#and Joly was SO fun to write for in this fic

[syrupsyche]

👀Can I ask to hear more about Teacher's au Joly I adore him

I'M ALWAYS DOWN TO TALK ABOUT MY TEACHER AU !!!!! ty for letting me yap 🤩 I actually made a doodle of his office desk as well:

And here are some of my headcanons:

I know you asked me how old Joly was compared to Combeferre; I imagine Ferre being 27 in the story (slightly older than Enjolras' 26), with Joly being closer to 24-25? Which is about the age I would be when I become a teacher so I'm just projecting onto Joly here :3

Joly went into the sciences intending to be a surgeon but his hypochondria got pretty bad, so he decided to go into teaching! He teaches Chemistry and Biology and works very well with the younger students.

He gets assigned to the St. John's Ambulance Bridgade club ((I don't actually know if this is all set in France yet lol; if it is, then whatever the equivalent of that is there)) since he's already First-Aid certified and has tons of medical knowledge under his belt. Bossuet was also assigned there, and they're cubicle mates too so they become good friends ☺️

Eventually he gets over his superstition around the whole left corridors thing. Mostly by walking down it with another teacher or with some students. But then there was ANOTHER rumour about a ghost haunting a tree in the school gardens and well....the cycle just repeats 😔

[hypernova-writes]

Your writing is insanely up my alley. THANK YOU! I’d like to request Spy x reader. She’s just kind of an awful person in a similar way he is. Both natural liars and manipulators, which is new and intriguing for him. Makes her worm her way into his mind and catch some feelings. You can make it a fic or head canons, I’d prefer something longer, but it’s fine either way.

NO THANK YOU ANON..because you've just given me a reason to Write Spy x 10th Class! Reader. 😏.

I hope you don't mind because I've been sitting on this and didn't know how to apply it to words yet.

Pairing: Secret Exploit (Spy x Sedustress)

Spy x 10 Class! Reader: Two Sides of the Same Knife.

Spy didn't like you.

In fact. He despised you.

No not because you were annoying (although that could be up to debate–).

But because you were on his level. And he wasn't used to that.

Someone as Sly, as Manipulative and just plain evil like him. You gave him a run for his money everytime the two of you were on the battlefield.

When he would think he had a backstab, he would see you there, taking what should've been his kill! Blowing that stupid kiss his way before sauntering off to another side of the battlefield.

You would always pop up when he didn't want you around, sneaking around, worming your way into his mind like a goddamn snake.

"Oh..Lawrence..you can't stay mad at me can't you?"

He hated the way his real name rolled off your lips, because whenever you called him, he came. You had him under a damn spell. One that he wanted so desperately to break from.

"Sedustress. What do i owe the displeasure?" He would ask, hearing your footsteps walk up behind him in his smoking room. He tensed a bit as he felt your hands wrap around his body, your lips close to his ears.

"Oh..you're still mad darling? A kill is a kill..there will be others.." he watched as you trailed around, coming to sit in his lap, leaning close to his face.

He was glad he was wearing his mask, or you might be seen how his face heated up when you got so close.

"It is not when you saw me coming."

"Not when you're cloaked, meanie.."

Your hands would grace his suit, pulling at his tie gently. "I'm sorry..I didn't mean to hurt you~" You say in that same damn teasing tone, and he groaned.

His hand came up to grasp your waist, and the other came behind your neck, pulling you just inches away from his face. This time he got to enjoy the surprised look on your face, the blush that dusted your cheeks.

"Don't you get boring of this song and Dance, y/n?" He asked as his hand trailed along your back from tour neck. "Teasing me? Don't you know it's dangerous to tempt a man like me? You don't know what I could do.."

You giggle as you lean closer, your lips a hairs away from his. "Thats the fun...I love getting under your skin..to see you snap, honey.."

Soon your lips would finally meet his, before you quickly pull away, getting up off of his lap with that same blasted giggle.

"Anyways!~ toodles, i have to get ready for bed..a woman needs her beauty sleep~"

He watches as you slink out his room as fast as you came in. He groaned before a small smirk graces his features.

You were his joli petit bijou...always tempting him.

Just as he did to others.

I hope you like itttttt I enjoyed writing this, I might turn this into a full fic because AHH i live this dynamic.

[queenaeducan-writes]

2024 writing round up

i saw it on my dash and wanted to do it! tagging: @blackjackkent, @theshirallen, @dreadfutures, @theluckywizard, @ anyone else who would care to do this!

words posted: Not counting Tumblr RP or I'd be here forever, 76,581. 35,245 of those were Var Shiral'vhen.

additional words written: 21,585 on VS, plus some other WIPs means I have typed about 33,109 words. There are more in my notebook (but probably not a significant amount).

grand total of words: About 109,690 words! <3

fandoms: Dragon Age, HotD, BG3

highest kudos: 187 on The Queen's Pleasure, making it the first fic I ever posted to break 100 kudos.

highest hit oneshot: 2667 on The Queen's Pleasure.

new things I tried:

New fandoms! BG3 got me back into writing for fun before DA reassumed its throne, and I published HotD for the first time, too!

Smut! I published five smut fics on AO3, one on Tumblr, and another that will probably not make it out of the docs I'm gonna be real.

Long fic! Technically I've tried before, but writing Var Shiral'vhen with @theshirallen has been a pretty new experience as someone who mostly writes oneshots. It's been fun, though!

fic I spent the most time on: Var Shiral'vhen on the basis of it being a long fic. For one shots, probably The means by which art is made due it being my first attempt at Solian smut and that ship being very dear to me (and it was originally started back in like 2022).

fic I spent the least time on: I wrote Stronger Where it Breaks (Veilguard spoilers) after I beat DA4 in a short space of time. They will learn was also written similarly quickly.

favorite thing I wrote: I'm going to list multiple answers bc I deserve it.

I think it might be the unpublished Var Shiral'vhen chapter "Rift test take 2" just because I adore the Solas/Ian conversation in that chapter. It really encapsulates what I find fascinating about their dynamic, put them in a room together and they will start vibing even when I wasn't planning on it.

(Veilguard spoilers in the link) They will learn, a fic I mostly wrote for Joly but ended up getting more attention than I expected on Tumblr! I really enjoyed working with Elvhenan worldbuilding and I'm looking forward to doing more with the OCs I started crafting for the purposes of the fic.

