#from the top five I didn't know 2 or 5 (or 6) (or many others)

[faethskillz]

I was curious on what the top responses were so I collected data from reblogs from Thursday 4:46pm CST to Friday 8pm CST. There were a lot of responses and still more coming in; I may continue the data collection later on but not tonight.

I counted all Sebastian mentions in a reblog, including Sebastians claimed as second or third thoughts.

If you have not yet reblogged with your Sebastian, consider this to be your final warning before seeing some popular options.

Top 5:

Sebastian from The Little Mermaid!

With 100 tags, Sebastian from the Little Mermaid is Tumblr's most 'favorite' Sebby. Reactions were mixed, ranging from highly favorable to calling him names. One thing is for sure though, and that's that Tumblr has to work on their crustacean identifications. Users were were unsure whether the red guy was a lobster or a crab or something equally aquadelightful.

I searched this up and the interwebs are also confused although most people, along with Sebastian himself, say he is a crab.

2. Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji!

Although he came in second with 92 tags, Sebastian Michaelis had the most people say him as their first pick. 81 Tumblrians (compared to crustacean Sebastian's 74) claimed to "hate this freak" (sakurraaa-s) and the community as a whole seemed to either find him unmeasurably attractive or thought he was unmeasurably awful. Overall a great run.

3. Sebastian from Stardew Valley!

With 75 tags, emo pixel marriage candidate is in third place. Many people, however, said he was the only Sebastian they could think of or that they had to struggle to come up with his name (well, not his name, given that that's the whole point, but his likeness). Ignoring the disinterested fanbase, Sebastian still has many partners in the Tumblr community.

4. Sebastian from Your Personal Lives!

My Sebastian was my dog's brother. Originally growing up together, the two dogs get along to this day and still see each other for sleepovers and playdates regularly. Sebastian is known for butting his way into my bedroom (something his brother refuses to do) and sleeping on my bed overnight.

Other rebloggers also have people in their lives named Sebastian, sometimes even themselves. 55 of 67 users put a friend, animal, peer, or themselves down as their first Sebastian thought, while 12 people favored someone else first and then their personal connection.

Happy birthday to yippeecore's nephew who turned 12 recently and is (allegedly) named Sebastian!

5. Sebastian Stan from being an IRL Marvel Actor!

This nerd blorbo has lots of stans who appreciate his cool and epic acting skillz. 54 of them to be exact. Having gone popular on Tumblr multiple times, it's only natural that many users thought of him as their first pick for Sebastian.

Thank you goldensunset for making this poll; people also commented that the tag buffer was banger (that means good btw).

Tags in the Other category included vague responses I was unable to identify as a category, super specific references to niche events, and items that did not fit into a character or item otherwise listed.

curious about something so i want to conduct a free-response survey. who (or what) first comes to your mind when you hear the name sebastian

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(break so that you see the post independently before any tags)

[drivestraight]

penny for Val’s thoughts on your top 10 movies of the year

[opening up letterboxd re: friend me here]

TO PREFACE THIS i actually haven't watched many new movies from 2024... so this list is literally like. Almost all the 2024 movies i watched this year. so like... 8, 9, and 10 i didn't even really like THAT much but i'm putting them on here anyway (i'll be honest if i was including 2023 movies this list would be way different). but you asked for This year so we move:

10. the substance

to be clear i did not like this movie but it literally moved me so much that i was Stuck thinking about it for the next few days so. and i guess i liked it better than the other five 2024 movies i watched so

9. kinds of kindness

once again i really didn't like this movie very much. i generally don't like lanthimos' movies but this movie. Like it was an experience in theatres

8. megalopolis

okay. hear me out. this was not a good movie. but it really. Kept me engaged. in a. what the hell is happening. way for a good 2 hours. which is more than i asked for

7. queer

maybe this would be higher if i could remember watching it (me and my friends split 2 bottles of wine during the movie...)

6. furiosa

my jack... my fury...

5. challengers

LITERALLY SUCH AN ADRENALINE RUSH... SO GOOD i think i need to rewatch it but like. MANNNN did this get me GOING.

4. a real pain

i cried... like a lot... i love him i hate him i want to kill him i want to be him. you light up every room you're in. then you shit all over it. kieran culkin you move with such weightless sorrow. such brilliance

3. conclave

political thriller of ALLLL time. and so. heartfelt. such beautiful cinematography. 90% of this movie just had so many gorgeous shots that had me literally like. breath stolen out of my lungs. and man... the scene where lawrence casts his vote. i will never not think about that. and all of the constant twists. you come into this movie thinking like yeah, i know the twists are coming, this is so predictable. and then the twist comes and it was. Absolutely not what you were expecting. esp that last one. like i was so gagged.

2. anora

bruh. i cant even. bruh. just.. bruh. that last scene. The entire movie. man.

1. dune pt2

Do i even have to explain.

[kimium]

It's that time of the year again! I always love writing a little year fic review for myself. I find it fun to look back on my writing and reflect. So, here it is for 2024. All my statistics comes from AO3.

My Fic Review for 2024

Statistic Stuff

My “Top Five” fics by hits:

Just a Normal Citizen (Not a Dimension Traveler) - Twisted Wonderland

Longing, Action, and Desire - Twisted Wonderland

Obviously We are Engaged VS I Wonder if Silver Likes Me? - Twisted Wonderland

Silent Hypocrisy - Twisted Wonderland

Warming Up in Snippets (2) - Multi-fandom

My most bookmarked fic: Just a Normal Citizen (Not a Dimension Traveler)

How many words I wrote in 2024: 253,827

Question Stuff

What was the most surprising thing about writing in 2024?

The most surprising thing about 2024 was finally writing a co-written piece again. After a long hiatus, I ended up writing a fanfic with one of my dearest friends @m34gs. What started as a joke over our tea time turned into me going "You know what? We're going to write this."

I am so grateful to my friend because the fic wouldn't exist without her. I'm still very uncomfortable writing Sebek and was certain I couldn't do an entire chapter in his perspective. Yes, I could have written both chapters and stuck to Silver's perspective, but I felt writing in Sebek's perspective was important for several reasons. The biggest one being the dramatic irony Sebek's perspective provides.

Oh, and speaking of my friend, I'm still super shocked our Sort of Saw Franchise AU fics are doing well. Like, we truly thought a year ago when we started it that maybe five people if we were lucky would like it. We are truly so appreciative of all the support and love!

2. What was the most enjoyable to write?

Without a doubt my most enjoyable project of the year is my Twisted Wonderland fic How to Become a God (Get Possessed). It has been a long time since a fic took me by the hand and didn't let me go as I wrote it. Truly, this fic is my passion project and while it isn't very popular, it's in my top 3 favourite fics of 2024.

3. Which fic is the most underrated?

Oh, my Honkai Star Rail fic that's in my Warming Up in Snippets (2) collection. Which is such a shame because I really love Honkai Star Rail, but writing for the fandom has been hard.

4. Which fic(s) had something “cut” or had an idea that never happened?

-As I said last year in Just a Normal Citizen (Not a Dimension Traveler) I had some violent scenes planned that never got written. However, now that I officially started my snippet sequel How to Balance Dimension Hopping (Do Your Best), I hope I can rectify this!

-In Riddle's chapter for How to Become a God (Get Possessed) I had some extra scenes planned. They were mostly him with Trey and Che'nya but they felt too similar in tone. I cut them in order to be a bit more straightforward.

-Kalim's chapter almost had an entire overhaul to it so I could write a bit more Jamil being suspicious. However, I wanted his betrayal to be a shock for Kalim and figured too many suspicious scenes would push the limit of Kalim's naive nature.

-For Vil's chapter in the God AU I almost wrote a bit more Neige and Vil scenes, but I never got around to it.

5. Which fic(s) did you want to write but didn’t get around to?

-Still haven't written established Vil/Rook who high key flirt with other characters they are attracted to. I am still going to write this with them flirting with Trey but I also want to write them flirting with: Jack, Cater, Deuce, Ace, and Yuu. This will be a 2025 fic... I hope.

-I want to finish up my Platonic Yandere AU. Though, if I am speedy I may be able to finish it up early in the new year.

-It is a little late to the year, so it's fine I never wrote it, but I finished playing both AI: Somnium Files games. Perhaps I'll write a fic or two for the series as I quite enjoyed the games.

6. Any WIPs that never got published?

That SDR2 fic I started in April/May. Since I never finished it, I never posted it.

7. Share a snippet from a WIP fic?

Here is a snippet from the next instalment for the Platonic Yandere AU!

"Crowley liked running Yuu around doing various tasks but when it came to payment he was on the stingy side. It was usually a bit of a pain considering Yuu had to feed Grim, their adorable glutton, but it was do-able. Even though countless times Yuu was tempted to talk to any one of their more financially well-off friends, they never mustered the courage to do so. Someone like Kalim would help them without a second thought but taking without giving anything back sat sour in the back of Yuu’s throat."

8. Which fic was the one you were most “excited” to write?

I was so excited to write my God AU. You all have no idea. I was also very excited to finish Just a Normal Citizen (Not a Dimension Traveler). It was a year long project and I'm so pleased with the result and love the fic has received.

9. Fic Hopes for the New Year?

I want to try writing for one new fandom next year. I've been in a bit of a Twisted Wonderland mood and while I love it and will continue writing for the series, it's nice to change things up.

