#I have a longfic planned for them at some point

[akirakirxaa]

“Do you regret it?” (Solus/Valeria)

[Ask prompts here! I'm so excited, this is my first ask for Valeria, I hope you like it!]

Valeria lay curled up on their plush chair before the fireplace, book in hand but not reading it as she stared pensively into the flames, lost in thought. She had long since gotten used to her husband returning late from his many meetings and duties, but rather than going to bed without him as he always insisted, she waited. Going to sleep without him always felt like she would wake the next day to it all having been a dream, and now she was back in her wretched family's attic with her stepmother screaming up that breakfast should have been ready by now. No, she didn't need those nightmares. So she waited.

She had just started to doze, curled up on the chair with her head on the arm, when she heard familiar, unhurried footsteps outside. A moment later the door to their sitting room creaked open slowly, as if he was trying not to wake her. Foolish, she always woke when he finally came to join her, if she had slept at all. At this point it felt more like a dance, just their way of greeting each other after a long day apart.

"Still awake, I see," Solus said, as if it were a surprise, as he removed his coat, leaving him in just his shirtsleeves and trousers. "How was your day, dearest?" Valeria stretched, sitting back up properly in her chair.

"Hmmm, better now that you're here," she gave a smile, gathering her dressing gown around her. He crossed their sitting room, taking one hand and planting a kiss on the back. Valeria couldn't help the heat in her face; the woman could be taken from the common citizenry but the mindset could never quite be gotten rid of. At least she wasn't quite as flustered as when they first met, the emperor of the entire country treating her like the height of royalty when she wasn't even meant to be there.

"Glad to be of service," he gave her a little crooked smile before settling on the couch, and for a while they sat in comfortable silence.

Well, almost comfortable.

Valeria dropped her book, and as she bent to get it she let her golden hair fall in her face, hiding her but not completely blocking her vision. She glanced up at her husband, and there it was. The reason she felt so pensive tonight.

For quite some time now, she noticed that any time he thought he wasn't being watched, he looked at her with a horribly sorrowful expression. It was hard to catch, and disappeared as fast as she noticed it, but she knew for sure he was hiding something from her. She settled back in her chair and thought for a long moment.

"Do you regret it?" she broached the silence, swallowing her nerves. She felt him staring at her.

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you regret it?" she repeated, meeting his bright yellow gaze. "Marrying me? A... commoner? Someone of no importance?" He frowned at her.

"Where is this coming from?"

"I see how you look at me when you think I'm not looking. You appear so sad, so I couldn't help but wonder..." she trailed off, glancing away and fidgeting with her hands. Another few moments of silence.

"Come here, my dear," he held one arm out to her, and she crossed over to him, sliding onto the sofa and into his side. He wrapped his arm around her comfortingly.

"I don't regret us, not for a moment," he tilted her face toward him gently as he spoke. "There's no one I'd rather have as my empress." She searched his face for a lie that wasn't there.

"Then why...?"

"Because I want more for you." She couldn't help the small giggle at his words.

"More? We're already royalty, in a powerful country. I have an entire palace, the best food money can buy, all the assistance I could ask for, for anything I might need, what else could I ever ask for?"

"A better world," he clarified, resting his cheek on her head. "One where there are no wars, where all nations are one, working together. One of peace." Valeria sighed, leaning more fully on his shoulder.

"Sounds like a dream," she mumbled.

"I don't think it has to be," he countered, and she felt like he was still holding something back. But before she could press more, he stood, crossed to their imported orchestrion, and put on a quiet piano piece. He turned back to her with a soft smile.

"Dance with me?" She snorted, but stood anyways, taking his hand.

"You," she accused as they swayed in a slow circle, no thought put into the steps, "are trying to distract me." He kissed her forehead, just above her third eye, and she could feel his amused grin.

"Is it working?"

"A little."

With one finger under her chin, he tilted her head back to capture her lips in a kiss, and Valeria melted into it, her hands clenching in his shirt. He nipped at her lower lip, and she let out a quiet whimper. He took her by one hand and broke away, leading her back towards their bedchambers.

"I think," his voice had dropped lower, holding her gaze as he walked backwards. "It's time for us to retire for the eve." Valeria couldn't help the girlish giggle or the blush on her cheeks as she stumbled eagerly after him.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

[blackkatmagic]

Hello! I've been binging your fics and I'm blown away by how you manage to craft these long stories that are both plotty and character driven! Every time I try my hand at writing I get so overwhelmed by all the details and get bogged down by some entangled plot thread that I just give up... How do you plan out these amazing longfics and keep up an update schedule for multiple fics at the same time? Do you make a plot outline and keep a canon reference on hand when writing? I'd love to hear about your process!

For me, not getting overwhelmed by details comes down to having a mostly-clear idea of what plot beats I want to hit, even if I don't know the exact beats themselves. I don't outline, because it makes my brain feel as if I've already written the fic and then I lose motivation, but I'll usually throw together a bullet-point list of spots I want the plot to go. I try to keep them vague - "thing that makes Jon confront his parental trauma here" or "event that makes Wolffe rely in Feral here" sorts of things - but all in service of the overall theme/direction of the story.

Everything that happens should be directly related to the overall plot, either in shaping the character relationships or shaping events. I know Tumblr likes to scream about how people need to bring back filler, but if you're not careful, and if you don't keep that filler tailored to show character growth/relationship growth, it turns into stray plot threads and bogs things down. If it's a side tangent, remove it and put it in a side fic - focus the main one on what's happening to your characters, and how those characters are shaping the plot.

I'm prone to adding too many subplots to things, personally, and I always want to explore more parts of a story or more characters. The best way to corral that impulse is to make sure all of those threads tie back into the main plot before the end, or help solve a problem in the main plot. As long as you're writing with that in mind, it makes stray threads less likely, and you can fix moments where you've written yourself into a corner by pulling on those threads.

[everythingwasnormalhere]

« Freedom You Said? »

I'm gonna try to avoid big spoilers, as I plan to write longfics about this au sooner than not :3

The main premise is that some people (very few) are born with powers in this au, and there's a big hero organization, named Freedom Pals, trying to get to them as soon as possible, so they can avoid the evil ones doing... evil stuff

There are two main hero teams, that I guess will be interacting at some point (I don't have the whole plot thought just yet), which would be m4 and catg, since Butters is Prof Chaos there'll be more on him specifically too

The leader of the first team would be Mysterion, with the power of immortality. He was born with it, and learnt it was useful to protect his family. FP found him and recruited him, he's one of the few heroes with not only all expenses covered but also a salary, and with permission to see his family. Unlike canonical Kenny (and most Kennys I write), FYS Kenny's immortality is rather a regeneration thing, Deadpool style. As all my Kennys, immortality-caused chronic pain, yet he forces himself to ignore it - the way his suit is pretty tight helps with that a bit, too.