(Veilguard spoilers in the link) The shape of you, a really abstract fic that's sex but also isn't sex. It was more a picture than words in my head so writing it down was difficult, but I enjoyed how it turned out esp since I didn't spend too long on it (it was like two sessions of writing).

favorite thing(s) I read:

(Veilguard spoilers in the link) keep my body from the fire (Solas x Felassan) by Almalexiasgf. I loved the depiction of Solas's [redacted] and Felassan's handling of it. It captured everything I love about the new lore surrounding the elves in DA4.

deus proditus (dame aylin & ketheric thorm) by @darethshirl. Such a neat exploration of these characters and their hostile relationship to each other, their love of Isobel, divinity/mortality. Highly recommended!

The History in our Skin (nb!lavellan & keeper deshanna) by @theshirallen. You were a fool if you thought I wouldn't include Joly in this. I love the pain and the peace in this, the impossible choice Deshanna saddles Ian (still a child but in choosing becomes grown) with. "There is no right answer" but only because the world is hostile to everything they are.

it ends, or it doesn't (felassan & an ensemble cast) by @dreadfutures I'm still making my way through this one (VG put a huge dent in my reading habit I carefully built over 2024 lmao) but I love Blue's Felassan POV and the worldbuilding they do for the Dalish/ancient elves. It's so inspiring, and the mystery is so good.

Mien'Harel (solas/felassan, solas & ensemble) by @bodysnatch3r Again, making my way through it, but Matty has such a great use of language and the worldbuilding is so good. I'm going to have my heart broken (more) when I continue I'm sure, but I'd highly recommend checking this one out.

these violent delights (Zevran x f!Tabris, Lucanis & Zev/Warden - Rated T) by @inquisimer. I love love love the Zev/Tabris pairing in this, and the playing off Lucanis is also excellent. I'd highly recommend it for its intrigue and character dynamics!!!

writing goals for 2025:

Continue Var Shiral'vhen

Not burn myself out on exchanges

Try to satisfy the need for engagement w/ more realistic means

Stop comparing myself/my headcanons/my divergences to others

new works: It was only after listing them that I realised I was supposed to just say how many, but I wrote it so it's here now. Anyway. 13!

Var Shiral'vhen (Solas x Nonbinary!Lavellan - Rated M) An adaptation of Solas and Ian's love story as well as Thora's journey as Inquisitor. About finding love in impossible places, undoing the damage the world has done to you, building trust from the ashes of other people's fires.

They will learn (Solas & Original Elvhen Character- Rated G) Veilguard spoilers. The world is new, and so are the people. Solas meets a new invention and sees the beauty and horror of creation.

The shape of you (Solas x Nonbinary!Lavellan- Rated E) Veilguard spoilers. Solas asks Ian a difficult question that Ian has no trouble answering.

Five, Seven, Five (Solas & F!Cadash - Rated G) Veilguard spoilers. Set in Inquisition. After a visit to Cadash thaig, Thora is inspired to write poetry after a lifetime of reading it. She shares it with Solas, as she shares everything with Solas.

Stronger Where it Breaks ( Solas x Nonbinary!Lavellan- Rated G) Veilguard spoilers. On Ian's suggestions, Solas takes up journaling to deal with some of his issues.

Pawn Takes King ( Solas x Nonbinary!Lavellan - Rated E) Technically Veilguard spoilers for the game's hub/home location. After a game of chess results in a rare victory, Ian claims his spoils.

The means by which art is made ( Solas x Nonbinary Lavellan! - Rated E) After Solas discloses his preference for bottoming, Ian tops him for the first time. It is not a night without its setbacks.

In Defense of Spirits (N/A - Rated G) A meta about the spirits of DA:O and how they can be read more sympathetically with the future game's lore taken into account.

The Art of Reading Aloud (Gale x F!Tav - Rated E) Ophelia (Tav) gives Gale a blowjob while he explains the history of the Moonshae Isles to her.

A Study of Hands (Gale x F!Tav - Rated T) An exploration of Gale's mental state throughout act I of BG3 as well as his developing feelings for Ophelia (Tav).

Chip Butty (Gale x F!Tav - Rated E) The morning after the party with her Tiefling kin, Ophelia wakes up with two headaches. One, from wine. Two, everyone expects she bedded Gale the night before.

The Queen's Pleasaure (Alicent x Rhaenyra - Rated E) When the King calls, Alicent does not linger longer than she is wanted. Her return is interrupted by a wayward princess, fresh from a foray into Flea Bottom, and hungry for companionship. Or: What if Rhaenyra had found Alicent before she found Ser Criston?

A Little Light (Jowan & Connor - Rated G) After years of young apprentices giving him a wide berth, lest they catch his talent for mediocrity, Jowan finds himself in the position of tutor to the young Connor.

[theharellan]

Does your muse love to flirt? What are some subtle signs they are flirting? What is your muse’s best pick up line?

@turlums

Solas does enjoy it. He falls somewhere on the aro/ace spectrum on this blog, so it isn't usually done with the intent to enter a relationship - emotional or physical. Flirting for him is considered wordplay and so he enjoys it like he enjoys most conversations entered in good faith.

His cues do differ depending on if it's casual or no.

Casual, non-committal flirting is heavy on flattery and spoken in a tone that is meant to fluster or excite. It is genuine observation, spoken smoothly. A classic example is the early Inquisitor!flirt where he compliments their class and, when prompted, will all but purr the response ("No. I am declaring it.").

This is why on this blog where Ian is his only romance, there is still opportunity for Solas to flirt with others, particularly before Ian and him are together. One example I've written was him flirting with a Circle mage in the long fic I'm writing with Joly:

“Your words soothe me, monsieur. I see how you charmed your way into the Inquisition’s good graces.” Beside [François], Bernadita rolls her eyes. Solas cannot help how his eyes crease. “It was no small feat,” he says, “and neither is what lies before us. Though I will rest easier knowing the work lies in your capable hands.” “Careful, young man.” François smiles, face lined with years Solas has experienced a hundredfold. “Or you will find out just what these hands are capable of.” (x)

It's just fun banter, an easy way to pass time or get to know someone.

More serious flirtation is ironically more difficult to spot, I think. This is going less off the game because the Solas romance is famously sparse: we get a couple of lines and then a kiss, and then a few more lines and a declaration of love. The in between stage is more left to the imagination to my recollection, although it has been a few years.

