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afrenchwriter · 8 months ago

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20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @andromeda4004, thank you dear 🥰 Always an interesting game to play, share, and reflect!

How many works do you have on ao3?

What's your total ao3 word count?

313,513

What fandoms do you write for?

I launched my AO3 account with a Red Dead Redemption fanfic, and then I discovered Good Omens, and then... well, you know how it goes with this fandom ❤️ That being said, I also had fun exploring the seas during the golden age of piracy (Our Flag Means Death) and the lands of a Norse God (Loki).

Top five fics by kudos:

For His Eyes Only (GO - James Bond AU, M rated, 69K)

Getting Closer (GO - fluffy post-S1 fic, G rated, 3K)

To the End of the Ocean (OFMD - post-S1 fic, M rated, 71K)

Whatever Comes After (RDR - canon divergence AU, M rated, 84K)

Ties & Other Obsessions (Loki - 5+1 fic, T rated, 4K)

Do you respond to comments?

Always! I treasure each and every one of them ❤️ But I have to confess that these past few months have been a bit hard (not much energy, unfortunately), and I'm still trying to catch up on all the lovely comments I've received.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Mmh, good question... I'm afraid I don't know how to do that 🙃 Even the last fic I wrote for the GO historical minisode event (Shadow & Light) was supposed to end on an angsty note, and at the last minute, I decided to add a happy epilogue! But if we're talking bittersweet ending, then it would be Sharp Endings & New Beginnings, a post-S2 Loki fic... If you've seen the show, then you know 🌳

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

Hard to say, considering my previous answer 😇 but all the long fics listed above have a very happy ending!

Do you get hate on fics?

I did, once, on my OFMD fic... It was a shock, but also an interesting experience: it pushed me to question my narrative choices (and, in the end, confirm them).

Do you write smut?

I do... And I have a second AO3 account dedicated to it 😎 (I wonder how many people will reach this part of the tag game and find this out, eheh)

Craziest crossover:

None for now... (For His Eyes Only cannot be considered a crossover since Crowley is basically James Bond 😎).

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! @pavel-pedro has started to translate To the End of the Ocean in Russian... and whether it will be one day finished or not (I know how time-consuming such a work can be!), I'll forever be grateful for the gesture ❤️

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I'm currently co-writing a fic, actually, with my lovely friend @sabotage-on-mercury: a GO/Fleabag AU! We're taking our time for all sorts of reasons, but we want to make sure we deliver quality content, considering the source materials!

All time favorite ship?

The Ineffable Partners, of course. How can you beat a relationship between two beings who have known each other for millennia and have gone through all sorts of ups and downs, down here and out there?

Or, as Neil would say: why? Love ❤️

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

*insert awkward look monkey puppet meme* I don't know, man... I have too many WIPs piling up lately, and not enough energy to work seriously on any of them... I do hope I'll finish all of my GO WIPs someday. But the one WIP I doubt I'll ever come back to (although it makes me sad because the outline I have for this story is WILD) is the sequel of my long RDR fic, called What We Owe to Each Other.

What are your writing strengths?

I've been told several times that I'm good at capturing a character's voice, and that makes me really happy. I'm a huge cinephile and good dialogues, "natural" dialogues, are so important - I'm glad to be able to consider this as one of my strengths! I would like to say developing a plot, too - I love writing long fics and exploring characters' arcs - but I think I'm still too close to the source material for now to consider it a real strength... Room to grow!

What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm a slow writer; I need to develop my ability to use imagery and metaphors; and I need better organization when it comes to writing drafts and editing the whole thing!

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Well... I'm French and I write my stories in English + I work as a translator, so... Yes to dialogues in other languages, always (then translated, of course)!

First fandom you wrote in?

I'm not exactly sure, but it must have been between those three: Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Artemis Fowl (ah, teenage years!).

Favorite fic you've written?

