#chokehold wip thing came from there

[miguxadraws]

ur swap pomni does not have a single thought in her brain and i love that for her, thats all i have to say have a good day OP

You are very correct, anon! And thank you so much!!

Some people have requested a full body drawing of her, as well as gangle and zooble, which I'll try to be making! I'm just not having as much time as I did before because of college and stuff!

[chunkypossum]

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going!

(If you're in my answers consider yourself tagged if you'd like to play!!)

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024? 619,247... with the way A03 calculates I don't think that's entirely accurate but that's what it says... I would take off 225k and guess it's more around 350-400k

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

18, those event weeks really had a chokehold on me

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

I have only posted a couple of WIP this year. I have stared at least 20 more, but have yet to post anything on them. Hopefully, I will have them all organized by this evening so I can start with my 2025 goals of getting them all done or at least well on their way!

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

I had the best time with What We Deserve!! It has to go at the top of the list.

Honorable mention would be Mother Save Us From Your Twisted fate just because it came out of nowhere and I think I started the first part and finished it in a day or two like a madman and posted without really giving it a second look. Truly a fic of strange passion.

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

probably Lighthouse in the Woods. Exploring a poly dynamic in a fic I didn't originally intend to be poly was an interesting choice for my brain lol but a fun and rewarding challenge!

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

Under the Weeping Beech shocked me just because it demanded I write it but there was very little reward with how sad it is. Y'all know I love sad angsty shit but I always seem to find a way to make everything ok in the end. Not so much this time but I simply couldn't make myself write it any other way. This was how it was supposed to be

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Everything kind of went how I expected it to this year, but a fic that went under MY OWN PERSONAL RADAR was When Even Moonlight Burns. I adore the outline but couldn't make myself get serious about it this year. I'm waiting for my depraved self to rise to the surface for that one. It needs to be a beautiful disgrace

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

I'm not sure I could name anyone without naming EVERYONE. If you have created Azris, you're on this list.

@queercontrarian inspires me daily with her work. Her attention to detail and the fashion work in her pieces are notches on my bones, that's how permanently they have changed me. I find myself staring at them for entirely too long to be appropriate and keep coming back to revisit my favorites!

@elleybug has a vision for her art that speaks to me on a cellular level. Every single piece supplies me with endless amounts of emotion that just make me want to create and create and create!

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

This question is really testing my memory because every time I read something I get inspired. All of you are just too damn good so if I forget to tag you it's only because I am stupid or I simply haven't been able to get to your amazing work yet BUT I WILL... and not because you don't belong on this list!!!

@fieldofdaisiies for her sweet pieces, @born-to-riot for her funny pieces, @acourtofladydeath for her thoughtful pieces, @secret-third-thing for her weird pieces, @iftheshoef1tz for her poetic pieces, @g00seg1rl for her horny pieces, @pippsmcgee for the dazzling intricacy of that piece she is teasing me with @talibunny30 for characterization in that nesta fic that wont leave me, @jules-writes-stories for the emotion she brings, @the-darkestminds for her dark mind that's like a twin flame, @mistandmemories for all that edging and absolute adorableness, @yanny-77 for the mastery of the dynamics between characters, @fourteentrout for the delicious intimacy, @brunetterebel010 for the vulnerability, @neciebee for the lyrical prose, @whisperingmidnights for the soulful prose, @mudandmire for the gorgeous and unique ideas, @unanswered-stars for the heartbreaking beauty!

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

so so many this year! Special mentions to @jules-writes-stories, @the-darkestminds, @mistandmemories who I really consider to be the big three of 2024 for me! Following along each of your beautiful stories this year has been a highlight!

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

not this year!

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

Everything I managed to finish lol. I was worried it would be nothing at all!

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

I work best when I am just dishing out what's been gnawing at me, and trying to participate in too much just for the sake of it was too draining!

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

It's fanfic, take the pressure OFF and just write the thing! If there is a story in your heart you really want to have exist in the world, you need to get it out and let it breathe! Don't focus on numbers or style or craft while you're just getting started. Have fun and create because you NEED to, everything else can come later.

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

I have approx 12347576412 projects I would like to get written... I'm here to mass produce simply because I can't keep up with my brain. LOL. But truly if I can get one full multichapter fic completed this year I will be very happy!

[gallawitchxx]

weekly tag wednesday thursday

thank you to @jrooc @energievie & @suzy-queued for tagging me in this week's survey! i'm a bit nervous to answer some of these questions in my current state of being, but here goes nothing!

name: bee

age you are mentally: probably 94

top 3 fics that came out last year (that you can remember at this point lol): 1. how to disappear: a traveler's guide for delinquents and miscreants by @deedala 2. the old habits universe by @whatthebodygraspsnot 3. the most delicious hitmen au as part of wanna go again? for kinktober 2024 by @wehangout

add in any authors who you read all of their things: oh my god, so many in addition to dee, ray & jen above - @crossmydna @catgrassplantdad @captainjowl @mmmichyyy @palepinkgoat @thisdivorce @whatwouldmickeydo @howlinchickhowl @iansfreckles @gardenerian etc etc etc WE ARE SO BLESSED

fave artist/band/singer/group your discovered last year (has to be new to you, not new): oooh trousdale! especially "if i'm honest," which is suuuuch a bop!

one thing you learnt last year that you’re taking into 2025: you have to advocate for yourself & you have to do it every moment of every day asldkj

was it a good year or bad year? 2024? it was a total trash fire honestly. also the good was very good! but mostly it was just Big Bad from beginning to end.

is there anything superstitious you do to try and continue that vibe or absolutely change it? hmmm, i mean, i am a witch, so there are plenty of altar spaces around. but i've also been leaning more on inner strength than external craft these days. so i guess i'd just say i'm going to continue being in really good, grounded relationship with myself?

fave WIPs you're following into this year: absolutely stealing deena's answer of notting hill by @darthvaders-wife - that comic? series? has me in a chokehold. as does deena's drabble series the lord & the footman.

are you doing any January ‘get healthy’ things? LOL this one's laughable for me because i'm very sick & literally broken & there's not much to do about it until some new doctors figure some new things out! BUT i am staying on all of my meds & resting & continuing to do things that light me up, while modifying them to my current state of being. but whew, idk if 'getting healthy' is what i'd call it alkdajl

more random questions ~~ did you consider yourself an avid reader before you found fanfic? omg totally. i'm a huge reader.

do you read books as well as fanfic? yes (but not as many as I used to!) or no: fanfic or die -- hahahahaldkj fanfic or die cracks me up, but i do read books in addition to fanfic, yes!

what are you doing to survive this january so far? taking things one day at a time, remembering to breathe, loving up on my wife & pup, writing writing writing, drinking water & good coffee, chatting with my pals, watching reality tv... i'm actually grateful for so much & surviving pretty well, all things considered.

tagging @heymrspatel @catgrassplantdad @whatthebodygraspsnot @whatwouldmickeydo @howlinchickhowl @gardenerian + whoever i tagged above + whoever wants to play! tag me! let me read about your coping mechanisms! i love you! xx

[justanothersanjilover]

One Piece Modern Gym AU wips (Part2)

This has me in a chokehold right now😂

Zoro came back to Nami’s Gym every second day to work out with the girls, and Sanji lost his shit over why he was allowed there! Nami turned every other man down who wanted to work out at her Gym, so why was Zoro so welcomed? She practically begged him to come over and work out with them.

