All As Read" button while hiding behind my hand. But I really try to circle through nowadays even just for a "Thanks for reading!!" because I really appreciate every single one!!

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

I feel like ...With Too Many Miles Between Us was a pretty rough one. There's maybe optimism that you can read through the cracks, but it was a damn agonizing prompt fill (affectionate) all around. The Good Ones Always Seem to Break is another. Sorry that I keep putting you in situations, Beej.

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

Oughhhh, just about anything that suggests they don't end here, so to speak. I think To Have and To Hold probably tops the list, but I Intend to Hold You For the Longest Time and Soft Place to Land also come in hot just by nature of being established postwar situations.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet! I've had a couple of people not understand what I was going for and who were not afraid of saying so, but it wasn't outright hate. They were probably just not the intended audience.

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

Ahh yes. 65% of my current fics are rated E for a reason, and the 5 M ones are flirting with that line.

I categorize myself as an erotic romance writer, meaning that typically if you remove my sex scenes from my fics, you are losing integral information or character/relationship development that would otherwise make the fic not stand on its own. I also have a handful that are just pure erotica—sex for titillation's sake rather than development. I adore writing smut!! It's a lot of fun, it's exciting when you know you've landed it exactly like you wanted to, and it's a way for me to reclaim all those years I spent being forcibly repressed due to my religious upbringing. I love every minute of it.

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

I do not!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of.

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

The Famous 4077 Dog Tag Party certainly counts! Many of us authors randomized a list of pairings for both eras of the show, and then we were responsible for picking a pairing, writing the characters going on a date (platonic or romantic), and seeing what happened. Extremely fun way to get some rare pairs we might not have expected. For example, I got to write Margie/Klinger for it!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Hey now I am too fucking polyam to answer this and you know it. Mcpunnihawk probably tops the list, warring with margbeej and sidbeejhawk.

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

I am not taking this defeatist energy into 2024, how dare you. One day, my pretties, I'm coming back for all of you and we are crossing that finish line OR ELSE.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Smut, capturing character voices accurately, physicality, spinning relational scenarios on the fly.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Genres like mystery or sci-fi or horror, repetition of comfort words/phrases, putting my characters through significant levels of pain (I am too empathetic, I can and will cry over my own fics).

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

Things that I do not feel comfortable doing myself because I am not familiar enough with any other language to know I'm doing it accurately.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The kid wizard one.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

How dare you make me pick from my children. Scratching The Itch, Anything You Say Can and Will Be Held Against You, I'd Give Up Forever to Touch You, and Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures. Notably this could all change by this time tomorrow. I'm very fond of my fics.

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

🌿 💞🕯️💌

🌿how does creating make you feel?

Alive. Powerful (in some ways). Really good about myself because I'm utilizing my imagination and creativity and all of those things I learned and worked toward in my writing classes/degree. I feel really good about myself when I'm writing - like I'm fulfilling part of what I'm in this particular life for, which is storytelling.

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

The characters are definitely the most important thing, I think. I like to get their voices right - their voice, mannerisms, their expressions, the specific tone and lilt of their voices. Everything else - the plot, the worldbuilding, the settings - those are secondary to the characters. The plot (or scenario, if it's not something huge that requires a full-out PLOT) drives the characters, but I mean, the plot can change from story to story, so it's really still mostly about the character. I'd be lying if I said the technical stuff wasn't a top important thing - I'm an English/writing major, and all those grammar and spelling and punctuation things are hella important to me. Those keep me honest and make me slow down and pay attention to how I'm writing. Figurative language fits in with that, too, though, because it's all the stuff I absorbed in trying to become a better writer, either by reading or by what my awesome professors passed along to me.

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

I just answered this one here!

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

From Too weird to live, too rare to die, a prompt fic for @kleenexwoman that is a Justin Hammer/Loki (in canon, post-Endgame, everyone lives) bonkers fic:

-------

Still humping the American Dream

Tony closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose between the thumb and index finger of his left hand.  He took five deep breaths.  Counted to twenty.  Took five more.  Counted to ten.  He opened his eyes, the right one pale amber and couldn’t see nearly as well after his snap that ended the war with Thanos. 

