#also even though it's a little bit of a crackfic honestly I did my best to be normal about the concubine thing

[smilelikethesunagain]

does anyone remember that really popular post about the story idea of a king making one of his injured soldiers a concubine in order to be able to bring him into war council meetings and get advice and stuff?

so I did make a bkdk fic about that

izuku is the king

katsuki was placed next to too many loud ballistae and lost some of his hearing and was discharged from the army

izuku needed his expertise and katsuki needed a job

it's ancient greece flavored??

[initiala]

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason. <3

Tagged by @spartanguard thanks lovey

Oh good grief, there's a lot of stuff to go through here hang on...

First fic published there: Anthony and Virginia, back when I was headlong into Pepperony/the MCU. Published on May 24, 2012. I have fics that are dated older, because I backdated them when I cross-posted some old stuff over for archival purposes, but A&V is the first fic I published on AO3. It was also the first time I was getting back into fic writing after a couple of years of break!

Last fic published there: SPEAKING OF... Growing Up Hanyou was posted sometime probably in 2021 or 2022, it doesn't say when I uploaded it because I backdated it to the original publishing time of 2008. It was a slice of life sequel-ish to A Matter of Trust, a fic that I won an award for Best Melodrama for, which honestly tells you everything you need to know about 19-year old Amanda's fic writing habits.

Any fic that I wrote for a fandom/ship once: The Old House, for Breath of the Wild. While I've written for the Legend of Zelda franchise before, they're literally lost to the annals of time because it was like 2002 and I have wiped that from the internet as best as I know how. (also it was like seventeen usernames ago) They're best forgotten, though I do kinda wish I kept the one around that tried to bridge what happened between OoT/MM and WW. It was also very dramatic. I was a very dramatic child.

Your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works: Red-eye to Incheon. Biased because this is heavily pulled from my (positive) experiences in Korea without any of the negative stuff (of which there were many), but I really liked writing this and getting to live a little vicariously through the characters (I'm a very boring person. Expat culture is fucking WILD when you're a boring person like me so I mostly observed and filed away for later use, aka here.)

The fic you wish more people read: Very Cool. If I'm going based on hits, I can see why some of these aren't like. Hit up more. There's the very old ones that I archived here, there's one-offs that are just genfic that most people in fandom Do Not Care About. But I'm actually proud of Very Cool because I wrote it after seeing a copy of the Doctor Who magazine on the stands while I was in England and I wrote Eleven exactly how he speaks in his cadence and honestly it should have more than 239 hits even as a little crackfic, especially back in the big Series 5/6 heyday thank you.

The fic you agonized most over: Day of the Dead. I think I agonize a bit over every fic I wrote, but I think most of the WTNV fics were agonized over a bit more. It was 2013, I was really pushing myself with what I was comfortable writing and Tumblr was REALLY Tumblring at that time so there was a lot of cause to not get cancelled over a fic (seriously. There were a LOT of wolves with pitchforks then. If you think it's bad now, it was worse then) I wrote my first genderswap fic in that fandom, I played a lot with the laws of physics and reality, and I wrote this, my first fic that was multi-lingual. I had a lot of help to make sure the Spanish was correct and even after it's been nitpicked over a bit, but for the most part everyone received it well. But I did SO MUCH research because I really didn't know much about Dia de Muertos at the time, it hadn't become a thing to integrate it into the US yet, Coco was years off, and I wanted to make sure I was portraying this cultural holiday accurately and respectfully, while also showing that these are still just people celebrating and it's not going to be this Irreverent Thing you follow exactly to a T.

The fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort: The Corner of First and Amistad. I literally wrote all 8 chapters in one day and then posted as I finished editing. I do wish I'd had more experience/training in how I write now for this, because I think this fic deserves it, but for something that was brain-dumped so completely in such a short amount of time it's not bad. I'd also need like. Fresh eyes to go in and help with the edits because while I KNOW it needs polishing and expanded on, I'm always too fucking precious about my own work to do anything without someone forcing me to.

A work you are proud of—for whatever reason: Hook-Echo. This is the fic no one wanted, no one asked for (though let's be real, all of my multi-chapter AUs are this, every single one is a "huh? how is THAT an AU?") and absolutely a "I wrote this because it's been living in my brain for years and I just needed something to force me to sit down and write it all out", so I can absolutely thank the 2018 Big Bang for giving me that excuse. It was published after the show ended, so the fandom was... gone by then, so it definitely is a passion project like no other and didn't get anywhere near as much love as it might have had it been done on the heels of finishing Dark Horse like I'd originally planned.

[buckys-black-dress]

inked

a/n: here she is!!! while i work on afl, here is my crackfic on tattoo artist bucky!! if u haven’t caught on yet, most of my writing is au’s because of all the possibilites in terms of scenarios and storylines. anyways, i hope you enjoy, lovies!!! xoxo, ali <3

wc: 2.8k 

[tattoo artist!bucky x fem!reader]

-

It was like an addiction. 

Your first tattoo you got was simple. It was a dainty, small one on your wrist.

But now, it was slowly developing into a sleeve.

Not that you minded, though. Your forearm was slowly becoming filled with designs that you kept going back and getting here and there.

And at the tattoo parlor near your apartment in Brooklyn, you had become a regular at this point.

It was called B&R Tattoo Shop, and it was run by two of the kindest, but most attractive men you’ve ever met. 

You’ve come to find out after getting to know the owners, that they opened the shop a bit after they returned from their second tour in the army and wanted to settle back in their hometown.  

Steve and James were hospitable to you, especially when they first met you. Steve was the one to meet you and speak with you at first, but he handed you off to James, or Bucky as he asked you to call him, because he was the artist at their shop that specialized in more of what you were looking for in terms of style. 

As far as first tattoo conversations go, you and Bucky got to know each other pretty well in one session. The tattoo itself took less than an hour, but it felt like Bucky was... prolonging it in a way, like he wanted to keep you there longer.

As you swung open the door of the shop, you were greeted by their piercer, Natasha. 

“Hey, back for another already?” She smirks from her spot behind the desk. While she wasn’t piercing, she usually worked the front if there was no one else free.

Your first tattoo had been done by Bucky, and you instantly fell in love.

With the tattoo. 

Well, Bucky too. Just a little bit.

He was extremely soothing and eased you into the process of tattooing you. He told you when something was going to happen, and as soon as you got used to the feeling of the needle against your skin. 

The more he talked to you, the less pain you felt. It was already not that painful, but you almost forgot about it with him talking to you. When he looked up to you as he finished, you looked like a confused puppy.

“Okay, all done, doll.” Bucky looked up at you, moving to turn off his machine.

“Oh... that was fast.” You furrowed your brows.

“Well, yeah, we moved pretty fast since it was a pretty small piece.” He explains, grabbing a paper towel and the anti-bacterial spray.

“Do you mind if I take a quick picture of it? I usually do, for my portfolio.” Bucky asks, inspecting the tattoo closely once again.

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine.” You wait for him to pull out his camera, take the picture, and he comes back with a piece of plastic film in his hand.

“Okay, so this saniderm has to stay on for about three days. This is how it’ll heal, and when you take it off just wash it up with a gentle soap and use a cream without any fragrance or any of that crap. I can give you a little of that spray if you wanna use it to clean it up if you ever feel like it’s dirty.” Bucky explains, giving you a mini bottle of the antibacterial spray.

“Thank you,” you say, moving to sit up in the chair. “How much do I owe you?”

“Uh, just about $40.” Bucky says without eye contact, heading to the computer at the front counter.

“$40? That’s it? When I signed the waiver it said the shop minimum was $75...?” You wonder out loud.

“Let’s just say you get a special discount, doll.” He smirks, typing something into the computer and only sparing you a glance.

“O-Oh. Alright.” You say sheepishly, handing him your credit card.

“Okay, you’re all set. Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.” He tells you with a gentle smile. It really contrasted his aura; a big, beefy guy with a metal prosthetic arm, covered in probably hundreds of tattoos. But here he was, smiling like sunshine.

“I think I will be. Have a nice day, Bucky.” 

“You too, sweetheart.” He gives you that smirk again, making you feel like you might actually pass out. And not because you just had a needle jabbed into your skin for almost an hour.