Also, why was every girl in the Gym gushing over that brute? Hugging him, kissing his cheeks, making fun with him, leaning on his back - or over his back when he was sitting and hugging him from behind.

He was allowed to do things that the girls would kick other men’s heads in if he tried it. So naturally, Sanji got curious and asked around why Zoro was allowed to come over and do all that. But he got the same answer every time: “Ask him if you want to know!”

One time, he saw Zoro throwing Vivi (Nami’s girlfriend) and Koala over his shoulders and marching into the changing room with them, only to come out laughing a minute later with their shirts thrown at him. Later Sanji heard him scolding them for working out too long and too much.

“You have to balance workout and resting phases! You can't just work out all day and only rest for the night! Also, go and eat! That stupid influencer diet shit won’t do you any good! Ask that idiot curly at the bar. I hear he knows a thing or two about food and healthy diets. Give it a shot!”

“You can't order us around, Zoro! Just mind your own business!” Vivi grumbled and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

A growl broke out of Zoro’s throat and made the girls look up. He grabbed both of their chins to make them look at him.

“You both keep that unhealthy behavior up and I make it my personal challenge to break you out of it, even if I have to tell Nami about it and get you put on a break of using the Gym,” he said with a stern expression on his face. “And don't even think about going to a different one. I have contacts in every gym in town. You won't be there long. Love your body more!”

Then he rambled on that he’d carry them into the changing room again and steal their workout clothes if they’d keep that behavior up.

Sanji got angry (at the way he talked to the girls not actually about what he said) and yelled at him, that he was a brute and not treating the girls right. Zoro looked him up and down and just laughed.

“Go, tell Nami about it. Maybe she’ll throw me out. Would be in your favor, right?”

“Maybe I’m going to do that!” Sanji barked back.

Zoro leaned on the counter and put his face in his hand, smirking up at Sanji - showing his teeth like an animal ready to attack. His scarred eye added to the dangerous atmosphere he was radiating at that moment. Sanji stood his ground, even if his body screamed to at least take a step back from that man.

Zoro clicked his tongue, and his smirk got a little less threatening.

“Good luck, Curly. Tell me what she said,” and off he was.

Sanji huffed as he brushed his hand through his hair. What was going through that man’s stupid head? And why was he shaking? Why were his cheeks red again?!

First part | next

[atiyasnake]

just finished crawling through your master post, got any wips trapped in your head or what was your favorite to write?

That, my friend, is a dangerous question to ask... mostly due to the fact that if given the chance, I could go on for a concerningly long time about what wips I have stuck in my head.

So favorites (that at this moment I am typing right now can remember):

Accidental crime boss au :' Wait, I'm a what? Fic

The concussion and mistaken identities au

Hit the deck au

Visitors? (old document au where Jack used to work at Wayne industries)

Stolen core au

But honestly really like all of them because there were so many different kinds of prompts that caught my attention and made me just wanna start writing. Different aspects that call my attention ya know. A little hard to keep track of here on tumblr (for example, this ask that I thought I somehow lost and just found).

With so many, it sucks that I haven't been able to fully write out full fics for most of them :( . I STILL haven't finished part two of the 'What Protects from the Shadows', and that was one of my first ones I did I think. Like legit, I have an outline but now I wanna add things and make some changes and just ajdjskdjakdjs stuff. It's mocking me in my Google docs.

Recently the Stole core au has been rattling around in my head, I've written basically a third chapter and with the point that it's one the fic Bare is probably gonna be longer than just three chapters. 5 if I'm lucky to be honest at the max. BUT THEN I still have plans/ideas for a third part of that series Epmty Soaces on ao3 (which is the Stolen core au from here on tumblr).

Concussions and Mistaken Identities!! I have another unreleased part to that as well, it's ridiculous and every once in a while I wanna add more. It's probably gonna become it's own fic on ao3.

(Once I post a fic on ao3 though, it's another WIP that I KNOW I can't abandon. So I worry about posting if I don't have majority or a good portion of it planned out. Dont wanna leave yall hanging.)

Hit the decks au by @omnicrafts and @ailithnight is another one two that I keep working on in my Google docs as well and that I would love eventually post on ao3 as well. Just the soft angst of it had me in a chokehold. (Please check out the other branches of the prompt!)

A Successful Sacrifice as well is another one that I could potentially write a part 2 for a series. I literally have another 3,000 something words worth of it that I could post (and maybe I will). I find myself going back to it rereading and then working on the draft I have.

Honestly I'm always going back to my docs to work on MANY of the wips and prompt fills that you have seen AND not seen that came from tumblr. Everyone has such awesome ideas that spark inspiration and then I just wanna write a whole ass story for it.

It's a lovely feeling but damn, I do not have nearly enough time for all of them.

And this is me holding back on fully getting into a bunch of other wips and prompts😅

[catchingbigfish]

writeblr re-introduction | catchingbigfish

hi! call me elle (they/them). i'm in my 30s, work adjacent to the legal field in my day job, and i'm studying for my MA in english! i post more about my life over at my main, @prettytothink-so, which is also the account i follow from!

i'm a david lynch obsessive, hence the url/pfp, but i love death bed: the bed that eats as much as i do blue velvet. my primary literary influences are shirley jackson, carmen maria machado, janet fitch, confessional poets, and more recently, a healthy dose of knausgaard.

i write prose & poetry with a heavy emphasis on the body, the darker sides of life, and relationships. my fiction is character-centric, driven by ensemble casts of weird and fucked up people, and characters tend to go through exquisite and grotesque things like body horror, warped and broken time, hauntings, posessions, and sex. my work is definitely 18+ and i try not to engage with minors.

i'd love to get to know other writers, esp if you write/read any of the following:

dysfunctional relationships (particularly with ensemble casts and found or of-origin families)

horror and gothic literature

body horror, nightmares, and dream logic

romance, including sex, and relationships, esp. in horror themes

i like to say i'm always open to ask + tag games, but i'm most likely to respond to an ask game than a tag! if you wanna know more about my wips, see below the cut for my primary projects or check out my wip masterlist:

click the titles for the wip intros!

conversion

status: drafted (80k words); w/ beta readers short synopsis: Rosalyn arrives to campus for her MFA in fashion-making and falls into a group of sick women artists bonded by a disputed diagnosis. She starts faking it to fit in, finds the friendships she'd always wanted, and ends up with a choice between the unthinkable and her new ride-or-die crew.

dark academia/litfic/cult novel. this project has had me in a chokehold for 18+ months and it's the most fun i've ever had writing something. stay tuned for my query journey, coming to you probably near the end of this year!

might've been, never was

status: drafted (55k words) short synopsis: Lily and her friends thought their thirties would be different. They find a way to adopt new bodies, but one of them takes it too far, and the rest have to decide whether to stop her or join in.

a satire in the same vein as conversion. currently vying with the next two WIPs for main focus while betas work through conversion. project playlist is 2 songs: teen idle and celebrity skin. the closest i'll ever come to autofiction because the idea to write "a love letter to being mentally ill in your 30s" came up when i was a teensy bit manic.