I also really want to write another SDR2 Komahina fic. They are truly my loves and comfort ship. I haven't forgotten about them and I want to revist their dynamic soon.

I also want to write more co-written fics again. While it is hard to juggle and manage, they're some of the fics I cherish the most.

Anyways, here is my little review. I hope you enjoyed reading it! And if you have anything you want me to expand on, feel free to send an ask!

Also, the other years I never tagged people but this time I think I will! I tag: @a-little-harmed-shinra, @m34gs, @someobscurereference, and @shreedle!!

[traineecryptid]

NPSS Weibo Q&A (20240831) Part 6

This is a Q&A session held on Weibo. People will tag their questions with the hashtag #南派三叔藏海花在线答疑# (#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A#) and NPSS will look through the tag to pick some to answer. The event started at 1500 hours on 2024 August 31st.

Folder with screenshots and big compilation google doc is here. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. Part 4 is here. Part 5 is here.

1847

Q: Shu, how would you like us to treat the DMBJ dramas and the novels? Are they parallel universes? For example, the Sha Hai drama had an ending while the novel didn't. Also a lot of novels have characters that haven't appeared in the novels. 

A: Usually, I view the novels as the real world and the dramas as a version that the characters in the stories tell others. There's two good things about this. 1. It can explain all sorts of differences between the novel and the drama. 2. It allows the dramas to present extra emotion that the characters have when retelling the story. By looking at how a person retells their own story, you can see how they see themselves and this story.

1902

Q: Sanshu, will you do a drama adaptation of Sea of Lights? That one is really scary. But I’ll say this first, if you are going to make an adaptation, you must finish writing it first, okay?

A: Do you like scary scenes? I thought everyone wouldn’t be scared anymore.

1913

Q:Can you talk about the casting? What’s the deciding factor or what changed that ended up with this Xiaoge and Wu Xie being cast?

A: The entire process from Naive Wu Xie to ZHH Wu Xie to Sha Hai Wu Xie is too difficult. Wu Xie’s luck ended when ZHH Wu Xie ended.

1936

#Zang Hai Hua# I’ll ask everyone a question. Between the two storylines in ZHH, do you like Wu Xie’s storyline or Zhang Qiling’s storyline?

2011

Everyone please give some practical responses, okay? (T/N: There were an amount of people responding with “Pingxie’s storyline!” to the previous post.)

2031

Q: How many times has Zhang Qiling guarded the Bronze Gate? Has Zhang Haiyan guarded the gate with him before? [Excerpt of Blind Tomb: Little Brother Zhang? Could it be that in one of the ten years in the past, he was the one who accompanied Menyouping into the Gate?]

A: Nope. You’re overthinking it.

2031

Q: Has Tu Dian done something to Xie Yuchen causing Hei Xiazi to hate him?

A: Hei Xiazi knows that this man’s bottom line is too low and he also doesn’t fear death.

2033

Q: Bing, they only want you to answer their questions. I’m different. I only care if you’re tired from answering so many questions every day. (With deep emotions)

A: I think there are too few questions and there is too much repetition. I want to see strange questions.

2051

#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A# Everyone go watch the drama first. I want to write an update first. I’ll come back and continue later.

20240901

0129

Q: Speak!! Sanshu! Good evening (Very loudly)

A: Coming right up.

0145

Q: Where is the update you wrote? 

A: It will auto-post at 12pm tomorrow.

0152

Q: Sanshu, would you consider writing a guzhuang mystery drama with the Five Succulent Beef? (T/N: this is the group name for: Wu Xie, Xiaoge, Pangzi, Xiao Hua and Xiazi) I think it would be very interesting.

A: Is this the dream about the five famous investigators? Godly Investigator Wordless, Godly Investigator Sight-less, Godly Investigator Dustless, Godly Investigator Joyless, Godly Investigator Thin-less. 

0156

Q: If Zhang Haixia survived and met Wu Xie, how would they interact with each other? What identity would Zhang Haixia use and how would he participate in the Ten Year Plan?

A:”Are you the one who makes others worry or the one who worries about others?” Zhang Haixia asked. Wu Xie didn’t know how to answer at that moment. 

“Both at different times, I guess,” Wu Xie said after giving it a thought. “That’s making others worry,” Zhang Haixia said.

0213

Q: Sanshu, why isn’t Xiaoge midlane solo? I feel like both Wu Xie and Pang-ye are the Iron Triangle’s top-middle jungler. Walking around providing help, starting the team fight and setting the tempo, DPS carry, sitting at the most important location on the map, excelling in every area. If Wu Xie and Xiaoge partner up for the bottom lane, would they get into an argument? Is Aphelios the most suitable AD for Xiaoge? A: Xiaoge appears and disappears whenever. If this isn’t jungle-ing, what is it? If the midlane solo keeps walking around, [the others] might go nuts. 

0218

Q: Lei, I’m getting you. I’ve been posting for the entire day. Tell me Zhang Haiyan and Zhang Haixia’s first impression of each other. 

A: Is he going to snatch my food? —Zhang Haiyan

He’s so skinny. I’ll give him half of mine. But is it too much? I’m hungry too. —Zhang Haixia

90 posts and we've passed the 1st day mark of q&a! also yes npss was answering questions at 2am. but the best part of this section of q&a is the appearances of the southern archives characters! so fun! if i manage to get a good chunk translated tomorrow, i'll do another double update... but we shall see...

[pragnificent]

Tagged by @tina-mairin-goldstein! Tagging whoever else wants to play.

1.How many fics do you have on AO3?

78.

2. What's your total word count on AO3?

934,933. Wow, maybe I can break a million this year....

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just HANNIBAL right now (and for like the last seven years or so). Been vaguely thinking about picking up a second but nothing has caught my interest strongly enough.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Attachment - 7,592

The Fisherman and the Beast from the Sea - 4,565

Sashimi - 2,807

Hungry Ghost - 1,585

Identically Different - 1,382 <- This is my best series and yall should give it a shot <3

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to, and I enjoy doing so, but sometimes the brainworms win and I don't get stuff done even when I really want to.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Breathless

I don't love this story, but "Hannibal is effectively braindead after the fall, but Will keeps caring for the body and feels that Hannibal is there with him, up until the body dies and Will turns himself in because there isn't any point anymore" probably counts as the most angsty? If you are in the market for a "Hannibal receives a brain injury and he, along with everyone else around him, has to cope with that" story Tina's For Remembrance (Holes in the Floor of the Mind) is a much better pick. And as I continue to think about it, Means of Influence has a pretty angsty ending.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my stories have slightly bittersweet but still mostly happy endings. Part of the thing about that is I think it's really hard to envision a situation where Will is like 100% Happy Happy, his own mind hates him too much and every little scrap of happiness needs to be fought for and then vigilantly guarded. But I put both him and Hannibal through so much that I always want them to be as close to content as they each can be.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have gotten two flavors of Fic Hate. 1.) People calling the five year old kid OC in ATTACHMENT slurs like "r*tard" and saying "he belongs in jail" and etc.

Every time Hannibal or Will fuck someone who isn't each other at least one person decides to Yell At Me.

I think I've gotten the old "you didn't tag for bottom Hannibal!!" nonsense once or twice too, but who hasn't?

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

A little. I actually started Hannishark bc I was really intimidated by sex scenes and wanted to see if I could pull off a short monsterfucker story. I feel like I've gotten better at writing these but am generally more comfortable leaving them sparce on anatomical details and big on feelings/conversations.

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what's the craziest one?

I've got a WRONG TURN crossover series that I'm very proud of here: Bear Mountain Road AU. You don't need to have seen any of the movies to read it, or anything, the movies' premise of "a clan of inbred mountain cannibals waylays travelers" is really just an excuse to put Hannibal (and Will and D, as child members of the cannibal family) In Situations. If I counts as a cross over, I've got a universe swap between the novels and NBC HANNIBAL here: Shiloh

I also have a vague idea for a SAW / HANNIBAL crossover but I've been sitting on that for so long, who knows if it'll ever happen?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not so far as I know.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, several times.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yep, a couple of times.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Hannigram and Reba/D (guys we need a fuckin ship name).

15. What are your writing strengths?

Character, emotions, dialogue.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sex scenes, pacing.

17. Thoughts writing dialogue in another language?

Fine by me, tho I only think I've done it one or twice.

18. First fandom you wrote for?

FARSCAPE.

19. Favorite fic you've written?

Identically Different AU !!!! This it the best thing I've ever written and probably the best thing I will ever write.

[mentallyshattered]

This is part 23 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

I have several questions.

1. Why am I here?

2. Where is "here?"

3. When did I wake up?

5. What time is it?

6. How did I get here?

7. Who are they?

There are several other questions, of course, but these are the ones that press most persistently at my mind. Some are easy enough to answer- Grim's my familiar, of course he's here- while others- maybe there aren't any crickets because of the time? They should be active if it's still night- aren't so obvious.

Ah, well. The lane in front of me is long, as is the portion behind me I've absentmindedly walked prior to realizing I'm not somewhere I already know. The atmosphere here doesn't feel aggressive, hostile, or even unwelcoming. It just feels... calm. Strangely, unfamiliarly calm, like I've been here all my life without realizing it. Like a freshwater fish moved to a cleaner, kinder lake.

