#ashesfromashes

[anti-homophobia-cheese]

Hey friend!

Rec me your top 3 all time fave RWRB fics. I’ve fallen way behind and I’d love to catch up on something I may have missed.💜🥰

oooh you're very wise to cap this at 3 or this would've taken a while

top three all time fave rwrb fics:

Screw your courage to the sticking place (and forget macbeth is a fucking tragedy) I might never correctly recall the title of this fic in its entirety but the story? oh it hasn't left me in months

No Consequences my beloved. almost made me take a day off from work because i was a woman possessed

All that Glitters oof. my first foray into the fandom. i remember exactly where i was and what i was doing when i found this fic

sleepover weekend

[anchoredarchangel]

9, 16, and 20 please!💜

Hello Ash! Thank you for the ask!! 💫🤍

9. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

Hilariously, I consulted an outside opinion for this one, and because my time spent writing The Consequences was just described to me as "manic" and "deranged" I've been informed the correct answer was probably either fic in my series The Shadows They Frequent. Purely because they were little shots of porny dopamine that I did not work myself into a fine lather overthinking. Unfortunately, I cannot argue with this.

16. What's your favorite title of the year?

This is so tough, because oddly enough, titling fics is one of my favorite parts, so I'm unjustifiably attached to all of them.

For two very different reasons, I'm going to say it's a tie between The Cosmos in His Palms, because the romantic monologue it's pulled from means a great deal to me - as does the scene of origin. And on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, The Throne He Deserves, because the reveal of the titular line was so satisfying. The people were NOT prepared.

20. Share your funniest line

In the same vein, I’m picking the first thing that jumped readily to mind. And honestly, why shouldn’t my funniest line actually be during a very tender, emotional sex scene. That feels like my brand. From Valour and Cowardice:

Those last two brain cells appear to have left the building. Vacationing in the prostate, maybe. Alex can confirm it’s very nice there this time of year.

[kiwiana-writes]

13 for the end of year drabbles please!💜

#13: Every Day's a Saturday by Elemeno P

Alex never had the college experience the way a lot of other people did, but now? This time with Henry, now that they're free to be together out in the open, lounging around Europe swimming and getting tan and fucking in fancy hotel rooms in every city? It's basically spring break. It's good food and an alarming amount of alcohol and the best possible company; it's no worries and no responsibilities and not needing to think any further forward than tomorrow. In lots of ways, he's glad he didn't get this before—he wants to have it all with Henry.

[send me a number 1-100 and I'll write a drabble based off whatever song that corresponds to in my spotify wrapped apple music replay]

[bigassbowlingballhead]

Movie recs: Gonna go old school and rec the angsty queer trifecta that defined my early 20s, long before I even realized why they spoke to me so much. Velvet Goldmine, Party Monster, and Breakfast on Pluto. 🫡🥰

ash you're singing my song with angsty queer films.

[reallyquitestrange]

Happy N7 day ya'll!

Here is @ashesfromashes F!shep cuddling with Traynor! Loved working on this piece and making them extra cuddly! I have never personally romanced Traynor on any of my playthroughs but drawing this made me want to. (this was the Raffle winner piece from this post) Links: Commission page What I use My other art (careful some of it is spicy)

[cha-melodius]

Top 6 movies I watched this year

Thanks for the tag @loki-is-my-kink-awakening! This said "movies I watched" not "movies released in 2024" so I did include some older ones I finally got around to watching this year. Because I'm gonna be honest, it was a little bleak movie-wise, for me at least.

Tagging 6 folks: @firenati0n, @youtastelike-sunlight, @justabigoldnerd, @ashesfromashes, @clottedcreamfudge

@wolfpup026

[faketrex]

Some Sentences Sunday

You might want to read last week's sentences first, right over here: linkety link. For the sake of context–such as it is.

I think I'm early today, so I'm picking five people to tag... @cha-melodius, @sparklepocalypse, @eusuntgratie, @porcelainmortal, and @myheartalivewrites! And an open tag for anyone who so chooses, of course. Tag me back, I love seeing what you're writing!

Special shout-out to @ashesfromashes 🫖

...