“Uh, I already talked to Bucky for my session today. I know I’m a bit early, I can wait if he’s still working on someone else.” You tell Natasha with a smile.

“Sure, let me get you your waiver.” She says, and you plop down into one of the chairs at the front and pulling out your book to pass time after filling out the form.

After a few minutes, Bucky emerges with a girl from his little tattooing corner.

You hear his voice first, looking up from the book while he talks to her.

“Okay, since this was your first piece and pretty small, I’ll only charge ya $55 for it, doll.” Bucky tells the girl with a smile, and you immediately feel a pang in your chest.

You didn’t want to say you were jealous, but goddamn it, your breathing became just a little more shallow at the sight you were currently witnessing.

Even Natasha and Steve turned their heads to him, confused looks on both of their faces.

“Oh! Y/N, you’re here! C’mon back, I’m sure Nat already set you up with your waiver.” You nod, not saying a word as you follow him to the familiar chair.

“So, are we still doing what we discussed on the phone?” Bucky asks, setting up his area to tattoo you.

“Actually, I was thinking something different.” You say sharply.

“Different?” The shock is evident on his features. 

“Yeah. Different. Just want a little something on my collarbone.” You say, sitting down. 

“O-Okay... what were you thinking of?” He asks, pulling out his sketchbook.

“I want an olive branch, going from here to here.” You show him where you want it to start and end. It was a bit of a stretch right across the left side of your chest. “Something simple and minimal. I’ve been thinking of starting the top of my sleeve, this might be a good way to transition into it.” You say nonchalantly.

“Uhm... alright. How does this look?” Bucky asks, showing you his sketch. “I would, of course, add more detail to your liking, just let me know.” 

“Yeah, I want some more shading, please.” You say shortly. You honestly weren’t trying to be mean, but you were irritated.

But in the end, you really had no right to be. 

After almost ten sessions with Bucky, he hasn’t made any indication that he likes you the way you like him.

Sure, he calls you pet names, but he does that to everyone. Even discounts. You weren’t special. He was just being nice and doing his job.

So honestly, you had to cut the act here.

“Are you sure this is what you want? Are you saving the other design for our next session?” Bucky asks, growing more and more concerned with your odd behavior. Usually you would talk to him about your day, how work was, really anything. 

“I don’t know. I think I might ask Steve to do that one instead.” You say out of spite, more than anything. You would never take a design that Bucky made specially for you to another person to tattoo on you, even if it was his own business partner.

“Wha- Why? Did I do something? You’ve been acting really weird today...” Bucky questions you carefully. “Talk to me, doll. Did you have a bad day at work?”

But that, that right there, was your breaking point. Doll. 

“No, I’m fine. Let’s just get this done.” You huff, laying down after nodding to the sketch that Bucky drew out. 

Bucky’s brows furrowed even further, but didn’t ask any more questions. He laid down the stencil and asked if the placement was alright. You looked in the mirror he handed you and nodded briefly. 

The entire time Bucky had the machine in his hand, neither of you spoke a word. He tried to make brief conversation, but you only responded with a hum or nod. 

When he finally finished up, you got up and headed to the counter without a word after looking at the finished tattoo in the mirror. 

Your face was blank, emotionless, and Bucky was truly lost. 

After you paid the full price of your piece, you walked out of the shop, not even sparing anyone a glance. 

Once you left, the shop was dead silent. Everyone either just finished up with a client or didn’t have any at the moment, and the shop was blanketed in an extremely uncomfortable silence.

“What the hell was that, man?” Sam’s voice broke the silence, making Bucky’s head snap towards him. 

“I-I... I have no idea. She was acting so...so weird today.” Bucky looked more confused than ever.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” Natasha’s voice cuts through the palpable silence.

“Wh- What the hell did I do? I asked her too, and she didn’t give me an answer...” Bucky mumbles.

“Do you like her?” She fires back with a fire in her eyes.

“W-Well, yeah. She’s a regular.” Bucky answers, looking at his fiddling hands.

“Not like that, you dunce. You know what I mean, don’t act dumb.” Natasha rolls her eyes.

Bucky sighs, not making eye contact yet again.

“I-... I do like her.” He says. “But I don’t think she feels the same.” 

“Jesus fucking Christ... You really are a dumbass.” Sam sighs out.

Steve snorts at his words, nodding in agreement.

“Buck, she got jealous.” He explains, shaking his head at his best friend’s obliviousness.

“J-Jealous? Of what?” Bucky scoffs in shock.

“That girl you had right before her. Gave her a discount, called her pet names. The whole shabang.” Natasha points out to him. “Also, you gotta stop giving out discounts like that. You’ll lose more money than you’re makin’.” Natasha scoffs. 

“Wh- But... She never said anything...?” Bucky thinks back to all the times you’ve sat in his chair. You never made any indication that you were outwardly interested in him.

“I think she said enough today without actually saying much.” Steve laughs. His friend was a real idiot.

“I... But, why didn’t she say anything before?” Bucky asked.

“Buck, you never said anything either. I guess that when she heard you talk to that girl like that, she thought you really didn’t like her like that at all. You treated that girl the same way you treat her.” Natasha explains to Bucky, who had a look of realization on his face.

“But... I was just... being nice...” He says with his head in his hands. 

“Well, now she thinks you do that with all you clients, so...” Sam says, making the brunet’s head shoot up.

“Fuck. Fuck. I fucked up everything!” He exclaims. “I-I do like her!” 

“Well, don’t tell us that, tell her!” Sam shouts back to him, and before Bucky can process, he’s pulling out his phone and dialing your phone number.

“C’mon, pick up, pick up,” He mumbles repeatedly, but the call goes to voicemail. “Fuck.”

“Not pickin’ up?” Steve questions, coming to the front and picking up the shop phone. “Gimme her number, she’s doesn’t have to shop saved to her phone, right?” 

“No, I don’t think she does.” Bucky says, watching as Steve dials your number.

“Hello?” Your voice sounds annoyed as it filters through the phone. “Who’s this?” 

“Uh, Y/N! Hi!” Steve speaks, looking at Bucky in a panic, his facial expression screaming, ‘talk to her!’ 

“Steve? What’s up?” You ask, wondering what he needed. 

“You uhh... you forgot your book here!” He blurts out, trying to find an excuse, but quickly found one upon seeing your book resting on the seat where you were waiting. 

“O-Oh... I guess I’ll just turn around. I’ll be there in a few. Thanks, Steve.” You say, ready to hang up.

“O-Okay. Bye, Y/N.” He clears his throat, hanging up. “You have like, ten minutes to get your shit together and talk to her when she gets here. Good luck.” Steve pats Bucky on the shoulder, ready to haul Natasha and Sam to the back to give you two some privacy.

Bucky thought that this was the longest ten minutes of his life, and he was trying to conjure up a speech in his head to confess to you.

Finally, when you did appear through the doors, you looked lost. You only saw Bucky, which made you even more aggravated from the fact that you had to turn back around.

You were ready to head home and wallow in peace, but alas, you wanted your book. 

Bucky just watched as you picked up the book from his grasp across the desk, your eyes not meeting his while he kept his gaze on you very intently. 

Just as you turned around to leave, Bucky’s voice cut through the unbearable silence.

“Y/N?” He simply asks, and you feel like the wind’s been knocked out of your lungs at the sound of his small voice. This wasn’t the Bucky you knew and... loved.

“Yes, James?” You simply respond, and Bucky cringes at the sound of his first name being used. 

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

“...Why? Is everything alright?” And although your voice didn’t give it away, you felt your heart drop to your stomach. Any possible scenario popped into your head. He has a girlfriend. He’s gonna tell you he doesn’t wanna see you anymore. He-

“E-Everything’s fine, doll. Just wanted to tell you that... That I...” Bucky’s voice sounded strained, like there was something caught in his throat.

“Bucky, just spit it out.” You say, wanting to leave already.

“It’s just- I like you. A lot. And I’m so sorry for earlier with that other client. I was just trying to be nice, but I realized how that looked to you, and I never thought anything of it because I didn’t know if you liked me back or-” Bucky was rambling, and your eyes were wide as saucers.

“Bucky, Bucky stop. Let me talk before you drive your own head in with conclusions,” you say, resting your hand on top of his on the desk.