On my left and right are smoke-lined "screens" with short videos playing, repeating from what I assume to be the start after a second or two of playing. Each "screen" is about my height, hovering slightly above the ground beside the path, but I soon realize I'm taller. The bottom of the screens aligns with my ankles, not my feet, but the tops are still about level with my scalp. About a meter and a half from the side of the walkway is a row of trees with a deep brownish-black I've never seen in nature, much less alongside the pale blue, almond-shaped leaves. In form, some of the trees resemble simple oak, while others split at the base like birch. The variety is undeniable regardless of trunks: some droop like weeping willows; some branch straight up; some don't bother with limbs and just grow their leaves directly off of their bark. The nonpath ground that doesn't have a tree on it is covered in what looks to be clover, flowerless and evidently lacking in the four-leafed variety, favoring five-leafedness as some noticeable portion of the apparent population.

The path itself is a shifting shade of grey, then purple, then blue, and then I hold my head still and stare. Above me is a strange, dark sky, the same shade as right before a thunderstorm, when dark clouds coat the sky and hide the sun. In spite of the color, not one cloud is visible- just a series of small, silvery streaks, some pale blue and most are a very light, shiny grey that appears white against the dark sky. The streaks are scattered like faraway stars; some even form a bizarre sort of image, a constellation of abstract made to resemble a hundred shapes at once. If I look straight up, they resemble a fox, but if I turn a little to my left and peer slightly lower than before, It's an upside-down stag.

What a weird, wonderful world.

In my arms, Grim starts to stir, yawning as he does when he's sleepy. I smile. How cute. His eyes slowly blink open, and he hops out of my arms to stretch like normal, padding over to sit beside me once he's done.

I wait. Logically, he's going to ask where we are soon- but that "soon" never comes. He just sits there, trident tail silently swishing behind him, until he speaks:

"Where're we gonna go?" He says it so casually; I'd think he knows this place if I didn't know any better.

...Do I?

Maybe he knows. Perhaps this is his signature spell. Perhaps it is not. How should I know? All I've been given are strange, vague clues, many of which would seem so out-of-place anywhere else I'd absolutely remember if I've seen them before.

Grim is in front of me now, his paws moving the loose, sandlike material of the path into a tiny trail, documenting his steps. His eyes are staring right at my face, curious and patient. Heh. Never thought I'd call him that, but here we are. Oh, I should ask him.

"Grim, do you know where we are?"

"Sorta," he starts. "I've been here before." He pauses and looks around for a moment before he continues, "Well, here-ish. The path and trees were a different color, and the screen things weren't floating or smokey. The videos were of other things, too, and there were way more sky streak things. Oh, and the sky was darker."

I look around and focus my attention on one of the videos floating on my right. It's of a young child, about eleven if I had to guess, celebrating something with a group of others who appear to be about his age. Just before the loop restarts, a presumably adult figure who's mostly out of sight starts handing out popsicles, starting with the boy in the center of the screen. The kid doesn't ring any bells, but I recognize him regardless- not because he's familiar, but because his familiar is familiar.

Atop the child's head is a very distinct oppossum. The boy must be Korrak. Is this a memory or a dream? I can't be sure.

I reach out to touch it, and all of a sudden I'm in that park, Grim by my side, as a small Korrak kicks a black-and-white soccer ball into a goal made from what I think is PVC piping. The kids cheer, but the other team, a pair of acne-faced young teens, tries to rush the lady keeping score, claiming "offsides." The lady laughs them off, presumably having seen the goal and the fact that the ball didn't touch any of the sides, and tells them to act their age instead of whining.

A chittering Mandible runs to join the cheering children as they toss Korrak into the air- I didn't know they could do that, but I guess little kids are stronger in groups of fifteen- and an adult hands out the "trophies," one for each winner. Korrak clearly isn't the only one with a familiar, as the instant another grown-up reaches to pass Mandible an ice cube with some grapes frozen inside, a small, many-legged clump of colorful fur bolts to her, barking and cooing and chittering and meowing that doesn't seem to be speech so much as just shouting. As the treats are handed out, I see a border collie, a raccon, a cat, and a pigeon quiet down and rest beside their respective winners to rest and eat. The border collie, still not fully grown, jumps onto the lap of a boy with brown hair that reminds me of tree bark, while the raccon runs to a young girl I don't clock as "not a boy" until she undoes her ponytail. The cat, a mostly white shorthair with black paws, an equally dark head, and a tail to match sits on the back of a very pale boy with hair that makes his skin look worse as he lies on his stomach to eat, and the pigeon flies directly into a nearby oak tree, where a small, dark-skinned boy with dreadlocks and wide eyes climbs to meet it.

Eventually, small Korrak finishes his reward, and, tongue stained purple, announces that his mom told him to be back before dark, and leaves, Mandible on his shoulder. The sunset has dyed the sky a bright, beautiful orangey-red, and then I am back in on the path, Grim beside me all the same. The portion of the memory is still looping like is was before on the smoke-lined screen, as though nothing changed. Nothing did. How odd.

Wait, I said something. There was a phrase- "memoir lake," was that it? No, it couldn't be. I don't see a lake.

"Weird," begins Grim. "I've never tried to go through one of those before. Did you see how the grass kinda doubled and split when we touched it? Like, some of it was unaffected, but some was kinda see-through and didn't just phase through my paws."

"I wasn't paying attention to the grass..."

Grim shrugs with his little kitty shoulders. "Fair enough. I barely did." He pauses, paws shifting nervously on the sandlike path. "I used to just...be somewhere a lot like this sometimes. I'd start at the end of the path, and there'd be a light of some kind, and I'd touch it like you did with that memory thing, and..."

I remember. I never went anywhere particular to find Grim, he'd kind of just... show up. I would fall asleep in the woods, as one does when they aren't attending a prestigious magic college, and wake with my familiar in my arms or curled against my stomach. I never questioned it; he'd been appearing like that for years. It'd been part of my "normal" since I was a little kid, and I thought nothing of it, the way rich kids think nothing of their money until they learn their classmates live without it.

I smile. My magic was always there, I suppose, I just couldn't use it until I was there, too.

My magic. My magic. My magic. Is that really what this is?

Grim finally asks me what I've been asking myself: "Is this your signature spell?"

It's mine or his, right? Grim's been seeing this kind of magic for years, and it connected to me then, so it has to be one of ours, right?

I stop and look left. Another memory, with an even younger Korrak. He looks to be hiding behind a small pile of black plastic trash bags, presumably playing hide-and-seek. An adult, a presumably a police officer, steps into the frame, head and chest still out-of-sight. He steps loudly around, leaving a young Korrak to breathe again with relief. The memory loops. I watch, still and silent, as a Korrak who can't be any older than six dashes into an alleyway, digs 'neath the garbage bags, and stashes himself away, holding his breath.

I break away when the cop leaves again. What the hell? That didn't look like a game.

Before I can stop it, my hand reaches out and presses against the screen. For a moment, it feels as though the world has stopped, and then I'm standing on sidewalk as a slight breeze ruffles my hair. Small Korrak bolts through my legs like they aren't there and forces his body against its momentum to make a sharp left into an alleyway. The cop runs up, noticeably slower than the five-or-so-year-old, and stops affront the escape route. He walks forward, slowly, boots thumping on the concrete, and I follow.

The police's face is blurry and obscured. This is a memory, and Korrak didn't get a good look at him, so that's not too surprising, but when I fall onto the trash bags I realize Grim was right- each bag duplicates into two, one of which phases through me, and the other of which doesn't.

The cop leaves, Korrak exhales, and I watch as he cries. Cries little child tears, curling into a ball of scared with Mandible clutched in his arms. The trash bags must be some kind of safe haven to him. Is that why his headphones were where they were when we found them?

A small, quiet whine tries and fails to echo in the dark outdoor halls. Mandible chitters. I don't know what he's saying.

The memory ends. I'm back on the path. What is there to do now but learn more?

I step twelve paces forward. All of the screens' loops would suggest Korrak has never had a house. Further back, more of the same. Farther and farther into his past I glance, and there is not a single instance of Korrak being raised by humans. I don't see a single plane.

The "pilot parents" lie has been very disproven. He grew up homeless? That explains so much! The fighting must have been a necessity out there, and the aforementioned lie was a practiced cover for why everything he owns fits in a single bag. He was probably raised by opossums, too, and learning a human language was probably a challenge.

Poor Korrak. He must have had a difficult life.

I venture into the nearer past. Teen and preteen Korrak does not appear to have been taken in. He has, however, learned to read, which seems to have lead to an interest in science. He doesn't get to indulge that.

Finally, I see the black carriage approach. He's going to Night Raven. Screens further ahead show the entrance ceremony, our dorm room, the Backstage Room, us. Rook taking him to Vil's room. The leaders of Pomefiore taking him and Mandible under their wings as they did Grim and I.

Vil brushing Korrak's hair while Rook smooths Mandible's fur with a brush. Getting a phone for the first time in sixteen years, from our housewarden himself. Clutching Mandible in his arms while trying to curl in on himself, just like he did all those years ago, but now Rook is there, too, hugging him- wait, that's the clearing we saw him in!