“This place is haunted?”

“Nah, not for real.” Alex winks at him. “Unless you count me, of course.”

“Very funny.”

It's clearly a joke. Alex isn't a ghost; Henry would have sussed that out by now. He's met more than one ghost over his twenty-five years of life. As lifelike as phantoms can seem, they're never truly tangible. To Henry's dismay, Alex is wholly tangible indeed–despite Henry's efforts to the contrary.

In addition to being inexplicably difficult to murder, Alex is overwhelmingly, unfailingly charming. Clever. Considerate. Curious about Henry's likes and dislikes and preferences for his new shared household.

The fact that Alex is drop-dead gorgeous hardly even factors into the equation.

“Come on in,” Alex says. “My castle is your castle.”

[kiwiana-writes]

3, 8, and 16!🥰💜

3. What piece of media inspired you the most?

Uhhhh RWRB? I guess?

8. What fic meant the most to you to write?

Someday your rainbow will come smiling through, which was not really written as a fanfic at all, but here we are lmao

16. What's your favourite title of the year?

I pictured you with other girls in love I thought was pretty fucking funny - it only makes sense because of the *next* line in the song, not the one I actually used for the title. But I think I might have peaked with Life was a willow (and it bent right to your wind)

[2024 in review]

[anti-homophobia-cheese]

12, 18, and 23.💜

Hi love 🩷

12. Have you ever stayed up 48 hours?

Oh god no. I NEED my 6 hours. Sometimes I'll self-sabotage and it'll come down to 4-5 but staying up two whole days?? I'd straight up die. ;_;

18. Are you scared of spiders?

Not if they're minding their business away from my personal space.

23. Do you have piercings? How many?

One on each ear. I'm too scared of needles to get anymore.

ask me horrible things

[kiwiana-writes]

🗻📚🔥

🗻: What's your greatest strength in writing?

I think, like, character voice? Anastasia AU has been a real challenge in this regard lol but like. Not just dialogue, but also narration, outlook on the world, etc. I could strip all the names from something, and a fic or a chapter from Alex's POV would be different from Henry's POV would be different from Patrick's POV would be different from David's POV… I'm good at that, I think.

📚: What are some of the favorite things you've learned while doing research?

Iccus of Taranto lmao. Considered the father of athletic dietology. Rocked up to the ancient Olympics like "hey, do you think maybe if we're competing in these sports a special diet would help" and everyone was like "lol whatever" and then he kicked ass and took names.

🔥: What's a piece of writing advice you consider bad advice?

That your first draft is always terrible. Legitimately and from the bottom of my heart, FUCK this advice. I write clean copy and generally speaking, what I write is what I want to be on the page. There are some tweaks for sure, some stuff I pick up myself and some that betas will be like "hey you could do more with this here", but for the most part, a first draft and what gets published are really not that different. And this advice really made me spiral into self-doubt for a long time, because like: if first drafts are always terrible, and I like them… am I bad at recognising the flaws in my writing? Am I just straight up a terrible writer? Etc.

I do think there's a lot to be said for, like, just put it down even if you think it's bad and fix it later -- I'm currently fast-drafting my original novel and that's exactly the approach I'm taking. Awkward flashbacks? Fuck it, fix it later. Clunky exposition? In it goes, find a more natural place for it later. But that's very different from the way some people breathlessly declare that first drafts are Always Terrible Without Exception And They Should Make You Hate The Work, because that is just... fundamentally removed from my experience.

[fic writing asks]

[kiwiana-writes]

Weird theory: you’re secretly a magical sea creature, stuck on land due to some curse. You’re too fucking cool to be human.🤷🏻‍♀️

So a fun fact about me is that I have a genuine bona fide phobia of water. And sometimes I'll tell people this and they're like "oh yeah open ocean" and I'm like... no. Water. Any water that I can't control. Baths are fine, hot tubs are okay if the people in it aren't splashing about, showers are fine but I have to contort myself so water doesn't run over my face. Public swimming pools are a hard no, let alone like... rivers and lakes and the sea.

(Yes, I grew up in Aotearoa. Yes, this is a regular issue.)