seed of the woman

status: drafted (27k words) short synopsis: A woman goes on a Christian yoga retreat hoping to return to some sense of her self. Instead, she's bitten by a snake and goes on a tour through the choices that led her here.

body horror/religious horror novella. nightmare/dream-logic story that's my latest attempt to write something explaining how rational and reasonable a choice it would be for a woman to choose satan over god.

on fire

status: drafting short synopsis: Elissa wakes up one day after being cheated on with the power to consume creative energy from men she seduces.

the novella i conceived on december 21 and outlined and zero drafted on december 24. very similar to SOTW in structure (based on the outline template i made for it, in fact) and similar in its feminine-rage-in-a-magical-realist-world themes; inspired by the baobhan sith figure, the MC is kind of a succubus/vampire/cannibal mix. set at the same university as conversion! i stole this title from a terrible novel i wrote at 19 btw. the emphasis is on "on", like "a treatise on", not being lit on fire. it is very pretentious.

heartbeat

status: outlining short synopsis: A coming-of-age saga about a nonbinary kid who realizes not every carries their heart outside of their body and struggles to figure out what to do with it.

kind of an epic saga in the style of middlesex where a nonbinary kid has to learn to deal with being different, grows into an adult with no coping skills, and all of the dysfunctional family dynamics you would anticipate with me writing it

[grxceful-ly]

Hello there! I hope you're doing good!

19, 21 and 29 for the Fanfic Writers Ask Game!

hii thank you so much for sending me an ask!! i hope you're doing really well yourself. you picked some good ones and this got kinda long, i'm sorry 🙇🏻‍♀️

19. Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs.

i'm going to take this opportunity to say that something in me does not allow me to fulfill all the multichapter, long fics of my dreams so i mostly share oneshots. i wish i could be like "this is from my [insert title here] au from chapter 14!!" or something. but alas. anyway, this is from my wip sequel to the sabezra secret relationship i wrote a while back. it's almost done, i'm excited to share the full thing soon!

Maybe the Ezra Bridger who wasn’t in a relationship with Sabine wouldn’t have said that. Maybe he would’ve been a little giddy—like, wow! Sabine is actually touching me! And isn’t completely averse to it! Maybe he should have said something like that. Or just. . .smiled? Or hugged her back? Sabine still wasn’t letting go. His heart ached a little. He let his arms come around her loosely, his gaze stuck to the floor. “So. . .” he started. But nothing else came out. 

21. Have you ever deleted an entire scene after spending hours laboring over it? If so, why?

yes and no. i don't think i've ever had to delete an entire scene--usually i will spend a lot of time writing a scene or two and i hate it a little more than usual so i end up losing motivation for the entire project. this happens often. i don't like it.

however, sometimes i'll write a line i really like but in my heart i know it won't work for the overall goal of the paragraph or scene, so i have to delete it :( i mourn for like three minutes and then move on lol.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

goodness, the amount of star wars time travel fix-it fics i've written in my mind. that's kind of where they stay. but occasionally i jot down a scene that has a chokehold on me until it goes away. i was going to share an anakin one, but for some reason i can't find my doc with that in it :') so you get this scene from my vostress wip where asajj goes back in time. this is kind of a cheat bc i don't know if it'll NEVER be posted, but as of now too little of it is written to share much more than these snippets. also there's very little interest in a fic like this versus my usual stuff lol.

Her eyes softened. “It is more important to reject that power and preserve those things. Understand me, Vos. Truly. There is no power that can take away the pain you feel. No power that is worth it for a fleeting sense of victory.” She realized she'd put a hand to his chest, naturally drawn closer as she tried not to plead with him. This was it. If he should ever listen to her, let it be now.

and for a bonus, here's an 'asajj takes omega to meet quinlan' snippet that was just for fun and will never again see the light of day lol!

“Your jedi?” Omega asked, eyes lighting up, glancing from one of them to the other. Vos flashed a lopsided smile at Ventress. “I love when she calls me that,” he said in that smooth, unserious but oh-so-truthful voice of his. Ventress's eyes slid to him, then went up to the sky in feigned annoyance as her hand fell to her side and she swiveled to walk away. “Come on.” Unfortunately, Vos and Omega were making quick friends. He was the type to do so; always had been, and it seemed she, too, was eager to befriend anyone she set her sights on. A horrifying pair.

[xielexalt]

Xiel's Atelier Log #1 (April 2024)

I decided to start this blog detailing my creative endeavors and progress every so often, discussing the process and thoughts regarding recent releases and current WIPs!

1: "Buffer" ft. ZETHIEL ZERO (DiffSinger)

I commissioned Annoying Hyena to create this DiffSinger voicebank of ZETHIEL ZERO, based on 20 minutes of his Japanese singing data! He's obviously not the best quality DS, but I really like his vocal quality and how it differs from his RVC. I have some ideas for the future of creating an update of his DS that includes his English data, even more singing data created with RVC, and parallel training to help his vocal range, but that'd be for 2025 at the absolute earliest.

Regarding "Buffer," it's the first song Empty old City created as part of Kamitsubaki, and I fell in love with it instantly. I think I'm the first cover of it, and I really enjoyed tuning him as well to reflect some of the stylistic choices of Kahoca's singing. It's such an excellent song and I'm just. OBSESSED.

2: "Tera Tera" - Alcheglow SIDE B

I worked with Kezo, Pigeon, and Kori to make this chorus of Tera Tera for A Sekai Tour! I actually had two groups under "Alcheglow" entered in this event, but SIDE A had to be delayed a bit due to some circumstances. It's a super fun song that the rest of the team really liked, so I'm glad we made a fun final result.

In any case, I'm really proud of this mix and how it all came together. I did all the art and as well, and the simple video. I tuned Rikka and Pigeon tuned Chis-A, and one thing that's really fun about 2 tuners for a cover like this is that the vocalsynths blend into each other more "authentically" like they're actually two people singing, instead of their voices overlapping into one new resonance. Rikka is my darling favorite so I'm glad to use her. I also discovered ZETHIEL, arcdia, and Rikka's blend is pretty insane. I do have a ZETHIEL x Rikka duet planned at some point...

3: "Karen's Cleanup" - arcdia

arcdia's first solo cover coming back as a "revived" vocalist. The process to create her voice is to first sing normally as myself, then convert my voice with RVC into her voice. Although she and ZETHIEL ZERO share a voice essentially, it boils down to the song choice and expression that strongly differentiates them. arcdia leans into the sweeter charm and covers beautiful or sinister songs, while ZETHIEL ZERO leans into a "cooler" charm and covers melancholic and electronic songs? Additionally, ZETHIEL ZERO is strictly a vocalsynth, while arcdia is more of a "real" singer, especially because more "real" singing goes into her presentation than synthesized singing.

I really really love this song, and the comments I got on it during February Youtaite Rewind said her voice suits the song so well and could be the original. I'm glad arcdia's voice has a similar distinctive charm to SEKAI/Isekaijoucho in that case. It's a bit strange that I love listening to arcdia meanwhile ZETHIEL ZERO is a bit of a mixed bag due to dysphoria feelings.

