#does this count as spoilers ? ?? it is very inspired by recent chapter

[damianyadesmond]

i just love the way damian sees anya so much

[dxncingwithastrxnger]

i want something just like this (Mileven)

A/N: Day 2 of Mileven week has arrived!!!! Guys, this story is my fluffiest yet and I also think it’s my best and favorite so far, I literally love it so much. Also, apparently I have a thing for domestic Mileven going on right now, so that’s fun, lmao. I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!!!! I’ve always been fascinated by the “main fanfic character dreams about original storyline/timeline” trope, tbh, so I was super excited to use it in here. (Spoiler alert, I guess? It’s mentioned like once, so it’s not a super big focus technically, lmao)

Pairing: Mike Wheeler x El Hopper

Summary: Have you ever dreamt up a story so compelling that you just had to share it? Such deep lore that you knew you couldn’t just let it disappear into your subconscious? Something so complete and deep that apart of you thinks that it must be apart of some other life, some other world, some other place that is not the one you’re currently in? What was it like?

Prompt: Day 2 - Stories

Tags: Fluff, soooo much fluff, guys. Absolute teeth-rotting fluff. Annndddd, lots of dialogue to make up for yesterday’s lack of dialogue 😂

Song Inspiration: Something Just Like This By The Chainsmokers + Coldplay

Word Count: 2,386

Not beta’d, all mistakes are my own.

[Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] || [Series Masterlist]

[Read on Quotev]

[Read on AO3]

[Read on Wattpad]

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"Daddy, daddy, can you read to me again tonight?" Daisy asks her dad hopefully. Mike smiles at his daughter. They had read stories to her when she was younger, but she had insisted they stopped doing so, that she didn't need nor want them anymore. But recently, she's wanted her stories back again, and Mike and El are very happy to oblige.

"Of course, pumpkin, what story do you wanna read tonight?" He asked her, walking over to her little blue bookshelf in the corner of the room.

"I wanna read chapter 3!!" She tells him excitedly. Mike chuckles and nods his head, grabbing the paperback book laying on top of her shelves and walking back over to Daisy's bed, sitting on it next to her and leaning back against the headboard. Daisy snuggles up to his side and leans her head on his arm, watching and waiting for him to start. Mike wraps an arm around her and opens the book, flipping through the pages until he finds the beginning of the third chapter. He clears his throat and begins.

"Mike was entirely intrigued by El. There was just something about her. Something he couldn't quite explain just yet. But he was completely determined to figure it out. It was like whatever it was, was right on the edge of his mine but it wasn't really in the spotlight yet. Like it was making a slow crawl from his subconscious mind to his conscious mind. Maybe today would help him bring it all the way over. For now, he just had to focus on the task at hand, his current plans for the morning. 1.) Eat breakfast. 2.) Go down and give El breakfast. 3.) Have El go ahead with the plan he came up with last night. Once that was all done, maybe then he could focus more on other things.

He goes downstairs after getting ready for the day and takes not just two, but three waffles out of the box, once he's checked that no one else is looking. He waits for them to toast and then quickly shoves one of them into his jacket pocket, putting the other two on a plate and taking them to the kitchen table, sitting down beside his sister Nancy as he does so. He starts eating his food quickly, wanting to make sure he had the few extra minutes needed to go downstairs to El.

"Slow down, Mike, that's disgusting!" His sister complains from beside him.

Mike rolls his eyes, then gets an idea. "Did you get a lot of studying done last night?" He asks sarcastically, his mouth still full of food as he turns to look at her-"

"Why didn't he at least swallow his food first? That's gross. Boys are gross." Daisy complains from beside him.

Mike chuckles. "What, even your brothers?" He asks her, knowing that she absolutely adores her two younger siblings.

Daisy sighs. "I guess they're not as gross as other boys." She says, acting aloof.

Mike shakes his head at her fondly and continues reading right where he left off.

"Yeah, actually, I did." Nancy tells Mike matter-of-factly.

"What was your test on again?" Mike asks, tilting his head to the side as if in thought. "Human anatomy?" He asks her. Nancy gasps, offended and annoyed, and aims a kick at Mike under the table. Mike returns her annoyance and kicks her back.

"Hey, what's going on!?" Their mother asks them.

"Nothing!" Both of them say at the same time. Their mother just sighs at them and continues what she was previously doing. After that, MIke just finishes up his breakfast, puts his plate in the sink, and rushes to get downstairs. When he gets down there, he sees El awake and fiddling with his supercomm.

"Oh, hey, you found my supercomm. Pretty cool, huh? I talk to my friends with it. Mostly Lucas 'cause he lives so close. Signal's pretty weak." He tells her. She looks at him but doesn't say anything, so he continues. "I brought you breakfast." He tells her, pulling the waffle out of his pocket and holding it out to her. She takes it tentatively and begins to eat it."

Mike's next words are cut off before they can even start by another interruption from Daisy.

"Why does Mike get two waffles but El only gets one?" She asks him, looking up at her dad.

Mike tilts his head to the side, thinking for a moment, before looking back down at her. "I'm actually not sure about that, pumpkin. Maybe he couldn't take too many from the box so he only thought one would be best." He suggests. He himself wasn't even sure why it was a thing. He just knows that it's exactly how things happened in his dream, so he put it on paper the same way. It never occurred to him that it was a little random. It was more of something a child would pay more attention to than an adult, in a way.

Daisy lips turned down in a pout. "I don't think that's very fair. El should've gotten two waffles." She insists.

Mike chuckles and kisses the top of her head. "I guess you're right. I'll keep that in mind for next time." He tells her.

"Good." She says, nodding to herself as she turns back to the book in Mike's hands.

"So listen," Mike started again. "This is gonna sound a little weird, but I just need you to go out there." He pointed towards the basement door leading out into the yard and El followed his gaze before looking back at him as he continued. "Then go to the front door and ring the doorbell. My mom will answer and you'll tell her that you're lost and that you need help. But whatever you do, you can't tell her about last night or that you know me. Understand?" He asked, hoping El would get what he meant. She gave him a strange look and he tried to reassure her. "Really, it's no big deal. We'll just pretend to meet each other again. And my mom, she'll know who to call." He told her.

"No." El speaks the word that seemed to be one of the only ones she actually knew.

"No?" Mike questions her, confused.

"No." She repeats without hesitation.

"No you don't want my mom to get help?" He asks El, starting to realize that there was something more going on with this girl than he originally thought. "You're in trouble, aren't you? Who-who are you in trouble with?" He stutters, uncertain now.

"Bad." She tells him, leaving him to more interpretation.

"Bad? Bad people? They want to hurt you? The bad people?" He asks, his anxiety rising higher with each question out of his mouth. He wasn't sure why, it was more of that unexplained thing he keeps feeling with El, but the thought of someone trying to hurt El didn't sit right with Mike at all. It made him feel scared, but also angry. It wasn't a feeling that he enjoyed at all.

El reached a hand up and held out two of her fingers pressed together with her thumb sticking up, pointing it in the direction of her own head. Like a gun, Mike realized. Like someone was pointing a gun at her head. She then reached out and made the same gesture but pointing at the middle of Mike's chest this time. Then, she put her hand back down in her lap. "Understand?" She asked him quietly.

Mike nodded, swallowing. But before he could respond to her outloud, his mom called for him from upstairs. "Michael, where are you? We're going to be late. Let's go!" She tells him.

Mike quickly starts getting up, a plan already forming in his mind. "All right, I'll be back. Just stay here, okay? Stay here!" He says to El urgently, suddenly filled with a strange fear that she would decide to leave once he left the room. But El just stared at him as he stood back up, not seeming to have any plans to go anywhere else, and so Mike turned around and quickly ran up the stairs, out of El's sight."

Mike continues to read to Daisy until they've finished the entire chapter, ending off right as El promises Mike that she's okay when he finally lets her out of the closet. Mike closes the book and sets it on her nightstand, getting up and tucking her in all the way with a promise to continue the story tomorrow night. He turns off her main light and flicks on her fairy lights, closing the door behind him as he leaves the room.

He sighs softly, a smile on his face, as he walks down the hallway towards the twins' room. Since Daisy was in school, she had a more set sleep schedule. Her 3-year-old brothers, however, do not. Though it's not for lack of trying. Last he'd seen El and the boys, they were in their room cleaning up their toys from that day's play and activities. Usually once Daisy's in bed, they try their best to get their boys settled down at the very least to just do some coloring or watch a movie or two so that they're not running around while their sister is trying to sleep and they usually get to sleep easier that way.

Mike pushes the cracked bedroom door open the rest of the way gently, careful not to make too much noise in case the boys are already asleep, taking in the dark of the room. When the door no longer obstructs his vision, his face softens into an expression filled with love and affection. His wife is sitting in the middle of Jackson's bed, one hand holding a tablet that seems to be playing a movie while the other hand rests on her stomach. On either side of her are their two sons, Jackson on her right and Henry on her left, and both of them are asleep, soft snores leaving them as they lean against their mother's arms.

El looks up as Mike enters the room and she smiles brightly at him, absolutely glowing. "Hey." She whispers in greeting.

"Hey." Mike whispers back, returning her smile as he walks over to stand beside the bed.

El giggles softly as she pauses the movie playing on the tablet. "They both fell asleep right around when Merida's mother first turned into a bear." She tells him, turning the screen to show the movie on the screen, Brave.

"Oh, sleepy little boys tonight." He says, surprised.

"Apparently so." She replies. She looks up at him. "Mind helping me out of this trap they've created?" She jokes.

Mike laughs softly and nods. "Why of course, I'll get right on that." He tells her, reaching down and gently pushing his arms under Henry's back and knees, picking him up as best he can without disturbing him too much. He turns and gently lays Henry in his own bed, pulling the blanket up over him. Henry snuggles into his bed, sighing in his sleep and then laying still again. Mike leans down and kisses his temple gently before turning back towards Jackson's bed. El has now gotten up and the two of them switch places, El kissing Henry's temple while Mike kisses Jackson's.

As Mike stands up, El grabs his hand and intertwines their fingers together and heads towards the door, Mike following her lead as they leave the room and close it gently behind them.They walk down the hallway together in silence, heading towards their bedroom to settle in for the night. Once in their bedroom, El flicks on the lights and Mike walks over to their dresser to get out his pajamas for the night, humming softly to himself as he does so.

"Do you think she'll like it here?" El asks him softly. Mike turns around and sees her standing in front of their full length mirror, having taken her shirt off.

He walks over to her and gently wraps his arms around her from behind, his hands resting on her stomach. Her hands automatically come up to settle over hers and she leans back against him, Mike's chin on her shoulder. He meets El's eyes in the mirror. "I think she's going to absolutely love it here." He looks down at El's stomach. "Isn't that right, Anabelle?" Right as he asks his question, there's a strong kick from the inside of El's abdomen, and El gasps.

Mike laughs and presses his face into the side of El's. "See, she even agrees with me." Mike says matter-of-factly. He was beaming, grinning from ear to ear, and he knew that El was doing the same.

"You're such a dork." She says. "Both of you are, I just know it." She teases, rubbing at the spot that the kick came from.

Mike snorts. "She is my child after all. If not, we would have some serious problems." He retorts.

El playfully smacks his arm lightly, laughing. "Oh hush, you know she's yours." She tells him. Mike just chuckles in response. They stay like that for awhile, just holding each other and their unborn baby, enjoying the noises of nighttime in their house in contented silence. Eventually, El leans more heavily against Mike and she turns her head to gently nuzzle her nose against Mike's cheek, Mike doing the same to her in return. Then they both turn slightly and their lips connect in a sweet, soft kiss.

"I love you." El tells Mike.

Mike closes his eyes and rests his head against hers. "I love you, too. So much." He says.

"Good." El tells him, her words full of meaning that only the two of them would truly understand. And everything was exactly as it should be.

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A/N: So what did you guys think?? Please, please let me know!!! I loved this one so much, it made my heart so happy!!!! All comments and feedback are very much appreciated!!!! Hope you’re having an incredible day/night!!!!! 💜💜💜

[willowser]

4, 5, and 10 for the writing ask game!

4. What’s a word that makes you go absolutely feral?

✧ hmm ! i actually just really like the word feral itself LOL it's so, idk, wild and i love it when it's used in almost every sense, because i think it portrays a certain type of emotion in a certain type of moment very well. but, for the sake of not making this easy for myself, i think maybe tender, because it seems so gentle and vulnerable and soft.

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

✧ i have to be in the right physical setting to write, and it is not always at my desktop. i really enjoy the keyboard on my desk because it types so fluid and nice and is so clacky — but recently, it's been tripping me out to sit there. i just can't get anything done while sitting there ! so i've been on my chromebook a lot, just moving around my apartment LOL and i cannot write without sound of some kind, it's just not possible. most importantly, i think if you try to hinder yourself to one specific WIP, you will make yourself miserable and therefore not able to write it. i've talked about this before, but in the past i used to try and put a hold on myself and not allow myself to write anything outside of what i was "supposed" to be writing, and my motivation to get through it was meant to be the desire to work on something else — but it just never worked. i think if you block your creativity out like that, you're doing more damage than good. idk if those count as superstitions, but !!