So what I'm saying is, this could actually be very true and there's a fucking failsafe in the curse trying to keep me *away* from water so I don't find my way back or something.

[tell me your weirdest theory about me]

[kiwiana-writes]

Love you lots, even if you never write again. Hope you’re doing well and taking care of yourself.💜

🥰 🥰 🥰 🥰 🥰

Y'all are so lovely truly. I'm all good! Muse has been thoroughly browbeaten into submission by kinktober, I think 🤣

[bigassbowlingballhead]

I did not mean for that to be on anon. It’s like 4 am and I’ve made several bad choices, shut up.

Ash do you know how much I adore you?

[anti-homophobia-cheese]

🎶5 fave tunes🎶

sharing my music taste always makes me feel a bit naked ngl. but the lovely @14carrotghoul tagged me in this game and she IS my music moot (that's a thing i've been calling you in my head carrot!) and the only person i'm willing to expose myself for.

i'm interpreting "fave" as (English language) songs that i won't ever skip. no matter my mood. these are bops whether i'm driving, working out, cooking, crying, or having a sad girl dance party (for one) in my room.

Pocketful of Sunshine— Natasha Bedingfield

Straight Through My Heart— Backstreet Boys

Borderline (Single Version)— Tame Impala

Soul Meets Body— Death Cab for Cutie

Shake It Out— Florence+ The Machine

+1 (because I COULDN'T leave it out)

Tired of Being Sorry— Enrique Iglesias

Some no pressure tags for moots who haven't done this yet i think?

@mylucayathoughts @alasse9 @na-dineee @insecuregodcomplex @potato-jem

@catdadacd @ashesfromashes @fairflowered @mossy-fae @caressthosecheekbones

@honestlydarkprincess @royal-chandler @myheartalivewrites @captainjunglegym @tailsbeth

@onthewaytosomewhere @amnesiaa-on-ice @veraisaplant @valeblue @pinkamour1588

@run-for-chamo-miles @firenati0n @incalamity @futureseaempress @anchor-bird-94

terrified that i may have forgotten someone so an open tag for anyone else who'd like to play (seriously, take it, i'm a sucker for music recs!)

[anti-homophobia-cheese]

Tag game

Thank you for the tag my lovelies @mossy-fae @myteavsricochet @mylucayathoughts 🩷🩷🩷

Last song: Pistol by Cigarettes After Sex

Favourite colour: peach.

Currently watching: nothing these days but i had been shuffling between Brilliant Minds and Rivals. rewatching HIMYM for comfort.

Currently reading: Ravensong, RWRB fics, and re-listening to my favourite bits from Wolfsong.

Last movie: Disobedience. for the third time. what?? i need to periodically watch Rachel Weisz spit into Rachel McAdams' mouth or i'll lose my grasp on reality.

Sweet/spicy/savory: yeah, i go all ways baybee. but i do whatever my gut and my menstrual cycle tell me. same answer in case you're asking about food preferences.

Relationship status: single.

Current obsession: the Green Creek series, tumblr, adding just a biiiiit of cocoa powder and cinnamon to my americano, wearing sarees

Last thing you googled: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (hi Nadine!!)

if you'd like to play, no pressure tags for @caterpills @na-dineee @14carrotghoul @alasse9 @stratocumulusperlucidus

@valeblue @myheartalivewrites @honestlydarkprincess @georgiee-22 @ashesfromashes

[anti-homophobia-cheese]

Favourite Books of 2024

aaah i love this game @myheartalivewrites, thank you for the tag!! <3

considering i was in a reading slump for years and only started reading regularly since august this year, i am so impressed by the number of faves i discovered this year.

in the order of my reading them, here are my fav books from this year:

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Ravensong by TJ Klune

Heartsong by TJ Klune

tagging

@na-dineee (no book discussion is complete without you, oh literary guide mine 💋)

@alasse9 @caterpills @14carrotghoul (i know m has already tagged you but i'm always curious about what y'all are reading!)

and these friends who i know have been upto some reading this year

@stnichols @ashesfromashes @bigassbowlingballhead @almightaylor

and of course an open tag for anyone else who'd like to play!