Toolshed would be in Kenny's team. He was recruited after a very bad accident (or was it?), which would have killed him on the spot had FP not done anything. He was one of those already superpowered people, with a slight ability to control metal, nothing too big or useful. Yet, FP had him on their lists before the accident happened, so they rebuilt his body, enhanced his powers, turned him into a weapon. All of his prosthetics are in materials he can control, which is very useful in fights. Another of these is placed on his heart, which he has to consciciosly make beat (or connect to a device at night in order to sleep), as if he stops FP will control it remotely, which is extremely painful to him.

Kite arrived to Earth nobody is quite sure when. He can use his voice to speak most human languages, but he's not the best at learning them, nor can he pronounce many things the way it's done (aka heavy alien accent). As soon as he got to this planet, FP were there to take him with them. He has a FP-assigned family, therefore he can meet up with them relatively often. Oxygen is extremely toxic to him, so he uses an air mask to breathe Earth air.

Cartman is from FP himself. Liane works for them, principally cleaning and making rooms comfortable. She needed money and badly, so she offered to do a little extra job, letting them create her a hybrid child. Cartman was the first successful hybrid by FP, which, combined with the whole superhero mentality, gave him a huge ego. He's quite an ass to his teammates and even some random people, but deep deep down, he's a good guy. He wishes to go by Coon, but his teammates don't allow him to, he goes by Raccoon instead. He's the youngest current hero.

Now onto the others!!!

Craig was also born with superpowers, in a relatively normal family. He wasn't aware of them until he turned sixteen however, having to take part in some weird family prophecy. Soon, FP was onto him. He's very much against being a superhero, he'd rather keep his nice and boring life but he has no other choice. His powers include shooting red energy out of his eyes ("they're not lasers!") and hands, super strenght, and short-distance flying. He despises all of it.

Tweek's powers were between an accident and not. He got struck by lightning, yet was left with no physical mark, and that got attention from FP. After several experiments and drugs, they not only made him immune (CANDY IF YOU SEE THIS THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE WORD YOU SAVED MY LIFE) to electricity, but gave him all storm-related powers. He's, however, not the best at controlling them just yet, and this whole thing increased his already tendency to panic about every little thing. His skin is so cold it burns to the touch, too; between this and plain comfort, his superhero costume is simply an slightly oversized sweater.

Mosquito was the one who inspired FP to keep experimenting with hybrids, which would later on cause Cartman's whole existence. At twelve, he was bitten by - typical - an infected mosquito, which caused his powers to appear. He has mosquito wings that allow him to fly however he wishes (it took him a long time to get there), and he sucks blood with two fangs he has, which he needs to survive. Other physical changes too, but these were the main ones. The FP doctors know damn well he has h-EDS, but they're unsure on whether it was caused by the infection or it was a preexisting condition - they won't let him know about this, though: he thinks it is normal.

[I haven't finished developing Fastpass nor Tupperware just yet, but I will share their info as soon as I do]

People out of these teams now!!!

Scott would be four years older than Mosquito, and he used to be his team captain. They were very close, both as friends and as student - teacher. He has diabetes type 1, and also superstrenght, which FP hasn't found any relationship between - yet he believes they are connected. Deceased.

CallGirl was experimented and given powers by a secret organization, making her a soldier since she was a little kid. FP rescued her, and finding her technology control powers useful, they made her a spy, having her find anyone with powers and get them into FP. She was Stan's girlfriend, and also the one to find out about his powers. They broke up after the accident, though. Stan is still the only one who exclusively calls her Wendy, even knowing about her identity as CallGirl.

Timmy has a similar background as CallGirl, but instead of technology control he received telekinesis and telepathy. FP is unsure on whether he's disabled because of the experiments, or because he was born disabled, nor Timmy wishes to answer. He can technically communicate mentally, but he much prefers to use an AAC device - will only communicate by TP, and reclutantly so, if it's strictly necessary. Such as Wendy, he works as a spy-informant. [Might be changed in the future, as I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with playing into this whole character trope]

Chaos is a villain, therefore, not part of FP, nor he wishes to be. He has had electric powers since he was born, shooting lightning out of his hands. His parents, afraid of and for him, had him locked in a closed room for his whole childhood, until he ran away - killing them in the process - when he was fifteen. He began recruiting Chaos Minions at sixteen, by suggestion of General Disarray, and now he has a quite big army. His electricity used to burn his hands, so now he has low mobility and control in them. He developed a pair of gloves he uses to increase his control over his powers and decrease their negative effects on his body. He got his eye injury from Raccoon, he covers it with an eye patch so the low vision he has in that eye doesn't distract him.

General Disarray joined Chaos soon after he became a villain. He lacks powers, yet he's extremely intelligent in all areas, principally technology. He built the virtual walls around the few Chaos things online, which not even CallGirl can tresspass. He helps Chaos make plans more often than not.

I think that's it lol :3 ask me any questions you have ✨✨

(was asked for this by @l-lawliets-pussy @northernparkservices @fleatomatosauce)

[aithusarosekiller]

HGIHIHIII U SEEM NICE AND ALSO COOL SO HIII :D

DO U HAVE ANY JEGULILY HCS?? I SAW U LIKED THEM IN ANOTHRR POST!!

HI HI HI HI I AM LITERALLY SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO REPLY I KEPT HAVING IDEAS THEN GETTING DISTRACTED AND AAAAAAAAA I AM HERE NOW!!!

Yes I absolutely doooooo, they are my babies and I will gladly share everything I think about them don't you even worry!

ALSO before anyone wastes time whining that jily is tagged here, there are literally jily hcs in the post and I always tag correctly so if it bothers you so much, go to settings and filter out the jegulily tag and then it's gone x

OKAY

- I love the idea that Regulus used family heirlooms in order to make promise rings for both of them because his ancestors would absolutely hate it and sometimes he feels like he has to prove that part of his past wrong and keep pushing back to remind himself that who he was brainwashed to be is NOT who he is. It it actually Lily who suggests reusing heirlooms to give them a new meaning as an idea and he decides to do it and use them as a way to promise to spend his life with them. He's a romantic, what can I say! (in fact, in the longfic I'm planning, Lily having the black signet ring is a recurring feature with quite a lot of weight!) despite Regulus being the one with the promise rings, it is Lily who proposes (it is ALWAYS Lily no matter who I ship her with) and then because they're all for equality in their relationship it's James who announces the wedding and asks Lily's parents and Sirius/Narcissa for permission to marry them. I just love married jegulily idk

- Regulily watch the most disturbing shows together in the middle of the night to the point where James has to go to bed early to miss them or he can't sleep. Eventually they convince him to stay downstairs and just listen to music in his earphones while laying across their laps but he refuses to watch the screen. During the day he's the biggest, toughest guy imaginable. Nothing can phase him at all. But after midnight? ABSOLUTELY NOT. He almost turns into a completely different person. It is not helped by the folk tales Fleamont told him as a kid to mess with him, not realising just how much they would stick with him in years to come.