That's a hard one... Whatever Comes After will forever have a special place in my heart since it's the fic that 1/ brought me back to writing 2/ helped me prove to myself that I was able to complete a long story. Senses & Sensitivity was my first fic for the GO fandom, and 1/ it made me feel confident to write more for the Ineffable Partners 2/ I made some great connections thanks to it (hello @hasturswig! ❤️). I don't think I've ever had more fun than when I was writing For His Eyes Only (and the enthusiastic comments along the way really helped! ❤️). But, to finish, I'd like to mention When All Is Said and Done, a GO fanfic in the South Downs that just poured out of me after the S2 finale... It really made me experience the magic of writing again.

If you've reached the end, thank you for reading! Feel free to ask me anything... And to consider yourself tagged if you want to play this game, too! ❤️

#tag game

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lonewolflupe · 4 months ago

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aLoF ch10 | Fives O'Clock

Here's a short, innocent (well maybe not that innocent, wink) chapter between all the action! Totally not me self-inserting myself with Fives in this chapter *inserts Monkey Puppet Meme*. Maker, I've fallen hard for this copy paste man..

Summary: between missions and other responsibilities, Lupe and Fives find some rare private time together (and they use it well) Rating: Mature (just to be sure) Tags: swearing (usage of slang; kark = shit), sexual interaction (nothing too explicit) Words: 3.137k Characters: Lupe (OC), ARC-5555 Fives, CT-7567 Captain Rex, CC-2224 Commander Cody, Anakin Skywalker aLoF masterlist | AO3 ch9 < | ↓ | > ch11

20 BBY, Coruscant | GAR Barracks

It was getting late on a rainy day on Coruscant when Lupe found herself in the corridors of the GAR clone barracks. She had participated in a training session with her squad, the Lone Wolves, and was just on her way back to the Jedi Temple when she had run into Anakin Skywalker. Although she hadn’t been on any missions with the 501st, she had come to know them quite well through Fives. She knew Anakin was as fond of the clone troopers as she was, and she had found she really enjoyed sharing stories with him.

Not long into their conversation, Captain Rex came walking towards them, his strut slightly awkward. Both Anakin and Lupe turned to him, nodding in greeting. “Rex, what can I do for you?” Anakin asked, folding his arms as he smiled at the Captain. Rex, his helmet under his arm, sighed when he addressed his General. “I’m, er- I’m here for the other General, sir,” he said, after which he turned towards Lupe. Surprised, she straightened herself, curious to learn what Rex could want from her.

Rex awkwardly fidgeted with something in his hand before he handed it over to her. It was a piece of thin cardboard, presumably from some sort of breakfast cereal box, folded together. “Fives asked me to give this to you,” he sighed, clearly embarrassed, especially since General Skywalker was present as well. Anakin looked quite amused, and Lupe knew this would become another story that would wander the barracks’ corridors for a long time. Puzzled, she looked from the piece of cardboard back to Rex, opening her mouth to ask for clarification, but Rex interrupted her. “Argh, don’t ask,” he grunted, before turning around and marching away as fast as he could.

Anakin, grinning from ear to ear, patted Lupe on her shoulder. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said amused; he could pretty well guess Fives’ intentions. He jogged after his Captain, calling to him to get his attention as Lupe watched the two of them disappear in the distance. Now that she was alone, she looked back at the piece of cardboard. After unfolding it, she discovered a note in Aurebesh scribbled on the inside of the paper. The messy handwriting took her some effort to decipher, but when she did, it became clear what the note meant. It read: ‘02:00 AM GAR OFFICERS’ REFRESHERS’.

A smirk appeared on her face whilst folding the note again and tucking it away in a pocket of her pants. What was that man up to? It was already late, but not 02:00 AM yet. She left the premises of the barracks, so she wouldn't draw any unwanted attention towards her, but she made sure she stayed close.

---

Just minutes before 02:00 AM, Lupe found herself skulking around the GAR clone barracks’ corridors. Although the barracks were really quiet at this time, it was never completely empty. But she didn’t want to explain her presence if anyone noticed her here at this time of night. She made it to the corridor outside the officers’ refreshers, where Fives was waiting impatiently.

“Lupe!” he tried whispering, but it came out quite loud, as there were no other sounds in the near proximity. She shushed him with a gesture of her finger to her mouth, before she silently sneaked up the corridor towards him. When she reached him, she flung her arms around his neck, reached for his lips and kissed him passionately.