“I like you a lot, too. I didn’t think you like me either because of that girl before me. You just- you treated her the same way you treated me, and I got jealous. I know I didn’t have the right to be, but it just made me think that... that you didn’t feel the same way about me, that I was just another client to you. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions, and also for being kind of a bitch to you...” Now you were the one rambling, your hands flying all over the place in explanation.

“D-Doll, I never wanted to make you feel that way. I’m sorry, too. I should’ve told you before, before I almost blew everything with you that we’ve been building these past months.” He says placing one large tattooed hand and one metal hand on the sides of your face. “But I’m not gonna miss my chance again. Y/N, would you like to go on a date with me?”

“I-I would love to, Bucky. Took you long enough to ask me.” You giggle, holding onto the hands on your face.

“Yeah, well, I’m kind of an idiot, if you haven’t already noticed.” He laughs, gazing into your eyes with a look that almost turned you to mush in his hands. 

“Do... do ya wanna go now?” You ask, nodding your head to the door.

“Sure, let me go grab my jacket from the back.” He tells you, and you nod, watching as he keeps his eyes on you until he disappears to the back.

“My man, who would’ve thought you’d finally man up?” Sam ridicules him as soon as Bucky appears.

“Dude, shut up. I got a date to get to, see you losers later.” He rolls his eyes, moving back out where you’re smiling at him.

“Ready, angel?” Bucky asks, slipping his hand into yours.

“Ready, handsome.” You reply, and as soon as you step out into the fall air, you plant a kiss on his cheek. “Where to, lover boy?”

[1-800-get-sherlocked]

this was supposed to be an incorrect quote but it spiraled out of control

note: im american idk if yall brits have cuties (kidding im sure ur all cuties ok im sorry i couldnt resist) but i really had to alright pls be-ryllium ar-gon with me yes im sorry we are revisiting chem lads dont worry i will provide you translations/i will make it obvious also theres switching povs & im telling you ahead of time: the puns are very, very bad 

also i wrote this at like late 5am un-beta-ed so please forgive me for any mistakes, i have 0.5 braincells left and i used up 0.279 for academic papers

kind of a crackfic btw 

ok without further ado bc i ramble too much, other notes at the end: 

*on Valentine’s Day*

John woke up to the sound of clinking and the faint sound of rustling of papers, the other side of the bed empty and cold. Ah, probably on that experiment again with those oranges he said were also a good pet name for me. What was it again? Right, cuties. A small smile appeared on John’s unshaven face. His hubby was too endearing for his own good sometimes. 

In the kitchen, Sherlock paced back and forth, eyeing his failed experiment with disdain. Which he was totally worrying more about rather than whether his plan would work. Would John like these? Maybe he should have just gone with George’s advice and went to get some takeout Angelo’s like they often did during quarantine, but Sherlock wanted to make this special. He nervously adjusted his shirt collar, looking down to check that he was indeed wearing the purple shirt John loved so much. Apparently it was called the purple shirt of sex or something? The detective honestly had no idea how or why but that wasn’t important, what was important was John. John. He still couldn’t believe the brilliant, patient, and gorgeous army-doctor was....his husband. After the drunk night they had that one day, things got a bit heated and...well, you could say they definitely had a good time and cleared up their feelings for each other, much to Donovan’s chagrin who lost Scotland Yard’s bet by just a week. Mrs. Hudson was the winner, obviously. 

Thank god for Mrs. Hudson’s and Gavin; he didn’t know what he would do without both of them giving him advice, though the DI wasn’t always pleased to be summoned in the middle of a case to help Sherlock out. 

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Sherlock scanned his surroundings to make sure everything was in place. Ah, he could now hear John about to step into the aisle, right on time. Quickly, Sherlock went back to pretending he was working on his experiment. 

Just a few moments later, John padded into the kitchen, clean shaven, and as expected, looked at Sherlock pointedly. Of course, the detective was used to this and promptly ignored it, waiting for John to say something. 

“Sherlock,” John said, tilting his head to the side a bit, “What is going on here? Why are there little sticky notes all over the place?” 

Sherlock simply shrugged. “Why don’t you go take a look for yourself, John? I’m sure you would be able to find out that way.” 

Sighing, John went back into the living room and perused the various bright colored sticky notes. Sherlock’s scratchy handwriting was on all of them, along with small drawings on some. Stepping closer, John took the first one off the wall above the couch and read the note out loud: 

“Jawn, you’re small and angy, just like the bunch of Copper (Cu) Tellurium (Te) Iodine (I) Einstieinium (Es) we got the other day. Will you be my clemenvalentine?” Belatedly, John noticed a small orange drawn next to it, with a small >:[ face. Sherlock still wasn’t going to let him ever live it down, huh? 

Shaking his head with the faintest hint of a smile crossing John’s expression, he moved on to the next one. 

“John, the first time we met and dined at Angelo’s, I said girlfriends weren’t really my area. What I really wanted to say was that I was Gallium (Ga) Yttrium (Y), John. Obviously, I am married to my work and love of my life now, but would you still be my Valentine again, for the 11th time?” This one was written in rainbow ink, probably one of those pens Rosie got for Sherlock, insisting that he would have some use for them someday. Which he did, evidently.

As John picked up more and more notes strewn around the room, and read more and more puns, some of his favorites being, “Forget Hydrogen–you’re my number one element” and “Why don’t we go back to the bedroom and form a covalent bond ;) Or we could do it on the table, periodically” he didn’t know whether he should have laughed or cried. Maybe both. Some were so bad they were hilarious but the fact that they were that bad just made it more funny and endearing. Oh Sherlock, where would I bee without you? who would I be without you?

Oh god, John realized with horror. Sherlock’s terrible puns were rubbing off him and invading his thoughts. Typical of him, that bloody cute charismatic arse.  

Finally, John reached the last one. 

“John, I know I’m not very good with expressing my affection for you, but I want you to know, especially today, that Iodine (I) Lutetium (Lu) Vanadium (V) Uranium (U). You are my best friend, my lover, my husband, and my lifelong partner. You’ll always be my doctor and blogger at heart.” On the side, a small smiley face was drawn. 

The entire time, John knew Sherlock’s eyes were on him, even though he pretended to be busy with his experiment. The doctor knew those telltale signs: tense shoulders coupled with a nervous biting of his lip. Watching closely, trying to gauge his reaction after reading all of them.  

“Sherlock, were you trying to test my chemistry knowledge again? You know it’s been awhile since I’ve studied all this, right?” 

Of course, Sherlock knew this. Sherlock always knew but was somehow still an oblivious idiot. My oblivious idiot, John thought affectionately. 

“Well yes but I-” a beat. Sherlock took a deep breath. “Well, it’s always you making plans for Valentine’s, and I thought, maybe I should take charge this time, with something other than Angelo’s–don’t worry, I’ve already ordered takeout for dinner, I know you love their food, John, so I still did it. But I wanted to do more for you this time. Mrs. Hudson and Rosie agreed it would help me express myself better, so I tried it out. Um-” Sherlock stopped mid sentence as John walked up to him, and put a finger over those pouty lips. 

“Sherlock, you amazing, adorable, gorgeous man, you’re so cute, you know that? And I did in fact notice your shirt–we will be making use of that later, obviously.” The detective gulped visibly. “But for the record, I want you to know that I know how much you love me, and you know how much I love you, so don’t ever feel bad about having trouble expressing it verbally; I can always tell through the small thoughtful gestures you do for me and the looks you throw my way when you think I can’t see. What you did for me today was very sweet, and it made my day–I will always cherish this memory on this Valentine’s, but I can assure you my love for you will never change no matter what, whether or not you do gestures like this for me. My love is of the same magnitude as yours to mine, and it never stops growing everyday”

Sherlock beamed, that charming crooked grin of his slowly spreading across his face, and John pulled him down for a kiss, both laughing against each other’s lips lightly as their mouths clumsily crashed together. 