- James cooks dinner, Lily makes dessert, Regulus cleans. You just know Lily makes the best apple pie with the lattice top and everything 🙏 James can do pretty much anything well, and Regulus is decent at both but doesn't really enjoy it so he does all the washing up because he likes the way it gives him time to stare into the water and think

- not much to this one but I love them being T4T4T SOOOOO much! They're the transest trio ever. They just are sorry, I know because I am trans so I'm allowed to spread it around wherever I want 🤷‍♂️

- Lily gets really warm and stressed under too much physical contact. If they're all cuddled together she'll be on the outside with Reg's face in her neck and one of James' hands on her waist but most of the time she'll only pick one of them to cuddle up to so she doesn't get overwhelmed. Regulus is always in the middle, he's touch starved to the point where refusing to hug him is like kicking a puppy

- In an au where their all raise Harry together, he's the biggest mummy's boy. There is NO way Lily isn't his favourite parent. It's always 'where's mum?' 'If mummy was here-' 'I miss mummy' she pretends to feel bad for them both but secretly loves it

- James falls asleep ANYWHERE. It's not rare at all to find him curled up on the floor while sorting laundry or snoozing in the passenger seat on a short drive. He's also a very deep sleeper, so they'll just give him a little kiss on the head, take a photo for the growing collection there saving for his 50th birthday, and cover him with a blanket.

- James and Lily go to concerts together. It's one of their favourite types of date. James and Regulus go to the cinema (Lily got them into films and they have never looked back some) and Regulus and Lily adore going to the theatre. They all like going to museums together.

- for their first anniversary, Peter got them a little orange tree that everyone expected Lily to care for the most bc she'd always been really good in jerbologj so they're all surprised when it becomes Regulus' little baby with only the best fertiliser and plant food that he forces James to get whenever he passes through Diagon.

- Every morning Reg and Lily sit and do the sudoku together

- Whenever James spends time out of the country, he'll bring back something nice for each of his friends and partners (it's his love language!) he puts so much thought into into each one that sometimes he'll dedicate an entire day of the trip to finding the perfect gift for each person

[tigers1o1]

Sit with me for a moment while I talk about writing, and growth. (And if you're a beginner to any creative hobby, I urge you to listen)

A few years ago, at the start of my fanfiction writing journey, I joined a discord server that was for fans of a specific fairly popular fanfiction. There were many writers in the server, not just the one that created the server. I didn't really write fanfiction upon joining this server, but it only took a month and a half for them to encourage and convince me to start writing. This was almost 4 years ago and I've been writing fic ever since (I've been writing for much longer, though)

One of the things I most vividly remember from my time on this server was when I was talking to the creator about how she was writing this absolutely massive fic (i believe its currently at 500k words, but at the time of this conversation it was still around 80k). And I remember asking her, "How do you write such long fics? No matter how hard I try, I can only barely manage to pass 10k." and she said,

"I don't know. One day I just did it, and now I can't stop writing long fics."

For 2 and a half years, I never really understood. I didn't get how a switch could just flip and suddenly you can do it. That is until November of last year, when I started writing a silly little modern au that suddenly surpassed 10k. And I was 2/5 chapters done. And then the third chapter alone was 12k. And the 4th? 16k on its own. The fic ended up being 47k words total. I have no idea how I did it, and I'm not here to brag, but it's also one of my proudest works.

What I am here to talk about is how it happened just like how my old friend described it. One day, the fucking spirit of little gay boys possessed me and I wrote way more than I ever had previously. And now? I'm currently writing my 4th planned longfic. It just surpassed 10k, but I'm expecting it to be 60k. And after this, I'm going to finish another long fic that's already my favorite thing I've ever written (it's about half finished at the moment). I haven't written anything under 10k in a while.

And something very similar happened with my art. I've been drawing for nearly 10 years. And one day, I drew something that suddenly, after years of what I thought was shit, I was proud of. And sure, I've made shitty drawings since then and my skill has regressed at times, but I woke up one day with the ability to make something I was proud of.

I'm not trying to give you the impression that one day you'll just magically have the ability to do what you're dreaming of. However, if you work at something and you don't stop, even when it sucks and you can only write a few hundred words, one day, you'll be able to look at your work and see something you're proud of. And you'll think, "Now how did that happen?" because at some point you stopped trying to get to your goal, and you just started enjoying the process.

That 47k fic was born of a pairing I loved, and it was written for someone I loved. And I started enjoying the process of creation, rather than thinking about how good I wished I was.

If I leave you with nothing else, I hope that one day you'll wake up and find that you are capable of the things you want to achieve.

[moonselune]

So I'm writing a longfic and throughout it Minthy adopts a half-drow kid, but I wanted to see the idea as a stand-alone snippet written in your marvelous style, if you're up to it <3

Okay I'm going down the road of accidental child acquisition and for some reason or another she has this half drow kid with her when she is trying to take over Menzoberranzen. I see her plotting in a tavern pre her return, and she just has this kid with her who is trying to show off their latest trick.

Minthara sat at a weathered wooden table in a dimly lit tavern, the flickering candlelight casting shadows on her intricate maps. Her sharp eyes scanned the lines and markings, plotting her next move to reclaim Menzoberranzen. Beside her, a half-drow child fidgeted restlessly, trying to capture her attention.

"Minthy, look! One hand!" the child exclaimed, balancing precariously on a table with one hand.

"It's Minthara, not Minthy, and I am trying to—oh, by the gods, get down from there, now." Minthara snapped, glancing up from her maps. The child wobbled, their hand trembling under the strain.

"Shut up, child eater."

"Sun scum."

"Spider kisser."

"Mongrel."

"Murk—Ow!" The child's arm finally gave way, and they tumbled off the table, landing in a heap on the floor with a crash.

Minthara sighed, a small smile playing on her lips as she smoothed out her maps. "I told you to get down from there," she chided, though her eyes softened as she glanced at the child. Seeing the devious grin forming on their face, she knew they were uninjured. She then stood up abruptly, thwarting the child's plan to kick the chair from under her.

"No fair…" the child grumbled, brushing themselves off.

"Then be better," Minthara retorted as she retrieved the chair that had been unceremoniously kicked across the room.

"Then be better," the child mocked, quickly ducking to avoid the small book Minthara tossed at them. They settled on a nearby chair, drawing their legs up to their chest and huffing. "I'm bored!"

"Then make yourself useful and come plot with me," Minthara said, her tone softening slightly.

"Really?" The child's eyes lit up with excitement as they scrambled off the chair to join her at the table. They peered over the edge, trying to make sense of the intricate plans sprawled across the surface.

"Yes, really," Minthara replied, pulling them closer. "Look here," she pointed to a marked section on the map. "This is where we'll stage our ambush. What do you think we should do to catch them off guard?"

The child's brow furrowed in concentration as they studied the map. "Maybe we can hide in the shadows here," they suggested, pointing to a narrow alleyway.

