#I still have plans to work on and finish my wips that have chapters already posted

[skimmingmilk]

Hi! I was wondering if you maybe had a wip of an upcoming chapter/story you plan on sharing in the future? :0 I love all your work and am excited to see what you have coming up!

Thank you so much! I absolutely have a lot of wips I'd be happy to share, I know it's been a minute since I've been able to upload something to AO3. I've been plugging away at "When the World Breaks" for the past several weeks and it's been pretty slow going :') I've had a lot more going on in the beginning of the year than I expected, so that's derailed writing quite a bit, but progress is still being made! So I'll share a little of Shamar's chapter as a sneak peek since it's been so long in the making <3

“Hey, guys! Long time no see.” Sonic flashed them a grin as two of his friends rushed over to him. “I see ya got a head start without me!”

“We wanted to let you sleep in a bit!” Chip chirped, flying in excited, dizzying circles around Sonic’s head.

“So we thought we’d take Tails’s medal tracker out for a spin and see if we could speed the process along for you,” Amy added.

Sonic’s eyes dropped to the abaya draped over her arm. “Oh, yeah. I can see that,” he snickered.

Rolling her eyes with a “tch,” Amy placed one hand on her hip. “There was a medal in the market, you know. And Tails can confirm it, too. Right, Tails?” She looked to the two-tailed fox as he finally made his way over to them, eyes still glued to his tablet.

“Yeah. But the shopping was definitely a detour.”

“Besides, we’re already ahead of schedule!” Amy waved off, ignoring Tails entirely and prompting him to finally glance up at her with a bland look. “Professor Pickle and I already figured out the next temple is in Adabat before we left. After that, there’s just one more to go!”

“Adabat, huh?” Tails hummed, punching in generic coordinates in the Miles Electric. “Not exactly next door…”

“But not on the other side of the world, either!” Sonic held up a finger. “All things considered, Adabat’s not a bad stop.”

“So, since we wanted to let you get some more rest, Professor Pickle encouraged us to do some sightseeing.”

“He said we could take in some of the sights while searching for the medals. With the emphasis being on the medals and not, you know…” Tails gestured wordlessly to the market around them.

“Okay, fine. You’ve made your point,” Amy sighed. “I still think we should get some kind of refreshment before we keep looking. It’s easy to get dehydrated in heat like this!”

“Refreshments! Yeah!” Chip did a flip in the air, then flopped atop Sonic’s head. “Please, Sonic, I’m so thirsty. It’s so dry.”

Sonic laughed. “Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s get you something to drink—”

“And eat!”

“And eat,” Sonic tacked on, shaking his head fondly. 

“Perfect!” Amy clapped her hands together. “Let’s all get something to eat at a cute little cafe, then you three can go searching for more sun and moon medals while I finish up shopping! I want to pick up a little something for Cream and Vanilla while we’re here. I missed out on souvenirs while we were in Spagonia.”

Tails tucked his tablet under his arm. “I’ll meet up with you guys later. I only got to test my tracker for a little bit in Holoska, so I need more data to make sure its readings are accurate. And I want to see how much we can shave off the time we spend looking for them. The faster, the better, right?”

Sonic leaned his elbow against the top of Tails’s head. “Can’t argue that!”

Amy sighed. “You really are cut from the same cloth, aren’t you?”

“The coolest cloth around.” Sonic winked, then nudged Tails. “But how ‘bout we grab something to take with us on the go? Then we can get right back to our medal mission and that big brain of yours won’t get too dehydrated before the day’s out.”

The look Tails cast him was none too impressed, but he simply released a heavy sigh and pushed Sonic’s elbow out of his personal space. “Fine. As long as it’s a quick stop. We’ve only got so much daylight before we’re slowed down by the Dark Gaia creatures.”

“‘As long as it’s quick.’ Do you know who I am?” Sonic teased.

[bonnielass23]

Writer WIP Poll Game

Rules: make a 24-hour poll with the names of your wip's, let it run, then write one sentence for every vote the winner got.

I was tagged by the lovely @astarkey and @alwaysupatnight. Thank you for allowing to open the floodgates of just how many WIPS I have.

Since I was tagged by a fellow Dusk fan I'm gonna list my fdtd wips all of which are sethkate. Some serious. Some complete crack. Most of these do not have titles yet

Outside of my fdtd friends who have already posted, I'm gonna tag everyone else across multiple fandoms : @lilmissuncreative @saltyunderscored @kelkat9 @fortysevenswrites @psilocybinlemon @elialys @milkshakemicrowave @kelkat9 and anyone else I missed or wants to do it!

Some of these have an official summary, some is just me throwing out the info. It should be obvious which is which lol

If anyone has any questions about these feel free to hit me up!

Raccoon Amaru - Canon divergent post season 2. With Kate surviving the blood well and Seth bringing her back to Jeds from the hospital to recover, Amaru finds herself in a different vessel.

La Jefe - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 9. At the blood well Kate stays up on the hill with Richie. It’s only after he’s gone down to try to take the blood for himself, in a move that is peak dumbass, that Kate has to intervene. With Richie wounded by a Xiblaban weapon and lying useless in the backseat of the car it’s up to Kate to deliver the blood and unwittingly become the new La Jefe, the head of Malvado’s empire. Seth lives his best life as a sugar baby and Richie is crying in a corner because he's supposed to be the boss.

Wild West AU - Wild West likely with supernatural elements. Kate frees Seth from the jail in Bethel the night before he's set to hang in exchange for him helping her track down her brother who disappeared with Carlos six months earlier. (Also the memorial piece for my mare, Bandit, who passed away almost a year ago and will be written in as Seth's horse.)

SethKate Wedding Date AU - Modern Day. No culebras. Kate is invited to her cousin's wedding and decides to ask Seth to be her date

“He’s not just my date, Scott.” A maniacal grin spreads over Kate’s face. “He’s my weapon. You really think I’m gonna walk in there with all their passive aggressive, pretending to be concerned comments? No, Scott. I’m going to fight fire with fire.” “That’s not fighting fire with fire Kate. That’s fighting fire with a nuclear warhead!”

Shangri-La - Canon divergent post season 2. With Eddie in critical condition and his chances of survival slim, the Geckos chose to go through with the plan to rob Malvado, even managing to save Kate’s life in the process. After coming back from their meeting with the lords, their relief at the news of Eddie’s survival is soon eclipsed by the sheer panic of realizing they now have to explain to him that not only did they pull his Shangri-La, swan song job without him, but they also lost the money.

Hero Twins AU - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 2. Kate reveals to Seth that she's pregnant during their fight in the car. After Sonja gets Seth clean, and with Eddie's help they hide away from the culebra world. 7 years later Richie and Kisa come crashing in with the news that their daughters are the next set of Hero Twins, destined to shake up the culebra and Xibalban hierarchy.

This leans very heavily into Mayan mythology, including a bibliography of academic sources, that will be included. It could be considered an exploration of the hero twin archetype told through Seth and Kate's fictional twins.

Witch AU - Modern day with supernatural elements. No culebras. Kate comes from a line of witches cursed to die when they begin to manifest their magical abilities. When she starts to have visions of her own death she goes to a professor of the occult Richard Gecko to try to figure out why her family keeps dying young. A witch himself, he tries to help her figure out the curse along with Seth who has turned his back on his supernatural abilities. It's a race against the clock to see if they can save Kate before her visions of her death come true.

Selkie AU - Coming home from college to attend her mother's funeral, Kate finds a package Jenny had left her. Kate's seal skin and an explanation of what she is. After going out to learn more about who she is her skin is stolen and she has to rely on the owner of a nearby bar, Seth Gecko, and his friends to steal back her skin.