Much of this is giving me dejá vù. Rook and Vil treat Korrak and Mandible the way they treat me and Grim: like birds encouraging their fledgling chicks to spread their wings and fly. How come I didn't know of this sooner? As glances of the past would suggest, mom and dad- what the hell, they aren't my legal parents or guardians, I'm getting ahead of all this- went out of their ways to give us privacy. How nice.

I jog to where I started. A "fire" burns there, emitting smoke but no flame. I could walk through if I wanted.

"Myeeh, we need to leave! I don't wanna be late," shouts Grim, trident tail straight up. He's right, we need to go! But how do I...

Two words come to mind: a name. My signature spell's name.

"Memory Lane," I say, and I'm back in my bed.

[the-final-sif]

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 75 total works currently!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

904,821 total words written!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently only really DSMP, but in the past I've written for bnha, marvel, rise of the guardians, homestuck, transformers and a bunch of other random ones in there.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Before looking, my guess is it'll all be bnha, since some of those are my longer ones and and got pretty popular.

Katsuki Bakugou has No Goddamn Chill (But It's For The Best That He Doesn't) - 26,412 kudos

Lessons Learned - 15,859 kudos

You know that thing where an orchestra swaps instruments, and like, some of them get it right away, but others have no clue what they're doing? This is that but with quirks, two unwilling participants, and also Emotions - 11,774 kudos

The Green Eyed Monster - 7,066 kudos

A Yellow Box, Time, Trust, and A Few Adjustments - 6,579 kudos

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

Not usually, I respond sometimes if there's something that catches my attention. but. Uh.

This my inbox filtered by "comments without replies". I do read them all though! Even if I don't mark them as read.

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

Uhhhh, for dsmp they aren't too bad but probably A Palimpsest Mind.

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

For DSMP again, Mercenary to Mailman

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Nope, never really had issues with that. I've had a couple of weirdos but not really hate.

9. Do you write smut?

I did it once to prove I could but I didn't find it too interesting. Sometimes ideas can be fun but ever since the one time I found myself just wanting to write something else when I tried.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nah, it's not my thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, very weirdly. Was able to get it taken down though!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! Several of my fics have been translated and it was super cool!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I don't think I have? But I've done RP and worked out ideas with people before!

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

Uh, honestly I'm less interested in ships themselves and more the nonsense that you can create with that. Any ship can be my favorite if it serves my purposes.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Fissile Family tbh. I have so much written for that and it all planned out but my interested in the bnha fandom is currently dead.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

I'm a pretty fast writer overall, and I think I do well with characterization and dialogue. I know that when I get in a flow I can get character voices down pretty well and that's something that I'm proud of. I'm also pretty good with doing my own take on characters that's different from their canon versions but is still verisimilar.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Sometimes I just forget words or switch what sentence I'm writing halfway through and then never catch it. Also I have to actively beat back my own comma abuse.

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

It's neat? Unclear what this question is asking me for.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Warrior cats! It was hand written in a binder that I actually still have, about clans in an abandoned shopping mall. It was very silly and I'm still proud of baby me for writing it!

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Seven Year Old Katsuki Has The Ability To Kill A Grown Man And No Concept Of Legality

The formatting on this one was insane and took so long and I'm proud of how it came out!

[yandereinc]

Isekai - Yandere!ShalnarkxFem!Reader 05

All chapters Previous chapter Synopsis: You have an unfortunate encounter with Truck-kun which leads you to wake up in the HXH universe.

"So, let's get to know each other, Y/N."

Those words brought a grimace to your face. You already knew too much about Shalnark and you weren't interested in him getting to know you better. He and the troupe could abuse your powers and you did not want to help a bunch of mass-murdering thieves,

"Alright, I suppose… How about we take turns asking questions?" You suggested. You really didn't want to but you doubted that you could make Shalnark change his mind. The only comfort was that wasn't Pakunoda, he couldn't tell if you were lying or not.

Your suggestion pleased him immensely, as evident by the smile he wore.

"I would say ladies first but since you know so much about me already I think it's only fair if I go first," Shalnark smiled.

He didn't even wait for a response from you to ask his question.

"Where are you from?"

You expected a question like that. While you could just reply with your hometown you were sure that would bite you in the ass sooner or later. Seeing as this world was different from your own the change that your hometown existed in any shape or form was small.

You did your best to think of a place they mentioned in the anime. But the only two places that came to mind were Whale Island and Kukuroo Mountain. You didn't want to drag Mito and the other residents of Whale island down with you if things went south but Kukuroo mountain wasn't an option either. That's where the Zoldycks lived and a Zoldyck you were not.

You wanted to say York New but he would question why you were staying at a hotel if you really came from here. Not to mention since he looked you up already he knew you had no history of living anywhere.

"Pass." You ended up saying, realizing you were lost in your thoughts by the way Shalnark smiled at you.

"Pass?"

"Yeah, how about we each get 5 passes? Dates might be for getting to know each other better but this is still just our first date." You tried to reason with him.

He responded with a sigh before resting his cheek on the palm of his hand. "Only because you're so cute." Shalnark grinned.

"Great. That makes it my turn now. Why is Phinks here?" You asked as you looked at the other blonde.

He was currently sitting alone at a table. Having dinner by himself. You wonder why nobody joined him. While Uvogin would stand out too much in this crowd another spide could surely join him.

"I asked him to join as backup."

You were surprised the spider would admit he asked Phinks to join as backup. Almost a little flattered that he thought he needed reinforcements to deal with you.

"My turn again! How much do you know about the phantom troupe?"

That question almost made you grin. You were glad he didn't ask any personal questions. On top of that, you knew a lot about the phantom troupe. While you didn't read the manga you have read too many wikia pages.

"Enough. But if you want me to tell you everything I know about you guys I want another three passes." You figured trying to bargain with him could help you avoid his questions about yourself. Five passes seemed like a lot but you didn't know how long this date would last.

This clearly intrigued him and he took a few moments before he nodded. "That sounds good to me. Now tell me what you know."

Glad that he agreed you took a sip of your wine before speaking up again.

"I know that you all have spider tattoos. Your rank is on the spider's back. I know that you're number 6 and that there are 13 members in total." You paused to get a good look at him. So far you haven't really said anything that was too important but he still looked fairly impressed with you.

"I know the names of everyone in the troupe. Your leader is named Chrollo and has number one. Number one is Nobunaga. Number 2 is Feitan. Number 3 is Machi. Number 4 is Hisoka. Number 5 is Phinks. You're as I already said number 6. Franklin is number 7. Number 8 is Shizuku. Number 10 is Bonolenov. Number 11 is Uvogin and number 12 is Kortopi."

As you numbered the members his smile only seemed to widen. He was about to say something but you cut him off,

"And yes I do know your nen abilities."

The moment you said that you regretted it. Panick covered your features as he looked at you in delight.

"Do you now?" He asked, excited to know that you knew about nen. Eager to learn your abilities because again you had a leg up to him.

"If you want me to name them all you'll have to give me another three passes," you told him.

"It's fine. I think it's time to end this date anyways."

His words surprised you but not as much as the antenna that was flung your way. Only to have it ricochet off of your skin and onto your lap.

"You should've let me finish speaking. I could've told you that your antennas won't work on me, Pretty boy," you grinned at him. Holding up the antenna as you rested your cheek on your free hand. Mimicking the position he put on earlier.

You expected a lot but he surprised you yet again.

"You think I'm pretty?" He asked with a very enthusiastic smile. Making you blush from embarrassment.

"I mean yeah, but I mostly said it to taunt you," you admitted sheepishly. Your previous cool demeanor melted away like snow on a hot winter's day.

Your shy demeanor made him chuckle. "I was hoping to do this the safest way but that's alright. It would be a shame to turn you into a puppet anyways. And this way we can talk on our way," Shalnark smiled.

You just raised your eyebrow at him.

"Sorry, I was getting ahead of myself." Shalnark chuckled. "I was going to use black voice to take you back to our base. But since that won't work on you you'll just have to come willingly," he explained.

While you were sure as hell didn't want to join them to their base you had no other option. "Just so I don't jump to conclusions what will you do if I don't?"

"Phinks and I will kill everyone here." Shalnark smiled at you as if he didn't just say he would commit atrocities if you didn't join him.

You closed your eyes and sighed. "Fine." You wanted to say that he owed you dinner since you were hungry but that wasn't true.

You don't feel hungry at all despite the fact that you hadn't eaten lunch. You realized that godmode must stop you from feeling hungry too. Nor did you feel the need to go to the bathroom. You wondered what else godmode did. But unfortunately, you weren't allowed to ponder for long.

Shalnark stood up and walked towards you. Helping you out of your seat and making you cling to his arm the same way as before.

You saw him nod at Phinks who nodded back. The blonde got out of his seat and left the building. You and Shalnark soon followed him. You noted that they didn't pay but nobody stopped them.

The car you ended at was a lot less flashy than you thought they would drive but you didn't care.

Ever the gentleman Shalnark opened the door for you. Carefully you climbed into the car. Once comfortable you noticed that Phinks was in the driver's seat while Shalnark joined you in the backseat. His arm around you to pull you against him.

When you looked up you realized that Phinks was looking at you through the rearview mirror. More precisely he was ogling you through the rearview mirror. When he finally did look up at your face you raised his eyebrow at him. Almost giggling when you saw him blush before looking away to focus on driving out of the parking lot.