He becomes a little more esoteric, he will flirt by asking questions, prompting conversation. With Ian, he flirts on one occasion by asking about Ian's perception of the world and the beauty he sees within it. It isn't simply a way to pass time or simply excite, but to investigate. As I said, he is arospec and isn't inclined to easy romantic interest, so when it sparks he wants to better know the person in question (even knowing it would be better to let the matter rest).

It's a lot more intense and focused than the casual flirting, leaving the person in question with the distinct feeling they're the only thing that exists at that given moment. His gaze is more likely to be caught drifting down to their lips rather than remaining level with their eyes.

As for pick-up lines, he's far too proud to rely on one singular line. Again, going back to the Solavellan class-based line, I think the closest thing he has to a go-to would be an emphasis on his appreciation for their field of study or interests. As a former spirit turned physical being, he has a small fascination with how the mind and body work together in harmony, to interface with the world and make meaning out of what might otherwise be empty gestures; whether it's how one's focus interacts with the physicality of a spell or how their muscles are a physical manifestation of their personality.

Naturally, Ian gets his own version:

[Solas] seals his lips back over the stem of the pipe, and his eyes flutter closed on his inhale. The smoke waits, held close in his lungs, before he shapes it into an artful ring, as well. He breathes again before he turns back, seeking Ian’s gaze with his own as he says, “Healer, fiddler… they do you credit, your hands. I am looking forward to seeing what they will do next.” (x)

[calico-cows]

fic wip roundup (Les Mis)

————— - the crow one Somewhere in the east coast American suburbs, someone was scheming. Someone was always scheming, of course, but this time it was Jean Prouvaire who was scheming. They stared longingly out the window, a laptop with far too many tabs open balanced in their lap. They sat cross-legged in the bay window overlooking the street, lamenting the manicured turf grass lawns and the ever-present leaf blowers of the suburban soundscape. 

——————

Paint fight??

It wasn't entirely clear whose idea the paint was. [Narrator] was choosing to blame everyone collectively.

Oh, yes. In theory, animal painting was very cute and fun. Bring in some local kids to fingerpaint the most patient of the light-colored horses and mules and introduce them to the animals, and give the animals paint brushes and make some cute art for fundraising. Nothing could possibly go wrong here, nope.

————

Sheep shearing! And garment making. And whatever else I wanna throw in there

It was always a little terrifying when Jehan got snagged on a new idea, you couldn’t really blame the sheep for running from them. Unfortunately, it was now [narrator’s] job to help catch and shear said sheep.

———-

the transmasc Enjolras having dysphoria one (already like 600 words, haven’t figured out how to finish it yet) (I wasn’t feeling good so I made him have my problems)

———-

Les Amis on vacation 1

(Jehan uses she/he pronouns)

“Jehan, why the hell do you have so many bags?” Eponine greeted her. 

“Hello to you too, dear.” he replied. Marius hovered nervously in the doorway, looking like a muppet whose puppeteer forgot the lines. “Come in, come in!” she invited, beckoning. “I’m almost ready to go.” Eponine looked skeptically at the pile of five bulging bags, then outside to her ancient Toyota Camry, and back to the bags.

“Uh huh.” she said, not seeming confident in Jehan’s vacation preparedness skills.

————-

Les Amis on vacation 2 (written while I was annoyed at being on a plane and the only one awake)

Who thought flying for eleven hours straight was a good idea. Seriously, who? Joly would like to have a stern word with them. Unfortunately, in this case, the person who thought this was a good idea was Cosette, so even if he didn’t have a boyfriend draped over his shoulder, he would not be giving any stern words. Still, his joints were killing him. Even with the compression socks and lumbar pillow and Dramamine, Joly was not having A Good Time. He looked out the window, eyeing the landscape far below them, and the closer cloudscape. It was somewhat mononous, but still very pretty. Bored of the view out the window, Joly glanced around to see what his friends were doing. Combeferre was reading; Jehan was crocheting a stack of heart granny squares; Cosette, Musichetta, and Courfeyrac were having a very intense discussion that involved a lot of waving Pinterest pages around; Marius was asleep and Grantaire was doodling on his arm while Enjolras watched with amusement; Feuilly and Bahorel were watching something together, and Eponine was switching back and forth between watching over their shoulders and writing something on her laptop. Joly glanced at the countdown screen: four more hours. He held back a groan and shifted in his seat, trying to find a moderately less painful sitting position without jostling Bossuet.

[nowjumpinthewater]

26, 3, 2, or 30 for the ask game?

oooooh these ones are so fun

2- character POV you're exploring?

Dex!!!! i. need to figure him out more but it's really fun

3-how you feel about your current WIP

so awesome I love writing this (keefex <333)

26- are you able to write with other people around?

yup!!! who doesn't really matter :] (as long as my brother decides privacy isn't a thing anymore)

30- share a fic you're especially proud of

OKAY I LOVE THIS QUESTION

^my Jolie Ruewen fic!!! basically she's trapped in a time loop of the day that Brant killed her :>

and ofc @epic-kotlc-crossover

[justgayrevolutionnaries]

Of snowflakes and revolution

My gift for @fructidors for the @drinkwithme-exchange ! I was more than happy to make another fic for you, this time I wanted to focus on Grantaire an Jehan and I had so much fun writing about them, I hope you enjoy <3

This one takes place in canon era, a few weeks before the Barrière du Maine episode.

Read it below or find it on Ao3 !

February 1832

“You know, my friend, since you forced me to go out, I feel the least you could do is look happy I obliged.”

Jean Prouvaire’s words seemed to be met with an immediate success, as the man facing him, though he didn't assume the happy look expected of him, was effectively snapped back to reality and considered him with an ironic stare.

“I would apologize, but I should have thought you would be more than eager to look out that window yourself - are you not the same one who would rather talk about the shapes of the clouds than listen to Enjolras pestering us with practical matters ? I am curious what you should have to say about the snow out there.”

In Grantaire’s defense, although he was not usually one to admire the landscape, it was not everyday you could find Paris under the snow, and both of them had a feeling they should revel in the occasion, as they did not know when they would come across such a view again - or even if they ever would. In fact, Prouvaire’s face as he called out to his friend was more bemused than actually upset, as he had barely been able to tear his eyes from the window himself since they had sat down at the Corinthe.

