#I should go back to my actual WIP with Lily in it

[wtfuckevenknows]

For the kissing prompts, 27 and a nice combination of 40&41 please 😍😍😘😘😘

Noxyyyyyy ❤️ Thanks for the prompts, I got a little creative with 40 & 41 and I have done 27 here.

40. A kiss because the world is ending. 41. A kiss because the world is saved.

TK steps up to the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the patio, because all of a sudden the light inside of the living room had changed drastically. It is suddenly so dark he is inclined to turn the lights on, even though it is only 3pm on a summer afternoon. 

Lily is sitting at the table out there, drawing what looks like a picture of a unicorn. The sky has turned a dark, gloomy gray and TK can see the wind has picked up significantly, whipping Lily's hair around. She's so focused, she doesn't seem to notice.

TK makes his way over to his daughter, softly touching her shoulder as to not startle her. “Hey sweetie. I think it’s time to come inside, seems like there is a storm rolling in.” Lily looks up first at her dad, then at her surroundings and must come to the same conclusion because she replies with “okay” and then hurries inside. 

Unlike him, his daughter is not a fan of lighting and thunder. While TK could sit in the window seat and watch and listen to a thunderstorm for hours, his daughter hates them because she is scared of them. 

They have a pretty good coping strategy these days, and just as he slides the patio door shut behind him, he can see Lily grab all the throw pillows from the couch before making her way upstairs. 

Once they have assembled their pillow fort in Carlos’ & TK’s bedroom, they look outside one last time. “It looks like the world is ending out there,” Lily says with a shaky voice, crawling into the fort to hide. TK follows, lying down and immediately having Lily cuddle up to him. He presses a kiss to her forehead, before turning on Frozen to distract her. 

He must fall asleep because the next thing he knows, he wakes to soft voices talking over him. Slowly peeling his eyes open, but not moving a muscle otherwise, he can see Carlos has come home and joined them. 

He’s talking about his day with their daughter, who always wants to know if anything exciting happens while they're on the job. She thinks first responders are sooooo cool - her words, not his - and save the world on a daily basis. 

He smiles while he listens to them, his two favorite people in the whole wide world. Carlos must see he’s awake, because once he’s finished with his story of rescuing an elderly lady from the pelting rain he leans over their daughter to give him a kiss hello.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, sleepy head” he greets him.

"Hey babe. Is the world still ending out there?," TK wants to know.

"No, the storm is gone and didn't actually do too much damage. I had a rather uneventful shift."

"That's good. Can I have another kiss, please?"

Carlos complies and Lily, squished between them, yells "Me too, Papi, I want a kiss too."

Their four year old doesn't like to be left out, making TK and Carlos smile into their kiss, before Carlos pulls back to give his daughter a kiss too.

You can find the other prompt fills here or on ao3.

Send me a Ship and a Number and I will Write a Kiss

[cuppajj]

Don't mind me as I found out this AU a day ago and heard you're waiting for BY ep 4 to form stuff w Dark Choco and Frigid Cacao and BOY do I have ideas.

(This is going to be a long ask, it's been cooking for a while and I need to ramble abt it, hopefully Tumblr won't eat it. Also a little spoilers about ep 13 & 14 and odyssey ch 1 if you're not there yet)

So, we're not talking about Dark Choco's perspective just yet (I'm also waiting on BY ep 4 for that) but from Cacao, we can establish stuff about how he feels about Choco in canon and go from there and speculations on BY ep 4.

Canon Cacao very clearly loves his son and truly longs for him back in his life. But, as referenced from the Hollyberry interaction, he's very reluctant to seek him out, preferring Choco approach him first instead.

One of the ways Cacao shows his love is how he respects the boundaries of those close to him (and, in turn, expects the same for them to him. That's why he violently snaps at Clotted Cream and feels very betrayed by Vanilla for keeping Lily a secret in Odyssey) and I feel this applies to Choco the most. He understands Choco needs his time and space, especially after the whole ep 14, and won't feel comfortable around him or his kingdom for a while. There's also the chance that Choco may not want to have him in his life again (untrue) and he'd rather not risk finding out that's true by personally seeking him out and further upsetting his son. (That last one was just my interpretation but AUGH)

This is the building blocks I found for forming Frigid Cacao's side of the relationship. Should Dark Choco return to the kingdom, Frigid Cacao would feel Very Much Conflicted™️ about having him back, but for different reasons.

On one hand, he would be relieved and overjoyed to sense his son's return. There's so much lost time, so much regrets, he wanted to make up for it and rebuild his relationship anew. But on the other hand, this clashes with the Soltitude he built for himself. Accepting his son back in his life would mean breaking down his walls, thus tearing down everything he built and betraying his own light. Perhaps that part of him would also be angry that Dark Choco would impose this on him. But it saddens him to turn him away. And so on and so forth it cycles.

This duality is the internal conflict that, while it opens the gate for redemption (or at least loosen his terror and maybe actually get him outside), is also very hectic for Choco himself because it also manifests in his powers.

The licorice monsters are noticably more docile around him, but they can just as soon lash out randomly, coming in big waves and heading for only one target. The weather is constantly shifting from mild snow to freezing blizzards in minutes. The paths feel cleared out but it feels like there's always something out to get him.

That's assuming Choco didn't return to the kingdom after the Beast Yeast expedition (bc I'm assuming you're setting Cacao's fall after BY ep 4). But if he did, there's two possibilities. One is the more boring Frigid Cacao's reign didn't last really long bc Choco was there from the beginning. The other one, ooh the other one also works as a bad ending for the first scenario.

(I ended up writing a full oneshot for it. If you want, I can send it in another ask, hahaha)

As someone who hasn’t gotten to that chapter in odyssey yet (i really oughtta watch a video on it bc these quills brake for nobody), this is a really good reference for Cacao and Choco in beast ancients!! I won’t say much about Choco since yeah I’m waiting for apathy pt 2 but I’ve definitely been wanting him to be a huge source of conflict for frigid cacao in the au, and this helps describe it pretty well. Cacao’s fall is being worked on because the timeline of beast ancients is a WIP, it does come after BY 4 for all I know atm, and whatever happens to Choco in that episode will determine where he is and how he affects his dad when he becomes a beast. But the bottom line is that it is not gonna be easy for either of them either way :D

Would love to see your one shot btw!

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

wip wednesday sketch dump

tagged by: @ivymarquis @josephseedismyfather @cassietrn @direwombat @finding-comfort-in-rain @cloudofbutterflies92 @kyber-infinitygems @josephslittledeputy (and likely others, I have been very absent as of late...sorry)

okay, so uh clearly the art won for that poll (heh, always knew the cod fic was just for me... anyhoo) here's the sketchy sketches for oc kiss week. They are very, VERY rough still so please forgive

I won't run with the usual tag list but if you see this feel free to consider yourself tagged

(Top: Kit and @dickytwister oc Elliot Fletcher, Kit and @statichvm oc Katherine O'Neill Middle: Rory and @statichvm oc Lily Watt, Rory and @direwombat oc Saoirse Monaghan Bottom: Kit and @theelderhazelnut oc Ombra, Kit and @florbelles oc Lyra Fairbanks)

*I still have a few more sketches to get done, so if you were in my replies asking for some art, its on the way*

going to tag @strangefable @isobel-thorm and @direwombat for the cod stuff since y'all were kind enough to indulge me in a little scene I wrote for chapter 11 (even if I'm still supposed to be working on chapter 9 lol)

“You were jealous, weren't you?”

“Of course I was bloody jealous, Rory. Look at you, can you really blame me? I've been with my fair share of women, but Jesus, none of them can hold a match to you, my girl.”

“Your girl?”

“Listen, I've been trying my damnedest to keep my composure here. You think I went into this expecting to have this happen with my subordinate? It's rule number one and I'm here breaking it for you.” He sighed. “I had to listen to you in my fuckin’ ear, Rory. It was a goddamn nightmare.”

“And so what, you want to have that be the foundation for a relationship? The fact that I nearly died and you had to pull me out of there? That’s the foot you want to start on? It’s like I said last night, this is a dangerous game to be playing and I am not worth the trouble. I’m not worth your career.”

“And why’s that, eh?”

“I’m a fucking mess, that’s why. I’ve got nightmares, anxiety attacks, tremors, flashbacks. I’m in no place to start anything with anyone. And certainly not with someone who’s life could be upended because of me.”

“I don’t care.” He shrugged and gave a slight thrust of his pelvis as he crossed his arms over his chest. Obstinate, pigheaded right to the bitter end, refusing to back down from anything. This was Captain John Price type behavior through and through. 

“What do you mean ‘you don’t care’?”