Feeling a bit out of place now in your fancy dress you turned to Shalnark who was surprisingly quiet for a guy who only minutes ago implied he wanted to talk to you during the ride.

"Would you mind if I changed?" You asked him. Your regular clothes were in your inventory and you'd rather not have anyone ogle at you like Phinks just did.

Shalnark looked at your face before turning his gaze at the small bag you were holding. Probably wondering what could possibly be in that bag. Feeling intrigued he nodded.

"Of course," he grinned. A sparkle in his eyes. You wondered why he seemed so excited until you realized why. He probably thought you would undress.

Well, he was in for a rude awakening. Just like in a video game, you could instantly equip clothes. No undressing needed. So you opened your menu and made your way to the inventory. Your hand movements confused Shalnark but he didn't comment on it.

Within a blink of an eye, you were changed back into your regular clothes. Your purse and fancy clothing now safely in your inventory.

Once you closed your menu again you noticed Shalnark staring at you. Smiling as always. He was about to say something but you cut him off.

"How long until we get there?"

Surprisingly it was Phinks who replied. "Twenty minutes," he said, making you sigh. Since you'd rather not talk to Shalnark you had to find another way to kill some time. Luckily you still had all those game guides in your inventory.

Since you already showed them you could make items disappear and appear at will you decided it wouldn't hurt. So you once again opened your menu to retrieve a game guide.

This time however Shalnark gasped. As quick as lighting he grabbed your wrists in one of his hands. Making you raise his eyebrow at him. For a second you were confused until you remembered Chrollo's ability.

"Relax, it's just a game guide." You held the book up to show the cover to him. "It's nothing like Bandit's secret, just an ordinary book," you explained. Hoping both of them would calm down. Both as you saw Phinks flinch when the game guide appeared.

They did. A little bit.

Phinks glanced at you through the rearview mirror. Deciding to let Shalnark handle things. Shalnark's smile was still there. He didn't say anything. Instead, he used his free hand to take the game guide from you. Looking through it to confirm that it was in fact a regular book.

A delighted smile broke out on his face. "It's just a game guide," he said excitedly. Letting go of your hands so he could properly read the book.

Glad that he let go of your hand while simultaneously annoyed that he stole your book you contemplated opening your inventory to get another guide out. But since you didn't want either of them to panic again you decided against it.

Luckily Shalnark handed your book back only a few moments later. You didn't thank him when he handed it to you. Which made him pout.

"You know, you haven't been a very good date this evening," Shalnark teased. "You daydream, you don't say thanks, you don't answer my questions. Not very nice of you Y/N."

Shalnark was clearly just teasing you but it annoyed you nonetheless.

"That's rich coming from a guy who tried to mind control me."

This just got a laugh out of both Shalnark and Phinks. Making you sigh before you decided to focus on your book. Hoping to find some useful cheat codes that you missed or deemed unnecessary before.

You found some cheat codes that seemed useful. But with godmode on you figured you were fine. Not to mention that Chrollo couldn't steal your abilities.

Not wanting to be caught off guard however you came up with a plan. It was a simple one too. Godmode would protect you and it would show them that they couldn't hurt let alone kill you. Obviously, you couldn't kill them either. Which left you both at a stalemate.

So your plan was to appeal to Chrollo. Show him that you weren't a threat to them. Hopefully, that would make them let you leave.

After a while of reading you were suddenly interrupted by words filling up your vision.

Level up!

The words were quickly replaced by a bar that rapidly filled up. Showing you that you were level 2 now. It confused you immensely. Especially when suddenly two text boxes replaced the bar. One had the words 'save states' and the other had the words 'pause button'. You were about to reach for one of them when once more Shalnark grabbed your wrists. Making your book fall onto your lap again.

"Hey!" You cried out indignantly. Wondering why he did that.

"You should be more aware of your surrounds, Y/N," Shalnark chuckled. You wondered what he meant by that until you realized he must've been looking at you the entire time. He knows now that your 'weird hand movements' made things happen so he must've grabbed you to stop you from doing something else.

"Are you really going to keep holding my wrists for the rest of the ride?" You asked him, clearly frustrated. Not just by Shalnark holding your wrists but also because now the words were still in your vision. Luckily they were transparent but they were still annoying.

"Yep!" He said, picking up the book you dropped. Clearly happy that you bought some game guides as he was weirdly fond of them.

You could only watch as the words disappeared in front of you. You panicked, wondering if you missed your chance now. When you noticed two new things in your vision you calmed down. Your level indicator showed that you were level 2. And the menu button had an icon that showed you had a notification or message.

Hopefully, that meant you could still make a decision later.

You calmed down again, closing your eyes. Just in time for the car to stop. Causing you to immediately open your eyes.

"We're here."

[lexosaurus]

Hey, Lexx! Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💜

LEXIE THIS IS SO CUTE!

Okay I couldn't narrow it down so I'm adding a 6th fic akjnsdfksjnd. So here's my top 6 fics with some commentary because I'm extra af:

1: Everything Was White: After being accidentally revealed to the public and taken away by the government, Danny deals with the aftermath of his time with the GIW.

Yeah, this won't come as a surprise to many. This VERY angsty longfic sorta marked a turning point for me where I started taking writing more seriously, really looking at plot structures, doing research, interacting with other writers. I went into this with "I'll just do a twoshot cuz I suck and I'm not capable of writing much more," and seeing how far I've come in skill and confidence has honestly kept me totally enamored with this fic. I love that I can see my improvement as the fic's gone on. I've gone back and cleaned up the early chapters, and I can still see a distinct difference. Makes me very happy!

2: Morge: It was a beautiful day outside. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming...a corpse was found in the woods.

This was my first Invisobang fic and also my first (and only? so far?) Outsider POV fic. I loved exploring the perspectives of Amity Park and Phantom from somewhat regular people who don't know much about ghosts. And, of course, writing Danny slowly losing it as the fic went on was a great bonus!

3: Transformation Troubles: A hit from one of Skulker's weapons leaves Danny temporarily unable to transform out of his ghost form. Unfortunately for him, he still has classes to attend.

This fic is just a vibe, honestly. It's a "guilty pleasure" category of DP fics that are few and far between (glitching powers, still has to go to class) but I absolutely inhale any chance I get to read one. College AU, post-reveal MY BELOVED real tea y'all. This basically came from me wanting a niche thing and going, "Fine, I'll write it myself!!"

4: and then he woke up: In his dreams, he woke up in his cell again.

This oneshot is similar to EWW where it's my take on what a realistic GIW recovery might look like. Aka, Danny Has A Bad Time. It's a very sad hurt/comfort fic, but I think it also represents a "level up" in my descriptions and pacing that I've been trying to employ more in recent fics.

5: Black and White Roses: When he died, he didn't get a memorial service. He didn't get the vigil, the flowers, the headstone. In fact, no one even found his body.

Dude idk man I just really love Valerie and Phantom's dynamic. Also, thought it'd be really interesting to write a full ghost AU fic, which it was, because as I was writing it I realized like hey, he'd have a corpse, and corpses are kinda freaky aren't they? Like how would you react if ur ghost friend was like "Hey yeah my corpse is over there." That'd be fucking nuts.

6: Birthmark: “No, it’s…” He trailed off, rubbing a hand over his face. His eyebrows were pinched and he looked almost sick. When he finally spoke, his voice was small. “They’re not tattoos.”

Lichtenberg HC my beloveddddd seriously I love it so much I am SO normal about it. That and Phantom and Valerie becoming friends fics. Literally so fucking normal guys. Just trust me bro.

Yeah 5 and 6 are so similar so I couldn't pick between them hahaha. But this is my current top fave fics!

I'm also REALLY excited to release all the stuff that I've been working on the past year this fall. Not tryna gas myself up here but I've been sitting on so much stuff since last NaNo and I'm just ahhhhh!

[borealopelta]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

thanks for the tag, @seasidesandstarscapes !! 💖

How many works do you have on AO3? 40 :)

What's your total AO3 word count? 137,805

What fandoms do you write for? my active ones right now are the boys in the boat and gloryhammer, but i consider myself a terror/the north water writer despite barely touching any of my fics in yearsssss. i love boat media what can i say !

Top five fics by kudos? i was something made for god to label fragile (now i'm stuck) - 1149 (OFMD) out of time, eternal heatstroke - 641 (OFMD) sure as the sun come up from the south - 380 (OFMD) steppin' around in a desert of joy - 311 (Ted Lasso) I'm a stitch away from making it (and a scar away from falling apart) - 279 (IT Chapter 2)

Do you respond to comments? yes!!! sometimes uhhh years late but that's only because i forget that i only replied in my head. i think even the smallest comment deserves a thank you :) <- tiny fandom rarepair enjoyer mindset

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? amazing question i could list like 6 immediately with vastly different vibes but i'm gonna pick it always leads to you in my hometown (The Boys in the Boat) because i looove the ending. those men are not having a good time with their emotions and marital status.

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? i HAVE to go with hustling for the good life (never thought i'd meet you here) (Bullet Train) it's one of my fave fics ever and i love the ending so much 🥺🥺 need those guys to be happy (AND ALIVE!) forever and ever

Do you get hate on fics? oh i used to get death threats yeah!! deeply whatever 2 me though i'm writing for me and the 5 freaks who live in my pocket

Do you write smut? less and less lately but yeah :)

Craziest crossover? i don't write crossovers :)

Have you ever had a fic stolen? not that i know of, thankfully!