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

[thisstableground]

2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 about "Your Body is a Triangle"? ^^

2. What’s my favourite part of the fic? 

the part where ruben is happy!!!!!!!. i think that my fic (and a lot of other dnh fic that pre-existed me leaving my mess everywhere in the fandom) skewed pretty sad/dark before i started on this and to just write him just being able to talk to people who were kind to him and joked around with him and respected him and would eventually love him felt wonderfull 

 in terms of an actual scene i like the one where they both kiss him on the cheek at the end of chapter one and he gets all flustered and has to make a hasty and confused exit 

 3. What’s the part of the fic I’m most proud of? 

 perhaps this is obvious because its most of the second chapter, but honestly real proud of that smut. it was only the second time i’d ever written smut and honestly i usually skip sex scenes in fic because they either make me uncomfortable or feel kind of cookie-cutter porn so i was trying to write one that i specifically would want to read, with silly conversations and character work and keeping it realistic-ish. i think i did alright at it! 

 7. Were there any major decisions I made about the fic that could have made it go a whole different direction?

i’ve said before that it came about as a joke because of a couple of tumblr conversations and so honestly when someone was like “lmao you should write that” and i was like “lmao maybe i will” i had assumed it’d be like, one or two paragraphs of sex scene and maybe some fun jokes. but then i was like, well, i can’t just write them hooking up without addressing how they got to know each other or why ruben’s there or how this works with his ptsd and their pre-existing relationship because i need that context to make it Them hooking up, rather than just a smut story about three anyones who happen to share their names, you know? so deciding that even though it was essentially just a crackfic idea i wanted to treat the story seriously i think is actually why people responded well to it and stuck around to read more and why i wrote more 

 8. Was there anything I only learned about the fic after I had finished it? (themes, motifs, symbolism, etc)

“oh no i have learned that i love all three of them so much that it will take over my life”

 in general tho i think it’s more the case that a lot of things that weren’t motifs/themes at the time when it was a oneshot turned into them retroactively when i made callbacks to them in other fics. the only thing i can remember of the top of my head is usnavi and vanessa both saying “i got you” to ruben at the end – they say that a lot to each other throughout my fics after that, because i think its the best way for all three of them to comfort and understand each other sometimes. it isn’t “you’re okay, it’s going to be okay” because sometimes they aren’t, and it isn’t “i love you” even though they do because i think there are aspects of that which can be complicated for some of them. it’s “i got you” like “i have your back and i’m looking out for you and you don’t have to deal with things alone any more”. which i think is something that all three of them definitely need and deserve and which is a theme that runs through their whole relationship – even before they’re in love or when they’re fighting or when they’re far apart, they support each other. 

 also i seem to remember before i wrote this fic that aside from two pretty quick and crappy DNH/ITH ask-fics i had considered ITH as like, you know you have those fandoms that you love the canon material but they somehow just don’t feel like fandom fandoms? that’s what i’d felt like about ITH. like “i love it but not in a fic way” and now look where i am. how times change 

 9 Did anyone in the fic surprise me by doing anything? If so, what?

vanessa surprised me by CAPTURING MY HEART. i mean i loved her before so it wasn’t that much of a surprise, but i didn’t understand her as well as i did usnavi or ruben. there’s a lot about both of the boys that i relate to/projected onto them and much less of that with vanessa. i think i initially had quite a simple broad view of her character as “a little bit prickly, exceptionally cool”. but then it turns out that yes she is cool but also a fuckin dork and can be awkward as hell and fiercely protective ,and shes grouchy but not a pessimist or mean, and that she wanders down to the bodega in her jammies for her coffee bc she is so sleepy in the mornings and i was like “oh it turns out that even though she is way harder to write this girl is WORTH THE EFFORT”.

[gods-and-pawns]

All flower asks for Cimmerian.

Cimmerian:

O-oh jeez, that’s...a lot of questions, huh? Well, better let’s get to it then.

Alisons: Sexuality?

I’m polysexual.

Amaranth: Pronouns/Gender?

Trans man. He/him pronouns, please.

Amaryllis: Birthday?

December 1st. I’m a winter baby.

Anemone: Favorite flower?

Uhm, sunflowers, probably.

Angelonia: Favorite t.v. show?

If I have to be honest, I don’t really...watch TV all that often. But uh, anything they air on Animal Planet, to be honest. Do you remember that old TV show about the life of meerkats? Fucking loved that shit.

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

That...really depends. I wouldn’t go too far, after all, I don’t know this person, but basic respect and kindness are always a given. I’m not a hero either, I wouldn’t risk my life for them. So, I’d say most of the time, just small favours.

Aster: What’s one of your favorite quotes?

Literally fucking anything that leaves Vincent’s mouth once he gets a little tipsy, this man lacks filter when drunk and it’s fucking great. I know you probably expected some quote with deep meaning, since I have a major in English, but I am very sorry to disappoint.

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

Pain drink is going to be Whiskey, but anything a little bit fancier then it’s Pina Colada. I like sweet things.

Baby’s Breath: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Yes, absolutely, zero hesitation.

Balsam Fir: Have you ever been in love?

Hm...unfortunately...

Baneberries: Favorite song?

........Two Trucks by Lemon demon. Don’t judge me, it’s a fucking great song.

Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

Hm, well, they were great, really. Very caring and loving...Yeah, this question is making me feel sad.

Beebalm: Do you have a best friend? Who is it?

Uhhh...I’m gonna say it’s either North, Tiff, Han or Bright. I’d say Foster too, but...I don’t know, we kind of had a falling out because of our work. It’s hard to meet up.

Begonia: Favorite color?

...I’ll give you one guess.

Bellflower: Favorite animal?

Toads, love these fat boys.

Bergenia: Are you a morning or night person?

Definitely morning. Not that I like waking up early, but I definitely function better in the mornings.

Black-Eyed Susan: If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

A hognose snake, they have very cute noses.

Bloodroots: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher, of all things. Mostly because I thought teachers got free summer too. Then I went to high school, saw what little shits my peers were, and immediately changed my decision.

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

I love kids! I always wanted to be a father. Unfortunately, with being nearly 40 now and swarmed with work...I don’t think that’ll ever happen.

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

Cars, because of trauma that I’d rather not get into. And, uh...I have apeirophobia. It’s...stupid, I know, many people would probably like to live on for forever. But for me, it’s just...it’s horrible. I don’t even know why. I guess it has something to do with existential dread.

Borage: Give a random fact about your childhood.

I had a lot of adoptive siblings and cousins, we were always close, and would always get into trouble together. I was raised on a farm with woods nearby, you can imagine I had a lot of opportunities and places where I could get hurt at, and I did. I was a stupid and reckless kid.

Bugleherb: How would you spend your last day on Earth?  

Oh man, that’s a loaded question...Honestly? I’d like to reach out to my family, spend my last day with them.

Buttercup: Relationship Status?

Taken~ By two wonderful, cute men.

Camelia: If you could visit anywhere, where would you want to go?

Oh, there’s a lot of places I’d like to explore, probably too many to list. As long as it’s as far away from civilisation as possible, I’m good.

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

I like to be held, I love hugs, they make me feel safe and loved. Preferably under a warm blanket with my partner or partners, late in the evening, the rain falling outside and the room is nearly completely dark as we cuddle...

Canna: Do you have any tattoos?  

I used to want to, as a teen, but unfortunately no...I did see some people tattoo over their burn scars, and I’ve been thinking about it, but considering how large my scars are it’d cost a lot, be very time consuming and most likely painful. So I don’t know, but I’m considering it.

Canterbury Bells: Do you have any piercings?  

Used to have a few as a teenager, now I only have one in my right ear.

California Poppy: Height?  

I’m 5′9′’.

Cardinal Flower: Do you believe in ghosts?

In ghosts? No, not really.

Carnation: What are you currently wearing?  

I’ll let you guess.

Catnip: Have you ever slept with a nightlight?

Sure did, I still sometimes do when my nightmares get the best of me.

Chives: Who was the last person you hugged?  

Jackie.

Chrysanthemum: Who’s the last person you kissed?

Northy, obviously~

Cock’s Comb: Favorite font?

My heart tells me Comic Sans, but my brain’s telling me to shut the fuck up and pick a normal font.

Columbine: Are you tired?

Always, 24/7.

Common Boneset: What are you looking forward to?

Autumn, we’re close to Summer and god damn it didn’t even start but I’m already over it.

Coneflower: Dream job?

I’m pretty content with my current one, but uh...maybe something less stressful? Probably a book author.

Crane’s-Bill: Introvert or extrovert?

Introvert, definitely.

Crown Imperial: What’s the farthest you would go for someone you care about?

 Honestly? I’d probably give my life to them. It mostly depends on the person though, and how much I care about them.