“You think all that’s gonna keep me away from you?”

“Well it should.”

“Why?” He lowered his head, looking up at her through his brow. Constantly challenging her. 

“Trust me, after several nights of no sleep from me waking up with nightmares, you’ll understand.”

His eyes narrowed for a brief moment, the crows feet by his eyes creasing. “Someone else left you ‘cause o’that?”

Rory grimaced and bit down on her molars. Her eyes fell to the floor as she turned her head away from him. She didn’t have to say anything, her body language gave it all away.

Price’s face darkened at her reaction. If it was up to him he’d hunt down whoever it was and teach them a lesson, but that isn’t what she would want to hear.  “Christ, don’t tell me someone actually did that?”

“Of course someone did that, John. Most people who see that side of me either think of me like I’m holding on by a goddamn thread or I'm just another broken soldier. And if it's not that, it's the whole horde of other shit in my head.” She rubbed at her brow. “People don’t want to fall in love with someone like me. It’s too hard to do.”

“Well, lucky for you I’m a bit of a stubborn bastard. I’m willin’ to put in the hard work. I can be goddamn relentless when need be.”

Rory scoffed, “I’d expect nothing less from you.”

He gave her a little crooked grin and stepped forward, cupping her face in his large hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks softly. “I’m only gonna tell you this once, darlin’.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “I don’t care about how much trouble you might be, you hear me? I have to have you, Rory. I need you to be mine, yeah? Simple as.”

It was her turn to ask the question. “Why?”

“Because if there’s anyone who’s going to understand what’s going on in that pretty head of yours, it's me. I wanna protect you. I wanna make sure somethin’ like this never happens again. I can’t even take the thought of you bein’ with someone else besides me.”

“I’m not willing to take the risk.”

He nodded his head slightly. “Well, I’m patient. Persistent. I can wait as long as I have to.”

“Fucking hell. You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Not after what I saw last night.”

[boogiewoogieweeb]

4, 10, 19, 39, 55!

hello nonnie! thank you very much for the asks - i hope my answers will be satisfactory! 🌹🌹🌹

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

as cliched as it sounds, everywhere really. all it takes for a fic idea to form is for me to see or experience something interesting and apply it to whichever characters i'm currently obsessed with. a good example of this would be my joplittle sexsomnia au - it was born from reading an article posted to reddit about how extreme stress or emotional trauma can induce this condition, and what the partners of people who suffer from it have to deal with. my brain extrapolated on this by going, "neat! now let's apply that to edward little and see where it goes!". and so now i'm a quarter of the way through a wip about the first lieutenant of hms terror getting up to sexcapades in his sleep :D

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

you would not believe how many of my wips i actually had to dig through (eight, it was eight) before i actually found one where i've used the word "blinks". anyway, here's wonderwall the snippet:

“Then I should hope to always be fortunate enough to have a Second so steadfast in his dedication as you have proven yourself to be, Lieutenant Little.” The words settle over Edward like a warm weight; an anchor dropped in calm waters, and he blinks harshly to stem the prick of tears that burn suddenly at the back of his eyes.

19. What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

the filters on my works page tells me that apparently, it's #humor. followed in short order by #angst, #drama, and #drabble in combined second-place. which really tells you everything you need to know about me as a person, probably.

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

this is one i've been sitting on for more than a month now, following some conversation with two of my favourite people, lily and helen, on the topic of the parallels between little and crozier in the terror. it's a fic that's almost as close to my heart as my "ned quits the navy" au, and it's coincidentally also the same fic where i pulled the "blinks" snippet from:

He’s going to lose the fingers, at the very least.

What had started out as frostbite has grown into something far, far more insidious; the rigid blue-white of hardened flesh having first given way to purple bloating, then to leathery, blistered brown, and finally to black decay; variegated streaks of reddish-grey striating from the tips all the way down towards the line of his knuckles.

Worse yet is the smell whenever he peels the bandages off; a faint, nauseating, slightly sweet stench that reminds him of the time when, as boys, he and James had once come upon a dead fox while out riding one afternoon - flyblown and baking in the stifling summer heat, its noxious and festering body bloated with gas and rot.

The first time he’d seen – truly seen – how bad his hand had gotten, he’d rushed outside to empty his heaving stomach into the fine fresh dusting of snow that had settled over the outpost like a blanket.

It hurts to use, nowadays. He can’t properly make a fist anymore for how swollen his hand’s become, and every touch now is its own bright, stinging agony.

Edward stares dully at his left hand in mild disgust before wrapping it again, tight enough to send pain coursing down his wrist and all the way up to his elbow; rolling waves of needling fire that beat in time with his pulse. He’s taken to doing this alone in one of the woodsheds on the outskirts of the fort, though if pressed, he wouldn’t have been able to answer as to why.

He’s shaking by the time he finishes, trembling as if palsied, breathing hard as if he'd just run a mile. But his hand is bandaged once more, and the damage is hidden from sight. In time, Edward knows, he will need to see to the matter of its removal.

He will lose the fingers, sure enough; if not more. It doesn’t matter. There are worse things to lose in life than a hand.

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

oh, i'd have to say it's my best boy edward little. he's far and away the character i've come to empathize with and relate to the most - probably ever - and so that makes it easier for me to get into the headspace required to write things from his perspective. as for being swayed by the reactions of others to how i write him, i don't think i am, not really. i certainly greatly appreciate and enjoy reading comments that praise my characterization, but i like to think i have a pretty clear and well-defined enough grasp of my blorbo whenever i do manage to bang out a few words on the old keyboard that i'm quietly confident in my ability to portray him relatively faithfully and accurately.

and that about covers it! once again thank you so much for taking the time to get to know a bit more about me and my writing process, nonnie! it was a lot of fun coming up with answers to your questions!

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

WIP Sunday

In which Gale finds Lily in a compromising position and then gets hit with feelings. NSFW.

As depressing as our current surroundings are, it is nice to finally be able to have a bloody bath. I feel cleaner than I have in weeks! Gale thought as he walked back to his tent (every three nights we switch) after having a long-needed bath at the Last Light Inn.

What he expected to see was his lover relaxing or perhaps having one of Bex’s cookies. Those smell amazing.

What he actually saw was Lily sitting on her bedroll topless, a large breast in each hand.

Is it my nameday and no one told me?

Her eyes were closed, tail slowly going back and forth behind her.

Fucking hells, I’m standing here with the flaps open!!!! CLOSE THEM NOW, YOU FOOL! As he hastily closed the flaps, he heard her gasp and shift on the bedroll. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. “I’m so sorry, darling—”

“Oh gods!”

“Please forgive me, I didn’t know you were…erm, indisposed.” Occupied also works, Dekarios. She was occupied with fondling her breasts, and you ruined it!

Lily stared at him, completely and utterly horrified. Her long, muscular yet incredibly soft arms were covering her breasts. She looks like she wants to run and never see me again. Fix this, man! Fix this! “I…I…I’m so sorry…I…” She stammered, her demonic purple eyes darting from him to the tent flaps. “I…I should…go…”

Turning off his glamour, he moved to sit next to her slowly. “Darling, I will ask next time if you’re decent when I return, and I’m so very sorry that I’ve made you upset.” Making eye contact with her, an arm gently wrapped around her waist with his other hand rubbing the ridges on her upper arm. “What can I do to make it right? Ask for anything, and you shall have it.”

After a minute or two, she said softly, “I shouldn’t have been doing that.”

What? What does she mean by that? She surely can’t mean…no. She can’t. “My love, forgive me, but what exactly shouldn’t you have been doing?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “Touching my tits.”

I must have heard that wrong. That…can’t be what she just said.

“Lily sweetness, please bear with me, but you think you shouldn’t be touching your luscious breasts?”

Nodding meekly, her eyes were still closed.

Whoever told her that…has made her believe that…will be fireball’d. Not sure that’s an actual verb, but I’m so fucking pissed that it will be damnit. “Why?!” He blurted out, causing her to open her eyes and glance at him.

His beloved looked defeated. “Gale, look at me.”

For fuck’s sake. “I am looking, Lily.” he said, desperately trying to maintain his composure. “I see the woman I love who is beautiful inside and out. More beautiful than any other.”

She shook her head, eyes closed again as tears leaked out. My love, please. Please, don’t cry. Please. I can’t bear it. “I shouldn’t like to touch my thighs either.”

For the second time in as many minutes, Gale was struck dumb.

This must be the strangest dream or alchemy-related hallucination I’ve ever had. She cannot have said that she shouldn’t like to touch the thighs that I wish would crush my skull every night…right?!