[rizzanon]

Heyy how are you?

helloo!! using this ask to answer everyone who’s been asking for my wellbeing these past two weeks! i’ve been doing alright!!

ramadan this year was just a little more tiring that usual and i didn’t really have the motivation to go and answer my inbox these past few weeks so that would explain my inactivity lol 😅🥲 (so sorry for those who sent in asks 😭)

but that doesn’t mean i haven’t been thinking about undoing fate and batfam feb (if we can call it that still 💀 it’s almost april oh my days)

that being said, i officially won’t be back until april at best, it’s exam season again and i totally flopped my H2 chem paper (fucking hate organic chem so much)

i’ve already drafted all of the works i planned to post during batfam feb, but some are still not finished yet—i’m planning to multi drop them when i’m freed from the shackles of exams 😭😓

and undoing fate chapter 8 and 9 (yes 9 🙂‍↕️) will be dropping sometime in april (mid april latest)

so stay tuned!

that being said, incase you guys want to know what i’ve been doing (other than racking my brains for exams 💀), just click below the cut.

was super hyped for invincible season 3 and i loved every bit of it (rexsplode you will be missed dearly—it should have been immortal 💀) and i absolutely loved marks black and blue suit (we gotta love our graysons and their redheads 🥰🤗)

and because i kinda got back into my invincible hyperfixation, i can’t help but think of regressor! sister grayson—you’re a year younger than mark here(but technically i wouldn’t call this version a regressor, just someone who regressed once and used it to her full advantage) and have been exploiting my sideblog to test it out a bit… (these are privated lol)

got the motivation when i rewatched season two and remembered angstrom mentioning how in quite a few dimensions, debbie joined nolan and mark in their conquering, so take it that in her first life, she came from such a dimension, but when she regressed, she found herself in the current dimension that we know of… somewhat.

i completely understand if yall think this is probably more of an oc than a x reader type but yes this was kind of self-indulgent and still a wip lol

that being said, i also made some other platonic aus—if there is a batsis au, there must be a supersis au too! 🤭

probably won’t be a series, just some fluff works surrounding this au lol

and i’ve been delving into the actual comics for arrowfam and green lantern corp as well so i can’t help but imagine…

of course once again, this might be very self-indulgent and probably more of an oc than x reader, but i can’t get this idea out of my head until i write it all out 😓🫣 (incase you can’t tell all these ss are just snippets and i’ve written a lot more in my sideblog posts lol)

there’s still that one bruce wayne x childhood friend! reader slow burn fic that i have in my drafts that’s 90% done as well as another work i’m working on… so yes, i’ll most definitely be spoiling you guys in april 🤗🤫

ALSO THANK YOU FOR 2.5K FOLLOWERS WHATT that’s insane 😭🫶🫶

i think that’s mainly it 😅

oh

i also got addicted to dc dark legions 😓💀

still learning the meta behind these but i didn’t expect myself to fall in so deep 😭

red hood is still one of my best characters (he should have been red but thank god he’s yellow, because he’s been carrying my team, along with mera lol)

hate the fact that my beloved nightwing is so hard to get though 😭 so yup, that’s about it! let me know what yall think about the few teasers i dropped lol)

[rwrbficrecs]

WIP Wednesday

A bit late but happy new year 🎊 starting the year off strong with 10 WIP recs - enjoy!! ❤️

the world forgetting, by the world forgot by @leaves-of-laurelin (book-verse)

@dot524: This is an extraordinarily sad and poignant story about the tragedy of a failed relationship and the efforts to bring it back together. Alex and Henry used to be together, but they grew apart. As part of their breakup, Henry underwent a procedure that caused him to forget Alex, and Alex decides to do the same thing. What will they do when they realize that it was a mistake? This is an Eternal Sunlight of the Spotless Mind AU, and I’m not familiar with that story, but the fic is engrossing and well-done. It’s also almost finished. Check it out!

Like Because, Love Despite by @aforgottennymph (book-verse)

@dot524: Alex and Henry are work rivals who are both working themselves to the bone. It turns out that they used to be together, but they broke up. Their assistants, Nora and Pez, have come up with a plan to get them together - mainly to make their own jobs tolerable. But Alex and Henry are working through a painful past, and things are not always as they seem. I was snorting reading the most recent chapter - this one is just fun, joyful, and hilarious. Plus there are some flashbacks to their relationship that make you feel all the feels. Can’t wait to see how the author gets these two together!

Break Out by @cricketnationrise (book/movie-verse)

@na-dineee: Ice hockey is the perfect setup for an MLM romance, right?! Novels like Time to Shine are a prime example, and there are already some amazing firstprince x ice hockey AUs out there. And now, cricketnationrise started one too – yay !! Humor, fluff, and eventual smut – ok, enough said, I’m in!

i'll be riding shotgun by @callmevenji (book-verse)

@na-dineee: As with ice hockey, road trips are just as popular setups for many beautiful rwrb fanfics. With this one, I’m able to tick off some of my favourite tropes, like enemies to lovers, oblivious Alex with abandonment issues, or found family. The author’s previous fics have always amazed me, and I’m sure this one will be no different – the setup is just too good!

tis the damn season by @littlemisskittentoes (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I think this is Sarah’s first multi-chap fic? Alex and Henry were childhood best friends, a friendship that meant the world to Alex. But that’s all in the past. Still, Alex’s stubborn heart never stopped loving Henry... The WiP is posted about halfway through, and it’s as beautifully poetic as you’d expect from Sarah. The small town setting gives off such cozy vibes – it’s just so lovely !!

The Love Lasts So Long by @chaa-kiao (book-verse)

@na-dineee: The Foxes are close friends of the Claremont-Diazes. However, Alex can’t stand Henry. Like, not at all !! Naturally he's kind of shocked/annoyed to find out that Henry will be spending Christmas with them. As usual, Alex is totally oblivious to his feelings, but they'll get there, won't they?! I love this author, and am so glad that they're posting again. A story about falling in love, discovering their feelings, and the magic of Christmas - even in January just perfect.

The Final Rose by @tinyarmedtrex (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Alex is the new Bachelor, and it's Henry's job to keep everything running smoothly. Of course, the whole thing gets off to a rocky start. Henry can't stand Alex and his easy charm, but as he gets to know him, he starts to warm up, realising his feelings are anything but professional. Are we here for this?!! Yes, we are, aren’t we?!

Sweet Little Lies by @celaestis1 (book-verse)

@dot524: Canon divergent AU where Alex misses the royal wedding and Cake-gate never happened, but a flirtation between June and Henry and a lavender relationship did instead. Alex is still obsessed with Henry and has to confront his own feelings as the situation unfolds. So excited to see where this goes, especially since I’ve loved this author’s other works!

Driven to Distraction by @happiness-of-the-pursuit (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Since last year’s photos of TZP and Nick at F1 events, we’ve all been waiting (okay, maybe just me … but you too, right?!) for this AU. And now it’s here, written by none other than happinessofthepursuit. It’s going to be 10 chapters, rated E, Enemies to Lovers—and chapter 1 already leaves you wanting more.

Married at First Sight by @omgcmere (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: If you heard squealing across the oceans on Sunday, it was probably me when I saw the email notification for this beloved author publishing her first fic in 3 years. Alex and Henry sign up to do a reality show (if you haven't watched it, don't worry. I haven't and I'm enjoying it all the same!) in which they are supposed to get married to a complete stranger--except it turns out they already know each other, and Alex has been nursing a grudge for years. We're only a chapter in but the tension has already built up to an excellent level and I can't wait to keep reading.

check out our past WIP recs here ❤️

[lynxgriffin]

Thoughts on future Eldritchrune updates

Hey folks! Just wanted to make a post about some long-term stuff regarding Eldritchrune, and other DR-related fan stuff I may be working on. I'm absolutely open to all of your thoughts or suggestions on it, but I wanted to try and lay down some long-term planning, since I like doing that:

While there's plenty of other scenes I intend to do comics for (I've got a whole new batch of them that I need to get to writing soon) I've also been thinking about how to approach the ending. While I'd like to wait for chapters three and four and see what new material we get from canon there, I also intend to finish the AU before the game itself finishes, primarily because I want to do a much more canon-based fan project after the full game is out. Eldritchrune is vastly different enough from canon anyway that I'm not concerned about the canon ending affecting the AU.

My primary concern is that, as I have it laid out now, Eldritchrune's ending is going to take a VERY long time to produce...it's an extensively long ending, with crowd scenes, fight scenes, huge effects, buildings falling apart, emotional conversations, etc...basically ALL of the things that take a really long time to draw! I am wondering if it might be best to approach that work by slowly chipping away at it over a long period of time, rather than trying to tackle it once I'm actually at the ending.