4: "Ga1ahad and Scientific Witchery" - ZETHIEL x arcdia

For this cover, arcdia isn't revived through RVC, these are genuinely just vocals I recorded way back in early 2019 in the real. And then I rerecorded for the other part in late 2023 (4 years on T) to create this duet. This song has such a chokehold on my psyche and I'm obsessed with this song so much... I feel like it defines a part of my inner soul or essence so to speak, so I feel like by making an arcdia x ZETHIEL cover of this song, it's like I've created the perfect Ga1ahad and the perfect Witch.

It's because of this song, I decided to take arcdia's persona in the direction of a "witch" style. Incidentally, ZETHIEL with his emphasis on alchemy and technology suits the "scientific" side of this song. ZETHIEL and arcdia are my perfect duo.

5: "Kannagi" - ZETHIEL

I will not stop covering Hiiragi Magnetite songs. I have more in store.

I'm obsessed with this song in particular, and wanted to create an utaite/VSinger version I could listen to a lot, so I made this shortly after my trip overseas to attend an honor choir. I felt like that trip really awakened a new side of my voice and I think I showcased it here well. I think I listened to myself in this cover so much that it showed up in my YT Recap stats as a top song.

Although I can't belt super high like a lot of other tenor vocalists, I feel like my falsetto has its own appeal. When this was played at a Youtaite Showcase end-of-year stream, a lot of people commented on how insane my vibrato and falsetto is, which I was really happy about, as well as the unique youthful quality of my voice combined with the beauty and technique of the cover. I'm really, really glad people love ZETHIEL like this.

Kannagi is a super captivating song that I'm just really really obsessed with. I feel like it encompasses such a beautiful side of Hiiragi Magnetite. Yes, it's an electronic song, but it really just feels so similar to the beauty evoked by classical or orchestral songs -- which I love a lot too.

Speaking of which, Kannagi, Ga1ahad, and Buffer are all part of a new playlist I created called "Essence of ZETHIEL" -- which I think are the "key songs" for ZETHIEL's overall image and vibe. I think I worked really hard planning on ZETHIEL's image as a character, and I'm satisfied with where we're going with this now.

6: "Pale & Deep" - ZETHIEL (WIP)

This is the next "big" cover for ZETHIEL to define his character image, incidentally it's the same composer as his debut song Hana to Nare.

I carefully considered a lot of artists and decided to go with this artist for the music video. They captured ZETHIEL's vibe so exceptionally well, and it'll be the first music video featuring ZETHIEL's new design. I wanted him to have more of an "alchemist" vibe!

Regarding the song choice of "Pale & Deep," I was really excited Awairo became a proper musical duo (Yunosuke + WaMi) and under Sinsekai at that! Their visuals are so pretty and their music as well, I listened to Pale & Deep on loop for so long!!! The music video evoking "blue" and the lyrics too, makes it even more suitable for ZETHIEL.

I arranged the harmonies here myself, I kind of want to adjust things to make it more "proper" Yunosuke style. But it might be OK by itself, we'll see.

Trying to make an MV myself is difficult, but that's what I'm gonna try to test myself on this for this cover. I hope to release this by June or July. I downloaded a lot of assets for this cover in particular, inspired by my video editing class and the original MV of "Pale & Deep."

7: Various original song/arrangement works

Been unable to publish a lot of them just yet, but there's a lot of original song works I've been doing in the past half year or so. Keep in mind some of these are still WIPs and unmixed.

#1 is client work. #2 I hope to release as a single this year. #3 and #4 will be part of a collaboration album. #5 is also client work!

Also, I published "Aurora" onto Soundcloud, it's just been sitting around finished for at least a year so I decided to post it. It's a fansong for Tobias from Dragalia Lost.

I think I'll be able to release it onto streaming as a B-Side to another collaboration track.

Anyways, that's the atelier log for today!! See you in a bit more!

[silentprincess17]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Tagged by my wonderful friends @zeldaelmo and @zeldadiarist

__

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

28 :)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

284,149!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Legend of Zelda :) My first ever video game series that still has me on chokehold from the age of 10 lol

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sometimes Things Have To Get Worse Before They Get Better A Hero Indeed

Sometimes better is only an illusion

A fated meeting

Sugar

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try my best!! I write for myself and be free of those weird whimsical scenarios that enter my brain at 5 am lol but I post to share with everyone and interact with the fandom :)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Ooh that is difficult. Lots of my fics end with uncertainty and deal with angsty themes throughout. Probably the angstiest is sometimes things don’t get better they only get worse (featuring Yiga Link realising who he actually is)

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

Ahaha please see above 😂😂😂 But probably that’s my regency Arranged marriage Zelink fic Sugar

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I don’t think I’ve ever gotten hate hate you know? Most of my comments are super wholesome :)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

That is one thing I won’t ever write. Not because of some moral high ground or anything like that, mostly because I don’t really write fics that would make sense to have smut within them.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Nope haha. I’ve referenced other fandoms in my fics sure (ten from doctor who my bae) but other than that no.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Don’t think so!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Another no! That’d be super cool though.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I did once! Nothing that’s published actually. It was before I wrote anything serious- my mate and I exchanged a google doc during the early days of the pandemic. Nothing much came of it but that’s actually what kick started my eventual fanfic writing!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Let us examine my tumblr heading and AO3 page… let me know if this remains unclear 😂

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Sadly my series on what happened 10,000 years ago. I have written the next two whole fics (200k words lol) but nothing beyond that. It seems like too huge a project now with how busy life is.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Tough question aha I do like my dialogues and I think my plots are generally robust!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I think I can sometimes do too much telling and not enough showing. Working hard to try and make more balanced!!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Oooh that would be fun! I speak 5 languages and I sometimes incorporate bits and bobs but I’m always conscious of the fact that people generally may not understand it. And what is the reason for the alternate language?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

LoZ

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Gosh. You really ended this with a banger lol. Uhhhhhh Long fic is probably A Hero Indeed (mighty mental effort went into this lol) and one shot is An Eternal Darkness that Hides Echoes of a Time Past :)

[mas--away]

Sam! *Falls down the window I just climbed*. I dunno if you're doing the ask the artist game but I'm gonna send you some cus I am nosy and want to know 👀😈

1. 6. 11. 13. 18. 21 AND 25! (that's a lot of questions, my bad)

Love you Sam my beloved! 🫂🫂💋💋

*Helps you get up and dusts your clothes* Be carefull next time my beloved Many!! Dont want you to hurt yourself now tut tut

1- Show your most recent wip

I am so bad at finishing a wip so i have multiple and here they are! ( I also have an animatic wip but like aughhh)

6-Which artists inspire you right now?

My biggest inspiration rn is @toomanywordsnllines !

He is amazing at art and I love their artsyle so much!! Her art style is just so huggable and his painting/rendring has me on a choke hold!! Thay just give me so many ideas that my brain explodes!!