“I was afraid you didn’t get my note,” Fives whispered, as soon as she gave him time to breathe. “Rex handed it over alright,” she answered, grinning whilst she still had her arms around him. “So, why did you bring me here?” she whispered, looking around the abandoned corridor. A grin appeared on his face, putting his hands on her hips.

“I needed some private time with you, mesh’la*, and I’ve found the perfect spot,” he answered, right before he bowed his head to sneak in another kiss. She still looked puzzled as to why this would be the perfect spot. He chuckled when he looked at her, tucking away a lock of silver hair behind her ear. “Well, I’ve been on stakeout around this corridor for the last few rotations,” he stated, as if it was the most normal activity around the barracks. “And I discovered that it’s always abandoned at this time of night.”

*mesh’la = beautiful

She released her embrace and took a step back, placing her hands on her hips whilst looking him in the eyes, one brow raised. “You couldn’t find a more secluded corridor to do some kissing?” she asked, partly joking, partly serious, because she could come up with better places for some private time together. “I was planning on doing more than that,” he replied with a smirk, and he took her hand and dragged her into the officers’ refreshers.

The big room was brightly lit. Unlike the standard refreshers for the common troopers, where there was just one big, open space with showers, the officers’ had little walls between them to deliver a sense of privacy. Lupe stared into the room and Fives’ plan began to dawn on her. He dragged her to the back of the room, to the shower stall at the very end. “I’ve grown rather fond of water since Naboo, especially when it involves you,” he said longingly, as he stood behind her. He pulled her shoulders against his chest and started to caress her neck with his fingers, wiping away strands of her hair before he put his lips on her skin.

Lupe closed her eyes and let Fives go his way with her. She knew she’d get in a whole lot of trouble if someone noticed their presence here. Attachment wasn’t allowed within the Jedi Order, and oh, did she feel attached to this man. It had been a wild ride, but at this moment, she couldn’t imagine her life without him, war or no war. Her mind raced as she recollected her memories with Fives, starting it all with that bar fight back at 79’s. And those days together on Naboo.. How she had longed for some time alone with him since.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Fives abruptly turned her around to face him. Her amber eyes wide open, she glared into his; those warm, brown eyes. She always lost sense of everything when she was staring into those. Fives started removing her shoulder pieces, tossing them in the corner of the opposite stall, and continued with her robe as she took off her own arm plates. She started tearing the pauldrons off his shoulder impatiently, scolding at all their different armour pieces.

When they were finally rid of all the clothes and armour, Fives pulled her close as he shuffled backwards into the shower stall. He pushed the button, and cold water came running down. Lupe shot out a short yelp as she was startled by the coldness, being shushed when Fives put his lips on hers again. The water's temperature quickly rose to a pleasant one, and Fives and Lupe lost themselves in each other.

---

Not a lot of time had passed when Lupe sensed someone coming. Immediately shifting her focus, she tried to alarm Fives, who was way too much indulged in her to notice anything. It took her a few attempts, but he finally stopped what he was doing. She looked at him, waiting for him to come up with a plan, as this had all been his idea. Fives shrugged; he hadn't encountered anyone during his stakeouts, so he wasn't expecting anyone now.

Fives peeked around their shower's wall, making sure he wasn't seen. As soon as he recognised the clone walking in the refresher room, he looked back at Lupe, slightly panicking. “Kark, it's Cody,” he whispered, before trying to come up with a solution.

“Rex, is that you?” Cody asked aloud, as he undressed and stepped into a shower stall near the entrance of the refresher room. Lupe looked up at Fives, a quick nod into Cody’s direction, silently urging him to reply. Fives coughed, and with his best Rex-impersonation, he answered. “Yeah, sorry Kote, I didn't expect anyone else at this hour.”

Cody pushed the shower’s button and the water in his stall came running down. “You know I don't mind you using these showers. You needed some time away from your troops again? Especially that one ARC trooper, right?” Cody chuckled, as he started scrubbing his battle worn skin.

Fives absolutely adored Rex, and would never in his life wish anything bad upon him, but couldn't let this slander go unpunished. Echo would have been devastated. “Nah, I, er- I needed some privacy,” Fives finally said, choosing his words carefully. A moment of silence before Cody answered. “Need anything off your chest, vod?” he asked warily.