Of course, the issue with that is that if I'm setting aside time regularly to chip away at it, that'll eat into time to work on the other, smaller scenes that are still in progress. This is in addition to me wanting to do a special project (canon-related) for the upcoming anniversary in a few months. All this is to say that this may make the blocks of time between comic updates longer, and I know there's already quite a wait there, at least with these last few long ones!

This seems like the best approach to making sure Eldritchrune gets done in a satisfying way to me right now, but I also know that longer waits between updates might not be ideal for folks. To help with the waits, I was thinking of also updating my patreon with WIPs on a more frequent basis, but that also may not make a difference for most people reading. So, I am open to your thoughts and opinions on this as I move forward!

[mewtwoandme]

Well, it's now March. I think it's safe to say I've officially come back from my art hiatus, considering I've been working on Part 3 of the baby arc for the last few days now lol. I've been making decent progress, still far from being completely sketched out, but I'm getting closer to the end. I've been debating on outlining and finishing up Part 2 and some Siv shenanigan wips I've left sitting around before the hiatus, just to move the arc along quicker. I might still do that, but as of now, my main focus is to see how much progress I can make with Part 3.

...I do feel the need to apologize. I know that due to IRL life stuff and other things, my plans to have this arc done have been heavily interfered with. But it's refreshing to know that yall are still hype for it and still ask about it now and then ^^ Though some of it is my fault too, Part 3 is turning out to be very LENGTHY, with currently 13 pages and 75+ panels in total....I did this to myself ^^; It's a bit too late to reconsider my life choices though. I'm already too deep into the thick of it to turn back now XD Due to how long this comic is, I may need to find a place to split it. So instead of the Baby Arc being only 4 chapters like I originally intended, it may end up being 5 but we'll see.

Also, going forward, as far as posting other art like shitposts or ask related works, that stuff still might be far and few in between while I'm working on the arc. Buuuuut, if there are certain days I get tired of sketching for the arc, I may shift my attention to short shitposts/ask art here and there to mix it up a little XD

She's not having a good time :(

[vossprime]

20 Questions: Writing Edition

Tagged by the Inquisition herself ( @inquisitornocturn ), thank you, this looks so fun!

How many works do you have on ao3?

23!

What’s your total ao3 word count?

102,210

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Mechanical; Medicinal (Rogue Trader)

Absolute / Obedience (BG3)

Systematical; Sacrificial (Rogue Trader)

I don't know where to put my hands (Metro 2033)

Blood in the Water (WH40K)

What fandoms do you write for?

WH40K, broadly speaking.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I try to respond to all of them simply because they spark an endless well of joy in me and most often inspire me to say something in return. Also whenever I comment I love replies as well, so I try to keep that going.

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

Once I fucking sit down and continue Blackwater Days you will all see-

From my recent ones, on the principle of want (RT, Achilleas x Heinrix) comes to mind. Not for the plot, necessarily, which is more sorrowful than angsty, but the last line:

For a moment Heinrix wants to kiss him awake, kiss him goodbye.  The Interrogator breathes once, twice, then turns on his heel and leaves the room.

It was a deliberate choice to contrast Heinrix with his title here, that was my special little treat to myself. I gain another health bar anytime someone points it out.

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

Ironic, given the title, but Bellicose Hearts (Horus Heresy). It was written as a gift and a challenge for @mortallyperfecttimemachine and the theme was humor and fluff, so it ended on a nice note. A photo together. The remembrancers are happy. Keeler is there. Karkasy is alive. Isstvan is far away.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not directly! My comments are locked to registered accounts only, that seems to dissuade the obvious bots and trolls. Always fond of the ask I got that was just a "👎" tho.

Do you write smut?

In theory yes, in practice I have been told my smut is just character studies in disguise. My most popular fics stay the ones that were exclusively written with my [redacted] though.

Do you write crossovers?

Not really - most often they don't hold any appeal for me.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I'm already being vagued /j - SOON.

What’s your all time favourite ship?

You're asking someone who has a brain like a sieve and triple-wields ships until polyamory is the only sensible solution :D

What’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

None. I plan to see everything through. If it takes 10 years, it takes 10 years. Farseer grindset.

What are your writing strengths?

Prose, poetry, evocative imagery.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. Who came up with this. Is it not enough to communicate through 4-6 intricately crafted metaphors and call it a day? Hell world.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

Provided I am writing in English, I provide translation in the footnotes and try not to have it drag on for too long. I do enjoy some language variety in fic, though. Dirty Talk in another language? Elite. Sadly I come from the language the absolute least suited for writing this.

First fandom you wrote for?

The first one I published for was Metro 2033, the book. The first one I wrote was for a mobile game called The Arcana. Don't judge me, a bitch saw tarot themes and a pointy-toothed nonbinary vivisection freak and decided he just might. A true freak from day one - you can tell why I like Tervantias.

Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I'm going to level with you. It will always be the last one. I grow and evolve with each piece and whatever I have last put out will be my pride and joy at that very moment. However, Blackwater Days (which I still plan to bring past chapter 1, it's just sitting in my drafts all disjointed and none of like 5 chapters empty but none ready either) will always be close to my heart for how much planning, fantasizing and worldbuilding happened around it. Those three hour discussions with my roommate on military strategy are sacred.

Tagging: Let me gather my irl squad for a second: @definitely-not-iorveth @mortallyperfecttimemachine , @goofgoofdildo , @ineadhyn , I'd be really interested to hear if you feel like it!

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Spring Cleaning Update:

Hey there, everyone! First and foremost, Happy Wednesday - I hope you’re doing well and taking care of yourselves the best way that you can.

Secondly, I figured that now o’clock seems like a good time to share some updates since it’s been a while and some things are changing.

Writing Things:

I’m going to be slowly but surely migrating to AO3 as my main fic posting place. A long ago version of me once thought that I’d keep up with posting to both places but I quickly learned that I’m a one trick pony (one site poster) and at the time, tumblr became the numero uno. But with all this talk of it not being around anymore, I’m jumping back over to the archive.

New chapters of ongoing wips will still be posted here until the wheels fall off. (until tumblr dies or the fic is finished) I’m going to start cross posting with shorter pieces/one shots, but the goal is to get it all on AO3. But until further notice, you’ll be able to find new chapters to ongoing series here as well as eventually there.

New stories will only be posted to AO3. I’ve already started this with The Contractor. I’ll still make announcement posts here when new chapters are up, again, until the wheels fall off, but new stuff will only be posted to AO3.

I’ll still be here in the meantime! My inbox is still always open, and so are my DMs. I’ll still be here to chat and gush about fictional characters and do tag games and support other writers and other members of the community and all that jazz!

But in case of fire, I’m also on discord. Same name over there, same dashes between the words. I’m not always the quickest to respond, but feel free to come say hi!

The March Fic Madness Mega Masterlist is live! Come and get your fic recs, folks! And if you’re still compiling your rec list, no worries! Send me a message or tag me whenever it’s complete and I’ll add you!

Bonus update: Currently working on Survivor Blues and The Contractor, so expect some Joel soon!

Putting the rest under the cut because it’s personal stuff and that’s probably not why you’re here.

Personal Things:

Mental health? Not good. Not going to mince words, I’ve been struggling a lot more than I ever really have before, for a longer period than I ever really have before. (I know that I’m in no way the only one going through this, especially right now with the world in the fucking toilet, and I’m so sorry to anyone else in this boat. It sucks so damn bad.) It’s been so long since I’ve actually felt like myself at this point that I’m worried that I’d walk right past her on the street. Being ground into the dirt for a prolonged time is just making it very hard to stand back up recently. I’m very lucky to have a great support system, so that does help a ton, though most days I still feel like my brain is in the dark and my lungs are shrink wrapped too tightly.

Physical health? Ha! Because of the aforementioned issues, I definitely physically feel like garbage most of the time, too. I haven’t slept a solid 6 hours in months at this point and I look it. I’ve also lost weight that I didn’t want/couldn’t really afford to lose, and I look it. Headaches and racing heartbeats have become a new normal that I absolutely hate. The very second that I have access to healthcare (unfortunately I’m uninsured at the moment) I will be seeking medical help for both the mental and the physical issues, but until then I’m doing what I can to keep on trucking.