Another one of my all time inspiration is Rensaven! I love their style sooo much!! The simplity has me on a chokehold also THEIR ANIMATIONS!? MY HEART AND LIKE AAAAAAA I WANNA BE LIKE THEM FRFR CRYING!! here is the link to their youtube my fave animation from them is Level of Concern one bc like twenty one pilots and and animation? together? my heart melted fr. I alos love the way they use the colors their pallates are always goes so well together

Newest addition to my inspiration is Alberto Mielgo! Especially his Spiderverse art work is spectacular im gonna cry bc his usage of colors like look at this!!! Overall all the spiderverse is my inspiration frfr

I want to also add Sad-ist their animations and the way they use the camera movements on their animation... im crying by thinking about it! The way they tell the story with the animations are showstopping here is a link to their youtube!

ALSO ALSO

THEIR DRAWINGS ARE SPECTACULAR I LOVE THEIR LINEWEIGTHS AND AND THE COLORS LOOK SO SOFT AND THEIR FOUND FAMILY DRAWINGS (especially five and ben from umbrella academy) HAS MY HEARTT

I wanted to add so many other but itll get tooo long so honorable mentions time! (very honorable mentions to my friends anna and eli as well)

rabbits.foots sogicereal Camram Bipp

Jasperlore Silvipeppers devinellekurtz

achilleanspear Unsatisfiedghost NoriMori

Xela Kurzgesagt liz milkytrickster

natashaallegri mechro dreamy Shiba rusticfurnice

okay i think i should stop here or all make the entire thing about these artists 😭😭

11-Favaorite comment you've ever recived on your work

Uhmmm I dont know i dont really get specific comments bahsjmdmsk i think it was someone commenting on one of my sketchbook pages that they liked how I used one color only with a black pen :')

13-Show your favorite drawing from last year

I couldnt choose one 😭😭 (left to right my friends oc, human mordecai, highschool!au of my sona for discord gc)

18-Do you have any larger projects you'd like to pursue? Like comics, shortfilm, a series ect?

YES! One day i would love to make animation series like a cartoon series? or just some calming and relatable mini animation series like bee and the puppycat! I would also love to work on a idk animation movie maybe? I would really love to work in that industry but im not sure if i can... I'm scared that ill get bored of it but yeah!

21-Weirdest thing you've ever drawn?

Believe it or not nothing came to my mind at first exept for few missing limbs and general angst stuff so i asked one of my beloved friend and this was her answers

1- Twink boy Mater from cars the movie

2- Kirby josh dun the drummer of twenty one pilots

3- Face for tits tits for face oc?

so yeah i gues other then gorey stuff these ones the weird ones....side eyeing myself rn

25-Based on your recent referance searches, what would the FBI assume about you?

I'm definitly on the list for sure. They assume that i would be a threat to sociaty and that ill probably set something on fire. They also think that I am a serial killer that has lots of medical knowladge as well....

Thank you for your questions and im sorry it took me so long to answer it 🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️

[chaotic-aro-incarnate]

Me: okay that short little vegaspete oneshot I wrote on a whim got a lot of positive feedback and is one of my highest performing fics. Time to go back to my other wips. Maybe I'll finish up that angsty KimChay fic, or the Royal AU, or the kp x aftg crossover, or finally write some Arm/Tankhun, or maybe-

My brain: write more vegaspete

Me: but I just did? And I've been wanting to write these others for-

My brain: this time make it about that Oscar Wilde quote "love is a sacrament meant to be taken kneeling" except use the original intended meaning about an act love is being given a small act of compassion when you're in a vulnerable state AND make it about the common modern misinterpretation that the quote is talking about blowjobs.

Me: ......... fuck okay *opens new doc*

[mylifeisactuallyamess]

A/N: So the Sandman has me in a chokehold. And I make no apologies. I have so many WIP glaring at me and I’m like “but this new blorbo…”. Hate me if you will but I follow the dopamine. If you would like to be tagged in any further Morpheus shenanigans please send me an ask or reply to this 🥰

Warnings: Do not tag Neil Gaiman in any of my work or he will block me and I do enjoy his page. This fic is an 18+ sloooow burn. I am taking huge artistic license with the world because I am going by the TV series alone. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Tags will be updated per chapter but if you know how the series goes then you know where the tags are heading. This shit is unbeta’d. Reader is femme and I will always be respectful of characters pronouns throughout the fic. If I do slip up please feel free to message me and it shall be corrected.

Pairing: Morpheus x F!Reader/OC insert

Chapter 1: The Waking Realm

Summary: Brought to life by the power of the Dreaming, you were tasked with a single purpose. Find Lord Morpheus. However, once your purpose is completed will he find it in his heart to keep you around or was your purpose the only reason you were brought into being. Multichapter fuckery.

Word Count: 1.5k

Tagging: @a-bang-for-your-bucky

Prelude: Creation

To be created, you must first exist.

It was unfathomable. A darkness so encompassing you felt it possess every crack and crevice or your soul. You tried to take a deep breath, to ease the oppressive feel of the silence clawing at your mind, but you had no lungs. No body, nothing to see, touch and taste with.

You should feel panicked but emotions didn’t exist in such a void. It was empty, enduring, suffocating.

Timeless.

A nothing so deep the only thing you could perceive was it had no beginning, no middle and no end…

“Wake up.” The voice was soft, almost recognisable. “You need to wake up.” Your eyes opened. A soft breeze rippled across your back, the rich rustle of feathers filled your ears. Light struck the back of your eyes making you inhale sharply from the sting. Your fingers curled for the first time, sinking into the black sand with which you were upon. Watching with fascination as it devoured your hand, only to willingly release you, dripping down like fine black rain.

“We have a need of you.” A figure blocked out the weak light, curled pointy ears and round glasses drew into focus as you pushed yourself up. Drawing your knees under you, splaying your hands out to get a good look at them. Brushing the black sand delicately off your skin, marvelling in the way your fingertips felt the fabric of your dress. It hugged your body, flowing out from all sides. The silver was metallic, a splash of brightness against all the dark. Flexing your shoulders you sighed, tipping your head back and glimpsing the deep, inky wings that spread either side of you.

The light was muted, almost grey as it reflected on the shine of the feathers. Your hands quivered, stretching to feel them with the tip of your middle finger. Watching them jostle, feeling the pull on your muscles. They were your wings.

“I am Lucienne.”

“I don’t have a name.” Your hand reached up and your eyes widened. The words came from you, vibrating in your throat, the thin skin of your neck warm to touch. Lucienne smiled slightly, her hand suspended in the space between you.

“Come. I’ll tell you what you need to do.” Her grip was sturdy. A support you needed as you stood on your feet for the first time, your wings flaring to stop you from falling. Looking up you could see you were in some sort of hole. A crater, where sand had exploded outwards in all directions.

“Wh-what happened?” Your tongue tied over the familiar but strange words.

“You, my dear.” One hand held tightly onto Lucienne and the other lifted the tendrils of your dress. Your toes dug into the sand as you both made your way up and out of the crater. Immediately before you were a pair of colossal gates. Intricately carved with all sorts of depictions; it would have taken months to see them all and your wings spread slightly as though you were going to fly up to the top. They were so tall your spine curved as you tilted your head up to get a good look at them.

“What is this place?” Your voice was still so new, the words scratching slightly on their way out.

“The gates of horn and ivory. The King of Dreams carved them himself.” The sound of them opening rendered the air. Creaks and moans of hinges not used in an age until they came to an abrupt stop and you stepped through the gap with Lucienne at your side.