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

✧ oh god, absolutely. it means that it is always at the back of my mind and i am unable to escape it LOL i am thinking about it almost always, how it made me feel in the moment to read it, how much it inspired me and how deep it dug into the pit of my heart. i'll list fanfic's that have done this for me, simply because this is my fandom space ! warning that these will most likely include spoilers for fics listed !!

✧ “I’m in love with you,” You say, and you can hear it distantly, like someone else is speaking it. [ surrender, by ofmermaids; chapter 8: surrender ]

✧ “Just gimme one thing,” he asks, and it’s so quiet you’re sure your heart’s thumping is louder. “When… Is it soon?” [ on my way (to you), by ofmermaids ]

✧ I couldn’t—they won’t let me come find you. I can’t—I don’t know how to—god fucking damn it. You’re… fuck, I’m not saying this right. If you’re hurt, I’m gonna be pissed. I already bought the wagyu on the way to work and I don’t want it to go bad, so you’d better be in fucking pristine condition when I find you. Just—call me back if you get this. Please. [ i like to call myself wound but i will answer to knife, by kirketeer; chapter 8 ]

✧ “I can make us dinner at home. I don’t give a shit about paying for parking. I can… damn. I’ll do fuckin’ anything.” He exhales, shaky, and his lips ghost against yours, like he wants to kiss you again but he’s holding himself back by the last tattered strands of his self-control. “Just want you to myself.” [ in the dark of morning, you promise me the sun, by kirketeer; chapter 6: winter pt ii ]

✧ Dabi’s usually a lot less evasive about his answers than you are. I’ve lost count. I never loved any of them. Only you. [ higher than the mountain, deeper than the sea, by phen0l; chapter 3, section 24 ]

✧ as far as my own writing, hmm. i can only think of one, really:

✧ Sometimes Enji kissed his mother. Sometimes she looked like she liked it. Back then, he thought maybe you would, too. He didn't know he had blood on his bottom lip until he got home and Enji asked him about it, until Rei inspected it like he'd bit it by accident. But he couldn't tell them, didn't tell them that all of it, every moment with you, had been on purpose. [ if he's a serial killer, then what's the worst that could happen to a girl who's already hurt?; chapter 1: if he's as bad as they say, then i guess i'm cursed; looking into his eyes, i think he's already hurt. ]

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Light Novel Review – I'm in Love with the Villainess Vol. 2

A Defining and Relentlessly Queer Work in the Next Era of Yuri

I have backed myself into a corner and see no way out of it. For I have already awarded Inori's I'm in Love with the Villainess a perfect 10/10 score for its stellar first outing. And then, upon seeing what Inori did in the second book, I regret my choice because I have no way to raise the bar on perfection as Inori did in her light novel. Indeed, it has taken me far too long to write this review. My mind is thoroughly exhausted after pondering what I read and accepting the honest truth: that that may very well become a defining work in the next generation of Yuri. For as much time as I spend diving into the Sapphic news of the day, I devote even more to looking to the next big movement of Yuri. If I'm in Love with the Villainess Vol. 2 is a signal of what Yuri's future holds, then we are entering an extraordinary queer era.

The story takes off shortly after the first book. At least for the moment, the commoner revolt is quelled, and Rae continues schooling alongside her beloved Claire. Storylines include a new transfer student rivaling Rae for Claire's affection and the girls going on vacation to visit their families. However, the story takes a pretty dramatic and welcome turn halfway through the book. Through a combination of luck and her expect negotiation tactics, a fruit of her intimate knowledge of Revolution's world and inhabitants, Rae is tasked with investigating corrupt nobles. This change allows Inori to take the world and characters further than in the previous book. While the first volume did an excellent job establishing the world inside the school, this entry ventures beyond the academy's borders into international relationships, the church's role and goals, and the dealings of various factions and political parties. It is appropriate progression and one that lends to the story's main arc well.

While all of these events occur, Rae continues her mission of protecting Claire from the inevitable new order. By the time the finale rolls around, it is so immensely satisfying to see all of her plans and strategies pay off. It carefully balances rewarding the reader's attention and keeping them engaged with new twists and revelations. As the story develops, Claire is exposed to more of the reality of common life through Rae and comes to appreciate her privilege and understand the realities of socioeconomic inequality, evolving from the arrogant young woman we initially met. This path has two effects on the story; first, it allows Inori to explore real-world economic disparity issues while still worldbuilding. Second, it ultimately continues the story of Rae's plan, as she wants Claire to be in the commoner's good graces.

These elements make for a fantastic story in a rich, developed fantasy world. However, I adore I'm in Love with the VIllainess not for its intricate magic system but because of the phenomenal LGBTQ+ representation. I was floored by a frank, open, and wonderfully thoughtful discussion of queer representation in the first volume. Few, if any, Yuri works have done anything similar, and it was honestly an inspiration for me, so much so that I awarded it a perfect score almost solely for that passage. However, Inori once again usurps her own throne, taking this forthright and deliberate queer content and turning it up to eleven!

It is almost easier to count the number of main characters not confirmed as members of the LGBTQ community. Figures big and small have their identities explored and revealed during this novel. Some began believing themselves to be straight and exploring their sexuality further. In contrast, others are comforted by Rae's fierce, outspoken, and brazen support and pride in her identity to come forward. One particular scene that comes to mind is when she scolds a pair of nuns for using religion to justify their homophobia. This moment was particularly satisfying to return to after the Catholic Church's recent disavowing of same-sex marriage.

The series even has a character struggling with gender dysphoria who is liberated from society's expectations thanks to a rather ingenious plan of Rae's and her friends, new and old. While not exactly an example of authentic transgender representation as we consider it, as the character's struggles with gender result from a magical curse, but the parallel is clear. Speaking of reality though, the volume grants some glimpses into Ohashi Rei's life, the woman that would one day wake up as Rae.

Rae's experiences with LGBTQ+ identity, set in the real world, are powerful and pull few punches. It is perhaps here that Inori gets most honest and tragic, as Rae painfully describing the ostracization and suffering faced by queer people, culminating in a trans man's suicide (the author thankfully does not describe the actual death). However, Inori balances this pain with the thrill and joy of discovery and accepting oneself, and finding kinship. It is writing that could only come from an author who had experienced these feelings herself, and they will be immediately understood and have a visceral effect on queer readers. I love these moments so much for their vulnerability and relatability. But my favorite part has to be the ending (skip to the final paragraph if you want to avoid spoilers and somehow have not seen the cover of Volume 3).

We finally come to the big queer happy homosexual ending, which is also gay, and my great Yuri goddess, it is perfect! After wading through a revolution and enough surprise revelation to last a lifetime, Claire and Rae settle down into their new life together. Although they cannot legally get married, despite their best efforts, they are absolutely wives. Their families support them, they love each other, and they even have kids! Yes, this unexpected and blissful development, the final gift of this volume, comes in the form of adopted children May and Aleah.

As I exclaimed upon the reveal of Vol. 3's cover, which features the mothers and children, "WE DID IT!! YURI FAMILY!! In Yuri, there are virtually NO stories about queer women raising a family with children together. It is a long dream of mine, the YuriMother, to promote such stories. To have one of the most profound and explicitly queer Yuri stories end in such a happy and new way brought me to happy tears. Except, this is not the end! There are two more volumes beyond this one that continue the story of Claire, Rae, and their children! There is even a very sweet and wonderfully sappy, tear-jerking, bonus chapter of the mother's bonding with the children and helping them recover from their traumatic past. And even become TEACHERS; I could just die happy in this Yuri paradise!

'We need to show we are prepared to live happily ever after, as a family of four. So, I swear to God: I will always love May, Aleah, and Rae.' When Claire said this, she broke out into a tremendous smile and I found myself once more overflowing with love for her. I held her close without saying anything.

Inori's I'm in Love with the Villainess Vol. 2 is precisely what an excellent sequel should be and everything I have ever wanted from a Yuri story. It appropriately raised the stakes in every way, expanding the world, flushing out its many factions and conflicts, and setting a new bar for queer representation and discussion in Yuri. Everything Inori writes feels so perfectly slotted together. Each set piece adds to the character development; each queer issue and identity showcased helps build towards the satisfying and exceptionally gay finale. It is a superlative weaving and integration of the priceless artifacts into an absolute masterclass of LGBTQ+ storytelling. I suspect that this is one of the opening works in Yuri's next era, and I cannot wait to see what follows.

Ratings: Story – 10 Characters – 10 Art – 4 LGBTQ – 10 Sexual Content – 2 Final – 10

Check out I'm in Love with the Villainess Vol. 2 digitally and in paperback today: https://amzn.to/39gE664

Review copy provided by Seven Seas Entertainment

My sincere thanks to Jenn Yamazaki, Nibedita Sen, E.M. Candon, and the rest of the team at Seven Seas Entertainment for translating and adapting this light novel.

[emiliasilverova]

MI6 Cafe Creators Tag Game

(Thank you for tagging me, @3nigm4art!)

We’d love for people to keep getting to know each other after this year’s 007 Fest, so we’re starting this tag game!

Rules: Answer the questions, then tag 3 new people to complete this. Also, tag the person who tagged you and @mi6-cafe so we can reblog your response.

Note that when we say ‘fanwork’ in the questions below, that could mean a fanfic, gif, fanart, headcanon, cosplay, crocheted work---any kind of fancreation counts!

(IMPORTANT NOTICE: in this post I'll be talking about my works/my inspirations in general, not just stuff that has been done for this Fest!)

(Also sorry in advance for the very long post 🙇)

1. What work of yours challenged you when you were creating it? 

To be fair a lot of the recent stuff I did, each time for different reasons. Some examples:

The Good, the Bad and the Quartermaster (Q dealing with the shenanigans of various 00 agents): writing a fic in the Craig!Bond verse, based on something existing (Comms Chatter) and with a hard deadline (because of the Riverhouse Remix event)

The God is Dead (Janus reforms): managing to write a 100-word story, no more, no less. The point behind that is that I have the annoying habit of making fics way longer that they need to be—the most notorious example of that being a “short atmospheric experiment” that ended up as a 8K-word fic. You’ll find that one further down this list, btw.

Some Solace in the Void (and kinda Straight Up, With a Twist too—both spicy Alec/Xenia action): writing smut. Smut is stupidly hard to write, and I learnt it the hard way. No puns intended. Let’s say that I’m happier with my second attempt than my first…

Shadow Crossing (Bond confronts the ghosts of the Janus gang): coming up with consistent rules of the universe. Can’t tell you much more because spoilers… except that yes, this was the “short atmospheric experiment”.

My series of "Queering the Bond Characters" posts (see my Fest 2022 masterpost for the links): sexuality and LGBT topics are still things I'm learning to get comfortable with talking about, so that was quite a big thing for me to do.

2. What is a fanwork you’ve seen which gave you a new headcanon about a character?   

I guess my answers all will be lists, won’t they? 😅

From the top of my head, I can say…

Tastes Like Strawberries: Boris is in fact very gay, and he acts so obnoxiously/cluelessly around women in an attempt to hide it (the next entry helped refine that, actually)

The Queer Review of GoldenEye (does this count as fanwork? I’d say it does, as meta): DRASTICALLY changed my views on Alec and his relationship with Bond. Basically he went from “fiercely aromantic straight and can’t even imagine anything else” to “confused, clueless, deeply closeted bi and Bond is the love of his life. Also desperate for love and praise”. I’m not going to complain—all those new layers add even more delicious complexity to his character (though I reckon, I have to thank @prismatic-bell for pushing me further down that path 🥲)

The Land of No Surrender: if Alec was a bit more confident in his sexuality but still had intense spite against Bond, that's what would happen. Believe it or not, this fic made me question a lot of things.

These headcanons, especially those describing Lazenby!Bond as having “urges” for queerness and Dalton!Bond as aroace—a post that directly influenced this one btw.

3. Is there a fanwork that you really want to make, but you haven’t started yet?

There are mainly three right now:

an atmospheric/eerie piece revolving around Alec wandering in the streets of Moscow pre-GoldenEye, strongly inspired by the song Спокойная ночь (Calm Night) by Kino

for a completely different atmosphere, a sitcom-ish piece involving Boris playing Doom instead of working... and getting caught red-handed by the rest of the Janus gang

one final chapter for Missing Connection, because I'll be damned if this one doesn't deserve closure.

For those that I'm less sure about, I'd say Janus’ ghost trial (inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Trial, and a “sequel” to Væ Victori), some Bond/Alec/Xenia, maaaaybe some 00Q00... and honestly, a ton of other ideas 🥲

4. What fanwork of yours surprised you, and how?

I was about to say that it was hard to choose, then I just remembered one fic in particular—Let It All Out. While it isn’t the first fic I did in just one day, it’s by far the longest and most intensely emotional in that category. Basically I needed to scream in the dark that day, and it just… happened, you know. Q is just me in this—even the title makes no secret of it.