Cyclamen: Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? What was it?

I had a ragdoll elephant named Mr Trunk. Still do, actually, he’s one of the few things I took with me when I started working here. He’s now sitting on my bookcase at my apartment.

Daffodil: What’s your zodiac sign?

Sagittarius.

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

I don’t think so, no.

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Well...I guess overcoming my trauma counts as an accomplishment?

Daylily: What would you do if your parents didn’t like your partner(s)?  

Well, first of all, my biological parents are dead and my adoptive ones think I’m dead. But, if that weren’t the case, I don’t think Ma and Pa are the kind fo people who’d try to get between me and my partners. I feel like if they were legitimately concerned for me or had deep worries about my partner, they’d talk to me about it. So, nothing too dramatic.

Dendrobium: Who is the last person that you said “I love you” to?

...I’d rather not talk about them.

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

Does writing shitty slashfics count?

Foxgloves: What’s something you’re bad at?

Do you want a list or something?

Freesia: What are three good things that have happened in the past month?

Well...I started dating Jackie.

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

Tiring, so the usual.

Gardenia: Are you happy with where you’re at in your life?

...It could be worse, honestly.

Gladiolus: What is something you hope to do in the next year or two?

...Uh...if my relationship with Karlos and Jack lasts...well...uhm...God, don’t tell them I said that, alright? But...getting married seems...nice...

Glory-of-the-Snow: What are ten things that make you happy/you’re grateful to have in your life?

My friends. They’re great, I don’t know where I’d be without them. Especially Tiff, they do so much for me...don’t tell them I said that, they don’t need any more of an ego boost.

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?  

A good book, audiobook or ASMR and a scented candle in an otherwise quiet room usually does the trick.

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

Usually through words, I didn’t get that damn doctorate for nothing.

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

My work, I guess? My writing? Wait, no, I just remembered my longest work of fiction is a crackfic about mythological characters- I take that back.

Hollyhock: Describe your ideal day.

Just having an entire day to myself, no need to do any work, no stress, no deadlines. 

Hyacinth: What do you like to do in your free time?  

I take care of my pets and plants, read books, write.

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

Oh man, it’s been a few years now. Uhm, my longest friend in the Foundation is Foster, we met in high school, but like I said we’ve had a bit of a falling out. Then it’s Tiff, I met them when I first joined the Ethics Committee. I met Karlos and Bright a few years later, and I’ve known Han for the least amount of time, but it’s still been years.

Irises: Who can you talk to about (almost) everything?

Uhm...Hm...Probably Tiff or Karlos. Han too, he’s a good listener.

Laceleaf: How many friends do you have?

A few. On top of the previously mentioned ones I’m also quite close to Clef, Kondraki and Light.

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Literally, any kind of compliment either of the O5-1′s or O5-11 gave me. Do you have any god damn idea how fucking hard it is to impress the Ones? And Ten...well, he’s just really nice and I appreciate him.

Larkspur: What do you think of yourself?

Anyway, next question!

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

I have great fucking puns and if anybody says otherwise, they’re fucking wrong.

Leather Flower: What’s your least favorite thing about yourself?  

Do you want a list?

Lilac: What’s something you liked to do as a child?

Exploring, I guess it never really changed, I like spending time in nature, I just never have the time to.

Lily: Who was your best friend when you were a kid?

........Probably one of my siblings.

Lily of the Incas: What is something you still feel guilty for?

A lot, but let’s not talk about that.

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?  

Jesus Christ, what’s with these questions?

Lupine: What does your name mean? Why is that your name?

I had to look it up, and apparently, Jeremiah means “Yahweh will exalt”. I had no idea my name actually had a religious meaning. When I was born I was named after my grandma, and when I was changing my name I decided to kind of keep with the theme and named myself after my grandpa. He doesn’t know, actually, I never came out to them, but I like to think he’d be happy that I named myself after him

Marigold: Where did you grow up? Tell us about it.

Like I said before, in a small rural town on a small farm. Not much to talk about, really, I was a typical kid that grew up on the farm. Always got in trouble and always hurt myself doing stupid shit.

Morning Glory: What was your bedroom like growing up?

I was quite a tomboy and I loved cows, so just imagine a room with walls painted to resemble a pasture with cows on it and cow-themed furniture. Handmade too, by my grandpa and Pa, of course.

Mugworts: What was it like for you as a teenager? Did you enjoy your teenage years?  

I uh...I’d rather not talk about it.

Norwegian Angelica: Tell us about your mom.

Ma was a great woman, she always cared for me and my siblings, she treated me like her own kid straight away. Didn’t even batted an eye. Never made me feel weird or wrong for liking “boy things” like other adults outside of our family. She was quite fiercely protective of me too, quite a mama bear, I must say. A strong woman, could probably suplex a bear.

Onions: Tell about your dad.  

Pa was...well, Pa was just wonderful. He didn’t even hesitate for a second to take me in when his sis and my biological mother died. He was the first person I saw when I woke up at the hospital. He always made sure I was happy and taken care of. He taught me how to hunt and fight and play soccer and football. He was always very loudly supportive of me. I cannot express enough just how much I’m grateful to him and Ma.

Orchid: Tell about your grandparents.

They were very kind, your traditional old couple. I loved granny, but I was always closer to my grandpa. He taught me how to fish, I could always confide in him. He’s a great guy. Granny was wonderful too, I remember I always helped her out in her garden, she’d always scare me with potato bastards- I mean potato beetles, sorry, old habit- I fucking hate these motherfuckers. I love all animals, except for these ones. Potato bastards can suck a dick.

Pansy: What was your most memorable birthday? What made it be so memorable?

[Heavy sigh] My 4th birthday, my older brothers decided it’d be a fun idea to pick every potato beetle they could find from granny’s garden and throw them at me as a “birthday present”...........You know, I think I just realised why I hate these beetles so much.

Peony: What was your first job?

My first official job was in the Foundation, they hired me right when I finished college to help contain one anomaly, then I just stuck around and worked in Human Resources. I don’t think working small chores in our neighbours’ farms for some pocket change counted as a job.

Petunia: If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner(s)? If you’re not in a relationship, how did you meet your crush/how do you hope to meet your future partner(s), if you want any?

I met North when he started working as a junior researcher in the same Site as me. Bright, I knew for longer for uh...obvious reasons, but I first met him in person during a disciplinary meeting. I also worked as an Ethics Committee Liaison in Site-19. You can imagine our relationship wasn’t the best at first.

Pincushion: How do you deal with pain?

Die.

Pink: Where is home?

Well, that sure is a deep fucking question. At this point...I don’t know, honestly.

Plantain Lilies: If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would stop/change?

...It’s...let’s not talk about that.

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

No way in hell I’m telling you, he could read this blog.

Primrose: Describe your ideal life.

Living in a cottage in the forest or mountains as a fairly famous writer, with a spouse and a few kids.

Rhodendron: What is something you used to believe in as a child?

Soulmates. Then I grew a brain.

Ricinus: Who’s the most important in your life?

...So anyways.

Rose: What’s your favorite sound?

Uh, so you know how I listen to ASMR? Probably tapping.

Rosemallows: What’s your favorite memory?

Any kind of holiday with my family, we’d always get together and celebrate.

Sage: What’s your least favorite memory?

Let’s not talk about that!

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?  

...Hm...Well, I am kind of hungry, I guess after this I should go eat something.

St. John’s Wort: Is it easy or difficult for you to express how you feel about things?

I think I’m kind of...intermediate on that scale. Generally, it’s easy for me unless it’s something very personal.

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

...yeah, another question I’m skipping.

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

Not a lot, I’m quite tired today.

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

Work, I guess? Mostly just routine.

Touch-Me-Not: How do you feel about your current job?

Fucking stressful and exhausting, but it could be worse. That’s talking about my chairman position. But my work on Project X? I like it, one of the more pleasant jobs I had at the Foundation.

Transvaal Daisy: What’s your favorite item of clothing?

...Yeah, just take a guess.

Tropical White Morning Glory: Describe your aesthetic.  

Cozy, dark and gold.

Tulip: What would be the best present to get you?

...That’s a bit personal, actually.

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

The sheer amount of these questions, Jesus fucking Christ.

Wisteria: How many books have you read in the past few months? What were they called?