“I beg your pardon, but I still don’t understand why you shouldn’t. I…I am so very confused.” He chuckled, hoping to add at least some levity. A little humor never hurts, as Mother says.

“Whispers. Comments. ‘Friendly’ advice. Proof that I’m not wanted or desired as I am, and I shouldn’t like…I shouldn’t!” Choking back a sob, she shook her head. “I shouldn’t like how I look.”

For a third time this evening, Gale was stunned.

[theheartofthestar]

WIP not-quite-Wednesday

Tagged by the wonderful @hihimissamericanbi so here it is, a short snippet of a crack fic about Remus being everyone's first kiss (they find out via truth or dare one drunken evening)

"Truth or dare" "Truth" Remus says. Marlene is just drunk enough that she'll make him do something he's tipsy enough to actually do, but he's sober enough to regret. So he chooses truth because he still has some sense left in him. "Who was your first kiss, Moony?" Marlene smirks. There's a collective gasp, they've all wanted to know of course, Remus had just been very careful not to say it. Remus looks down at those grey eyes, the same ones he's been lost in for years. Sirius' irises seem to flicker with the warm tones from the dying fire, and his eyeliner is a little smudged. Remus could spend hours counting those eyelashes, tracing the elegant arch of those eyebrows. "It was Sirius" his voice is deep, and Sirius smiles up at him. That shy smile Remus knows is just his, the one that crinkles his eyes a bit and turns the corners of his mouth up just so. "The game is truth or dare, Lupin! You're suppose to tell us the truth!" Marlene boos, and the group laughs. "It is the truth!" Remus says, lifting his own glass to his lips. He sees James rolling his eyes, and it makes him smile even wider. He wonders if James knows, if Sirius ever told him. "Ask someone else then" "Maybe I will" Marlene's smile has a dangerous glint to it. If Remus was less drunk he'd probably have seen her coming a mile again, and yet, when she asks, he is so surprised he can't help but laugh. "Sirius, oh sweet Sirius, truth or dare" "Truth" Sirius answers with a laugh, and it rumbles against Remus' chest. His arms tighten slightly, hugging Sirius a bit closer to him. In turn, Sirius lets his head fall back on Remus' shoulder, pale fingers tracing soft patterns over the skin on the hands on his waist. "Who was your first kiss? Marlene asks and there's a collective groan. They should have known she wasn't going to relent, and yet they didn't. "Remus, of course" Sirius says, solemnly, but starts laughing immediately when everyone starts talking at once. "Oh, c'mon!" "Really? Didn't you date McRae during fourth year?" "Remus and I literally caught you during rounds in a broom closet with a Ravenclaw in fifth year!" "You and Prongs give each other goodnight kisses all the time!" "Sirius, baby, you and I kissed right before summer last year" "Do they really give each other goodnight kisses?" "Yes, it's disgusting" "And I heard in the bathroom about that other Hufflepuff boy from last year, too" "I've offered you goodnight kisses as well, Wormy" "We actually caught you several times during rounds!" "No, thanks, Prongs, keep your saliva away from me" Sirius laughs even harder when Marlene throws a cushion at his face. Remus can't help pressing his lips to his shoulder, right where his shirt is riding low a bit to one side, revealing some pale skin. "Are you really not going to tell us?" Marlene is pouting now, sitting up on Dorcas lap. "Sorry, Marls, not my fault you don't believe my honest word" Sirius says with a shrug. Lily snorts at that, pouring a new round of shots for all of them. Remus catches James' eyes. He's sitting on the floor, back pressed to the bottom of the sofa Lily's sitting on. James' eyes flicker to Sirius before coming back to Remus, and winks. Remus laughs, trust James to know the full story.

Tagging some friends in case you have any projects you want to share!!

@bimoonphases @dahlliiances @yourgalgremlin @charmstwit @starchaserwrites @messymoony

[red-israfel]

Fake Date

Dorlene WIP | 683 words

By the end of practise, thoughts of her traitorous best friend had left her mind. She had completely forgotten the burning in her chest when she'd seen him sucking face with his boyfriend, too preoccupied with washing the sweat and dirt off her body. The intense training James had them doing leading up to the Slytherin match had helped clear her mind and provide a much-needed distraction.

It's not until she's walking back into the empty Gryffindor change rooms in no hurry to get to the hall for dinner, and Dorcas fucking Meadowes is standing fully dressed by the door waiting for her and says something so out of this realm that it comes back to smack her in the face. Marlene isn't entirely sure she didn't get a concussion during quidditch training.

"Lily convinced me to go along with your moronic Gryffindor plan. I told her yes, but I thought I should tell you to your face."

Marlene, ever eloquent, still standing in the middle of the quidditch girls locker rooms, simply responds, "Huh?"

Dorcas frowns at her like she's something disgusting caught on the bottom of her shiny black boots and clarifies, "As of right now, until the end of Black's party this weekend, we are officially dating."

Oh.

Oh.

It all clicks into place; puzzle pieces flipped and snapped into place, the border of her landscape jigsaw is complete. Lily running off after promising to fix it without sharing her method after making Marlene profusely promise to keep an open mind. Marlene had seen her sitting next to Regulus that evening in the library; Regulus, who is best friends with—

"No." She shakes her head in disbelief.

Lily was too smart to come up with such a stupid idea, and Dorcas was too uncaring to go along with it. Slytherins were self-serving; Dorcas got nothing out of this. She'd probably complain that, if anything, Marlene would taint her 'reputation.'

"What did Lily promise you?"

"We have a deal, and it's none of your business. Though I'm sure I could have argued for such advantages, you're no doubt thinking of right now." Dorcas' nose crinkled and her bottom lip twitched, so briefly she would have missed it if she blinked. Presently, she's forgotten how to blink. And breathe. And think.

"Fuck," she whispers, dragging the word out and groaning at the ceiling.

"So you don't want a date to Black's party?" Dorcas asks, more focused on her nails than Marlene's current meltdown.

"Yeah, a date. Not you!" Marlene flings her hands vaguely in the Slytherin's direction.

She slams open her locker, and Dorcas actually laughs at her. "I can see why the ladies avoid you; your charm is quite aggressive."

"Says the slimy snake." Marlene spits back.

"At least I don't have my friends convincing girls to fake-date me."

"Why would you need anyone to—'

Marlene wouldn't consider herself very observational off the quidditch field; it's not often that her awareness spreads further than her little Gryffindor bubble. But on the field, her eyes see everything. A good beater can read the people around them, both their team and the opposition. Spotting their tells is her job.

She watches the way Dorcas doesn't quite meet her eyes, staring just past her ear, not quite at her face. The tightening pull of her lips and the way her left forefinger taps one, two, three times every few seconds against her right hand pulse point. Marlene pieces her together and laughs.

"Don't." Dorcas grumbles.

"Merlin's balls!" Marlene laughs as she stalks up into Dorcas' personal space. "Why does the Dorcas Meadowes need a fake girlfriend?"

"It's a fake date."

"Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to." Marlene waves her off, poking a finger into her chest. "Don't change the subject."

"Shouldn't you get some clothes on," she says glancing down at the towel wrapped around Marlene's chest. "Or do you like walking around starkers like a toddler?"

"Why?" Marlene asks. "Flustered, Meadowes?"

"Over you, McKinnon?" Dorcas' gaze rakes over Marlene's body like a physical touch. "Not a chance."

Marlene smirks, leaning in and whispering right into the Slytherin's ear. "Liar."

[rypnami]

WIP tag

thank you very much for the tag @imtheslayeraskmehow97 ! (i had no idea you had tumblr?? i might be dumb)

i’m not actually working on a lot rn but you know that damn ginger is always inside my head acting up so i do have some things PLANNED | (my ao3)

1. List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

2. An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

3. Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

4. Then tag 10 writer friends

Titles:

((i am bad at these))

1. Leander and Lily - probably going to change this title later because it’s stupid as hell. short little thing about leander + his struggles with self esteem and his older sister lily helping him realise he’s worth more than he thinks.

2. Untitled Prewlow Fic - after i did that sims wedding i am once again being attacked in my head by these boys. yes it will involve ollie because ugh do i love that child. it will be wholesome but with a small side of angst ;)

3. Starlight - i was chatting about this a while ago, but i am planning a fluff oneshot of andrew and amit becoming close during astronomy class. just think lots of cuddling for warmth and discussion about the beauty of stars (among other things 👀)

4. Potions Tutor - this started as a oneshot garrinis fic but i recently went back to read it again and i’m planning on doing a part 2 now!

Scenes:

1. in my first w.i.p. i just wrote the scene that i’ve been the most hung up on. it’s the summer between 5th and 6th year, when leander gets his o.w.l results. he didn’t do as well as he’d hoped and is worried his parents are disappointed in him, so he seeks out his sister for advice.