That being said, there’s for honourable mentions:

The Good, the Bad and the Quartermaster (again): I didn’t expect Q to be so easy for me to write. I should have known though: nerd, check. Working in IT, check. Cat lover, check. Not very comfortable with people, check. Tea drinker, check.

A Momentary Glimpse of Reason: if anyone told 2021 me I’d do a sweet, fluffy, unambiguous Bond/Alec drabble, I’d have laughed at their faces and said it was bloody impossible. Then it just happened all smoothly and naturally. How times have changed. In the same vein, these and these chibis.

5. What themes/styles/subjects are common across many of your fanworks?

Alec. Silverova's inexhaustible source of inspiration since 2007.

Okay, other than him. Time to get all serious and pedant, because I'd say...

choices and consequences

dealing with emotions you don't always understand (both of these first two are very big ones. My depiction of Alec (and of my main OC before he took her place in my writing) is almost all about them)

death and the afterlife (don't get me wrong, I hate killing off characters. Yet I have a growing number of ghost stories under my belt. And also other stories dealing with the fear of dying or metaphorical death)

Russia (consequence of GoldenEye making me fall in love with this country's history)

6. What other fandoms do you create for, if any?

None, but I’m a huge fan of Half Life and Miami Vice. And Berserk. And Ghost in the Shell. And… crap, a lot of stuff. But somehow none of these can take over GoldenEye (Alec, really) as the centre of my creative world. Two words: special interest.

… okay, maybe I should mention GoldenEye Rogue Agent. But is it really a different fandom? 🤔

7. Is there an artist that you like to listen to while you create? Or one whose work always inspires you?

To be fair, to create I need absolute silence—otherwise my mind will wander right off. That being said, music is always a huge inspiration of mine, as it pretty much is the best way for me to immerse myself in the ambiance/mood/emotion of what I’m writing. I listen to music as I do something else, and I immerse myself in my imaginary world. Then I get the vibe and put it on paper, if this makes sense.

So to answer the question, three big names: Perturbator, Pink Floyd, Frankie Goes to Hollywood. And then, a good metric ton of 1980s rock/new wave songs, synthwave(ish) stuff and miscellaneous soundtracks, because that’s just what makes me vibe.

As for writers/visual artists… I think it’s probably obvious by now that PennyFifer and I feed off each other’s more or less chaotic ideas. Best example of that has to be me writing Life’s Little Ironies within hours of him publishing Ghost Riders in the Sky. Then there’s 3NIGM4, who just stirs my urge for both drawing and (heavy) angst. I can’t really think of other people, to be fair… everything I like influences me, one way or another. It’s not really linked to who makes the stuff.

8. Share a fanwork that you’ve found yourself thinking about weeks after reading/seeing it.

Oof, hard one. I have to confess, I am not a very big fanfic reader (or reader in general, in fact) 😱

I guess I’ll just list the stuff I randomly remembered one day and had to search hard to find them again?

The Hanging Wood: very old fic, but whose premise stuck with me. Eventually I did Shadow Crossing, and I was like “oh wait, wasn’t there a fic I’ve read long ago with that vibe?” Yep, there was.

The fanart in Welcome Home, You’re No Longer Alone: spicy. Very spicy. But somehow, when the idea of maybe doing 00Q00 stuff made its way into my mind, it was pretty much the first thing I thought about.

Scars: a Chinese fic I randomly put in Google Translate and... ooboi, what a ride. Again, spicy (and frankly quite disquieting), but at the same time the take on Alec was so interesting.

Touch It, Stroke It, and Undress It (chapter 4 specifically): again, the portrayal of Alec here is. So. STELLAR.

007 Rogue Agent: thinking about it, I can’t not mention this one. Missing Connection, my very first fic (and incidentally the one I’ve written for 9. Friggin. Years), began as an answer to it. So if not for it, I probably wouldn’t have got into fanfiction. Wild, I know.

Real Fear: oh look, another Rogue Agent fic (I mean, there aren’t many of them in the first place). Sometimes I just have to revisit it, the vibe really hits something in me.

Strangeness on a Train: okay, I might have included this one because of a private joke I have with Fifer. It’s uh… probably the first explicit Bond/Alec fic I’ve read in my life? Let’s say I wasn’t quite ready the first time, but I have made my peace with it since then 🥲

9. Finally, share where you post your works!

AO3: Emilia_Silverova

DeviantArt (LOL): S1ilverEye there still is some stuff there though

That aside, just my Tumblr.

Tagging: @lowkeynostalgic @tentacletenshi @reallyneedsalife

[heniareth]

I was tagged by @scribbledquillz for this ao3/fanfic author meme. Thanks so much for tagging me! Now, there’s only one thing (I’ll explain as soon as I answer the first question). But first, tags. I’m gonna tag @yukichouji and @the-iron-lion because I know you write and post, but I also know you’re busy, so please, only do it if you want to and have time ^^ Apart from that, if anybody who sees this wants to give it a go, consider yourself tagged! I’d love to read your answers, so feel free to tag me back

How many works do you have on AO3?

So, here’s the thing: I’ve never posted anything I have written XD One day, I will, but until then, I’ll answer the questions I can answer to the best of my ability ^^ I’ll modify some questions and keep the original ones for anybody who wants to answer those.

What’s your total AO3 fanfic words count?

123.211 words total (not counting one absolutely massive collaborative fanfic that I’m not gonna count rn)

More under the cut!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Funny thing: thanks to this question I’ve rediscovered like ten folders with the beginnings of different fanfics I’d not opened in years. Thank you, @scribbledquillz for making me find my old writings! My main work rn is a Dragon Age Origins retelling (featuring Astala Tabris of course, though I have decided that the other origins--Surana, Amell, Brosca, Mahariel, the whole gang--also survive because yes.) I also have two separate unfinished pieces on Caduceus and Caleb of the Mighty Nein (Critical Role) respectively. Equally unfinished are one fanfic with Loki and his Jotunn heritage, and another about the extermination of mutants in the X-Men universe prior to X-Men: Days of Future Past. Both projects were ambitious, but exist mainly as ideas now. The longest (and oldest) fanfic I’ve ever written is a collaborative super self-indulgent self-insert fix-it fic for The Hobbit. I am quite proud of my younger self for pulling through with this one and sticking to it over such a long time. It is, sadly, also unfinished.

Do you Would you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I would definitely respond to comments. It’s polite. I’d also want to mirror back the joy a comment has inspired in me.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

The X-Men fanfic ends with the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past, which (spoiler?) means all the characters were going to die. But it’s okay because the movie fixes that ^^ But generally speaking, I’m not big on angsty endings. Angst is fine anywhere else.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I think it has to be either the The Hobbit fanfic or the Dragon Age Origins retelling. Characters I strongly identify with tend to get the happiest endings. Oh do I ever wonder why that is so

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve ever written?

I’ve never written a crossover, but I’ve read some really cool ones. There was one featuring the Mighty Nein in the Undeadwood setting (both by Critical Role) that I wished had gone on longer bc it was so cool.

Have you ever recieved hate on a fic?

One of the good things about not posting anything: you don’t subject it to judgement ;D

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have... never finished writing a smutty scene.

One day. One day. Zevran might be the push I need, who knows

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Another one of the good things about not posting anything.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I started translating several of them myself! :D

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Oh yes! It’s an amazing experience. The creativity is squared. It is important though that all collaborators are on the same page about where the story goes, how the characters will be portrayed, etc. Especially if you give somebody your own OC or self-insert to write about.

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

There are a few that have a special place in my heart. Shadogast comes to mind, or Percy/Vex (from Critical Role). I love the Zevwarden ship because it’s a story about allowing feelings and romance and being stronger because of them (at least in my mind). I’m scared of what Fenris/Hawke might do to me when I get around to play DA2 XD

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Definitely the The Hobbit fanfic. It is a glorious mess, and from time to time I go through the documents again... but it’s just a really big project and my collaborators are busy

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue! Banter! I love it. I absolutely adore it. I make it way too long but it’s so much fun. I’m very much character driven I think, which is also why fanfic is so appealing to me. Actions speak louder than words, but characters shout through a megaphone. I also like pairing dialogue with very day-to-day, down-to-earth actions (like folding laundry). I feel like it allows me to convey so much more about the caracters than only through the words they say and the dialogue tags of “he said, she whispered”. Another thing I consider myself strong at is worldbuilding and generally keeping the practical things in mind. If it’s autumn, it’s probably gonna rain, the ground will be wet, they’ll sleep poorly and that’ll be reflected in heightened tempers and therefore more drama in the next scene. The fact that in canon a town has a harbor will have impacted this character who was born there. I like the details and puzzling the pieces together to make a world really come to life XD And, last, I have also recently learned that I write best non-chronologically, and to just write it all out and edit later. It does wonders to advance a project

What are your writing weaknesses?

Descriptions. I hardly write any at first. I normally see scenes very clearly in my head, but I... don’t communicate it XD I’m so character-driven that I kinda forget about the rest. I also tend to get too bogged down by the mundane? The fact that I like to play around with details of the worldbuilding and have it all make sense means I’ll write that scene where they break up camp even though it... doesn’t really add anything to the story apart from the fact that it happens and they indeed do break up camp. Things that I should tell, I show. It reflects in my wordcount.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I like it! I find it really interesting. I might even listen to the spoken dialogue via Google trnaslate XD The only reason it might bother me is that there’s just no elegant way to integrate the translation into the text on AO3. In a normal book, I’d go for a footnote, but in AO3 and with my chapter length, I won’t make anybody scroll down, read the translation, and scroll up again.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

My first ever fanfic before I knew what fanfic was were things I wrote age 11 with a friend about the cowboy stories this German late 19th century writer Karl May wrote. We were obsessed with those novels

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

I gotta say the Hobbit fanfic. It was melodramatic, it was self-indulgent, it had everything. I remember staying up with my friends way into the wee hours of the morning discussing how we’d save Thorin and his nephews from certain death and why Kili was so obsessed with Tauriel after talking to her once XD

And here we go! Thank you so much again for tagging me, this was a lot of fun (and it makes me want to post something. Maybe the Dragon Age Origins retelling will make the cut? I do hope I finish it in the next months)

[stiltonbasket]

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight wrap-up Q & A!

(brief note that this post does contain spoilers, so don’t click past the cut unless you’ve finished reading!)

__

1. Hi Stilton! I love you and TMAAF! The way you write the letters really feels organic and like people writing letters to other people in a time where communication wasn't instantaneous and thats a pet peeve I have with some fics that treat letters like text. I don't know if you've been asked this but what's your inspiration for the letters? Did you just make them up as they are? Did you look at old letters and studied the tone? @iwillbetrash4eva

I made the letters up as they are, but it was essential for me to keep in mind that the characters are all highly educated, and that Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian, and Nie Huaisang in particular are very accomplished in the arts. Letters written by someone who composes music and poetry in their spare time aren’t going to be the same as emails and text messages written for the sake of raw information transfer, so I made sure to incorporate that into the letters; they’re written on pretty paper, usually in the sender’s best calligraphy, and it takes time to sit down and write them, so there’s an aspect of aesthetic reflection there that we rarely notice in modern communication.

I also felt that the characters would include snapshots of their lives and feelings while writing; this was more important with Wei Wuxian, since he throws himself so deeply into his daily life, but I also had to remember how important the past is to all of the characters and how enmeshed it is with their relevant current events. Ultimately, each letter serves as an extra look into the characters’ state of mind, which is something the narrative might not give us. 

2. What was your favorite scene in TMAAF, and which OC was the most fun to write? @keela1221

My favorite scene was Wei Wuxian’s departure from Lotus Pier in chapter 46, especially the part when everyone chased after him! I planned it several months in advance (sometime last summer, I think?) so finally getting to write it felt amazing.

Surprisingly, my favorite original characters to write (besides the main additions of Xiao-Yu, Yu Zhenhong, and Li Shuai) were the Jiang juniors. They love their Wei-zongzhu so much ;~;

3. What made you think of writing this fic? And would you consider a special epilogue because I don't think 50 chapters were nearly enough for me.❤ @avezevin

I think I just wanted to speculate about what cultivation politics might have been like after Jin Guangyao died, and TMAAF was born! And I most likely will be posting an epilogue, since I realized that the Zhenqing wedding works best as a coda instead of as a fic of its own.

4. what's your research process for tmaaf? the worldbuilding is so detailed!!

I read posts on tradition and culture and use them as sources if the chance ever comes along. A significant portion of the lore was entirely made up, but @light8828 helped me with some of the language, and offered so much guidance on cultivation worldbuilding <3

5. I really like the way you write the dynamic between Wei ying and lan zhan with their kids in all your stories. Xiao-Yu is a very lovable character and his relationship with his parents is something I go back to read many times. What do you use as inspiration when writing his, or any of his siblings, relationship with their parents?