The pair would usually meet at Prouvaire’s apartment, although it was so messy these days that there was barely enough room for him to move around, let alone his imposing and exuberant friend. Not that it bothered the poet in the slightest, it seemed almost natural for him to live amidst a mess of worn out-books, pieces of paper filled with fragmented verses and various flowers all around, and since there was always a bottle of good wine to be found somewhere in this mess, Grantaire did not mind either. This time however, upon finding out that his friend had been so absorbed in his readings that he had completely neglected his mortal needs such as buying decent food, Grantaire had positively dragged him out of the building, claiming that “burying yourself in books will make you even more boring than Combeferre” and that he needed to go out immediately to prevent this unfortunate occurrence from happening.

Which was how the two of them had found themselves walking along the quays of Paris under the freezing wind, looking for a decent place to eat. The streets were cold, probably colder than they had been in years, and although this did not affect their enthusiasm in the slightest, all Jehan could think about was that they would not be able to show their faces at the Musain for weeks to come, as they would never hear the end of it if Joly was to catch them with a cold.

Either way, as one could have expected, their wandering had led them to the Corinthe ; the cabaret was not exactly an establishment that could be qualified a “decent place to eat at” but it seemed any other place would have felt wrong - at least that was Courfeyrac’s usual saying to justify their constant going back. Well, that and the fact the waiter here knew Grantaire so well that she immediately brought not one, but two bottles to their table- two bottles that the man had been eyeing with envy since they had sat down.

As he reached for one, however, Jehan immediately slapped his friend’s hand away, blatantly ignoring the offended look he was met with.

“I will remind you - do not give me that wounded look, capital R - I will remind you that I agreed to come only if you did not inebriate yourself before we even got the chance at a meal together.”

Grantaire merely wrinkled his nose in disgust at the thought.

“Really, Prouvaire ? You, of all people, are going to tell me I am not allowed a drink today ?”

“Actually, I had expected my winning personality was enough to keep you good company - in fact, I shall take great offense if I find you brought me here only to immediately replace me with a bottle of wine. I should be upset, really. Positively vexed.”

The stern words only earned him a sarcastic look from his friend, who was used to Prouvaire’s theatrical lectures enough to know he did not mean one word of it.

However, though the redhead enjoyed teasing his friend about this subject, the truth was that being around Prouvaire had an unexpected effect on Grantaire. While the man was ever the most likely to grab a drink, and had drunk himself to oblivion more than once after a disdainful look from Enjolras, Jehan’s presence often sufficed to help him sober up. Not that the poet himself did not enjoy a drink, he was never the last to hold a glass of good wine to his lips, but he somehow seemed able to soothe Grantaire’s temperament with his mere words - after sharing a meal with the two of them, even Courfeyrac had marveled at the man’s sober self, effectively assigning Jehan the name of a “miracle worker���.

As if to acknowledge this, Grantaire’s eyes softened as he answered :

“And I am more than grateful for that company, Prouvaire. Although I think you are avoiding my question.”

At this point he took a solemn face and leaned in closer, earning him a puzzled look from Jehan.

“You will have to remind me what question you are talking about, R. I am afraid you were not the only one not paying attention.”

Grantaire leaned in even closer if that was possible and, whispering dramatically, he asked :

“What about the snow ?”

Prouvaire smiled as he understood what his friend meant. He leaned back into his chair, taking a puff of his pipe as he assumed a pensive look.

“The snow, uh ? A white mantle that comes to cover our whole city, petals white and pure, as if they had been sent by the gods themselves. For all we know, Chione could still be the one blowing snowflakes down until they reach us, so small and yet all chiseled by her hand, one by one. ”

“Is that all ? You are letting yourself go, Prouvaire. I expected more of-”

Grantaire burst out laughing as Jehan threw his hat at him, deliberately missing his face.

“Would you just let me think, you heathen !”

He closed his eyes to better concentrate, deciding that his friend’s ironic smile was not helping him at all.

“City asleep in the silence

Footsteps of a ghost in the night-”

“A ghost, really ? It seems to me those appear every time you try and write a verse about anything.”

“And why should we not talk about spirits ?” Jehan countered. “They are all around us. But if you have better inspiration, feel free to share it ; I shall be glad to hear what you have to say.”

Though caught off guard, Grantaire was more than happy to oblige.

“Snow falls from the sky like sparkles in the dark- no, this one doesn’t feel right. Keep going, you are better at this than I am.”

“No, no, wait, you had a good one with this. Snow falls down from the sky, sparkles in the dark / Black and white as far as my eyes can see…”

Here the poet stopped for a moment as he seemed to come back to reality, and he blushed slightly at the pride written on Grantaire’s face.

“I can keep going, if you want me to,” he said almost timidly.

“Of course you could. You seem to have a gift for this, you know. Poetry- your sensitivity seems to come almost naturally in your words.”

“You are not so bad with words yourself, my friend. You should consider coming by to help us write a speech, one of those days.”

Though light-hearted and seemingly nonchalant, the offer was merely met with a disdainful scoff from the man facing him.

“A speech ? So I can stand by and make a fool of myself with nonsense while Enjolras tells me to go home ? I don’t see what use I could be there. You should know by now your speeches mean near nothing to me.”

As Jehan was about to answer, his eyebrows furrowed, he found himself choking on the smoke of his own pipe. His friend seemed used to this occurrence, as he began softly patting the redhead's back with a bemused smile.

“I am a lost cause, Prouvaire. You should go waste your time on someone else. Besides, you should know Enjolras would never allow me in the vicinity if he is writing a speech to rally workers - or whatever it is you are trying to do - I would only spoil his credibility.”

“Grantaire, I have seen you go on for hours about the most beautiful of subjects - do you think I don’t remember that time you made up a limerick in just a few seconds, with only a candle for inspiration ? Your problem is not your style of speech, because you are splendid at it, it is merely your convictions.”

The suddenly serious tone of the poet was not lost on Grantaire, who leaned back in his chair to consider him thoughtfully.

“That is quite the compliment you are giving me here. Where are you going at with this flattery, if I may ask ?”

“I heard Enjolras is looking to make a census a few weeks from now- he believes it could be of use soon. He may be looking for someone to go to the Barrière du Maine, and I believe you are a familiar of Richefeu’s.”

Jehan understood he had got his friend’s interest as he saw, for the first time, a glint of surprise in his eye.

“You really have thought about this, have you not ?”