2. a lot of the angst i was talking about comes from ollie. a good scene example is when he is in DADA class, and when he faces the class’ boggart it changes into a dementor. it’s surprising because his boggart used to be an acromantula. he realises it has changed because now his greatest fear is sebastian being taken to azkaban and the dementor is a manifestation of that.

3. this one is really really not worked on, i have maybe a paragraph, but i have an idea for a scene where andrew is incredibly shy about asking amit to share his blanket during astronomy class, but he’s also very cold. in the end it gets way too cold and in the end they cuddle under the blanket and share a telescope 🥺

4. ominis passes his potions exam after several months of studying (and more) with garreth. they decide to celebrate by going for drinks at the three broomsticks. it’ll go fine. probably. maybe. char stop making everything angsty for 2 seconds challenge FAILED

tagging! (sorry if you’ve already been tagged: @girl-named-matty @plxnetn1ne @damn-it-a-hogwarts-legacy-blog @weirdraccoon @blueraineshadows

thank you again for the tag! i had so much fun with this, i love talking about what i’m currently working on! ♡

[theaistired]

WIP Intro - Little Remains

Key Words

Crime | Thriller | Trauma

About the WIP

Another entry into my brainchildren that come from watching video essays about stuff I’ve never watched myself and going “wonder how I would do that”. In this case: teen mystery TV shows. That coupled with just “normal” crime shows (I started watching this stuff at probably a way too young age. Oh well, now you get to deal with the consequences).

Trigger Warnings

Since this WIP deals with crimes, please pay attention to the trigger warnings

Violence (physical and sexual) | Murder | Assault | Organized crime

Summary

Detective Morgan has worked on many gruesome cases in the past, most of which took place in bigger cities with an anonymous population. So, when a teenage girl is found dead in the fields of a small town nearby, Morgan first assumes an outsider to be the murderer of the unidentified victim.

However, with the murder of a local student a few days later, even the tight-knit community quickly realises that one of their own is far more familiar with the case than the rest of them. Unwilling to sit back, the student’s friends start their own investigation, while Morgan begins to struggle with old ghosts.

Characters

Alroy Morgan: Detective, originally from Scotland. A dedicated, but tired mind, he has a great capacity for empathy. Originally planned on becoming a therapist. 34 y.o. | he/him

Autumn Corbyn: Loner student in foster care. An outsider, mostly by choice, either too shy or too aggressive to make meaningful connections with other students. Doesn’t know where she’s supposed to go in her future. 15 y.o. | she/her

Corsen Green: The local queen of clumsy. Her father is a teacher at the school, the entire family has lived for generations in Holcester. Calm and collected, generally well-meaning despite her fondness of sarcasm. 15 y.o. | she/her

Nalin Gaur: Boy of Indian decent. Family only recently moved to Holcester for the benefit of Nalin’s younger brother. A very sweet person who sometimes takes things too literally. 15 y.o. | he/him

Robin Hughes: Overly curious journalist to be. Lives with her aunt, who while not understanding Robin’s love of the criminal and dramatic, indulges her nonetheless. Notetaker beyond mortal comprehension, prone to tunnel vision. 15 y.o. | she/her

Snippet: Little Remains | Prologue: Arabella Hughes’ painted lilies

Arabella Hughes had taken her Haflinger Chips on a longer ride while Robin had been at school. She had actually passed by the school on her way to the forest and had a pleasant little chat with Mr Green, Robin’s history teacher. They talked about how well Robin was doing, the plans she had for later in life, what the two of them were up to that day. Arabella Hughes would continue her way into the forest, a long nice break, a moment to herself. Mr Green would be stuck in school, teaching students, and later be stuck in his office, grading students. Arabella felt bad for him. Her day would surely be more lovely than his.

Truly, it seemed that Arabella Hughes never learned. She later wondered, if the bullies in school had been right, if perhaps she was stupid. A lovely day, her sweet niece lounging on the couch reading. Arabella Hughes should have known.

(Continued under the cut)

But stupid Arabella Hughes just put on her Wellies after her ride and went out into the flower fields to look after her white lilies that were in full bloom. One of the barn cats, Tugger, was following her, loudly complaining. Although it was strange for the big and furry tabby to strut around in the early summer heat, Arabella Hughes thought nothing of it.

Tugger was loud and dramatic, more than any other cat, but maybe he followed and complained to warn her, maybe he knew what would happen in the next minutes, the coming weeks.

To Arabella Hughes, all was still normal. When she had come back with Chips, she saw foot prints in the soil of her flower field. Nothing unusual, some teenagers would always cross to the fields to get to the abandoned farms further down the brook, to hang out, smoke, drink, and do… other activities, that Arabella Hughes had never participated in. But just to make sure, she would check the fields for any major disturbances.

And – this was unusual – she found something. The white lilies were spotted red around a white something. At first she thought it a picnic blanket, then a duffel bag, then a wild animal that had died in her field.

Her third guess was right in one thing: Death was in Arabella Hughes’ field. But it wasn’t a wild animal, nor a tamed pet. It was the naked body of a dead teenage girl.

Tagging

@colombette (Thank you for your feedback on the intro!)

[jfleamont]

Here's a long snippet (936 words) from my new WIP, All Things Must Pass (but it could also be read as a standalone microfic)

The sky wasn’t as grey as it was supposed to be, she thought, too bright for a late November morning. It didn’t make sense that she could still feel the tepid sun on her face, yet she couldn’t see it. It was all wrong.

Sirius was on the bench, clearly waiting for her to sit next to him, but not looking at her. His face was a mirror of her own, eyes full of unshed tears. As she sat to his right, his hands gripped the bench, knuckles white, and he sighed deeply.

“I wish I could take back what I said yesterday,” he spoke, his voice hoarse. “Remus was angry, understandably so. He’s right. I think I was just trying to make sense of... everything. I shouldn't have said any of it.”

“Sirius...”

Any of it? He loved you, Sirius had said. It wasn’t true, then? Maybe it was for the best. The thought that he might have reciprocated her feelings had kept her up all night: if she had told him, maybe he would have dreamt of a future together, only for his dream to be torn apart and crushed. If she had told him, perhaps he'd still be here.

No, James hadn't loved her. Not like that. It should have been a relief, but it didn't feel like that.

“No, listen. I'm just a self-absorbed prick at the end of the day. I'm not like him, never been. There's no right way to react to this. I shouldn't be telling you how to grieve,” he paused, letting go of the bench, clenching his fist and opening it again, repeating the motion a couple of times. “And it's none of my business if you decide to never step inside that house, okay?”

Lily shook her head and placed a hand on his arm, and he relaxed slightly. “You were right, though, I should go back. You're doing so much, taking care of everyone... Meanwhile I break down every time I think about our flat, because it's just a flat now. It doesn't even feel mine if it's not his, you know?”

A look of disgust appeared on Sirius' face. “Is this place better?”

“Just different. I have no memories of him here,” Lily shrugged, eyes fixed on the gravel she was moving gently with her feet.

“He would have hated it,” he added. There wasn't a hint of a smile on his face.

She nodded to the ground. “He would.”

She had escaped this very house and ended up at his, and never looked back. He wouldn't be too happy about the fact that she was back at Petunia's house, even if it was just for a few days.

But he wasn't there, he had no say in this. All her thoughts felt pointless.

“Lily?”

His mention of her name brought her back to reality. “Hmm?”

“You said I'm taking care of everyone.”

She cocked her head, confused. “Because you are.”

“That's what it looks like but really, I'm doing it for myself. All these things... Going after Peter, arranging the funeral, going home for the next few days with Fleamont and Euphemia... I'm just trying to make up for it.”

“Make up for what?”

“For the fact that it wasn't me.”

Guilt. There it was. The sneaky bastard.

“Don't be ridiculous.”

“I'm not joking. James was the one who welcomed me into that house. Maybe if I stick around they won't leave me behind, right? I’m just selfish. But I keep thinking that if he's not there, then why should I be? My mere existence will remind them of his absence.”

He was looking at the sky, and she noticed his face was wet, and she hated it. No one was supposed to be left behind by their family and he sounded so certain that it was going to happen, again. She couldn't bear it.

“That’s not how it works! And do you really think they want you out of their lives? Do you actually think they want to lose you, too? You're family, Sirius. They love you.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, but it's not the same, is it? I’m not their child, I will never be, and that’s fine, they love me so much already, and I’m not asking them to‒ I’m not asking them anything. But this, this is the worst case scenario for them. They'd get over my death. If it was between me and him... They would never let James die, and you'd choose him, too, Lily.”