Unfortunately, I don’t have time for books lately, I did listen to a few audiobooks though. Also, I’m planning to revisit the Warrior Cats books because nostalgia and I need to know what the fuck is happening with these cats lately.

Wolf’s Bane: Where do you want to be in life this time next year?

Hopefully not dead.

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself.

Uhhh...hm...I’m petty, but you probably knew that already.

[bigsnzstanacct]

Captain A

A piece of C*ptain A/mer/ica ABSOLUTE crackfic bc I wanted to imagine Ch/ri/s E/van/s with sneezes that can blow out walls and apparently I didn’t want to have a plot. Not canon compliant in the slightest.

“Ahhh… AHHHHHH…”

“Oh shit, hit the deck, Stevie’s gonna…” Bucky said.

The other two just looked at him like he was crazy.

“What are you talking about?”

“AAAAHHHHH… AHHHHHHHHHHHH… O-out of the…”

“Stevie’s gonna blow!”

The two strangers just stared, like they had no clue what was about to happen. For a second, the realization crossed Bucky’s mind, but he only had half a second to realize, think about how bad this was gonna hurt, and lunge towards them, putting enough strength to knock Captain America to the ground in his leap… “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH-CCCCHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Classic Stevie sneeze, a perfectly enunciated ah-choo, as American as apple pie and with all the power of a good old-fashioned American detonation of a few tons of good-old fashion American TNT.

When the dust settled—and it was a good thing the dust didn’t set him off again, maybe the years had pushed Steve past his allergy to plaster dust—Bucky was on top of, well, Bucky as well as Steve, the other Steve. And of course, a large chunk of the wall of the SHIELD safe house they were in was blasted to kingdom come. And Bucky’s shoulder hurt.

“Sorry, fellas.” Stevie said, obviously trying to put Captain into his tone, though his flushed cheeks gave him away, as ever. He was always embarrassed when he gave into his allergies accidentally, back when he was tiny little Stevie and after the serum, when he was big, massive Stevie. Tiny Stevie had been embarrassed of his body, of the harsh fits of sneezing that seemed too powerful for his small frame, and yet oddly gentle. Massive Steve was embarrassed of losing control of a body with enough power to smash through walls… which of course he’d done, again. As usual.

“Don’t be sorry Steve. That was a little one for you. At least you didn’t blast the whole building down.” Bucky said, walking up to Steve and rubbing his back. “And you gotta let ‘em out, you know holding it back doesn’t do anybody any good, not now. We’re not trying to stealth our way through Germany anymore.”

Meanwhile the other Steve and the other Bucky just stood, mouths hanging wide open, astonished at what they’d just witnessed. At least, they did for a moment, until the Winter Soldier’s eyes narrowed in a way that meant “threat”, and Bucky Barnes looked up at Steve Rodgers in a way that meant “threat?” and Captain America assured went into “assessing the situation” mode, with a soft “it’s all right, Buck.”

“So… what exactly just happened here?” Other Steve asked, and Bucky had to bite his cheek to avoid laughing. He couldn’t help, though, elbowing his Steve in the ribs and saying, “I told you so.”

Steve just rolled his eyes, and said straightforwardly, “I sneezed.”

The Other Steve just stared him down, obviously not satisfied with that answer. Bucky was really fighting not to laugh now. “I told you, punk, of all the Steve Rodgerses in all the universes, you’re the only one where the A in Captain A stands for…”

Steve put one hand up, and used the other to elbow Bucky in the ribs, much harder than Bucky had elbowed him, which set the dark-haired man back a few paces, doubled over. That hurt!

“Jerk.” Steve said.

“Punk.” Buck spat back.

The Other Steve was rubbing his temples by now, obviously exasperated and in part fighting to avoid smiling himself, the old Brooklyn banter having put him in an old Brooklyn mood. “Alright, alright. Calm down you two. Listen, Rogers,” Other Steve said, walking towards his doppelgänger with narrowing eyes. “we both know that wasn’t just a sneeze. Are you telling me that in whatever alternate universe we’ve stumbled ourselves into, I’m a walking, building-destroying uncontrollable biological weapon?”

“Well, not completely uncontrollable, we have some tricks…” Bucky started, before Steve cut in with, “Yep, Cap. That’s about the size of it. It comes in handy more than you’d think.”

Other Steve’s eyes narrowed further. “You all got a Hulk here?”

“Yep.”

“You two must be a holy terror together.”

“There’s a few buildings that would agree with you, yeah.”

Other Steve paused, clearly considering it in a Captain America way the tactical pros and cons. Then he frowned. “But how often does… that happen.” Other Steve said, gesturing towards the wall. It wasn’t the totally reinforced steel of a primary SHIELD safehouse, but it the usual sturdy construction of a SHIELD lab, and he had just witnessed an alternate universe version of himself sneeze a hole through it large enough for two Hulks and a Thor to walk through comfortably, side by side.

Back in the day, Bucky would have stepped in to defend Stevie’s honor but even though there was a blush high in Stevie’s cheeks that Bucky liked to think only he could see—though if there were any other folks presently in the universe who’d see it, it was Other Bucky and Other Steve—Bucky knew that Steve was capable of explaining his whole nasal… situation just fine. Even if it did deeply embarrass him.

“I do my best to keep things under wraps. But, can I assume you also had pretty severe allergies as a youngster?” Steve asked. His doppleganger nodded. “Well while it seems that for most other versions of Steve Rodgers the serum destroyed those allergies, for me it didn’t. My allergies haven’t gotten any better. If anything they got more severe, more sensitive when I got the serum. These sneezes are this super-sized body responding to any threat it sees, with violent force. I can fight it, and I do. Bucky and I have a few tricks when what I can do fails. But honestly, from time to time I lose control. I can’t always fight my allergies. So, when I can’t fight the sneezes, I assess. I’ve gotten very, very good at assessing the difference between a sneeze that would do that…” he said, gesturing at the hole in the wall, “and a sneeze that would bring the ceiling down on our heads. That sneeze was the former. If I had tried to fight it off though…” Steve pointed to the ceiling and mimed it falling down. “Sometimes a controlled detonation is an acceptable outcome. Does that make sense, soldier?”

Other Steve still eyed Stevie uncertainly, but Stevie had gotten better at this, Bucky thought. Right after he got the serum, nearly blew New York City to bits with a fit of sun-induced sneezes and got shunted to show duty as far away from feathers, fans, and flowers as possible, Stevie had been terribly awkward: about his body, about his allergies, about his powers. But now, to see him so confident… it warmed Bucky’s heart a little, it did. And if his confidence could stand up to Captain America’s scrutiny—even that of a different Captain America—well, Bucky had to give credit where credit was due.

At last, Other Steve nodded. “I don’t like it, but I get it. Bucky knows,” Other Steve said, tossing his head back towards his Bucky. “before I got the serum, I got sneezin’ fits that felt like they could turn my lungs inside out. And if my allergies were even worse, and in this body… I get it. You’re makin’ the best of it, I know that much.” Other Steve said, Brooklyn creeping into the tones of his voice, as it often did when he reminisced on old times.

“Well glahhh… g-glad you g-get it, soldier, cause…” Steve was already scrunching his nose. Maybe he wasn’t so immune to plaster dust as Bucky had hoped.

“Step back boys!” Bucky called out, “you wanna be behind him when he’s about to blow…”

Steve walked towards the hole he’d created—clearly what was coming on was closer to a “blow down the house” level sneeze than the previous “hole in the walls” sneeze.

“hhhEEEEHHHHHhhhh… HHHHUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh… b-biHHHHHhhh… big wuhhHHHHHHHH… HUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHH…”

“Oh shit. Did he just say…” Bucky warned. “Oh shit. Guys, uh… you might wanna take cover…”

“HHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..” it was a vast, smooth gasp in, his chest swelling perceptibly as more air and more air and more air fllled Captain America’s super-strength lungs, preparing to be expelled with all the strength in Captain America’s body. He’d walked right to the edge of the hole he blew in the wall. Several large trees swayed in the breeze as Steve sucked in air, leaves flying off in a swirl of colors, before being joined by twigs snapped off, and then branches.

Bucky shouted over the immense bellows of Steve’s inward gasps: “When they get this big, he pulls in a lot of debris, make sure you don’t get hit!”