Real life, I guess. Some of my older friends have recently had children, and they’re very good parents. :3

6. Where will you be going with the series? I need to prepare myself for heartbreak if the end is approaching, (its ok if you dont know tho! Idk is an optimistic answer, its just that you seem to have many things plotting away in that brain of yours)

Up next, I’m going to finish all the fics in the series that are still in progress, and then I’m going to write Lan Xichen’s fic, maybe a fic from Wen Qing’s point of view, a fic focusing on a reincarnated Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen, and a fic from Jin Yun’s POV focusing on his relationship with LXC and the latter’s death and ascension. This doesn’t count all the fluffy wangxian oneshots still bubbling on the back burner, so I expect this series to keep me busy well into 2022. *sweats*

7. TMAAF Q&A: when did you decide you were bringing wen qing back? what led you to making her return a result of the soul-summoning array, rather than having her have survived by some other method? @mischief7manager

I decided that Wen Qing would be returning sometime between chapters 12 and 15, since that was when I knew I wanted her to be the one to cure Wei Wuxian. And as much as I liked the idea of Wen Qing surviving, I didn’t want her to be imprisoned for the 16-year interim; it was important that she appear in TMAAF as she was before her death rather than having over a decade of character development off-screen. But she wasn’t a fierce corpse that could just be put to sleep for all that time, hence the soul-summoning.

8. For the Q&A: Stilton, how did you come up with such an adorable perfect little child like Xiao-Yu?? You write him so well it really does seem like it’s a child talking!! @whereisyourcahier​

He’s partly based on a real baby I know. :P It might sound impossible, but he’s even cuter than Xiao-Yu is.

9. Thank you for doing this Q&A! Was Xiao Yu always part of the story? (Ilhim so much!!)

He was! I always wanted Wangxian to experience parenthood together, so Xiao-Yu’s entry was planned long before he actually appeared in the fic.

10. how did you deal with any writers block that came up?

By reading comments!! I have all of you to thank for that <3<3!!!!!!

11. What was the process for plotting each arc of tmaaf? & when did you decide on what the storyline was going to be? Did you know when you started or did you incorporate stuff as you wrote?

I hashed out the whole plot at once sometime last May, and that was when I laid down the rough storyline. The overall plot was finalized by the time chapter 18 went up, though I did add further details as I went along. In particular, the mini-arc of Wei Wuxian investigating the Yangshuo plague was mostly written on the fly.

12. how long have you been planning the wen qing lang xiyan reveal? has it been something set in stone from the start?

I’ve been planning it since last April, though the exact circumstances weren’t clear until around August or September. Originally, Jiang Cheng was going to ask “Lang Xiyan” to marry him after her mourning period was over, only for her to reveal herself as Wen Qing before accepting, but I soon realized that this wouldn’t fit either of their characters. Wen Ning recognizing her was the only way the reveal made sense (both emotionally and logically) so I had to find a reason to bring him to Yunmeng at exactly the right time.

13. I just want to ask two little things (well three). Where we will be able to read the wedding of baby Zizhen and A-Qing? Will there be Chengqing? And with the last question, if it's yes, will you write a one shot, drabble or something like that?? 🥺🥺🥺

I’m going to post a 51st chapter to TMAAF with the Zhenqing wedding as an epilogue, and Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing are married by then! Wen Qing will most likely be getting a fic of her own, focusing on the time between her revival and her engagement to Jiang Cheng.

14. I just finished reading your fic and let me tell you it's one of the best I have ever had the pleasure to read :) For someone who wants to start writing, how did you start the story? Did you wrote everything with a little scheme or you just leave your brain to work in the document?

I wasn’t planning to write fic for MDZS/CQL at all, and then I randomly ended up outlining, drafting, and posting the first chapter of TMAAF within the span of around two hours. When starting a story, I think it works best for me to just let my brain work in the document without worrying too much about how it might turn out--outlines and schemes tend to come later, after I’ve gotten a feel for how the characters act and laid down some dead-basic worldbuilding.

If you’re just starting out, make sure you’re having fun and that everything you write is as self-indulgent as possible! Enjoying the process is the most important thing, worrying about all the specifics can come later. <3

[skania]

Hollow: an ode to Cloud’s regrets about Aerith

I’ve always felt Hollow is about Cloud’s regrets after Aerith’s fate. But after finishing the Original Final Fantasy 7 game, I realized the lyrics outright quote and reference things Cloud says about Aerith in Disks 2 & 3.

So if I was convinced before, now I just can’t see the song being about anyone nor anything else.

I’ve been posting my thoughts about it on Twitter the last few days, but I figured it was worth putting everything together in one single post to illustrate just why I feel this way. I’ll divide the post in a few parts:

What we know about the song

Where we hear the song in Remake

The name of the song

The song lyrics and its ties to the OG (and to AC)

The imagery of the song

Could the song be about multiple people? nope

I’ll illustrate each point with images from the OG and occasionally Advent Children, so beware of spoilers for both! In contrast, there are only a few spoilers from Remake, including one cut-scene from the ending and a scene from Chapter 14.

What we know about the song

The song’s lyrics were written by Nojima and the music by Uematsu. In the Behind the Scenes, Uematsu explains that the song is sung from Cloud’s perspective and gives the vocalist clear instructions to make the vocals fit Cloud’s character.

This was further confirmed on a recent interview, where Uematsu said: “[...] the song is supposed to be about Cloud's inner feelings” (source).

Similarly, Nojima confirmed that one of the two keywords he received to write the lyrics was “told from Cloud’s point of view.”

Even more interesting, however, is the following:

I interpreted [Hollow] as "a ballad for a man who lost something important to him."  — Nojima

In other words, Nojima wrote these lyrics thinking about Cloud having lost “something important” to him. In Japanese, the wording is 大切なもの, which means both “something important” or “someone important” depending on the context (comment from the translator).

Both have already been used from Cloud’s point of view, in regards to Aerith.

In the OG, it’s used when Cait Sith predicts that Cloud will lose Aerith. “What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear." In Japanese, “something dear” is written with the exact same wording used by Nojima:  大切なもの

The same wording is also used in Cloud’s cameo in Final Fantasy Tactics, where he’s featured alongside Aerith.

As for “someone important”, Aerith has been described as Cloud’s 大切な人 "important/precious someone” more times than I can count. Like here, for example:

... [Sephirot] took away my important/precious someone. 

So just from the wording alone, we can establish a link to Aerith. However, this is far from being the only way Hollow is connected to Aerith.

Where we hear the song in Remake

The very first time we hear the instrumental version of song in Remake is in Chapter 8, called “The Flower of Reunion” in Japanese and “Budding Bodyguard” in English. In other words, the first time it plays is on a Chapter entirely dedicated to Cloud and Aerith.

But even more telling is the very first moment we hear the song. It’s when Aerith briefly separates from Cloud in the Sector 5 Slums. It literally starts playing the instant Aerith leaves the party.

Then, it continues to play throughout the chapter as Cloud & Aerith reunite and do different quests together.

Fittingly, the second time we hear the instrumental version of Hollow is in Chapter 13, as Cloud & the party step into the places that Aerith first showed to Cloud  — except that this time, Aerith isn’t with them because she’s been kidnapped by Shinra.

Meaning, Hollow’s instrumental version only plays in Sector 5. Aerith’s Sector.

The last time we hear the song is, of course, in the credits of the game. Where the full version of Hollow plays in full. But I think it’s interesting to think of the moment when the song starts to play.

First, we focus on Cloud & Aerith, standing on a barren place as rain starts to fall down on the party (this will be important later). It’s only after this very shot that the camera pans to the sky and Hollow starts playing.

So three out of three times we hear Hollow, the song can be connected to Aerith.

Which makes perfect sense IMO, because everything about the song itself is connected to Aerith.

Including its title.

The name of the song

While the song is sung in English, the original lyrics were written in Japanese. The original name of the song was actually 「 空っぽの雲 」 “Empty Cloud”, which then became「からっぽの空」aka “Empty Sky” or “Hollow Sky”. And in fact, the Instrumental version of the song that plays in Sector 5 — again, Aerith’s sector —  keeps the Japanese name.

Of course, both “empty” and “hollow” carry the same meaning:

“Having a hole or empty space inside”.

You know what was meant to evoke this exact same feeling in the players? Aerith’s death.

The feelings aroused by Aerith’s death are “a great emptiness” and “If I had know this was coming, I’d have done things differently”.

These are the exact same feelings Cloud sings about in Hollow. 

And what’s more, his pain after losing Aerith was recently referenced in the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exhibition with the following quote:

Which takes me to:

The song lyrics & its ties to the OG and to AC

Since the song was originally written in Japanese, I will be using @gurekura’s literal translation as well as the official translation of the lyrics. You can see their original post on Twitter HERE.

I think that when you read the lyrics, it becomes very obvious that it’s written from the perspective of the original Cloud. The Cloud we see in the Original FF7 as well as in Advent Children, among others. So, of course, it’s no surprise that these lyrics perfectly match various scenes.

What’s telling though, is that just as we’ve seen until now, the lyrics are a perfect match for scenes focusing on Cloud and Aerith.

1.

2.

No matter whether you take these lines literally or figuratively, “healing” easily evokes images of Aerith. Who not only is a healer  — we even see this in AC, where Aerith heals Cloud of Geostigma — but also reaches out to Cloud as he’s broken by pain and guilt in AC and helps him recover.

But while this is all fine and dandy, I can understand why people may think of different scenes while hearing these lyrics.

However, their link to Aerith becomes even more blatant as we go. In fact, from here on out, the lyrics basically quote Cloud’s words, feelings & thoughts in the OG as he faces Aerith’s death.

3.

Was it all a dream? Will I ever know?

Foolish and blind to everything Had I realized, had I noticed it sooner, Would you be here in my embrace?

Word. For. Word. These are literally Cloud’s feelings, pain and regrets after losing Aerith.

4.

Then we have the chorus, where the references to Aerith are also clear because she’s always been known for her bright personality, and for keeping a smile on her face even in the hardest of times.

Remember how Kitase said that “If I had know this was coming, I’d have done things differently” was one of the feelings he wanted to inspire with Aerith’s death? 

That is exactly what Cloud is singing about in this chorus. But this will become more obvious when we get to the end of the song.

5.

This is honestly unequivocally about Aerith, who hid her pain and the weight of her mission behind smiles and comforting words to not pain Cloud and the others.

Hidden within your smile There were secrets

But I was empty I just demanded

This fits perfectly with how blinded Cloud was by his own pain after he lost her, and how this kept him from realizing the truth of her sacrifice.

6.

Then there’s the second chorus, where Cloud once again sings about all the things he would do differently if only he were given a second chance.

And what he wants to do most of all, is to be able to notice Aerith’s pain and the truth hidden behind it.

What’s more, while players may have missed it given the graphics of the OG, Remake itself shows that this is indeed how Aerith is. She is always hiding her pain and heavy truths behind a smile. The perfect example comes in Aerith’s Resolution Scene in Chapter 14, where Aerith tries to reassure Cloud that she doesn’t mind staying in the Shinra Tower.

She does her best to keep a bright smile and a happy front. But if you look closely enough, you can see the sadness in her eyes, a clear reflection of her true feelings.

7.

Lastly, we have Cloud facing the truth. That despite all his regrets, despite how hard he may wish to have a second chance, Aerith is gone. And the song takes us full-circle.

You’re no long here, so I’m empty. Again, this fits perfectly with the feeling Kitase wanted to evoke with Aerith’s death.

And Cloud feeling this way is also backed-up not only by his behavior in AC, but also by insight from Tifa, as shared in Dismantled:

Plus, of course: “She was gone in the blink of an eye. But the pain never went away.”

So really, given everything I’ve mentioned above, I just can’t see this song being about anyone but Aerith. Because the lyrics clearly evoke thoughts and emotions Cloud himself said about her in the original game.

And if you keep Aerith in mind, then...

The imagery of the song

In the Behind the Scenes, Uematsu  also talks about the imagery that inspired the music. This is what he says about it:

Nojima also confirmed that  [Cloud] “standing in the rain” was the second keyword he received to write the lyrics.

The moment I heard this, I thought of one particular scene from Advent Children:

This scene fits the imagery on multiple levels. Cloud is alone, standing on a barren and empty place, as rain pours over him. He lets the rain wash over him, eyes closed.

In this scene, that rain is Aerith’s Great Gospel. It starts falling the moment Kadaj hears Aerith’s voice, heals everyone it touches from Geostigma and Tifa outright speaks to Aerith as she watches a droplet of the rain.

Of course, there’s no way to know exactly what image Uematsu was talking about. But I find this particular scene quite fitting, given all the ties the song has to Aerith.

Not to mention that in the Final Fantasy 30th Exhibition, Aerith says the following about Cloud’s pain after her death: 「もう、泣かないで. 雨になっちゃうよ」 “Don’t cry. You’ll make it rain”. (source)

So, there we have an explicit link between rain — and Cloud’s anguish after he loses Aerith.