Have you ever had a fic translated? no, and i'm not sure i'd be into it!! i wouldn't want a translation in a language i don't know because i wouldn't be able to ensure that things are worded the way i want them to be. i've translated my own writing before and i know that's a struggle even when i'm the original writer so you know.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? also no, once again i'm very very controlling about how i want my writing to look and feel and taste. i couldn't write together with someone else without ruining our relationship i think

All time favorite ship i will always always always come back to eddie carr/doc thorne from the second jurassic park novel. they're so crazymaking i'm forever obsessed with them.

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? a so far unnamed continuation of call to rise (Gloryhammer) that lives as a long ass outline and several disjointed scenes in my wip folder. i haven't forgotten about her but i have also not made any progress :(

What are your writing strengths? NOT narration/dialogue balance that's for sure!! i'll get so carried away with my beloved descriptions and fun narration that i'll forget to write a single line of dialogue until i'm 600 words in

Thoughts on dialogue in another language? it's one of my big fic icks to be frank 😭 i simply don't think switching back and forth between two different languages does either one justice. the rhythm is different! the vibe is different! it's always always jarring and a lot of times not done well at all. i avoid it when i'm reading and i don't write it

First fandom you wrote in? everyone can judge me for this. it was hollywood undead rpf

Favorite fic you've written? posssssibly let me under your skin (The Terror) i just like the vibe so so much. absolutely miserable depressing yet tender small town armitozer. beloved!!!! but i have so many unpublished ones i absolutely adore, it would be hard to pick. also i didn't feel like linking my other fav fic which is the dead doviest dead dove i've ever written. it fucks though

If you were forced to write only one genre for the rest of your life (like James Patterson lol) what would you want it to be? keeping this makeshift 20th question by seasides because i like it :) my preferred genres would be either period fiction (not specifying when because i want the wiggle room) or nonfiction. i would LOVE to write nonfiction. who's got the time though

i'm gonna tag @duesternis @derry-rain @smolsleepyfox and @zonkutonshorrifyingpeenie if you guys feel like it :))

[voxofthevoid]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by my one and only Jesus @eusuntgratie

I recently cleared out all the ask/tag games in my drafts because I realized I'd reached the pile-up stage of putting things in there and not doing shit. Thanks to everyone who's tagged me in those the last couple of months and sorry I didn't get to any!

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

148

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

2,005,606 (crossed the 2 million milestone recently and am still buzzing about it)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I'm only writing for Jujutsu Kaisen, but I'm posting for Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, and MCU.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

I was so sure it was going to be all MCU, but nope, it's a mix of MCU and Hannibal. God, that was my first Ao3 fandom, and my Hannibal fics are from 2014. It's surreal people are still reading/enjoying them.

if you're looking for jesus (then get on your knees)—MCU

i'm a ghost, you're an angel (one and the same)—MCU

A darkness seen and shared—Hannibal

Ways and Means—Hannibal

the hand you want to hold is a weapon (and you're nothing but skin)—MCU

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

I do! I enjoy the interactions and discussions. Plus, since I'm not a Discord (or group spaces) person, it's how I find fellow fans to chat with, especially during my initial foray into a particular fandom. I do have a huge backlog of some 1.1k comments from 2020 to mid-2021 because I didn't have much time for fandom in that period. I'm chipping away at it slowly, but I'm pretty prompt about replying to everything on my post-2021 fics.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmm, this Hannibal fic, I'd say: Till the bitter end

Let's just say I predicted the series finale in some weird way.

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

Most of mine end happily—a few are ambiguous, while others are dark.

8. Do you get hate on fic?

Oh yeah. It's only happened with MCU and Jujutsu Kaisen, and they're mostly cases of overgrown children unhappy that I didn't write the ships or dynamics they want.

9. Do you write smut?

It's my specialty now 😎

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nah. I've done fusion-style AUs, but full-on crossovers aren't something I'd like to write. I'll read them, but I'm picky.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Multiple times (MCU and YoI, iirc), both within Ao3 and offsite.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Multiple times, for multiple fandoms! It's always a delight.

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

I did write one(1) fic that way, but it got yeeted into the void when my co-author deleted her entire Ao3 account. I have a copy, I think.

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

I'm the kind of person who's most devoted to whatever is eating my brain at the time, so right now, it's Yuuji/Gojou from Jujutsu Kaisen.

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but probably won’t?

My writing superpower is that if I lose interest in a WIP, I also lose all desire to finish it and any guilt about it. And these days, I tend to start a fic and work on just that till it's done. So the answer is—none.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I write some smokin' hot porn, and I'm pretty good at threading character study through it. The porn is the plot, in most cases. I also enjoy doing background worldbuilding that serves to give the narrative a sense of depth despite the focus being on characters and relationships.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Fight scenes, ensemble casts, and sustained plotty plots.

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

Ah, I can feel my Hannibal-era Google-translate Lithuanian judging me.

In general, I avoid it, but when I write for anime set in Japan, I tend to work in honorifics. My mother tongue has those too, so I know from experience that there are no English equivalents that capture the same vibe.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Hunter x Hunter, I think. That account no longer exists. On Ao3, it's Hannibal.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I tend to be biased toward my newer works, so this keeps changing. At the moment, it's (let me be clear) every version of the story ends with you being slaughtered (JJK, goyuu).

Tagging (no pressure) 20 people because why the hell not: @possibleplatypus, @actualalligator, @joeys-piano, @cursedvibes, @backwardshirt, @m34gs, @naamah-beherit, @dragongirlg-fics, @crossroadswrite, @spacebuck, @jenroses, @calamitouskings, @knivash, @lo-55, @bookwyrmling, @sorrythatwasamistake, @ddelline, @lilyfarseer, @roughkiss and @deunan306

[klunkcat]

tagged by @goodlucktai <3333

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

45 lol but i have I think. 30 wips that exist somewhere on my computer at any given moment. alas.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

701,032

which..... is like far too many words per fic actually imo

3. What fandoms do you write for?

honestly whatever currently grabs my brain stem changes a lot but i think my top ones are tmnt and stranger things (what a wild combo actually). Actively atm I have a trigun wip and a tmnt one

4. Top five fics by kudos?

A Kiss is a Kiss (But it's never like this) - 6,528

(something happens and I'm) head over heels - 3,518

Green with Envy - 1,880

Forget the mess I'm in - 1,791

Weak Point - 1,366

5. Do you respond to comments?

literally I am the WORST for remembering to reply I'm so sorry. I must say that I do read all of them in my email and screenshot them and cry

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

angsty endings are too much 4 me I believe so strongly in hurt/comfort but....

Impossible Things and the Tin Can I think is the most like, conceptually tragic series I've written

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

Comfort is a requirement but I think but like Stepping over the line is basically just an extended meet cute so nothing really sad happens at all lol?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Actually genuinely have never gotten a rude comment in my life I did once get someone being hyper pushy about new chaps when I was like.... 19? Sometimes comments veer I think towards misunderstanding unreliable narrator elements and can be a little intense as a result

9. Do you write smut?

ehhhhhh closest I've ever gotten was dancing around the topic lol

10. Craziest crossover?

omg me and tai have gone down some rabbit holes and made a tangled/good omens fusion among other things, which was cute 2 me

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've gotten some requests, not sure if they got uploaded anywhere?

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

I did once many years ago but we didn't end up finishing it from what I remember!

14. All time favourite ship?

oh god I mean. ineffable husbands and wangxian invented romance. big mckirk and vashwood fan despite what my published fics would tell you. stsg ruined my life this year. I'm really big on platonic friendships though personally

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

My google docs are a cesspit of fics I will never finish. Once made a wangxian softball fic that will never see the light of day but I think of it fondly

16. What are your writing strengths?

Might actually be a weakness and not a strength but boy do I love prosey metaphor nonsense. Sometimes I think it works other times who's 2 say.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Fighting scenes man, combat is hard as hell.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

in general I dooooon't write it too much just because I don't speak anything beyond like. grade 2 level spanish so.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

tmnt :' )

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Oh tricky. Stealing tai's idea of a top 5

Forget-Me-Nots - :') big ol love u to tai for this

Both the Sweet and the Bitter - so sorry to anyone who follows me for ST fics because I'm probably never going to write for it ever again or finish this but a dear friend of mine helped me with this story and it means a lot 2 me as a result. The flower metaphors were fun to research.

Plain White Beach Houses - also same as the above but idk pacific rim au....house metaphors.... I love this series a lot

change up, high inside - wanted to write a softball fic for my whole life basically and this is more or less me just waxing poetic about the sport if I'm honest

Feedback Loop - this fic was actually insane like. took me I think a full year to write out? There's a lot of stuff in this that I lol cannot reread anymore for reasons but damn if it wasn't a learning experience to write all around

Tagging @eternalglitch @byrdybyrd02 @jinbugs if u want to besties!