The landscape seemed to stretch from your toes out into the distance as far as the eye could see. Mountains stood tall and squat, but nothing grabbed your gaze as much as the decaying palace before you. You could tell it had once been a castle of great stature. A creation that would have stolen your breath with its beauty and intricacy, now lay in crumbled ruins.

“It’s not much, anymore,” Lucienne told you dryly. A lake, grey and lifeless covered the ground to the right, what was once a bridge now broken and shattered, clouds heavy and angry roiled in the sky but your companion just sighed and began to walk towards it all. The palace was falling down, even now as you approached parts broke away to tumble to the ground. Grass and weeds covered the debris and a sense of immense sadness gathered in your chest.

“It shouldn’t be like this,” you whispered. Wrongness twisted in your swirling depths as you looked around. “Why is it dying?”

“In his absence I can only do so much to keep the realm together.”

“Whose absence?”

“You are in the Dreaming,” Lucienne said with undisguised pride. Frowning you crouched beside a chunk of the palace, putting your hand on the worn stone as you tried to grasp streams of information that seemed just out of reach.

“Where is the King of Dreams?” You asked, not fully understanding the question yourself.

“Ah. I see He has gifted you with some knowledge then. Let me see if I can fill in the gaps.” She strode off leaving you no choice but to pick your way after her down the broken path.

Debris was everywhere. Littering the floor of what was once a huge chamber, covered in dust and dead leaves. A tall staircase wound up to a platform but steps were missing. What was once a grand throne still stands proud in front of the empty windows but even that was damaged seemingly beyond repair. Cracks filtered through the whole place, some deep fissures that you had to almost jump over. Your gaze was captivated by the shards of coloured glass strewn beneath your feet. Colours that were once whole and vibrant were now jaded and shattered. Your wings flared as you bent down to pick up a piece of green glass, marvelling at how it tried to capture the essence of light that was strong enough to filter into the chamber.

“I did try to keep it tidy. But I gave up quite a few years ago. It’s like the palace wants to be in this state and no matter what I do, it has no effect.” Breathing in, your chest expanded rapidly. The air in the Realm was heavy, settling inside you as an extra burden. You wanted to fix this, to stop this place from feeling so erroneous. Something was missing, the very fabric of this Realm was tearing apart, drifting in the unseen winds of the Endless.

“Why did he leave?” Your voice carried more than you expected in the large space.

“He left to retrieve a rogue nightmare but then, he didn’t come back.” You never thought weariness could affect a being in such a magical place, but Lucienne’s eyes were coloured with it. “Something has happened to him and that is why you are here.”

“What can I do?”

“You can find him. Help him. I haven’t heard from Jessamy in years and I can’t…leave the Realm unattended.” She peered at you over the top of her glasses. “But you can.”

“What could possibly be keeping the Lord of all this in the waking realm?”

“I have no idea,” she answered mournfully. “But first we must turn you into a raven. Mortals will not take kindly to you just walking in their realm with these.” Lucienne’s gaze drifted purposely to your wings making you drag them into yourself, the soft rustle echoing against the destroyed stone. “And I’m fairly sure Lord Morpheus won’t accept help from you in this form.”

“Tell me what I must do.” She approached, held within her hand was a necklace. At first glance it didn’t look like much, a simple silver chain dangled from her fingers but what hung on it was an amulet depicting a raven's head. As black as the night sky but it shimmered with an otherworldliness that had you reaching out for a closer look.

“Usually a raven is not chosen this way. They enter the Dreaming in the form but you are something quite different.” Your brow furrowed a little, eyes searching hers for answers but all Lucienne did was subtly cock an eyebrow at your unspoken question.

“What am I?”

“I did what Lord Morpheus cannot. I asked for help and I was gifted, you. True, you’re not what I expected…” she explained, slowly walking round you to get a good look at you. “And I think you’re more than what I bargained for but we don’t question the Creator here. You’re certainly not like the others.”

“Others?”

“Never mind. Now. This amulet will help you find him, it is part of the Dreaming and it will seek him out so trust it. You must bring him home.”

“Ok,” you breathed out. The raven's head settled just below your clavicle, an unusual weight against your skin making you reach for it automatically.

Nothing happened. Your feet were still firmly planted on the broken floor of the palace and you threw a worried look at Lucienne.

“You need to go to the waking realm. It will take you, you just have to let go.” Closing your eyes you blocked out everything around you. A pinprick of light glowed in your mind's eye so you headed towards it, thoughts filled of the waking realm and a being named Morpheus…

Dividers by @firefly-graphics.

[jensungf]

𝐌𝐘 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 🌌 𝐡.𝐫𝐣

summary: he was your best friend. you should’ve been happy when he went to go ask that girl whether or not she was his soulmate. so why was the universe pulling at your heartstrings now?

pairing: reader x best friend!huang renjun genre: fluff + soulmate!au word count: 1.6k warnings: none

6:23pm. you rolled your eyes as you read the time. where the hell was he?

your focus drifts to the onyx swirls dotted on your wrist, and you subconsciously trace all the scribbles making up your tattoo. you had been impatiently tapping your foot for what felt like forever, but in actuality, was about ten minutes. maybe i should just leave, you thought ruefully as the digit on your lit-up phone screen changed once again.

you had been through this too many times for you to simply count with your fingers. it was almost like clockwork at this point. despite this only beginning months ago, you knew the cycle. renjun would encounter someone, and would feel compelled to chase them down and ask if they were possibly his soulmate. unfortunately, it always ended in rejection.

you were always the one to comfort him when he returned with the same answer like always— that they had found their soulmate or they didn’t feel any connection at all. despite your annoyance of having to be inconvenienced at random hours of the day and having your quality time with him interrupted, you knew deep down it hurt you just as much as it hurt him.

yet you never once considered the reality that perhaps he would actually find his soulmate one day, and how that mere possibility would change your entire life.

if renjun was seriously going to confront that girl with a simple question of whether or not she was his soulmate, what was taking them so long? surely he would’ve texted you by now if he was successful, knowing you were still waiting for him. or at least let you know he was on his way back.

you winced at the thought that he might be too busy engaging in other endeavors, ones that involved less talking and more touching. you shook your head in an attempt to rid yourself of those thoughts, burying the odd feelings that made your stomach twist and turn. no, that wasn’t the renjun you knew. he wouldn’t be as daring as that despite his growing impatience to find his soulmate. besides, you wanted him to find his soulmate. there was no reason for your heart to twinge at the chance that maybe this time was the right time. you were his best friend. you were supposed to be happy for him, and hope for the best.

you hastily unlocked your phone, typing out a very annoyed albeit passive aggressive text to your heck of a best friend who decided to abandon you in the middle of your weekly dinner date to chase down a girl. you should’ve just left him moments ago, yet your feet stay planted in your spot outside the moomin plushie store.

“stupid renjun,” you muttered under your breath as you realized that the sky was beginning to settle into a hazy cloud of purple and pink. dusk was always your favorite time of day, yet you couldn’t help but feel a bit embittered that renjun wasn’t here with you to enjoy the view with. just when you were about to click send, a shadow casts over your figure and you lift your head.

“hey,” renjun says simply. his hands are shoved deep into his cream-colored denim jacket and he gazes at the sky instead of at you, causing you to stare quizzically at him.