"That's a good idea. We'll use that to our advantage." Minthara nodded, a proud smile tugging at her lips. She patted the child's head, affectionately, she then motioned for them to grab a chair and sit next to her.

Throughout the night they plotted and schemed, Minthara passing on all that she knew to her new prodigy. She made a mental note to start introducing them to poisons and toxins next, build up their immunity. As the moon peaked in the sky, Minthara was drawn from her thoughts by a light snore, the child had sworn that they were simply resting their head on her shoulder so they could get to see everything from her perspective. She should have known from their ceased chattering that followed soon that you had fallen asleep.

Sighing Minthara picked the child up, being careful not to stir them from their slumber. She had never thought herself particularly maternal, well at least not in the conventional sense, she knew she would be an excellent drow mother. Perhaps she could come to a compromise for this child.

Oh my god I had to stop myself from writing a full fic this was so much fun and I hope you like it - Seluney xox

[sharpth1ng]

As someone who has TRIED to write longfic for a while, I find outlining and sticking to it so fucking hard?! Like I never know what I'm doing at all. And I wanted to ask how do you do it??? Like what's your process if you have one or just whatever tips you have, because I feel like the pacing and plot/character evolution in your fics is so good? Idek dude I'm desperate this is so hard 😭😭 but I really wanna do it so. Help please

Honestly this is the first long fic I’ve managed to write, it’s something I’ve struggled with a lot as well. I guess I have a couple tips, but it’s by no means expert advice. It’s also possible some of this is too basic, idk, but I’ll do my best to be helpful.

Outlining and thinking into the future is really important but I’d actually recommend you give yourself a little flexibility to change things as well. I like to have my end point set- that means I know how characters start out and how they change through the course of the fic. After that I basically just have to get from point A to point B by figuring out what events happen to change the characters over the course of the plot.

In Debaser the start point is a closeted, self-denying Billy and a Stu that’s not yet completely sure of his place in Billy’s orbit. At the end we have a Billy who is still closeted but admits his sexuality to himself and has fallen in love with Stu, and we have an equally but more openly in love Stu who is also significantly more confident (if also severely injured).

It helps to have a solid midpoint as well, this is basic plot structure stuff. You need the characters to face a challenge and overcome it, and for Debaser this is Maureen’s death. It’s their first murder but it also marks the beginning of a significant change in their relationship. Before Maureen their behaviour has been almost justifiably kinky to Billy. He can tell himself that he’s only getting off on causing Stu pain, but kissing him crosses a line, and then there’s everything that happens at Christmas and it just continues from there.

As I’m writing this stuff I try to be mindful that I’m creating a sense of escalation- the characters are making progress or regressing, but either of way the stakes are getting higher. Scream lends itself well to that, so I got lucky.

It also helps that I’m sort writing a book slasher, at least later in the fic. It means I can make use of those tropes, so I have something to lean on. I’d recommend figuring out some tropes that you like from the genre you’re working in, and put your own spin on them or find a way to subvert them.

I often work through this kind of planning with more of a visual map, then this eventually gets turned into bullet point summaries of each chapter. When I actually go to write the chapter a lot of the time I realize some of those planned plot points don’t quite work or don’t feel in character, and in those cases I often change those details. If it works better for the story I’m telling then it’s good to go off-script a little. There are usually some major events that I won’t change, but most things are fair game.

Finally, I’d recommend writing ahead. It’s really benefited me to know what’s happening in the next few chapters before I edit for publishing. That way I can add in or change any details that no longer work with what’s coming up in the future.

I hope some of this makes sense (and is helpful) but like you’re right, it is hard. It’s such a scary process honestly and that’s part of why Wave of Mutilation is taking me so much time. But yeah I think it’s normal for it to feel kind of awful to do this kind of thing. Truly the only thing i hate more than writing is not writing.

I wish you the fucking best with whatever you’re working on!

[macbethsymphony]

My lovely, please please share?!

Fic authors self rec! When you receive this, reply with favorite five fics you've written (include links, and if you want- a few thoughts about each one), then pass on to at least five other writers if you're up for it. Spread the self-love ✨

Ohhhh was so much harder than I thought it would be!

#1 is obviously The Swordsman and the Blacksmith!

I have so many reasons as to why I should be proud of this one. It’s the first longfic I ever completed, my writing really improved over the span of writing it, it helped me find my writing style and overall I just really really love this story. It’s also what made me fall in love with Zoro and the nuances of his character, plus I really enjoyed writing a flawed main character.

Fun little fact, the whole fic came from this one scene I had in my head of Zoro fucking the main character and asking "Make me a sword"... I just had to uhhh write around 80k words to get there (it was originally planned to be around 30k but I'm really glad I pushed it to where it is now)

(Am I allowed to go into specific favorite chapters? Top 5? It’s my post I guess I can, I’ll yap about my fav chapters below the cut!!!!)

#2 has to be Cherry Girl

It’s the fic that brought me back to writing after almost a decade of nothing. I also find the story kind of sweet and fun and a different take on the Kid pirates. Also it was a really fun reader insert to write, such a breath of fresh air kind of character. It's a really different tone from my other fics but it's also why I love it so much.

#3 Negotiations

Maybe it's recency bias maybe not but I had so much fun with the dialogues at the beginning of this fic. It was a challenge and I am actually kind of proud of what I managed to achieve with it. (the smut's also pretty good imo)

#4 This Shanks ask I answered that plagues my mind and which I desperately need to make into a full fic >.>

#5 Port Wine & Sake

It's still in progress but it's my challenge fic and I love it for what it is! It's me trying to up my game with dialogues, me trying to improve my vocabulary, me trying to write characters I don't know much about, exploring trauma and writing a main character that is absolutely nothing like me. It is a challenge and it often leaves me stuck but I am also so proud of it.

OK SO NOW I YAP ABOUT MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS OF THE SWORDSMAN AND THE BLACKSMITH!!!!!!!! I'll go chronologically!!

Chapter 10: Chasing Distractions

When the reader gets hammered omg! Let me tell you, the way I was kicking my feet and giggling as I was writing, it was so much fun! But what I love most about this moment is that they’ve both only just started seeing each other past the 'he’s a skilled swordsman' and 'she’s a skilled blacksmith' and they can both respect that. It’s basically the start of their friendship and it’s very cute. (Also I believe that if she hadn’t been drunk, they might have fucked. There’s definitely already some sort of attraction budding between the two)

Chapter 18: You're Drunk

Look I had so much fun writing drunk reader that I had to write it again >.> but also it's deeper than that and I love how different it is because their relationship has evolved. What I love most about that chapter is the confirmation that the reader character made the right choice by choosing to leave with the straw hats. As in, until that point there was always some sort of ambiguity but now we’re really aware that they’re with the right people and that they’ve found a new family! There's that softness and kind of quiet understanding that I love. BUT ALSO THE AMOUNT OF SELF RESTRAINT I HAD TO EXERT NOT TO MAKE THEM FUCK RIGHT THERE!!!!!! You have no idea hahaha

Chapter 20: Scars

The bath scene!!!! I can never shut up about the bath scene!!!!! The intimacy in this one just makes me melt. They finally really really get to know one another. It’s an acknowledgment of their respective skills, they’re sharing stories and vulnerable moments. THE MAKING OUT!!!! Zoro’s intents become really really clear, it’s definitely a shift in their relationship. And Nami ratting out Zoro the next day just feels so accurate

Chapter 21: Shusui

I had to research so much for this chapter. Katanas are really complex!!!! But there's this soft rhythm to this chapter that I adore and am so proud of. The intimacy of the moment that is also translated into the technical details of swords is just incredible, at least I think so.