“What I am trying to say is, if you want to be taken as seriously as you deserve, you have to show what you are capable of. I believe you should try and convince Enjolras to let you go, just this once. You might even find you actually have beliefs- whether you are willing to admit it or not.”

As Grantaire opened his mouth to try a last word of protest, he added :

“And if you still think I was wrong about this then, I promise to buy you a meal to make up for it- and a decent one this time.”

Lost in his thoughts, his friend did not answer him immediately ; and when he did his response was lost in the noise of the conversation surrounding them. However, Jehan’s words seemed to have worked like a charm at reinvigorating Grantaire, as when the two of them finally left the café, he was engaged in one of those soliloquies not even Jehan dared to interrupt.

“Your friends may despise me, but I will have you know I am more than capable of starting a revolution if I put my mind to it. I should like to think I am not an idealist, what good did that ever do to anyone ? I refuse to die for your revolution. Prouvaire says I shall become a mere spirit too one day. I call this nonsense. Men will take a look around, and the snow bothers them no more than the sun ; still they talk of battles and oppression. I am more than happy to say I will leave the guns and the glory to you, my friend - although I shall personally be very disappointed to see a gun in your hands. You are, like me, a man of sentiment, and we shall-”

Grantaire’s grandiloquent speech was cut off abruptly as the wind caught a hold of his hat, causing it to fly off along the boulevard, a few feet before the two men. He swore profusely as he began running after it, followed by the redhead who was laughing heartily, turning his face upwards to feel the snow landing on his skin.

God, Jehan loved snow. He really wished they would get to see it fall again - next year, hopefully.

[combeferres-mothematics]

barricade day fic!!!!!!?? ?? tell us moooore

😭😭😭 The fact that this appeared in my inbox less than a minute after I reblogged that is greatly amusing to me.

So, the basic plot of the fic is Les Amis die at the barricade, then wake up in modern times. I'm not sure whether to call it time travel or reincarnation, so I've just been referring to it as a bit of both. Because they definitely died, that's very much a thing that happened, but they're also waking up in in the 21st century as adults, full memory of what happened at the barricade and before, and they have never seen a lot of the 21st century stuff. (I am having So. Much. Fun. with this plot point and I've barely even written anything in the 21st century 😭I need to finish the 19th first aaaaaahhhhhh)

The first nine chapters are each from the POV of one of the boys covering the events of the barricade, from them heading down the street after the funeral (Or, in JBR's case, Preliminary Gaieties), to their deaths, and then a short snippet from when they first wake up in the 21st century.

In the 21st century they're also split up into different cities, I have them two to a city at first, aside from Feuilly Yes, I know I am slightly evil who's alone. Of course, they may not be close to each other in the city, but the pairs will run into each other by chance, aside from ExR, who are much closer than the others (They died holding hands, so I factored that into the time travel logistics)

I haven't decided on the places they'll be quite yet, but I do have my pairs mapped out. :D

Bahorel and Prouvaire are together, as are Courfeyrac and Bossuet, and Combeferre and Joly.

This is so far what I have, (Yes, this is how I realized that Courfeyrac dies 5th out of 9th of the Amis). The Chapters for Bahorel, Prouvaire, and Combeferre are finished, and Enjolras needs one more scene that I have to choose. (I have too many options and not enough room)

And the word count is only counting the words in the actual chapters, with the scenes for later chapter's I have written, I'd say I'm about 11,000 words so far. They're all contained in the 'snippets' section of the document though because I'm trying to finish these nine before adding more.

But alas, Combeferre accidentally terrorizing people by being WAY too excited about their digital camera is much too funny not to write now. (In context he is also still very much in the clothes he wore at the barricade at that point, and they are none too pretty... 😭)

[raccoonfallsharder]

Hi! I just wanted to say I've been reading through Window Across the Galaxy - inching forward but reading it - and the way you write Rocket is so damn good. Though maybe I'm biased to hell and back because that is also exactly how I pictured pre-vol. 1 Rocket, haha.

The switching perspectives offer so much. I love how much they are misunderstanding each other.

Your work is inspiring me to want to work on my own wip OC fic. I've only just finished reading chapter 2 but I'm so hooked on Jolie and Rocket's tale. I love all these little snippets we get about her and her career as an artist/appraiser/restorer is so interesting.

A few questions, I know there are a lot of little references to the comics here and there, some I recognize from my own forays into reading those, and when I don't, I look it up because honestly, you add so much flavor and life to the worlds you write that I feel the need to know more. For the stuff that isn't a reference or at least a direct reference (as in a product from a known planet), how do you decide on names and other specifics? I personally long to do that in my writing but struggle with thinking things sound believable.

My other question is do you have any tips for writing Rocket? I know technically he hasn't said anything yet where I am in the story - semantics really, lol - but even through his thought process it sounds so much like him.

friend. sunshine. dewdrop. every time i see a comment or message or ask from you, i get giddy as a six-month-old puppy. you are SO kind and generous and I appreciate your words & support SO much

i’m gonna (try to) answer your questions behind the cut because I am a wordy bitch. also these questions are hard because i don’t often think about HOW my brain works so i will do my best.

but first i wanna say that i am SO excited & honored to have encouraged you to work on your own oc fic! if you end up posting here pleeease tag me ♡ and if not that’s okay too. when i started Window i thought it was going to be just for me and honestly it freed me up to do whatever the fuck i wanted, at my own pace, and that is part of what has kept it fun for me.

K BUCKLE UP THIS IS LENGTHY

so in terms of the shit I just make up (Glortho’s Equation, Spartaxian sugardrops, various fruits and foods and soap and recycling-compressors and other general NONSENSE). this is a layered process.

Almost everything I make up, I try to root in a canonical environment/planet, and I want it to make sense for the characters to HAVE it.

so eg, recycling-compressors came about because, like, they just need a practical way to store or get rid of trash. Are they jettisoning it into space every cycle? Dropping it on a landfill planet? Rocket’s comics-canon disdain for Earth + mentions of intergalactic human lifeform rights policies that Earth doesn’t honor leads me to belief that MOST space-folk embrace more sustainable practices. could be a recycling planet, but i didn’t want them needing to travel there every eight rotations or whatever so i decided having a compressor would allow them to have longer gaps between unloading. but like, you could do ANYTHING. maybe most intergalactic packaging is made from products that can be burnt as a clean universal fuel or something ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

similarly i wanted my best raccoon boy to have access to fish. but since he’s a broke-ass bounty hunter 90% of the time, it’s gotta be something inexpensive/accessible (or stealable) - which means it’s probably a cheap export from a planet with a lot of water. Hello, Morag (and the resulting Moraggian moonfish). Sometimes I’ll reference something already canonical in connection to something I fuckin made up just to increase the sense that all these things interplay with each other (zargnut-crusted moonfish sold by a street vendor on conjunction).