Okay two bad things are enough, how about a good one? I’m starting to focus a little more of my attention and energy (when I can) on some original fiction! I’m challenging myself to submit pieces to writing contests as well as literary magazines, and I’m planning to partake in nanowrimo this November. My first deadline for a flash fiction (1k words or under) contest is in a few days, and it’s a spooky themed event!

Okay! I think we’re all good and caught up, now. (Bad and caught up, too.) If you have made it this far, please know that I’m sending you a hug through the internets. 🫂 💚

[gaiaseyes451]

2024 Fic Roundup / AO3 Ask Game

Oi, so many tags! Thank you @nosferatini, @kotias and @cheeseplants!

What fandoms do you write in?

Good Omens

How many words have you published in 2024?

Not including collaborative works: 129,329. Good grief, that feels like a lot.

What is your greatest achievement this year?

Honestly, I'm proud of myself for writing to deadlines this year. A lot of my writing was for events and I'm always terrified I won't make it but I did! I also art'd for the first time for @the-literal-kj

What are your favourite top three fics you've written this year?

Ostinato - Pianist Crowley summons Aziraphale back from Heaven. This let me lean into my pianist background, I loved writing this for the High Pollen Count event.

Breathless - The breath play kink fic that was never planned but @sixbynine-da demanded. I've never had a scene flow out of me like this and it isn't angst!

A Little Life - My first long fic. Folks say it's sad and it is, but to me it also... isn't... Forever indebted to @fuzzygoblin for the music prompt for the Good Omens Song and Poetry exchange and for gamely agreeing despite all the trigger warnings (before they knew it was me writing it). <3

What was your biggest pit of despair moment?

Truthfully, I'm in my lowest point of the year right now. Haven't written a word since finishing Breathless. But I've got amazing friends in this community who have my back. I'll be okay.

What have you learned?

Tell the story you want to tell. Better to write for yourself and the handful of people the story will resonate with than to force a story you think will appeal to the masses. If it's pulling at you, it's pulling for a reason.

Reach out to your idols, I've yet to find one of the people I perceive as BNF's to be anything but kind and encouraging.

I'm pretty sure I can HTML just about anything with a general guide now.

What fic did you want to do but never made it off the ground?

I still have a roughly 20k draft of 1941 that I wanted to finish. It needs to be rewritten, but I will finish it.

Did you beta any fics? Any favs you want to shout out?

I beta for a lot of folks! I'm going to miss people, I'm so sorry. @adverbian's Is This Desire?

@kneelbeforeyourdogbabylon's Sins of Knowledge

@sixbynine-da's A Tricky Situation

@spectrallydistracted's If I Loved You Less ... We Could Have Coffee

Most everything by @the-literal-kj and @hakunahistata but particularly KJ's Show the Way and Haku's 21 Grams

What three fics have you read this year that you love?

Someone is Calling Him Shorewards by @harlotofupdog - The first fic that made me break my "I don't read WIPs" rule. Gorgeous and atmospheric and sexy and heartwrenching and mysterious. I don't know how I got the title of angst queen in our little group when Harlot wrote Shorewards.

Quite Contrary by @gingiekittycat - Poor Gingie has listened to me write honest to someone literary analysis of this fic as well as beg for multiple historical prequels. This one lives rent free in my head and will for a long time.

Play for Me the Music of Your Heart by @leviosally - There is one chapter left to go that I (and everyone else) am waiting for with baited breath, but now is a perfect time to start a read if you haven't yet. This is, in my opinion, the quintessential musician AU written by someone with a deep love and understanding of music. Spellbinding.

What ideas are percolating for next year?

@the-literal-kj and I are already working on our Heaven before the Fall story that we've been calling Bitter Things! The other big fic I'd like to get out is a Human AU where Peter Pan collides with Peaky Blinders. And, in January, expect.... wait for it... fluff

Who do you want to thank?

@hakunahistata, @the-literal-kj and @adverbian - You three cheer and challenge and cackle and cry and you make things better, both my writing and my day to day life. I'm grateful for you as beta's and I'm humbled to call you my friends.

@kneelbeforeyourdogbabylon, @dbacklot99 and @sixbynine-da - Y'all are the first real collaborators I've worked with on an as of yet unspoken project. I have so enjoyed working with you three and also becoming friends! Thank you for the randomness and the wonderful angst spirals and that utterly AMAZING Lucicrow birthday gift - Changing Keys

@goodomensafterdark community and all the wonderful folks who are following me here or have taken the time to kudos and/or comment on my work. Seeing what y'all create and hearing from you brightens my day immensely! I'm so grateful for this amazing, welcoming, exuberant fandom!

No pressure tags: I have no idea who hasn't been tagged yet, if you're mentioned above please take it as a tag. If you see this and want to play, please do and tag me!

[sorryitsmyfirstdayonearth]

questions about your wips: do you know when we're going to see the first chapters? ESPECIALLY blackbird and sun bleached flies (ethel cain and supernatural has always been a banger combo but i KNOW youre going to knock it out of the fucking park with this one and plot already sounds BEAUTIFUL). as always i love you i hope you're doing amazing <3

Hello you gorgeous human you! ❤️ Thank you so much for the ask - omg my fellow Ethel freaks, I love this with all my heart!

I HOPE (no guarantees AT ALL) to have Blackbird ready to post in the next few months. That's the one I'm actively working on, but I've allowed myself to get a little distracted with other lovely things recently, such as planning my writing for my October challenge (more info here) and opening a spicy SPN headcanon blog with my sexy wife friend @voodoochildthings (check it out under @salt-and-sin-and-spn ❤️). BUT I'm hoping to get back to it properly. I'm at an amazing scene right now where Sam, Dean and their gang are going to teach the reader and her gaggle of whores to defend themselves against demons. It's a little stressful writing so many characters at once, but I am having an absolute blast. Putting them all into a wild west scenario is all of my favorite things coming together.😄

Regarding Sun bleached flies, it's hard to say. My hope is to still finish it this year, but as I mentioned before, it's a goshdang mammoth. The good thing is I have it completely drafted out as well as written the first version of about 60-70%, I wanna say. Once I finish Blackbird and can fully focus on that, I think I'll make good progress. I'm so excited for that one!

Thank you so much for asking about these! If there's anything else about them that interests you, I'm always happy to chat about them, without spoilers of course! Appreciate you so so much! ❤️

[flymetosnarryland]

My Snarry WIPs' list.

I would like to share something. My Snarry WIPs' list, yup. Why? I always felt weird writing about myself and stuff I do, but I'm processing changes and thought I can share not only art, lol.

How many project are you working on? I'll dive into couple of mine:

Date with a Star - a Post-War romantic comedy. Harry is in love with Severus, Severus secretly loves Harry. Both are too scared to say what they feel to not lose their friendship. A friend in need asks Harry for help and this is where the wild ride with dumb dating TV-show starts. Especially because Harry don't know that the same friend-in-need blackmailed Severus to get him into the same show too. This is actually a second Snarry fic I ever started to write, inspired by dating TV-show from 1992. I remember that when the idea for this one hit me, I was laughing for a good hour (that TV-show was absolutely ridiculous). And I still feel a pinch of positive embarrassment when think about what's going on there. In fact this story made me want to learn how to translate my wiritngs into English. It's half written and translated too. I really have to finish second part.

Infraction - my first monster fic. My baby. Crime (serial killer), slow burn, Muggle AU featuring Marauders and Death Eaters, political sheananigans and Severus' old flame. I have entire story written out from beginning to the end. What's more... with an ending that allows me to dive into second book (I'm excited lika a child) including the initial idea for it, ahh. Every time I think about Infraction, I feel butterflies in my stomach and a tear comes to my eye, damn. However, the entire project requires a huge amount of work. And a few modifications that I finally have to do to complete the first stage. It's not simple, though. I regret a bit that I released the cover, prologue and first chapter. I was prematurely carried away by the joy of creation, but that's okay. Going to fix it all in time.

In the Moonlight - working title. Something I planned to write for last year's Snarry AUctoberfest, but the beast got bigger, lol. Crime (kidnapping), Muggle AU - my great weakness and, most importantly, inspired by the movie Bodyguard (the one with Whitney Huston). Much like Infraction, this fic is fully planned and scripted. I can't believe I managed to do it. I wrote 1/4 of the whole thing and even have the lyrics of original song that Harry dedicates to Severus, although I don't know anything about music at all (an elephant stepped on my ear).