“Stop! You can’t think like that,” Lily sat up, turning her back to him.

Sirius walked up to her. “Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. It wouldn’t hurt as much if I were the one who got killed.”

That look of defeat didn't belong on his face, and that made Lily unbelievably angry.

“You’re being mean.”

“I’m being truthful.”

He didn't look resentful. He had said it so matter-of-factly, as if he truly believed that. What's worse, he had accepted it.

But she hadn't. She closed the distance and wrapped her arms around him in a hug that he immediately returned. A sob escaped her, but she soldiered on.

“Wrong. But I’m not going to argue with you, it will get us nowhere. No, you’re just trying to find a meaning in all of this. As am I. Don’t punish yourself, Sirius, it won’t make it easier. For anyone.”

She thought she'd heard him snort. “You sound like James.”

“Perhaps I spent too much time around him,” she replied, and immediately regretted it.

“It wasn’t enough.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

[athenasparrow]

20 Qs for Fic Writers

Thank you all for tagging me! @wearingaberetinparis @annabtg @kay-elle-cee

How many works do you have on AO3? 27! That's counting my submission for @jilytoberfest masquerade

What's your total A03 word count? Currently at 181,851 words

What fandoms do you write for? Only HP!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? LAYLOM: The first time Lily kisses James, he doesn’t even know. DWOHT: But despite his best efforts, he couldn’t take his eyes off her figure as she moved effortlessly in rhythm with whatever song she had playing. He learned she was wearing more than a t-shirt when she slid across the kitchen on her socks, throwing her head back to sing words James wished he could hear. The Art of Identification: Lily Evans, star potions pupil, can't identify Amortentia when it's staring her right in the face (or nose). Stripped Back To Basics: In which Petunia probably regrets telling Lily to "put herself out there." The Right Door: Sirius and Remus try to set up Lily and James, but turns out they've already met.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! I love to respond!! I am QUITE behind right now (there are 40 messages in my AO3 inbox LOL), but I'll catch up!

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I was just going to leave "no comment" here, but I thought I'd say... I know exactly what fic it is, but I've yet to put it up! It's been written for a while and people have encouraged me to publish it, but it's still just sitting in my WIP folder. Maybe soon!! I'll be vague so it still packs a punch when it arrives : )

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? All of my fics tend to have happy endings! I like to tie everything up in a little bow and only recently have I been learning some open-ended restraint. My personal favourite is DWOHT when Euphemia finally gets her (first) grandkid. I found it very amusing since she'd been hounding them for so long!

Do you get hate on fics? Not on a regular basis! I've had some gentle and invited criticism when I played @annabtg brave game. Then there was a rude anon, but I couldn't really take them seriously because they were just spouting nonsense so I spent most of the time giggling at their little brain LOL!

Do you write smut. If so, what kind? YES!!!! I am THE SMUT FAIRY!! Most of my fics have smut and I've written a few plotless porn fics as well. As for what kind...mostly vanilla and tame SO FAR! I should really write something more kinky.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Nope! I'm not interested in crossovers. Unlikely I will ever write one! I certainly like to base Lily and James in situations from other universes, but don't want Lily and James to interact with the characters.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of : )

Have you ever had a fic translated? I have not! There's one regular commenter who leaves all her thoughts in Spanish and I adore that because I get to practice, but that's about as close as I've come LOL!

Have you ever cowritten a fic before? Yes! It's both an enjoyable and exhausting process for me (mostly enjoyable because I keep coming back for more LOL)! My first was with @charmsandtealeaves (Stripped Back To Basics). I'm currently writing with @wearingaberetinparis 👀 Her brain works at an insane pace, but as I am a mere mortal you'll have to wait until my semester finishes before there's any chance of us publishing! 😂

What's your all-time favourite ship? JILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are actually THE BEST!!!

What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? ALL OF THEM???? Look guys, I have like 25-30 WIPs and the list just keeps getting longer LOL! I'm hoping my gap year will help : )

What are your writing strengths? I think I come up with beautiful metaphors, my dialogue is interesting and my smut is hot! Recently added angst to my list, but it's still growing : )

What are your writing weaknesses? Proofreading LOL! Drawing things out! Putting my characters through too much pain! I'm going to be so much better at it after my collab with @wearingaberetinparis because she's an actual angst genius!

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Meh...I suppose if it makes sense, but I'd probably only bother with a language I know, otherwise, it would be quite tedious and out of place.

First fandom you wrote for? HP all the way! I haven't written or joined any other servers for other series/movies.

Favourite fic you have ever written? It's still DWOHT! LAYLOM and The Art of Identification are both up there though!

Tagging @abihastastybeans @call-me-the-cassie @jamesunderwater @ohmygodshesinsane @missgryffin

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Untitled Fantasy Wip Ch.2

What it says in the title, this is a rough draft for a piece I'm working on. I already know that there will be things changed in the final piece but I'm hoping putting a little of it into the world will be enough to motivate me to keep working.

Previous | Next

Chapter 2

Discord is actually up well before dawn. If the new high spirit is so dangerous he did not want to risk his name being known, and spent the early morning sealing it away behind wards of his own. A paranoid practice perhaps, but one does not become a Witch because they have a healthy relationship with boundaries or magic. He hides his name, charms his clothes against the cold, and then steps out of the house. He starts with the wards around the clearing. This is all tedious work, but not difficult work. It's a matter of feeling along the connection to the land and air that surrounds this section of the forest, how each of those little tendrils keeps the strangeness of the spirits and monsters inside and away from the thin trail that splits it in half. It's thirty miles of forest to tend to. Not insurmountable, a full day of travel to go to the farthest edge, but he will have to do it before the snow comes and makes it more difficult. He secures the eight wards around the house. Those are simple and he needs to have somewhere he is sure is safe before he starts to venture further out. Then he goes back inside. The house has been enchanted thoroughly by previous tenants, the kitchen spelled to always provide, the bath upstairs always full of hot clean water, the hearth never dies, the oil in the lanterns never runs out. 

He packs enough rations for the day as well as a generous portion of salt, figs, and two wrapped, raw pheasants. Hopes he won't need more than that today. Then he exits the house again and starts to make his way in the direction of the furthest wards from the house. It will be a full day, probably a little into tomorrow as well, but he will take a day of rest if he can make it all the way out and reinforce those wards well before the first snow. 

Discord has only been walking for an hour before he smells lilies again. He pauses this time, waiting. The nymph steps out from behind a tree with a wide grin. 

"Will you talk to me now?" 

"Are you going to say something interesting?" He counters lazily. She looks beside herself with her joy. Can't step onto the path he's following, but just like yesterday, gets as close as she can and moves parallel to it. 

"I'm Thylia, what's your name Scholar?" 

"I can't introduce myself to you before meeting the new High Spirit," he tells her. Based on the slight sharpening of her eyes, she's well aware of that fact. "I'm also not a Scholar." He adds absent-mindedly. 

"What are you then? You don't smell like a Druid." 

"Witch." 

"That's just a Scholar who doesn't like books." He hums, a simplistic explanation, but he's not going to start a debate on the arcane arts with a nymph. "Do you have offerings?" 

"I do." 

"Vigil was stingy on his way out, are you going to be more generous?" 

"Not until after I've met the High Spirit." 

She whines. "Ugh, if you want to see him so badly I can show you his cave, but he's not gonna like you." 

"He doesn't need to like me." But he actually pauses and gives her his full attention. Getting to the furthest wards is important, but establishing some kind of communication with the High Spirit is equally so. If only so he can know for absolutely certain how badly he will be screwed if he fails. "Alright, you can escort me safely to his lodgings and I will leave you something at your tree after my business with him is finished." 

She brightens considerably. "Deal!" Thylia takes a sharp turn and Discord takes a slow breath before he steps off of the path. The cutting above the hearth should keep him safe, but he can't shake the little thread of wariness as he leaves the relative safety of the reinforced wards along the paths. If he has time, if he finishes with all of the others before the snow comes too heavily or if it melts early enough in Spring before his contract has ended, he'll make a new set and path going to the High Spirit's dwelling. If only to make things a little easier for whoever ends up assigned this station after him. 

Thylia chatters as they walk. She points out other sections of the woods where dryads and other nymphs live, tells him that there were elder awakened trees who called a section of the forest home, but who have decided to settle into a long sleep with Caterel gone. There are other monsters too. Large beasts, wild animals, displaced spirits of travelers who never made it out of the woods despite the wards. Things he would expect from a place steeped in so much magic. 