Chapter 24: I'm Still Angry & Chapter 25: Harmony (I think they're one just in two parts honestly)

I don't think I need to explain this one... It's hot, it's beautiful, they're in love but they're still the stubborn idiots they've always been. It makes me giggly like a teenage school girl and I think it wraps up the whole thing perfectly.

Honorable mention to the moment in Chapter 8: The Burden of a Creator where Franky talks about creating things and the impact it has on the world. I think it's one of the character moments outside of Zoro x Reader that I loved most in this fic. (I also really adore Franky and can relate to the whole creating thing a lot)

annnnnd I ended up yapping pehaps a little too much....my bad haha

[macawritesupdates]

Fic Writing Updates 11/10

Been super duper busy of late as I have a second job in the evening cutting into writing time and also having to get some art done for zines. Just been a balancing act ; w ;

However! Working on fics to get them updated so don't worry, the updates are coming I swear! <3

The goal this month is to get a lot of these long fics wrapped up so I have less stories to update on my plate which should equal faster updates!

JUJUTSU KAISEN LONGFIC UPDATES

The Yuuji Files: About 9k words into this chapter and just about to reach the halfway point so...it is a very large chapter, but feels short writing it honestly given how the action is flowing! Hopefully readers will enjoy!

Broken in the Ways No One Sees: Last chapter should come out today! That's the plan at least! I want to get this chapter out so the story can be brought to its conclusion <3 Spouse Wanted: Hoping to write and post an update today for this one if I can. Chapter is almost done, just have to write the final scene

Can't Help a Cuddle: Sorting out the notes and starting to work on it! A lot of suggestions to organize and work into a chapter so it has been slow going, but hopefully will satisfy readers <3 Lessons in Accidental Seduction: New chapter is in the works, slowly but surely!

Malevolence of Love: Taking a small break to sort out notes for the next chapter as the angst is heading for a conclusion now...

Who's A Good Boy: Once Broken is done, going to speed run the chapters of this story to get it completed. Think it is an easier one to clear out then some of these!

Careful What you Joke About: Working on next chapter slowly but surely, just making sure it flows how I like, but still on the docket for an update soon When You Have Two Grandsons: This is a comfort fic so it gets updated when I get inspired and needing something to write/relax from other fics. No new chapter just yet....

Mirrored Lives: Plan is to get this one finished out in terms of the rewrite to the outline and then push it out to get it concluded so it stops hanging over me :C

MY HERO ACADAMIA FIC UPDATES

Jealousy is Not a Good Friend: My other comfort fic. Especially as the readers are calling for us to be mean to Kirishima and break his feelings into tiny pieces...and you KNOW I'm here for angst.

Unsung Heroes: Working on it when I can, just really want to update it > . < but also want to take my time with it >.<

ONE -SHOTS

KiriOchaToga Oneshot: Because I want to write it and you can't stop me.

Once Upon a Blob: Because I want some Blobkuna....

FICS TO COME

Changing this fics that I'm actively working on writing as...too many ideas rattling around that I want to write >.< So these are fics that are on the docket to come and going to actually write. COLLAB FIC: Still working on this fic and excited to eventually share it with readers <3

Culturally Inappropriate: The first chapter is being prepared and I'm going to launch it once I finish some of the other long fics so can devote a lot more time to it! I want to do some art for it...but will make a poll of readers want to see that!

[lonewolflupe]

20 Fic Writer Questions

Thank you for tagging me, @eternal-transcience and @returnofthepineapple (I loved reading your answers)! ❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

27 (since I joined AO3 in June 2024)!

2. What's your A03 word count?

136,634

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

For All One's Worth (TBB Echo x reader) - 23 kudos

Echo Of Your Mind (TBB Echo x reader) - 22 kudos

The Cavalry Has Arrived (TBB POV) - 20 kudos

Battle Scars (TBB Echo POV) - 19 kudos

On Vanilla And Caramel (Fox x reader) - 17 kudos

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

Probably my longfic A Lupe Of Faith, but that's still unfinished (taking a midseason-break at a pretty angsty point in the story tho). For finished pieces, I think Before I Fall (Fives).

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

I'd like to think Signs Of Affection (Fives x reader NSFW) haha

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't received any, thank the Maker!

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

Yes I do! It's pretty mild, because I'm still trying to get comfortable with writing it. I'd love to explore it more further tho!

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

No I don't, not really my thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of!

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

No I haven't!

I did write a cracky holomail that is part of @aknightreaderr's Fives State Of Mind universe (and I'm planning on some more Fox-screaming-into-the-cracky-void for that same universe).

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Lupe (OC) x Fives sorry not sorry

Otherwise.. I absolutely love Foxiyo, Codywan and Blyla!

15. What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever wilI?

I still intend on finishing all my current WIPs, haha

I have two multi-chapter fics I'm working on, one with a new OC, one with Reader. But I won't start posting them until I've finished some more chapters (I should work on those again, where did the time go)

16. What are your writing strengths?

Uhm.. I'm not really sure? I think I'm pretty okay with writing fluff and hurt/comfort. I'm still a starting writer so I'd leave this question open to my readers haha

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing in English (which isn't my first language)! I think I'm managing, but I feel like I can't express myself fully (I wish my English vocabulary was wider). It feels like I get repetitive sometimes, using the same words over and over again. (Thesaurus and the Cambridge Dictionary are livesavers and I always have them around whilst writing)

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

"Ik hoop oprecht dat je een grap maakt als je zegt dat je een dialoog in mijn bitterballen-taal wil," Lupe said with a straight face, as she jabbed a stick into a cheese cube. She devoured the soft, luscious Gouda, before continuing with her mouth still full: "Laten we het bij kaas houden."

I'm just kidding here. I'm not super fond of my own language (Dutch), so I actually prefer writing in English (even when I'm restricted with it). I do use some Mando'a words from time to time, and I might have used some Huttese slang. But I don't master those languages enough to write whole sentences in it, so English it is.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Clone Wars / The Bad Batch! (This is my first time writing fanfic)

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

I hold my longfic A Lupe Of Faith very dear, but A Buir's Burden (Alpha-17 + Cadet Rex + Cadet Cody) is definitely one of my favourites (along a few I mentioned at question 4).