To wrap this up, I’ve seen people suggest that the song is about multiple people. I respect that everyone has the right to have a different view-point, but personally, I can’t help but to disagree with this particular one.

Could the song be about multiple people?

There is no evidence of this in the song. At no point does the song switch its focus. At the contrary, the references and themes remain the same all throughout-it  — as does its subject.

Your shining smile = Once more, shine brightly = Once more, laugh again = Hidden within your smile, there were secrets = Had I noticed sooner, would you still be in my embrace? = Show me your smile one more, this time = I'll notice the truth hidden inside your tears

The subject and the imagery remain constant, so it’s safe to assume the song is about one person and one person only. 

And given all the things mentioned above... I hope you can now see why I can’t think of anyone else but Aerith.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

[the-darklings]

—𝗖𝗢𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗤;

Hello, everyone! So with COA being such a long-running series and new readers finding it constantly, I have come to realise that a lot of questions I get often repeat. So to keep everything easy and clear and friendly for everyone regardless of whether you started COA at the very beginning of the story or just recently found it, I have spent the day relaxing, eating junk food, and compiling this FAQ. Please read through it because chances are the answers are here somewhere. I have sectioned the guide into following: general, story, ships, original squad (OCs), AUS, OC!V and tips/advice. If the answer to your question is not here, please feel free to send me a message and have a wonderful day! <33 - kat.

GENERAL:

when does this story update?

I try to keep a bi-weekly schedule (now usually Sunday updates). But I always let you know when the chapter is done by making a final word count post (pre edits). 

do you have a masterlist?

yes, you can find it here.

do you have a tag list?

not for COA. they’re very time consuming and I’m already really busy sorry :(

are your requests open?

I rarely open my inbox for requests. the only exception being the monthly blurb nights. then I reblog a prompt list and let people send some requests in for any fandom/ship. however, usually due to how many I get, it only happens every few months. that being said, you can still send me ideas/suggestions and if it inspires me, I will write it. that’s how the majority of the AUs have come about. but i’m also a very busy person so sorry if I can’t. 

can I make X or Y for COA and tag you?

yes. yes. yes. please, please, feel free to create whatever for COA (no matter how small or silly) because I consider it a great honour that I’ve been able to inspire someone else. whatever it is, please tag me. I wanna see.

okay, I made a thing and tagged you but you didn’t respond :(

Tumblr is notorious for eating my notifs. whatever it is (art/post/etc) if I don’t respond to it in a day or two, please give me a nudge. you’re not being annoying, I promise. chances are I missed it/tumblr ate it. 

I wanna scream/discuss/theorise about COA with others, is there any way for me to do that?

my amazing readers have set up this reddit page that is full of lovely people, theories, and memes etc. I check it often and interact on there, too, so feel free to drop by.

STORY:

how many chapters will COA be?

25. the last one being a very long epilogue.

have you decided on the ending yet?

yes. from as early as part 2. it's barely changed since. 

will we ever see more of Prague/Naples? hoe, please say yes.

yes. I plan to write both as COA bonus stories after the main story-line concludes.

will there be a sequel? 

depends. on two things: 1) if anyone will even care by that point 2) time. this story has consumed 5 months of my life entirely. i’ve been incredibly strict with myself when it comes to writing it (in a good way) but at best it won’t be finished till the end of august/beginning of september. so likely even if I do, there will be a break for a few months at least. I do have ideas though.

you promised us smut. where is it?

patience is a virtue. ;)

happy ending or tragedy? (please don’t say tragedy, you monster)

I would describe it more as “bittersweet” but whether it leans more towards bitter or sweet you’ll have to see.   

SHIPS:

any endgame hints?

you know more about the ending than you probably realise

can v/s finally go to Paris? for the love of GOD? pLEASE?

no

hector + v? powerful. will there be more of them in the future? 

agreed & yes. hector and v have their own arc to go on. it’s actually one of my favourites in this story. I don’t want to say more than that right now because I have plans for their dynamic so no spoilers. :)

please stop bullying john. give us some j/v content please? 

i, for one, adore john. it’s team S that’s bullying him lol. but wait till parabellum. i’ve always referred to that portion of the story as the second coming of j/v.

does lucien actually have a thing for v or is it a creepy obsession? 

it’s both.

I ship v with everyone :/ is that bad?

the sky is the limit. ship all the things proudly (but seriously, no, it isn’t. I ship all the ships, too, and that’s the fun of it) 

v/elder tho? 👀

🔫🤡

j/v or s/v? be honest.

you fool,,,, you buffoon. ot3 j/v/s is where it’s really at. imagine their POWER.   

ORIGINAL SQUAD:

what do the Elites/Lovers look like/how old are they?

please refer to this

will there be more step??

of course. he’s my baby. :)

will we see more of camorra/learn more about the elite’s and their backstories?

while I would love to take the time and flesh them all out with full backstories, only hector will be getting his backstory explored in the main canon because plot.

does lucien care for mika anymore or has he replaced her with v?

lucien is a messy hoe. mika is his subject of “affection” but v is his foil and equal. he recognises the same hurt in her that he has gone through himself so it’s more of a fixation. with time, lucien would likely destroy v so no bueno. 

I ship our OCs.

I do, too.

can we write about your OCs/V?

so you would have to come to me and discuss this more in private but I’m fine with this sort of thing usually. in fact, a prequel hector story already exists so you’re likely good but please contact me first. 

AUs:

when/how often do you update the vampire!au?

whenever I have time/inspo. mainly time. so this means you can get it daily or not get it for several weeks because COA is priority. I keep you all updated on when I have something cooking tho.

what is the actual pairing for vamp!au?

undecided as of yet. i’m leaning more towards ot3 right now but we shall see.

how often do you update flowing in me?

same as the above. whenever I have the time but I will keep you updated.

how many parts will flowing in me be?

I have 5 parts(ish) planned.

do you have a tag list for flowing in me?

I will. please leave a comment on the story if you want to be tagged in future parts!

will flowing in me feature other characters (john, winston etc.)?

this story is mainly camorra-centric but I do plan for John to appear at some point.

how did you come up with your lore in vamp!au?

to be completely honest....I just wrote a bunch of stuff down and used what stuck. mostly the ideas were pulled out of thin air while still trying to keep within the spirit of the canon material (the high priest, the holy church, the twelve priests, john being the boogeyman etc). camorra as the natural enemy seemed fitting and santino as a vampire prince even more so.

can we send you new au ideas/expand on old ones (manager!V etc)?

yes, always. I always try my hardest to reply but ofc I can’t promise I’ll be able to use them all but thank you in advance.

OC!V:

who is the face claim for OC!V?

weronika spyrka

what is her real name?

clara

how old is she at the beginning of the story and now?

23 beginning of chapter 1, 30 beginning of chapter 4 (current timeline)

will/would you ever write an original story about her?

I have considered creating something original out of COA itself or one of its sister series/concepts (like FIM). since I really started working on COA during last year’s NaNo, that might be the time I create something original this year. 

TIPS & ADVICE:

how do you write so much, so quickly?

I don’t think that word count is really reflective of the quality work itself. I don’t think you should worry how much you write, either. 100 words can be just as valuable as 1k. most of them time I have a deadline breathing down my neck and I do work well under pressure so that inspires me to force the chapters out. I also do very long days because despite what it might look like I’m not a fast writer.

how can I improve my writing?

read and practice. I know it’s dumb and overused advice but it’s how I learned english and found my style (still a mess and WIP) but still this advice does help. 

how do you keep motivated?

spite, your support, genuine adoration for these characters/word, a lot of spite. 

do you plan? outline?

I have a vague story outline with specific scenes in mind as I go along (helps to set up foreshadowing, twists, and those ‘full circle’ moments). I also plan each chapter scene by scene and know what each chapter is meant to accomplish. So yeah in a sense. 

[sonickedtrowel]

1, 2, 4, 10, 20!!

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Oh boy so I’m sure I must have mentioned it at some point but I won’t turn down a chance to ramble about it again: me and @regalpotato​ are working on a Day of the Doctor rewrite and I’m pretty psyched about it!  Basically, Eight is there rather than War (although War does make an appearance!) and also River is there, because Duh, and there are other Things going on that are different from the episode/novel, but that’s spoilers and also still partially cooking in my brain, lol.  It’s at 11k-ish right now but still pretty early in the story, too early to probably say what I will love most.  But I’m having a ton of fun with it, especially the dialogue, and currently torturing Ten in every way I can think of.  You know, lovingly torturing.  For the most part.

That is the really big thing I’m excited about, but I do still have two prompts left from a couple weeks back (I didn’t forget you, anons!) and those are milling around in my head too waiting for inspiration to strike. 2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

No secret that I love writing multi-Doctor / River stories, and in fact having somewhat recently finished an 8 and 11 / River fic I will have to be on my toes to not repeat myself too much haha.  But I just love getting everyone together and letting them yell at each other for a while - the best honestly - and then later we get Revealing Conversations about Feelings, as well as POV changing chapters.  Not to overhype it but!  I think it’s gonna be fun! Putting the rest under a cut because I am long-winded lol.

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

Hmmm I’ll pick something I like from the WIP that’s all my writing - this is from Night of the Doctor with Eight and Ohila, but it’s diverged from the original script here and iirc pretty much all new dialogue for Eight.  I don’t normally write this sort of Doctor speech because I’m usually doing romance, but I can hear Paul McGann righteously shouting/soliloquizing in my head so I’m pretty happy with it: *** “What would you have me do?” the Doctor hissed.  “What does your broken prophecy foretell?  That I become one more loyal soldier in Gallifrey’s glorious army?  I can join this fight and take a thousand lives, die a thousand deaths, and this war will still go on.  The universe doesn’t need another soldier!” “Not a soldier,” said the Sister, “a warrior, with the power you’ve refused to wield.  You could have destroyed the Daleks before they were even created.” “Yes, I could have done.  And I didn’t, because I have no right!  Whatever it is you think you can turn me into, Sister, you’ll continue to be disappointed.  Because there’s one person who is always needed in a war: a good doctor, willing to help whomever they can.  No matter if they’re despised, or called traitor— no matter who they lose or how many times they fail!  There will always be more lives to save, and I’ll be there, helping, wherever I can.  I only hope I’m strong enough to carry on doing it half as well as another doctor I knew.” ***

(Yes of course we have Liv Chenka references!) 10. How would you describe your writing process? It takes me forever to get ideas, but once I have a sort of general amorphous direction for the story and an emotional starting point for the characters, I just jump in.  And then I keep getting shower thoughts about more and more stuff happening and what was supposed to just be some fun fluff starts growing a plot and getting wildly out of hand and this is just my life.  I am very much not in control. 20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?) Ohhhh this is such a good question!  Definitely going with There is a love I reminisce because there’s a lot going on under the surface in that fic and not all of it stated super explicitly.  So um, huge spoilers below if you haven’t read it!

Manhattan and Trenzalore (both times) are essentially retconned, through a combination of River’s innate abilities and Eleven going around the timeline trying to do better after being confronted with his shortcomings in TNOTD.  How the Doctor survived Utah is explained and it’s not because he was in a stupid robot.  It spawns an implied post-Library reunion with River, Eleven and the Doctor’s oft-referenced and never quantified or named children from Gallifrey.  It implies a different resolution to the Hybrid thing and an alternate series 10.  And of course it uses BF’s far-superior Ravenous 4 plot twist to preemptively annihilate the timeless children crap, and a combination of Ravenous 4 and Doom Coalition 4 to make River basically a time goddess.  But maybe my favorite thing was giving life to this headcanon of mine.  IT CANNOT BE REFUTED!  They’ve never said ANYTHING specific about his family so it’s free real estate baby!

*** “Yes, sorry to harp on about this, honey, but I think we can discuss the regeneration semantics later,” River cut in.  “You’re saying I came back from your future to your distant past and just… stayed?”

“Well… yes, I think so.  There were certain things we couldn’t discuss.  I had always just assumed that I’d reached the end of my last regeneration and you weren’t too pleased with that, so…  You know, describing it now, it does seem very irresponsible.  But I don’t recall having any complaints.”

“No, I shouldn’t think you would.”  River smiled, but her mind was racing.  “How would that even work?  Eventually, we’d come back round to when we first met on your end, and what, I wipe myself out of your memories?  Selectively, for your entire lifetime?  I think you might notice a little thing like that.”

“I suppose you must have had a plan for it, but I can’t remember it now.  I just remember the two of us, together through the centuries.” He smiled fondly and River felt like the ache in her chest would strangle her.  “I remember our family.”

“Our what?” she cried, as the older Doctor had a sudden choking fit.

“Our family.  Our children and…”  Dread slowly dawned on the young Doctor’s sweet face.  “Oh, please, no,” he whispered.  “Don’t tell me they’re…  No, this happened! It happened in both versions of my memories!”  He looked to his older self, panic-stricken.  “Tell me you remember!”