In between - a drawing series. Harry and Severus in a cute/fluff version. Post-War and happy life, because that's what they deserve!

First time - Drama/Romance, Muggle AU (gosh, yeah, again!). This is a project I want to do 50/50 as a fic/comic. A few works and dirty sketches have already landed here. I have a little dream of writing something that includes e-mails/text messages. In general, a romance that started online. Aren't Harry and Severus purfect for this? (Plus doing art in colour for this project was a test I wanted to start before 3B.)

3B - a Vampire fic, yessss. Can you believe that once I said, I'll never ever write or do anything connected to vampires? Hehe, now I'm in the middle of it, fully commited and over the moon. A bit dark/angsty story with a bonus: illustrations. Crime (more like, cri-me a river, lol; I mean, again? Yup xD), Post-War, a few intrigues, even a SnarryWedding o_0 gosh. That is another thing I said: "No, that's not going to happen." I guess, I fell on my head since now I do everything I promised to myself not to. But it's fun. And bloody, mhaha. I also created my own Vampire Villains and I kinda fell in love with them. Going to sneak into this fic a bit of blood magic mechanics that I created for my fantasy book, too. The picture at the top is one version of the cover sketches ɷ◡ɷ

Adrenaline - working title. Post-War/Drama/Romance and slow burn, a bit of Hogwarts, a bit of Quidditch and for a change Severus will have to show that he wants something more. I mean, I always writing/thinking about Harry chasing Severus. So here the dynamic will change a little. Can't wait for it! The idea for this one was accidentaly born last week and I can't stop it anymore. The inspiration comes from the cover art for Witch Weekly that I did, lol. I had no idea that at the stage of brainstorming, it would turn into another monster. It supposed to be a short story, but, apparently, I'm not good at short stories and it's time to come to terms with it xD I won't cry either because I like Harry and Severus pairing up in different ways/AU's, hehe. And most importantly - creating all these things, even if they don't fully see the world outside my drawer, still gives me great joy!

[yoonia]

*slowly crawling out of my dungeon*

Hello, lovelies! Coming back to let you guys know that I'm still alive (lol) and I've been writing even if I'm not always around. As usual, it's time to share my monthly writing progress to let you know what I'm working on and where I'm at right now.

— 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬:

Hot Mess (Taehyung); current progress: 2,5k words (from est. final word count 6-7k words) | this is a fic commission that I was planning to post this Monday. But your girl had to work all weekend and couldn't find the time to finish this, so posting day will be postponed for a few days or a week

Sunset Glow (Hoseok); current progress: 4k words (from est. final word count 10-15k words) | this WIP has been in my draft for too long, so I'm looking forward to share it during Hobi month. I might not be able to make it to release on his birthday, but it's coming!

Red Vibe (Yoongi); current progress: 3k words (from est. final word count 10k words? maybe? idk) | I'm planning to release this on Yoongi's birthday on March, but I'm starting early since I might be getting busy on early March so I'm preparing myself for it. This one is going to be quite a ride so I hope you're looking forward to this one

28 Days (Taehyung; Jungkook); current progress: storyboarding | this is another revamp project that I'm working on. I was planning to have this as a project to release through February, but due to being sick last month, I was only able to finish the storyboard

Bedroom Hymns (Yoongi); current progress: 1,7k words in total for chapter 24 & 25 | I'm finally picking this one up again. It's a slow process, but I'm looking into posting some new updates around March, so it felt right to start working on it alongside the one-shots that I'm currently working on. As you may have expected, the moodboard attached above is a little spoiler for the next chapter

Ever A Never After (Jungkook, Seokjin); current progress: 5,5k words for Act Three | Another one I'm picking up to finish. I'm hoping that I can finally focus on this once the other fic commission is up but there is some progress already happening here

— 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬:

I recently shared a freebie on Patreon, which is an image/file for my 28 days writing challenge that everyone can join this month (or maybe next month?). I'm hoping that by following the steps in the challenge, it can help you focus and finish your WIP(s), or at least start a new writing project. You can download this freebie item by subscribing to my Patreon, whether as a free member or by joining the tiers that you can choose from my profile

I also opened my Patreon shop to give you access to my writing class without having to subscribe as a tier member. If you simply want to buy and download the worksheets that I created and shared for the writing class to help practice your writing, you can get also get them through my Patreon shop or Ko-fi shop. More digital products will be added in both shops, including the downloadable worksheets from my writing class that will be available for non-members to buy :)

For more info on updates and work in progress, please check out my updates page that I'll be updating frequently. Feel free to ask me about anything listed above if you're curious to know more!

[tiltedsyllogism]

New Year's Resolution: three WsIP I am absolutely definitely going to think about maybe finishing in 2025 (And You Can, Too)

so, like: who can plan for anything these days, right? and especially, who can try to dictate in advance which hibernating projects will wake back up again, and on what schedule?

That being said, if one wants to finish a given WiP, it helps to a) remember that it exists and b) at least try to re-engage it as a live project. In my experience, you can't flip that switch through force of will, but you can look for openings.

So that is what I am resolving to do, and what I am challenging you to do as well, writing friends! Also I am telling you about it in hopes that this functions as some kind of accountability. And I hope you will do the same.

(NB. I'm still working on some FTH fic, as well as the final chapter of The War at Home, but none of that is on this list because I know those are going to happen and I have other accountability structures in place already. I'm using this exercise for stories that might otherwise continue to go neglected.)

Three WsIP I am going to commit to at least sort of trying to finish in 2025 (all of these are For All Mankind):

Ground Crew: This is the first FAM story I ever started writing! Look, it even has a title! So, uh, maybe I should finish it at some point. It's close Karen PoV, and the timeframe is roughly a year pre-canon until about year after the end of S1. Karen &|/ Tracy, which is basically also the plot haha. (Currently 6.8k)

"Wayne is jealous:" This is going to be a Wayne PoV story that follows his interior struggles as he makes room for Molly to live her best life. It's a Molly/Margo story set around 1986, when Margo starts getting close to Sergei and Molly gets jealous. Well, guess who else gets jealous? Not Wayne! Wayne's too evolved for jealousy. There are absolutely no problems here, honestly why would i even need to write this story (currently 4.8k)

"1993 hookup:" Margo/Sergei smut. It's canon-compatible, so obviously it's kind of emotionally torturous, but also I'm the one writing it so we knew this already. Anyway, I have this whole thing sketched! Most of the non-smut parts are almost completely developed! Also I have an intuition that this one will find readers. (currently 3k)

I am tagging a bunch of friends whom I know or suspect have fairly deep WiP folders, but please know that I would love to hear from everyone on this! If I haven't tagged you, yes I have actually

@doctornerdington @sapphoshands @midnight-els @orciny @destinationtoast @nicehatgeorgia @lavinia-pfigg @unreconstructedfangirl @greywash @havingbeenbreathedout @a-still-small-vox @allatariel

[inquisitornocturn]

20 Questions: Writing Edition

Thank you so much @cawyden-gaming for tagging me, this looks like so much fun omg!

How many works do you have on ao3?

59, granted I removed one of the longfics recently, so that would be a nice round 60

What’s your total ao3 word count?

414,153 (and minus like 56k extra again from the deleted fic)

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Sanguine Allure

A Small Hope

Shades & Shadows

Falling on Your Sword

When Cannons Fade (this one written for a dear friend)

All of these for BG3 fandom

What fandoms do you write for?

Baldur's Gate 3, Vampire the Masquerade and Rogue Trader, but I have another fandom that is sitting in my WIPs

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, I think it's just good manners, plus I really love interacting with my readers. Sometimes a single comment will propel me to write a one shot or a new chapter. I write for myself, but I post for others and knowing that there are others who read my stuff makes it worthwhile to post my works.

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

Either Specters & Phantoms or Tempus Horizon. Both darkfics.

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

Misconstruction or maybe Veni Et Ama Me

Do you get hate on fics?

On fics? No. I just get people lamenting that I write villains or darkfic lol

Do you write smut?

That's what I'm known for, your local smut peddler. Some people write with their heart, I write with another part of me

Do you write crossovers?