Justin still stood in front of him, hands defiantly on his hips, watching him. 

“Anthony, I’m not here to just take up space and piss people off,” Justin said in that affable tone that still managed to dig underneath Tony’s skin and threaten to give him hives. 

“And yet you do that so well, Justin,” Tony snarked as he felt the threat behind his eyes indicating a headache was imminent.  He winced at the harshness of his tone, even with this pain in the ass he never expected to see again, much less share a living space with him. 

Still, they’d made peace with Loki when he returned with Thor and Bruce to help them handle Thanos, and as it turned out, the guy wasn’t so bad in the long run.  Tony liked his sass and sense of humor – always had – and he was pretty handy to have around. 

Perhaps he could make himself get used to Justin Hammer, too.  The guy wasn’t dumb, and since they’d released him early for good behavior and some other reason Tony had already forgotten for the moment, he’d dropped some of that pretentious peacocking that paralleled Tony’s own, which to be fair, he’d been happy to mostly give it up since it got tiresome after a while. 

“Who?  C’mon, Tony, I’m a big boy.  I can take it.  You can tell me who else I’m pissing off besides you,” Justin cajoled, his big grin stretching across the angles of his face.  He’d been trying, but Justin wasn’t stupid; he knew he’d fucked up by trusting the wrong guy.  Didn’t help that he kept trying to compete with a guy known for his genius and his ability to stare any problem in the face, punch it once with his intellect and creations, and boom, no more problem. 

“Pepper for starters,” Tony blurted out, “though she doesn’t live here, and she’s kind of gotten over the idea of you being around Morgan since the kid actually likes you and trusts you.” 

The expression on Justin’s face burst with a sappy fondness he used to reserve for his nephew alone, and he schooled it quickly when Tony had to dial back that initial Papa Bear concern that his kid was around several former villains these days.  Respectfully, he tried to look serious, to take Tony’s comments seriously. 

“To be fair, your kid’s awesome and one day’s gonna run circles around us to make the world a better place,” his words came out clear and heartfelt, and Justin thought he noticed that Papa Bear pride seeping into Tony’s features. 

Note to self, praise that adorable little big-eyed bunny, and that’ll keep Stark from wanting to shoot your nuts off.

“Yeah well.  That’s the truth of it.  Oh and Nat’s still keeping an eye on you.  Everyone else...you’re a somewhat clean slate with.  Not like you’re the only former bad guy in residence,” Tony remarked and went back to what he’d been working on when Justin wandered into the kitchen, namely working on agility and firm (but not too firm) grip with his new arm by making and rolling out pie dough. 

“You want some help?” Justin asked when it seemed like Tony was having trouble with one of the cookie cutters he was using to cut out star shapes (to go with the crescent moons).  He held up both hands when Tony just tossed a glare his way.  “No problem.  Just...offerin’.  As for Natasha, eh.  Sam mentioned it took her a little bit to warm up to Loki, too, so I’ll just...be patient.” 

Justin was in no rush to be liked, and he really didn’t expect to be.  It wasn’t even that he was being a martyr or self-deprecating or living on his low self-esteem.  The prison counselor got him to see where he’d fucked up way before he’d actually chained his personality to impressing the military and broke Anton Venko out of custody. 

Piece of shit and his dumb fucking bird.

------

Thank you for the asks!

Let's Get ((REAL)) fic writer asks

[spoiledleaff]

Why did you disappear for so long?? I feel like you abandoned your blog and friends and stuff for a bit lol Are you okay??

sure. let's talk about this :) i've had a lot of asks lately asking if i was okay during my hiatus//if i'm okay now that i'm trying to make an effort to come back, and, the short answer is no. i'm not.

i was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (bpd).

cw :: massive vent + personal, medical talk regarding my mental health and thought process. honestly just a lot of oversharing, because i don't have an outlet for this irl, haha! for all intents + purposes, everything below this line is a trauma-dump. please take care of yourself.