---

NPT: @aknightreaderr @eclec-tech @kotemf @ladylucksrogue @kybercrystals94 and whoever else has AO3 and wants to join this!

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

what if i repurposed my 50k of planning for the genderbend AU for a muriel x tes fic. haha jk.... unless 😳

muriel spoilers, but woman who's a very determined flirt despite her job demanding she be chaste and pious x knight who's doing His Best to keep it together is literally what i wanted out of my genderbend AU. muriel please i need you to have more appearances soon, muriel please please

[zuppizup]

Hi Zuppi! Sorry if this is a bother, but I was really curious how you (and fic authors in general) plan longfics?

I've been working on a couple really steadily (by some ADHD miracle) and I've hit the point where I really need to start planning them out, but I genuinely don't know how.

Do you do it chapter by chapter, or is it more just a vauge idea? How do you know how long something's going to be, or how much time to spend on it?

Thank you so much 😊

Both your asks made it through, but I’ll stick them in one so as to not clog up your notifs. 😊 And no bother at all! It’s always fun to get asks!

I have been asked this before, but it was some time ago and, oof, Tumblr search. I managed to track down those replies, where I go a little more in depth in to my, cough, “process”. They’re here and here.

I guess, first of, you need to get a feel for whether you’re a planner or a panster. There’s pros and cons to each and I don’t think anyone’s really truly one or the other, but most of the writers I talk to do lean one way or another. There’s really nothing wrong with writing and seeing where the story takes you. You don’t have to plan out a story and I’ve certainly written fics where I just started with a vibe and then ran with it. In fact, one of the fics I enjoyed writing the most (Rumour has it…) was pretty much written based on a couple of ideas I thought would be dumb, along with a vague “Rayllum ending”. The rest of the fic, the characters sort of wrote themselves.

Having said that, I am generally a planner and I do generally have pretty detailed plans. 😅

If you also prefer to plan, again, there’s no right way or wrong way to do it. You could have an ending in mind and need to find a way to get there. Or perhaps there’s an inciting incident you want to write but you don’t know how to resolve it. In that case, what are all the things that could happen? What are they things they definitely wouldn’t? Why? Honestly, some of the most enjoyable things I’ve written were stories where I took what was most likely to happen and then threw that idea out the window.

Personally, once I have a rough beginning, middle and end, I break those down into more manageable chunks. I’ll note plot points I want hit or character arcs I have planned and then where they occur. As I said in the links above, I tend to do this in a spreadsheet at this stage, because I find it easy visualise connected plot elements that way and I can quickly rearrange them. A lot of my fics also involve actual dates or action that has to occur around particular moon phases, and I personally find that easier to visualise and manage in a spreadsheet.

So, a basic first pass might be something like this (from Husk)

Generally before I even get here, I know the beginning, middle and end, as well as a few major plot points along the way, but once I start writing this sort of thing out, more ideas flow and it’s easier to add to them.

Beginning - Rayla cursed by Claudia

Callum finds Rayla cursed

Struggles to accept it’s fatal

Glimpse of improvement only to hear terrible news

Middle - Callum attempting to find a cure

Distraction - Rayla’s parents and Runaan decoined

Strained relationships

Ezran arrives for help and support

End - Possible cure found

Things not as they seem.

Temptation and resolve

Conclusion

Usually from here ideas start to flow and I’ll begin to organise by “chapters” though they invariably change a lot in the planning process. Once I’ve got to this point though, I’ll usually have a pretty feel for the whole fic and ideas flow on from each other. Some nitty gritty stuff I honestly ignore in the planning stage. If it’s, say some spell I need or a conflict that I know “will” happen, I’ll add a place holder (e.g. [research spell] [Rayllum disagreement]) and then move on, because I don’t want to get distracted by things I can work out later. Durning my brainstorming time, I really trying to get the idea written down before it drifts on into the ether. Certain details can and usually are changed when it comes time to refine the whole thing.

How do I know how long a fic is going to be? Oh dear, I can already tell a number of people laughed at that question. I am utterly woeful at predicting how long my fics are going to be. Woeful. I thought I could wrap up Zoom-mates in three chapters. It’ll be over 250k by the time I finish posting. Someone asked me if I thought Purgatory would get to 70k and I thought “jeez, 70k?! Imagine!” Likely to be closer to 170k, all in. Even Rumour has it… went twice as long as I had planned.

So in that aspect, I very much cannot help you. 😆

I try! I bunch together plot points and group them into chapters, but invariably I go over, it’s just a matter of by how much. I want to say I’m getting better at predicting, but I think it’s more I’ve conceded defeat and acknowledged I am not in charge of that aspect of my fics.

So after all that talk of planning (which again, is just how I write, but there are many, many pansters among the Rayllum writers and they write gold), onto what I think is really the most important aspect of planning…

Once you have a plan (however detailed), I honestly think the most important thing is to ensure you don’t rigidly stick to it. I don’t mean throw the plan out, but if you find you’re forcing writing or the story doesn’t feel right, the plan might need adapting. Maybe a subplot went places you didn’t initial envisage or character’s motivations were changed by the events that led you to where you are. Don’t be afraid to change the plan, even if you initially thought it was perfect or you’re afraid of “wasting” ideas. I don’t delete anything. If something just isn’t working, then I “scrap” it, banishing it to a seperate document so that it doesn’t distract me from my current project. I’ve recycled plenty of stuff by doing this, and even if I abandon some of it, I think any time spent writing is time spent learning and improving, so it’s worth it all the same.

If while writing you finding yourself caught up writing dialogue or introspection, go with it. You might not use it, but if you’re really in the zone, if the characters or setting are really speaking to you, I think it’s best to run with that and decided if you’re going to use it after. Even if it doesn’t get published in the fic, it likely is telling you something about your story.

I hope this ramble is helpful. I can only talk to my process and experience. I’ve no training in writing, I merely like quiet hobbies and get very obsessed with things.

I’m sure others have some helpful tips to add to, so please feel free to reblog/comment with what you find useful!

[paunchsalazar]

hey so I really enjoyed your kyokao longfic and i was wondering what the writing process was like since im planning on writing a fanfic (first time).

did you plan anything with an outline? or did you wing it?

anyways thanks in advance (and btw im doing another reread of your fic, it's so narratively satisfying!!)

omg woah first!!! thank you so much!!! that is seriously the most touching thing to possibly hear T-T

This is going to be such a long-winded answer but I definitely did not wing it!!! apologies for the long post but I love to see behind the curtain and think about process so...

That fic was my first multi-chapter story and waaaay longer than anything else I’ve ever made… so I kinda had no idea where to start. I wanted to make a rough outline to see if it was even feasible - was there a beginning, middle, and end? Even a super hazy one? before jumping in and writing a whole long project… (I had no idea how long it would be, but knew it was definitely longer than a few thousand words.)

it started as a timeline - trying to keep track of all the canon events via bonus chapters and sketches, then working to fill in the gaps with headcanons. Even though Ouran is silly, by the end they’re operating within a normal timeline lol….