Sometimes I do the opposite. I try to imagine what a product from a planet would look like. eg Indigarran beeswax. I thought, what would Indigar export? It’s this gorgeous planet with a cathedral/palace/place of devotion made of glass. if i - an aesthetique lol - had a glass cathedral, I’d want that shit lit up with candles. Can you imagine how gorgeous that would be? Glimmering everywhere. That’s how i spent too much time dreaming up Indigarran beeswax ceremonial candles for a throwaway line somewhere deep in Window I think ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I also figure because of Kree imperialism in this region of the galaxy, a lot of shit is probably Xandaran. Relatedly if it’s a product associated with wealth, I’ll use Xandar or Spartax (also Atraxia but I think I made that planet up lol). I’ll use Asgard occasionally too but less often because it’s supposed to be at the other end of the galaxy. So if I’m referencing a luxury item, it USUALLY comes from one of these places.

For writing Rocket. I think @aliasrocket recently wrote something about this and I agree with like, every flawless thing they said. I listen to a lot of Rocket clips. I try to hear each spoken line in my head in his voice. Some verbs will end in a hard -ing, and some in a soft hanging -in’. I might also use a conjunction (even if it’s not a “usual” conjunction). Sometimes I use something like a liaison in French (I don’t know if there’s a word for it in English, but I basically smush two words together). Moreover, I’ll go back through Rocket’s dialogue on reread and just make sure I don’t go more than like 1-3 sentences without some kind of word-softening. Some examples:

“What’re you laughin’ at me for?”

“Why d’you wanna do that?”

In third-person narration from Rocket’s perspective (non-dialogue) i still try to use these sporadically, but nowhere near as often because I am trying to separate narrative voice from speaking voice just a little.

I also try to consider rocket’s frame of reference for everything from his perspective. What does he know about because he’s seen it? Heard of it? How did he see or hear it? did he learn about it from a fellow prisoner in the Kyln? Someone he did a job for in Conjunction? An alien refugee on earth? Iron Man? Did he steal it? Make it? Buy it? Was it given to him and by whom and why? How trustworthy is his source? How trustworthy does he think they are?

…

OKAY. wow if you made it to the end of this novel you are IMPRESSIVE and I hope it was at least a little helpful. if you have any other questions I will be flattered and happy to answer them and I’ll try to less fuckin wordy. ♡

you are a gem & a blessing & I hope your fanfic-writing brings you JOY

[syrupsyche]

🍓 🍌 🍈 for the fruit ask game!! :D

🍓 What’s a fic you’ve written you feel is underrated?

I've been fortunate enough to have friends reading all my fics so really, all of them have been quite loved <33 my fics that are "lower-rated" are all my old ones before my writing improved anyways, so I don't feel like reccing them 😔 so I shall go with a fic that I was quite proud in finishing, with scenes that I was proud of writing!

Which is none other than the Dracula AU :p

🍌 In your opinion, what’s the funniest joke/reference/pun you’ve made in a fic?

I don't think I'm a very funny writer (even though I've written too many silly fics), but How Marius Won the Hand is probably the most fun I've had writing, likely because most of it was from Marius' POV and Marius is very silly in general. This was a line I loved:

“I was not that tense,” Marius insisted. “Oh Marius,” Cosette looked at him in pity. “You drank your soup with a fork.” “It was really quite impressive,” Courfeyrac patted his knee. “You must teach me how to do that someday.”

However, due to recency bias, I think Combeferre Gets TWO Boyfriends is probably my funniest, probably because I didn't give much of a shit about worldbuilding, realism, etc. and just had fun writing Combeferre accidentally rizzing up two boyfriends 😌 my personal favourite line is:

“You are quite fascinating yourself,” Grantaire replied. “And your friend, quite beautiful.” That prompted Combeferre to turn and check on Enjolras. He was still seated on the ground, though it seemed that he had regained his wits, staring at them incredulously. “He is, isn’t he?” Combeferre smiled. “I would like to eat him,” pleaded Grantaire.

Grantaire's grand act of love/devotion being to just eat the person is such a funny concept to me. Gets all warm and fuzzy inside then he goes CHOMP.

�� Who’s your blorbo and what are some of your favorite headcanons/ideas about them that repeatedly show up in your fics? Free pass to rant about blorbo opinions.

Another ask had the same question which is good, bc I have two (2) LM blorbos >:) this one shall be dedicated to Cosette!

I always like to have Cosette be a big bug lover in every story/fic/AU I have 🙂‍↕️ canonically she already plays with bugs alot as a kid (albeit by cutting their heads off…) and when she begins tending to the garden when she's older, surely she'd have interacted with them too! (plus that whole Bug Houses thing in the convent…). So I have her keep a variety of bug pets over the years, from caterpillars and worms, to madagascar hissing cockroaches and tarantulas.

She named the first insect she kept (a caterpillar that turned into a butterfly!) Catherine. Then the second insect Catherine as well (she was a child, okay ;-;). Eventually it became a running gag that all her pets are to be named Catherine the Third, Fourth, Fifth etc. In Teacher AU, her tarantula is named Catherine IV!

Valjean always likes the insects bc I'm sure he too has had experience dealing and interacting with bugs. Fantine finds them cute, wants to make little accessories for them all. Combeferre, Joly, Bahorel, and Prouvaire likes to see them: Ferre and Joly out of scientific curiosity, Bahorel because he's always been a fan of the grotesque, and Prouvaire because he wants to see if one could walk a tarantula like a dog.

Everyone else is quite neutral about them, apart from Enjolras, who always pales a little every time Cosette introduces a new pet. Once, a moth flew out of its enclosure and all that was left of Enjolras was a dust cloud in his place.

Thank you for the ask Emile!! :D

[saintmouthed]

dtcfdp chapter 2 (author commentary)

I fear it is time to Reread dtcfdp Again and I'm going to be so annoying about it, actually. Anyway I'm gonna basically reread my own fic and liveblog the experience. Chapter 2 commentary starts under the cut, but you can find chapter 1 commentary here if you're interested!