It takes the better part of two hours for them to slowly break away from thick trees and underbrush to what appears to be a rock quarry that spills out into jagged stony hills. She can't go much further once his feet move from grass to dirt and rock and she lingers at the edge, "Follow the trail and you'll find the entrance." She tells him. 

The trail isn't a path as such. It is scattered belongings. A broken pocket watch here, a scrap of torn fabric there, he's already more than on edge by the time he starts to see the fragments of bone. It becomes more than fragments as he sees the looming entrance of the cave, each picked clean and discarded. He stops a few feet from the dark entrance and steels his nerves. This is not the first hostile spirit he has encountered. 

"High Spirit, I have come to seek an audience as the new Order Bringer of the Valchill Woods." There's a long pause and then a frigid wind comes from inside of the cave. He doesn't hear the creature move, but after a moment he emerges from the shadows. 

The spirit, he can immediately see, is likely some form of ascended ghoul. He is far too solid to simply be a ghost. His aspect is also apparent in each line of him. They stand at the same height but his skin is truly the pallor of death, tinged with blackened frost-bitten skin around his eyes, across his cracked lips, along his long fingers and creeping up his arms. His hair is long and wavy, hanging to his collarbone in messy layers, white as fresh snow. His build is more solid than his own, muscle corded along his arms, across his chest and stomach, exposed save for a tattered woolen cloak clasped around his neck in a deep indigo. Dark trousers over his lower half, feet bare and equally frost-bitten. His irises shine silver as they roll over him, taking him in as much as he is doing for the other. The spirit is ethereal, beautiful as all spirits are, but there is something monstrous in the damaged frost-bitten skin that speaks of what he was before he became this. 

"Your audience has been granted, Order Bringer." He speaks and the air goes colder, speaks and Discord can see two rows of sharp white teeth behind his frost-bitten lips. His voice is flat and uninterested. 

He bows slightly. "Thank you. I have brought you several offerings--" he starts to reach for his bag, for the pheasants and figs. 

The spirit sneers at him, all sharp fangs on display. "I do not accept." 

He blinks, pausing and turning his attention fully back to the spirit. "I don't understand." 

The spirit's eyes drag over him assessingly. "I do not accept offerings." 

"What do you mean? You have to--" 

"No, I don't." He waits but Discord fails to find his words. "I am the Grasp of the Frozen Death, High Spirit of the Valchill Woods, and I accept no offerings from you nor any other Order Bringer who pollutes my domain." 

"If you don't accept then I can't make offerings to any other spirits within the woods." 

Grasp of the Frozen Death smiles, a slow, cruel thing that looks painful on his cracked lips. "I am well aware of that, Witch." 

Discord's temper spikes. "How long has it been since you ascended? You can't refuse offerings. If you don't accept then the lesser creatures bound to the land will starve--" 

"Yes." 

He is nearly gaping at the creature. "You are the High Spirit of the woods! It's your responsibility to care for the others bound to serve you." 

Discord realizes his misstep a split second too late as he's suddenly standing nearly nose-to-nose with the spirit. Didn't even see him move he did it so fast, and the air around him is so frigid that his breath escapes him in a cloud of white. So cold that the heating charms on his clothes feel like they're shuddering from the force of the raw elemental magic coming off of him. "I am the High Spirit and I will care for my charges in the way I see fit. Famine is a hardship that they will endure at my command. You will not change this, Order Bringer." He hisses the title like a slur. His breath smells like blood and snow. Silver eyes drag over him again. "I cannot kill you while you are bound here, but make no mistake, Witch, I can certainly make you suffer should you forget your place." 

He sneers back at the spirit, grabs a handful of salt and throws it into the scant inches between them. It hits the spirit's flesh and immediately begins to hiss and sizzle with fresh burns. Grasp glances at the burns, takes a step back and brushes the salt away from his skin like it's nothing. It practically is nothing to a spirit as powerful as him, but it made his point very clearly. He may not be able to use his magic against him for as long as he's bound here as Order Bringer, but he is just as capable of causing other slights and harm as the spirit is threatening. 

"I leave this offering," he snarls, taking the pheasants and three figs from his bag and placing them on a stone large enough to act as a table. "As the new Order Bringer of the woods. May we keep balance between the world of man and world of spirits." 

Grasp considers the offering, considers him. And then he takes another step closer, reaches for one of the pheasants. His movements are slow and deliberate as he wraps four fingers around its breast, his index finger held deliberately aloft. And then that finger drops too. The reaction is instantaneous, frostbite seeps out across the bird, turns the meat and flesh as black as the skin across his hands, freezes it so solid that Discord hears it crack with the cold. And then the High Spirit tightens his grip and the frozen body shatters into a million little shards of desecrated meat. "I do not accept this offering, as High Spirit of the woods. May you find no balance or respite in the world of spirits or man." If he wasn't bound, Discord is fairly certain he would have been cursed. 

"If you don't eat, the forest will die." The Valchill Woods are old, centuries old, teeming with raw, natural magic only found in a handful of other regions across the continent. The death of this forest would devastate the natural order. 

"I will eat." The spirit says, deadly hand wrapping around each of the other offered items and destroying them with the same easy touch. "But I will not be fed, Witch." He turns and starts to move back into his cave. "What false title am I to call you?" 

He grits his teeth. "Discord." 

"Aptly chosen for what you will bring to this land." And then he's lost in the dark shadows of the cave and he is left, fuming and confused outside of it. Doesn't dare call the other creature back. 

///

He follows along the path back to the edge of the woods where Thylia is still waiting, but she's laying facedown over a shrub now. 

"He didn't accept it." 

"How long has he been starving you?" Her, the other pixies, dryads, nymphs, and awakened greenery. 

"Since Caterel died, two moons now." 

Full moons, he imagines, two months of this. Two months. He's shocked she even has the energy to leave her tree at this point. "Why is he starving himself?" 

"I don't know, he's never been chatty." She sits up, pouting. He reaches into his pack and gives her a fig. It won't fill her stomach, not while the High Spirit is abstaining from food, but it will taste good and he made a promise. "Thanks," but her voice isn't as bright as it was before. Knows as well as he does that this isn't going to make her feel any better. "Vigil thought he was grieving, let it go on a whole cycle before he sent for you, but Grasp didn't even like Caterel." 

He rakes a hand through his hair, looking back out at the quarry. He's never met a High Spirit that would choose to starve their subjects. "I need to reinforce the wards throughout the forest." He tells her, "but I will make a point of bringing new offerings every day. I can't force him to eat, though." She grumbles something in a language he can't understand, but she doesn't really protest that. There's nothing she can do about it either. She is bound to the will of the High Spirit. Unless, "Why has no one challenged him?" 

Thylia winces. "No one wants to challenge him. We like Grasp." 

"He's been starving you for two months." 

"We like him." She insists stubbornly. "He has a reason. He's strong. We can endure until he chooses to share it." A disturbing level of loyalty really, but he's not in any position to try and convince her otherwise. He doubts she would even be able to challenge him in her current state. Doesn't know if a nymph could be a good match against something that was once a ghoul, let alone with a rot powerful enough to destroy anything he touches. 

He sighs, gives her a second fig and then starts back towards the path he was supposed to be taking. "You didn't introduce yourself!" She calls after him. 

"Discord," he tells her over his shoulder, but he keeps going. He still has a lot to do today, long distances to travel, and will need to be rested enough to make it back here again tomorrow with a fresh offering. He takes a breath. The wards are his primary responsibility. He needs to ensure safe travel through the woods. If the High Spirit wants to assist in that by killing his charges that is technically not his problem. He will still be paid one way or the other. But there is something deeply uncomfortable about the idea of the Valchill woods dying on his watch. 

As Discord continues on his way towards the furthest reach of the wards, he finds himself wracking his brain for any offerings that he thinks might be more tempting for a winter spirit.

///

He ends up getting back to the house barely two hours before dawn, kicks off his boots, barely manages to shuck his clothes, and get into his sleep stuff before he's face down on his bed and gone with the pull of sleep. 

Discord doesn't wake until well into the following afternoon and when he's finally up again he's immediately starting towards the kitchen. Raw pheasant and figs wasn't good enough so maybe something else, something warm, maybe? Winter spirits are always cold. Maybe something warm would be more tempting. He spends two hours making stew. It's been a long time since he's had a kitchen at his disposal, longer still since he was in a position to have access to any ingredient he could want with barely the whisper of the thought on the edge of his mind before the enchantments inside make it appear. So he certainly isn't begrudging the time it takes to make the pot. It fills his temporary abode with the smell of a home he hasn't known, hasn't even thought fondly of, in a decade. When it's finished he packs some for travel, charms the bowl and cover to the Sanguine Lake and back to make sure that it stays hot, and goes to get his boots and cloak back on. 