[heatherthetiredwriter]

20 Questions for Writers

Thanks for the tag @autumnwoodsdreamer <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently just one! I've got two others sitting around in drafts but I've not published them

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

8,742

3. What fandoms do you write for?

My one fic I've published is a crossover for three fandoms, Big Hero 6, Tangled: the Series, and Tales of Arcadia: 3 Below. So I guess I write for those three. And my other two unpublished fics are for Frozen and How to Train Your Dragon. DC as well kinda.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Well I've only got one so the list is just

A Game of Keep Away

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I love comments and try to respond to them as soon as I get them! They make me so happy! Though... I do have a problem with... comments.... that I know come from a specific person being on multiple accounts that I try not to engage with too much.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

So A Game of Keep Away is again the only one I've published and its got a LOT of angst and much more to come-- but my unpublished Frozen fanfic probably has the angstiest ending of them all

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

It's not really spoilers, especially since I haven't written it all yet, but A Game of Keep Away will have a happy ending! My unpublished, unfinished httyd fic probably has the happiest ending, but that fic is like never ending I swear---

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Never hate, which I'm glad for. I've had grammar police. But I don't mind them cos "dang it, how didn't I catch that?" My problem, again is mostly with the one specific person who comes and finds my fic no matter where I post it and comes at it with this energy that I do not enjoy. I am glad this person likes my fic but my goodness I don't need that energy in my space when I'm trying to write 😭

9. Do you write smut?

Nope.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Yes! I already mentioned my only published fic right now is a crossover! I love writing crossovers!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I've had so many things stolen off of Wattpad. So. Many. Stories. Oh my goodness.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of!

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

I am currently co-writing a fic with my boyfriend and our other friend, its called The Last Bat and I am just remembering its also on AO3 I think and that means some of my answers might be incorrect bc I didn't take into account that fic but I don't care cos its not on my account its on his

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

How could you ask me to choose between my favorites like that??? But it might have to be one from How to Train Your Dragon? It was the first thing I really got into. I remember shipping Hiccup and Astrid so hard. And Heather and Fishlegs as well. So maybe one of those two.

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

My httyd fic... It's too big of a fic to actually write I'm pretty sure. I might could make it smaller, but I'm certain it would take years to actually write out. I think currently it sits at seventy-five chapters? or something like that? But those were twelve year old me chapters and so I would want to re-write them and make them better.... and then I'd have to continue the story.... Like in my head, I'm fond of the story because it was my first ever fic, and because it was a way I connected with my now dead great-grandmother when she lived so far away from me (yes, I did get my great-grandma to sign up for a wattpad account when I was 12), but I don't know if I have the stamina to keep that up again. Plus this was the fic that kept getting stolen. I'm sure its floating around the internet somewhere, despite the fact that I took it down from all my platforms.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I'm really good at getting into a characters head. And I'd like to agree. Once I'm in, I know their everything. What they eat for breakfast. What color their socks are. How they'd react to the stupid trolley problem. So I never have any problems showing how a character reacts to something. How it makes them feel.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I definitely could be more descriptive. I've noticed I've only ever been descriptive with a character once and that was just because I was so into her head and I knew that instead of focusing on the dangerous missions she was on, realistically she'd be like "Oh I wonder what kind of fertilizer they are using for their poppies? They are beautiful!" So since then I've been trying to paint a visual picture better. Something that I am finding to help is figuring out my setting beforehand and like mixing ambiance players to give the right vibes. Then it tends to come easier. But its something I need to work on for sure.

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

In the wise words of @autumnwoodsdreamer "One word: italicise." But also yeah I'll mix in other words. I've done a lot of dragonese for different httyd things. Elvish too.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

How to Train Your Dragon

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Its not published anymore, it didn't survive my personal purge, but it was a crossover between httyd and the hobbit movies. One of my ocs antagonists from my httyd fic got teleported into the hobbit movies and fell in love with Kili. Who then of course dies at the end of the movie and she steals his body and does the whole viking burning boat funeral to try and send him to Valhalla. And then she comes back to her world and the main fic and is like "Imma be a better person so I can be with Kili in the afterlife :)" It was so cringe, but I was free and innocent and thought it was the coolest thing ever and I wrote like I was the most talented person in the world and honestly 12 year old Heather was onto something bc I'd like half of her confidence

No pressure tagging: @susanshinning @rachelbethhines shooot im trying to think of people I know that post on ao3........ if you post on ao3 then please feel free to join!!!!!

[thursdayinspace]

20 questions for 20 writers

tagged by @thatfragilecapricorn30 @randomfoggytiger and @baronessblixen thank you!! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 21

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 70.063 -- this is my new AO3, so that's why it's still so low, haha.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Only X-Files now.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? spectacular (glasses sex!), it's the day the world didn't end, from this morning forward (that makes me so happy), got you covered, wild side

5. Do you respond to comments? yes. if I ever don't, I'm sorry, it's not because i didn't love your comment, but i just don't get around to it right away sometimes. but i try to reply to every single one because i love them all.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? ohhh. i don't write super angsty endings . . . I guess mend into pieces bc it's season 2 and they know they're making a mistake, but we all know they'll figure it out eventually, so.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? they pretty much all end happily. i'm going to more or less randomly pick five ways to say i love you. because i loved writing that ending.

8. Do you get hate on fics? so, okay. there are two stories here i want to tell from an old fandom. one is funny. one is kind of great, really?

the funny one: i got a looooong comment on a fic, like several paragraphs long, going into great detail about why the fic sucked and why i sucked and why i had personally offended them by writing fic at all. they obvs meant to comment anonymously but forgot to log out. by the time i got to my computer, they had deleted their entire account. of course i had their name in the ao3 email. i laughed so hard at that.

the kind of amazing one: i got a very rude anon on tumblr, and i responded by saying i'd be happy to discuss their criticism, but i wasn't going to have a conversation with a hockey puck with sunglasses, and asked them to come off anon so we could talk. and they did! they showed up in my dms a short while later. we solved nothing and did not part as friends, but i actually have mad respect for that. wherever they are today, i hope they have taken some anger management classes and are doing well!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? yeah, i certainly do. idk what kind? the porny kind? lol no i mean it's kind of lame but fun.

10. Do you write crossovers? i wrote a stargate atlantis/firefly crossover centuries ago but that was it. or maybe start trek with sth else, i don't remember.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? i don't think so, no.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? yes! it's so much fun and i would do it again.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? mulder and scully!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? i plan to finish all of them.

16. What are your writing strengths? it used to be dialogue but i don't think it is anymore. idk? i think i can create an atmosphere?

17. What are your writing weaknesses? i tend to repeat myself a lot and then skip over other things completely. i'm not good with transitions between scenes.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? i haven't done it, but if it would make sense for a fic, i might do it.

19. First fandom you wrote for? stargate atlantis. i was very late to the fanfic party.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? it's called 'ellipsis' and is still with the beta. but of the ones i've already posted, either from this morning forward or yesterday's future.

Randomfoggytiger added additional questions:

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life? i mean it's a hobby but it's definitely also a way of life. there isn't ever a time when i don't think about writing and everything all the time connects in some way to a thing i'm writing and i can't imagine what i'd do without writing.

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript? completed manuscript! or notes? uhh . . . both?

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration? everything. random things. i can't think of one specific thing, it can be literally anything.

4.Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing? both thoughts are equally awful lol

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective? yeah, i think so. not in any big way, but about smaller stuff, just the way i look at certain things? yes.

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN? ao3!!! my tinkerbell brain loves the comment section, haha. also it's just so much nicer to read on ao3 and there's the download option, so also as a reader, def ao3.

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it? 70.063 - no, i'm not satisfied with it. i used to write multi-chapters with more words. but it's a new account so yeah starting small again.

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably? jasper fforde's 'thursday next' series. it's where i stole my name from. literary detectives? oh man. it's the kind of story where you wish you'd had the idea first. go read it!!!!!

9. What's the highest compliment you could ever be given, and have you been given it? i am really really lucky to have been given so many amazing compliments and i appreciate every single one. i couldn't say what means the most to me . . . probably when it's personal to the commenter? when someone tells me sth i've written touched them in some way. bc that's what i want to achieve.

10. What defines your writing style? lol idek man pretentious purple prose? i think i live somewhere between overuse of metaphors and focus on the rhythm of a text. i love writing in english bc it flows so nicely. idk is trying to make it sound nice a style bc then that's at least what i'm going for.

who hasn't been tagged? no pressure tags for @backintimeforstuff @nachosncheezies @actual-changeling and everybody else who wants to!

[celestialsister0918]

Fic Writing Review 2023

Thanks for tagging me, @gammacousin!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either. (Copied and pasted)

Words and Fics

Word Count:

142,081

Fic Count:

6 started. 5 completed

Most Productive Month: February by far, thanks to Kinkuary!

Top Five by Hits

The One He Needs Right Now: Jim Gordon's Kinkuary: 5941

What I'm Thinking About (Sirius x Ginny): 3600

A Window Not Missed (Bruce x Nat): 2107

A Window Closed (Bruce x Nat): 1101

In the Sepulcher by the Sea (Sirius x Severus): 684

Top Five by Kudos

A Window Not Missed (Bruce x Nat): 96

What I'm Thinking About (Sirius x Ginny): 61

A Window Closed (Bruce x Nat): 47

In the Sepulcher by the Sea (Sirius x Severus): 32

The One He Needs Right Now: Jim Gordon's Kinkuary: 24

Fandom events:

Two @trulymadlydeeplyfest fests! 1 in February and 1 in October. Both Harry Potter. I'm so bad at knowing where all the fests are so those are my only two.