“You had a family,” River soothed, as Babyface stumbled over his own tongue.  “It just wasn’t with me.”

“What?” he laughed incredulously.  “Who else would it be?”

“Your first wife, sweetie.  I’m your second.  Well, the second one that counts.”

“No, that’s— I’m sorry, that’s nonsense.”  He turned to the older Doctor again. “You can’t tell her, is that it?  Because she hasn’t done it yet?  I’m sorry, River, maybe I shouldn’t have—”

“No!” Babyface shouted, finally collecting himself.  “Yes, we— I had a family, on Gallifrey, before I ever left.  River wasn’t there, obviously, because that’s not how anything works!”

“Who, then?” the young Doctor demanded.  “Who was your first wife?”

“I— I— she was—”  He opened and closed his mouth silently, looking increasingly horrified.

“You don’t like to talk about it,” River explained.  “She passed away.”

“Yes, but just between me and myself,” the young Doctor pressed on with an utter absence of tact that made it easier than ever to see this was the same man before her, “who was she?  And your children, what were their names?”

River hesitated, watching as the older Doctor wrestled with himself.  These were details not even she had ever asked him for.  She knew the general outline, of course, and that was enough.  It was a hurt so deep and so impossibly ancient, she couldn’t truly imagine how distant it must be for him now.  No sense in forcing him to open that door and dwell on it again.

“I, I don’t,” he finally muttered, looking almost fearful, “I don’t talk about it.  I don’t think about it.”

“You’ve forgotten them,” the young Doctor said, voice low and furious.  “How could you?”

“S-Susan,” Babyface stammered, wide-eyed.  “I left Gallifrey with Susan.”

A relieved smile flashed across the young Doctor’s face.  “And where did you suppose she came from?”

“No, she… I don’t…”  Chair legs scraped abruptly across the tile as the older Doctor bolted up from his seat, white-faced, and stumbled back from the table.

“Doctor?”  River stood, her hearts racing.  

His eyes met hers for a split second, the strange terror in them sending a chill through her, and then he was gone like a shot.  

“Doctor!”  She made to chase after him, but his younger version was still clasping her hand.

“He’ll be fine,” he reassured her.  “He’s just working it out.”

“Working it out?” she repeated, too stunned to reach out and grasp for the obvious.  She turned to him in a daze.  He smiled, and for a fleeting moment she fancied she could see the long contentment of a life she’d never dared dream of, etched in each little line on his older, younger face.

“I told you, River.”  He laid his other hand over hers, warm and steady.  “It was always you.”   ***

[mamahanu]

fanfic tag game

I was tagged by @dragonnan. Thanks, friend! I love these!

Questions:

Ao3 Name: HanukoYoukai

Fandoms: ~long inhale~ Well... I’ve been writing for a while. A long while. So... I’m just gonna follow dragonnan’s example. Bear with me. 

Currently writing fic for (that are posted/going to be posted):

Final Fantasy

MCU

Captain America

Spider-Man

Deadpool

Avatar: the Last Airbender

Currently finished and recently posted (yes... there are WIPs for these fandoms, and yes, I’m still working on them):

Dragon Prince

Merlin

Wrote fics years ago (and I may still revisit the fandom):

Glee (on FFN)

Harry Potter

Wrote 1 or 2 fics but won’t write more:

Diabolo

Weiss Kreuz

Fruits Basket (deleted... it was bad. I’m not sorry it’s gone)

Wolf’s Rain (see above)

Haven��t published any fics yet but have (or had) ideas ~cracks knuckles~:

Doctor Who 

The Legend of Zelda

How to Train Your Dragon

FireFly

Split/Glass (crossover idea... it’s outlined...)

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

The Flash

DC

All up and coming plans are subject to change depending on my whims as a creator. ;-)

Number of fics: I’m only going to count the fics that are currently posted between Ao3 and FFN. 

Spider-Man/MCU/Captain America/Deadpool: 16 (this includes the crossover with Final Fantasy)

Dragon Prince: 1

Merlin: 4

Harry Potter: 1

Glee: 2

Diabolo: 2

Weiss Kreuz: 1

Total: 27

1. Fic you spent the most time on: Omertà hands down. Wow that fic... I mean, just posting it took 10 months. And I started writing it way before I posted the first chapter so, I think I spent about a year and some change on it. 

2. Fic you spent the least time on: So This is Christmas. I was a pinch hitter for an Irondad Secret Santa. I got this one written in a few hours due to the deadline. 

3. Longest Fic: Again, Omertà. The final word count on this bad boy is 154,668. 30 chapters. It was supposed to be 10 chapters and about 50,000 words. That did NOT happen. 

4. Shortest Fic:  I Like Oatmeal. The word count is 652 and it is easily the shortest thing I’ve ever written so far. This was just a fun little crack fic that broke me into the Merlin fandom. 

5. Most hits: In all honesty, this is a very difficult one to answer because as far as I can tell, FFN does not record hits very well. My two highest fics for Ao3 are  Omertà with 8008 to date, and You are in Control, I Disappear with 5450 to date (but it’s porn, so surprise, surprise.) On FFN, the fic with the highest hits (if I did my month-by-month math right) is The Trouble with Gossip (using the Ao3 link) with 6102 hits to date .

6. Most kudos:  Omertà again. Really, y’all should read it. It’s pretty good. ;-)

7. Most comment threads/ reviews: Want to guess? You got it! It’s Omertà! You all are so smart. :-)

8. Fave Fic you wrote: What? These are my babies. These are my blood, sweat, and tears. You want me to pick a favorite? You’re crazy. 

...

No, seriously, that’s a really hard question. I love them all and for very different reasons. So I’ll pick one that I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ll say Bear the Burden of Responsibility, which was the fic that broke me into the MCU/Spider-Man fandom (I’d been reading for forever, but this was the first one I wrote). It also was my intro to Irondad and Spiderson, which has been SO fun to write, and the community has been fantastic to be part of, in my opinion. 

9. Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: Hmm. Well, I’m already expanding on it, just slowly. I have a series called Take My Heart With You which is kind of an alternate reality/alternate universe series for Merlin. It mainly focuses on the gap between seasons 3 and 4, and events in season 4, but there is a relationship between Merlin and Percival that I’m playing around with. I also am touching on the friendship Merlin has with Gwen, so there may be elements from previous seasons added soon. I actually really enjoy that one, but I’ve lacked inspiration for it, so I haven’t been writing much in this universe lately. 

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning: How about both?

Love Runs Deeper than Blood

***SPOILERS! FOR MY READERS WHO WANT TO WAIT UNTIL I POST, SCROLL UNTIL YOU SEE THE NEXT BOLD TEXT!***

“Tarkik.”

“No.”

“Koko.”

“Hmm, maybe.”

“Nanouk?”

Kyra laughed, bouncing the baby boy on her knee. “You have great love for that name,” she said, grinning. Bato shrugged, wiggling his fingers at the boy and making him giggle.

When he brought the child to Kyra, she broke down in tears before immediately thanking the Great Spirits. She fell in love with his soft hair and golden eyes, and she held him like she could never let him go. Bato understood. He was like that with the boy the whole journey back.

“It’s a good, strong, water tribe name,” Bato defended, grinning. “What about Toklo? For your father?”

“My brother was named for my father already,” Kyra replied. “Maybe Tonraq?”

Bato made a face. “No,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Why not?”

“When I went Ice Dodging, the boy manning the main sail was named Tonraq. He’s the reason I have a scar on my boat,” Bato said, darkly. Kyra laughed.

“Well, there’s always Soomool,” she offered. Bato shrugged. They had been going over names for two days now. Even Kya and Hakoda offered input, with baby Sokka in tow. The new boy was fascinated with the chief’s son. Bato hoped they would become good friends. Kyra handed the boy to him and he lifted him up so their noses could touch. The boy went a little cross-eyed, making Bato laugh.

“You know what his eyes remind me of?” he asked Kyra.

“The sun?” she asked, grinning.

Bato shook his head. “No. Well, yes, I suppose. But they look like the sky during a storm, when lightning strikes.”

“You mean when the sky turns to gold for a moment?” Kyra asked, thoughtfully. Bato nodded. Kyra hummed in thought.

“What about Kallik?”

*** OKAY ALL CLEAR***

Story Idea - Spider-Man Villain/Anti-Hero AU:

Plot: What if Peter stopped the convenience store thief instead of letting him run away? Uncle Ben is still alive, and that major guilt he felt that acted as a catalyst for him to become Spider-Man and look out for the little guy isn’t there anymore. Instead Spidey is a wrestler, then a “hero” who asks for donations to his paypal, and then a mercenary. All his bad guys are now neutral contacts, and he frequently teams up with DP, Moon Knight, and Black Cat (among others), working for cold, hard cash. He drives Iron Man crazy, he baffles Captain America, and Black Widow has a soft spot for him (because she gets that double life). 

It’ll be fun when I get to writing it. I’ve got some semblance of an outline. ;-)

Tagged: I’ll tag @silentsaebyeok, @reachingforaspark, @blondsak, @jro616 and @kitcat992, as well as anyone else who wants to play. And if I tagged you and you don’t, no pressure! <3

[mysterylover123]

My 12 Favorite BKDK Meta Posts

by mysterylover123

So you might have picked up, if you’re following my posts, that I like BKDK. Katsudeku. Bakudeku. Izukatsu. Whatever you call it. Shipping Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo. I love this freaking pairing so much, but it’s always difficult to explain to people why that is. That’s why I often will point to meta, written by far more eloquent and organized people than me, to explain what about it interests me so much. So here’s a list (not comprehensive, I can’t read every BKDK meta ever written) of my favorite meta on the two’s relationship, and a shout out to my other lovely tumblr posters, organized in order of when the incident they’re covering takes place, how many spoilers there are, etc.

1. Ryokure  “Deku vs Kacchan”

https://ryokure.tumblr.com/post/147489960804/deku-vs-kacchan

Ryokure is one of my favorite BKDK meta writers - great at correcting some of the early mistranslations and analyzing most of the early arcs. The Ryokure meta only go up to about the training camp arc, and for some reason stopped after that. I picked this one as my favorite Ryokure BKDK meta, it’s a rare one that covers the Battle Trial Arc. My favorite line from the meta is the ending:  “On this point I’m like 80% sure that Mineta’s existence, Yaoyorozu‘s stupid costume (come on, she’s fifteen! it’s too early to be objectified!), etc are there so people wouldn’t think that this is shounen-ai.”

2. PunkBakugo: “Deku and Bakugo’s subconscious understanding: A Sports Festival Analysis”

https://punkbakugo.tumblr.com/post/169830270570/kacchan-dekus-subconscious-understanding-a

I’m currently rewatching the sports festival right now, and despite this being the big Tododeku and Izuocha arc, it’s pretty impressive how subtly pervasive BKDK still is in this arc anyways. This meta is very impressive, pointing out small details throughout the SF arc that showcase how central BKDK still is to the narrative, the ways in which Deku takes inspiration from BK, how BK fixates on Midoriya, and how they think in similar manners. It’s also quite well-written, and I recommend this poster if you’d like the POV of a non multi-shipper tumblr.

3. The-nysh “Episode 37 Commentary”

https://the-nysh.tumblr.com/post/165680156361/bnha-episode-37-commentary

The-nysh is another great BKDK poster, and I have at least 2 from them. The first is their very in-depth and image-heavy commentary on Episode 37 (they have another one on episode 61 that’s just as good), which provides some nice analysis of BKDK in this arc. The second is this one: https://the-nysh.tumblr.com/post/171252060116/whats-your-opinon-of-kiribaku-and-tododeku , which while it’s mostly about the poster’s opinions on the other two ships, has a few choice snippets about BKDK that I find helpful - one is also in connection with Ryokure, to quote: “Deku is such a super special case that if a fanfic has him and Kacchan in it - no matter the parings - and they don’t have some case of mutual obsession, I actually consider that OOC.” Definitely another good meta writer worth checking out.

4. Osakakitty “Vol 10 Katsudeku thoughts ramblings”

https://osakakitty.tumblr.com/post/167402985369/vol-10-katsudeku-thoughtsramblings

This one is a good analysis of the Training Camp Arc and Hideout Raid. Osakakitty has some very sweet BKDK meta and generally writes very close analysis of them, taking a more emotional stance on the pairing than some of the meta before. There’s a very raw quality to these, a feeling of reacting in time to the story as it unfolds and getting your heart broken. This one does a good job of outlining how deeply personal the Hideout Raid is to Deku, because it was Kacchan who was taken. Definitely worth a read. 

5. KiraElric’sInsanity: “What is your favorite Headcanon about Izuku”

http://kiraelric.tumblr.com/post/154543674203/what-is-your-favorite-headcanon-about-izuku

KiraElric was one of the first meta writers I encountered with BNHA, and really helped me get a grasp on the series. She has tons of great meta on the series and a really fine grasp of BKG’s character. There are lots of them worth reading, but this is one of my all time favorites because of how thoroughly in depth it is about Izuku’s feelings on the matter. Since Deku is unquestionably my favorite BNHA character, it was very important for me early on to determine who I shipped him with, how I perceived his relationships. And something about this meta helped me understand exactly why I liked BKDK so much. But if you want more of the other side of things...