The sun is long set by the time he starts on his way back to the quarry. He doesn't pay it any mind, it's a matter of seconds and a negligible amount of magic to produce a globule of pale blue light to guide his way. He can hear other creatures moving through the trees, but none stray into his space as he goes. It's an hour walk to his destination and when he arrives he sets the bowl back on the stones and calls into the cave, 

"An offering for the High Spirit," before he turns to go. Would like to go back home and have his own meal before settling in for the night because tomorrow will be an early day again, another long one as he finishes the far wards on the other side of the woods. 

"I do not accept it." 

He startles slightly, glancing up. Grasp is on top of the jagged hills, makes his way down with a few practiced jumps that barely shift the air enough to make sound as he lands back on the path with him. Discord rolls his eyes. "Indulge me. You may change your mind." 

"I won't." 

"Is there a particular reason you're starving yourself or are you just being an asshole?" 

Grasp snorts a little which is a more merciful reaction than he'd really expected. "Would it matter either way? You've made your offering, you're not obligated to do anything else, Witch." 

"Would help me explain why the whole forest died unexpectedly when I leave this post." 

The spirit considers that with a slight tilt of his head. Discord tries to not shiver. He doesn't know if the spirit is chilling the air on purpose, but it's suddenly cold enough he's longing for his gloves and heavier cloak. "And how long will you be at this post?" 

"Through winter," he replies carefully. "I can recommend a Druid for the next Order Bringer if you would prefer that." 

"I don't care what magic you or any other Order Bringer practices, none of you are welcome within my woods." 

The little globe of blue light pulses and crackles slightly with his agitation. "An awakened forest has to have an Order Bringer, even if you starve the entire forest to death, a new one will come to watch over the corpse." 

Grasp clicks his tongue derisively, reaches for the bowl of soup and picks it up in a careful four fingered grip. "You cooked?" 

"Would be more than happy to bring you things like that," rather than the more traditional offerings of raw meats and fruit, "if you'll eat them." 

But Grasp is putting the bowl back in his hands. "You can bring me whatever you like, Witch. I won't accept any of it. Now shoo, I'm sure you have better things to do than bother me." The spirit steps out of his space and starts to move back towards his lair, the charms broke as soon as he laid hands on the offering, and the warmth is slowly being leeched out by the cold night air as Discord watches him disappear back into the shadows. 

He goes back home, ladles out a fresh portion of stew for himself, returns the cold bowl to the pot and places it into the pantry spelled to preserve all of its contents in a timeless bubble. It's been a long time since he's made this. It tastes exactly how he remembers it. Just the first few bites has his stomach heavy and warm. Can't fight off the rolling sickness of the nostalgia though and he only manages a few more bites before he has to stop. Doesn't know if he'll be able to eat any more of it. He finds the little shelf hanging near the spice rack, a collection of hand-bound books, messy uneven pages all written on different scraps of paper and in different handwritings, and starts to flip through. Recipes left behind by the other Order Bringers who lived here before. Food that he can make without being mired in memories. He still has at least three more days of the far wards to reach. He'll bring traditional offerings until he's finished, until he can dedicate more time to this kind. 

He finishes his meal, turns in. Five and a half weeks until the winter solstice. The first solstice since the forest took a new High Spirit. Grasp of the Frozen Death will become one with the land completely then. If he hasn't eaten by then the reaction could be immediate. The forest will already be weak and dormant from the cold, that connection solidifying could kill all of the younger spirits, will absolutely kill the smaller trees and plants. That surge will also be the moment where the wards will fully lock in on him too, will ensure that his influence is bound only within the bubble they create around the roads. If he is bound and determined to kill the woods then making sure the wards are solid is the most important thing he can do. 

It still takes him a long time before he manages to fall asleep. 

[kay-elle-cee]

Fic Author Self Rec

Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers ❤️

Thank you for the tag @charmsandtealeaves!

I think last time I was tagged in something like this I ONLY had five fics...so this is a bit harder 😅

Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) — Angst, Rated M, 14k

The summer after fifth year is no one’s favorite summer. Sirius Black is ostracized from his friends, suffocating under the thumb of his parents and lashing out however he can. Lily Evans is grappling with the fallout of her friendship with Severus Snape, not to mention dealing with Petunia’s insistence of cutting Lily out of her life. James Potter is feeling the sting of betrayal and wrestling with what it means to forgive, while learning to take accountability himself. A chance encounter might be the key to turning the tides for everyone.

My heart, my soul, my baby. This was the idea that got me writing again. It took me a while to sort it out and actually write the damn thing, but man.....this one has such a special place in my heart for me.

2. A Thrill Divine, Down My Spine — Fluff, Rated T, 2.5K

“Oh shove it, Potter. I’m just saying. You’re like…a really nice glass of Ogden’s Old,” she says, eyeing a bottle of the spirit and signaling to the barkeep. A little lost for words, James stares at her. “How strong was that drink?” “You know what I'm getting at — like a really good thing personified. Take a compliment Potter, God.” She turns on her stool to face him, sliding one of the firewhiskeys his way. Or: Two totally platonic friends get drinks after a rough day.

This one came out of nowhere but I'm so pleased with how it turned out!

3. restless waves rise and fall — Pirate AU, Rated T, 37k (WIP)

In efficiency and general seafaring know-how, First Mate Evans makes up for what Captain Potter lacks. So she has to make up for a lot. Or: In which James Potter is a gentleman pirate and Lily Evans is his loyal but vastly more competent First Mate.

Originally thought up as a one-shot for Jily Week, this Pirate AU really took on a life of its own. This is my first multichap fic and I'm posting the last chapter next week and when I tell you Captain Potter and First Mate Evans have me by the THROAT I'm not joking. I love these two so gd much I'm going to miss them 😭

4. no, i could never give you peace — Angst, Rated M, 4.5K

James blinks. “Are you breaking up with me, Evans?” he jokes softly, resting his hand on hers. It’s a joke, but her body tenses and it immediately puts him on edge. The silence that follows is excruciating.

“I’m not doing anything.” Her nails begin to tap on the mug again—a nervous habit that James spots immediately. “I just think we should have a conversation.”

This was my first fic to publish when I got back to writing last year, and I'm still so, so pleased with it.

5. Echoes of a Love Lived — Microfic Collection, Rated T, 14.5 K

A collection of unconnected ficlets for Jilytober 2022 based on the 31 @jilytoberfest prompts.

I had so much fun challenging myself for this collection, and I loved being able to switch between angst and fluff at the drop of a hat.

Tagging @emeralddoeadeer, @possessingtheproperspirit, @sunshinemarauder, @alittlebitofeverything23, @wearingaberetinparis

[silently--here]

20 Questions for fic writers

Thank you for tagging me @annanother-thing!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

13 technically, i have one that is currently anon tho so not on my profile yet

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

59,428

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter, i also have one Hannibal poem but I haven't posted it

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Unknown number, my wolfstar texting fic

One Last call, sad angsty wolfstar fic

Secrets, trans remus joining hogwarts late fic with hinted wolfstar and minerva/poppy

Visiting the south of France, good severus fic and background james/lily

Eius Astra, t4t Draco and Percy fic soft sweet get together fic

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

I should but I don't really, to be fair I haven't been posting much but I'm really very bad at replying and leaving comments and it's something I want to improve at

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

Probably one last call , mind the tags on it if you read it

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

Hmm my fic that is currently anon or Eius Astra

8. Do you get hate on fics?

In the past but I just delete it, recently I havent which is nice

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

Yes but I never end up posting much, I want to get round to it but I overthink

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

Nope the closest I have gotten to a cross over was my Glitter and gold fic

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope, I am not a good enough writer for that

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, I have translated my own fic as an exercise in writing norwegian but I didn't post it, it is probably full of errors and wrong words

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

Nope and I don't think I would be very good at it, when I was younger I wanted to but I am happy writing on my own nowadays

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

I have so many I can't just pick but if we stay within Harry Potter fandom then its wolfstar

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

I don't know, I have a lot of things I begin but don't think I will finish but then randomly I will find myself coming back to them but being realistic I have a wolfstar fic dubbed as the lighthouse fic and I don't know if I will ever finish it or put anywhere

16. What are your writing strengths?

I don't know, I am well aware I have flaws in my writing and I could nit pick all day but strengths idk. I don't write because I'm good, I write because I enjoy it and it's a bit of an escape and maybe someone will enjoy what I write but if not it doesn't matter because I don't need people to enjoy my fics

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I am bad with spelling and reusing the same words, I don't structure sentences well and don't know if a full stop or a comma is needed. I don't really understand the rules of writing dialogue. Theres so much and I wont go on.