FLIRTING DISGUISED AS NEGOTIATION...oh I see that's always been a favorite of mine.

"But it’s difficult not to feel like life is passing him by, stuck in this temporary place between all the milestones of ‘average’ adulthood and unable to find his way to the next stage, watching everyone else leave him behind. With jobs, with relationships, with careers. If not with those things, then at least they know what they want and how to get it."

yeah I was going through it in early adulthood, how did you know? (I wanted this fic to like... explore that more thoroughly, but I had SO MANY threads going on in this fic, and the most interesting was the goofiness and the kink, so that's what we got)

(though this does remind me that I found my notebook where I brainstormed dtcfdp in the first time,,, perhaps I will share some of those notes as a DVD extra at the end of the commentary)

It was fun. It was kind of silly, though, because that’s just the way that we were, and I don’t think I necessarily left those encounters feeling like I got everything I could from it. R.

baby masochist R my beloved. SOOOO much projection in this fic, except my adventurous partner (the one that inspired this ex-boyfriend of R's) was too embarrassed to even admit they were into That even though it was so obvious and I knew.

Aren’t you a sadist? Do you even know the meaning of the word? R. For the sake of making sure you’re comfortable playing with me at the end of the week, I absolutely know the meaning of the word. Ange. What about for the sake of honesty? R. Rarely. Ange.

been talking about this a lot lately. Another thing that I wanted in the fic but it never made it into the actual text. I always imagined that Enjolras had a nasty breakup with someone in the scene before he met Grantaire and he blames himself, and that's why he's holding back so much and trying so so hard to be careful with Grantaire's boundaries. Of course that's part of where the whole mess comes in, they're both so worried they're doing something Wrong that they don't want to Talk to each other. lmao.

Besides, Fantine lets him use the wheels after-hours and on his days off so long as he pays for the clay, and sometimes he really fucking misses the ceramics lab.

I FORGOT ABOUT THIS...oh Grantaire and Joly and Bossuet only drink from Grantaire's hand thrown mugs. When he first started working at the Paint and Party, they were so wonky and small because he was out of practice. Now they're increasingly elaborate, to the point where Joly and Bossuet still use the wonky ones because they're afraid of dropping the pretty ones.

If you’re asking me if I’m attracted to you, though, the answer is yes. Ange

writing dtcfdp enjolras is soooo fun. Especially when I get to write his POV, because to Grantaire he's always trying his best to be suave and charming and mean, meanwhile mentally he's swearing up a storm.

Mhm. There’s nothing quite like it, and I am all kinds of mean there is. Ange.

LIKE THIS

“You feed your adventure to a hungry dragon,” Bossuet adds, helpfully. Grantaire doesn’t know how he manages to sound so excited. Bossuet has consistently gotten terrible rolls no matter the game or the dice, and out of the four of them, even with as much as they play together, he’s the only one who’s had multiple characters die in-game due to unfortunately timed crit-fails.

I STILL HAVEN'T PLAYED THIS GAME RIP....poor Grantaire having all his TTRPG characters die. That was cruel of me

the negotiation... tearing up, remembering my early forays into the scene,,, wow

Not this time, he says. R. This time? Ange.

as much as Grantaire goes insane for Enjolras saying "next time" in this fic... you just KNOW that Enjolras is frothing at the mouth at this mention.

Which is fine. He's fine (section break) He is not fine.

this never fails to make me laugh.

“This is my cue to remind you that everything about this is up to you.” “I know.” Grantaire says, voice muffled against his shoulder. “You can go home right now, if you like.” “I know.” “I absolutely will not ask you to do anything you don’t want to do.” “I know.” Grantaire says, once more, with a huff of laughter.

Ange runs his hand up and down Grantaire’s back in a comforting gesture before pulling away to look at his face. “Good. It’s always worth repeating just once more. Now, what would make you feel most comfortable? Do you want to call it off for today, or try another time, maybe?”

genuinely crying now....I love them and also just, agh. I loved getting to write him as gentle in these crucial moments. I love a sadist as you probably know but I also love a "hey, reminder, you're safe, you're in control" sweetness.

“That’s cute.” Ange says. “But unnecessary. Save your ‘sir’s for when I actually punish you.”

was just talking about this too!!!! this was legitimately my favorite thing to play with in this fic. Grantaire constantly throwing around sarcastic "sir yes sir"s and Enjolras tolerating it.... until That Scene

“Words, please.”

fucking menace. I hate when they do this (by which I mean I think it's mean, by which I mean I love it) but also I LOOOOOVE saying it myself. So. The duality of man.

“How are you feeling?” “…A little bit…fuzzy.” Ange chuckles, resting his hands on Grantaire’s thighs. “Happy?” Grantaire has to think about this for a moment. “Yeah, I guess so. Why?” “Because you’re grinning like crazy.” Grantaire touches his face to confirm that he is, in fact, grinning a wide smile. “Oh.”

SCREAMS... I forgot about this. FUCK. I love this. SO MUCH.

I'LL HOLD YOU AS LONG AS YOU NEED....do you ever CRY. I love the chapters that end like that. it's so CUTE.

this was so fun. I love reading over this fic, and lately people have really been flattering me telling me they reread it too. <3

next chapter commentary coming soon!

[callofthecurlew]

Think of a Les Mis wiki but it also includes headcanons about each character, categorised for both modern and canon-era personalities from every person on earth. And then you can just mix and match for fic writing.

Because sometimes I love a holistic-health/spiritual Joly but what kind of Bossuet would suit this personality? What kind of Musichetta? What are Jehan and Bahorel like in this universe and how shall I personalise them to it while still in the grounds of their characters??

(For even more fun you could have a dice challenge where you roll a random headcanon for each character and then you lump them together and make it work)

I just see so many of them and I'm always like "oh that sounds COOL" and then I forget.

[scary-senpai]

I saw a cool Ask Game and decided to ask myself (and then answer) all the questions as an exercise in brevity for a treat.

What's a trope you want to explore this year?

I don’t think much about tropes unless I’m actively breaking them, but I am considering playing around with the soulmates trope in a yet-to-be-published Jujutsu Kaisen WIP. Maybe because I’m both ace and polyam, I Have Complex Feelings about both of these tropes and seek to explore them through subversion.

Is there a fic you hope to finish this year?