And indeed, soon it wasn’t just small branches flying, it was a wall of dust big enough for a dust storm, it was rocks dredged up from the ground, and trees were being uprooted even by his heavy breaths. It was like being in the eye of a hurricane. It seemed as though the entire world was swirling around the storm system that had Stevie’s itchy, irritated nose as its epicenter. As terrifying as Steve’s big sneezes could be, Bucky noticed, not for the first time, there was something almost beautiful about it, about how much power the formerly-little, presently-huge Steve Rogers was uncontrollably summoning, and how something far far far tinier pushed him to this uncontrollable precipice.

It was just a few more huge gasps, each one seeming to shake the building’s foundations: “HUUUUUUUH! HEEEUUHHHHHHHHHH! HUUUUH!”

And then the explosion.

“HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

He doubled over with the force of it, and Bucky couldn’t help but notice—even amidst all the chaos—the round bubble of Steve’s butt, practically shaking in sympathy as the roar of a sneeze mastered his heroic frame. He aimed it towards the hole in the wall, but the force of the sneeze blew an even wider section of the wall out impossibly far, further than the ordinary eye could see, though once the dust settled and Steve recovered, this crew could spot where the debris of the sneeze landed what seemed like a mile away. That debris included every tree in a hundred feet, uprooted and tossed like a twig from the wild destructive force of Steve’s sneeze. If he’d aimed the wrong way, he’d have probably blasted the whole safehouse a mile down the road. It was at least a Hulk level of destruction, but Bucky wouldn’t want to lay a wager either way. It would come down to how mad the Hulk was—and how allergic Steve was.

As the dust cleared, Other Steve and Other Bucky stood up from their crouched position, surveying the damage. With a whistle, Other Steve said, “that, I take it, was a big one.”

That slight blush was heating Steve’s cheeks again. “It was above-average” was his very diplomatic response. Obviously Other Steve knew a political response when he heard one, but obviously decided to let it slide.

For a second, Bucky noticed Steve’s nose twitching, and he thought he might succumb to another sneeze… but then he straightened up, gave a hard sniff, and smiled sheepishly at the group, one hand behind his head, looking for all the world like little Stevie from Brooklyn, having stolen from the cookie jar.

“So, uh, yeah. That’s why they call me Captain Allergy.”

— Two things that didn’t make it into this fic that I nonetheless wish to share:

Steve’s sneezes get bigger every time he tries to hold back. He didn’t let the first sneeze out full force, ergo the even bigger second sneeze. And eventually the sneeze he fought off at the end (bucky was right that was definitely a nostril flare) is gonna come out. That will be a big one.

(Other) Bucky: “So that’s your secret? You’re always sneezy?”

[deputy-sarah-sux]

can i be a psycho and your worst nightmare by asking ALL the writers asks?

You are a demon omg. I love it though this was so much fun to do.Since you didn’t specify fic specifically for some of these questions I’m just gonna write about The Devil Has Come for all of the “in xxx fic” asks.

Answers are below since this is such a long ask :):):)

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction? 12/13 it was between 7th and 8th grade and it was all anime fanfiction

2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?Far Cry 5, RDR2, Assassin’s Creed, DC, Marvel, Fallout, Skyrim, Preacher. Far Cry 5 is definitely my favorite to write for though

3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.Personally, I prefer OC’s, with OC’s I can build their character, give them a personality and growth. I like shaping the character as the world changes based on their actions

4) What is your favourite genre to write for?Action or romance unless I totally misread that question

5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi-chaptered stories, which would it be and why?The Devil Has Come!!! It was my first in the Far Cry fandom and it’s my baby. I love all the characters and the world that I’m building. It’s got action, romance, some twists, it’s exciting

6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?If we’re talking things that I’m currently writing and enjoy writing then I guess Bridges only because it’s the same characters as TDHC just in an AU form so I’d survive without it.

7) When is your preferred time to write?Night, 10pm on basically.

8) Where do you take your inspiration from?Everywhere really? TV shows, movies, video games, other fics

9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?So far my favorite scene that I wrote in TDHC that has been published was either the confrontation with Rook in Chapter 11 or Jacob finding Sarah in the hotel in Chapter 8. They were both really fun to write.

10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternate ending in mind?Well it hasn’t been ended yet, but there were two possible endings that I was originally considering. I’m not saying much more other than the ending that I went with is gonna hurt me when I eventually get to it.

11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?Not after posting but I have amended stories due to criticisms. If I’m a bit worried about a particular scene I’ll share the doc with my best lady @farcryfuckmeup and get her opinion. She usually points out things that aren’t great and I go from there. She’s the closet thing to a beta reader that I have.

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?Sarah!!! She’s my best girl and I love her personality and attitude. In terms of canon characters though I’ve been writing some stuff from Arthur Morgan’s pov and that’s been really fun too. I really love playing around with his sense of self and morality.

13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why?I don’t have one yet? We’ll see how the future plays out there. It might be Ethan Seed but I’ve never written stuff for him so I’m not 100% sure.

14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx? - You can ask about multiple stories.Almost every fic name is from a song. The Devil Has Come is from Blues Saraceno’s “The River”, Icarus is from Bastille’s “Icarus”, and I’m not sure where Bridges is from but I’m 90% sure it was a song. The series that TDHC and it’s connected stories are a part of is called Bottom of the River from Delta Rae’s “Bottom of the River”.

15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?I use name generators for modern characters or look up names with a specific meaning. If the character is from the past (ie cowboy times or pirate times) I look up names popular in that century. Sarah’s name I got by looking up popular names with religious meanings and Sarah was on the list.

16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx?I came up with the idea for TDHC by playing co-op with @farcryfuckmeup. It was originally supposed to be a crackfic based on the dumbshit we did in-game. Then in my desperation to pretend that the game didn’t end the way it ends I started coming up with ways it could have gone differently and thus my fic was born.

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.I have so many wips! I’ll do a few because I’m in a sharing mood.Fallout 4 WIP: “‘You don’t even use power armor, why did you steal so many?’”RDR2 WIP: “Valentine was a crap town with crap people and even crappier whiskey. It was tiny and smelled like mud and horse shit and something else that she was pretty sure was vomit.”Another RDR2 WIP: “Trouble was the bastard was clingy apparently as he was hot on Arthur’s heel.”

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?Yes, a few. I got bored or I decided to focus on other things. I do intend to one day finish them but who knows

19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?The Devil Has Come!!! I can’t wait to write a sequel and I haven’t even finished the current fic.

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?Sometimes I wish I’d written a follow up to my judge fic Joseph and his Judge. I’m not totally sure if I like how it ended.

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?@farcryfuckmeup first and foremost, she’s amazing. I also love gwennolmarie and OutlandishWhalesharks on Archive of Our Own.

22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?My anime fics from middle school. It’s still posted and I won’t tell you what it’s called but every time I remember it a little part of me dies.

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?Music mostly but it sometimes depends on the scene. For certain scenes I need silence but for the most part it’s music music music. I have playlists for all sorts of scene types.

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?I love it, idk if I’m any good at it but I do like writing them.

25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?Yes, I’ve been writing some future parts of TDHC and I have cried a bit writing some of it.

26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?The smut scene in Chapter 10 of TDHC, it was the first smut scene I’d ever published so I was really worried about that and kept rewriting it.

27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?Bit of both I guess. There is a vague outline in my head but only for like the big events, everything in between is go with the flow shit.

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?It’s not going to be an instant hit. When I first started posting works back in the day I was always so upset when I’d check the next day and see only like 12 people had read it.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?Icarus :(   It’s only a baby fic and it’s in a mostly dead fandom but I love it.

30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?No, I love all the attention my fics get.

31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec not the answerer)I’m gonna recommend one myself. Since this is a Far Cry blog I’ll recommend a Far Cry fic: come a little closer by lowtides on AO3Also here’s a Fallout 4 fic that isn’t finished but I absolutely love: RAIDERHEAD by TaraTargaryen

32) Are any of your characters based on real people?No real people no. Thomas is a combination of a few fictional characters though.

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?I’ve gotten a few comments of analysis on chapters I’ve posted and honestly I love that so much. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing that someone not only read my fic but sat there and actually thought a lot about it.