Lupe had no idea what Fives had in mind, but she knew he was up to mischief. She looked him in the eyes as she silently shook her head, urging him ‘no’. But the sparkle in his eyes and the smirk on his face told her ‘yes’. “I.. I think there's something wrong with my, er- choobies*,” he finally blurted out. Lupe punched him against the chest, her other hand on her mouth to prevent herself from giggling out loud.

*choobies = testicles

A long silence from Cody's stall; even the sound of scrubbing had died down. “Did you.. let some medical personnel check that out?” he finally asked awkwardly. Lupe couldn't believe Cody was buying it, since Fives was so bad at lying. But the fact that Cody fell for it, made Fives even more confident.

“I asked Kix about it, but he said it was quite.. abnormal. He advised me to see the aiwha-bait* whenever I'm back at Kamino,” Fives answered, a smug look on his face. “No,” Lupe whispered as quietly as possible, as she looked him sternly into his eyes. But he was enjoying this too much.

*aiwha-bait = Kaminoans

“Just.. don't take too long with that,” Cody finally said, turning off his shower and starting drying himself with his towel. It didn't take long before they heard him collecting his armour. “Take care, Rex,” he finally said. Fives coughed again, as he adjusted his voice for the last time. “Will do, Kote. See you around.”

They stayed silent for a while, making sure Cody was really gone before Lupe punched another fist against his chest. “You didn't have to do Rex dirty like that,” she finally said, as she felt sorry for the poor Captain. He was having hard times enough without any of Fives’ shenanigans. Fives started laughing and took her clenched fist in his hand. “He'll live. Besides, you were enjoying it, admit it.” She tried to look stern, disappointed, or even mad, but the smirk appearing on her face gave her away. They started laughing again, and Fives wrapped his arms around her.

As Fives was ready to continue at the point they left off before being interrupted, Lupe’s focus was still elsewhere. “What's with ‘Kote’?” she asked curiously, not sure if she had imagined the slight shift in pronunciation, or if it was intended. She knew some Mando'a, but she was unfamiliar with this particular word. Fives groaned softly; he wasn't in the mood of talking about his brothers, but couldn't resist explaining if she really needed to know.

“Kote is his actual name,” he answered bluntly, before he started pressing his lips on the skin of her neck again. “Then why does everyone call him ‘Cody’?” she asked, confused, getting distracted by his touching, but still wanting to get to the bottom of this. Fives sighed loudly, stopped what he was doing and looked her in the eyes, knowing she wouldn't leave it alone until he told her.

“The Jedi call him Cody. They must have misheard when he introduced himself, and at this time, it would be too embarrassing for him to correct them. We clones just play along to make it less awkward for him, I guess,” Fives shrugged, hoping this answered her question. It did, but it raised more. “Does Obi-Wan know?” Another sigh, as he tried to stay calm. Cody’s interruption had already cost them precious time together; he didn't want to dwell on the topic.

“I think General Kenobi knows, as he's rather fluent with Mando’a. But I think he plays along with the other clones, for whatever reason.” As he started to bend over to kiss her again, he noticed Lupe opening her mouth to ask another question. He put his finger on her mouth to shush her, before continuing: “Yes, ‘Kote’ is Mando’a. It means ‘glory’. Satisfied?”

She blinked her eyes in surprise, but got his hint. If she wanted to ask more questions about his brothers, their language, their culture, she could ask during a drink at 79’s. Now, their private time was limited, and she was wasting it. Now it was time to give him what he wanted. “Make me satisfied,” she answered, a cheeky smile on her face.

“Gladly,” he whispered, before he put his lips on her neck again. She stretched it to allow him more space, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her focus was totally with him again, losing herself in the moment. A lustful sigh left her lungs when his touch sent a pleasant shiver through her body, down her spine, awakening something deep inside him. When his kissing became more intense, more demanding, her breathing became gradually louder.