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

See I never know what the rules are for this and same as Anna I find it annoying when the translations are in the end notes of a fic. I have some wips written with a different language spoken that aren't posted and I have done it with a '/' to separate translation to actual speech. However I do wonder how important it is to my fic that they are speaking a different language or is it not really needed? Idk

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I think it was Harry Potter but idk

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

It's barely written and I can't wait to write more but half hitches and round turns is my wolfstar living on a canal boat fic and ahh i just love it

I'm tagging: @uncannycerulean, @allalrightagain @bluestringpudding and anyone else who wants to do this

[sparxaf]

5, 7, 11, 24, and 29. I'll stop there even though I'm oh-so-tempted to keep going!

Dear Sweet Baby Zeus, Sarah! Why are you so mean to me? Did I piss on a maple leaf? Kick a bunny in front of you? Why do you enjoy my pain? I could do an entire post just on #5 alone 😆. Maaaaan, this is gonna be so freakin' long…

5. How many wips do you have? What fandoms/pairings are they for?

I have a lot. Several of them are fully written, but not edited. I'm only gonna count ones where I wrote at least a paragraph and not the ones that have extensive notes or complicated outlines but no actual story yet. So lemme see... That'd be... 17. JFC.

LITG S1 AU: Levi vs Jake x MC

LITG S3 Villa: Nicky x MC

LITG S1-S2 AU: Levi + Lucas

LITG S2 Royal Werewolf AU #1: Bobby + MC

LITG S2 TSIME AU: Noah x Lili

LITG S2 Royal AU: Lucas x Arjun

LITG S2 Royal Werewolf AU #2: Bobby x MC

LITG S2 College AU: Lucas vs Noah vs Bobby x MC

LITG S2 Villa: Bobby x Marisol--it's cursed I know

LITG S2 Post Villa: Lucas x MC x Bobby

LITG S2 Villa & Post Villa: Lucas x MC

LITG S2 AU: Arjun x MC

LITG S5 Post Villa: Suresh (non romance)

LITG S2 Post Villa Divorce: Bobby x MC

LITG S3 Therapy AU: Seb x MC

LITG S2 College AU: Rahim (non romance)

LITG S6 Villa: Marshall x Lewie x Ozzy x MC

I might have to let go of some of these S2 ones. Ain't nobody reading S2 anymore. Sigh.

7. Post a snippet from a wip.

She laughed, the tension in her releasing. “Do you want to get my heart racing, Lewie?” His own soft chuckle faded and he stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “I really do.” And just like that, the tension, the ache, returned two-fold. What was this man doing to her? He reached over and stroked her jaw. “Do you want me to get your blood pumping?” She found herself quivering beneath his touch. “Maybe.” “Just maybe?”  “I’m receptive to it.” He grinned and pulled her closer. “I’d prefer you to be keen. Maybe even enthused.” The bright blue of his eyes dazed her like a midday summer sky. “I can offer you amenable," she said. “Damned with faint interest." He picked her up and put her on the counter, letting his hands rest on her hips. God she loved when he did that. “I fear I need to give you something to make you a little more enthusiastic.” “You might have to,” she whispered. 

11. Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

This is a good question! I don't usually think much about it. I rarely write dual POV for fanfic, because it's time consuming and I'm lazy. So when I know the premise, I generally know who's POV it'll be in. Like, in one of my wips, I decided that Levi is just discovering that he's bisexual and the story will follow him going from closeted to out so he can be with Lucas (who is already out and resents being shoved back in). Since Levi is the one who is going to grow and change, the story was always gonna be in his POV in my head.

With TSIME I DID plan to write Beach Hut Confessionals from Lili's point of view and scatter them throughout the story, but after the first one I realized that I liked it better when we only saw things through Bobby's lens.

29. What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

I'm proud of writing small moments that foreshadow the big emotional impacts to come. Most people never even notice them, so they're kind of just something for me. TSIME has a fuck ton of them.

**WARNING: THE SUN IN MY EYES SPOILERS AHEAD)** Bobby and Lili share a cup of tea and Lili turns the mug so her lips touch the same spot his do, foreshadowing the first kiss she'll instigate many chapters later (though she'll forever say that Bobby instigated it). Lili tells Bobby early on that "people leave." And there are numerous scenes of him watching her walk away from him. All of it foreshadowing what happens after CA. Bobby tells Lili she should fall madly in love with him and she says it's a bad idea and he quotes a line from Thirty Rock, telling her there are no bad ideas. Only good ideas that go horribly wrong. Foreshadowing their relationship in the villa as a whole.

My favorite is when Noah grabbed Lili, threw her over his shoulder and walked off with her, saying, "Sorry Bobby, I'm stealing your girl," foreshadowing the disaster recoupling and something that happened later after the show between Lili and Noah. FYI I have a one shot for that one as soon as I post the last chapter of TSIME. It's both distressing and sexy. Thanks for the interrogation, Sarah 😝 You jerk.

[manonamora-if]

This time appropriately at the 6-month mark(ish), if a bit too late...

So earlier this year, I made a resolution:

Get things off my desk and shelf it for good!

This... didn't really happen. I had shelved MtP, before fixing some more stuff again... I think it's shelved for good now? I hope so at least.

Another one was avoiding adding new projects to the pile (failed), entering jams and comps on a while (absolutely failed)...

There's still 6 more months to correct that (and so many new shiny jams to participate/organise), so maybe I will keep my promise? We will see...

Looking back first:

(Damn it, it should say Chapter 4 in May... and missing the Orifice Comp in June...)

In the past 6 months:

I have been or helped with organising 4 game jams/competition: the @seedcomp-if, the Anti-Romance Jam (ongoing), the @neo-twiny-jam, and the Orifice Jam (ongoing)

I have participated in 5 other jams/competitions: the French Comp (which I won 🥳), the SpringThing, the Spring Jam (Twine Server), La Sens Dessus-Dessous, and the Text Adventure Literacy Jam.

All this saw the release of: DOL-OS, The Rye in the Dark City, The Roads not Taken, À la Campagne, Entre d'oeux Coquilles/An Eggcellent Preparation, Collision, Intersigne, and Clarence Street 14.

I also updated P-Rix - Space Trucker, and The Trials and Tribulations of Edward Harcourt (twice!).

And finally, I added the Settings Template, the Space/Tech Template, and lately, the SubgarCube Guide (along with answering SugarCube questions on this blog).

As one extra points, I reviewed a bunch of games too (@manonamora-if-reviews) and actually played games outside of Comp/Jam times.

It's been more busy than I think I realised... and I've done more than I thought I did (I really have been feeling like I've not done enough, that there was more I could have done, that I've wasted some my time...) So while progress on the planned things has not really been happening, or not as much as/the way I hoped (i.e. shelving projects), I did:

Make P-Rix mobile friendly, with some QoL (I still need to fix some)

Add 2 chapters for TTATEH (with one coming soon-ish?)

Actually released all the points about the templates from last January, with the Sci-Fi and Settings ones, and added the Guide on top of it.

On the other hand, Exquisite Cadaver and Crimson Rose & White Lily were more or less just pushed to the side. Other smaller games like La Petite Mort or Goncharov Escapes! have also not been opened in a while... And, having created new games, there's still the issue of finishing those (The Rye), or editing them a bit (all of them).

On the other other hand, I was able to test ideas and gameplay with those new lil games, try out new IF programs, win some prizes and get lovely reviews, played some really good games and learned from them through reviews...

...and most importantly: I've had loads of fun.

What now?

Preferably... fulfilling this year's resolution to shelve projects. So actually finishing them without crumbling under new WiP ideas. Aside from more jams I'll be organising, I probably won't be part of large comps. There are some ideas I want to test out still, so you may see new smaller things that I've done in like... a week, popping up here and there.

Concrete things to look forward to:

the new chapter of TTATEH dropping some time this summer (with potential of completion by the end of the year?????? <- infinite question marks)

fixing some issues of An Eggcellent Preparation and getting the French version up to speed.

the translation of Clarence Street, 14 (and fix of the UI, cause it's a bit of a mess)

the Disco Elysium inspired UI (I am this close with the base page, I still need the Main Menu, Class Choice, and Level/Inventory pages to finish)

more Guide pages (and a better organisation/linking)!

more jams!

more reviews!

For the rest... it is a bit more up in the air. I will try to complete/fix the smaller WiPs (especially the ones started this year) as fast as I can so I can go back to focusing on the larger projects (and the new ideas I've been stewing).

On to trying to fulfill my new year's resolution :D

And having fun while doing it!!