After filling out a lot of the timeline with headcanons then organizing them in chronological order.. started to see the plot/opportunities for change - in the characters, their relationships, the state of their lives - especially with school, moving, etc. all of the above

I tried to make myself a guide to keep organized lol (totally unnecessary, but helped me keep track of things!)

the timeline started as bullet points - if there are any settings or occasions that would justify an “episode” - major holidays, group trip, etc. At least with Ouran, I tried to play around with the settings - The host club has unlimited resources which is a rare luxury… but wanted to keep in the realm of what they might do + think about fancy rich people things they hadn’t yet covered “on screen”

From there, it went to sub-bullet points, then trying to nail down each beat I'd want to cover - through narration or dialogue

It's hard to pin it down but sometimes certain moments - a visual, an exchange of dialogue - play out really clearly in my head… so would occasionally find that moment and then reverse engineer what would lead to that, then follow the thread to where it would potentially go…

Usually went in chronological order or at least made a list of beats all the way through, but then would jump back and forth to fix little things or add in details I realized needed to move sooner/be foreshadowed…

Outline/timeline > beats > rough draft > going line by line to edit + then hopping around to fix things accordingly

I had a lot of different docs... just because they get so big

+ I like to put unfinished things in blue (or any color, I like blue because red feels more negative to me lol) and then change them to black when they feel "locked" or at least like they're functioning. It helps me keep track of how much is left to do + makes it easier to find spots that need attention!

+ also like to have a "cutting room" document for everything I cut/don't know where to put/is redundant in case I want to use it for later, or even just to try to see what I was going for!! I've found it to come in handy down the line

Here are some examples of the WIP bullet points/blurbs lol... I also like to make "off-screen" notes to myself just to keep in mind, I did have a friend beta-reading some parts, but kinda do this for myself anyway just to keep it in mind.

From there it was just writing and rewriting... I usually go through a scene from the beginning and read until something trips me up, try to either fix it or make note of what the intention was and then go on to the next beat. I went chapter by chapter, in order, and tried to get each locked before going on to the next one.

Should also note that this fic took me a long time!! And I wasn't working on it with a super set schedule. It was purely for fun, so I just worked on it when I felt like it (and as it grew, I found myself wanting to work on it more and more! so it was exciting more than a chore).

I talked to friends about it, even if just kinda laughing about headcanons or jokes, and had a few people read through the beats and a few scenes to see if it flowed/if the dialogue sounded in character!

+ I did a lot of revisiting the source material or even just watching a clip when I felt like I was losing their voices. Idk if it was that successful... but it helped to keep them in mind!!

Anyway... I can only speak for what works for me! and I think a lot of these habits are coming from my storyboarding workflow.

Writing is so personal and there is bound to be trial and error!! I hope that you have so much fun writing, whatever approach you take!!!!!

Also what thank you so much for reading my fic at all and for your kindness!! If you ever publish your fic, please send me a link!!! even if it is ages from now!!!!!

[etoilesombre]

hi! this is maybe very out of the blue, but - i'm reading 'our feast is but beginning' on ao3, and in a comment on part one you write something about the urca gold being a cursed symbol and that it makes zero economical sense. idk really what i am asking but maybe - do you have posts on hand that deal with that? or would you write down some of your thoughts on that? it sounds really interesting! thanks (:

OOOH I'm so excited to talk about this -- it is actually going to come up more in the final chapter of that series, and it comes up as a major plot point in longfic, because I think its a really great example of how in some ways Black Sails is Just a Story. Which is also to say: none of what I'm saying here is a criticism of the show. The Urca Gold is Pirate Treasure writ large, it serves its function in the narrative, we don't actually need to think about the real world implications of stealing it.

But IF, for instance, you were a fanfic writer and kind of a history and econ nerd, and inclined to 'well actually' stuff, then you might see a couple problems with the gold as a solution for a free and independent Nassau. I think of them basically as problems of scale and form.

Let's talk about scale first. Basically, if you are going to steal and not die, you have to make a few calculations.

If you can steal something big, run away and live anonymously ever after, good for you! No problems. (This was Silver's initial plan. He was smart.)

If, however, you are going to steal openly, and maintain some sort of defended home base (see: bandits, organized crime, pirates) you have to ensure it is not worthwhile for people to come get their stuff back. This is why, as a pirate, it behooves you to have a reputation for extreme violence, and also a remote hideout. Merchant ships have insurance, the right people quietly profit from the fencing of pirated goods; nobody actually wants to die, so piracy is cost of doing business, and the world carries on.

The Urca gold is in a completely different class of stealing. This isn't holding up a truck; it isn't robbing the bank. It's robbing the Federal Reserve. Five million Spanish dollars, in today's money (yes, there are issues thinking of it this way, but the point holds) equals somewhere around 250-300 million US dollars.* There is simply no way that it is not worth Spain's (or England's) time and resources to go get it back. The cache they were fighting over at the end was one share and it was enough to cause all that trouble. The full amount would be worth sending a good chunk of your navy for, and the fact that this did not happen immediately requires some suspension of disbelief. Anyway.

Flint's theory seems to be that it's enough money to allow the pirates to defend Nassau against that threat, and basically establish themselves as a rich colony the empires won't fuck with. This is treated by the show like a reasonably serious proposition. So why does it fall apart? You can buy anything with that kind of money, can't you?

Now we get to the problem of form. Gold is only useful if you can exchange it for stuff you need. This is a problem for the pirates on two different fronts, defense specifically and trade in general.

In terms of defense, the pirates would need, very quickly, enough ships and guns to fight at least one imperial navy. But only the major powers were capable of manufacturing those ships and guns. Even if the pirates bought up all they could in terms of well-armed merchant ships/found a corrupt governor or two to buy guns and powder from, it would always be a losing battle because no matter how much money you throw at them, the powers that make warships are absolutely not selling you any. Why would they, when they can use them to come take the gold instead?

So, if the pirates aren't going to live long once they have this gold, can they at least spend their last months being filthy rich and enjoying themselves?

Not really.

We see Jack's crew members getting huge shares, everyone else on the island taking payment to help with defense when the time comes, as well as Jack paying laborers exorbitant amounts. So there's plenty to go around right?

This is how inflation happens. If we all suddenly have twice as much gold, but there is no more actual physical stuff, almost instantly the stuff will cost twice as much. This problem at least theoretically could be corrected by increasing trade. [Also, realistically, people would leave. But let's say they're staying for belief in the pirate republic reasons.] Because in the wider economy of trade in the Atlantic money is still valued normally, you can just import what you need.

And, maybe. This is more plausible than the rest.

But that sort of correction takes time, and given the whole 'war with civilization' situation, there can't be legitimate and sanctioned trade. It's pretty hard to get enough illegitimate goods in for an economy to prosper --- especially because if you're relying on black market trade during wartime, notoriously there ends up being price gouging and then you're back to square one with inflation.