No, they really don't interest me because I CBA to figure out the logistics. Only cross-overs I'm willing to do is writing oc & oc with someone who's a friend, and set in the same setting

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I have and more than once, but thankfully everything was resolved without too many issues

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, several. That was in the past. Now I'm not to keen to give this permission because I can never be sure if my work hasn't be altered

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I hope to do it soon (you know who you are)

What’s your all time favourite ship?

I don't really ship, that's why I write reader inserts in a first place

What’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

None. I am fueled by horny and adhd and plan to finish every single project I started. Even the one I have removed I will rework. I don't abandon ideas

What are your writing strengths?

Smut, paying attention to details from sensations and emotions and really creating an interesting scene from possibly mundane scenarios

What are your writing weaknesses?

Typos. I have adhd and no beta so I know many of them slip through, but since this is not trad publishing I try not to overthink it too much, otherwise I will never post. Another thing I think I'm not really good at is fluff

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I would do it if it fit, but only if I can find a native to get proper sentences. Otherwise I resort to a word or two at the most. Oh also, English is not even my native language, but I stopped announcing it years ago, so I guess technically counts as well?

First fandom you wrote for?

For published fic? Oh god... Supernatural. Generally? Harry Potter at age 13. I just carbon dated myself with this one

Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Ohhh hard choice and it can change from day to day, but on this day it's 13th of August. I'm still happy to have written that Dracula homage I always dreamed of writing.

Tagging: @porcelainseashore @rhiaden @liocreates @vossprime and I doubt you guys haven't been tagged already but still @theevilscribbler @redstairs @jaal-ama-daravv @pallysuune @redbatchedcumbermayned

[danaewrites]

Helmet Over Heels

part i: the winter of our discontent

din djarin x reader // read it on AO3

word count: 3.8k

summary:  When your path literally collides with a beskar-covered Mandalorian one night, neither of you expect how that meeting will irreversibly change the trajectory of your lives. 

You’re pulled into his powerful orbit, agreeing to take care of his son in exchange for adventure and freedom– when he’s not off hunting bounties and inadvertently saving villages in need, that is. It’s the perfect plan. Or it would be, if only your quiet crush on the man would stop growing into something more with every hour you spend together. There’s no way he’d ever feel the same, right?

And Din? Well, he’s been trying (and failing) to convince himself that he’s not completely helmet over heels for you since day one. But a Mandalorian can only repress his emotions for so long…

(This fic takes place sometime after Season 2. Din’s back on his bounty-hunting business with a Razor Crest that was never destroyed and an adorable green sidekick who won’t stop chewing on its wires.)

tags: strangers to friends to lovers, slow-ish burn, nicknames, touch-starved din djarin and fem!reader, canon-compliant through season 2 and then Jesus takes the wheel :P

author's notes:

hello and welcome to my first ever mando fic!! i binged the entirety of the first two seasons in a week to get me through tedious internship work and accidentally fell in love with our favorite space dad and his cute green child along the way. oops (i regret nothing)

with the outline i currently have for this fic, it’ll be around 11-12 chapters, although that’s likely to grow as we get deeper into the story. the posting schedule might be anywhere from once a week to once a month, but this wip *will* be finished.

the second chapter's scheduled to upload next week as a little treat for y'all, so if you want to catch it then hit that follow button or ask to be added to my taglist! ;)

read it all here: part i, part ii, part iii, part iv, part v coming soon!

You watched the last of tonight’s drunken patrons stumble out of the cantina and into the bitter Nath night with a relieved sigh. Wiping your hands on the stained apron tied around your waist, you fished a set of bronze keys out of a tiny pocket and began your nightly walk around the perimeter of the bar, locking doors and pulling down rusty shutters as you went. The cantina was silent aside from your quiet shuffling– a welcome reprieve from its usual crowded bustle and chatter so hectic you could barely hear your own thoughts. 

You hummed softly as you adjusted booths back to their original positions and swept crumbs off of battered tabletops, wishing that the small holospeaker at the edge of the room hadn’t been broken in a recent bar fight. Swaying to its pre-Imperial oldies throughout your long, exhausting shifts had been one of the only perks of working in this run-down cantina, but without the soothing ambience of music, a chill threatened to sink into your bones and paralyze you with the deep depression this side of the planet seemed to have succumbed to.

You never planned to stay here for as long as you had. No one really did, except for criminals who knew that no one would willingly come here to search for them and locals who had never known anything else. Nath might have been charming, once– all soft snowflakes and peaceful walks under sepia-toned streetlights– but that was before the Empire had destroyed every semblance of comfort and culture and replaced them with brutalist brick structures that were already crumbling under the weight of their makers’ crimes. The fear lingered long after the Imps had finally left the post, reflected in the sad eyes of the fishmongers’ children and the way one would be hard-pressed to find a factory worker who didn’t spend his nights nursing a bottle and the ghosts of blaster scars across his back.

You had your own scars, of course, but you still held out hope that things would change and you’d make it out of here– although that hope was gradually diminishing as off-world shuttles visited less and less frequently and the permanent winter worsened. Five years ago, you’d been unceremoniously dropped off at the town’s dingy port, forced to land after your shuttle to Corellia was damaged by an unexpected detour through an asteroid field. You’d taken the cantina job thinking you’d only stay long enough to pay for passage on an outgoing ship, but soon learned that any shuttle risking the terrible weather to land here would also charge an exorbitant boarding price– one that would take you years to afford with the meager pay you received. And your tentative plan of stowing away on a spice freighter and sneaking off once it arrived at its destination (you weren’t picky about where, so long as it wasn’t Nath) was tempered by the increasingly likelihood that you’d get blown to pieces the minute you entered space by one of the pirate gangs that ruled the atmosphere these days. So– you were stuck here, at least for now.

The smell of something burning in the back of the cantina drew you out of your thoughts. Cursing, you raced to the kitchen, where your dinner was quickly blackening on the stove. Kriff. You shut off the burner, staring at the charred mess before you for a few seconds before dejectedly scraping it into an almost-overflowing trash bin. Well, there went your plan to eat quickly and head to your tiny flat before the storm outside worsened. Your rental pod had barely enough space for your bed and a miniscule bathroom, so you had to use the cantina kitchen if you wanted to stay fed– but the stove here was so old, it took half an hour longer than usual to cook anything. You resigned yourself to another night sleeping in a booth, since the flurry outside would prevent you from navigating your way home safely. 

You sliced up a few vegetables and set them to simmer in a pot with the last of the herbed broth and sandseed noodles from today’s lunch special, glancing at the bin next to you. It was probably a good idea to take out the foul-smelling waste before you were sealed in next to it all night. Wrinkling your nose at the unappealing scraps of food threatening to fall off the top of the pile, you hefted the bin up and maneuvered it through the back door of the cantina, being careful not to stain your apron any more than it already was. The harsh winds nipped at every sliver of exposed skin and dusted your hair with a pearlescent sheen of snow, making you wish you’d thought to slip on something warmer than your thin blouse and trousers before leaving the protection of the kitchen.

You navigated through the blizzard to the end of the dark alleyway behind the cantina, your path lit only by two buzzing lamps at each end of the narrow corridor. You scrunched your face up against the cold, willing yourself to keep walking despite your extremely limited night vision. Just a few more steps, and then you’d be free of your compostable burden for the night. You turned the corner, stepping to the left where you knew the trash compactor was, and immediately collided with a giant hunk of metal.

Said hunk of metal cursed loudly as it stumbled head-first over the garbage bin you’d dropped in shock after the impact, falling forward into the snow. “Dank ferrik!” 

Your eyes grew wide as the glow of the flickering streetlights illuminated the very-much-alive Mandalorian lying in front of you. It was just your luck that you’d managed to potentially injure the kind of warrior you’d only heard about in hushed rumors, or at least someone who was wearing the armor of one. Okay, injure was a strong word, but all that cold, hard beskar couldn’t be very comfortable to fall on despite the protection it offered. 

“Stars, I’m so sorry, let me–” 

You reached forward, stretching out a hand to help the Mandalorian up when a small green head suddenly popped up out of a tawny bag slung across their side. You yelped in surprise, losing your balance on the icy road and toppling forward. You winced, bracing yourself and preparing for the inevitable impact– except right as you were about to hit the ground, one steel-clad arm shot out to grab your wrist while the other steadied your hips. You gasped at the warmth of the unexpected contact, pulse quickening as you stared at the–man? person?–beneath you, the only thing preventing you from a nasty collection of bruises appearing across your side tomorrow. 