“so....” you cock your head at his silence and wait for him to answer the obvious question. however, he makes no move to look you in the eyes. you hesitate, unsure what to do at your best friend’s abnormal silence.

usually he would be telling you that it wasn’t the right person and he had made a fool out of himself again or something along those lines, but this time, he remained silent. his eyes still avoid yours and you feel panic bubbling up in your chest. why was he acting like this? had something gone wrong?

“can i... try something?” he breaks the silence, asking quietly, almost as if he would break glass if he spoke any louder. he leans in slowly, and you freeze, your breath hitching. your mind screams for you to move away, to question what he was doing and whether he was in his right mind. yet your heart palpitates erratically and you make no move to turn away. his dark brown eyes gaze into yours, and you feel your head spinning.

despite your daze, you somehow feel your head nod ever so slightly, almost out of pure instinct with no control of your own body.

albeit with great reluctance, renjun takes this opportunity daringly. he closes the gap separating you both and gently presses his lips against yours. you melt into his warmth, closing your eyes as your hands subconsciously reach up to pull him in closer by gripping his jacket. his hands raise up to gently cradle your head and his lips feel like velvet, pliant against your own. the kiss is delicate yet firm, all hesitance dissipating as the seconds pass. you both pull away for air, but it felt as if you had just taken a deep breath of air for the very first time in your life.

people had told you about how they felt when they found the one, and you had never understood what they meant about how one person could make them feel just right until that very moment. how complete you had felt. your heart tugs almost as if you had finally crossed the thin line separating you from friends and lovers, something you never knew your heart had been aching for until now. you had always had renjun in your life, but you never knew how much he made you feel whole until this very moment. like he was the last missing puzzle piece that had finally found its place in your life, and nothing more could rival the feeling of this very moment.

he rests his forehead against yours and smiles meekly. your head was still reeling, and renjun moved his hand to gently cup your cheek. your mouth opens ajar, as you wrack your mind for the right words to say. “i… what? injunnie—”

he cuts you off by pressing another soft kiss to your lips. your eyes widen at his impulsive action, taken aback by how uncharacteristic that was. “i know you have a lot of questions, but i couldn’t resist,” he admits as pink dusts his cheek.

he entwines his hand with yours, fitting like two puzzle pieces as he leads you to the park bench. he looks up at the hazy sky once again with admiration before explaining.

“i never understood why it was so difficult to find my soulmate, when my tattoo was one of the more common ones,” he confesses as he glanced down to his moon tattoo. although it was indeed not as uncommon as yours, you had always admired the beauty it held, how beautifully and different it was drawn compared to the generic crescent symbols you had seen before.

it was as if renjun had drawn it with his own hand, with every tiny detail matching precisely with his art, his masterpieces. you look at yours, your wrist adorned with tiny scribbles of planets, stars, and even the sun scattered around all in one area.

suddenly it dawns on you. the space separating the sun and planets and stars is no longer empty, instead replaced with a replica of a moon. 

renjun’s moon.

“ever since we reunited with each other, i’ve been feeling more and more desperate to find them because i couldn’t help but feel something towards you, and i couldn’t live knowing you weren’t mine. at least— not until now.”

renjun is absolutely glowing when you look up at him.

“i guess you’re my universe, y/n,” he scoffs with a smile. his eyes meet yours, but despite the firmness in his voice, his telltale signs of embarrassment say otherwise.

and you believe him, because when he smiles at you, it’s as if you were the one who put the sun and moon and stars in the sky, as if you were the center of his galaxy. as if you were his universe.

“i never realized how much i needed you, until i saw that girl. she told me that she was the sun to someone else’s galaxy, and that’s when i realized that i had been trying to push away the pull towards someone who was always beside me for too long. somehow who should’ve been with me all along.”

you both locked eyes before bursting into laughter at his cringeworthy yet heartwarming confession. “when did you become such a cheeseball?” you snort. he locks you in a loving chokehold and your heart nearly skips a beat.

“we both wasted our time, didn’t we?” you remark with a carefree smile. all the worries, the gut feeling that made your head spin, the questions of why you couldn’t feel happy when it came to not having him, disappears within a simple kiss. the puzzle was done. the masterpiece was completed, but what was funny was the mere fact that you had no idea anything was even missing in the first place. you looked down at his wrist, now full with doodles of your galaxy. it glowed just like yours.

“we can make up for lost time.”

you nod and bask in his presence, gazing up at the stars scattered across and the luminescent moon peeking out against the darkness of twilight sky.

soulmates were an odd thing— to simply leave it up to a mere tattoo to connect you both when you had been connected since the very beginning. but you couldn’t have asked for anything more, when fate had already decided that you were his universe, and he was your moon.

you completed each other.

author’s note: i wrote this for @yongiefilms to thank her for being such a good friend and also bc i needed an excuse to post smth while i work on my main wip! i seem to have a curse where i cant write blurbs cus they end up turning into drabbles. oops? also i spent wayy more time on the header than the actual story lol ANYWAYS yay to my first renjun fic <3

[darkfeanix]

If you see this, post an excerpt from a WIP

The Dragon Age: Origins modern AU that couldn’t. Originally intended to be a full re-telling of Origins with a modern slant, I lost the will to continue it when the Harrowing passed 12,000 words. That being said, I really love what I came up with, so at some point I would like to at least finish up the Harrowing and post it. Anyway, here is nearly 2,000 words of this would-be re-telling.

Warnings: References to de-humanisation of prisoners (kind of?), brief nudity, brief allusions to prior sexual encounters of a BDSM nature.

My name is Hamish Amell, he said silently, as much to the templar as to himself. I am a Kirkwall Amell. Mine is a lineage that dates back to the Exalted Age. I am proud of my name and proud of my origins, and I will never be made to forget that. 

It was a mantra he had recited to himself many times since he had been taken from his family across the sea, a constant reminder to always push himself forward no matter the circumstances. It was also a reminder that he still had a home to go back to, one day, when he had proven to the Circle’s leaders that he could be trusted. 

Now fully naked, he wasted no time taking the bundle of cloth from the templar and letting it fall open, revealing it to be a flimsy, shapeless robe not unlike the sort worn by patients in the medical wing. The back was split almost completely down the middle, with only two buttons to fasten it closed. He managed that on his own, with some difficulty, but it was clear the robe had not been designed with the wearer’s comfort or modesty in mind. Once again, he couldn’t help but wonder if that was an intentional decision, done to throw him off-balance. It would be consistent with the supposition that, whatever the Harrowing entailed, he was expected to maintain control of himself and his powers under duress. 

“Please, take a seat,” the templar said, managing to keep his voice steady now. With only the barest nod of acknowledgement, Hamish walked past him, head held high as he approached the chair in the centre of the room.

As he got nearer he took note of the thick leather restraints on the arms and front legs of the chair. Were they standard for all apprentices, or only the difficult ones? He quickly reasoned that the difficult ones probably wouldn’t have even been brought to this chamber, which did nothing to ease the knot of anxiety in his stomach. Nonetheless, when he reached the chair he turned around to face the room at large, and then eased himself down into it was as much poise and grace as if he were the Empress of Orlais herself, seated on her Sunburst Throne. 