for unnecessary context, haha! i went on a hiatus for about half a year, abandoned this blog, destroyed many old wips and interactions i had with the ghost fandom + distanced myself from the friends i've made on this site through ao3 and/or tumblr with no context or goodbyes. my mental health was, and continues to be, in shambles.

i had a homelessness scare + a series of bad physical health scares that almost led me to a brain cancer diagnosis, so... that was fun, haha. but this is probably the main thing.

borderline personality disorder (bpd) is a mental health condition that mainly affects people through extreme mood swings, unstable relationships, trouble controlling their emotions, + often times self-destructive behavior. one of the main symptoms that most people with bpd suffer is fear/perception of abandonment + a constant feeling of emptiness. in addition to this, i have a deeply ingrained socially anxious mindset + i am neurodivergent.

it runs in my family. and, apparently, its running its course through me as well, haha.

i am exhausted. i find myself stuck in an endless cycle, especially on this site, where i am so incredibly excited to interact with the people i've been fortunately enough to find on this site through my work but i distance myself almost immediately when i worry that i start to get too close to someone.

i am so afraid of being abandoned/left behind, that i would rather abandon someone else and disappear.

as a side effect of my bpd, i mainly struggle with paranoia, disassociation, a short temper, feelings of emptiness + an unreliable self-image.

this, unfortunately, affects my relationships here a lot.

i hate my work. i hate myself. sometimes i even hate my friends and then that always spirals into hating their friends, even if it's people who i know are lovely or i have never even fucking met before. i hate this site + ao3, i hate my fandoms, i hate this blog, and i sometimes find myself hating everyone and everything i've ever known and seen. it's a constant cycle of hatred followed by an emptiness that my work will never be good enough, my friendships will never be good enough, my stories will never be good enough, and i will never be good enough. i rarely find joy in these things anymore.

i find myself so desperate + anxious for a little bit of positive social interaction that i overthink every possible scenario, panic, and then vaguely cut ties before i think the other person will.

i cannot begin to describe to you the constant debate i have with myself about whether or not i should delete this blog, permanently remove everything and anything i've ever written on ao3, before inevitably trying to start anew with maybe another penname, another account.

but i've always liked routine. calling myself some variation of 'leaff' on the internet is a part of that. i don't know what else to call myself—people would know it's me.

i'd really like that. i'd fucking hate it too.

so, i've distanced myself from the fandoms + from the people who interact with my content. i do the bare minimum with friends, and sometimes not even that. i ghost people always, worry about what to say next to the point that i've genuinely convinced myself that i've responded, i do the bare minimum, wash, rinse, repeat.

i post my shit, giggle about this and debate about that, disappear for a bit, before inevitably coming back.

i do enjoy the work that i do, sometimes i'm even proud of it. but it's such an inconsistent whirlwind in my mind that i find myself hating it all just as a default.

if you're someone who has had the misfortune of interacting with me, and you wonder if i hate you. i don't.

i promise. not like that, at least.

i'm not going to therapy for this; i can't afford it. i'm trying to find a way to possibly be medicated for this, but i don't have the greatest insurance. i'm trying to train myself into a nicer, more positive mindset; it's hard.

but i'm trying. i'm still very uneducated about this. i'm still coming to terms with the fact that i might be aroace. i think it's why my writing is getting worse, or, at least, why i've been so distraught and unhappy with it. i think this might tie into why i'm so afraid to post anything other than porn; i think it might also be why i'm starting to hate writing it.

i think i'm still coming to terms with the fact that i'm simply unhappy with life, haha.

i didn't mean for this to become such a huge ramble — i think that's why i'm answering this at such an unpopular//late time, haha! — but i've had a surprising amount of asks in my inbox asking about me.

it's weird. i'm not really used to that. i think that's part of the reason why it took me so long.

regardless, this is why i disappeared. this is why i've been distant, this is why i ghosted you, and this is what will probably happen again in the near future. at least it's consistent, i guess.

thank you for your concern. if you made it this far, damn. i wish i had your attention span sometimes, haha. also i'm sorry for never answering your messages or for never reaching out in the first place. it's very easy to convince myself that you don't want me to, that i might be a trophy friend, that what we had was never real.

i'm sorry that after all this time this is how you might be hearing about it.

thank you for being patient with me.

i'm sorry you have to be so patient to begin with.

i think that's all i have to say :) it's a new road for me, and it's one that i don't want to travel. but i have to. i think it might help me in the long run if i do this all now.

so... yeah! :) haha, a bit of leafy lore, if you will. just, maybe not the fun kind, haha!