A deep baritone sounded from the helmet– likely modulated, from the slightly grainy tone. “Are you alright?”

Definitely a man, then. You pointedly ignored the butterflies that stirred to life in your stomach at the sound of his voice, praying that he would attribute your shiver to the cold and nothing more. Stars, this was getting more embarrassing by the minute. You tucked away the thought, making a note to do some serious soul-searching later on about the depth of your touch-starvation and its potential impact on your mental state. 

You gave a quick nod, muttering your thanks and carefully rolling to the side as you dusted clumps of snow off of your trousers. You looked up at him to see him gently picking up the little green creature you’d been so startled by earlier and tucking it back into the bag, pulling his cloak over its head to shield it from the chill. That was… rather cute, actually. You thought Mandalorians were supposed to be scary fighters, dedicated to nothing but their Creed, but this one was clearly fond of the small thing clinging to him. You couldn’t blame him; the green creature’s big ears and bug eyes were adorably endearing. 

The cold winds picked up pace, and you wondered why anyone would be out here during such a storm as you got to your feet. Anyone local would have sought shelter hours ago, and no freighter would dare to land in such conditions. 

“Are you... lost?” You tentatively asked. “Can I help you find someone?”

The Mandalorian remained silent for several long seconds, helmet tilted slightly. Whatever he saw in your face seemed to have settled well with him, and he released a quiet huff through the modulator.

“I need to get food. For my son,” he eventually admitted, gesturing to the baby peeking up at you. 

“Oh!” You brightened up considerably as you remembered the flavorful soup you’d started earlier. “Well– I work in a cantina back there,” you said, pointing behind you at the rusted door that led to the kitchen.

“We’re technically closed right now, but I’m sure I can work something out.” You winked at the curious child, smiling as he let out a happy babble. 

The Mandalorian’s helmet hadn’t moved from its focus in your direction, and you suddenly felt nervous. Which seemed stupid, because–yeah, it felt intense, but was he even looking at you from behind the dark visor of his helmet? For all you knew, he was making the most ridiculous expression at you behind all that beskar and you’d never know. The absurd thought made you snicker softly. If no one could see your face, you’d definitely act goofy at people all the time.

The Mandalorian’s head tilted slightly, and whoops, he’d definitely noticed your little moment now if he hadn’t been paying attention before. Your face reddened and you quickly gestured for him to follow you as you unlocked the door to the kitchen, relieved when you heard the soft clink of his armor come through the doorway behind you.

You placed your hands on your hips, surveying the dimly lit cantina and deciding to lead the duo to a worn table close to the bar. It looked unassuming, but the chairs were the comfiest in the cantina and you figured the baby would appreciate something softer than the coarse bag he’d been in. 

Once they’d gotten settled in, you set about finding a mug of blue milk for the kid and some water for the Mandalorian. You brought the drinks over to the pair, hiding a smile at how eagerly the little green baby reached for his. 

“You’re pretty thirsty, huh?” You observed as the baby slurped up the cerulean beverage. Shooting the tall, beskar-clad man a glance out of the corner of your eye, you continued, “Must have been quite the trip. Most people don’t usually travel to this side of the galaxy for vacation.”

To your disappointment, the Mandalorian remained as still and stoic as ever. Well, that just wouldn’t do. He was your first visitor in years from anywhere outside of Nath, and you were absolutely not letting him leave without getting a bit of juicy detail on life outside of your current drudgery. You decided to go for another angle.

“You know, kids need good role models in their lives. Ones that show them how to socialize with others and communicate. Display generosity of the loquacious sort, even.” You shrugged innocently in your best attempt to mimic the overly casual air the old women at the tea shop always used before passive-aggressively attempting to set you up with their stay-at-home-nephews. “Never too late to start.”

You got the distinct feeling that he was laughing at you under that helmet. Rude. Huffing, you sat down across the table from him and crossed your arms, trying to guess where under his visor his eyes were. Once you were half-confident that you’d found the spot, you stared intensely at it with your most intimidating expression. Which wasn’t saying much, seeing as you had the firepower of a soggy Lothkitten and probably came off as more desperate than anything. 

“Isn’t there some sort of honor code for Mandalorians? One that includes being noble to strangers and whatnot?” 

No response. Argh. 

“Well, I’d consider it pretty noble to provide a lonely soul such as myself with a bit of storytelling entertainment on this frigid evenin–”

Your final attempt at prying some information out of the armored man was interrupted by the sound of the kitchen timer beeping increasingly louder and louder until you were sure the whole cantina was vibrating with the tinny noise.

“KRIFF, not again!” 

You bolted out of your seat towards the kitchen, but not before you heard a thinly disguised huff of amusement coming out of the modulator. Okay, he was definitely laughing at you. 

Once you’d successfully saved the soup from imminent destruction-via-cursed-stove and somewhat regained your pride, you finally made your way back to the table with three steaming bowls of noodles. You placed the smallest one in front of the child, who cooed happily and immediately began plopping his hands in the bowl. The Mandalorian huffed in exasperation and began prying little green fingers out of the bowl. “Hey. Quit that, we talked about this,” he grumbled. You winced as broth sloshed out of the bowl, landing dangerously close to the baby’s tunic. The kid’s lower lip started to tremble, a blaring warning sign that a tantrum was going to occur in approximately ten seconds if he wasn’t distracted from his current petulant state. 

“Oh– hey, bug, don’t do that,” you said as both father and son turned to look at you. You leaned closer to the wide-eyed baby and pointed to his bowl. “That’s pretty hard to scoop up, yeah? Look, there are easier ways to eat it,” you explained as you brought the bowl up to your lips and raised an eyebrow, hoping that he would do the same. The kid blinked up at you for several long seconds before turning to his father with outstretched hands. The Mandalorian sighed, but held up the dish as requested. You hid a smile behind your bowl at the sight.

“Good job! Okay, now we’re going to try something fun–” You mimed slurping up the soup with a silly face at the baby, who burbled something incomprehensible in response but finally followed your example and focused on his food.

When you were sure that the baby’s clothes were no longer in danger of being drenched by broth– and by extension, frozen stiff whenever the pair headed back into the storm–you quietly tucked into your own meal, closing your eyes at the warm memories the comforting flavours brought. Not for the first time, you missed the earthy smell and placid weather of your homeworld, a stark contrast to this icy prison of a planet. 

“You are… good with him.” 

Your eyes darted up to find the Mandalorian’s helmet angled directly at you. Your face heated at the observation and you gave a small laugh, willing yourself to resist fidgeting under his gaze.

“I– thank you, I’ve always liked kids. Used to volunteer in the nursery back home, actually, before the Empire stole every resource from it they could.” 

Your eyes widened with sudden realization. “You’re not Imperial, are you?”

The Mandalorian scoffed vehemently, the most emotion he’d displayed since he’d fallen back in the alley. “No.”

Well, that answered a few questions at least. You were prepared to move on from the conversation when he hesitantly spoke, “My ship ran into a few… asteroids. Is there a mechanic nearby?”

You set down your spoon, thinking. The closest asteroid field was four solar systems away and almost entirely inaccessible if one was traveling through hyperspace, so the likelihood that he’d truly run into one was small. In that case, he probably had damage from some kind of fight— seeing as the average pacifist wouldn’t need that much armor— and would want someone reliable who wasn’t going to ask questions about laser-sized holes in his ship’s hull.

He hadn’t tried to kill or rob you yet, so you figured his personal tussles were none of your business and decided to give him an honest recommendation. You directed him to a small mechanical hub close to the ice huts where there were few ships and even fewer nosy citizens. “The owner, Sanna, is the best in town,” you admitted. “I haven’t had the chance to visit her personally, but she’s known for being very discreet.”

He nodded, entering the coordinates you’d given him into some sort of device on his wrist. You tried to contain your pleased expression at correctly guessing his reason for being on Nath. And it had only taken you… well, four tries, but that was better than nothing! 

“What is your price?”

You blinked, confused. “My price?”