Apparently satisfied, the templar moved over towards the door, while Hamish took the opportunity to look around the room again, this time with a more cursory eye. It was at that point that he saw something that, for the first time since he had entered the Harrowing chamber, truly alarmed him. 

Each of the eight templars that ringed the room was armed with the standard baton and CEW on either hip, but what truly shocked Hamish was that each and every one of them also carried an assault rifle the likes of which he had only ever read about in books. 

Common law forbade templars from carrying any sort of lethal weapon while on duty, and until that moment Hamish – like every other mage he knew – had simply assumed that that meant there weren’t any such weapons in the tower. Clearly he had been mistaken, and the realisation that the templars were not only prepared to kill him but armed and fully capable of doing so at a second’s notice made him feel ill. 

“This is the apprentice?” 

Hamish looked up to find that while he had been reflecting on the possibility of his imminent demise, a small group had entered the chamber and arranged themselves into a semi-circle before him. At the centre of the group, he recognised the two highest-ranked individuals in the Kinloch Hold Circle: First Enchanter Irving Norwood, his own personal mentor for the past three years; and the man who had voiced the question, none other than Commander Greagoir Holt of the Templar Order. 

“Yes, this is him,” Irving replied to the commander’s question, though his eyes remained fixed on Hamish. 

They had three mages each on either side of them, all wearing the standard uniform robes of the Circle of Magi. At Irving’s words those mages stepped away to position themselves in a perfect circle around the room, interspersed between the templars. Hamish noted that only four of them carried the rune-carved staves needed for a mage to open a wide enough channel to the Fade to cast higher-level magic. He wondered what the other two were going to do, but didn’t have a chance to dwell on it as Commander Holt began to speak again. 

“‘Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him’,” he recited, a line from the Chant of Light that was well-known to anybody who had spent time in a Circle of Magi. “Thus spoke the prophet Andraste as she cast down the magisters of the Tervinter Imperium, every last one of them a mage who had used their Maker-given magic to enslave and oppress the people of this world.”  

As he spoke, Hamish got the impression that this was a speech he had recited almost as many times as that quote from the Chant. Even so, he spoke with absolute conviction, and like Irving, the commander never once took his eyes off Hamish, who had to resist the urge squirm under that intense gaze. 

“Your magic is a gift,” he went on, “but it is also a curse. The power borne within you acts as a bridge between this world and the Fade, and it also connects you to its denizens: the spirits and demons who watch enviously from across the Veil. They will invariably be drawn to you in your dreams, where you are most vulnerable… and if you let them, they <i>will</i> use you as a gateway into this world.” 

At that moment the first enchanter took a few steps forward, so that he was only a few feet from where Hamish sat. 

“This is why the Harrowing exists,” he explained. “The ritual will send your awakened mind to the Fade where, armed only with your will, you will have to face and overcome a demon.” 

As he finished speaking, Commander Holt stepped up beside him. “Know this, apprentice: if you should fail the Harrowing, we templars will do our duty. No abomination has escaped this chamber since this ritual’s inception, and you will not be the first.” 

Hamish felt a shiver run up his spine that had nothing to do with the cold metal against his back. It was one thing to speculate about the possibility of battling a demon as part of the Harrowing, and another thing entirely to have it confirmed. 

Almost against his will he found himself glancing nervously at the templar guards, at the guns they held ready. That was certainly one way to deal with the demon if it overcame him. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head as he forced that thought from his mind. It would not overcome him. He was Hamish Amell, he had the blood of countless generations of great men and women pumping through his veins, and he would accept nothing less than absolute success. 

Taking another deep breath, he opened his eyes and said, “I am ready.” 

Irving smiled and nodded, apparently having expected as much. The commander, too, seemed unsurprised – although, Hamish reflected, that may have just been his base expression. As Holt continued to watch him, the first enchanter turned towards the door. 

“Cullen, the bowl, if you would.” 

As he said this, Commander Holt stepped forward, and Hamish knew even before the older man reached him what was about to transpire. With Irving’s back to them, the commander proceeded to fasten the padded cuffs around each of Hamish’s arms and legs, working with the kind of methodical precision that came from years of repetition. 

It wasn’t the first time in his life that Hamish had been restrained – it wasn’t even the first time in the past month – yet it took all his willpower to meet the commander’s gaze and not resist. This was no fun romp between the sheets, and there wasn’t any safe word here; he would not be released under any circumstances. Not until the Harrowing was over. 

Irving stood waiting when the commander was finished, a simple brass bowl in his hands. Almost immediately Hamish noticed a peculiar silvery-blue mist rising from the contents of the bowl, and as Irving approached him with the bowl held out, he became aware of a strange sound, almost like a song, though not like any song he could have heard with his ears. It was hypnotic, and he began to lean forward unconsciously. 

“Lyrium,” he said breathily. A highly dangerous substance that was mined by the dwarves; in its raw form it was toxic to handle for most ordinary people, and flat-out deadly for a mage. Yet once it had been processed into a powder form and properly diluted, such as with a potion, it could be used to strengthen a mage’s connection to the Fade, albeit only for a short time. 

It was also well known to be horrifically addictive; just one of several reasons for the Chantry to keep a chokehold on the lyrium trade. 

Apprentices only rarely saw it up close, and were never permitted to actually partake of it. He would be the envy of all the others when he got back. 

He was snapped back to reality suddenly as he remembered that he wouldn’t be going back, at least not to the apprentices’ quarters. Once the Harrowing was over, he would be moving into the mages’ quarters on the second floor and leaving all his old friends behind. That sobering thought put something of a damper on the lyrium high he had been on the verge of experiencing. 

Perhaps mistaking his moment of reflection for hesitation, Irving laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He started slightly in surprise. 

“This is your last chance to refuse the Harrowing, but understand this: you cannot go back. If you will not go forward, then the templars will have no choice but to put you through the Rite of Tranquility.” 

He spoke very matter-of-factly, but Hamish had gotten to know the First Enchanter well over the past three years, and he recognised the unease in his expression as he spoke of the Rite. He could hardly be blamed; Hamish couldn’t name a single mage at Kinloch Hold who liked to think about the Tranquil, much less talk about them. 

“I told you: I’m ready.” He nodded resolutely, trying to reassure his mentor. 

Irving smiled once again, though it was a sadder smile this time. He returned the nod, and then held the bowl out so that it was almost directly under Hamish’s nose. 

The first thing Hamish noticed was that it was no simple potion in the bowl: it was raw lyrium, pure and unrefined, and right at that moment bubbling like hot soup on a stovetop. The song returned to him tenfold as the mist twisted lazily through the air before him, and distantly he became aware of voices blending with it. The other mages had begun the ritual, but he hardly noticed, as intent as he was on the song. It grew louder, drowning everything else out as the mist from the bowl continued to drift around him, encircling him, pulling him out of himself. 

It reached a crescendo: a high, unending note that overwhelmed all of his senses; the room around him vanished and he had no idea if his eyes were open or closed; he felt nothing, <i>experienced</i> nothing but the song. For a single second that seemed to stretch on and on, all he existed for was the song. 

And then an instant later his mind snapped back into place and he was alone in the Harrowing chamber.