[oonajaeadira]

good evening i would like to ask about a/b/o!javi and more specifically i would like to ask exactly what we're working with. is he alpha or beta or omega, is heat involved, will i be salivating for different reasons, and if you have already answered any of this 13 times, i beg mercy bc my brain is made of swiss cheese. you can tell bc i spelled "swiss" as "swish" and almost left it that way.

ok ily byeeee

You know what? Every time I get distracted by another fic, I think about how excited you are for this one and I simultaneously feel bad about making you [specifically] wait longer and also get nervous that it might not be worth the wait.

Then I tell myself to calm down, because I like it and hope you will too.

The a/b/o mechanics in my fic are that alpha/omega families are rare, but are basically top class. So omegas aren't bottom of the heap. While they are more rare than alphas and not necessary to breed with alphas, they're actually more valued than betas because of the higher chance of alpha offspring...and the ability to bond in a way that is preferable to alphas. In this fic, the Gutierrezes and reader's families are the ruling families on the island due to their being part of this biology. They have their differences, but they acknowledge that getting along is best for society and their working relationship. (I wanted to put in a healthy dose of balance between instinctual pack rivalry and human override in there. Gives us a very light aftertaste of R&J.)

Reader is an omega with a bunch of alpha brothers (in the first slap I took with this fic, she had an alpha sister too, but the siblings are played way down in this version and just for economy of words, the siblings are all brothers so I didn't have to refer to "brothers and sister" constantly). She has an omega mom who is from another country--unspecified, it doesn't matter where, but does have some minor bearing on the plot and allows for the reader to be native to Mallorca but physically unspecified.

The Gutierrez family's head alpha is actually Lucas' father--Javi's father's brother. And it's pretty much assumed by everyone that being the only omega in reader's family, she really should be paired with Lucas when she finally goes into heat. Which, of course, reader Does Not Want. She and Javi are friends since before they remember and she just wants to be quiet with him.

Complicating our story more is the fact that Javi does not grow up as an alpha and doesn't want to be one.

And yes, there is at least one heat so far--her first--and it has much to do with Lucas--don't cry for Javi, I'm specifically leaving details out here because it's one of my favorite scenes so far--and there's definitely some heavy angst and longing involved. I'm sure there will be another by the time the story is finished and that will probably be even more satisfying.

.

wip game

Now please let me know what you would qualify as swish cheese. I'd assume this is spray-can cheese. But I could be wrong.

[bunnakit]

wip wednesday sunday 🌸

thank you so much for the tag @kinnbig my love!!

so i have a few varieties of wip, i'll break them into categories

GIFS 🌸

i've been working on an oat gifset since like november and i just get too excited about things from currently releasing shows i haven't gotten around to finishing yet but i'm still very much working on it

ai di highlight gifset (kiseki: dear to me)

chef guy gifset (bake me please)

fav scene per episode (kiseki: dear to me)

shinpeach nc scene (bake me please)

FICS 🌸

this is the day i left you (titdily) chapter 2 (kiseki: dear to me, chen yi x ai di)

better off alone chapter 3 (kiseki: dear to me, chen yi x ai di)

one more time chapter 3 (not me, gumpayok)

the lyrebird king chapter 4 (original novel, ariescaius)

guyoab omegaverse oneshot (bake me please, gift for @sparklyeyedhimbo)

maybe someday touch hold me like a knife and the secret again, someday

ART 🌸

i really don't share my art here much because i'm incredibly self conscious but i'm currently in the process of making bl related emotes for my little bl friends server (and if i make a public bl server ill put them there too ofc) and making a reference for a new vtuber design/persona for the rare instances where i do stream on twitch. i also started a little project FOREVER AGO to make a wallpaper of dinraal, farosh, and naydra (legend of zelda botw and totk) in the zonai style and it's just kinda... sitting there.

i also really want to make a few art pieces of the kiseki dear to me crew and what pokemon teams they'd have but it's a daunting project i just haven't brought myself to start yet.

i'm terrible at tagging and i don't want to bother anyone so if anyone wants to do this consider yourself tagged (and pls tag me bc i wanna see!)