Many of them, hopefully 😅 In 2021, I posted an OPM / My Hero Academia crossover where Garou attends UA (“be the trouble you wish to see in the world.”) I want to publish an additional story where Garou fights Tokoyami at Sports Day, BUT Garou is nearly disqualified for trying to teach Dark Shadow to fetch. I would also like to type up my Les Mis fic (tentatively titled “joly and Combeferre and zombies”) before I lose it, which is always a concern with handwritten drafts.

Is there anything new you want to try with your writing? A new genre? Style of writing?

A TV script! When you apply to write for a television show, you typically submit a fanfic script for a current sitcom (also known as a “spec script”) and a script for your own original pilot. I’ve decided my spec script will be for What We Do in the Shadows. I’m not an active member of the fandom, but I do love the show. silly/spooky has always been my jam 👻

If you write fanfiction, is there a fandom you haven't written for that you want to this year? Are you going to try?

See above! (What we do in the shadows). Also maybe I will get around to publishing some of my Bungo Stray Dogs stuff

Is there a ship you haven't written for that you're going to try to write for this year?

I’d love to try writing more x Reader stuff! But I’m also nervous about it. I’m curious if there are more people like me that enjoy fics with intimacy but not necessarily sex. I had a lot of fun with Trolling for Soup (Jujutsu Kaisen) which was my Gojo Satoru x Reader story—Gojo tries to make soup. That’s it. That’s the plot.

Is there a trope you're going to leave behind?

I don’t think so, because that’s hard for me to answer. I think about the characters and the story first before I consider what trope it might fit into.

Is there a ship you're going to leave behind?

Doubtful! I have some ideas I’m not sure I’ll get to, but it’s very much a “this isn’t goodbye, I’ll see you later” sort of thing.

Is there any projects you're starting this year?

Define “start” 🤣 — most of my ideas marinate for in my head for awhile before I publish.

This year, I decided to apply for writing fellowships and social work programs, and then leave the rest up to God. I have a few derivative works from pieces currently in public domain (The Sun Also Rises, The Monkey’s Paw but make it Zoom calls) and I’d love to get some funding or something to work on those in a more serious / professional way.

Overall id like to be more aware of the resources that exist for aspiring writers

Is there a fandom you won't be writing for anymore?

I don’t think so—if I don’t write for a fandom for a period of time, it’s usually due to time constraints (like I wasn’t able to publish anything for Jujutsu Kaisen or Bungo Stray Dogs this year, even though I made significant progress on drafts). But I’m also challenging myself to write shorter, more imperfect pieces as opposed to laboring over chapters for months or literal years, as I’ve done before

Do you have a goal for this year for your writing? Any word count? A genre you want to mark off?

I’d love to publish one fic per month without it getting in the way of adulting.

What story you think will become your most popular this year?

If I publish the next bit of the Garou / MHA crossover, I anticipate it will be the most popular primarily due to fandom size. If I recall correctly, my hero academia is one of the most popular fandoms on ao3 (it’s certainly one of the most popular anime / mangas right now!).

If you haven't created any, will you create any OCs? Will you create more OCs?

Inevitably, yes! Ocs make the world go ‘round.

Will you participate in any challenges this year?

Do fandom events count? I will almost certainly do wanpanmas again, and whumptober if time. I do not think I will attempt to combine whumptober and flufftober again, though. That damned near killed me. It was a ton of fun though!

Book covers, are you going to try making book covers?

No, although if I manage to finish a longfic I will certainly commission some art as a treat 😆 as much as I’d love to get back to drawing, this is probably not the year for that to happen

Will you be taking any requests this year?

I’m always open to requests, especially if they are gen / platonic. I’d be open to making them spicier if it’s for a rarepair or coming from someone who doesn’t typically see themselves represented in self-inserts, but that would probably be a dialogue.

If someone expresses interest in a current WIP—it can bump an existing idea up the queue, so to speak. But my best and most joyful works are always those I write for other people.

What's a trope you know you're not going to write for this year?

I have characters that tend to get hurt a lot and then refuse to be comforted, so I’m tempted to say H/C, haha.

But who knows. I feel like I have absolutely no say over what my characters do, haha. Never say never! 😉

Any AUs you want to try this year?

Not really, but I’d love to finish everything’s pushing up daisies (flower shop mafia AU, Jujutsu Kaisen fic). this is the story that combined all the flufftober and whumptober prompts and also almost killed me.

Any authors you hope to collab with this year?

The ghost of Herman Melville (jk). But I’ll collaborate with anyone, really! I’m generally happy to work with other people who want to work with me.

What's a struggle in your writing you're going to overcome this year?

Working too long on a piece without taking a step back to understand what’s broken about it. Getting caught in small descriptive details when the issue is the core foundation

Freebie question! {Be sure to ask the question!}

What other fannish things are you working on?

I am hoping to apply to run some panels at AnimeMidwest that will be interactive and least a little performative in nature—ex: Bereavement group for people who have lost characters, support group for reluctant/accidental anime dads, “my blorbo has never done anything wrong, ever.” And if I’m brave, maybe I’ll do another stand-up set!

[blackfire5561]

Tough match, Apollo?

A little snippet of a Boxing AU that’s part of a bigger piece for a fic I started writing! I had such an unexpected amount of kind words and encouragement to make more of this au, so it’s been fun to flesh it out even more.

You can read the fic what would make you get so battered here! Enjoy!

[vivalamusaine]

Ice Cream, Peaches, and Pie

Relationships: Joly/Bossuet Laigle/Musichetta

This is my fic for @thelawsofdaylight for her contribution to the @bishopmyrielfundraiser 

Summary: A peek into Joly, bossuet, and Musichetta’s kitchen, while they’re happy and in love.  People would always ask them, "how do you make it work?" But for Joly, Bossuet and Musichetta it never felt like work.

Read it here on ao3

[108garys]

Hello! Here I go into your ask box.

You seemed to like the jolie post I put up earlier (which I'm very glad for). You should totally make some john x charlie scribbles or maybe write a little story of them!

They are very cute and I require sustanance to feed my jolie desires ☺️

Thanks for asking, I'd certainly be down to write for them when I can come up with something and as you know I'm all about that cross anthology(or smg) interconnection, so here's the first fan art for your newly minted ship 😁

I kept it nice and simple and made it somewhat reminecent of your fic, they were fun to draw