In conclusion: the show does not get bogged down by this, as it shouldn't. It's fine. But yeah, the gold is fake and makes no sense, and Flint and Jack especially are borderline delusional about what it can achieve for them.

*This is actually not as impressive as I wanted it to be, once I started looking up reference points, eg, how much outstanding student debt is there? how much money does besos have? how much is defense spending? Did y'all know we should fight capitalism and eat the rich?

[mylordshesacactus]

As I've picked it back up again after a long hiatus, I've realized that I probably have a lot of people around now who have no earthly idea what the hell my current longfic project even is anymore!

Anyway, this is a GREAT time to start reading

Reunification

Darnassus falls. In some timeline, in some version of the story, Nathanos Marris makes a mistake. In some timeline a word of kindness somewhere, a show of support somewhere else, a moment of humanity for lack of a better term, heads off a preemptive strike at the pass. In some timeline, Alliance intelligence is just a tiny bit more paranoid, a tiny bit more thorough, and the Horde stalls in Ashenvale. But today, Darnassus falls. Darnassus does not burn.

It's a single-point divergence AU of the War of Thorns--I was genuinely shocked that "AU where Sylvanas' original plan, to kill Malfurion and occupy Darnassus intact, succeeded" wasn't more prominent in the fandom. I was ALSO shocked to find so little Tyrande/Thalyssra anywhere, so I folded the two into a single project.

Some highlights:

Thalrande arranged marriage as a political-hostage bargaining chip

Sylvanas displaying both political and military competence while, crucially, still being a deeply obnoxious asshole (affectionate) the whole time

Valtrois TM

Anduin Wrynn, Living Embodiment Of Sunshine

Jaina, traumatized and angry and heartsick, dragged into overseeing the joint administration of Lordaeron and finding herself again in a city she's terrified to let herself love

All of my favorite minor NPCs/Hearthstone protagonists getting their day in the limelight (Rokara and Cariel Roame and Elise Starseeker my beloveds--)

The stark divide between high-level faction politics, and the lived reality of (what I hope you find to be) a rich cast of ordinary, sub-Champion citizens of Azeroth whose lives are a lot more complicated than killing people over a simple blue or red banner

(Seriously, if you like my OCs in general, the little folk of Azeroth are a major recurring thing here.)

Cannot emphasize how emphatically Valtrois is both Present and Extremely Herself.

We're currently right in the middle of a really interesting arc that's REALLY intertwining the parallel plotlines; I'm referring to them in my planning notes as the Ruby Dragonflight and Lordaeron Crisis arcs.

I'm having fun and I think there's some stuff here for a lot of people if y'all want to check it out! I have a much more sustainable approach to writing these days (and a partner who's ALSO writing warcraft longfic, and that's helping to keep the muse alive).

Anyway! Hope to see you over there.

[fixaidea]

What is this? Silly standalone? Pilot episode to a much longer (and potentially much darker) longfic I may never get around to writing? Who knows. Anyway, ex-agents Reid and Morgan go on a nice overseas vacation. All they want to do is relax but Crime is running rampant at the resort.

‘We should say something.’

Even without looking Morgan could tell Reid was fidgeting. They were both leaning against the balustrade of the resort’s terrace, trying their best to keep an eye on a young lady who was sunning herself by the pool without looking like they were ogling her.

‘We’ve been over this. None of our business, kid.’

‘But if she keeps doing it…’

‘It’s two forks.’

‘Three forks, two spoons, four butter knives and a salt shaker.’

Morgan shot his friend and ex-colleague a sideways glance.

‘Cheers. I didn’t see anything.’

‘Sure, YOU didn’t see anything and I didn’t see anything but the waiters will, eventually, and then she’ll get in trouble.’

Morgan quietly debated the merits of stressing his argument about how none of this was any of their business when a new voice spoke up right by his left side, nearly making him jump out of his skin.

‘I was thinking of slipping her a note.’

The speaker was a short, middle-aged man. He was also leaning on the railing, eyeing the lady with a mix of exasperation and concern. He shook his head with a soft ‘tsk’ and went on.

‘Almost went through with it, but it would just creep her out, wouldn’t it? She’d think someone’s gonna blackmail her over lifting some cutlery. Aigoo but she’s so bad at it!’

‘Is this about the kleptomaniac?’

This was yet another man who just stepped out onto the terrace to join them, taller and much younger than the first stranger. Reid pulled himself up to his full height and gestured triumphantly at him.

‘See? HE also thinks it’s kleptomania!’

The newcomer raised one elegant eyebrow at Morgan.

‘Why else would she do it?’

Morgan shrugged.

‘She seems to be some sort of an influencer. Could be doing it on some weird new trend or it could be that she’s nowhere near as well-off as she portrays herself as.’

The young man shrugged.

‘They rarely are. But if it’s not kleptomania, then a stupid Tiktok trend might just be it. These influencer types will supplement their income in any which way from running scams to indiscriminately shilling any and all product to offering companionship, but lifting cutlery? That seems counter-productive. If your income depends on portraying a lavish lifestyle, why would you risk being blacklisted over something so petty?’

‘Right, that’s it’ the older man said, pushing himself off the balustrade ‘I’ll go talk to her!’

…What his young friend said next Morgan couldn’t understand, but based on the delivery and the way he dove to grab the other’s collar it must have been some version of ‘LIKE HELL YOU WILL!’

Morgan nodded to himself and nudged Reid.

‘Alright, prettyboy, get on with it!’

‘…What?’

‘Go on and talk to her.’

Reid, who obviously didn’t think far enough in his calls for an intervention to come up with an actual action plan remined frozen to the spot, spluttering. To Morgan’s left, the older stranger made a subtle attempt to wriggle out of his companion’s grasp.

‘Aish, don’t make the poor boy do it if he doesn’t want to, I can just go and…’

‘Dongsik-ssi!’

Morgan held up a hand.

‘Nah, it was he who insisted we go say something, so he should do it. Besides, he’s the prettiest and least likely to get slapped.’

The older stranger (Dongsik? Was that his name or just another phrase for ‘You stop that right now’?) gave Reid a through, critical one-over, pointedly turned to look at his young friend and then back to Reid.

‘Debatable but I see your point.’ He said with a grin.

Eventually Reid made up his mind and left. Morgan and the man apparently called Dongsik practically hung over the balustrade as they watched him discreetly approach the lady (or at least as discreetly as someone with approximately 80% giraffe genetics was capable of doing anything). Throughout the whole interaction the young woman kept up an extremely theatrical air of wrongfully accused innocence, but Reid remained mercifully un-slapped and at least once his back was turned she had the decency to look somewhat sheepish.

The next day at breakfast Morgan noted that her cutlery remained intact. Those on the empty table right beside hers though? Not so much.

He sighed, lifted his head, shared a brief, half-amused, half-annoyed look with Lee Dongsik across the room and turned back to his breakfast.

Oh well. They tried.