6. KiraElric’sInsanity: “My Best Friend’s a Fxcking Nerd and an idiot God he pisses me Off”

http://kiraelric.tumblr.com/post/158423114578/my-best-friends-a-fucking-nerd-and-an-idiot-god 

This is BKG’s side of the coin. This meta helps contextualize a lot of BKG’s actions, in a way that made a ton of sense to me. This, and the one before it, both contain spoilers up to DVK2, so if you haven’t caught up just be aware of that. This meta does a great job of spotlighting how important Deku is as a force in BKG’s life, as someone to talk to and admit to feeling weak around, who cares about him unconditionally. These two meta together are great to read for getting an all around feel for each side of the relationship.

7. KrisPNatz “What’s in an OTP? Bakudeku”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay8TbIzMh-E

OK this one’s a video, not a tumblr meta, but it’s still an analysis on the relationship so I count it. It’s more of a funny one, joking and goofy in tone, but with a very sincere and passionate discussion of the relationship, what it means to ship something, how their interactions have evolved over time, and why the creator of the vid ships them. This one’s less analytical than the others, but still has some good insights into the duo.

8. Makeste reads BNHA: “Chapter 120 A Secret Among Three”

https://makeste.tumblr.com/post/181564960173/bnha-chapter-120-a-secret-among-three 

Makeste is my favorite BNHA liveblogger, going over the entire manga (she just posted Chapter 221 today, it’s pretty great). This is her reaction to Chapter 120, which she proclaims right away is her favorite chapter of the series. While it’s mostly a reaction post, it’s also interrupted with a few mini-essay meta on the nature of this relationship, going into some deep analysis of both characters’ feelings from a very attentive and clever reactor, whose absolute favorite character is Katsuki Bakugo. I recommend makeste to BNHA fans, the reactions are absolutely fantastic.

9. CuteIzuku “Izuku Midoriya’s Image of Victory”

https://cuteizuku.tumblr.com/post/178341507379/izuku-midoriyas-image-of-victory

This is a good meta on Deku’s classic “image of victory” comment from DVK2, going into some more depth about how Deku perceives Kacchan and what that means for the narrative. It also helps compare Deku’s perceptions of Katsuki and All Might, how Deku feels towards both, and what the differences are. It’s a nicely written piece and not particularly biased about the ship.

10. Mujoe-girl “The Way They Look at each other 

https://mujoe-girl.tumblr.com/post/148453703491/katsudeku-the-way-they-look-at-each-other

Another one that looks at both sides of the equation, parcelling out first how Deku looks at Kacchan, then how Kacchan looks at Deku, and acknowledging both sides and how they’ve changed over time. It’s pretty subtle and touches on various extreme expressions (one of my favorite things about BNHA: how expressive the characters are) from each character and what they mean. Certainly worth a read.

11. Riruru “The Choice of Wording Here”

https://rirururu.tumblr.com/post/181106272152/the-choice-of-wording-used-here-is-something-that 

OK, this one is getting into really recent manga spoilers - avoid looking over this, anime onlys. Basically this is a brief, but effective meta about Chapter 210, written after 210 came out and before the reveal about OFA. It talks about Deku’s reaction to Monoma’s dissing Kacchan, and puts it quite well exactly why this is significant to their relationship. This is a really recent development, and something that went over my head the first time I read it - certainly helped me understand more what’s going on here.

12. Makeste “The New BKDK Status Quo”

https://makeste.tumblr.com/post/184123732903/yes-the-new-bakudeku-status-quo-of-excitedly

Another one from makeste to finish us off - this one discussing the current status of BK/DK in the manga, up through Chapter 217. So again massive spoilers. Makeste, responding to a comment, talks about how the relationship is so much healthier these days, how the two have improved and how much better a friend BKG is to Deku now, post DVK2. It’s very sweet and a lovely place to end things off for now.

So yeah those are my 12 favorite BKDK meta out there so far. Any recommendations for more are welcome. I hope you guys enjoy reading these, and special nod to all my fellow posters for being so clever.

[alexannah]

Intro and Questions for the Miraculous Ladybug Fandom

I know I haven’t been very active on Tumblr lately. Or ever, really. My posts have been rare and I have to admit I never really figured out how to navigate the fandom side of it. I’m hoping to change that now, and starting off with a new fandom. (I’ll still post on my others from time to time, I hope, but since I’m new to Miraculous Ladybug and the inspiration is buzzing—also I’ve fallen behind on canon for a couple of my other fandoms, so I’m avoiding those parts of Tumblr until I’ve read the new books—it’ll probably be mostly this for a while.)

If anyone following me hasn’t seen the show (or past season one), this post is spoiler-free except the end which is clearly marked, but future ones will definitely have spoilers. For clarity I’ll be putting the relevant fandom initials in the title of all my posts from now on, and endeavouring to not put major spoilers right at the top of posts, to avoid people see them accidentally. I was accidentally spoiled three times for this show while trying to find out how to see season two, so I empathise!

I’ve been a fan of the show for about a year now, but wasn’t able to see past season one (all there still is on the UK Netflix) until this summer, and I still determinedly avoided the online fandom until I’d seen all the season three episodes, which was only a few weeks ago. So I’m very much a fandom newbie. And I have a huge backlog of geeking out, and questions I’ve been dying to ask other fans. (I’m not going to put it/them ALL in this post, that would make it really long and leave no material for future posts …) Please be kind when answering stuff that may be obvious to more experienced fans!

First of all, as I said I’ve not been very active on Tumblr, but I love Pinterest and I see a lot of fandom things on there that originated here. A few weeks ago I created a Miraculous Ladybug board and have since repeatedly got very distracted looking for pins! I’ve seen a lot of fan comics (some have actually inspired fanfic ideas …) and there is one question that I’ve been dying to ask since noticing a pattern in a lot of Marichat ones.

Where does this thing with CN calling Marinette “princess” (or pun variations of) come from? Did this originate from something in canon (I’m guessing in Weredad) that I just don’t remember?

Also, I’ve been writing MLB fanfiction for months without having read any, and all that time I’ve been writing “Cat Noir” and “Hawk Moth”. I’ve started reading fic now, but not very much yet, and I’m still confused over whether the villain’s name is one word or two (I have now seen it both ways), and whether or not everyone writes Chat instead of Cat? I know it’s a French fandom, but I’ve only ever seen the English versions and he’s called Cat in it, so that’s what I’ve always written and what I default think of him as. Plus I am positive the show was made in English first. I used to only be 99% sure, because there are a few moments when the dialogue seems slightly out of sync with the characters’ mouth movements, but then I found out Hawk Moth is called Papillon in the French version, and having rewatched him introduce himself, I’m positive there is absolutely no way his mouth can be saying ‘Papillon’.

Since the plural for Miraculous seems to be “Miraculous*es*” in season one and “Miraculous” after that … what do you write in fanfic? For the sake of being clear I prefer to uses “Miraculouses”.

As a fun aside, I recently discovered I’ve been spelling all the Kwamis’ names wrong. All except Plagg, but that’s just because I initially misheard it and couldn’t be sure what it was, so looked it up on Wikipedia early on. (As well as the word Kwami, which I had no idea how to spell but was sure started with a Q.) So I’ve been slowly correcting all the instances of Tiki, Waze, Trix, Nuru and Duzu.

And don’t get me started on how long it took me to figure out how to spell Bourgeois …

***season two spoilers below***

So to shipping.

I love all sides of the Adrien and Marinette love triangle, though it wasn’t until very recently that Marichat grew on me. Since Glaciator, the canon interactions have definitely been more interesting, but I admit I didn’t really see it as a proper ship until the other day when I read @chatnoirinette ’s awesome piece on what made their relationship so good, and it got me thinking …

If you count the love triangle as all one ship (which I do, because it’s much simpler in my head, plus I write a lot of reveal fics …), then I have two OTPs for this fandom. The other is Gabenath. (I’m new at the ship names, do you pronounce the H?) So many things I’d love to say about them, but I’ll save for future posts. Those four characters are without a doubt my favourite (in order: Nathalie, Gabriel, Adrien, Marinette; but it’s really close!). I also like Luka/Chloe, and I paired them together in my head (well, in a fanfiction plan) before I knew anyone else had thought of it.

With regards to fanfiction, I’ve never read much on or posted directly to Tumblr (I prefer archives where chapters are easily organised and you can’t accidentally read something before you’ve read the previous instalment), but I will try and remember now to at least mention when I post something new. Usually I’m on FFnet and AO3 under the penname Alexannah. (I’m also registered under pretty much every Harry Potter archive still online, though I admit I’ve rather lost track of which of my stories are posted where on them, with the exception of Potions and Snitches which I frequent regularly.)

I have a mass of multi-chapter MLB fics in the works, but can’t promise when any of them will be posted. I might post some info about the more promising looking ones if people are interested. However I do have a drabble and a one-shot on both archives, and I’m working on a couple of other one-shots. I’m also working on a response to a prompt I came across on Tumblr which I plan to post in full here since this is where the inspiration came from (and I also promised to tag people who were interested), though I don’t plan on doing that for the rest of my stories.

I’ll leave it there for now, but expect some headcanons, season three reactions and other geeking out in due course …

[maxilsmaster]

writer ask meme

https://ciiardha-blog.tumblr.com/post/158543702841/writer-ask-meme

  1. Tell us about your WIP! right now, i’m working on a fic with classicfresh, scifell, errink, dustberry, horrorlust, afterdeath and killercreammare. basically, dream invited everyone on a picnic but it went horribly wrong and everyone started arguing.

2. Where is your favorite place to write? i mostly write stuff out on google docs then post to ao3, but sometimes i just skip to ao3

3. What is your favorite/least favorite part about writing? favorite: i don’t necessarily have to share my work. least favorite: describing things.

4. Do you have any writing habits/rituals? lots of dialogue, start with a line of dialogue.

5. Top five formative books? haha what

6. Favorite character you’ve written? probably error or ink. maybe my own sans, illusion.

7. Favorite/most inspirational book? i like the sight (warriors arc 3 book 1) and curiosity killed the error (by the lovely @shandycandy278​).

8. Do you have any writing buddies or critique partners? i recently gained a position beta-reading for @jasmynation​‘s undermaze fic. also my friend CosmoCat07 on ao3

9. Favorite/least favorite tropes? i have no idea.

10. Pick an author (or writing friend) to co-write a book with CosmoCat07

11. What are you planning to work on next? dying inside slowly

12. Which story of yours do you like best? why? New Beginnings, the thing I’m writing with CosmoCat07.

13. Describe your writing process oh hey this would be funny *types ideas on notepad on chromebook* *writes it out on google docs*

14. What does it take for you to be ready to write a book? (i.e. do you research? outline? make a playlist or pinterest board? wing it?) type a vague idea, and wing it from there

15. How do you deal with self-doubt when writing? bottle it up internally :D

16. Cover love/dream covers? i don’t like covers.

17. What things (scenes/topics/character types) are you most comfortable writing? not sex.

18. Tell us about that one book you’ll never let anyone read my first warriors fanfic. 30 chapters of me not fully understanding warriors. (un)fortunately, it got deleted when my old laptop broke.

19. How do you cope with writer’s block? write more

20. Any advice for young writers/advice you wish someone would have given you early on? don’t doubt yourself.

21. What aspect of your writing are you most proud of? the grammar, definitely. i’m not giving a shit about it here, but i’m good at grammar. no grammarly stop giving me your ads, i can write just fine on my own.

22. Tell us about the books on your “to write” list 50 one-shots then 70+ more.

23. Most anticipated upcoming books? the next warriors books

24. Do you remember the moment you decided to become a writer/author? no

25. What’s your worldbuilding process like? what worldbuilding process?

26. What’s the most research you’ve ever put into a book? very. very. VERY. little.

27. Every writer’s least favorite question - where does your inspiration come from? Do you do certain things to make yourself more inspired? Is it easy for you to come up with story ideas? inspiration? fanfiction. it’s pretty easy.

28. How do you stay focused on your own work and how do you deal with comparison? i don’t compare and i don’t get comparison. i’m not that popular.

29. Is writing more of a hobby or do you write with the intention of getting published? hobby

30. Do you like to read books similar to your project while you’re drafting or do you stick to non-fiction/un-similar works? all i read is fanfiction all i read is undertale fanfiction all i write is basically undertale fanfiction

31. Top five favorite books in your genre? genre: fanfiction. ckte, um ckte, undermaze, our tangled web, and uh ckte. i like ckte.

32. On average how much do you write in a day? do you have trouble staying focused/getting the word count in? i have trouble writing over 1000 words at once, but i try. i also write a lot. it’s been occupying most of my time lately.

33. What’s your revision/rewriting process like? oh, i messed up this word. edit. oh, this sentence would fit here... add sentence. oh my god this whole story sucks burn it in hell.