With a groan coming from deep down his throat, he heaved her up against the shower stall's wall, and Lupe wrapped her legs around him. When he looked deep into her amber eyes, he saw light, he saw life, he saw the galaxy; he saw the Force. And everything around him started disappearing again. He was only focussed on her when he gently entered her, as they were still gazing into each other’s eyes. Her feral beauty, her pureness. The feeling that the galaxy revolved around them, and nothing else mattered anymore. He'd never felt it like this before, but was this love?

As she looked back into his deep, brown eyes, it felt like they were lost together. Although she enjoyed his touch, bringing her pleasure and satisfaction, he meant so much more to her. They were two unique souls in a vastly outstretched galaxy, and they had found each other; they belonged together. Oh, how she loved it to be lost with him and him alone. She wished this moment could last forever.

Despite their desire for each other, their movements were gentle. Fives tenderly moved his hips against hers as she was pinned against the wall. She closed her eyes and slowly let her head tilt backwards, against the cool wall. He looked at her, how the water drops hit her skin and slid down her body, meandering her shape and curves. He finally leaned forward, his breath hovering over her skin for a moment, before he pressed his lips against it. The combination of the warm water and the taste of her made his heartbeat rise, and with every kiss, he wanted more. Lupe let her hand glide through his hair, affectionately caressing his scalp. Slowly, Fives continued his kissing upwards to her neck and chin, until she lowered her head again and she kissed him back.

With a fiery passion, they increased their pace. After they both reached their climax, they put their foreheads together, their chests heaving from the intense moment. It took them a moment before they released themselves from their grip, Lupe dropping to her feet again. “You are my shereshoy,” Fives whispered, whilst pulling her close again, guiding her chin upwards with his hand and pressing his lips on hers. They kissed passionately, lovingly, before Fives finally wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly against his chest. And so they stood in the shower stall, under the running water, until it was time for both of them to disappear into the early morning again.

*shereshoy = lust for life and much more - uniquely Mandalorian word, meaning the enjoyment of each day and the determination to seek and grab every possible experience, as well as surviving to see the next day - hanging onto life and relishing it

…

Epilogue

That morning, Cody walked through the barracks’ corridors. It was still early, and since he had taken a shower late at night, he hadn't slept for long. He longed for a caf, and needed it if he wanted to get through this day.

As he turned a corner and walked into the officers' mess, he froze when he noticed Rex in there, waiting for a fresh batch of caf. Rex would regularly get into the mess early in the morning, when no one else was around, enjoying a caf in peace before returning to the chaos of the 501st’s quarters. Normally, Cody wouldn't mind at all, but their recent late night chat had been slightly awkward.

But Cody needed that caf, so he regained his courage and stepped forward. “Morning, Kote,” Rex said when he noticed the Commander, nodding a greeting at him. Cody greeted the Captain and halted beside him, both of them looking at the machine as it was creating a fresh batch.

“You er- got a trip to Kamino planned?” Cody asked, a bit uncomfortable, whilst shifting on his feet. Rex turned his head towards him, a brow raised in confusion. “No, not really,” he spoke at last, not sure why Cody would bring up the topic. Another moment of silence whilst the machine slowly filled a pot.

“It- it isn't contagious, right?” Cody blurted out eventually, when Rex poured him a fresh mug of caf. He put down the pot, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the Commander. “Kote, what are you talking about?” Cody picked up his filled mug before setting a step backwards, getting as confused as Rex was. “It’s just- you know, our conversation last night, at the refreshers?” Rex rubbed his temples and tried recollecting his thoughts. “Kote, I haven’t had a proper shower in a few rotations. That wasn’t me.”

Silence. Cody started walking backwards slowly, looking forward to withdraw from this situation. But Rex looked back up at him again, his eyes fuming. “Wait, did someone impersonate me?” Rex shot out, his anger not targeting Cody, but making him feel uneasy nonetheless. “Fiiives..,” he growled slowly, as he barged out of the mess, coursing for the 501st’s quarters. If it wasn’t Fives, that kARC trooper sure knew what happened last night. Cody let out a relieved sigh, before nipping from his caf and went on about his business.

Plot twist: I came up with this chapter whilst taking a shower, can you believe it?

Also a headsup: I hope you've enjoyed my story so far, because after this chapter, it's going to start getting darker..

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