There was that increasingly frequent head tilt again. His helmet tipped forward, scanning you. “For the food. And information.” He clarified slowly. 

“Oh,” you spoke, surprised. “It’s okay, I was making dinner for myself anyway. And you’d have found out the location of the mechanic from someone else eventually,” you shrugged. 

You couldn’t see his face, but from the disbelieving tone of his voice you imagined his eyebrows to be raised. “Not many people would turn down credits.” 

You winced, reminded of your costly dream to get off-world, but there was no way you’d accept this stranger’s money for such a small favor when he had a kid he needed to provide for. “Yeah, well. Guess I’m not most people,” you laughed sheepishly. 

The Mandalorian muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like no, you definitely are not. You squinted at him accusingly.

“Hey, you better not be making fun of my interrogation tactics, metal man.” You leaned forward to poke his soup bowl emphatically. Hm, that was strange– he hadn’t so much as touched it. Did Mandalorians follow some kind of special diet? You resolved to look that up the next time you had access to a datapad.

“Wouldn’t dream of doing that to a lonely soul like yourself.” He responded dryly.

You gasped in mock offense, forgetting your previous train of thought and internally groaning that he’d remembered that part of your disastrous attempt to weasel information out of him. Yeesh. Not your most eloquent moment. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you cared,” you shot back in the most syrupy-sweet tone you could muster.

The kid grinned up at you with sharp teeth and blew a soupy bubble towards your face in response. You smiled down at him, adding, “But if you really want to repay me, then bring me back a good story about this little guy the next time you crash land through a— what did you call it? Asteroid field.” You highly doubted the duo would ever willingly return, but if making a deal gave this man peace of mind to know his imaginary debt was settled in some future way then so be it. 

The lights in the cantina began to flicker and you got up with a frown, walking over to the electrical box behind the bar. The dull grey display, crammed with incomprehensibly labelled switches and flashing lights that would give anyone a headache, alerted you that the main generator had been depleted of power. You scrambled over to a window, prying open the shutters a crack only to be met with a dark swirl of snow that completely obscured your view of the street. Stars, the storm had worsened quickly— there was absolutely no chance you were making it home tonight. You slammed the shutter closed and turned around with a grimace that didn’t go unnoticed by the Mandalorian.

“What is it?” He questioned, modulated voice growing wary at the expression on your face.

“We’re running out of power, the main generator’s down from the storm so these lights are going to have to shut off soon. I think there’s enough in the emergency generator to heat the cantina through the night, though.” You hesitated, not sure how to break the bad news. “Unfortunately, the weather is— unmanageable. You’re not making it out of here to the mechanic’s until the blizzard lets up.” 

He didn’t respond for a few seconds, so you continued talking. “I was.. planning on sleeping here tonight.” You muttered, trying to think of a plan. You glanced at the sleepy child resting on the Mandalorian’s beskar chest plate. “I usually keep a couple blankets here for that reason— pretty sure there’s enough to cover the baby, but you might need to be okay with sharing.” 

You worried your bottom lip between your teeth, searching your memory for where the emergency supplies were kept. Kriff. How were you supposed to know that you’d be snowed in, and with guests no less? Your grumpy boss really should have put instructions for this type of situation in the closing shift directions instead of the usual “sweep the floors” or your personal favorite: “if the customer creates a corpse, they gotta clean it up themselves”.

The Mandalorian interrupted your musings with a firm, “No need,” gesturing to the charcoal cloak fastened around his pauldrons. You eyed it dubiously, but supposed that the material looked thick enough. That was probably to your benefit, anyway, since you were something of a notorious blanket hog and didn’t think he’d take kindly to having his sheets ripped off him in the dead of night. That seemed like a quick way to wake up with more bruises than you went to sleep with.

“Well— alright then,” you sighed at last, tossing the smaller of your blankets to the man and tucking the other into the side of a nearby booth. “I’ll shut off the lights in a moment. Refresher’s that way, if you need it,” you pointed to the end of a dimly lit hall. The Mandalorian nodded once, then returned his attention to carefully cocooning the child in his lap. You set to work fluffing up your own makeshift bed, folding the cleanest dishtowel you could find into a pillow before trudging over to the light switch and enveloping the room in darkness. 

Quietly feeling your way back to your booth, your eyes adjusted to the pitch-black little by little. You pulled your hair out of its messy updo and curled up on the seat, body slowly relaxing. It was strange, hearing the muffled rhythm of breaths coming from lungs that weren’t your own, but oddly soothing in its own way. 

“G’night,” you mumbled, half-asleep already, consciousness swirled down the psychological drain by the overpowering storm raging outside. The lull-and-hitch of the baby’s soft snores echoing off of solid beskar set you drifting off to sleep faster than you had as a child, so lost to the world that you were sure you dreamed the quiet, belated whisper that sounded back to you.

taglist: @magpiencrow @that-kid143 @lilly-aliyah @itmustbegreattobecalledtheitgirl

comment if you'd like to be tagged for any of my works/fandoms in the future! :)

read on: part ii

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

Author Interview

thanks for the tag @veryinnovative you already all my life story but let's go at it again

How many works do you have on AO3?

47. Because I have no chill whatsoever.

What's your total AO3 word count?

818,546.

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes: Collars and Croissants 

Runaway Groom 

Le Mange Dieu et le Dévoreur de Mondes 

The Brew 

Goldeneye 

Do you respond to comments?

Not really… I don’t know, I feel like writing my story is my comment and the readers’ comment are their reaction to the work ? I tend to build friendships tumblr more so that ao3 (which I don’t consider to be a social media per se).

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Heartless. It was not planned like this at all, but when it came to write it, that’s what needed to be done.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Most of my smutty oneshots I would say. It’s harder to have a happy ending when you put your characters through horrors…

Do you write crossovers?

Haven’t yet, but I’m not opposed. I love the idea of a Jayvik/Jegulus story set in Harry Potter where Jayvik from Arcane timetravel like in episode 8.  It just makes so much fucking sense. God I would like writing that so much.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

A few people strongly hate I am the moved on. 

Do you write smut?

I’m a theoretical whore 🥳

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not exactly.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yep ! The Dark!James one shot is available in Russian. And someone is working on Runaway Groom in French.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yas. Love a co-writing baby. I have co-written a few published ones, a few unpublished ones, and I am currently writing with 3 people, 4 different fics. I just love a cowrite. There’s nothing like it. With the right people, it just ✨makes sense✨.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Nothing will ever beat Naruto/Sasuke. Although BKDK is really hitting something in me as of late.

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

Echoes in Eternity. I have been toying with the idea of writing a bullet point final chapter with what I had planned. But if I do then I fully give up… and I don’t know if I am ready.

What are your writing strengths?

My singularity. I don’t write traditionally, and people either love me for it or can’t stand it. I don't mind being a divisive writer. I don’t want to appeal to everyone, but I want a few people to stumble upon my shit and I be blown away. I want everyone else to think « wtf » and click out. The more I learn, the crazier I want to experiment. 

What are your writing weaknesses?

Description of people and things. I’m into the mental a lot, and I forget to tell people where they are. How they look. Mostly because it’s something I personally don’t care for while reading

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

I don’t have a real opinion. It depends on whether I feel like it’s necessary or no. But then I’m not really bothered either way.

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

Arcane and My Hero Academia. I wrote a really shitty mha start, but since then I had an idea so I need to rework it.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

They’re always my favourite when I’m writing them . But if I had to pick, then Heartless.  Which is also imo the most underrated one. I re-read it and I still think it slaps. It's not perfect but it's my baby. It's my fav. It's the one I would save in a fire.

I wrote it during a special time in my life and rereading it is always an emotional adventure

I don't necessarily know you all very well, but I enjoy you guys as writers, so....

@twisted-tales-told (I know you very well obvi, my couch has your name on it whenever, you know that right?)

@sophsicle (I don't know you, but your writing is very special to me)

@suixcausa (we have bonded over bookbinding (I swear imma send you your copy of SEMI, it's just cold outside and I have to go to the *post office* and I don't like itttttt)) and also mha dragon fucking... I mean what's not to like. Can't wait to physical meet you one day)

@majjale (we spoke on tumblr briefly but your immortal baku AU fic ended my life and re-started it, and I am endlessly curious).

Cheers