34. Unpopular writing thoughts/opinions? idk.

35. Post the last sentence you wrote from prompt 49. dear god. at least i’m done prompt 5...

“S’ why m’ not gettin’ ya somethin’ greasy,” Red answered, pulling open the door to Grillby’s.

36. Post a snippet SPOILERS FOR PROMPT 33 OF MY THING

Cross stepped between the two. “Alright, who wants to play hide and seek?”

“OOH! ME!” Blue cheered, wiggling around in the strings.

Horror raised the hand his axe was in, and Killer raised a hand as he stood up to retrieve his knife from the wall it had been stuck in from when he threw it. Meanwhile, Dust and Error let out a groan.

“Alright, majority rules, we’re doing hide and seek!”

“Yay!” Horror, Blue and Killer said, all in different tones.

“And Error, no cheating this time,” Cross ordered. “You know what, you can seek.”

“Fuck you,” Error spat as he dropped Blue from the strings. Killer caught Blue dramatically. “That was gay.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’re already dating,” Killer refuted, dipping Blue and kissing him.

“EIGHT! NINE! TEN!” Error yelled, turning around and subsequently causing everyone to jump.

They then proceeded to run out of the room.

37. Do you ever write long handed or do you prefer to type everything? type. i can’t write with a pencil for shit.

38. How do you nail voice in your books? i don’t XD

39. Do you spend a lot of time analyzing and studying the work of authors you admire? idk, really

40. Do you look up to any of your writer buddies? shandy

41. Are there any books you feel have shaped you as a writer? what?

42. How many drafts do you usually write before you feel satisfied? one, then edit.

43. How do you deal with rejection? haven’t had to yet.

44. Why (and when) did you decide to become a writer? late grade 7, i guess. that was when i first started getting into warriors.

45. First or third person? third

46. Past or present tense? past, definitely

47. Single or dual/multi POV? i’m cool with either

48. Do you prefer to write skimpy drafts and flesh them out later, or write too much and cut it back? write everything in one go (spread out over multiple days, normally), then add/remove a few details

49. Favorite fictional world? right now utmv but i also like warriors

50. Do you share your rough drafts or do you wait until everything is all polished? i edit before i post, but i post individual chapters

51. Are you a secretive writer or do you talk with your friends about your books? mostly talk about it amongst the fandom

52. Who do you write for? myself, mostly.

53. What is the first line of your WIP? my current one, where i’m writing seven different ships in a one-shot?

This picnic was a terrible idea. Everyone was arguing over something so pointless and mundane that it may as well not even have started.

54. Favorite first line/opening you’ve written? not the one above

55. How do you manage your time/make time for writing? (do you set aside time to write every day or do you only write when you have a lot of free time?)  i just write constantly

[lee-jinkis-ponytail]

Meet the Players of Haunts & Hellhounds: Laurie Prescott

Laurie - 20 - Party Role: Mage (Offense)

Laurie’s used to making the rules as the designated Dungeon Crawlers’ Union GM. But in the game of Haunts & Hellhounds, Grimm Morreaux is in charge. And according to his rules, someone must play the role of the Final Girl...

Read on for H&H stats, current status, backstory, and fears.

SPOILER WARNING: If you have not finished the most recent chapter of Haunts & Hellhounds over on Wattpad, and you wish to avoid spoilers (including whether the character has survived thus far), DO NOT read past this break.

The most recent chapter is: Chapter 7. *New chapters every Friday at 4PM EST!* :)

Haunt & Hellhound Level & Trope: LVL3 Final Girl

EXP: 500

Student Background: Sophomore, Digital Media Art Major with a Minor in Studio Art

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Defense Stat: 19

HP Maximum: 34 Current HP: 34

SP Maximum: 23 Current SP: 23

MP: 30 Current MP: 30 Spell Attack Bonus: +2 Death Saves: -Successes: ( ) ( ) ( ) -Failures: ( ) ( ) ( ) Hit Dice: 2d10 (unarmed) or 2d12 (armed)

Proficiency Bonus: +2

Attributes (* = proficient): (1) Strength*: 12 (+1) (2) Dexterity*: 17 (+3) (3) Constitution*: 18 (+4) (4) Knowledge*: 15 (+2) (5) Serenity*: 14 (+2) (6) Charisma*: 11 (+0)

Skills (* = proficient): (1) Acrobatics* (Dex)(+5) (2) Alchemy & Chemistry (Kno)(+2) (3) Animal Handling* (Cha)(+2) (4) Arcana & Witchcraft* (Ser)(+4) (5) Athletics* (Str)(+3) (6) Crafting (Dex)(+4) (7) Deception* (Cha)(+2) (8) History & Lore (Kno)(+2) (9) Insight (Kno)(+2) (10) Intimidation & Distraction* (Cha)(+2)   (11) Investigation (Kno)(+2) (12) Perception (Ser)(+2) (13) Persuasion* (Cha)(+2) (14) Religion & Occultism (Kno)(+2) (15) Sanity* (Ser)(+4) (16) Sleight of Hand (Dex)(+3) (17) Stealth* (Dex)(+7) (18) Survival* (Kno)(+4) (19) Technology (Kno)(+2)

Extra Proficiences: (1) All Weapons: The innovative Final Girl is proficient in all ranged and melee weapons. If she is armed in battle, she rolls a d12 as her hit die instead of a d10, like the Jock. (2) Luck of the Roll: The Final Girl rolls every single check and death saving throw at an advantage. (3) English: This character speaks English. (4) Latin: This character speaks Latin. (5) Art: As a DMA major with a minor in Studio Art, Laurie has a knack for creativity. She gains an additional +1 to her crafting ability. Abilities: (1) Hide & Seek Champion: As the Final Girl, Laurie gains an additional +2 to her stealth skill, on top of her proficiency and dexterity bonuses.  (2) Pep Talker: Once per battle, the Final Girl may lend 5 points of inspiration to any companion who is in dire straits. (3) Dark Blast: (Purchased from Damon) The player sends a ball of dark energy at their opponent, dealing 1d10 damage. Cost: 4MP

Inventory: -2 pockets (cell phone, healing potion) -Backpack ($10 cash, debit card, student ID, 2 granola bars, H&H player’s handbook) -1-handed weapon: golf club -Other hand: Flashlight

Appearance: -Blue eyes -Long, straight, dirty-blonde hair, worn in a Dutch braid -About 5′8″ -Lanky, tall -No piercings or tattoos -Only mascara, lightly penciled in eyebrows, and some powdered concealer -Wearing a mid-thigh-length skirt, off-the-shoulder t-shirt, and Gladiator sandals

Backstory & Personality: Valedictorian at a prestigious private high school, everyone was surprised when Laurie chose to become a DMA major in college. With grades like hers, they were all so sure she would become a doctor. But video games have always been her guilty pleasure, and she desperately wants to make her own. Since starting college, video games have consumed her entire identity. If she isn’t playing them or designing them, she’s drawing concept art and character sketches. She’s determined to create a AAA title someday, and she feels as though she has something to prove to her family members, who don’t seem to understand why she chose this career path and even tried dissuading her from it. Failure isn’t an option. When a fellow Studio Art classmate, Tatiana Davis, suggested they start a tabletop RPG stream together, Laurie jumped right on the opportunity, seeing it as a rich fountain of inspiration for her own video game creations. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find a faculty member to sponsor the stream as a student club and the school wouldn’t grant them permission to use the computer lab for a non-school related stream, so the four adventurers had to buy their own tech and stream from their respective dorms and apartments. Laurie offered to be the team’s GM, and the rest is Dungeon Crawlers’ Union history. She’s known for being a bit of a harsh, controlling GM who bristles whenever her players go off the beaten path. The way she sees it, it was mostly her own brainpower that went into the creation of the DCU; no one else offered to build the dungeons and organize the stream, and so she should get full creative control. Hell, she even helped all three of the other members pay for their webcams and microphones. She worries as a result that her fellow streamers don’t really like her. And honestly, she wouldn’t blame them if they hated her. She knows she’s a control freak. She’s tried relaxing her tight grip on life, but when she does that, it feels like her world is spiraling. She likes plans and hates uncertainty, determined to conquer the unknown before it overwhelms her. Laurie didn’t ask to be the Final Girl when all the Haunts & Hellhounds shit started. She doesn’t even feel like she’s cut out for the part; sure she’s smart, but she’s sort of a one-trick pony. No one else seemed to want the role though. And according to Grimm Morreaux’s rules, there has to be one Final Girl in every group of survivors. So now Laurie’s swapping the GM guidebook out for a handful of dice. And though playing as the Final Girl pretty much guarantees her survival, Laurie doesn’t want to watch her DCU team die. If she had it her way, they’d all make it out alive. Unfortunately, this is one campaign she can’t control.

Favorite Horror Movie: Until Dawn -- “I mean, it’s a video game, but it basically counts as a movie, right?” Horror Movie She Will absolutely NEVER Watch Because It Is Just Too Spooky: Stay Alive -- “I like my video games to be pleasant escapes from reality, not life-or-death, thank you very much.”

[wiseauthorowl]

WIP interview questions

My week is just about up for @alexprompts wipweekly event, better answer these ASAP! Sorry for the busy weekend, and thank you so much for the spot on the event! 

CURRENT ACHIEVEMENTS:

What’s the word count of your WIP currently?

My current draft is only at 10,685 words but I hope to add 50,000 is November!

Which scene are you the most proud of, and without (or with, if you’d prefer) spoilers, can you share an excerpt?

My current draft is still in a very young stage so from where it starts to where it is now there isn’t much I’m exactly proud of. However, there is a scene that I rather excited to get to and I’m proud of it in the sense that it really captures the chaos of my main villains the Flame Emporer and his children. I can’t share an excerpt since right now it’s just in my head, but I think I’ll write up the scene and share it sometime soon!

Can you explain the development of three characters you particularly enjoy for us, and where you drew their personalities from, or how they develop throughout the story?

This question seems hard to answer for me... at least, I’m thinking very complex for the answer. 

I rather like Neria, she is a major bad-ass who is always so calm and cool and I love to draw out a more compassionate part of her as she learns to consider her own wants and desires. 

Kor is always fun because you never really know what’s going on with him. He is very chaotically eccentric, yet everything he does always accomplishes something. When I write him, I think with his goals in mind but also that he is very bored with everything and just wants a little excitement at any expense. every time my characters think they have him figured out, they realize they don’t. I draw his character from the idea of “fun for fun’s sake.”

Another character I always enjoy writing is Chess. Being a fey, I draw their personality from that lot, being a trickster and all. Unlike with Kor, not even Chess’ base actions or what they say make sense, though also unlike Kor my characters end up understanding it, especially when they need it most. 

SHORT TERM GOALS:

What’s the aim of sharing on tumblr?

Really, it’s to try to meet other writers and share our stories to one another.

What’s the biggest changes, progress, or development you would like to make to Immortal Warrior before the end of the year?

I’d really like to be done with the first draft if possible haha, other than that I want to continue intricate world and character building and actually recording it.

What draft are you currently on, and how would you like to see it evolve?

I am currently on my third draft, my previous two just weren’t what I wanted. I either got stuck or I just realized it wasn’t particularly good. In its current stage, I really want this draft to get completed and move onto editing and finally getting published. 

LONG TERM GOALS:

Do you have a word count/ chapter amount goal?

I suppose about 90,000 for my first book. I know publishers don’t want a too high of a word count for first-time writers but I don’t want some meat on the bone.

Do you plan on publishing in the future? If so, how would you like to do so?

Of course, and however I can, really. I defiantly want physical copies, though. 

If your WIP were to be turned into a movie or other form of media, what’s the most important three things you would want to be included/focused on?

Character personalities, the villains, and relationships (all sorts, not just romantic). The plot is important, of course, but I feel if you nail these three things the plot would follow suit. 

What would you like to do to develop your skills as a writer?

Engage in constructive critique I suppose. You get better by knowing first that you can and knowing where to go from there. 

INSPIRATION:

Which authors inspire you?

I suppose Stephen King and recently, Kel Kade. While I’m not the biggest on reading horror, King’s accomplishments are something. As for Kel Kade, I love his writing style and how fluid it is. 

Which works in any form of media have helped shaped the way you like to write or plan your stories?

Oh no, there are too many. I read, I watch, I listen nonstop. Though perhaps FFX, LotR, and Dragonball Z shaped my writing the most. 

Where did you get the names of each of the main characters in Immortal Warrior from, and what attracted you to them?

For the most part, I play around with sounds and names in my mouth until I like the way they sound for different characters. 

Seth: I really just liked the name, but then I learned and really like the symbolism behind the name, too. 

Fenrir: So I was super stuck picking a name and personality out for my mentor character and landed on Fenrir by just pulling him out of another story idea I had. 

Caldour: I just played around with sounds. 

Neria and Avroth: Both of these characters originated from good friends, who are also writers. 

taglist: @wildler