Upcoming Plans:

To Complete:

Finish "A Window Closed" (Bruce x Nat)

Start "A Window Opened" (Bruce x Nat)

Start "A Special Election" (Jim Gordon x NEW OC) - I have one chapter written and some dialogue prompts for chapter 2. I'm soooo excited for this one.

Other Ideas:

Continue one-off Sirius and other Gary Oldman character one-shots on Tumblr.

Write a Jackson Lamb piece

Maybe write a Kate Bishop x Yelena Belova one-shot if the mood strikes

Write another Gary Oldman RPF (many dialogue prompts already written). Here's my first Gary RPF if interested... it was set during the Dracula filming. The new one will be set after his divorce from Alex but before Gisele.

Reflection

I took a couple long breaks from writing this year. After finishing "Submissioner Gordon" in December of 2022, I was at a pretty bad low from lack of interaction with that fic. My heart has NEVER been in something as much as it was that fic, so to have so many hits and so little interaction made me think everyone hated it. Yet I continued the story with the Kinkuary prompts, where I wrote a short fic every day for 28 days. Again, I feel like it bombed.

At the same time, I made what I thought would be my last hurrah in the Harry Potter fandom, and it didn't do so great either. I was in a BAD spot comparing myself to other writers, so I took a long hiatus.

During that break, I started watching the entire MCU with my son, start to finish. My brain grabbed onto Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff and would NOT let go. So in May, I began publishing the "Never Say Never" series, where I try to fix their story.

The feedback from the Marvel fandom and Brutasha readers/writers really warmed my heart and got me back in the groove. I am forever thankful to them, because it truly restored my confidence in writing.

I will always be thankful for my Wizarding World series and the Submissioner Gordon/Daddy Issues universe, and my brain loves to revisit those stories and characters. It's just bittersweet because it never really found its audience. However the feedback I got from my foray into the MCU fandom has built my confidence enough that I am able to write in HP and Dark Knight without really worrying what others think. I am just doing it for me and my love for the characters. I know my writing isn't bad--- it's just not a lot of people's cup of tea.

I also want to give a shoutout to the small but steadfast Gary Oldman fandom I have found on Tumblr and Instagram. They've become very dear to my heart, and I love that we can share random thirst posts together when so many others just don't get it.

If anyone is reading this, please share your 2023 stats and reflections as well! I love writers supporting writers. Happy 2024 to you all!

[shootingstarpilot]

Fic Writer 20 Questions

Thanks for the tag, @merlyn-bane!

1.) How many works do you have on ao3?

Eight!

2.) What's your ao3 word count?

217,911

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

*sobbing* Star Wars, my beloved. The brainrot is real; I am consumed. When I was still on FF.net, though, I had stuff up in Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon.

4.) What are your top five fics by kudos?

back then, i was dauntless

how to bring him home

if i don't make it back (from where i've gone)

though some would harm you

like lightning changing hands

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

I absolutely do! I feel bad because I know I've gotten some lovely comments on chapters that aren't the most recent one, and those tend to get lost in the inbox, but I promise I'm working on it- if you get a response from a comment you left a year and a half ago, don't hold it against me 😅

I do it because I want so badly to build community here! I love getting comments from people, responding to something with a wee hint of a tease because I'm AWFUL and then getting a keysmash of a response and then exchanging snippets in the comments, truly, it fills me with delight- and I've met some absolutely wonderful people who I got introduced to by responding to comments-

Anyway. Community. That.

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

Oh. Hm. Hm.

I... guess it would have to be though some would harm you? Although I'm not sure if I feel confident in that designation, because it's very much part of a multi-work series. And I'm too much of a sucker for happy endings to write a stand-alone fic that doesn't have one, I think.

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

Oh, neural plasticity, for sure! Short and sweet <3

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

A bit. I can brush off the "actually the Jedi were the real monsters" assholes easily enough, but honestly, the comments that hit the hardest are the ones that clearly come from people who think they're offering ✨constructive criticism.✨ Not only because I didn't ask for it, but also because saying my work is "fatiguing" or "I'm sure there's a decent story here, but it's being buried under what you're trying to do with it-" there's nothing constructive there.

Side note: the person who left that last comment deleted it about half an hour later, because when I went to reply, it had vanished from my inbox. I don't know if they did that because they didn't want me to be able to reply, or if they realized that what they said was unhelpful and mean, but if they ever happen to see this-

I still got the email, prick.

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

Write? No, I haven't quite worked up the panache to try. Reading, on the other hand...

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

I do have snippets of one crossover that I actually posted in an anonymous collection, ha- an old BBC Merlin/ Good Omens/ Supernatural fic that I dug out of my old documents. Other than that, no- unless you count the Prequels and the Clone Wars as different enough to qualify as a crossover.

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also not that I know of- very much open to it, though!

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Since I don't think taking drabbles in tumblr chats to ridiculous lengths counts, I'd have to say no- I'd like to, though!

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

Codywan. Fiercely, unwaveringly Codywan.

Just to reinforce this- 292 of my bookmarks consist of Cody/Obi-Wan. The next most common romantic pairing (Aziraphale/Crowley) has less than half that, at 121.

I'm a goner, and I can't even bring myself to regret it.

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

OKAY SO I've written snippets of a modern AU focusing on Helix, Needle and Stitch, and I'm totally gonna take this opportunity to rage about it. I'm probably never gonna finish it, but it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling, so, hey- what else is fic for, really, if not for indulging yourself?

At first, it's just Needle and Stitch. It's just been the two of them, for as long as Stitch can remember. Needle's only a few years older than him, but he's raised him, kept him in school, kept a roof over their heads and food on the table-

Food on Stitch's plate, at least.

Then, one night, Needle does not come home.

A hit-and-run, the nurse tells him, although the words will not trickle through until much later. A coma.

He will not, they say patiently, come home for some time.

(There is so much that needs doing.)

Helix, meanwhile, is studying physical therapy at the local community college and working part-time at his brother Ace's bakery.

It's during one of these shifts that a skinny little twerp comes in and hands him a job application.

(Rent and bills and Needle Needle Needle-)

It doesn't take Helix long to realize something is... off.

Ace tells him not to push it, but-

The kid's a good worker. Great, as a matter of fact. He's never late. Stays past closing, too, if they've had a rush. He tells Helix about his brother and nothing else.

(His brother hasn't come to visit.)

Everything that's not sold at the end of the day gets packaged up and given out. They only toss in the dumpster what's really, truly inedible- stuff that got dropped in the kitchen, scraps left over from customers-

He thinks it's raccoons, at first, until he peers in and sees Stitch flatten himself against a heap of bags in the corner.

They package up leftovers for him, after that. A bit more than leftovers, maybe. Ace sets aside sandwiches. Helix buys him a thermos and tells him it's been in the lost and found for over a year. They make sure he eats.

(Needle's getting transferred out of the ICU.)

Stitch is trying. He's doing everything he can, and more besides. But Needle's life is too expensive and he's buckling under the weight.

(He hasn't even grieved. Not really. No room. No time.)

Eventually, something has to give.

He does.

(He hadn't expected someone to be there to catch him.)

Featuring:

Helix stumbling into adopting first one, then two idiot kids

Ace being a supportive brother

Needle finding his way home

Mace Windu as Needle's (unfairly attractive, Helix thinks) neurologist

Obi-Wan as a hospital social worker who gets assigned Needle's file

Cody as Obi-Wan's husband, Helix's cousin, and children's book author (Stitch's favorite)

(listen I am WEAK for author!Cody, truly)

(Helix was totally the one who got them together and he regrets it every day of his life.)

Sheev Palpatine as the epitome of the evil of the American healthcare system

The Melidaan crew running a long-term, non-profit care facility that offers both in-patient and out-patient rehab services

16.) What are your writing strengths?

(I'VE PUT TOO MUCH THOUGHT INTO THIS. SHIT.)

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

I am, apparently, really good at writing breakdowns. >:3

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

Dialogue does not come easily to me. I have to work a bit to hit my stride. But I think it turns out well enough!

Hm. Coming from a purely technical perspective here, I think the reader should be able to understand everything that's spoken in a fic. If a character says something in another language, then I think the best way to convey that is, "X muttered something Y didn't catch," or, if the listener recognizes that it's at least in another language, "X muttered something in French."

If the reader should understand it, then something along the lines of: "'I knew we shouldn't have trusted him,' X muttered in French."

If the POV character doesn't understand the language, it doesn't make sense to provide the reader with a perfect transliteration of what the other character is saying. The character wouldn't have that knowledge. It can really take me out of the fic when two characters suddenly start conversing in written-out sentences in another language, and I have to scroll all the way down to the footnotes for translations.

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

But then again, that's just my opinion- I'm sure others have their own thoughts on this!

20.) Favorite fic you've ever written?

Harry Potter.

Hell, I have to say like lightning changing hands, if only because whatever fic I'm writing at the moment is my favorite. It's the act of creation that does it for me!

(Also because it's such a good opportunity to explore so many relationship dynamics.)

No-pressure tags for @jedi-enthusiast, @themonopolyhat, @shadow-pixelle, and @foreverchangingfandomsao3!