[doks-aux]

WIP Thursday

I missed WIP Wednesday because I was experiencing The Symptoms, and then this thing ended up throttling me in the middle of work today, so perhaps it was kismet. It's something different from the fic I've been working on before, but I'm very excited about it.

Contents: Child death, generalized bad vibes

“Kids?” The soft call heralded a softer knock at the door. “It’s me.” Shifting his burden to one arm, William grasped the handle of the safe room door and eased it open just enough for the both of them to slip inside. His steps wavered as it closed, and he paused a moment to lean back against it as his head gave a little spin. He hadn’t expected to visit tonight or he certainly wouldn’t have been drinking beforehand, but plans had... changed. Unexpectedly. And he didn’t want to appear visibly inebriated in front of the kids even if they should still be too young to really notice. They’d always been very perceptive for their ages. So he stood with his back against the door, dripping rain water onto the concrete floor (he’d have to remember to clean up before he left so he didn’t piss off the janitorial shift first thing tomorrow) and letting his eyes adjust to the dark. Across the room, propped against the wall, the slumped, hollow form of a bear took shape from the shadows. William beamed. “Hey, Gare-bear.” Now able to see, his gaze swept right towards the corner, where a striped, spindly marionette sat perched on a stack of boxes. “Hey, Charlie.”

Silence answered his greetings, but he didn’t take offense. It was hardly fair to expect them to use mouths they no longer really had, after all. And they always found ways other than words to speak to him when they really needed. With his bundle cradled safely back in both arms, he started across the floor towards the looming bear costume. Towards Garrett. “I’m sorry it’s been a little while since I’ve come to visit,” he began, head tipped forward contritely. “I know it must get lonely back here. You almost never get to see the others.” The active animatronics were kept on their stages unless they needed to be brought to the back rooms for repairs or maintenance checks, and even then it was rarely to the safe room. “And your Uncle Henry... Well...” Henry hated it back here. Hated the decommissioned Fredbear and Security Puppet that William wouldn’t let him get rid of. Hated how William kept sneaking back here to talk to them like they were their own precious dead-and-buried children and not the soulless machines that had failed them. But they hadn’t failed them. They had saved them. They kept them close. He had failed them. He had failed them. He had failed them, he had failed them, hehadfailedthemhehadfailedthemhehadfail-- “You know your father loves you, Charlie.” He snapped his gaze to the marionette, its wide, white face staring back expectantly. “He just... He misses you. And he doesn’t understand.” William had tried to make him understand, he truly had. But it only ever upset his friend and partner even more, and he worried that if he pushed too hard, Henry might end up knowing too much far too soon. “But he will,” he reassured his honorary niece, smiling at her still vessel. Had her head been canted to the left like that just a moment ago? Maybe. He knew she was listening either way. “I promise you, poppet. We’ll help him understand, and we’ll... We’ll be a family again. Just like before.” They’d all be a family again. Henry would be happy again, and Frances would bring Sammy back, and Elizabeth and Michael would be safe under his roof where they belonged, and Charlie would be ruining her dress in the dirt again, and Garrett would smile at him again with his own mouth and not the gaping, stained jaws of the thing that had killed-- “But until then!” William gasped, voice rising sharp and quick, cracking at the peak. “I’ve brought you some company.” He held the bundle in his arms forward like an offering at the altar, the little form wrapped head-to-toe in a thick tarp and tied with twine at both ends and the middle to keep out the rain. And keep in the blood and the bone and the brain-- “A n-new... Ugh...” He swallowed the taste of bile at the back of his throat, ignoring the tremor in his stomach, his voice, his arms. “A new friend to stay with you. Their name is Cassidy.”