34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?Like I said before I haven’t gotten a lot of criticism, but I guess the harshest for me was when I was discussing a character that I had really started to like and my friend (who I was ranting at about him) asked me to honestly think about what he brings to the table. Like is he actually necessary or just a throwaway character that won’t bring much to the story? I ended up scrapping him and putting a nameless character in his place to fill a few of his scenes.

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?I share them with one (1) person and that person is my irl best friend @farcryfuckmeup. Everyone else has to wait until I post stuff I don’t want to spoil any big surprises.

36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?It’s a chapter very far in the future for a fic I’m sure you can guess but I won’t outright say.“Against his better judgment, he reached out and grabbed the hysteric woman, tightening his grip against her struggling and pulling her into his lap. He wrapped her in a tight hug until she finally began to calm down, humming softly and running his fingers through blood-soaked hair.“

37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written?I haven’t written a lot of funny stuff. I mostly do angsty. But when I was in middle school a wrote a novel where I spent two paragraphs talking about my MC’s hair color and current outfit and I cackle every time I read it. 70 pages or pure cringe, it’s hilarious.

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.@farcryfuckmeup hmu bitch!also you @onl-you

39) Do you prefer first, second or third person?Third, every now and then I write in first but idk I just don’t like it much.

40) Do people know you write fanfiction?My close friends do

41) What’s you favourite minor character you’ve written?Thomas Moore, he’s a lot of fun to write for.

42) Song fic - What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx.I don’t actually have any song fics in the traditional sense. I do however have some fics inspired by songs. I listen to music almost constantly, sometimes a song comes on that gives my fic vibes and I add it to my prompt playlist.

43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it?@/farcryfuckmeup has but I don’t try too hard to keep secrets when she’s around

44) What is the last line you wrote?“John rolled his eyes and finished unbuttoning his shirt.”

45) What spurs you on during the writing process?This is cliche probably but the readers. I don’t want to leave someone waiting around for the next update forever. I also want to see how things play out myself so my own desire to see the finished product also helps.

46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it?Again, going with TDHC for this. I am writing a sequel currently (I know it’s not done). It’s going to focus on a different character but Sarah will make appearances. I’m also working on a standalone sequel for her but that won’t be posted until the first sequel fic is complete.

47) Here’s a fic title - insert a made-up title. What would this story be about?I used a title generator: Hidden Midnight. It’s about a pair of idiots in love, one is a vampire so they can only meet at night and it’s very secretive. The human dies at the end.

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?Forced partnerships. I love it when two characters are forced into a partnership. One of them can’t fucking stand the other but slowly grows to like/love them in secret. If the chill one is in danger the annoyed one freaks the fuck out and does everything they can to get to their partner and afterwards claims they couldn’t care less what happened.

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?I don’t remember the name of it but I’m pretty sure it was a Supernatural fic. I think it was Destiel (don’t just middle school me) and a high school AU. I’m not 100% sure. It was either that or a Fairy Tail fic and I like to forget my anime days.

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?Angst. I love fluff and smut but in the end, I always go back to angst. It’s so much fun and there are so many ways to do it.

[thisstableground]

If you can remember, what was the first scene you really wanted to write for each character? The one that made you start writing about them/start including them in stories?

oooh this is such a good question. i’m assuming you mean trio, since they’re my main go-to.  this will be an absurdly long post, i apologise, but honestly if people don’t expect that of me by now then i don’t know what to tell you. really it’s kind of hard to explain for any of them, because most of my early writing wasn’t planned in advance and i didn’t know them that well, it was through writing them that i really started to understand them and also to develop my own specific versions of them.

so ruben was first, and i basically slammed out the entire lengthy first chapter of maps won’t show us where we’re going (aka, the What Happened In Jamaica thing) in one sleepless night. i hadn’t  intended on writing any ruben fic at all, but i’d only discovered the DNH supercut maybe a few weeks before that and had been drawing ruben a lot and making lots of anguished posts about him, and i got an ask that was something along the lines of “okay but imagine how Traumatised and Terrible things are if he did survive jamaica” that like, listed off a bunch of potential bad things and it was partially my heart just breaking over the idea of him struggling so much and a little bit of “actually i want him to HEAL AND GET BETTER” spite that fuelled me because tbh the ask hit a bit of a nerve. 

so i didn’t exactly have a single scene in mind well in advance, i just knew when i started i wanted it to reach a point where he wasn’t better but where there was hope that he could be one day. and there’s a lot in that first chapter that was very much just lifted from personal experience which really opened the pandora’s box on realising how cathartic writing post-DNH ruben could be, which i think is the appeal of ruben to a lot of people. plus i got a lot of messages in my inbox going “OH MY GOD, POOR RUBEN??? YOU HAVE BROKEN MY HEART” and i absolutely bloody love people giving me attention for the things i make and having big emotions about it, so that definitely encouraged me to write him more

there was a little not-90verse DNH/ITH crossover which was my first venture into usnavi writing! i’d had a some run of art prompts in my askbox for various combos of LMM characters meeting and then got into a conversation about how usnavi would be the Best person for post-jamaica ruben to meet because he’s just so goddamn nice? and then i wrote a couple of very short little potential fics about it one of how things would go if jason showed up at the bodega which i cant remember much of but i think sonny was in it too and they pretty much told him to get the fuck out, and one was about ian tracking ruben down to the barrio and mistaking usnavi for ruben. sadly the actual fics are lost to my old blog/dead laptop but i can remember the details on the ian one pretty clearly, which is funny because i’d entirely forgotten it existed till just this second. they probably weren’t all that well-written anyway.

i hadn’t even considered any kind of non-platonic ruben/usnavi interaction when i wrote those and then i got an ask in my inbox that was like “you’re making me ship usnavi and ruben now” and i was like “only if vanessa can come too” and the whole thing was a joke i had no intention of writing but then a few people were like ‘i’d genuinely read that tho’ and that’s how your body is a triangle was writ, which is when vanessa came into the picture!

i think the first scene i ever decided on with her was the one where she accidentally triggers ruben into a panic attack and then goes  round his place to try and make amends. i found vanessa so fucking difficult to write at first because she’s very, very different from me in terms of both personality and voice. but even though YBIAT was just gonna be a silly crackship one-shot (oops what happened) i think the best crackfics are the ones where the characters are still in character, and i’ve always loved vansnavi as a ship so i didn’t want it to be one of those OT3s where it’s really just a way of writing two guys making out and the girl may as well just be a potted plant in the corner. so giving her proper motivation and characterisation was really important (i actually put way less effort into exploring the usnavi/ruben aspect of it in that particular fic, you might notice).

so i was trying to figure out how and why her and ruben connect, and it was on the point of  them both being more closed off than usnavi and really struggling sometimes to express things, but underneath the defensiveness and the walls being really caring and trying very hard. if there’s anything that you could call a theme for 90verse it’s the idea of effort, and how important trying is even when you’re not good at something or when life is hard. vanessa struggles with emotional expression but she’s also very determined and uses that to push through her discomfort when it really matters, and that’s something i fell so in love with so quickly when i started writing her. this mixture of cool and dorky and awkward and poised and prickly and good-hearted, she’s so complicated and wonderful. i have a line from usnavi in be right-right where you step, that people don’t always see past what’s on the surface with her when there’s so much there if you’re just willing to put in the effort, which i think is very true of their relationship (and also a reflection on similarities between ruben and vanessa, which i think came up a lot in earlier stories in particular) but was also totally a meta-comment on how vanessa did not come nearly so easily to me as usnavi or ruben did (and i know some other writers found her difficult to figure out, too) but she has always been so worth the effort of figuring her out.

there’s a postscript to the usnavi writing - i loved writing him in YBIAT because he’s kind of just silly and goofy and sweet, and i still love writing that side of him because it’s so much fun, but like i said, that was supposed to be a oneshot. so i think for usnavi the real moment was when i wrote that lil fic about him and all the ways that coffee has been important in his life, and that’s the first time i addressed the whole Dead Parents thing and it was that fic that made me really realise that just like vanessa, he’s got way more layers as a character than i’d originally thought about and that’s what made me want to explore him as more than just the funny, sunshiney one (and now i keep accidentally writing things where he’s sad and stressed and i don’t know how that keeps happening, but he is also still a smiley goofy sunbeam, so i haven’t broken him entirely)